Movie Review: The American Scream

Synopsis: An original documentary which follows three families in a small seaside town in Massachusetts as they prepare for their annual home made haunted houses. This story highlights their long journey from planning to opening day and cleanup until next year and the obstacles which face them during the process.

I got to see a special screening of this last night in Little Rock (put me in a haze!) with the director, Michael Stephenson (Best Worst Movie), in attendance and doing a little Q & A afterwards. It was a fun experience.

I found the film to be a very nicely done documentary that pulls you right in from the start on a subject that just doesn't seem like it would be worth 90 minutes of your time quite honestly. But it's about much more than the people who attend "HauntCon" (no, really, there's such a thing) and fix their houses and yards up to be enjoyed by the locals on Halloween night. It's about family, chasing dreams, obsessions and making up for things missed during your own childhood. It's about passing passion for the things you do on to your kids. It's about leaving a mark.

The 3 families are all unique in their approach. There's the over-the-top, perfectionist, seemingly obsessed father making his family miserable almost (although they're a big part of it also), there's a guy who just does it because he loves it and wants the kids to have fun, and there's the odd father/son team who are just completely infectious in their ramshackle approach. And guess what, all 3 homes are within a few blocks of each other.

All 3 families are treated with care and respect and there's no judging or ulterior motive here, it's just a peek at the month of October in their lives.

This is perfect Halloween programming for the whole family (although there are a few curse words in the non-TV version). I'll be watching for what Stephenson does next as well.

7.5/10