
I Think I Found the Weirdest Movie Filmed in Iowa
Shortly after I took over on Y105, one of the first pieces I wrote revolved around a handful of movies that were shot in Iowa (very on brand for me, I know). Beyond including the obvious, like Field of Dreams and F.I.S.T., I wanted to throw a curve-ball to end the piece, which is when I first brought up a sequel to a cult classic horror film from 2005.
That sequel is 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams, which follows the southern-fried, Robert Englund-led horror-comedy over five years later. 2001 Maniacs is a remake of the Herschell Gordon Lewis film Two Thousand Maniacs! from 1964. Having finally watched it last night with my girlfriend, Catherine, I contend it might indeed be the strangest movie to be shot in Iowa.
To be fair, Iowa is by no means a mecca for film production, so it's comparatively easier to achieve that designation than if we were talking about California, Georgia, or even Canada.
2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams revolves around a group of cannibalistic southerners who are still peeved about the repercussions the American South paid for the Civil War. In retaliation, the residents of Pleasant Valley hold an annual Guts N' Glory Jubilee, a ritualistic murdering of Northerners disguised as a tacky roadside carnival.
Because the fuzz is hot on their tails following the disappearance of several twentysomethings from Daytona Beach during their pit-stop in Pleasant Valley (see 2001 Maniacs), Mayor George W. Buckman (played by The Devil's Rejects' Bill Moseley, who replaces Englund) decides to take this twisted carnival on the road. They head north to Iowa and set up camp off the beaten path with a makeshift "Detore" sign.

It's at this time the ramshackle crew of layabouts beyond a reality TV show called Road Rascals inadvertently breakdown in Iowa. They stumble upon the jubilee, led by Buckman and Granny Boone (horror mainstay Lin Shaye). The southerners immediately see the naivety of their northern counterparts, but recognize that the film crew in tow could help them produce a commercial to attract more unsuspecting folks to their roadside shenanigans.
Buckman, Granny, and their army of southern slimeballs — including Ahmed Best, who played Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequels, and Adam Robitel, who edited the film and would go on to direct the Escape Room thrillers — begin torturing and murdering the ne'er-do-well northerners. Spoiling what they do would be criminal, but I'll give you an idea.
WARNING: THE CLIP BELOW CONTAINS GRAPHIC VIOLENCE AND LANGUAGE:
In the opening sequence of 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams, the Guts N' Glory members decide to put an end to the reign of a sheriff who is suspicious of their crimes. They trap him in a barrel, nail spikes into the sides of the contraption, and then send him down a makeshift slide right into a bullseye painted on a wooden board, impaling him upon impact.
Some will wince at the very description. Others will be scouring the internet to see where they can see the movie (more on that in a moment).
Indeed, from what I gather, 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams was filmed in Iowa. Specifically, it was shot on location in Council Bluffs from late July to early August 2009. According to the film's Trivia section on IMDb (unsourced, but truthfully the only morsels of behind the scenes info you can find on the film), the 12-day shoot proved slightly problematic due to the set's close proximity to the Missouri River, which resulted in mosquitos swarming at night. Various production assistants were tasked with buying copious amounts of bug spray to combat those buggy evenings.
The film was originally going to be called 2001 Maniacs: The Beverly Hellbillys, until the production team learned it was going to be too expensive to film in Beverly Hills, CA. As a result, Council Bluffs was deemed the filming location, a move I'm sure delighted the crew.
The big question: is it a good movie? It's certainly not on par with 2001 Maniacs, which was more polished, anchored by a great performance by Robert Englund, and boasted a better amalgam of humor and bloodshed. The original also benefited from cameos from country singer Travis Tritt and horror filmmaker Eli Roth.
2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams can't hide the fact that it was made on a shoestring budget. While some of the kills are inventive and funny, and the humor oscillates between blackly funny to downright offensive (Ahmed Best's African American character is named "Crow," giving Dumbo flashbacks), the sound is frequently poor, specifically during the music/singing sequences when the audio sounds low quality and scratchy.
Bill Moseley is committed to the bit as a racist mayor, but he isn't quite on Englund's level in the previous film. In contrast, Lin Shaye is so maniacal and dastardly that it's a wonder if she says no to any project or any line in a given script. There's fun to be had with 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams, even if it's considerably less than the original.
2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams unfortunately isn't the easiest movie to obtain. As of this writing, it's only available to rent on Amazon Prime Video. Because of the limited streaming options, the DVD is marginally rare and more expensive than you'd think at anywhere between $11-25.
If you're looking to liven up your Halloween season, it might be worth a watch. You'd be hard-pressed not to laugh at a couple of the jokes, or marvel in its twisted and macabre murders.
Read more about 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams on IMDb.
"The Rocky Horror Picture Show" in Davenport Hosted by Nell Campbell
Gallery Credit: Steve Pulaski
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