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Mentioned this last thread, but Funko has a set of AHS vinyl figures out (mostly Coven ladies.) I have more confidence in Freak Show because a) it's a period piece again and b) the cast is more diverse, their anomalies hopefully providing more emotional involvement than the girls and their random powers. I guess the only thing I'm a bit wary on is, I'm not quite what the conflict will be regarding the supernatural. We know about a killer clown and that's about it. Unless Elsa makes a habit of forcing people to become freaks through unscrupulous means.
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Aug 31, 2014 03:42
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Blazing Ownager posted:I don't know how anyone could love Coven. I'm not opposed to camp stuff, but every single episode was could have had an audio track consisting of a deflating balloon. Don't forget going on CNN to reveal to the world that witches exist in order to boost their numbers, because with one sect of witch hunters and voodoo practitioners each dead, they couldn't possibly face any other entities who might want to kill or shun them.
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Aug 31, 2014 10:58
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Frankly, there were a lot of good moments in Coven, and the Queenie/LaLaurie relationship really stood out. It's just that the overall plot couldn't decide where to go or what it wanted to be, and that led to constant lacks of basic logic and enjoyable payoff. Asylum had a ton of different elements that didn't always work well together, and I'll be the first to admit most of the storylines ended in a totally flat and unsatisfying manner. But at least it had a clear, contained theme of the asylum and getting out of it, from which you could spawn the escape of Lana and Kit, the descent of Jude, the deviancy of the monsignor, the possession of Mary Eunice, Arden's madness, etc. The girls of Coven all different aims the entire time, and were only forcefully united at the end when the Seven Wonders and the question of who was the new Supreme, which really should have been the central plot all along, came back around.
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Sep 1, 2014 00:08
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Alris posted:I never understood the complaints about Asylums conclusion. I loved every second of it. Loved seeing how the asylum screwed with people decades after they left, and loved the ending every character was given. Even someone like Pepper, who didn't really get a proper sendoff, was done fantastically well by being used as a gut-punch to reveal just how hosed up Jude was. Because most of the characters we became so attached to got extremely lackluster conclusions. I mean, the devil was defeated by falling two stories. That pretty much sums it up.
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Sep 2, 2014 12:09
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Alris posted:There was nothing lackluster about it, Sister Mary Eunice's death was rad as hell, and nobody saw it coming. And Ardens in the same episode was just as good. I think most would disagree that one of the central antagonists, and the central supernatural villain, simply disappearing after a fall isn't lackluster. Arden's death, as pathetic as it was, fit him quite well. But most of them got rather quick one-liner explanations, such as Alma and the monsignor.
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Sep 2, 2014 12:38
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Bloody Disgusting has an exclusive teaser. Open Wide (If you're scared of clowns, don't open that. I am serious.)
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Sep 4, 2014 10:44
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Two more (slightly less disturbing than Open Wide, now on the official youtube as well:) Twisted Smile Sword Swallow And yeah, Nan was perhaps the biggest disappointment for me. Constantly stated to be perhaps the strongest/smartest witch in the house, actually has a reason to be vengeful, and she just walks off with Legba never to be seen again. Utter waste.
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Sep 4, 2014 23:37
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I think in general they have a hard time creating a story with a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning is strong, then the middle stretches too far until they're running out of episodes and need to hurry up to some kind of end.
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Sep 16, 2014 07:57
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Actually caught the last bit of the last episode of Coven again when FX played it randomly late at night and I was flipping through. Good lord that was a terrible ending to a terrible season. I'm much more confident about Freak Show given that it's another period piece, the cast is more diverse, and they seem to have more of a focused general plot (hopefully without a bunch of loose strings that eventually need tying.) My only worry is that they don't seem to have a lot of supernatural going on, and while it's not required or anything (Murder House essentially only had the ghosts,) it begs the question as to how they'll set off major plot points. And I agree, Coven is worth watching, if for no other reason than the ridiculousness and humor, both intentional and unintentional. As a story it doesn't hold up, but as a spectacle, sure. I wouldn't do so while Freak Show is going on though, lest it muddy the waters. OmegaBR fucked around with this message at 20:13 on Oct 8, 2014 |
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Oct 8, 2014 20:06
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A. Beaverhausen posted:I'm gonna say I only really hated Coven when Misty died Why build up a character like that, make her one of the very few likable ones and then boom? Also, what the gently caress was up with not saving the absolutely fatal test for last? It would have been nice if you let one of the girls fail telepathy or poo poo before before consigning them to probable absolute death. Personally, I hated Nan being drowned only to accept it and go ahead with Legba a hell of a lot more. The perennial dark horse the whole season and nothing came of it at all. You could even reshoot the season without them and nothing would have changed.
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Oct 8, 2014 22:39
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This is one brave milkman.
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Oct 9, 2014 03:03
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The two head effect actually looks pretty good.
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Oct 9, 2014 03:46
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Did a fine job keeping that a secret. I would comment on how they crammed quite a bit into this first episode, but they always do that. Plus it was 90 minutes.
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Oct 9, 2014 04:28
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cochise posted:Kathy Bates' accent was bad. It reminded me of the horrible attempts at Southern and Cajun accents that were in True Blood (except Lafayette... he nailed it). Yeah it sounded pretty fake at first. She did pretty well last season. The anachronisms are interesting. I wonder if Pepper is really the same as the one we saw in Asylum.
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Oct 9, 2014 04:58
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QuickbreathFinisher posted:If this is anything like Coven the reason for all this anachronistic music is that one of the freaks is a time traveler with an iPod. My money would be on Pepper given ... well you know.
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Oct 9, 2014 05:27
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c'mon Ryan Murphy, ruin what you've got going.
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I thought Bates was supposed to be Irish (and not just because of the drunk tank.) Apparently we get to see what Twisty has behind his mask sooner rather than later, and it's so bad that crew members would leave between retakes.
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Oct 9, 2014 06:33
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Eve may not be deformed or even bizarrely tall, but she probably still feels like a freak, as a woman who is taller than most men. Even today tall girls can be teased in school, but especially in the '50s, when a woman was expected to be more dainty and ladylike, and it's hard to do that when you need size 10+ shoes, tower over your suitors, etc.
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Oct 9, 2014 21:10
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This probably goes without saying, but you can easily correlate the actual lyrics to "Life on Mars?" with Elsa during that scene. The idea of being stuck in reality, knowing there's a better existence out there, yet it's just beyond reach.quote:And she's hooked to the silver screen Which is essentially what Elsa is doing, presumably watching her own performances on film in a saddened gaze. Also, she effectively admitted to Ethel that the only reason she maintains the freak show (not just the acqusition of Bette & Dot,) is to have a place for people to come see her. You could argue the revelation that she herself is without legs, suggests that in the back of her mind, she knows that no amount of attraction or fame or good fortune is going to change her life. For she is forever, a "freak."
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Oct 10, 2014 08:10
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She said that a chauffeur in a big car came and bought out the whole show. Which was the only mention of the rich kid and his mother before they were seen sitting alone.
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Oct 12, 2014 07:18
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To play devil's advocate, this is the '50s, and there hasn't been a ton of "evil creepy clown" media. Yes he looks pretty disturbing and murderous to us, but he probably just looks bizarre to them. They also had her exclaim that she thought the boyfriend hired him. I mean, it would appear that rich kid's mother doesn't think twice about hiring him herself, in broad daylight. And you could chalk that up to her naivety, but again, it's not like he's carrying around a bloody machete everywhere.
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Oct 13, 2014 09:37
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Veskit posted:There isn't any real plot going on with this, just disjointed scenes that have their moments of creepiness/scariness and lacking of any real horror. The best way I can explain this first episode was a bunch of decent plates of food but one is a taco, another is an ice cream cone, and another is a side of pesto sauce. Nothing goes together, but I like all the elements. The thing not bringing it together is the lack of a horror. The only reason the clown is scary is because he's a clown with a good makeup artist. I disagree. Granted it's the first episode, but the Freak Show's survival has been more or less established as the main binding element. Right away they're threatened with being removed from the land, and the general idea that people need to come in to support it financially (thus the reasoning behind making Bette & Dot the main attraction.) You'll rely on Elsa's matriarchy and visions of grandeur to figure out ways to make that happen, having already apparently seduced the landlord and masterminded the act. Then you have the inner turmoil, Jimmy's resentment at living abnormally and the brewing romantic tension between him and the twins that has only just been hinted at. And of course, the fact that they killed/butchered a police officer, with more sure to be snooping around and judging them with less than due process. Finally, Twisty himself, stalking the grounds and perhaps threatened that a new act will draw the attention of Jupiter. I see where you're going with the food analogy, and I think I even used a similar one to describe Coven. As that season went on, the actual survival of the Coven became less and less of a factor as each witch became embroiled in their own ridiculous, often petty drama. I hesitate to play the first episode card, but I will, because they've introduced a lot of interesting elements, and the truly horrific moments may be yet to come (in a show that has never really been that horrifying overall.)
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Oct 14, 2014 06:58
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Well, the obvious answer is that the mask is what his mouth really looks like, with the lips and cheeks torn off to expose the teeth and gums. I think Murphy even said it was based in part on urban legend, which makes me think of the glasgow smile, Black Dahlia, etc. (even though they already covered Dahlia in season one.) There's actually a Japanese urban legend about the "slit-mouthed woman" who appears at night wearing a surgical mask, asking people if they think she's pretty. If they reply no, they get stabbed with scissors, but if they reply yes, she removes the mask to reveal her mouth is ripped ear to ear (at which point she asks again, and saying yes leads to her carving your face in a similar manner.)
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Oct 15, 2014 10:59
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Eh, it wasn't that bad. Dandy tagging along should be fun.
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Oct 16, 2014 03:56
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First a bearded lady, then a hermaphrodite ... seems Chiklis has some preferences. Who wants 10-1 that he'll try to tongue wrestle Jimmy by season's end?
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Oct 16, 2014 06:05
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If this was Coven, we'd all be pointing out even the tiniest flaw. That being said, the criticisms so far are valid, it's just a matter of how much tolerance you have for them. The toy scene was very contrived, classic horror film stuff. Painful if you're tired of that kind of thing, but also an attempt at actually putting some horror into the show. Twisty himself sticks out like a sore thumb, with his disgusting mask and ratty outfit, but you can argue that people simply don't know how to react to that in their quaint town. You can also argue against certain plot points that are seemingly designed to protect the story. The fact that the cops found the officer's badge and only hauled in Meep instead of tearing the camp apart. The idea that Elsa would nonchalantly allow Del to push everyone around simply because he's a big guy and could rough up any intruders. Ultimately one advantage Freak Show has that Coven didn't, is that this is the '50s and people are generally portrayed as more trusting, yet less responsible.
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Oct 17, 2014 00:19
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Windows 98 posted:Because they mentioned Pepper by name in the diner scene I will be pretty stoked if they have her eventually get sent away to an asylum at some point. It's possible, but I think Murphy said that she and Salty grew up in the same orphanage, which would suggest this is an alternate reality, given that Asylum Pepper was accused of killing her sister's baby. Unless Pepper is eventually adopted by someone post-Freak Show.
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Oct 17, 2014 05:01
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I could see Jimmy going off on her, particularly when lamenting about Del, because neither are really "freaks" the way he is. He's just a big guy and she's just tall. They don't necessarily draw attention, and scorn, like the rest.
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Oct 17, 2014 09:26
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The idea of the diner being the hint and speculation on a western, reminds me of the Badlands idea I came up with after Asylum ended - a desolate highway in the '70s leading to the beaches of California and splendor of Las Vegas, peppered with a greasy truck stop diner, voyeuristic motel, hippie/cult camp ala Manson, and a withered Indian reservation full of old spirits and youthful vengeance. Of course, I had also included a traveling circus/freak show, but that's off the table for obvious reasons (not that you necessarily need it; maybe include a biker gang as a plot point midway through instead.)Veskit posted:I get that I'm not going to convince anyone this season is terrible, even though it is, but how is the soundtrack not driving anyone crazy, or the loving setting. It's impossible to grasp what year this is all taking place in and the mixtures of the times are so jarring it's confusing. Because the anachronism is so blatant that it must be intentional for a future plot point. If it ends up there's nothing behind it beyond just wanting to include those songs, then yeah, I'd have to agree it's kinda dumb.
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Oct 18, 2014 06:08
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Coconut Indian posted:Can someone give a run down of the clues in previous seasons that were about the later seasons? I believe there were several references toward the crazy house or sending someone to an asylum in season one. "I Put a Spell On You" was played in Asylum's jukebox by Sister Mary Eunice, hinting toward witches being the theme of Coven. Kyle and Zoe go to Florida and several German names were dropped toward the end of Coven, as hints toward details of Freak Show. That's all I can remember off the top of my head.
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Oct 18, 2014 08:22
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A. Beaverhausen posted:I fear she's being typecasted as "the bitch" after scream 4. She plays it great, but yeah, Madison was my least favorite character last season. I think people are getting tired of the super bitch trope in general. I've caught a little of that Red Band Society on FOX, and the cheerleader immediately insults the breath of the orderly wheeling her into the hospital, calls the anorexic girl "Skeletor," and hits the call button on the comatose kid's bed just to get someone to come and get her more water. And of course, her parents are away on a trip/business meeting when she's admitted and her heart is failing, so cue the sad face and the tough front and the classmates pitying her, etc. I was actually pretty impressed when they killed off Madison in episode 2, but it was only to have her come back and resume her bitchery without ever really gaining any character development. Her character this season seems no different and like it was included simply to give her a part.
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Oct 19, 2014 02:01
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Remember that theory that Grace might be a werewolf in Asylum? They should have brought back Lizzie Brocheré as one of those people with hypertrichosis (thick hair all over face/body.)
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Oct 19, 2014 04:25
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If they wanted to do something a little different (like a freak show set in Florida,) they could give an alien setting something like Marfa, Texas. The city is famed for the "Marfa lights" that appear in the sky east of it, ascribed to be UFOs, ghosts, Will-o'-the-wips, etc. It's also about an hour away from the Mexican border, so you could include some of that lore, like the chupacabra. Plus, an army airfield that served as a training facility for thousands of World War II pilots, including the chemical mortar battalions (potential for incidents, ghosts.) Minimalist Donald Judd also moved there in 1971 and began permanently installing his art beyond a museum, acquiring a military fort (perhaps he could be a side character, angering said ghosts.)
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Oct 19, 2014 13:08
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I agree that a prison setting would feel too much like Asylum, unless they really found a great story to tell around it. First thought is Alcatraz, but they just had that failed FOX show about it. Plus, I don't know if ghosts are their own are strong enough for the series given all we've gotten since season one. What if they did something in Hawaii?
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Oct 20, 2014 05:33
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Maybe they'll do a Celine Dion number. She owns or owned a $72.5 million estate in Jupiter.
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Oct 23, 2014 03:13
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HOWDY DOODY?! I hope Dora doesn't die.
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Oct 23, 2014 03:25
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For the second time this episode, I'm thinking, "Well that hardly seems necessary."
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Oct 23, 2014 03:52
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QuickbreathFinisher posted:
I was gonna say, Morrison was 8 years old at the time this is set.
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Oct 23, 2014 04:04
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Jessica Lange singing Lana Del Rey.
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drat, that's cold blooded.
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Oct 23, 2014 04:14
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The twins weren't as prominently featured this time around, so it's easy to forget, but there was a pretty significant plot point introduced. Namely that Dot was having a dream in which a doctor separates them so she can live a normal, happy life with fame and a husband, and Bette dies as a result. And then when they wake, Dot admits the dream wasn't just a dream, is how she really feels, and actually does expect to separate from Bette at some point, even if it kills her in the process. Bette just sort of took it given how their relationship is, but it kinda throws a wrench in the idea that she would eventually kill Dot at Elsa's encouragement.
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Oct 23, 2014 08:47
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Feats of strength seem more like a circus act, but they go hand in hand with freak shows. I knew Esmeralda would simply use cold reading (which is what "psychics" even today use,) to tell Elsa what she already wanted to hear, with a bunch of vague details given the surroundings that could conceivably come true. A man wearing a certain colored suit or something like that, you're bound to see that eventually. Seems like a specific detail, but if you're actually looking for it, it's easy to find. She is a con artist after all, so she has to be somewhat intuitive on the spot. Although her partner doesn't seem to quite as useful (by which I mean, not at all,) and trying to pass off a baby sasquatch instead of just faking a believable human anomaly was dumb.
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Oct 25, 2014 09:33
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