American Horror Story

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duck duck
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Re: American Horror Story

#26 Post by duck duck » Tue Dec 25, 2012 2:10 am

What has more endings the first season of this or Lord Of The Rings?

Did anyone else wonder if they can't leave the house how did they get a Christmas
tree and who payed the electric bills so it would light up?

It really had me hoping to see what would happen if they destroyed the house and
then all the implications of that just went away.... I think it wold be a great twist on
the haunted house thing if you destroyed the house.

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The Narrator Returns
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Re: American Horror Story

#27 Post by The Narrator Returns » Thu Jan 03, 2013 1:20 am

Tonight's episode features one of the greatest moments in TV history.
SpoilerShow
It features Sistah Jude singing a show-specific version of "The Name Game," while her fellow patients (including Kit, who's dressed like a greaser, and Lana) dance along.

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knives
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Re: American Horror Story

#28 Post by knives » Thu Jan 03, 2013 2:26 am

I knew Glee was the true villain all along.

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Re: American Horror Story

#29 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Sun Jan 06, 2013 4:54 pm

The Narrator Returns wrote:Tonight's episode features one of the greatest moments in TV history.
SpoilerShow
It features Sistah Jude singing a show-specific version of "The Name Game," while her fellow patients (including Kit, who's dressed like a greaser, and Lana) dance along.
SpoilerShow
That was an oddly welcome diversion from the grim and sinister tone of the show.

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Re: American Horror Story

#30 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Thu Jan 10, 2013 10:58 pm

I think this season is drawing itself out too slow. I was amazed to see that it's the week after next that's the season finale.

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HistoryProf
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Re: American Horror Story

#31 Post by HistoryProf » Tue Jan 15, 2013 2:52 am

any overall opinions of this? I wanted to love the show so much, but the first season just dragged on and on and on and I gave up finally, missing the final 2 or 3 episodes. My wife gave up after 4 or 5 in...it was just so unfocused and seemed to care more about dangling enough to make you come back than actually telling a compelling story.

I missed the first episode as I didn't realize when it started, and thanks to FX's insanely strict policies on on-line viewing was unable to watch it. I began recording it and had the entire season on my dvr, but hadn't heard anything to make me keep it there and ended up deleting it. I figure I can always catch in on disc eventually, and I still couldn't find the premier on line. Why does FX do this? it's incredibly annoying.

Anyway...did people enjoy this season? was it an improvement? I was very intrigued by the setting...and it looked to have upped the ante in the blood and scares department. did it pay off?

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Re: American Horror Story

#32 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Tue Jan 15, 2013 12:06 pm

I liked the first season because I didn't quite know what to expect. This season has been good, but you could see things come from miles away. It will help that each new season is a clean slate, and maybe a chance for the writers to smooth the edges.

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domino harvey
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Re: American Horror Story

#33 Post by domino harvey » Thu Oct 10, 2013 8:40 pm

Curiosity got the better of me and I watched the first episode of American Horror Story: Coven and if any shot lasted longer than two seconds, I missed it. And everything is filmed from weird angles and the camera is constantly moving for no reason whatsoever. It was literally like watching a series of GIFs with sound. The story thus far is ludicrous and, worst of all, boring and predictable. And between this and Bates Motel, I am sick of first episodes thinking they are being "edgy" by presenting an extended rape sequence for the sole purpose of the raped character getting retribution. Are there no other wrongs that could be portrayed? Did Emma Roberts have to be repeatedly gang raped on-screen for her bus-flipping to retain its same meaning? I mean, I am criticizing a show in which another character kills men with her vagina and one young witch has Downs Syndrome because that's like lyke ttly progressive and twistyy, so I know I'm picking at a much larger wound here, but still. There's a handful of talented performers involved here, and many more who are at least otherwise employable, but what a complete mess this is so far, and not even in a fun way like Bates Motel

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Matt
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Re: American Horror Story

#34 Post by Matt » Thu Oct 10, 2013 8:55 pm

Ryan Murphy will never be accused of subtlety, but I thought the show was entertaining and somewhat promising. I watched the first episodes of the other two installments of the series and was pretty instantly turned off, but I might stick with this one. I share your disappointment in the "stylishness" of the direction and the beyond-gratuitous rape scene, but the promise of more of Kathy Bates' very interesting villain and her elevating performance will have me tuning in at least one more week.

The witch with Down Syndrome is played by Jamie Brewer, who appeared in the first season and actually does have Down Syndrome. She's a professional actress, not an amateur. I don't understand what the problem is unless you think she's a token. I wouldn't agree because her condition is not mentioned or even addressed in the first episode. Unlike Gabourey Sidibe's character, who we are constantly reminded is fat and likes to eat. They even show her prying open a locked refrigerator like she's Jean Hill in Desperate Living or something. And don't even get me started on the extremely powerful witch who is worried about wrinkles.

Needs way more Frances Conroy ("I'm just MAAAAAD for tartan") and vastly less Emma Roberts ("My frickin' vagina is sweating").

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domino harvey
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Re: American Horror Story

#35 Post by domino harvey » Thu Oct 10, 2013 9:03 pm

Matt wrote:The witch with Down Syndrome is played by Jamie Brewer, who appeared in the first season and actually does have Down Syndrome. She's a professional actress, not an amateur. I don't understand what the problem is unless you think she's a token. I wouldn't agree because her condition is not mentioned or even addressed in the first episode.
It seems like she's there for the purpose of being the wise but handicapped magical character (I mean, they're all magical, but in the trope sense). Jessica Lange says something like "See, she's smarter than all of you put together" during their all in black trek, which is what turned me on her part so far. You're right that the Sidibe and Roberts characters aren't any better fleshed out beyond stereotypes (fat black girl and spoiled white girl), so maybe it doesn't need specific decrying as much just the blanket statement that all of the Junior Coven seem awfully tired and familiar already

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The Narrator Returns
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Re: American Horror Story

#36 Post by The Narrator Returns » Thu Oct 10, 2013 9:11 pm

domino harvey wrote:It seems like she's there for the purpose of being the wise but handicapped magical character (I mean, they're all magical, but in the trope sense). Jessica Lange says something like "See, she's smarter than all of you put together" during their all in black trek, which is what turned me on her part so far.
She's still better-developed than the previous character she played on the show, whose main characteristics were that her mother treated her awfully and that she can tell the difference between Dora the Explorer and Go Diego Go.

Personally, I judge this show based on how much I was entertained during it. This episode did entertain me plenty, but there were a few nasty bits, so B+.

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Matt
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Re: American Horror Story

#37 Post by Matt » Thu Oct 10, 2013 9:24 pm

domino harvey wrote:It seems like she's there for the purpose of being the wise but handicapped magical character (I mean, they're all magical, but in the trope sense). Jessica Lange says something like "See, she's smarter than all of you put together" during their all in black trek, which is what turned me on her part so far.
Ah, yes, I forgot about that line, which I did find awfully condescending and totally unnecessary. And yet still kind of true because those other three girls are duuuuuuumb.

It's kind of sad that there's a show that provides so many juicy parts for female actors old and young but that focuses so heavily on body issues, aging, rape-revenge fantasies, mother-daughter conflict, and catfighting. No cliche left unturned.

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Re: American Horror Story

#38 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Thu Oct 10, 2013 9:54 pm

How is a rape scene "beyond gratuitous" when there's no nudity or penetration shown?

This has replaced True Blood as the show I can look at and say, "it's silly and really shouldn't be in my wheelhouse of interest, yet I am somehow drawn and will continue to watch". It helps that this has taken the anthology approach, as opposed to staying with the same old characters and new ones thrown in seemingly without much thought.
Last edited by flyonthewall2983 on Thu Oct 10, 2013 9:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Gregory
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Re: American Horror Story

#39 Post by Gregory » Thu Oct 10, 2013 9:54 pm

domino harvey wrote:the camera is constantly moving for no reason whatsoever
This drives me crazy. It seems there's been no need for a reason for that for decades now, just like in recent years there's apparently no need for a reason for motion intermittently speeding up and slowing down other than "Yo, this looks dope" (read: Most of our shots are completely boring—do something!)

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domino harvey
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Re: American Horror Story

#40 Post by domino harvey » Thu Oct 10, 2013 10:04 pm

flyonthewall2983 wrote:How is a rape scene "beyond gratuitous" when there's no nudity or penetration shown?
Because after approximately five or six minutes of screentime thus far, the bratty rich party girl is shown brutally raped by a series of men, with plenty of shots of her attackers faces hovering over her as they rape her and plenty more camera time spent focused on her limp body in assorted poses of passed-out stupor. I think the idea that she has to be gang raped for the sole purpose of paying off the bus-tipping retribution is itself offensive, but even still they could have just as easily addressed the fact that she was being raped without showing the process at-length (And truly no cliche is left untouched as they even throw in a shot of Emma Roberts curled up nude and crying in the shower afterwards). Gratuitousness isn't the same as explicitness, it's depiction coupled with the larger function of what's depicted that makes it appalling

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Re: American Horror Story

#41 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Thu Oct 10, 2013 10:16 pm

I wouldn't say it was for the sole purpose of paying off the bus-tipping. At the end we see the girl who killed her boyfriend with her private parts accidentally, doing it purposefully to the man who lead the gang-rape. I realize this all sounds silly, and that rape scenes on a show like this are almost always going to be seen as you describe it (justifiably so I might add), but there was a further ends to these particular means here.

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The Narrator Returns
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Re: American Horror Story

#42 Post by The Narrator Returns » Thu Oct 10, 2013 10:20 pm

Nah, that doesn't sound silly. Hell, "girl who killed her boyfriend with her private parts accidentally" is practically the story of my life.

karmajuice
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Re: American Horror Story

#43 Post by karmajuice » Sun Oct 13, 2013 4:24 pm

I haven't seen any of this series, so all I know about the new season is that they are bastardizing some old New Orleans myths. And I don't hold them sacred -- you're making fiction, do what you want with it -- but it's distressing because these figures are completely compelling in their own right, and stuff like this makes them merely ridiculous.

Several friends have roles in it, though, so I probably ought to watch it.

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Matt
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Re: American Horror Story

#44 Post by Matt » Thu Oct 31, 2013 11:04 am

Boy, is this show a mess. As if there weren't enough characters to keep track of (and for the show to provide only the sketchiest of characterizations for), we get introduced to several more this week. Still fun and watchable, though, and not only for Angela Basset's parade of wigs.

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domino harvey
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Re: American Horror Story

#45 Post by domino harvey » Mon Dec 09, 2013 1:29 am

I'd wager one out of every five posts on Tumblr right now somehow involves this GIFset:

Image Image

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Re: American Horror Story

#46 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Mon Dec 09, 2013 2:51 am

And really, who could blame them?

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The Narrator Returns
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Re: American Horror Story

#47 Post by The Narrator Returns » Thu Dec 12, 2013 12:33 am

Well, this show just managed to create the most offensive thing I've ever seen on any TV show. I am only slightly exaggerating.

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Jean-Luc Garbo
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Re: American Horror Story

#48 Post by Jean-Luc Garbo » Thu Dec 12, 2013 2:01 am

flyonthewall2983 wrote:And really, who could blame them?
Ha, AHS must be slowly dropping off the radar with who I follow on Tumblr as I saw that gif set only twice. The dialogue repurposed for other gifs tho...

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Re: American Horror Story

#49 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Thu Dec 12, 2013 2:13 am

The Narrator Returns wrote:Well, this show just managed to create the most offensive thing I've ever seen on any TV show. I am only slightly exaggerating.
I'm so numb to the "shocking" things the show does, I don't get too riled about it. That said, it's almost humorous now how below pay grade creatively Ryan Murphy is at making political/sociological statements.

But I still watch. It's not to the point of hate-watching, but I have to say I'm a little relieved I don't have to think about it for almost a month now.

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domino harvey
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Re: American Horror Story

#50 Post by domino harvey » Thu Dec 12, 2013 9:08 am

The Narrator Returns wrote:Well, this show just managed to create the most offensive thing I've ever seen on any TV show. I am only slightly exaggerating.
Can you spoiler-tag what happened? There's no way I'm going back to watching this show but such hyperbole has me intrigued

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