American Gothic (1988)

Director: John Hough
Starring: Rod Steiger, Yvonne De Carlo, Sarah Torgov, Janet Wright, Michael J. Pollard & William Hootkins

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It's amazing. One can actually see Rod Steiger thinking as he performs...I was in fucking On the Waterfront. His performance, though solid, doesn't make up for the (expectedly) poor script and acting. The film follows a group of young promiscuous adults (naturally) that land their plane due to engine troubles on a deserted island (naturally). They (naturally) soon discover that the island is, in fact, inhabited by a family of backward, hillbilly psychopaths (do I even need to say it at this point?).

The killings aren't terribly bloody, but the family is predictably quirky and murderous. No points for originality, but the Ma and Pa characters go far enough to make this film worth watching for connoisseurs of low-budget horror. Not a must watch, but as stated before Rod Steiger turns in a decent performance despite the material.

February 14
friend's apartment TV, late night

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D