For what this was and what this was trying to do - this production about the evolution and, unfortunately, demise of the horror host phenomena was first-rate! I was not around this for the most part due to age and location except for Elvira. More on her later. I did get a chance in the mid-eighties to catch Chilly Billy Cardille in Pittsburgh and absolutely loved him. I wished I had had a chance to see more of these - if not all. Some look like hosts that I would have loved to have watched. I was around for Chiller Theatre in New York in the 70's(loved, loved, loved it!). So what we basically get here is an introduction and survey course in Horror Hosts 101 - so to speak. It traces the first and then goes up to the present, where believe it or not, some areas are still fortunate to have these late-nite pioneers still gracing their screens. The documentary gets into many specific "giants" and has lots, lots, lots of interviews with the people that did this. Noticeably missing is Elvira though they do, for this documentary, a very stylish presentation of her importance(which cannot be underestimated). we see Vampira, Ghoulardi, Cardille, Zacherley, and many, many more. What we need to do it make these television shows of yesteryear available for those of us who saw them and want to see them again OR those, like me, who would like to explore this territory for the first time. Whatwe really need is a first-rate classic horror channel. They could get a real host I've and then on other nights show some of those classics that are still available. There is so much out there to be seen. Anyway, American Scary was a great documentary about a subject I would like to know more about.

*Spoiler/plot- 2006, American Scary, A documentary exploring the horror host TV shows. The TV show subjects covered were primarily from the eastern beltway cities and does not cover the subject well. *Special stars- John Hudgens is the film's director (yawn). *Theme- Horror host can bring back B-movies. *Based on- low cost documentary schlock*Trivia/location/goofs- The director of this documentary is a Star Wars fan video maker for many years. It shows here. Hollywood's Vampira was highlighted.*Emotion- American Scary is so extremely limited or myopic in covering the vast, interesting subject of horror TV hosts. After viewing this documentary, I was left unsatisfied and frustrated. Mr. Hudgen's job of director, editor, and camera person is responsible for this film's terribly slow pacing as to be boring and sleep inducing. Also, there are many more unexplored influential Californian horror hosts of the same time period like: JEEPERS KEEPER- Fred Stuthman, OTTOLA NESMITH, SEYMOUR, aka SINISTER SEYMOUR- Larry Vincent,ELVIRA, MISTRESS OF THE DARK-Cassandra Peterson, ASMODEUS- Frank Sheridan, GHOULITA- Lietta Harvey,BUTCH PATRICK and IVONNA CADAVER-Butch Patrick and Natalie Popovich, SHRIMPENSTEIN and DR. VON SHTICK- Puppet character worked by Gene Moss as "Dr. Von Shtick". The coverage of this subject matter was shallow and very pedestrian. A much better & more complete documentary is about the horror hosts in Virgina called, "Virgina Creepers: The Horror Host Tradition of the Old Dominon", 2009.IMDb LINK: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1524050/combined

Not a lot of documentaries shot on a shoestring like this one is convey the love and admirations the filmmakers of "American Scary" do for their overview of local horror hosts. The unpolished nature of this film actually adds to the overall message- that the horror movie host was something from another time and is (with few exceptions) sorely missed. Interviews with the people that brought these characters to life as well as people who were influenced by them are slices of time that make us lucky they've been captured on tape; too many people (Forry Ackerman; Vampira; Bob Wilkins plus quite a few more) have died since being interviewed for this piece which is a pity. Thank God these people are on here to share their thoughts. A small film with a giant heart- buy it or rent it, but SEE IT!

Many, many years later my childhood memories of Milwaukee horror movie hosts Dr. Cadaverino, Shirley the tarantula and Tolous NoNeck often rivals my memory of the movies themselves.Though none of my childhood horror hosts were included in John Hudgens shockumentary (no surprise considering the hundreds of hours of footage squeezed into this precious 90-minute film), American Scary still brought back a cavalcade of warm memories from my childhood in Milwaukee to watching Son of Svengoolie with my wife and my own children in Chicago.All-in-all, American Scary is a very entertaining and inspiring look at a uniquely American phenomenon: the late-night horror movie hosted by the big kid who never grew up and seems to have forgotten that Halloween only comes but once a year. The inspiration of my local horror hosts has never left me and apparently neither has it left all the others who, inspired by their own local childhood horror hosts, continue to host those same low-budget, z-grade sci-fi and horror movies on cable access TV and on the web; carrying the torch to a new generation.