Matthew eats… American Horror Story: Freak Show

I’m opening with a confession. I didn’t expect to be writing this review just yet. I thought I’d finish American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace first. But four episodes in and it was just too dark. It is not Friday night fare. I will finish it, but in a different time slot.

So American Horror Story: Freak Show rode to the rescue. It might sound odd as a choice considering how I have just spoken about not wanting anything to dark. But AHS at least gives a dash of camp fun in among the bloodshed. Even some dark humour as well. There is something to break it up and preventing an unrelenting tone.

The plot of this season of the franchise focuses on the freak show ran by wannabe star Elsa Mars (Jessica Lange in a swansong performance). She hires suspected murderers Dot and Bette, siamese twins, to draw in the punters to her show, but is upstaged by them. Hunting for the murderers are the cops, and when one gets too close he is killed by another of the freaks. Oh, and there is a psycho clown killing and kidnapping people. Throw in a strongman who is also on the run from the law and you have essentially a circus of criminals.

You may be wondering where the fun is. Well, for a start Lange plays Elsa perfectly. Still dreaming but jaded, there is a sharp wit to her masking a sadness. The back and forth between the very different twins is also playfully caustic. True, it lacks the out-and-out dark humour of Coven or Apocalypse. But then we are dealing with a very different beast.

The only true darkness is in the Twisty plotline and to a certain degree the Del one. Obviously the threads will wax and wane throughout the season, but I hope they don’t come to dominate over other, more well-rounded stories. Let us see Elsa take centre stage as much as possible.

It’s because of my aversion to constant misery I will avoid some seasons. Asylum may be the most-highly regarded, but I still don’t see a reason to experiment with it. For now Freak Show fits just fine.

Matthew eats… Evil

Christmas apart from my partner brings pluses and minuses. On the minus side, there is the obvious feeling of missing one of the key events of the year with a loved one. Lovely as it is to see family, you only realise how lonely you are without the one who means most to you until you have had five days without them, and no skype call can replace that.

On the plus side, I have been able to eat foods that are banned from our household, including baked beans, curry and gravy (although not at once). Furthermore, I can catch up on some of my programmes they would never watch. One of which is Evil. As unseasonable as it is, it is a relief to finally watch season three.

And boy, have they gone big this season. This is supernatural horror for the 21st century. Plotlines have included the scourge of social media apps in creating a possession epidemic, drones creating a ‘haunted’ highway and the internet being run by demons, hence the rise in cryptocurrency and disinformation.

The long-running stories have become darker as well. The seed planted in earlier seasons that Lexis, one of Kristen’s four children, is potentially demonic is proving a surprisingly minor hook. The fact that any other show would have made this the driving force shows the rich variety this show can play with. Instead, we have Kristen’s husband paralysed by her increasingly wicked mother and our chief villain Leland, Leland’s own entrapment as a pedophile by Kristen’s daughters and new regular character Sister Andrea being pursued by a demon of her own. Oh, and the Vatican is taking down demonic houses.

For all the darkness, it is still extremely witty. The script both moves at pace but allows for the slow burn. We are trusted to be smart enough in episode six to still be aware of why the toilet is making terrible noises because of a plot point in episode two without characters constantly referring back to ‘can you remember when…’.

What makes the horror here so powerful is the lack of gore. There is instead a psychological terror. And for all the talk of demons and devils, many of them are driven by human forces. Because although the show does suggest a supernatural source of evil, it is also very quick to demonstrate how human frailty maximises this – the devil wins because we choose to take the worst response to something.

I will not quite finish the season by the time me and my partner reunite, which will leave me itching for further revelations. But on the plus side, I will have them back.

Matthew eats… American Horror Story: Murder House

I normally like to write my reviews after seeing at least a couple of episodes of a programme. It allows characters to bed in and plots to develop, and you get a more clear view of whether something is working or not. I’m breaking the rule with this one though for two reasons. Firstly, as AHS is now over a decade old, it’s interesting to look back as to if the pilot has really done the franchise justice. Secondly, I have nothing else to write about.

Viewers of the anthology series now the deal but a brief refresh of this first volume: a married couple and their daughter move cross country post-extra marital affair. The house has a history of violence and death, leading to lots of spooky goings on. Oh, and there is a psycho teenager who wants to go on a rampage at his high school.

The only other edition of the franchise I have watched was Coven and tonally the two are very different. Whereas Coven for all its gore at time had a campy joyful silliness to it, Murder House feels a lot drier. This really is straight-up horror. I am missing the zingy humour. It’s no wonder Jessica Lange steals the show every scene she is in, as she is a spark of chaotic energy in a heavy stew.

To me, there was also too much pushed into episode one. We have ghostly housemaids, murderous stalkers, teen murder fantasies, sleepwalking and a possessed gimp suit all in one sitting. Again, I look back at Coven and realise just how much better the pacing was there, with the plots seemlessly growing and resolving in an organic way. The rivalry with the voodoo queen wasn’t even introduced until episode three. The witchhunter plot was a mid-season reveal. Here, we have everything all at once and it feels a little messy.

I have been assured by my other half it settles down and the mysteries do evolve much more neatly as the season progress. As a result, I will stick with it. Partly because it means I will appreciate Apocolypse more. Even so, I hope the backstory is worth it in the end.

Matthew eats… Wednesday

In a rare moment of joined-up thinking, both me and my other half decided this week to start watching the current Netflix buzz programme Wednesday. This almost never happens. A mixture of differing tastes and a tendency to stick to old faithfuls means we rarely want to venture into something new. But here we are.

And we don’t regret it. A couple of episodes in and we are hooked. The premise is that Wednesday Adamms, she of Adamms Family fame, is sent to boarding school Nevermore Academy, a school for outcasts and mythological beings. Sirens? Present. Werewolves? Enrolled. Vampires? Obviously. While there she gets roped into a mystery of a strange creature killing local hikers. Oh and she is developing her own magical powers. Oh, and her father it turns out is a suspected murderer.

That may sound like a lot of plot, especially when you throw in some general high school politics. Yet you never feel overwhelmed. There is something about the pacing, balancing twists and fallouts from said twists that works. Everything bubbles along nicely, aided by some decent character growth. And for once, the romantic subplots aren’t that grating.

In fact it is hard to find a fault. The writing, even individual lines, is beautifully done. Barely a beat is wasted in either showing us the character or moving events forward. It also manages that rare feat of being a genuine horror comedy, although there isn’t much in the way of scares. But that doesn’t matter when the story is told with wit.

Jenna Ortega as the lead character is excellent. Even within two episodes we have seen the beginnings of some rough edges knocked off, but not too much. Indeed, pretty much all the female part of the cast have a depth and richness to them. The male half of the cast isn’t quite as strong, but even so they don’t quite fall into the trap of being one dimensional. And it doesn’t matter anyway; this is Wednesday’s story.

This is probably one of the best shows I have watched in a while. I really hope the pace keeps going for the rest of the season and that we get a satisfying conclusion. With a start this strong, it is what it very much deserves.

Matthew eats… American Horror Story Coven

One of the interesting things about a new relationship is introducing each other to your favourite television programmes. I have so far tried my other half on Taskmaster (modest success), as well as Bob’s Burgers and Schitt’s Creek (both big successes). He on the other hand has tried men Ru Paul’s Drag Race (disaster) and American Horror Story: Coven.

Now I don’t go a bundle for horror, as previously mentioned, especially that with a huge amount of gore. However, if that is counterbalanced with a beautifully dark streak of humour and some excellent bitchiness then I will forgive pretty much anything. My other half recognised these, hence why he chose to introduce me to the AHS universe, he chose Coven.

For the uninitiated, Coven follows a school for witches in New Orleans at a time when the Supreme is fading and a new one is due to ascend. Added to this is a new escalation in the war with the local voodoo priestess and several other smaller plot points that rise and fall into view.

This myriad of plots could be confusing but in facts means there is something for everyone. There is actually a surprising depth of emotion as Fiona Goode, the current Supreme begins to lose her powers as well as the mystery of who the new Supreme will be (eight episodes in and I still am getting tricked by misdirection). The witch/voodoo war allows for excellent levels of sass. And you are never far from something grisly happening if you do need a bit of blood and gore.

Also, plaudits are needed for the character development here. Fiona rises from just being a scathing bitch to actually being someone who feels pain and does care for others. Zoe evolves from sap to someone who might actually have a backbone. And Delphine increasingly is cognoscenti of her sins. Oh, and did I mention that this is a female-dominated cast in a genre that usually ill serves women?

I have to admit not every stroyline grabs me. Zoe and Kyle as a couple leave me cold, likewise Nan’s infatuation with the guy next door. But that’s fine, because there is always another diversion on the horizon.

Yes, the show is nominally horror. But it far surpasses that in its humour, plotting and character growth. Other seasons may not be as much my cup of tea, but this is exactly the right balance for me. So this relationship definitely has one thing going for it.

Matthew eats… Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Lockdown is really biting on what TV is out there now. The cupboards are beginning to look bare and what new stuff we do have is not appealing to me. Besides not being able to get to the gym, it is the lack of decent TV that is most impacting at this time. A shallow concern, yes. I check my privilege every day that I haven’t been hurt by the virus in other ways. But it is still a mood crusher.

Thankfully, an unexpected pocket of joy has emerged. All4 have decided to stream the entire boxset of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This show was a favourite of mine in my teen years (and not for the muckier reasons some men loved it for). Even then I was behind the curve, only watching it the first time a good five years or so after it had launched.

Second time round and I still delight in it. The slightly daft plots revolving around an entire town that is oblivious it is on the Hellmouth coupled with teenage angst and unrequited love. It is a balm to the soul to watch something where the thought of an apocalypse happening is so extreme you have to suspend your belief. Not like now, where if someone told the world was due to end in 24 hours we would actually probably accept it as all the signs are there.

I also forgot how genuinely witty the show is. The what we would now term banter between the characters is as sharp and precise as the stakes Buffy uses. And I haven’t even yet got to the point where Spike, king of the killer line, appears.

I also have a new favourite game of spotting what aspects of the show date it to the late 90’s. So far I have a teenager clueless on how to use a computer (it was a shock to the system to find someone under 70 not knowing what a delete button is), pagers instead of mobile phones and moody 90’s music being played at The Bronze. Oh, and the dated slang, which is a jarring note but only easily swept away.

It is only fitting with how often Buffy had to save the world that once again she has come to our rescue. If ever there was a time for someone to beat back the forces of darkness, it’s now.

Matthew eats… Locke & Key

I keep saying I don’t watch horror. But here I am, reviewing another horror story. I suppose what I mean to say is I don’t like watching your slasher horrors, like Saw  or IT. Not unless the tongue is firmly within cheek.

Supernatural horror or one grounded more in fantasy I can handle. Maybe it’s the greater distance from reality or perhaps it’s because this sub-genre has to work harder to tell the story than just going for gore. The fact it can go as full-on weird as it wants with detracting from anything helps as well.

Locke & Key has an intriguing premise. A family escape personal tragedy by returning to the ancestral home. However, the house has its own secrets, including several keys that have supernatural gifts and a demon who wants to possess them.

There are several things I like. The demon is suitably creepy yet seductive, fantastically malicious yet enrapturing. Likewise, her ties to the family’s past, including her as yet (to me so far) connection to the killer of the patriarch, add a level of mystery that genuinely intrigues.

I do however find the high school scenes a little cliched. The oldest brother falling into the testosterone-loaded jocks whilst himself being a ‘nice guy’ is not new. Nor is his high-school rom-com plot of being with the token hot girl but really wanting her more demure best friend. It does make a break from the more fantastical strands, but it still could be so much better. It just feels a bit beige.

Stronger is the sister’s growing relationships with the geeky but hot horror fanboy. Although even here his attractiveness makes you wonder how Netflix is contributing to everyone’s body image. At least this plot comes with a bit of emotional heft and a genuine conflict.

Overall though, it is a decent watch. There is enough mystery and intrigue, both in the past events and present ones, to keep you interested. The horror is chilling enough to unnerve but not so horrible you get nightmares. Maybe I need to accept I’m a horror fan after all.

 

 

Matthew eats… Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

As the pandemic descends and we are increasingly locking ourselves behind closed doors, we are all looking for some temporary release. Having said that, as a key worker that can’t work from home I am still having to go into the outside world, but anyway.

It’s an obvious thing to say perhaps, but this is where the culture of binging and box setting our favourite shows come into its own. Get something about seven seasons long at about 20 episodes a pop and you are set for a couple of weeks.

And then there’s Netflix, which will no doubt find itself suddenly booming with subscribers. The downside there is, bar a few shows they have imported, most of them are only a handful of series and limited episodes. Still, plenty of opportunity to watch something new.

In between doing my civic duty of keeping the wheels turning at work I’m getting round to season three of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. It seems to be in a classic state of having closed off its most compelling storylines and now having to have a mini-reset to start afresh.

For instance, Michelle Gomez is now Lilith as Queen Regent of Hell. Yet with her identity so open now some of the menace has gone. There is no longer the conflict of the double life. Ditto Blackwood. Once the evil behind the veneer of respectability has gone, it loses its lustre.

I’m also irritated by the rather unnecessary addition of Harvey, Ros and Theo forming a guitar band in a garage. I genuinely do not get the point of it.

Now to the good points. Despite what I said earlier, Gomez still steals pretty much every scene she is in. Likewise, Miranda Otto and Lucy Davis are both shining as Aunts Zelda and Hilda, not least Otto as the new headmistress of the academy.

But if I can throw one last criticism, it’s that we still haven’t got to a meaty storyline two episodes in. There are tantalising hints at one, but compared to the previous seasons we aren’t being given many breadcrumbs to follow on the trail.

But hey, we will watch anyway. We need to fill the hours ahead of us. Stay safe everyone.

Matthew eats… Dracula

It is one thing to adapt a book for the first time, where you can probably get away with playing it safe as no one wants anything more than a visual retelling of the text, quite another to do one that has already been done over and over again. You need to put a new spin on it to survive without upsetting the purists, or ignoring them all together.

So fair play to Steven Moffatt and Mark Gatiss for their adaption of Dracula. They have given the novel a makeover and upped the horror, intensified the sexuality and accentuated the dry wit. It is all very well done. So why do I dislike it?

Well, for me there are some changes you just can’t make, and this is where I have to warn there are spoilers ahead, at least for episode one, which is all I have seen so far. My main bugbear is the decision to kill off Jonathan Harker and make him one of the undead. I just fail to see the point of it other than to shock. It brings nothing else to the narrative.

In turn, this makes Mina come across as exceptionally wimpy, hopelessly and foolishly in love with Jonathan. In the novel she is strong and the heroine, braver than even many of the men. It seems odd to rewrite her as someone so meek and emotional.

On the flipside, there are some good points. Dolly Wells is magnificent as Sister Agatha, who it is later revealed as being a Van Helsing. She is witty and cynical, and is probably the most-arresting character for viewer bar the Count himself.

Speaking of which, Claes Bang is excellent as Dracula. The malevolence of the character is turned up to 11 and beyond. He is wittier than most incarnations, as well as more open with his sexuality.

This is an adaptation for the strong of stomach. The horror and the gore are not dialled back in the slightest. There are moments where it feels overdone (take for example the zombie baby), which again will anger us purists.

All the deviations from the original plot do have one advantage though. We are left guessing how it is going to end. The tone suggests there is no guarantee that good will triumph here, or even that there is a good at all. For that reason alone it is worth seeing the programme through. I just hope I can still get to sleep at night. Not out of horror, but because of my fury at how they have rewritten the book.

Matthew eats… Stranger Things

I find that I often enjoy the secondary aspect of a show more than the primary. Killing Eve, for instance, is more entertaining for me if I see it as a black comedy than a thriller. It makes the scenes in between the gruesome murders more interesting if you actually treat the violence as the bonus instead of dark humour in the writing.

Likewise, I find myself putting the horror of Stranger Things as a distant second reason to watch it behind the nostalgic coming-of-age story. Which is probably not what the writers, or most of the die-hard fans, want to hear. They probably want the scares to come first, the human interest second, albeit an important second. After all, how bothered can you be by the monster if you don’t care about the victims?

But such a take for me misses the strongest point of the show. Yes, the Mindflayer is doing its thing and it is all very horrible, fitting in nicely with the parable of mass consumerism and late-stage capitalism. Oh, and there is a new dimension of Cold War paranoia ramping up a notch which could actually push the horror down into third place. Yet none of this matches watching the journeys of the young cast towards adulthood.

I was more gripped by the scenes where Will felt crushingly left behind by his friends as they discovered girls than I was by revelation of what the Mindflayer is doing. I was more moved by the growing bond between Max and El than I was scared by the exploding rats. And I took more joy in the humour between Robin, Steve and Dustin then I was repulsed by the transformation of Mrs Driscoll.

In many ways, I am enjoying this series more than the others. There are more storylines in play and the characters are gaining depth. For example, Steve has gone from irritating wazzock to cutely idiotic and vulnerable and is now one of my favourite characters.

All this, and we still have Winona Ryder and David Harbour giving the performances of their lives. Harbour has officially become King of the Dad Bods and Ryder has consigned any previous misdemeanours, both personal and professional, to history.

I hope further seasons continue this progression. The complications of adulthood are knocking on some many of the characters’ doors. It would be a shame to slam it shut.