When I visited New York a long time ago we lived at a shitty hostel somewhere on Manhattan. It had those long corridors, walls painted red and a thick disgusting carpet covering very corner - probably never cleaned - at least not in the last thirty years. Outside our room - which I guess was some kind of old one-room apartment - we had the view of a brick wall. During the night homeless people slept outside the door and we were constantly afraid of stepping in syringes. On the good side, you could get up on the roof pretty easy and had a fantastic view over the neighborhood. Here's one photo from the roof:
After one or two nights we just realized something was wrong - and yes, that was true. They've placed us in the wrong house from the beginning! Anyway, if you've seen the gritty locations in The New York Ripper, Vice Squad, God Told Me To (and about very other Larry Cohen movie), that's what we expericed live. Like a damn movie. Totally unreal for an innocent Swede and his boyfriend at the time (who later revelaed himself to be a cold-hearted bastard, but that's another story). That's also what makes the nasty Canadian serial killert thriller American Nightmare such a blast. There's only gritty location, whores, dark alleys and dirty kills set in a very bleak world.
A young man, son to a rich TV-mogul, is on the hunt for his lost sister - who works as a prostitute deep down in the grittiest part of the town. When he finally finds her living quarters he realizes she's disappeared and now he starts to investigate what happen to her. At the same time a serial killer is on the loose in the city, killing prostitutes with sharp razor knife. At the same time he falls in love with a woman who might get her break-through in one of his father's TV-productions... but of course the unknown killer is getting closer and soon even she is in grave danger!
Released by Scorpion Releasing, this rare slasher/giallo-esque hybrid has eluded the audience for many years, but is finally out to a new generation of sleaze-fans. And I have to admit I dig it. A lot. I think I like so much because of the cheapness. Everything is probably shot on location somewhere downtown, Michael Ironside as the tough cop sits is something that not even resembles a real police office, and he - like several of the male actors feels quite disconnected both acting-wise and storywise to the rest of the show. It feels like a problematic production - and what I've heard it was on the shelf for two years before it was released - this doesn't stop it from being a fine and very sleazy and violent thriller who feels more like a giallo than a slasher, but with an dash of American cop drama - before realism and grittiness became "the thing" in US television.
While the gore and violence is pretty cheap - a lot of red paint smeared on skin from the edges of not so sharp knives - it still hits hard and it never comes off as silly. There's a lot of nudity for those who like that. I'm not one of them. It's quite annoying.
Not perfect by any means, but with the right atmosphere, American Nightmare is a damn fine piece of canuxploitation. Recommended for connoisseurs of well-made trash.
I only have one question, based on the poster: "Mike Ironside". Is it THE Michael Ironside?
If so, I'm totally watching this!
Posted by: Fredrik | November 04, 2013 at 10:29
Yes, it's THE Michael Ironside :)
Posted by: Fred Anderson | November 04, 2013 at 10:32
I should have known! There can be only one!
Posted by: Fredrik | November 04, 2013 at 10:56
"When I visited New York a long time ago we lived at a shitty hostel somewhere on Manhattan. It had those long corridors, walls painted red and a thick disgusting carpet covering very corner - probably never cleaned - at least not in the last thirty years."
Oh...I have lived in one of those places.....wonderful, huh?
"You can almost feel the breeze from the winged serpent Q here..."
Quick!
Let´s go to the chrysler building.......hahahhahahhaha
"(who later revelaed himself to be a cold-hearted bastard, but that's another story)."
That bad, huh..?
"That's also what makes the nasty Canadian serial killert thriller American Nightmare such a blast. There's only gritty location, whores, dark alleys and dirty kills set in a very bleak world."
The canucks can be very dark sometimes.....
"Released by Scorpion Releasing, this rare slasher/giallo-esque hybrid has eluded the audience for many years, but is finally out to a new generation of sleaze-fans."
Never heard about it...so I´m glad for this review.
"Michael Ironside as the tough cop sits is something that not even resembles a real police office, and he - like several of the male actors feels quite disconnected both acting-wise and storywise to the rest of the show."
Ironside did his best, I hope?
"There's a lot of nudity for those who like that. I'm not one of them. It's quite annoying."
HELLO!
haahhhahahhahhaha.....it can be nice.
"American Nightmare is a damn fine piece of canuxploitation. Recommended for connoisseurs of well-made trash."
Well....I wouldn´t go so far as calling myself a connoisseur but I like thrash, good review and thanks.
Posted by: Megatron | November 04, 2013 at 16:45