Friday, September 16, 2016

So is it really a true story?

Since the words, "The following story is based on true events." flashed across my screen, I've been wondering -- could a true story really include rain showers of teeth?

Like the season's theme, whether or not it is a true story remains shrouded in mystery. The statement could simply refer to the season's dramatically different format -- which mimicks a Lifetime TV or Investigation Discovery special, complete with talking heads and dramatic re-enactments. The storytelling method Murphy and his team have chosen this year, points to the 'true story' dramas which have come to embody current narratives of American crimes, or horrors.

The statement could also be an ode to the true happenings of the Roanoke colony, whose disappearance occurred in the 1600's. Interestingly enough, the auctioneer says the house was built sometime in the 1800's, a good two centuries after John White returned to a deserted colony. More on that later!

I'm leaning towards a definitive NO, for the story actually being based in reality, but the story still is based in reality. Yes, you read that right, the fake American Horror Story reality, of course.

It seems like despite prior theories about this season being an anthology within an anthology were wrong; however, it will indeed be a show within a show. Season 6 of American Horror Story is officially titled, American Horror Story: Roanoke -- yet every time we cut to commercial during the episode, a logo for "My Roanoke Nightmare" appeared on the screen.

That being said, Roanoke, North Carolina is a real place -- but we have confirmation that the old farmhouse is not. In fact, it was built especially for the season, in a secluded forest in California. So there you have it, in real life -- it's not true, in AHS life, it is true.



Thursday, September 15, 2016

SEASON 6

So, the long awaited season 6 American Horror Story has premiered! As well as, my not-as-anticipated return to blogging! :)

Murphy & Co. kept us on our toes this season, not revealing the theme until minutes into the first episode. As the premiere progressed, I couldn't help but wonder if this season was kept a secret due to it possibly being similar to Murder House in some thematic ways, including the importance of the house itself. In looking at older blog posts from Season 1, I was struck by a comment from Murphy during an interview that each season would focus on some sort of building or entity -- which has held true. Season 1 was obviously the Murder House, while Season 2 is clearly the Asylum. Season 3 focused on the Coven's school house, while Season 4 was primarily based in the grounds of the Freak Show. Season 5, again, based in a hotel. I'm seeing a theme -- are you? That being said, I'm not as disappointed that this first episode seemed so strikingly similar to the Murder House story -- after all, there's so much more to dissect!

Anyway, like many seasons do, we have opening scenes in Los Angeles. The couple falls victim to a gang-related game of knock-out and subsequently tragically miscarries. Like many of our protagonists from seasons past, they decide on a life change and up and leave LA for the country. But wait, before we get into the plot, we need to discuss the back and forth style of the episode!

I personally really enjoyed the mash up of interview and dramatic re-enactments scenes, but that may be my love for Investigation Discovery becoming apparent. I'm also a fan of Cuba Gooding Jr being added to the cast, but I digress. Someone suggested in an article that the entire season may be a combination of various stories surrounding the house, with different characters taking turns being the focus -- essentially an anthology within an anthology. Possible, but doubtful considering the episode ended on a cliff-hanger. I am interested to see if the format with the "dramatic re-enactments" continues, as opposed to the year flashbacks we've become accustomed to in past seasons. The style provides interesting perspectives on the events and seems to be chock full of foreshadowing. A press release indicates that the next five episodes will be titled "Chapter 2," "Chapter 3," and so on, fueling the theory that the storytelling format will last through the season.

The episode centers around Shelby, a yoga instructor, and Matt Miller, a traveling salesman. As we hear from the 'real life' Matt and Shelby (Andre Holland and Lily Rabe, respectively) -- we're treated to dramatic re-enactments depicting the past events, played by Sarah Paulson (a true TV gem) and Cuba Gooding Jr. Essentially, after a series of unfortunate events, the couple up and leaves LA for the east coast, settling in North Carolina. Worth noting, the opening story strikingly resembles the story of the Harmon's moving from Boston to LA in the first episode -- including the miscarriage and need to 'start over.'

Once in North Carolina with Matt's family, the incredibly-in-love couple stumbles upon a centuries old farmhouse, which happens to be up for auction. For a cool 50K, the Millers snag the house and move in immediately. And so it begins...

The creepy comes on full force after this point -- with weird screams in the middle of the night, a damaged lawn, flying trash can, rain shower of teeth -- probably one of the STRANGEST things to ever grace our televisions during AHS, and that's certainly saying a lot. At this point, like many of you, I would be running for the door, not reassuring my husband that I'll be fine as he leaves me alone for three days! But of course, where is the fun in that?

While Matt is away, Shelby decides a soak in the eerie hot-tub is just the ticket to relax her. At some point, she is held underwater, and unfortunately, we are unable to catch a glimpse of her attacker -- the only clue? The torches surrounding the hot tub when she comes to. Matt rushes home, and is greeted by the town's police force, who seems to think Shelby has imbibed a bit too much that evening.

Matt has his concerns about Shelby's mental state, until he finds a dead pig on their front porch, which he promptly buries and hides from Shelby. I'm thinking this is an important part of the story -- though it seems inconspicuous. During the talking-heads, Matt makes a point to tell the audience that he didn't want to tell Shelby about the pig and upset her more. One of my biggest gripes about the Murder House season was, didn't any of the Harmon's talk to each other? Like Violet never came home from school and was like "Hey ma, I think our house is haunted!" Hopefully, this is a way to cover bases -- as it plays out further in the next scenes, with the introduction of Lee, Matt's sister, a former cop with an addiction problem. Both her and Shelby are pitted against each other by someone or something -- with the mysteriously moving knife and tempting bottle of wine.

While Matt is away on business, he sends his sister to stay with Shelby. As the two get into an argument over the aforementioned wine and knife, Matt is alerted by his fancy new security system that someone has entered not only the area, but the house --- and they are none other than pitchfork and torch wielding crazy people. Matt is unable to get a hold of the women, who are lured into the basement by strange noises. They find a TV playing what seems to be a home video of a very scared man who is filming some sort of pig/man being.

When they finally emerge from the basement, the foyer is decorated in some Blair Witch Project-esque angels made of sticks. Shelby freaks out after Matt rushes home to save them, from apparently nothing. She takes off and ends up hitting a woman on the road, as she distracted by Matt's incessant calls. Many have suggested that this woman is indeed the one and only Kathy Bates. Regardless of actress, the woman is dressed in colonial garb. She dusts herself off and takes off into the woods. In one of her worst decision-making moments, Shelby rushes after her, only to get lost in the thick of the forest. Something to keep in mind -- obviously, we don't know how far Shelby got, but we are told when the Millers purchase the house, that it comes with 10 surrounding acres, upon which they cannot build any further. Chances are Shelby didn't make it out of their 10-acres and is still on the 'estate.'

As she runs for her life, she loses sight of the woman she hit, but does find a tree decorated with the same stick-angels, as well as an angry mob of colonists, again with pitch forks and torches. Interestingly enough, the last line of the episode is present-day Shelby saying, "I don't know what it was, and it's still a mystery to me."

On that note, until next time.

If you're wondering why there's been no mention of the Roanoke colony or Billie Jean's infamous Season 1 speech, I'll being address that in detail in an upcoming post. I'm back and I'm here to stay ladies and gentlemen, let's enjoy this scary ride together!

Friday, September 20, 2013

She's back at it: The Coven

I'm back it guys! I'm kind of sad to admit that last season of AHS (Asylum) just didn't do it for me. I felt like they were trying to tie in too many different themes and it lacked the "mysterious back story" that I liked so much about the first season.

But, looking at the trailers and reading up on this next season, Coven, I'm getting pretty excited and eagerly anticipating Oct. 9th. Without further ado, let's get some background on this upcoming season!

First off -- we have [lucky number] 13 episodes to look forward to this season. According to the offical FX page (click here to view), the synopsis for season 3 is as follows: American Horror Story: Coven tells the secret history of witches and witchcraft in America. Over three hundred years have passed since the turbulent days of Salem and those who managed to escape are now facing extinction. Mysterious attacks have been escalating against their kind and young girls are being sent away to a special school in New Orleans to learn how to protect themselves. Wrapped up in the turmoil is new arrival, Zoe, who is harboring a terrifying secret of her own. Alarmed by the recent aggression, Fiona, the long-absent Supreme, sweeps back into town, determined to protect the Coven and hell-bent on decimating anyone who gets in her way.

Interesting, indeed!

Also according to the website, the first episode synopsis (aptly titled, 'BitchCraft') is as follows: A young girl, Zoe, is shattered to discover she possesses a strange genetic affliction tracing back to the dark days of Salem. Zoe is whisked away to Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies, a mysterious school in New Orleans devoted to safeguarding the few remaining descendants who share this unique bloodline. Harboring a secret agenda, Fiona Goode, the most powerful witch of their generation, returns to town, reigniting old rivalries with the Coven’s deadly enemies, the Voodoo.

Now let's play a little game of who's who.

Fiona Goode: Let's start with my favorite recurring actress, Jessica Lange. Jessica returns this season as Fiona Goode, described above as the 'long-absent Supreme' -- she is apparently one of (potentially, THE) most powerful witch of her generation. Apparently Cordelia is her daughter (more on her in a moment), while Marie Laveau and Delphine LaLaurie are rivals/nemesis of hers. I've read elsewhere that Ryan Murphy promised Jessica Lange a role where she could dress up and be fabulous, so keep an eye on her wardrobe this coming season and how it plays into her character.

Cordelia: We've already established that Cordelia is Fiona's daughter -- while we know Fiona is a witch, we currently do not have any confirmation that Cordelia is a witch... yet. Cordelia is played by Sarah Paulson. Stay tuned for a "What's in a Name?" post about Cordelia. The name derives from Shakespeare's King Lear.

**MORE TO COME!!**





Tuesday, March 13, 2012

OPPOSING JESSICA LANGE CHARACTER CLUE!

AHS has put out a casting call recently, looking for a season regular named Gia. Said to be arch-nemesis of Jessica Lange's new character (didn't they say that about Zachary Quinto too?) -- the girl in her mid-20's is described in the notice to be, "fierce, ferocious, extremely sexual and dangerous wild-child sexpot who harbors a secret - think Angelina Jolie in Girl, Interrupted." (TVLine.com)

I read a few rumors and ponderings that Angelina Jolie, herself, might play the role -- since she won a grammy for a similar character named Gia. Highly doubt it... what do you think?

Apparently filming doesn't start until mid-July, so they're really trying to nail down the right girl -- counting Gia, we've got four women confirmed (Jessica Lange, Lily Rabe, Sarah Paulson) and two men (Evan Peters & Zachary Quinto). 

I'm wondering if the Girl, Interrupted mention that was quoted from the casting notice was a clue to the location -- Ryan Murphy said that it would be some kind of institution -- my guess is mental -- what's yours?

Can't wait for next season!

Friday, February 10, 2012

POSTER FOR SEASON 2 RELEASED! -- UPDATED

UPDATE: I found out that this is just a SICK fan poster -- whoever you are, great job. :)



Check back for some speculation about season 2!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

MORE DETAILS ON SEASON 2 REVEALED BY RYAN MURPHY LAST NIGHT!

Check out this Video from Bravo -- Ryan Murphy stopped by Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen last night and answered a few burning AHS questions!

I've already posted in great excitement about his confirmation that Jessica Lange will be returning -- we know it won't be in the same role, but at least she will be back! There's been rumors going around that Murphy was in negotiations with two or three of the actors that appeared on season 1 to come back for season 2.

Well we got a bit more clarification last night -- Murphy confirms that he is in negotiations with four of the people who were on the last season -- BUT -- none of them were the Harmon's. I'm assuming this doesn't include Jessica Lange as he confirmed her, but said he couldn't confirm the others since contracts hadn't been signed yet.

Who are you hoping the four will be?

We know it won't be Connie Britton or Dylan McDermott. And if they didn't previously play a Harmon, that pulls Taissa out of the running. My guess? Evan Peters (this was his breakout role in the industry -- why would he leave after just one season????) and Zachary Quinto (simply because the fans loved him THAT much.) The other two? I'm not so sure -- Kate Mara's signed on to another show, Alexandra Breckenridge is signed on for a pilot -- maybe Old Moira will be back? Could Marcy the realtor be back? LOL!

Murphy ALSO told us that the new location will indeed be on the East Coast -- I suppose that debunks many of the Chicago/IL theories out there. There's so much reference to Virginia, especially in the Birth episode, that I wonder if that will be the state. Seems like many of Murphy's hints were clues right in front of our faces that we seemed to miss or neglect to notice over the season -- that I wouldn't be surprised if it was something so obvious (Rubber Man, reveal anyone?!)

Last bit of news? The new location will NOT be a family home, but instead a 'horror institution' -- whatever that means.

October seems so far away! :(

LINK: IT'S OFFICIAL, JESSICA LANGE BACK FOR SEASON 2!

I'm sure most of you are as excited as I am to hear this -- especially after Ms. Lange scored both a Golden Globe and a SAG award for her role as Constance... Ryan Murphy confirms she's coming back for season 2! While we don't know how big of a role she'll have, she'll be there!

"Murphy appeared on US show Watch What Happens Live on Monday February 6th as reported on The Huffington Post, where host Andy Cohen asked if Lange would make an appearence on Season 2 of American Horror Story, Murphy simply replied, "yes."" Read more here.

Monday, January 16, 2012

LINK: AHS Concept Art

Check out this link for some behind-the-scenes looks at the concept art used to create some of our favorite monsters/humans on AHS. Be warned -- creepy pictures of Infantata follow!

"This concept art was created by Jerad Marantz and Tinsley Studio. From Marantz's site:
Here are a few designs I did for American Horror Story through Tinsley Studio. I had a lot of fun resolving Ryan Murfy's and Christian Tinsley's concepts. This was a great project to work on and I love the show. Can't wait to see what they come up with next season!"

I can't wait either!!

LINK: Jessica Lange Signed On For Season 2?! YAY!

Haven't confirmed this anywhere else yet, but this article from the Examiner.com discusses the current casting calls for Season 2 of AHS.

Apparently 2 or 3 familiar faces will be returning for Season 2, as completely different characters -- this article cites Jessica Lange as a definite! Apparently she confirmed this backstage last night at the Golden Globes -- woman wins a Golden Globe for her role, she better be signed on for season 2!

"Jessica Lange will be one of the familiar faces who will be seen in "American Horror Story" season 2. Met backstage at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards, the actress revealed she is signing up for the new chapter of the FX horror show. She stated that she will be playing an entirely new character. Two or three other season 1 actors will be returning for the for the second season as completely different characters, creatures, monsters, etc."


LINK: Jessica Lange Wins Golden Globe!!

source

AHS's own Jessica Lange won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for her role as Constance.

Congrats, Jessica! You deserved it... Constance was one memorable character.