The American Nightmare -
If you assume that the greatest horror filmmakers of the late 20th century drew from dark places in their youths, you would be right. This is an interesting exploration of how the turmoil of the late '60s from Vietnam to the assassinations of RFK and MLK, Jr. manifest in their work. Featuring John Carpenter, Wes Craven, David Cronenberg, John Landis, George Romero, Tobe Hooper and Tom Savini, they all eloquently describe the links between their trauma and their most famous work. Assisting them are professors and horror experts who essentially stand in for the audience. I was most fascinated by - and for that matter, worried for - Tom Savini, whose experiences in Vietnam explain why he's such a gore expert, for better or worse. Also, if there are any throughputs, zombies stand out the most, with each inspiration behind their various forms from the consumerist ones in
Dawn of the Dead to the sexually reawakened ones in
Shivers being scary in and of themselves. I also appreciate the documentary's stylistic touches, especially how well it draws parallels between news and movie clips.
If you're also a horror lover, you've no doubt discovered how many interviews with the aforementioned legends are out there and have likely listened to or read a few. Will this movie add to your overall understanding of them? I doubt it, but it will not take away from it, either. As a result, I believe it is more valuable as a study of trauma, how it manifests and the various ways we cope with it. As Wes Craven puts it, he had to put all that bad karma somewhere.