American Gothic

In "American Gothic", the story revolves around Cynthia, a young woman mourning the death of her baby daughter, for which blames herself (and she really should!). Following her psychiatrist's advice, Cynthia and her husband, Jeff, go on a trip with some friends, but their trip is cut short when they find themselves stranded in a deserted island. During a walk around the woods, the group finds a wooden cottage and they decide to break in (of course they do!). While the guys and girls are snooping around the place, going through the drawers and even dancing the Charleston like complete imbeciles, the owners of the house arrive. The householders are an elderly couple who call themselves "Ma" and "Pa". Jeff apologizes for the intrusion, but Ma tells him not to worry and invites them to stay for as long as they need. Later, we find out that Ma and Pa have a "child" named Fanny, a middle-aged woman who thinks she's 11-years-old. Fanny has two "little" brothers, named Woody and Teddy.

Up until this point, we can assume that this is a very peculiar family, to say the least, but the truth is that Ma and Pa are religious fundamentalist who condemn and punish everything that is disapproved by the Bible, and they have trained their "children" to be that way too. As it is expected, the young friends and their modern lifestyle don't quite fit with the family's traditional values and it doesn't take long for the carnage to begin.

"American Gothic" is one of those films where it's very hard not to like the killers more than the victims. The family members are judgmental and self-righteous, which are two qualities that many people dislike, but it is also evident that they simply don't know any better as a consequence of living in seclusion and having been trained to strictly obey the Bible. At first, Ma and Pa actually seem to mean well, since they offer shelter without expecting anything in return. However, this so-called act of kindness could also be explained through the...

3 couples fly away for a holiday but encounter engine trouble and are marooned on an island with a dysfunctional and deadly family.

There are some stupid decisions made including one which almost pulls you out of the film but it's all so crazy and is played straight enough to elevate this far above what it could've been. I'd say it feels a bit like a feature length Tales from the Crypt episode, with a slightly more serious tone and strong Wes Craven feels.

Well worth watching for the brilliant performances of the island family and many bizarre and amusing scenarios.

Young castaways encounter a strange family on a remote island in the Great Northwest

Three couples from Seattle take a small plane trip to celebrate the anniversary of the pilot & his wife. Unfortunately, mechanical problems force them to land at an isolated isle in Puget Sound where they meet some backwoods kinfolk (with Rod Steiger playing the patriarch). Will any of them make it back alive?

“American Gothic” (1987) combines the odd yokels of “Deliverance” (1972) with the basic set-up of “Humongous” (1982) and the religious legalism of “Carrie” (1976). The first act suggests an adventure in the manner of “Out of Control” (1984), but the second act takes a horror turn, although it’s sort of atypical of 80’s slasher. Yet there are similarities to “April Fool’s Day” (1986).

Some eye-rolling bits mar the proceedings, like when Jeff suddenly puts his hand on his wife’s shoulder, even though he knows she’s in an extremely fragile mental state, not to mention stuck in an unknown house on a godforsaken island.

Another possible negative is the emphasis on the inbred rednecks’ adherence to the Bible, but I didn’t take this to be anti-Christian since the Messiah plainly told some religious Judeans who knew the Scriptures like the backs of their hands that they were children of the devil (John 8:44). In other words, anyone can SAY they’re believers but that doesn’t mean they’re genuine. For instance, if I stand in a garage and SAY I’m a car, does that make it so?

So, this is more accurately a negative commentary on isolationism, willful ignorance, religious legalism and maybe inbreeding.

Statuesque Caroline Barclay stands out on the feminine front as blonde Terri while Sarah Torgov is effective as the main female, Cynthia. Fiona Hutchison is worth a mention, although her character, Lynne, is a bit of a (convincing) biyatch. Yvonne De Carlo is also on hand as the matriarch of the island clan.

It’s pretty good, but both “Humongous” and “Out of Contr...