American Horror Story: Asylum (season 2)

[CPT HOOK]

Originally Posted by dave13

in which case they will cancel it before a satisfactory ending can be achieved

Kyle X/Y

[Paff]

Originally Posted by dave13

ok, this explains why they kept referring to american horror story as a miniseries during the [whatever the TV version of the oscars is] awards. i was wondering about that. so its to be a different story each season?

that actually gets my interest. im usually uninterested in tv because i figure it will go either one of two ways - either it will be a popular show, in which case they will prolong the conclusion so as to make more money, draining the show of any energy it may have once had and making the plot so wrapped up in its own mythology that it no longer makes any sense (i.e. Lost or The X-Files). Or it won't be popular, in which case they will cancel it before a satisfactory ending can be achieved (I imagine this was the case with Alcatraz, although i didn't watch it, so can't comment on whether or not it was actually any good). either way, no matter how interesting it may be, it won't end in a satisfying way.

however, this structure for american horror story sounds like just what i would like - long-form storytelling with a guarenteed conclusion. hopefully no padding or rushing. i may have to take a look...

Well, it also gets tabbed as a "miniseries" due to the amount of episodes. It didn't do the full 20-something episodes that a lot of regular shows do.

It's only the second season, so it's hard to tell how they'll handle things. Will each year be a different story? Why do some cast members turn up in completely different roles this year? There's rumors of some of last years' cast members doing cameos this year. Will it be tied into the previous story?

It's pretty good stuff, and pretty damn daring for a basic cable program. It's rated "MA", which I jokingly referred to as "Man Ass" due to how many times we saw Dylan McDermott's backside last year (although if I look like that at 50, I'll be dropping trou for anyone who wants to see too), but there's a lot of skin, and a lot of violence too.

There's a lot of people who believe the best entertainment is on television right now, with shows like Game of Thrones, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Homeland, etc. It used to be that actors used television as a stepping stone to the BIG thing: movies. Now it seems that TV is the place to be. I think the reason is with these longer series, you can really develop a character. You're not taking a back seat to green screens and CGI like so many movies do nowadays. And with big HDTVs in nearly every home, the visual composition is WAY better than television shows of even 10 years ago. You don't have to compose for the small screen anymore, with a lot of closeups, limited action, not a lot of detail.

Short version, everyone should be watching this, along with The Walking Dead. If you're paying for cable, or satellite, or U-Verse, you're getting high quality horror broadcast to you every week. Might as well watch it. Oh, it's not Dawn of the Dead or The Thing or anything "classic" but I bet it's better than 9 out of 10 recent horror movies you last rented from Netflix.

[Paff]

and Dave, if you're still not sure about watching season 1, I offer you this:

[Anthropophagus]

Originally Posted by Paff

and Dave, if you're still not sure about watching season 1, I offer you this:

Rusty trombone material fo shizzle.
May have to check this out on Blu-Ray based on all the good word around here.

[dave13]

ummm. wow.

[zbinks]

Is nothing more terrifying than

Spoiler: James Cromwell lustfully approaching a hooker dressed as a nun, asking her if she's taken her panties off, all the while standing in his boxers and holding his junk.

[vampyr789]

What did y'all think of tonight's episode?! :O

[deepred]

I thought last night's episode was awesome. So much going on - all wickedly delightful!

[Paff]

Is this show just crazy or what? I go back and forth on which one I like better, this or The Walking Dead. The Walking Dead is a straightforward zombie show, and there's not much you can do with that. But AHS just throws everything but the kitchen sink out there. That's why I go back and forth. Sometimes it seems AHS is trying to hit every horror convention out there and needs to be reined in a bit. Yet other times I like the lack of restraint.

So this season we've had what, exorcisms, aliens, nazis, human experimentation, masks made out of human skin, gay conversion therapy, and family slaughter? Am I missing anything? And this is only like 5 episodes in!

[Anaestheus]

Originally Posted by Paff

Is this show just crazy or what? I go back and forth on which one I like better, this or The Walking Dead. The Walking Dead is a straightforward zombie show, and there's not much you can do with that. But AHS just throws everything but the kitchen sink out there. That's why I go back and forth. Sometimes it seems AHS is trying to hit every horror convention out there and needs to be reined in a bit. Yet other times I like the lack of restraint.

So this season we've had what, exorcisms, aliens, nazis, human experimentation, masks made out of human skin, gay conversion therapy, and family slaughter? Am I missing anything? And this is only like 5 episodes in!

A pinhead. It has an actual f***ing pinhead!

And, don't forget degenerate, mutant cannibal wood dwellers, sexually aroused nuns, lesbians, and a small amount of racial tension.

I love that this show is so off-the-rails. It always manages to surprise and since they have woven that into the very fabric of the show, none of it ever seems out of place.

I never got into Walking Dead. It just seemed like 45 minutes of people bickering and then ZOMBIES! for a couple of minutes and then some more bickering. Granted, I did give up an episode or two into season 2 and I do hear that things got better. But, AHS has had me hooked from episode 1.

And, I am so glad that they made this second season a completely different story with completely different characters. I really hope they can keep it going. And, while they seem to have toned down a bit of the insanity for the sake of telling a more coherent story, it hasn't diminished my fondness for the show one bit.

[zbinks]

Originally Posted by Paff

Is this show just crazy or what? I go back and forth on which one I like better, this or The Walking Dead. The Walking Dead is a straightforward zombie show, and there's not much you can do with that. But AHS just throws everything but the kitchen sink out there. That's why I go back and forth. Sometimes it seems AHS is trying to hit every horror convention out there and needs to be reined in a bit. Yet other times I like the lack of restraint.

So this season we've had what, exorcisms, aliens, nazis, human experimentation, masks made out of human skin, gay conversion therapy, and family slaughter? Am I missing anything? And this is only like 5 episodes in!

James Cromwell's nun fetish.

[Paff]

Originally Posted by zbinks

James Cromwell's nun fetish.

Yeah if you had told me six months ago that not only would the nunsploitation genre be revived, but that it would be on basic cable TV, I'd have thought you mad.

[Shannafey]

I can't stop watching this show, but I don't think it is as good as season 1. There is no plot or story. Just a collection of vignettes strung together with no cohesion. I watch it like a train wreck!!

[Paff]

I dunno, even if season 1 had a little more "grounding" with the Dylan McDermott family as the central characters, it really hit all kinds of different angles all season. Mad doctor, hot redhead maid (mmmmm), crazy neighbors next door, gay murder/suicide, dude in black latex, Connie Britton's pregancy, and the Black friggin Dahlia

Season 2 is definitely more over the top, no argument there, but it seems like they keep doing crazy shit episode after episode (in a good way), without having to worry about character development or moving the story along (like happens in The Walking Dead, which does drag down the pace sometimes).

Ordinarily that would be a negative, as I LIKE plot and character development in a movie. This isn't a movie though. It's an ongoing series, and the nature of horror is that you do need some scares and gruesomeness. AHS seems to focus mainly on that, even if it seems you need a scorecard with the story sometimes.

It's a good time for horror on the small screen though, that's for damn sure!

[vampyr789]

Okay last night's episode floored me, it was absolutely the season's finest hour.