Search - American Gothic on DVD

ABSTRACT FILM BASED ON REALISTIC PAINTING

Anton Ilinski | Moscow, Russia | 11/13/2005

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I think Grant Wood's painting "American Gothic" created in 1930 is a great piece of art (not only American but in a world's scale). Having read the synopsis for this movie I thought it'd be something really interesting. I guess I was wrong. First you got to understand it's not quite a movie. It's more like a collage of photos and images put on industrial and death metal music. The movie is surreal and abstract unlike the painting itself. I doubt it's possible to understand anything watching it. Maybe some will be exclaiming "Ingenious! Brilliant!" after the film but then they have to be big connoisseurs of post-modernistic art. Carlos Batts is an acclaimed photographer, photography is his first speciality and I somehow missed it before buying this DVD. I think this film would be a nice part of some contemporary art exhibition, among some weird statues and installations. But to pay $23 for watching it at home - no, that's too much, and I'm talking not just about the money.

Don't say you haven't been warned :)"

Pretty weird, even for me

S. Boone | Louisville, KY | 10/19/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I enjoy some pretty weird stuff when it comes to films, but this left me a bit perplexed. Supposedly based on the famous "American Gothic" painting, but taken into David Lynch/Guy Maddin territory via Marilyn Manson videos, or SOMETHING...WTF? Most of the time focuses on the old farmer from the painting, going on about once being a man but now, he's nothing...and there's some very disturbing imagery going on, which is the stuff of nightmares. And I do like weirdness, but this was a bit too weird, even for me. There's even some short films on the DVD, and I watched one, hmm, even weirder. Definitely not for all tastes, and probably not for mine."