American Horror Story

[ThatScaryChick]

Yeah, I agree it would probably make national news, but the crime happened sixteen years ago and I don't fault Violet for not knowing. Violet is what 16-17 and not from that area and she was just a baby or not even born yet. I doubt she would be in the know about it. Although, if I were her, I would be looking up the history of the school after the conversation with the teens.

Also, I am really enjoying this show. It is my must see new tv show of the season. I love it.

[Shanmac]

I can believe that Violet might not know about it (although you'd think she'd have Googled the name of her new high school before she moved there), but yeah, her parents probably would. Although I can believe that, being from a different part of the country, they might vaguely remember something about a school shooting way back when, but not the details (I can believe that Tate's name didn't ring any bells, even though I can still remember the names of the Columbine shooters).

I was actually kind of shocked by the "Do you believe in God?" comment because it really happened — I pretty much had a "too soon" reaction to that. But it definitely had the desired effect of being extremely chilling.

[MrsCatHead]

I'm so sick of the line delivery on this show. God, it's so bad, it's comical.

ETA: if this is a house with ghosts, why don't they all show up at once? I mean, I know it's more interesting for the television show...but within the rules of the universe the show has created, it doesn't make sense. That just bugs me.

[Deleted]

I actually think the acting is pretty decent on this show. Then again, I think I've been subconsciously comparing it to one of my other favorite shows, True Blood (I guess because of the creep/horror factor), and pretty much anyone would look like a great thespian next to Sookeh and Beel.

[huntergrayson]

It strikes me as similar to when you sometimes watch old melodramas - yes, it might be acting in a more over-the-top and stylized manner than we often see today, post-Method and post-Stanislavsky, but that doesn't make it automatically bad, per se. My dad and I recently rented the original Mildred Pierce after we watched the HBO/Winslet miniseries and within the first ten to fifteen minutes, my dad was like "Wow, Crawford won an Oscar for this performance!? It's so cheesy! And overdramatic!" but by the end I thought she was actually pretty good, within that style/genre.

Heck, I thought Mara was TERRIBLE in her first episode but having her go full nutball here actually made her better.

If nothing else, you can tell that actors like O'Hare, Lange and Quinto are enjoying the hell out of it.

Salon's TV critic kinda nailed it in this recent column - on "The Awful Brilliance of AHS".

His "it's this meets that" summation strikes me as pretty accurate.

The series borrows from “The Shining,” “Twin Peaks” and the Danish horror classic “The Kingdom,” which merged supernatural goings-on with the internal demons of troubled individuals, producing tales in which every frame seemed infected with dread and evil. But its core inspiration dates back the early ’60s, when movies were just starting to slough off content restrictions and camp was stepping into the spotlight. If it were possible to take a classic early ’60s camp horror movie, feed it massive amounts of cocaine, then turn it into a basic cable drama, the result might look like this. The coke-addled classic would likely be “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” or its spiritual sequel, “Hush … Hush, Sweet Charlotte,” which played like pulp Gothic horror novels re-imagined by a pre-Stonewall cabaret troupe.

Like those films, “American Horror Story” is flamboyantly self-aware and incredibly high-strung. It is also at once intentionally and unintentionally funny, and doesn’t seem to care if you laugh at it or with it.

Constance is going to be a future drag queen inspiration, for reals, you guys.

[MrsCatHead]

But I don't think the actors are deliberately trying to over-the-top stylized. Well, maybe JL But the others? I think most of them just don't know how to play it and it comes out a mess.

Yet, I watch it cuz it's a glorious mess!

[Deleted]

I do think for this type of show the actors have to kind of have a sense of the ridiculousness of it and just commit to it. Much like Nip and Tuck. Jessica Lange and Dennis O'Hare seem to get it. Dylan McDermott on the other hand is awful. Just completely wooden and still shouting like he is on The Practice. He is not always a terrible actor but I just don't think this is the right show for him.

[huntergrayson]

Yeah, Dylan seems to be a weak point. Connie is really wonderful -- I still haven't watched FNL but have heard many good things and am definitely going to be checking it out after liking her in this.

[cruising]

I don't think the acting is bad at all. The writing is a bit on the nose for me. It can stand to be a little subtle.

[Deleted]

I've been recording episodes of the show but hadn't seen any of them until this weekend (Mr. Shrew hates horror stuff, so I had to wait until he went out of town to watch them). What a crazy-ass show! I agree with all the complaints that people have had about the acting and other stuff, but I'm definitely in for the long haul.