American Gothic

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 Control” are superior IMHO. The film runs 1 hour, 29 minutes, and was shot in Vancouver (substituting for Seattle) and Bowen Island, which is just northwest of Vancouver. The sanitarium scenes in the opening were done at Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam, which is east of the city. GRADE: B-