American Gothic is consistently awful as a horror film, but is nonetheless an entertaining picture, thanks to an almost constant supply of unintentional humor.
Six friends fly off for a camping trip, but when their seaplane suffers engine trouble, they are forced to land on the beach of a remote island. While Jeff (Mark Ericksen) tries to repair the aircraft, the others set up camp nearby. Naturally, one of the friends ventures into the forest alone (what else would you do on a mysterious island where anything can happen?), leading to the first of many situations which are intended to be frightening but fall flat.
When the six meet up again at camp, Jeff informs the group that he cannot fix the plane. He suggests that they explore the island. In true horror movie fashion, Jeff proposes that one member of the party stay behind to keep an eye on the plane. Of course, no one sees any harm in leaving Paul (Steven Shelley) all by himself in a completely unfamiliar area, and so the other five set off in search of someone who can help them.
The group's expedition leads to the discovery of a small house, straight out of the 1920s. They assume that no one has lived there for ages, though logic dictates that someone must reside there, as all of the antique furniture is dust-free. Nevertheless, they put a record on the victrola and proceed to get their groove on. Their dance party is cut short by the arrival of the house's inhabitants -- two elderly folk known simply as Ma (Yvonne De Carlo) and Pa (Rod Steiger). They seem a nice enough sort. Pa informs the group that a friend of his should be coming by boat within the next few days, and could probably help them get home. Ma and Pa invite the kids to stay with them in the meantime, and they accept.
All is not well, however. The kids' modern lifestyle immediately clashes with Ma and Pa's traditional values. Pa nearly has a heart attack when Lynn (Fiona Hutchinson) lights a cigarette at the dinner table, and Ma is very disappointed in Cynthia (Sarah Torgov) when she fails to clean her plate. Bedtime brings more conflict, as Pa sternly informs Rob (Mark Lindsay Chapman) and Terri (Caroline Barclay) that they are to sleep in separate rooms, for they are not married. (Strangely, Jeff and Cynthia are married, yet they are also forced to sleep apart.) Ma and Pa's children soon enter the picture, and the group's suspicions that something isn't quite right are confirmed. To reveal more would give much of the plot away, but suffice it to say that things begin to go downhill for our friends at this point.
The characters are about as deep as a kiddy pool. That is not so unusual for a horror movie, but a problem arises from the film's feeble attempt to inject depth into the character of Cynthia. Periodic flashbacks to a traumatic event in Cynthia's life are supposed to make us feel for the character, but fail miserably. The movie does manage to evoke emotion in the viewer from time to time, but it has nothing to do with the filmmakers' talents, and everything to do with Steiger's. He actually manages to make the viewer sympathize with Pa and his psychopathic clan. The rest of the performances are unremarkable, but acceptable, given how little the actors have to work with.
Six friends fly off for a camping trip, but when their seaplane suffers engine trouble, they are forced to land on the beach of a remote island. While Jeff (Mark Ericksen) tries to repair the aircraft, the others set up camp nearby. Naturally, one of the friends ventures into the forest alone (what else would you do on a mysterious island where anything can happen?), leading to the first of many situations which are intended to be frightening but fall flat.
When the six meet up again at camp, Jeff informs the group that he cannot fix the plane. He suggests that they explore the island. In true horror movie fashion, Jeff proposes that one member of the party stay behind to keep an eye on the plane. Of course, no one sees any harm in leaving Paul (Steven Shelley) all by himself in a completely unfamiliar area, and so the other five set off in search of someone who can help them.
The group's expedition leads to the discovery of a small house, straight out of the 1920s. They assume that no one has lived there for ages, though logic dictates that someone must reside there, as all of the antique furniture is dust-free. Nevertheless, they put a record on the victrola and proceed to get their groove on. Their dance party is cut short by the arrival of the house's inhabitants -- two elderly folk known simply as Ma (Yvonne De Carlo) and Pa (Rod Steiger). They seem a nice enough sort. Pa informs the group that a friend of his should be coming by boat within the next few days, and could probably help them get home. Ma and Pa invite the kids to stay with them in the meantime, and they accept.
All is not well, however. The kids' modern lifestyle immediately clashes with Ma and Pa's traditional values. Pa nearly has a heart attack when Lynn (Fiona Hutchinson) lights a cigarette at the dinner table, and Ma is very disappointed in Cynthia (Sarah Torgov) when she fails to clean her plate. Bedtime brings more conflict, as Pa sternly informs Rob (Mark Lindsay Chapman) and Terri (Caroline Barclay) that they are to sleep in separate rooms, for they are not married. (Strangely, Jeff and Cynthia are married, yet they are also forced to sleep apart.) Ma and Pa's children soon enter the picture, and the group's suspicions that something isn't quite right are confirmed. To reveal more would give much of the plot away, but suffice it to say that things begin to go downhill for our friends at this point.
The characters are about as deep as a kiddy pool. That is not so unusual for a horror movie, but a problem arises from the film's feeble attempt to inject depth into the character of Cynthia. Periodic flashbacks to a traumatic event in Cynthia's life are supposed to make us feel for the character, but fail miserably. The movie does manage to evoke emotion in the viewer from time to time, but it has nothing to do with the filmmakers' talents, and everything to do with Steiger's. He actually manages to make the viewer sympathize with Pa and his psychopathic clan. The rest of the performances are unremarkable, but acceptable, given how little the actors have to work with.