The American Scream


The American Scream is a documentary film profiling three families in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, who transform their homes into extravagant haunted attractions for Halloween. Produced and directed by Michael Stephenson, the film premiered on the Chiller network October 28, 2012. The recent growth of the "home haunter" phenomenon is linked to the influence of the Internet as well as the Haunted Attraction National Tradeshow and Convention.

Reception

The American Scream received generally positive reviews, garnering 100% fresh on the site Rotten Tomatoes favored the film stating that "The American Scream is really well done and has a lot of heart."
The film effortlessly toes the line between observational and compassionate, whilst Bobby Tahouri's score is at once jovial and joyously creepy, succeeding in drawing the audience into the foray of Halloween excitement. Katie-Jane Hall of Critics Associated said "The real heart of this feature is the families; they sacrifice and support each other through thick and thin, allowing their lives and their homes to be enveloped by a mass of pumpkins, zombies, skeletons and fake blood all for the joy of others. Their passion is contagious and I would be surprised if it does not inspire some more amateur haunters to spring up out of the woodwork."

Release

The American Scream premiered on September 23, 2012 at the Fantastic Fest at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas. On October 10, 2012 The American Scream Premiered for a limited audience at the Walter Silveira Auditorium in Fairhaven, MA.

Television

On Wednesday October 31, 2012, The American Scream was broadcast nationally on Chiller TV.

Box office

In November 2012 The American Scream was released to theaters nationwide.

Home media

In December 2012 The American Scream was released on DVD. The American Scream is also available on Netflix, YouTube, and I-Tunes.