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American Horror Theory

Published

10 years ago

October 23, 2014

There are several running theories, as to what the inspiration behind American Horror Story is. I’m here today, to toss in my American Horror Theory.

First, I’ll be dissecting the title. ‘American Horror Story’. Okay, so far all the seasons have taken place in America. All four seasons are based in the horror genre, and they each tell a story. Simple stuff, right? Maybe not. What if I told you, the title comes from great American Horror?

What do you mean? Lets take a look at season one. The tale of the murder house. If you thought the season seemed a little familiar, don’t worry, you haven’t gone mad. In 1991 Wes Cravens ‘The People Under the Stairs’ made its debut.

Haven’t seen The People Under the Stairs? That’s okay. I’ve come prepared with a brief description. A set of filthy rich, psycho siblings kidnap children. When these children don’t behave accordingly, they are beaten, tortured, or far worse. When the child becomes too gruesome to stand the sight of, they are locked in the basement, void of light, society, and hygienic conditions.

So far, it sounds like the correlation would be a stretch, only imagined by the fevered mind of someone with no life. That statement is half right. In the first season of American Horror Story, there are no ghoulish, zombie like children hiding within the walls. But there are plenty of ghosts. Some, being children.

Okay, so ghosts, zombies, were starting to make a little head way. Still, it goes deeper. In ‘The People Under the Stairs’ Everett McGill plays Man. One of the psychotic siblings. And whats his favorite pass time? Dressing up in a bondage suit, and roaming the house. Starting to sound familiar? Evan Peters (Tate) does the same thing, as “The Rubber Man”.

With the bondage based baddies out of the way, we can shift focus to the sweet innocence of Violet (Taissa Farmiga) and Alice (A.J. Langer). Both intelligent young women with a feisty side. Violet falls for Tate, and eventually overdoses within the walls of the Murder House. Alice, doesn’t exactly fall for Roach (Sean Whalen) but the two become friends. Roach, a mutilated survivor of the psycho sibs, has no tongue, but still has plenty to say. As he leads Alice through the walls of the house, and eventually to her freedom. How do these two examples of young love have anything in common? Well, some may consider death a form of freedom. At least Violet did. But , at last, that’s were the similarities end.

To be safe, lets recap, both American Horror Story and The People Under the Stairs revolve around people being trapped within a house. On one side they are ghosts, on the other they’re zombified, feral children. Next up are our favorite bondage based baddies, Man, and Tate. And too finish, we have our heroines who who are entranced by strange, yet strangely charming young men.

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Netflix Releases First BTS ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Footage

Published

21 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

It’s been three long years since Netflix unleashed the bloody, but enjoyable Fear Street on its platform. Released in a tryptic fashion, the streamer broke up the story into three episodes, each taking place in a different decade which by the finale were all tied together.

Now, the streamer is in production for its sequel Fear Street: Prom Queen which brings the story into the 80s. Netflix gives a synopsis of what to expect from Prom Queen on their blog site Tudum:

“Welcome back to Shadyside. In this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. But when a gutsy outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of ’88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.”

Based on R.L. Stine’s massive series of Fear Street novels and spin-offs, this chapter is number 15 in the series and was published in 1992.

FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN IS NOW IN PRODUCTION 🩸 Welcome to Shadyside High. We're gonna have a killer time. pic.twitter.com/jDl0zRa2CH
— Netflix (@netflix) April 30, 2024

Fear Street: Prom Queen features a killer ensemble cast, including India Fowler (The Nevers, Insomnia), Suzanna Son (Red Rocket, The Idol), Fina Strazza (Paper Girls, Above the Shadows), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Cinnamon), Ella Rubin (The Idea of You), Chris Klein (Sweet Magnolias, American Pie), Lili Taylor (Outer Range, Manhunt) and Katherine Waterston (The End We Start From, Perry Mason).

No word on when Netflix will drop the series into its catalog.

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Live Action Scooby-Doo Reboot Series In Works at Netflix

Published

22 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The ghosthunting Great Dane with an anxiety problem, Scooby-Doo, is getting a reboot and Netflix is picking up the tab. Variety is reporting that the iconic show is becoming an hour-long series for the streamer although no details have been confirmed. In fact, Netflix execs declined to comment.

If the project is a go, this would be the first live-action movie based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon since 2018’s Daphne & Velma. Before that, there were two theatrical live-action movies, Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), then two sequels that premiered on The Cartoon Network.

Currently, the adult-oriented Velma is streaming on Max.

Scooby-Doo originated in 1969 under the creative team Hanna-Barbera. The cartoon follows a group of teenagers who investigate supernatural happenings. Known as Mystery Inc., the crew consists of Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and his best friend, a talking dog named Scooby-Doo.

Normally the episodes revealed the hauntings they encountered were hoaxes developed by land-owners or other nefarious characters hoping to scare people away from their properties. The original TV series named Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! ran from 1969 to 1986. It was so successful that movie stars and pop culture icons would make guest appearances as themselves in the series.

Celebrities such as Sonny & Cher, KISS, Don Knotts, and The Harlem Globetrotters made cameos as did Vincent Price who portrayed Vincent Van Ghoul in a few episodes.

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BET Releasing New Original Thriller: The Deadly Getaway

Published

22 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Cameron McFarland

BET will soon be offering horror fans a rare treat. The studio has announced the official release date for their new original thriller, The Deadly Getaway. Directed by Charles Long (The Trophy Wife), this thriller sets up a heart racing game of cat and mouse for audiences to sink their teeth into.

Wanting to break up the monotony of their routine, Hope and Jacob set off to spend their vacation at a simple cabin in the woods. However, things go sideways when Hope’s ex-boyfriend shows up with a new girl at the same campsite. Things soon spiral out of control. Hope and Jacob must now work together to escape the woods with their lives.

The Deadly Getaway is written by Eric Dickens (Makeup X Breakup) and Chad Quinn (Reflections of US). The Film stars, Yandy Smith-Harris (Two Days in Harlem), Jason Weaver (The Jacksons: An American Dream), and Jeff Logan (My Valentine Wedding).

Showrunner Tressa Azarel Smallwood had the following to say about the project. “The Deadly Getaway is the perfect reintroduction to classic thrillers, which encompass dramatic twists, and spine-chilling moments. It showcases the range and diversity of emerging Black writers across genres of film and television.”

The Deadly Getaway will premiere on 5.9.2024, exclusively ion BET+.