laneybugg
I personally loved this! I thought it was interesting to watch the process of a home haunter: the desire, the stress, the work, the thrill, the enjoyment, etc. I enjoyed every second of this! ..And now, I must step up my game!
poe-48833
Until I saw THE American SCREAM, I had no idea what I wanted to do with the remainder of my Life. Now, I know. No, I don't want to spend whatever time I've got left building haunted houses (as do the stalwarts herein): what I'd like most to do is find a place like Fairhaven and settle down there- near people of a like mind, with the right disposition(s). Halloween has always been far and away my favorite holiday; nothing else even comes close (although there's a lot to be said for Thanksgiving...). To live in a town where Halloween is celebrated every day would be a dream come true, the only way to go; the Most, Daddy-o- with drive-ins and all-night horrorthons every weekend and conventions and weekly get-togethers and... Well, one can DREAM, can't one...?
Michael_Elliott
The American Scream (2012) *** (out of 4) From Michael Stephenson, the director of BEST WORST MOVIE, comes this rather charming documentary focusing on three people whose love of Halloween causes them to turn their homes into a haunted house tour on the holiday. THE American SCREAM is a rather interesting documentary, although it's certainly flawed at times as well as being a tad bit slow. I think most people love Halloween and as this film shows, people love using their imagination and getting scared. I think some of the best moments talk about not only these three men but also various others across the country who spend thousands of dollars decorating their homes and trying to outdo one another for having the best haunted house. I think some other great moments include the obvious effect this is having on some of the people but this here is also the bad part of the film. I think the movie needed more scenes taking a look at the bad times of doing this. There are times when finances are mentioned and it would have been nice hearing about how much this costs and what sacrifices these people have to make to make others happy. The pacing is a bit off and as I said, at 82-minutes the film does seem long at times. With that said, the movie is still very much worth watching.
MartinHafer
This documentary follows three families in Massachusetts as they prepare for incredibly elaborate lawn displays for Halloween. There is no narration--just shots of the various folks working and talking to the camera about their obsession to perfect their haunted houses and lawn displays. Much of it is a bit slow, but there also is a certain oddness that makes it watchable.As I watched the film, I sure wondered about the mental states of these people and their lives. They clearly have issues and you wonder about the long-term effects on these guy's families--as well as so much stress that at several of these guys clearly are NOT enjoying this process. It's not really a hobby...it's an all-consuming obsession. And, as such, would be an interesting film to show a psychology class. However, for the average viewer this might just be a case of too much. Because the film is so long, it does drag a bit and might put off some due to this. Still, it's worth a look.
AD
