Movie Review: American Maniacs (2010)

Directed by C.M. Downs

Starring Ashlynn Yennie, Jason Miller and John Redmond

In most horror/thrillers there is a distinct line drawn between the characters which dwell within it. You've got the good guys on this side, the bad guys on that side. The victimizers over here and the victims over there. American Maniacs has no hero's, there is no one to root for here because every single character is deeply disturbed in their own special way. Think “The Jerry Springer Show Meets Ed Gein” You've got Clyde (Jason Miller) a hillbilly failed actor who has abducted a group of christian kids who happen to have AIDS and is keeping them locked up in a chicken coup in the barn. You've got Clyde's wife Starlene, (Ashlynn Yennie of Human Centipede fame) a meth-head stripper who married Clyde for the sole purpose of getting her hands on a stash of money she thinks he has hidden somewhere in the barn. You've got Punch (Shawn Smith), a meth dealer who is fucking Clyde's wife and is determined to get his hands on that stash of money. And then you've got sheriff Lewis (John Redmond), who is not very good at his job and has some seriously fucked up sexual issues going on in his life.

Movie Review: The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia (2009)

Crazy white trash characters are great for movies. You can look at them and think, "Wow, they're fucked up," while patting yourself on the back for being at least a little better off. When the characters aren't fictional, though, it's tough to know how to react. Initially, you laugh your ass off, partially in shock. Eventually, you realize that these people are out there, and they're breeding.

Buy The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia on DVD or Watch it Instantly

Jesco White is the accidental star of the family. His dad D. Ray, the family patriarch, was a famous tap dancer until he was killed in a shootout. Jesco picked up the skill and ran with it. PBS made a documentary about him in 1991 called The Dancing Outlaw, and they made a sequel eight years later. They were both popular, and after seeing them, Johnny Knoxville of Jackass fame decided that a follow-up involving the entire White clan needed to be made. He wasn't wrong.