In this thought-provoking documentary from filmmaker Adam Simon, legendary horror directors reveal the inspirations behind their groundbreaking films of the 1960s and '70s. Through film clips and interviews, masters of mayhem George Romero, Tobe Hooper, Wes Craven, David Cronenberg, John Landis, John Carpenter, and Tom Savini discuss the ways in which their films commented on the real-life political terrors taking place in the U.S. Much like the icons of America's New Hollywood, these films were also haunted by contemporary horrors. Things like Vietnam, the Cold War, racial segregation, political assassinations, and the Kent State Massacre all helped set the tone for this chilling collection of cinematic nightmares. By placing seminal films like THE PARASITE MURDERS, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, SHIVERS, THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, and THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE in their proper historical context, THE AMERICAN NIGHTMARE finally gives the horror genre the credit it so rightly deserves as a barometer for the American psyche.
