Seems like American Horror Story is going the way of this season's True Detective: no where! The visual and spoken blah, blah, blah has me turning it off. Don't we have plenty of vampires? Deviant sex? Lady GaGa?
As someone as pointed out below, the show is more creepy than frightening. Creepy is good! Or can be. Bates and Paulson give good creepy. And what about the creepy relationship between Bentley and Sevigny? (Bentley has always given good creepy.) I'm thoroughly enjoying the look of the hotel (although occasionally they do overdo the distorted lens a bit). The show is entertaining enough, for now, and I'll stick with it. At least it will come to an end! (Thank the TV gods for this and "Fargo.")Now it is simply not fair to compare the show with "Se7en." That happens to be one of the great serial killer/horror movies of all time. It took dread to a new level, sort of like King's "Pet Sematary" (novel, not movie).
2
Going for the shock factor is not enough to pique my interest. There are too many shows vying for my attention to have to tune in to a couple of episodes to see if it is something I am going to enjoy. I need to be curious about what is going on from the outset. Didn't happen here.
1
As a horror movie fan as well as suspense films, I still can't understand why this series is held in such high esteem. Campiness is fine, but it is still boring, pretentious and obviously not for those who appreciate the genre. For those who are fans, are you really disappointed, or are your tastes changing (hopefully)?
6
Tell it. I stopped watching in Season 1 but read this article because I thought it might address what I didn't like about the show (because I seem to be an anomaly). To me, "horror" is fearing the fleeting, possibly danger-laden appearance of ghosts, not watching them decorate a suburban mansion for Halloween. Yawn.
1
This season is so derivative......I see "The Shining", "Bram Stokers Dracula" and now this article points out "Seven" (good catch by the writer). It's good but last night's episode was too long. I still think the first season was the best. It took place in a house and had no glam, no camp and fancy sets.....and Jessica Lange. It's not the same without her. And the writer is right. It's just not scary.
1
There's a heck of a lot more going on so far after two episodes than this reviewer is giving the show credit for.
The rape scene in episode 1 was classic AHS, but more to the point it was there to introduce us to Sally and her emotional vampirism. While Gaga and Bomer are *actual* vampires, Sally is defined by the way in which she "gets off" on the pain and suffering of others, but indirectly. When she talks to John at the bar in Ep. 2 for instance, she tells him that she likes details. By the time he's done telling his story, she's both crying and smiling. A part of her, whatever human part of her is left at this point cries because she empathizes with John's plight in losing his son. The inhuman part, however, smiles and is stimulated sexually by that same plight, by John's soul-crushing suffering.
And that's just one example. I could go on at length. I will add though that it seems incredibly clear that Scarlett's storyline will be central to pulling the disparate elements of the season together by the end. Also, I'm quite impressed by that young actress. She's doing a very good job so far.
The rape scene in episode 1 was classic AHS, but more to the point it was there to introduce us to Sally and her emotional vampirism. While Gaga and Bomer are *actual* vampires, Sally is defined by the way in which she "gets off" on the pain and suffering of others, but indirectly. When she talks to John at the bar in Ep. 2 for instance, she tells him that she likes details. By the time he's done telling his story, she's both crying and smiling. A part of her, whatever human part of her is left at this point cries because she empathizes with John's plight in losing his son. The inhuman part, however, smiles and is stimulated sexually by that same plight, by John's soul-crushing suffering.
And that's just one example. I could go on at length. I will add though that it seems incredibly clear that Scarlett's storyline will be central to pulling the disparate elements of the season together by the end. Also, I'm quite impressed by that young actress. She's doing a very good job so far.
2
Spot-on review I'd say. Watched about half of this, then turned it off not because it was too graphic (I'm callous) nor too freaky (I'm weird), but too boring. Could not figure out why anything was happening. Body sewn into a mattress, check, comes tearing out, screams. Cut to next scene, no idea what happened next or why that scene happened.
Heroin junkie checks in, gets raped by weird corpsey guy, with a lady from the hotel as avid voyeur. No explanation, no reason to care about the junkie, corpsey guy vanishes, scene seems to be an excuse to show nude male derriere.
Weird fisheye lens effects randomly thrown in. No backstory or character development for anyone. The first few seasons of this show were really interesting and original, but it seems all the blood has drained away by now.
Heroin junkie checks in, gets raped by weird corpsey guy, with a lady from the hotel as avid voyeur. No explanation, no reason to care about the junkie, corpsey guy vanishes, scene seems to be an excuse to show nude male derriere.
Weird fisheye lens effects randomly thrown in. No backstory or character development for anyone. The first few seasons of this show were really interesting and original, but it seems all the blood has drained away by now.
1
I turned it off half way for the same reasons. Liked the first two seasons, third season ok, fourth season awful, fifth season why bother.
1
"Body sewn into a mattress" Etc - But Golly Gee - it was SO stylish wasn't it ?
The Show Runner's do seem to be in love with their own (Sorry about this way over-used) Tropes, don't they ?
And please - how many times are we gonna Rehash - The Shining ?
The Show Runner's do seem to be in love with their own (Sorry about this way over-used) Tropes, don't they ?
And please - how many times are we gonna Rehash - The Shining ?
1
So if the show is no good, why are you wasting so much time on it? I notice you cover in detail shows nobody watches (based on ratings) and ignore shows most people watch (based on ratings). Good way to find yourself irrelevant.
1
Oh My, to be deemed "IRRELEVANT" by the Internet. A fate worse than Death itself
5
I am also disturbed by this shows creators constantly stealing ideas, images, themes and music from other films in the horror canon. Last night we had Lady Gagas outfit and hat and music from THE HUNGER, (just like last week), and the whole hotel owner as serial killer in his man made torture hotel is a direct steal from THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY, already in production for Scorcese and De Caprio. There's more of course, but this idea of "sampling" other peoples work and ideas seems pretty lazy and unethical.
1
Finally some one has noticed the exact scenes, costumes and music copied from The Hunger. While Catherine Denueve and David Bowie were spectacularly beautiful they were also horrifying. Nothing frightening about the vampires in AHS: Hotel.
1
I guess one person's "stealing" is another person's "referencing" or "homage." I suppose if you don't enjoy something, it's the former; if you do, it's the latter. I do enjoy it and get a kick out of picking up on the little nods and tributes to moments of pop culture history that both the showrunners and I treasure. Whether true authenticity and originality can exist any longer is one of the great ongoing debates of post-modernism - it's what appropriation art was all about. When you're a culture junkie, pop or otherwise, it is extremely difficult to watch, read, look, or listen to pretty much anything new without having references conjured. The more you've seen, the more of these references you pick up on. Perhaps the more references that are conjured for a particular viewer, the more it seems like homage, and the less like stealing? (Although, clearly, the best way for something to strike a viewer as wholly original is for it to conjure no references at all) I agree that this current season of AHS is giving us Se7en, The Hunger, and The Shining. But it's also giving me, personally, Visconti's The Damned, Von Trier's Europa, Fassbinder's Veronika Voss, and so, so much more. I even see Lisa Marie's beautiful floating Mars Attacks! extra terrestrial in Gaga's look and the way she moves through scenes.
And, it is not necessary to like something to review or recap it. The pan has always been as worthy as the thumbs up. In fact, it can even be more fun!
And, it is not necessary to like something to review or recap it. The pan has always been as worthy as the thumbs up. In fact, it can even be more fun!
1
This season, at least so far, is more creepy than frightening--vampiric tots and yes, Sarah Paulson's gums. Ryan Murphy still seems more interested in gory shock value than generating true dread.
3
It may not have been scary, but it was shocking! Shela Xoregos
1