American Horror Story: double feature

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American Horror Story: double feature

Post by Neon Maniac »

Is anyone watching / watched this? I'm about to finish it up. I have some questions about the first part, if anyone else has watched it.
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Re: American Horror Story: double feature

Post by shiki-jitsu »

I was going to start this season, but we decided to stick to the in order, so I am watching through Freak Show right now.
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Re: American Horror Story: double feature

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shiki-jitsu wrote: Fri Oct 29, 2021 4:13 pm I was going to start this season, but we decided to stick to the in order, so I am watching through Freak Show right now.
Since you're 7 seasons back in Freak Show, I'm going to assume that "we" is you and AR. :roll:

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That's too bad. I've got a lot of thoughts on this one, and I was hoping there'd be someone here to bounce those ideas off of.
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Re: American Horror Story: double feature

Post by shiki-jitsu »

I have a lot of thoughts about Freak Show. :toot:
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Re: American Horror Story: double feature

Post by Neon Maniac »

shiki-jitsu wrote: Fri Oct 29, 2021 5:25 pm I have a lot of thoughts about Freak Show. :toot:
This is a safe place, you're welcome to share them here.
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Re: American Horror Story: double feature

Post by shiki-jitsu »

I am only 3 episodes in and I am feeling like Freak Show could be the best season of this.... BUT FOR ONE THING! OMG the need to have some shitty version of a modern song in every episode is killing me. I dont need a mediocre musical number for a song THAT DOESNT EXIST IN THIS TIME all the time.

Also Kathy Bates' baltimore/philly/delaware/60% on and off/garbage accent is killing me. I am waiting for her to start talking about all the time she spent in Rehoboth. Jessica Lange's Marelene Dietrich impersonation is coming in a close second.
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Re: American Horror Story: double feature

Post by Neon Maniac »

Yes. It's absolutely marvelous.
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Re: American Horror Story: double feature

Post by Neon Maniac »

The thing I've found with AHS is that it does those things purposely. I used to think it was due to poor quality control for lack of a better term. But after repeated viewings, I've realized it's an artisanal crafted show. The things that make you cringe like the music, accent, etc. are there to make you cringe. I try not to judge a season now until I've seen it in its entirety and seen it twice.

What I will say about Freak Show is, like all seasons, you have to watch it in the 'theme' of the season. So, Freak Show... think about side shows, circuses, carnivals... when you're at one of those, everything you're seeing is skewed, not real, not as good as the real thing, copies of other ideas, tricks, etc. So, expect the show to deliver that with everything. You don't get Dietrich. You get carnival Dietrich. You want things like music to fit? No, you're going to get the music they have fit into where they can put it. And once you get through those superficial idiosyncrasies, you can start seeing the truth that remains at the bottom.
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Re: American Horror Story: double feature

Post by shiki-jitsu »

Neon Maniac wrote: Fri Oct 29, 2021 7:15 pm The thing I've found with AHS is that it does those things purposely. I used to think it was due to poor quality control for lack of a better term. But after repeated viewings, I've realized it's an artisanal crafted show. The things that make you cringe like the music, accent, etc. are there to make you cringe. I try not to judge a season now until I've seen it in its entirety and seen it twice.

What I will say about Freak Show is, like all seasons, you have to watch it in the 'theme' of the season. So, Freak Show... think about side shows, circuses, carnivals... when you're at one of those, everything you're seeing is skewed, not real, not as good as the real thing, copies of other ideas, tricks, etc. So, expect the show to deliver that with everything. You don't get Dietrich. You get carnival Dietrich. You want things like music to fit? No, you're going to get the music they have fit into where they can put it. And once you get through those superficial idiosyncrasies, you can start seeing the truth that remains at the bottom.
I think you give them too much credit, I think they go bad camp for campiness sake. I think they also do the music thing because that has been the rage the last decade taking modern songs and putting into different times (think Westworld, any trailer, etc). The overacting and accents are of course intentional, its not a reflection on the actors (most of them). I think they are giving the performance exactly as is requested of them and then some. These are all conscious decisions. Its the choices of making those decisions in the first place that I have a problem with. The show would be better if they took that campy layer off of it and played it more straight (in every season I think this is true).
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Re: American Horror Story: double feature

Post by Neon Maniac »

shiki-jitsu wrote: Fri Oct 29, 2021 8:38 pm
I think you give them too much credit, I think they go bad camp for campiness sake. I think they also do the music thing because that has been the rage the last decade taking modern songs and putting into different times (think Westworld, any trailer, etc). The overacting and accents are of course intentional, its not a reflection on the actors (most of them). I think they are giving the performance exactly as is requested of them and then some. These are all conscious decisions. Its the choices of making those decisions in the first place that I have a problem with. The show would be better if they took that campy layer off of it and played it more straight (in every season I think this is true).
I think you don't give them enough credit. I agree, they do go bad camp for campiness sake at times, but if all you're seeing is the bad camp, you're missing the plain jane item sitting right next to it, which I think is part of the point. The camp as you call it, is in all seasons and plays the same role each time as far as I can tell.

I used to think like you do, then I dug deeper and was pleasantly surprised. Which is why I give seasons 2 watches now.
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Re: American Horror Story: double feature

Post by Neon Maniac »

And I realize it sounds like I'm trying to say, you just don't get it, which is totally not what I'm trying to say :lol:

Because I agree or once agreed with a lot your criticisms. What I'm trying to say I think, is that a lot of those annoyances are actually pieces of larger mechanisms that can change the meaning or context of a situation if the connection is made. Many I've only found on repeat viewings.
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Re: American Horror Story: double feature

Post by Mistress0fTheDamned »

Love the series
Stare at the dark too long and you will eventually see
WHAT ISN’T THERE.

Hell is empty and all the devils are here.

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