American Gothic [1988]

Country of Origin: UK / Canada
Year of Production: 1988
Running Times: 90 mins
Format: colour 35mm
Ratio:
Sound:

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Manor Ground Prods / Vidmark Entertainment / Brent Walker / Pinetalk Ltd / Gerrard and National Leasing
Executive Producers: Ray Homer, Michael Manley, George A. Walker
Producers: Christopher Harrop, John Quested
Line Producer: Terry Lens
Associate Producer: John A. O'Connor

SCRIPT
Script: Terry Lens
Story: Burt Wetanson, Michael Vines

DIRECTION
Director: John Hough
1st Assistant Director: Tom Zapata
2nd Assistant Director: Sean Dromgoole
Assistant Directors: Jono Drake, Ty Haller, Michael Metcalf

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Harvey Harrison
Camera Operator: Trevor Coop
Stills: Phil Hersee

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: John Victor-Smith

MUSIC
Music: Alan Parker

SOUND
Sound Recordist: Chris Monroe

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Costume Designer: Keith Denny

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Allen Benjamin

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: David Hiscox

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisor: Doreen Soan

LOCATIONS
Location Manager [Los Angeles]: Jean Ovrum
Location Manager [Gowan Island]: Arthur S. Rabin

STUNTS
Stunts: Dorothy Fehr, John Wardlow

CASTING
Casting: Lindsay Walker

CAST
Sarah Torgov [Cynthia]
Rod Steiger [Pa]
Yvonne De Carlo [Ma]
Terry Kelly [psychiatrist]
Mark Ericksen [Jeff]
Caroline Barclay [Terri]
Mark Lindsay Chapman [Rob]
Fiona Hutchison [Lynn]
Stephen Shellen [Paul]
Janet Wright [Fanny]
Michael J. Pollard [Woody]
William Hootkins [Teddy]

A group of holidaymakers including a women still traumatized by accidental drowning of her baby, are stranded on an apparently deserted island. They stumble across an old house and meet the strange old couple who live there and their retarded grown-up children. When the holidaymakers transgress the family's strict moral code, they start to die one by one.

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Vidmark Entertainment
Video Distributors: Virgin Video

Australia
Rating: M

UK
Rating: 18

USA
Rating: R

1987
Fantafestival
Best Actress [Yvonne De Carlo] - winner

TIMELINE

1996
February
12: UK - television broadcast [on Bravo]

Families that slay together stay together!

Everbody is welcome to stay-forever.

Amerykanski gotyk - Polish title
Dark Paradise - German title
Escóndete y tiembla - Spanish title
Hide and Shriek

MAGAZINE

Cinefantastque vol.19 no.1/2 [January 1989] p.116 [USA]
review

Film Review March 1987 p.8 [UK]
review

Hollywood Reporter vol.295 no.5 [9 December 1986] p.22 [USA]
credits

Hollywood Reporter vol.302 no.41 [13 June 1988] pp.3, 6 [USA]
review

Shock Xpress Winter 1987 p.20 [UK]
review

Starburst no.110 [October 1987] pp.21, 22 [UK]
illustrated credits, review

Stills no.29 [February 1987] pp.54, 56 [UK]
credits

Variety 26 November 1986 [USA]
note

Variety 27 May 1987 p.12 [USA]
credits, review

BOOKS

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.22
credits, review

Horror and Science Fiction Films Volume IV p.16
credits

islands, families, axes, axe murders, horseshoes, mouth organs, skipping ropes, slasher, swings

Last Updated: 6 March, 2007