There are many things in
life which people consider to be an acquired taste, take marmite for instance
the entire selling point of this product is ‘you either love it or you hate it’.
American Horror Story (AHS)
is definitely characterised as an acquired taste; I’m sure plenty of people
have heard about it or watched a few episodes and thought ‘this is disgusting’
probably a natural reaction but these people are committing sins against art by
ignoring the poetic beauty within the insanity.
The fourth season premiered
last Thursday, it was pure brilliance, insane, ridiculous brilliance. The cast
members this season delve into the world of a 1950’s freak show based in
Jupiter, Florida. Admittedly I had my reservations at first, these days’ people
aren’t considered freaks, they’re not relegated from society and mocked;
because of this I believed the show would not achieve the horror it has managed
in the past. However, it seems the big scare factor this season, much like
Asylum, is human murder; killer clowns, freak show gang murder, daughter –
mother murder. You name it, they’ve likely got it.
But back to that killer
clown, that terrifying, sadistic, sporadically child-like killer clown. Need I
go on? OK, he pops up during a romantic couples picnic, savagely stabs the man
to death, kidnaps the young woman, takes her to his sewer based lair where
there is also a young boy and shows them his toys. In a competition with Ronald
Mcdonald and Pennywise the dancing clown I’d say AHS’s murderous maniac takes
the gold for most disturbing.
One of the best aspects of
AHS is that the actors change their characters in every season, we’ve seen
Jessica Lange play the mother of a rapist ghost, a nun who runs a mental
asylum, a head witch and now she adorns her glitz and glam to play Elsa, a German
ex-patriot who runs the freak show in hopes of having her singing talents
spotted. Evan Peters (the once rapist son) now plays Jimmy a boy with large
webbed hands who uses his freakishness to pleasure housewives for extra money.
By far the most intriguing character
comes in the shape of a Siamese twin; Sarah Paulson plays both Bette and Dot, a
two headed woman who slaughtered their own mother. To be able to play two
completely different characters emerging from the same body both perplexes and outstands
me, give the woman an award!
Actual give the whole show
an award, especially writer, creator and director Ryan Murphy for gracing us
with this elegant portrayal of genuine horror. Love it or hate, but please
appreciate it.
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