Interesting documentary on horror filmmakers of the late 60s/early 70s, focuses on important films of the genre that commented on the times they were made. Night of the Living Dead and how it correlated with the Civil Rights movement. Last House on the Left and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre were made as the horrors of Vietnam continued to expose how evil ran rampant in the jungles of another country and that American soldiers were just as complicit to a lot of what happened there. Shivers commented on the ongoing changes in sexuality. Halloween on how we seem to want to be scared and enjoy a ride while in the theatre. The jolt that comes from danger lurking. Directors Tobe Hooper, David Cronenberg, Wes Craven, John Landis, George Romero, and makeup artist Tom Savini (who lends a chilling recollection on Vietnam and how this experience shaped him as an artist; his photographic work and how it separated him from the horrors in front of him are quite haunting), along with professors who comment on the chosen horror films for the documentary, lend a voice to where the horrors on screen from their work came from. There is an honesty that is appreciated, and you can see the contemplative, cerebral, and introspective reasoning behind the films they created for the viewing public.
I think the direction can be heavy-handed at times, with how it extrapolates the horrors of real life being so intertwined with the horror films in the documentary. I think the dialogue of how the professors saw the horror films through their own intellectual and emotional lens is quite compelling. It is nicely intermingled with the thoughts and comments of the directors. You get some amusing anecdotes from Landis who is his usually energetic/enthusiastic self, more of a vocal component in regards to how the films of Romero, Hooper, and Craven effected him. Hooper speaks on what inspired the various aspects of his film, like how his relatives used to tell him about Gein when he was a kid, seemingly to freak him out. His inspiration behind the film in regards to being in the hardware store. And his disregard for family gatherings. Carpenter apologizes for the notion that his film was anti-sex; his comment on his generation being sell-outs is an example of how the sentiment is from many who would agree with him. It is all about the Benjamins. Romero's films get serious props from the documentary and the professors who are involved. The themes behind both Night and Dawn are discussed in length and depth. The use of Vietnam and how America was going to hell (Kent State, in particular, is also mentioned) is one of the more highly scathing points made in the documentary. While there's this sombre tone applied with the use of how the 50s atomic bombs scare, the sexual revolution, Vietnam, and the possibility of the apocalypse, Landis at least brings some humor that is much needed due to the approach. The music score is quite aimed to provoke an emotional response to the history for which these films covered fell within. Mostly, I think The American Nightmare is worthy of any horror fan's time. Wes Craven talking about the darkness behind the American dream's dissolve (the ideal from the 50s), Cronenberg getting quite analytical and philosophical in regards to the body and physical agony and the rewards of sexual freedom that can also come out of that. Romero describing us as the living dead and the disco era right after the horrors that were occurring when Night was made before he unleashed Dawn on us. But I think Savini's Vietnam stories and getting to see a small glimpse in his workshop (the cool sculpture of Lugosi's Dracula, Karloff's Frankenstein Monster, and Chaney's Phantom can be seen) are my favorite parts. Metaphor of what you see in the films compared to what was happening in reality could be the most hammering pointed aspect of the director's approach to the documentary.
I think the direction can be heavy-handed at times, with how it extrapolates the horrors of real life being so intertwined with the horror films in the documentary. I think the dialogue of how the professors saw the horror films through their own intellectual and emotional lens is quite compelling. It is nicely intermingled with the thoughts and comments of the directors. You get some amusing anecdotes from Landis who is his usually energetic/enthusiastic self, more of a vocal component in regards to how the films of Romero, Hooper, and Craven effected him. Hooper speaks on what inspired the various aspects of his film, like how his relatives used to tell him about Gein when he was a kid, seemingly to freak him out. His inspiration behind the film in regards to being in the hardware store. And his disregard for family gatherings. Carpenter apologizes for the notion that his film was anti-sex; his comment on his generation being sell-outs is an example of how the sentiment is from many who would agree with him. It is all about the Benjamins. Romero's films get serious props from the documentary and the professors who are involved. The themes behind both Night and Dawn are discussed in length and depth. The use of Vietnam and how America was going to hell (Kent State, in particular, is also mentioned) is one of the more highly scathing points made in the documentary. While there's this sombre tone applied with the use of how the 50s atomic bombs scare, the sexual revolution, Vietnam, and the possibility of the apocalypse, Landis at least brings some humor that is much needed due to the approach. The music score is quite aimed to provoke an emotional response to the history for which these films covered fell within. Mostly, I think The American Nightmare is worthy of any horror fan's time. Wes Craven talking about the darkness behind the American dream's dissolve (the ideal from the 50s), Cronenberg getting quite analytical and philosophical in regards to the body and physical agony and the rewards of sexual freedom that can also come out of that. Romero describing us as the living dead and the disco era right after the horrors that were occurring when Night was made before he unleashed Dawn on us. But I think Savini's Vietnam stories and getting to see a small glimpse in his workshop (the cool sculpture of Lugosi's Dracula, Karloff's Frankenstein Monster, and Chaney's Phantom can be seen) are my favorite parts. Metaphor of what you see in the films compared to what was happening in reality could be the most hammering pointed aspect of the director's approach to the documentary.