There are over 2,000 titles for television shows, TV episodes, TV movies, shorts and feature films listed on the Internet Movie Database containing the word “American.” More than any other country in the world, the good ol’ US of A turns up as the most popular choice when it comes to naming a movie property. From American Splendor to American Movie to American Pie to American Pimp to American History X to American Graffiti to American Ninja to American Virgin to American Zombie and on and on. I’m curious as to the reasons for this odd fact.


Actually there seems to be an overuse of the word “American” in film titles, especially in the last decade. So what’s with this obsession on the part of filmmakers? And, more importantly, if one only viewed films containing the word “American,” what would one learn? As residents of the country standing firmly as the number one choice in movie titles prepare to celebrate the mid-week fourth of July holiday, I think it’s time we examined this popular trend. What exactly do American movies tell us about Americans?


Americans are self-centered, arrogant, vain and conceited.
Well, what else is new? But how else would one explain the sheer number of titles containing the word? While this may be true, sure, we can be a little full of ourselves, we can be a whole lot of fun to hang out with when we’re not invading other countries or throwing the Middle East into turmoil. What would really be interesting is discovering how well these movies do overseas. Without checking facts at all, something that rarely happens in stories written online, I would venture a guess that these films do just okay, but you won’t find them at the top of the French box office.


Americans love violence.
American Psycho, American History X and American Ninja certainly provide enough violence, or as it’s more politely called stateside, “action,” to prove that this is a culture obsessed with killing and blood and guts. In particular, American Psycho’s central character Patrick Bateman is bloodthirsty in his hunt for new victims… and we’re rooting for him all the way!


Americans are a horror show.
The plot of An American Werewolf in London is explained within the title and that kind of simplicity is what distinguishes most American films. The pimp, like jazz, is a purely American invention. American Zombie is a mockumentary which details the eroding rights of zombie workers in the U.S. The film deals head on with the issues of immigration by way of replacing the undead with undocumented workers and does a solid job of examining the problem, with a humorous take of course. And if one watches American Pimp, you’ll see an altogether completely different kind of horror show.


Americans want to get laid. Badly.
Living in a sexually uptight and repressive country is only going to lead the uninitiated to be more interested in sex. The success of films like the The Last American Virgin and the American Pie franchise prove that U.S. teens are not only desperate and horny, they also need a healthy dose of nudity and titillation just like the other kids all over the world. Film ratings boards from country to country maintain varying standards when it comes to classifying the age at which certain movies should be recommended viewing. One difference may be strange but not surprising to many – while violence is given tougher age restrictions the world over, nudity and sex is not. It’s the opposite in the U.S. where violence gets a pass and nudity or sex of any kind will garner an R rating. Which will only make those kids want to see it all the more.


Wacky Americans are just fun to watch.
I grew up just outside of Detroit, Michigan on the border of Canada. I was subjected to a lot of Canadian culture through television and I loved it. From Mr. Dress Up to Rocket Robin Hood, to the Friendly Giant to Hockey Night in Canada, the CBC was refreshing and different to a little American boy on the other side of the border.

But Canadian films, which I saw as a frequent attendee of the Toronto Festival of Festivals, always lacked… something. There was just no edge. The movies always seemed stale or milquetoast. Frankly, Canadian movies, which are mostly seen only in Canada, are boring. It’s no wonder that Canada’s most talented actors, comedians and filmmakers seek work in the United States. But the most profound reason for this was explained to me by a very friendly Canadian at the fest. He told me that Canada doesn’t have the widespread social problems that plague the U.S. Violence and poverty are daily struggles for a good number of Americans. Pain is often a pathway to good art, or at least, art worth noticing. Therefore, Canadians have no edge or just don’t have as interesting stories to tell. (Remember, a Canadian told me this, but it does make sense.)

Americans may be burdened with an increasingly idiotic, repressive, violent and ugly culture, but the world seems to have no problem entertaining itself by watching our movies. Thank you world.

Gore gone.

Chris_Gore will celebrate the fourth of July next week on the second, third and the fourth.