[1][2] The recent growth of the "home haunter" phenomenon is linked to the influence of the Internet as well as the Haunted Attraction National Tradeshow and Convention (HAuNTcon).

The film effortlessly toes the line between observational and compassionate, whilst Bobby Tahouri's score is at once jovial and joyously creepy, succeeding in drawing the audience into the foray of Halloween excitement.

Katie-Jane Hall of Critics Associated said, "The real heart of this feature is the families; they sacrifice and support each other through thick and thin, allowing their lives and their homes to be enveloped by a mass of pumpkins, zombies, skeletons and fake blood all for the joy of others.

The American Scream premiered on September 23, 2012, at the Fantastic Fest at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas.

On October 10, 2012, The American Scream premiered for a limited audience at the Walter Silveira Auditorium in Fairhaven, MA.