American Gothic(1987) Guide

The film's poster is a direct parody of the famous American Gothic .

, famous as Lily Munster from The Munsters , played "Ma".

The 1987 horror film has several "interesting" stories behind its production and cast, ranging from on-set brawls to punishing filming conditions. Behind-the-Scenes Incidents American Gothic(1987)

, an Oscar winner for In the Heat of the Night , played "Pa".

The movie’s release was famously tied to its "so bad it's good" reputation, with the LA Times noting at the time that for veteran actors like Steiger and De Carlo to be even "reasonably good" with such "atrocious" material was a sign of true professionalism. The film's poster is a direct parody of

: Originally, Stephen Shellen (who played Paul) was intended to be the film's lead. However, just one week into principal photography, Shellen got into a bar brawl . He returned to work with his face so badly mangled that makeup could not cover the injuries. To keep the production from shutting down, the director had to quickly rework the film's focus.

: A central plot point is that the psychopathic "children" in the film—Teddy, Woody, and Fanny—are actually middle-aged adults who act and dress like young children due to their isolated upbringing. The "Stolen" Imagery Behind-the-Scenes Incidents , an Oscar winner for In

(Teddy) is a "hidden in plain sight" actor who played Porkins (the X-Wing pilot) in Star Wars , the corrupt cop Lt. Eckhart in 1989's Batman , and the government official who recruits Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark .