SOUND OFF: AMERICAN HORROR STORY Makes Hell Heaven

Perhaps it should have been promoted more appropriately as: Grand Guignol From The Genius Guys Who Gave Us GLEE (& NIP/TUCK, too). Any entity with the pedigree apparent in FX's new drama series AMERICAN HORROR STORY is worth a view or two and last night's premiere episode was nothing short of riveting - extending even into the end credits roll. An explosive and absolutely terrifying corroboration of creepy historical drama, atmospheric suspense, psycho-sexual character study, semi-snuff, psychological terror, grand guignol and plain old scares, AMERICAN HORROR STORY delivered on all of the mysterious and intriguing previews that have aired for the last several months on FX - from the creator of NIP/TUCK and the co-creators of GLEE, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, this was a definite opportunity for envelopes, buttons and limits of taste, decency and sheer terror allowable on TV to be pushed as far as possible. On that accord, Murphy and Falchuk scored perfectly. Insofar as the talent assembled to tell the tale at the heart of the haunted house story - including major TV talent in the leads with Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton, as well as a seriously starry supporting cast including Broadway regulars Denis O'Hare and Jessica Lange - AMERICAN HORROR STORY comes through as a compelling character-based family drama with the backstory of the central couple being a domestic horror situation rife with possibilities - as well as the possibility to be an all-out horror show of THE SHINING proportions (dead twins included). That is not to mention the acerbic comedy, camp, one-liners (Lange's "Don't make me kill you again," and Britton's "I am not a house," won the night) and hot-button-pushing that makes Ryan Murphy television always entertaining in its very own way and which is amped up to such a high level here as to be far too much to take all in in one mere viewing - but, that is a good thing. There is a lot here to take in and process. Even on the second look I'm not sure I've caught all of the flash-cut secrets and editing tricks utilized in the impressively dynamic and complex meta-narrative employed by the various camera and stylistic techniques. If the creepy, cryptic and surprisingly quite comprehensive website is any indication whatsoever of the devilishly detailed decades-long tapestry being woven by Murphy, Falchuk and company over the course of the first season then we are certainly in for the decadent danse macabre of the decade - perhaps not since David Lynch's groundbreaking TWIN PEAKS has a TV premiere so completely enraptured and ensnared me in its wicked web of debauchery and depraved devilry. Heck - if this is Hell, throw another coal or two on the flames.

Normal People Scare Me

An amalgam of so very many aspects of such a copious amount of genres as to make one's head spin - Linda Blair excepted - AMERICAN HORROR STORY on FX is the true-blue horror junkie's nightmare come true - at least as far as cable TV will possibly allow. And, even then, I saw some images and heard some words and phrases and viewed some allusions to some things I do not remember being so taken aback by since, well, the series premiere of NIP/TUCK - another Ryan Murphy creation - almost ten years ago. Yet, calling it merely shocking does not even start to due justice to the incredibly edgy events and elements employed and enacted to scare the literal pants off of you - and, of course, the characters too. Speaking of nudity and sexual content - this goes as far as you can go without being on HBO. I've never seen something quite so erotically disturbing as McDermott's various scenes involving O'Hare and the maid, without making mention of Britton's horrifying copulation scene with the gimp. And, yes, speaking of the gimp - how could you not have seen it somewhere on the red-and-black-themed posters seemingly everywhere in the last few months? - talk about a new nightmare for the TV record books. Things that make you say boo in the night - and, what about that cast? A real who's who, too. "Rubber Man", as he is so billed, takes the bloody cake.

The Tony-winning king of the vampires from TRUE BLOOD himself - Denis O'Hare; a two-time Oscar-winning legendary star - Jessica Lange; THE PRACTICE's legal eagle - Dylan McDermott; the FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS leading lady - Connie Britton; and, most frighteningly of all, the character actress known for her excellent small screen work in HBO's somewhat supernaturally-themed SIX FEET UNDER as well as a sterling stage resume to go along with that - Frances Conroy; yes, the cast for AMERICAN HORROR STORY is an Altman-esque collection of actors amply able to plumb the depths of depravity and soar to the campy heights of over-the-toppery and gag-inducing gruesomeness that this sexy, scary show already has required of them in the first seventy minutes of the sensational pilot episode alone. Who knows what horrors lay ahead and how far they all will have to go in the future, near and far - and who knows how far Murphy and Falchuk will have to push them - especially if all concerned plan to keep the thrills coming as fast and hard and limber and outright chill-and-thrill-inducing as they have initially. So many questions are left to be answered, as well. Ryan Murphy has recently said that the opening sequence holds a litany of secrets that will all be solved by season's end - a visually striking beginning credits created by the talented team behind the titles of SE7EN and THE WALKING DEAD, among others. So, what burning questions - fire being the operative euphemism, thanks in no small part to O'Hare's scintillating eleven o'clock monologue (and subsequent flashback) - do you most yearn to have quenched as we watch the drama and horror heat up in the coming weeks and months? What's next and what surprises lay in store in AMERICAN HORROR STORY's giallo-esque house of horrors that would even make Dario Argento quite proud?

What shall we see of the past inhabitants' untimely ends? What secrets of the family's past will be revealed? What other troubled patients will the patriarchal psychiatrist try to treat amidst the pools of blood and things that go bump in the light in his very own newly purchased house from Hell? Oh, yeah, on that accord - these ghosts evidently don't pay any attention to any of the old horror paradigms. All rules are off - and everything can happen to anyone at any time. Just look at the two juxtaposed seduction scenes performed by the house's supernatural inhabitants embodied by the maid and the gimp with McDermott and Britton, respectively; particularly the build-up and pay-off of the latter (oh so evocative of Roeg's DON'T LOOK NOW, as well - an influence cited by the creators). Most of all, I can't wait for the ROSEMARY'S BABY twist coming up. Tannis root, anyone?

So, we are all best advised in the upcoming weeks to watch the you-know-what out! The black leather and latex gloves are clearly off as far as the creative chances being taken and risks tossed off like so many bitchy bon mots are concerned - and how delicious was Jessica Lange and her strange Southern belle character? Or Denis O'Hare's depraved retelling of his family's murder at his own hands? - and, we are now settling in for the knock-out fight of a TV lifetime. While the FCC will surely have a field day with this show if it continues on this prurient path, AMERICAN HORROR STORY is poised to punch us squarely in the face week after week and make us really squirm in our seats, scream and shriek. And, after all, only in the horror genre is that the highest compliment that I can possibly pay! That, and my closest attention - and, to you, I would extend my best advice, as well, which would be to pay painstaking attention yourself if you wish to really see the richness all revealed in front of your eyes. It's all really right there - just hidden. And the grit, scum, dirt and grime is all there to view, too. What atmosphere! The better your TV and surround sound setup, the better - this is a truly thrilling multimedia experience. And, a lot more. AMERICAN HORROR STORY makes me want to wallow in the marrow of the blood in the bone of Poe's raven. A really, really richly layered confection - a blood red velvet cake, for sure. Such is the winding, twisted, Poe-ish path and style of telling this tale told blue - and black. And red. Very, very red. Like blood.

And love.

"Tainted love," indeed.

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