The American Nightmare (2000)

Director:

Adam Simon

Writer:

Adam Simon (writer)

Release Date:

20 July 2003 (Austria)

Genre:

Documentary | Horror

Tagline:

A celebration of Films from Horror's Golden Age of Fright.

Plot:

An examination into the nature of 1960's-70's horror films, the involved artists, and how they reflected contemporary society.

Plot Keywords:

1960s | Racism | Vietnam War | Art | Film Maker

Cast

John Carpenter	...	Himself
Carol J. Clover	...	Herself
Wes Craven	...	Himself
David Cronenberg	...	Himself
Tom Gunning	...	Himself
Tobe Hooper	...	Himself
John Landis	...	Himself
Adam Lowenstein	...	Himself
George A. Romero	...	Himself
Tom Savini	...	Himself

Directed by
Adam Simon

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Adam Simon		writer

Produced by
Paula Jalfon	....	producer
Caroline Kaplan	....	executive producer
Colin MacCabe	....	producer
Eliza Mellor	....	associate producer
Jonathan Sehring	....	producer

Original Music by
God Speed You Black Emperor
Karlheinz Stockhausen

Cinematography by
Immo Horn

Film Editing by
Paul Carlin

Production Management
Emma Whitely	....	production manager

Art Department
Paul Welsley Griggs	....	graphic designer
Teak Mu Tse	....	graphic designer

Sound Department
Alex Marcou	....	dubbing mixer
John Quinn	....	sound
Chris Syner	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Simon Bedford	....	camera operator: rostrum camera

Editorial Department
Katherine Grincell	....	colorist
Adam Inglis	....	assistant on-line editor
Neil Patience	....	on-line editor

Other crew
Robert Bress	....	production coordinator
Stuart McKay	....	newsreel researcher
Amy Murray	....	production coordinator
Deborah Zwicker	....	production coordinator

Thanks
Hercules Bellville	....	special thanks
Nancy Condee	....	special thanks
Helene Connolly	....	special thanks
Christine Forrest	....	special thanks
Cathi Gibson	....	special thanks
Steve Jones	....	special thanks
John Landis	....	special thanks
Bonnie Metro	....	special thanks
Marc Morris	....	special thanks
Carol Mysliwiec	....	special thanks
Kim Newman	....	special thanks
Sandy Russo	....	special thanks
Elayne Tobin	....	special thanks
Robin Wood	....	special thanks
Marcia Zwilling-Hooper	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Minerva Pictures

Distributors

• Epix Media (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Films Transit International (2000) (non-USA) (TV)
• Independent Film Channel (IFC) (2000) (USA) (TV)
• New Video Group (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Shocking Videos (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• ABC News  film extracts
• Alfred Cuomo  film extracts
• Associated Press Ltd.  photographs
• CBS News Archives  film extracts
• Clien & White Inc.  public relations
• Compass International Pictures  film extracts
• Films Around the World (I)  film extracts
• ITN Archive  film extracts
• Image Ten  film extracts
• Katz Pictures  still photographs
• Laurean Productions  film extracts
• Library of Congress  still photographs
• Lions Gate Films  film extracts
• Lukkien Digital Studios  facilities
• MCPS  music courtesy of
• MKR Group  film extracts
• Magnum Motion Pictures Inc.  film extracts
• Masters and Johnson Clinic  film extracts
• Media Insurance Brokers  insurance
• NBC News Archives  film extracts
• National Archives  film extracts
• Nimbus Records  music courtesy of
• Roan Group, The  film extracts
• Rough Trade Publishing Ltd.  music
• Sean S. Cunningham Films  film extracts
• The Film Company Ltd.  extracts
• The Image Bank  film extracts
• Topham Picturepoint  still photographs
• Troma Entertainment  film extracts
• Universal Studios Licensing  film extracts
• Vivid Post-Production  editing
• WPA Film Library  film extracts
• Warren Publishing Company  photographs

Runtime:

73 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Australia:R

Company:

Minerva Pictures

Trivia:

Packaged as an extra on the Region 2 release of Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes (1977).

Quotes:

Wes Craven: I think there is something about the "American Dream", the sort of Disneyesque dream if you will of the beautifully trimmed front lawn, the white picket fence, mom and dad and their happy children, god fearing and doing good whenever they can; that sort of expectation, and the flipside of it, the kind of anger and the sense of outrage that comes from discovering that that's not the truth of the matter, I think that gives American horror films in some ways kind of an additional rage...

Movie Connections:

References Manoir du diable, Le (1896)

Soundtrack:

Moya

A good documentary, putting American horror films into context

A very interesting documentary on the US horror films of the '60s and '70s. The mixture of interviews with some directors (Carpenter, Tobe Hooper, Wes Craven, George Romero etc), film clips and social commentary works well. Films are shown as reflections of the society in which they were made - not an earth-shaking revelation, but the witty commentaries, particularly by Carol Clover and John Landis, bring home the changes in style and taste through the two decades.

Inevitably the perspective is partial, restricted to US films (and Cronenberg's 'Shivers')and to selected film-makers. But it is a very entertaining documentary - and you can apply its messages to the obsessions influencing the European horror film-makers of the same period.