MovieChat Forums > American Gothic (1995) Discussion > Quick question about the show

Quick question about the show

posted 14 years ago by asdfghjklzxcvbnmqazwsxed
6 replies | jump to latest

I just finished watching an episode of "American Gothic" and was immediately taken in by it. I was just as intrigued to find so many message boards here on IMDB about the show. I had no idea so many folks liked it! My question is this: Is "American Gothic" the worst TV show in the last 20 years, or the worst ever? Don't get me wrong - besides the writing, acting, directing, and cinematography it really is a damn fine show and deserves all the accolades awarded it. Oh, and the special effects were horrible too. So stupidly, comically bad the effects were. And while I can certainly understand how a low budget might account for such dreadful effects, it would not explain the over-all pretense that this show seems to exude. The pretense that it was such a unique and creative drama that no wonder it lasted only a season - people just weren't ready for such a cutting edge show! That kind of pretense. The real tragedy here is not that "American Gothic" lasted only a season, it's that it ever got made at all.

[–] Journeyman1 14 years ago

TROLL!

[–] Krgrgarrett 12 years ago

Wow! I've been so shocked by the love for this show. It's great to find a voice (sarcastic as it wonderfully is!) that seems to be the only one I agree with. Everybody seems to think this is a great, creative piece of art. I grew up watching Twilight Zone, Amazing Stories, Tales From the Darkside, Ray Bradbury Theater, Tales from the Crypt, Friday the 13th, and Twin Peaks! I was amazed I missed out on this gem of a show. Now, after watching half a season on Netflix, I know why it was cancelled. It's so transparent, but yet there's nothing to see! What kind of motive is there for anything!
I read from another website that someone thought this was WAY better than Twin Peaks. But at least with TP there was an overall plot with reasons for the (network induced) changes. American Gothic just seems like a rambling set of characters with an evil lead that has no reason for being evil other than the sake of being evil. It seems that only fans of the show remember the show. Just an example of how forgettable it is.

[–] Krgrgarrett 12 years ago

Even (especially) for the mid 90s, this whole idea was worn out. This show is cliche on every level!

[–] DNDxRyuzaki 11 years ago

I know that this thread is quite done, but, I think the appeal of American Gothic was that it WAS so simplistic. Most people look at it and think that it's supposed to be some gothic piece, but it's not. It's taking from the painting "American Gothic": a painting expressing simplicity and domestication as well as a hardworking Americana. Which is what you find in the show, and how easy it is to manipulate it to becoming something so sinister just by inserting an evil force.

I personally don't think Lucas is just an evil dude, I believe that he's supposed to be the devil, and I don't mean that in some preachy way either, I just honestly thing that that's who he's supposed to be. Having grown up in South Carolina, I can say that...well, the way they represent the state is a little dated, but a lot of the people are decently accurate to certain parts of the state, where it is easy to get corrupted.

The problem is, people were making this show out to be something it wasn't: it's not supposed to be a horror show, it's just supposed to be something to show you what happens when people have a choice between good and evil. And, in the show's defense, it was cancelled before it got to do more of its planned story, so we have a quickly wrapped up ending.

[–] Krgrgarrett 11 years ago

But the show was so poorly executed on every level. It doesn't matterif it was horror, sci fi, drama, etc.. It was crap.

[–] gregrchstr 9 years ago

If you didn't like the show, why bother to take the time to come on this board spew out your obnoxious venom, *beep* pretentious loser *beep*