[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

AMERICAN NIGHTMARE – I’m writing this over Christmas, when many reflect on times past and the way we were. I’m thinking about the early noughts, about coffee houses and bars, about people sat around on sofas in those coffee houses and bars, hanging out, maybe philosophising about their greatest fears and desires, but mainly just hanging out. There’s lots of hanging out in ‘American Nightmare’. If an uncomedic version of ‘Friends’ with even more anaemic characters could be retooled as a slasher movie, the result might resemble ‘American Nightmare’. Debbie Rochon’s in it – she plays a nurse on a murder rampage. You keep waiting for her story to take form, but no, she’s just a nurse who happens to be into murder. She flits in and out – I’ve already mentioned that this is mostly about ‘friends’ sitting on a couch. They listen to their favourite radio show. What kind of DJ calls themselves ‘Caligari’? Someone who wants to discuss some really profound shit. He’s annoying. Little islands of strangeness float by – someone trips out at a gig in the woods, Rochon teases Caligari with her hot tales of knife sex whilst stabbing at (her? / someone else’s?) leg in a car. But mostly people just sit around as if they’re in a cheap, doomed version of Central Perk. I like the hazy feeling of indies of a certain vintage that only just hold together. I’m writing this over Christmas, a time for forgiveness, but ‘American Nightmare’ is a Halloween movie.

I actually like American Nightmare and own it on dvd. Seen it loads of times over the years. Love the movie references in the coffee shop chatter.