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Oct29

American Horror Story: Hotel “Devil’s Night – Part 1”

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American Horror Story: Hotel “Devil’s Night – Part 1”

Hellooooo everyone! Usually I like to keep my synopsis posts on American Horror Story: Hotel purely factual and let the opinions flow freely on Friday BUT “Devil’s Night – Part 1” was EXQUISITE! Let’s discuss the exciting twists and turns that tonight’s episode brought us and please check in with me on Friday for What I Really Really Thought on the episode:

Nod to the Chicken Coop Murders in the 1920’s: Tonight’s episode began with blood dripping through the ceiling and onto the walls of Detective John Lowe’s room. He goes to Miss Ever’s room which is directly above his to find her having a cleaning frenzy next to a blood filled bath tub. We are then taken to a flashback to Halloween with her son, Albert, in the 1920’s. They arrive at his school and see students and parents dressed in costumes to the nines and all Albert has is a sheet with eye holes cut in it so he can be a ghost. After Miss Evers swoons to a fellow mother over her elaborate costume she turns her attention back to her son only to find that he isn’t there. We then see Albert being driven off in a stranger’s car. We learn that Albert was taken to the killer’s ranch and the only remains found of him was his Halloween costume. “I wasn’t paying attention” Miss Ever’s cries and for a fleeting moment Lowe finds someone who understands his pain over Holden.

Welcome home Holden: Alex brings sweet Holden home and tries to give him a quick medical exam. As soon as they walk in the door though, Sparky, the family dog barks at the unfamiliar boy so Alex puts him in the bathroom. As Alex begins the exam she opens a curtain and Holden complains that it’s too bright. She then takes the boys temperature to see that he’s at a chilly 75.5 degrees. The little one tells his mom that he’s thirsty so she hurries to the kitchen to get him some juice but we all know that Holden wanted dat human blood so he settled on the next best thing, Sparky. 😦

Alex finds her son with a blood soaked mouth cowering over the dead dog and he tells her that he wants his mommy. “Baby, I am your mommy” she says. Holden replies with “my other mommy” so they go to the Cortez where Holden goes to take a nap in his coffin and Alex encounters the Countess. The ladies sit down for a chat and we learn why the Countess chose Holden as her son. She tells Alex that she saved him, like she saves all of her children from the neglect of a parent. The Countess claims that she keeps the kids safe, “the world can be such a dangerous place” she says.

After listening to the Countess babble about all of the good that kidnapping does, Alex pulls a gun on her. SNAP. She demands that the Countess changes her son back but is told that there is no way to reverse vampirism. The Countess then offers to turn her so she can be with Holden forever for the price of her undying loyalty. Alex is not feeling this option at the moment and threatens the Countess with getting the police involved and turns to leave but gets a swift punch in the face from Tristan. The Countess tells him to let her go which leaves Alex with a difficult decision on her hands.

The Devil’s Night Soiree: The Devil’s Night Soiree at the Cortez is the most happening event of the season. It is an exclusive dinner party hosted by the one and only James Patrick March. All of the big names in serial killing are invited – Aileen Wuornos (Lily Rabe), Richard Ramirez, John Gacy, Zodiac, Jeffrey Dahmer…and John Lowe? Yeah that’s right, let’s discuss:

Devil’s Night begins with John at the bar, who finally cracks and orders himself a double martini. “That’s my boy”, Cleo muses. As he sips his drink a female with a mean mullet and awful teeth approaches the bar. This trailer park queen is Aileen Wuornos. She engages in conversation with John who is convinced that she’s in a costume or just a really good actor. John agrees to go to a room with her despite her…unconventional looks but once they’re in his room Aileen cuffs his hands and ties him to a chair. John is able to escape being tied up in the nonsexy way fairly easily and strikes Aileen, drags her to the bathroom, and cuffs her to the sink pipes. He then goes to her belongings and examines her ID which checks in with her story of being one of the world’s greatest female serial killers.

John runs down to the front desk and looks at the sign in sheet where he sees the names of serial killers galore. Cleo informs him of the night’s festivities and is pleasantly surprised to find that John is on the “tres exclusive” guest list. John goes back to his room to find it Wuornos-free but on his bed he finds a garment bag containing a sharp tux and the note “dress to kill tonight”. He puts on his new duds and goes to Room 64 to join the partay. #serialkilleroverhere #whoopwhoop #serialkilleroverthere #whoopwhoop

The party is exactly what you think it would be…a bunch of the world’s greatest serial killers just hanging out, having a drink, and getting a little rowdy. Everyone seems to be having a ball, Aileen hollers “suck my left tit Clark Gable” to March, Zodiac has a bag over his head, and Jeffrey Dahmer is being a weirdo…the usual. Once everyone is gathered around the table, the party goers take a shot of Absinthe and the dinner commences. #turnup

James March apparently has been a father figure to all of the deceased serial killers sitting before him. He is the patriarch of the party and is lovingly referred to by his guests as “the master”. He goes on to flatter them by calling them the “Mount Rushmore of murder” and says that when he looks around the table he sees “the definition of American success”. What a sweetie! After their meal, the fun begins with music, dancing, serial killer tricks like John Gacy cuffing Lowe to a chair, and a nice handsome boy for Dahmer provided by March.

In the mean time, Sally is outside having a cigarette and picking up a businessman standing outside of the hotel. She shoots him up with a healthy dose of heroin and she brings him to the partay. “This will buy me another year of being left alone, right?” she asks March. “As always”, he replies. Once the new guest is welcomed to the party by the hostess with the mostess, James, he invites his guests to join him for dessert. A tray of knives is brought out by Miss Evers and Sally’s score ends up being the sacrificial lamb to the serial killer crew. What a wild night, am I right?

So all of these serial killers are dead, yes? So who exactly is John in the room with during the soiree? No one. When Sally enters the room to bring in the sacrifice she informs the severely intoxicated John that she found him screaming, he was all alone, and he was hallucinating because of the Absinthe. What a wild night, am I right?

^^^ DA DA DA DA DA DA DA MEET ME AT THE CORTEZ!!!

Alex gets turned: The episode ends with Alex getting turned by the Countess because she can’t stand to lose Holden again…No surprise there.

So there you have it, tonight’s new episode of American Horror Story: Hotel “Devil’s Night – Part 1”. How did everyone feel about tonight’s episode? What did you think of the serial killer soiree? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Make sure you check back in with me on Friday for What I Really Really Thought about tonight’s episode!! Only good things, I promise!

Oct23

I’ll Tell You What I Thought, What I Really Really Thought (AHS Episode 3)

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I’ll Tell You What I Thought, What I Really Really Thought (AHS Episode 3)

Heyyy everyone and TGIF! The newest episode of American Horror Story: Hotel entitled “Mommy” premiered on Wednesday and now it’s time for my personal opinions on it. There were some things that I loved, some things that I wanted more of, and some things that I didn’t particularly care for, so let’s discuss:

Introduction of Ramona Royal – LOVED: I adore the fabulous Miss Angela Bassett. I think that she’s completely and totally fantastic so I was so pleased that they gave her character an introduction fit for the queen that she is. From the scenes of her campy B-list movies to her kidnapping of Donovan, I thought that it was flawless. I hope that she gives the Countess a run for her money (or lack thereof) because I still can’t get in to Lady Gaga. My fingers are crossed that Bassett gets significant screen time this season to fill the humongous void that was left by my beloved Jessica Lange.

boohoo

^^^ Yes, I used this meme during last week’s opinion post but it just seemed to fit so well after my J-Lange swan song!

Ten Commandments Killer – Want more of: Detective John Lowe is hunting after a serial killer who murders people who break one or many of the Ten Commandments and I am such a fan of this idea. I think that it’s edgy, I think that it’s cool, and I think that I desperately want this story line to develop more. It seems like in every episode we only get a brief look into a crime scene that the TCK left behind and then that plot twist completely disappears. I think that Ryan Murphy and his sublime team were extremely creative with coming up with ways that people could get killed based off of the Ten Commandments. In episode three, for example, Detective Lowe enters an office building for a gossip magazine and all of the employees have their tongues nailed to whatever surface they are nearest to for “thou shalt not bear false witness”. That’s brilliant, now give me more of it!

The Countess’s sexcapades – Hate: I’M SO OVER IT! And I swear it’s not just me who’s dogging on Lady Gaga because of my personal distaste for her being on the show…Literally 99% of the people who I interact with on social media agree that they’re getting sick of every scene that the Countess is involved in being a sex scene. It’s tacky, it’s cheap, and it’s so overdone that I just can’t deal. I have seen literally no real acting from Gaga since her debut on the show which is why I don’t care for her as the leading lady. Anyone could do what she’s doing right now and I genuinely believe that. As soon as I see some range in the scenes that she’s involved in I’ll definitely have more love for her, but until then, I’m over the hump fest.

“No pity party in my bar!” -Cleopatra (And can I just say that Denis O’Hare does not get enough credit on AHS. He’s SO underrated despite his brilliance as an actor. I think he’s doing a terrific job and I wish Cleo was getting more screen time because I’m kind of obsessed.)

Over all, I thought that “Mommy” was good. Once again, it wasn’t “OMG” worthy, but it was good. Every episode since the premiere has been improving slowly but surely so I’m going to give episode three: three stars.

^^^ DA DA DA DA DA DA DA, MEET ME AT THE CORTEZ!!!!

You can catch me at the same time same place next week for a synopsis and opinions post on the new episode of American Horror Story: Hotel. Until then, what did everyone think of “Mommy”? What did you love? What could be improved on? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct22

American Horror Story: Hotel “Mommy”

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American Horror Story: Hotel “Mommy”

Heyyy there everyone and welcome to the synopsis of the third episode of American Horror Story: Hotel, simply entitled, “Mommy”. We were introduced to a new character and witnessed a few deaths at the Cortez tonight so let’s discuss from the very beginning:

High fives for killing: “Mommy” begins with Tristan seeking out James March in the room he stumbled into during last week’s episode. He offers March his gratitude and a raised hand in the air, “you’re right man, killing is awesome”! March is quite pleased with this and tells Tristan that his “murder palace” hasn’t been put to good use in years. While this discussion among new friends is taking place, Will Drake enters the room with Claudia, discussing plans on tearing up the floor containing March’s meeting room. Lucky for Mr. March, Tristan is on the case with his mind on murder and murder on his mind. #REDRUM

Family drama at Chateau De Lowe: In this week’s episode we learn more about John’s lovely wife, Alex. There is a touching sequence in which she explains her career, saying how she wanted to save other people’s children but never bear her own. However, these feelings of indifference changed once little Holden came along. “I finally fell in love for real after having Holden” she swoons. Life was looking good for Mr. and Mrs. Lowe until their son got kidnapped (#obviously). We then view a scene of Alex’s suicide attempt where she lays in a bathtub overflowing with bloody water and her wrists slit wide open.

We then witness a family therapy session at the Lowe residence where Alex explains her anger towards Scarlett and her story of seeing Holden. With tension at an all time high, Alex visits her husband at the Cortez with divorce papers in hand. When Alex attempts to leave John has a mini-breakdown and expresses his fear that he’s going crazy. Alex accompanies him to his room where she puts him to bed, they have a little hanky-panky, John suggests they have another baby, and Alex leaves promptly. Once Alex is in the hallway she has visions of a woman recently killed and in all of her confused running around, stumbles upon Holden. She approaches the little boy who is staring at the ground, lifts his chin up, and hears her son speak for the first time in over a year – “Hi, mommy”.

RIP, we just killed the Claudia: Naomi Campbell’s AHS debut was short lived because she got the axe on this episode. Remember the junkie who Sally sewed into a mattress during the season premiere? Yeah, me either. ANYWAYS, the said junkie emerged from the mattress that Miss Claudia laid her perfect body on, did a little stabbing, and that – as they say, is that. The young man runs from the scene of the crime and into John’s arms begging for help. He is rushed to the hospital and the doctors agree that his frenzied and frazzled state is compliments of withdrawals. We also learn in his dying breaths that the mattress man thought Claudia was Sally whom he had the intention of killing. “She said I would be free”…#LIAR

The Countess AKA GOLD DIGGER: Once Tristan takes it upon himself to murder Will Drake to prevent the renovation of the hotel, he decides to break into his room to seduce him and then kill him mid-bang. This would be murder was prevented by the Countess, however, who shook her head “no” as soon as Tristan pulled out his knife. Later on, we find the Countess attempting to convert Mr. Drake to Gagaism, which Tristan interrupts – much to his displeasure. The Countess then takes Tristan to have a little chat in which she reveals to him that she’s not as rich as he thinks. According to the vampiress, all of her money was lost thanks to Bernie Madoff (#asshole). “Will Drake can’t die until after I marry him and take every goddamn penny”…Well, goddamn.

Bitter Donovan is BITTER: Poor ol’ Donovan is down on his luck this episode. He just got dumped, he hates his mother, hates himself, and is bitter at the world. In tonight’s episode you’ll find that Donovan has a lot of built up anger against his mother dearest, Iris. He exits the premises of the Cortez and into the streets to drink the blood of junkies and brood in solitude…And then, thanks to the poor choice of trying to kill the “Slaughter Sister” herself, he winds up in the trunk of the car of a new character.

Ramona Royal (Angela Bassett): In tonight’s episode we’re introduced to Ramona Royal, played by the fabulous Angela Bassett. Miss Royal was the queen bee of B-list movies who wanted nothing more than to be considered a “serious” actress. Over dinner with a fancy producer, the Countess approaches their table and makes the producer leave just by looking at him. We then see some good ol’ Ebony and Ivory action because apparently Lady Gaga only signed up for sex scenes this season. The ladies fell in love with each other and Royal got turned soon after, which she describes as “glorious”. The years go by and everything is going just dandy for a while until a new love interest enters the scene. “There was nothing I couldn’t be…except hers forever”.

Ramona Royal found love in a hopeless place with a not as good as Tupac rapper of the 90’s. Royal decides that she wants to be with him for forever and proceeds to turn him in a recording studio. After the deed is done the new couple enters the main room of the studio to find all of the workers dead with a tear streaked Countess in the producers chair. The Countess shoots Royal’s new man in the head and a grudge between the two vampires begins.

So what does Royal want with Donovan?: So glad you asked! Now that Royal has Donovan in her clutches she tells the Countess’s former lover about her desire for revenge. This sort of revenge requires someone with inside access to the Cortez, however, because Royal wants the Countess’s kidnapped vampire children. #SNAP

So what does Donovan do?: Nothing, really. Donovan is told to leave once Royal finds out that he got his bitch ass dumped. So back he goes to the Cortez with his tail between his legs and a mother who is now suicidal thanks to his harsh words. Iris enlists the help of Sally to off herself once she decides that she can take no more of life as “being the joke”. Sally doles her out a hefty OD of heroin which to her surprise doesn’t kill her. So, Sally goes to Plan B…suffocating Iris with a plastic bag held in place over her head with a belt. Lucky for Donovan, after a pep talk with Cleo at the bar, he finds Iris just in the knick of time…Dead, but not dead enough to not be turned. He cuts his wrist, holds his blood to his mothers mouth, and brings her back to life as a vampire. #CountessChocula

So there you have it, the Cliff Notes version of the newest episode of American Horror Story: Hotel “Mommy”. What did everyone think of tonight’s episode? Who is your favorite character in the hotel thus far? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct16

I’ll Tell You What I Thought, What I Really Really Thought (AHS Episode 2)

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I’ll Tell You What I Thought, What I Really Really Thought (AHS Episode 2)

Helloooo everyone and TGIF! With the newest episode of American Horror Story: Hotel “Chutes and Ladders” airing on Wednesday, we have a lot to talk about! Thursday was a day of reviewing and Friday is a day for the opinions on the episode compliments of yours truly. Episode two was a definite step up from the season premiere but it was just not quite there yet for me. Despite some things that I despised, “Chutes and Ladders” was a vast improvement so let’s discuss, starting with what I loved:

Holden, Holden, Holden: Oh. My. God. That little boy is seriously the most darling thing on the planet. Hearing him actually talk in this episode with his adorable tiny voice made my heart melt. He’s too cute for words and I swoon so hard every time he’s on screen!

babies

The Cortez backstory: I was so happy that this episode gave us the history of the hotel and introduced us to Evan Peters’ character, James Patrick March. Knowing all of the horrors that went on as the hotel was built made the atmosphere of the Cortez genuinely spooky as opposed to when it was just kind of there in episode one and the first half of episode two. It was also nice to learn more intel on the faithful maid, Miss Evers, as well as finally unveiling the significance of Room 64 as March’s office.

The character development of John Lowe: I really really like Wes Bentley. I think he’s fantastic and I’m very pleased with how he’s playing John. What I’m getting the most from his character is this sense of unraveling and I’m looking forward to seeing just how far he’ll take it throughout the season. Learning more of John’s backstory as a recovering alcoholic was something that I wasn’t shocked by because it just seemed to fit perfectly and the theme of Hotel is addiction. What I’m really hoping for as we go further into the story line of the Ten Commandments Killer is a good cat and mouse detective chase because I know Bentley will really bring it!

Now that you know what I loved, let’s talk about some of the things that rubbed me the wrong way:

Even Peters’ accent: Jesus Christ, it was SO bad. During Freak Show I remember complaining about Jessica Lange’s German accent because I thought it was awful. This led me to recall writing that I would prefer for an actor to use their natural voice if they can’t do a good accent and I hold true to this statement. I thought that Peters was trying so hard to sound like this roaring 20’s tycoon and it was evident, therefore, unbelievable. It sounded like I was hearing a mockery of a 1920’s big wig as opposed to the real thing.

The overall sense of trying too hard: A lot of my fellow fans that I interact with on social media brought this up, which I was thrilled about because it was something that I was thinking the entire episode. Throughout “Chutes and Ladders” I couldn’t help but think multiple times that I could tell how hard the actors were trying to act. This honestly goes for a majority of the cast but specifically for Sarah Paulson and Finn Wittrock, which I was really disappointed by. I felt like I was watching a cast of extreme caricatures during episode two and a lot of the acting looked very forced and unnatural to me.

Missing Jessica Lange: Yeah, I said it, I miss Jessica Lange like no other. It’s funny because when I learned that Lange wasn’t going to be the leading lady of Hotel, I thought it might be a nice change to have someone younger to give a fresh spin on the show. But now, as I watch Lady Gaga as The Countess all I can think about is how perfectly Lange would have played that part. I’m not a fan of Gaga. I spent the entirety of episodes one and two wanting and trying to like her but I just couldn’t do it. I feel like all her character is offering is a heaping dose of sexuality that’s getting really old really freaking quick. Once I see some genuine acting from her, this opinion might change but for the time being give me Lange or give me death!!!

boohoo

^^^ LOVE HER!

All in all, I quite enjoyed this episode. Anything was an improvement from the season premiere and “Chutes and Ladders” was just what I needed to restore my faith in the show. I rate episode two with: three stars.

So I Told You What I Thought, What I Really Really Thought about episode two of American Horror Story: Hotel “Chutes and Ladders” and now it’s your turn. How did everyone feel about the newest episode? Who is your favorite character in the Hotel so far? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct15

American Horror Story: Hotel “Chutes and Ladders”

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American Horror Story: Hotel “Chutes and Ladders”

Hey there everyone and welcome to the synopsis of the second episode of American Horror Story: Hotel “Chutes and Ladders”. Sorry this post didn’t come to you earlier but with the episode being an hour and forty minutes long, I was so ready for bed by the time it was done! We were introduced to quite a few new characters and learned some new intel on some of the residents of the Cortez whom we met during the season premiere, so let’s discuss:

Claudia Bankson (Naomi Campbell): Thanks to a fashion show party that Will Drake put on at the Cortez, we got to meet Claudia Bankson – a big wig magazine editor who has an eye on John Lowe…don’t we all? That’s about all we know so far on Miss Bankson so we’ll have to stay tuned for more on this fashionista.

Tristan (Finn Wittrock): The Will Drake fashion show introduced us to my dearly beloved Finn Wittrock, who plays Tristan, the edgy male model with a passion for coke and the seductive Countess. During the fashion show, a doped up Tristan acts out on the runway which results in a tussle with an audience member. As he struts his stuff, he locks eyes on The Countess and he impregnates her with his gaze…Just kidding, but they definitely had eye sex. ANYWAYS, a furious Will Drake enters the backstage area to scold Tristan, but he just ends up taking a knife and cutting his own cheek and says that he’s done modeling. Afterwards, he goes on a little jaunt through the Cortez and breaks into The Countess’s room in search of coke and some hanky panky.

Tristan gets caught shortly after he enters the room by The Countess’s lover, Donovan. Tristan gets a good old fashion ass whooping and is about to be strangled when The Countess walks in and prevents Donovan from doing so. Terrified, Tristan runs out of the room and into the elevator where he gets stuck on the seventh floor. He pulls apart the elevator doors and runs down the hall and straight into a room with the creator of the Cortez, James Patrick March (Evan Peters).

James Patrick March (Evan Peters): We meet Mr. March thanks to Tristan stumbling upon him after his encounter with Donovan. Our first scene with March is a friendly one, in which he encourages Tristan to shoot a prostitute dead. The hooker is provided by the maid, Miss Evers (Mare Winningham). When Tristan refuses, March shoots the girl himself, and Tristan evacuates the room. The following information that we learned about James March is from a chat at the bar that John Lowe has with Iris:

According to Iris, James Patrick March “put every atom of evil in his being into building this hotel” in 1925. The Cortez is “a perfectly designed torture chamber” thanks to the secret hallways, chutes leading to a basement to hold dead bodies, and a willing maid to clean up all of the messes (with her “secret ingredient – love”). We see a montage of the Cortez being built and lots of murders committed by James March, some of them in the company of his wife whose face is not shown but I’m assuming is The Countess. ANYWHO, we continue to see the suave serial killer do his thang and sometimes do his victims until we learn of his demise. A sloppy mistake of leaving a napkin from the hotel with the initials JPM at a crime scene points directly to March as the murderer. Miss Evers enters March’s room to tell him the police are at the hotel and then March kills Miss Evers with a gun at her request and then slits his own throat. Some people think that March’s wife turned on him, despite his incriminating sloppiness, to inherit his vast fortune. CRAZY STUFF!

Miss Evers (Mare Winningham): Our story of the Cortez taught us a lot about the dedicated maid, Miss Evers, but it also confirmed the suspicion that her, as well as James March, are dead.

ahsh

So what else did we learn this episode?

Scarlett finds out that Holden is still alive: During the fashion show, Will Drakes son, Glocklin, takes Scarlett on an adventure through the Cortez. He takes her to a secret room that contains the coffins of the sleeping vampire children, one of which contains the cute as can be Holden. Scarlett returns to the hotel after sneaking away from the cop assigned to keep an eye on her and finds the playroom of the vampire kids.

Holden is the only little one in the room and he adorably says “Scah-lett” when his sister asks if he knows who she is. She shows Holden family pictures and her little brother recognizes that Scarlett looks different to which she replies, “I grew up, why didn’t you?” Scarlett says “let’s go home” and her brother refuses, “I am home. I like it here. You can come and visit whenever you want”. Big sis Scarlett attempts to take a picture with her little brother and he tries to bite her. Scar gets scared and runs out of the room and straight into the arms of Sally with a mouth full of blood and her teeth falling out. When Scarlett makes her way back home, her house is swarming with police because she has been gone for five hours. She tells her parents she saw Holden, which deeply upsets them, she then shows her dad the picture she took that has her smiling face and Holden who shows up as a blonde blur.

Tristan gets turned: Once Tristan exits the room with James March, he ends up in an elevator with The Countess. She turns Tristan and then they have a wild night of banging and heart to hearts. We find out that The Countess was born in 1904 and that she was a big fan of the late 70’s, “I was the disco queen. I still am” she says. Her romp with Tristan is interrupted when Donovan enters the room. She asks Tristan to give them some privacy and then she kicks Donovan out and urges him to pack up his stuff. SHE’S SO COLD!!! The end of “Chutes and Ladders” is compliments of The Countess and Tristan as she flicks her bean to her new beau drinking the blood of his first kill. With a blood soaked face he kisses the vampiress and says, “I need more”.

John Lowe fun facts: We find out that Lowe is a recovering alcoholic AND he’s staying in the room that served as James March’s office…Room 64. DUN DUN DUNNNNN. Lowe also begins to investigate the serial killings of James March and discovers that a lot of them were in fashion of the Ten Commandments. He hated “religion and regulations” Iris stated. He then looks further into the murders happening currently that are similar in fashion and realizes that the person he’s hunting after could be a copycat killer.

“Skinny jeans are out, ponchos are in, fringe is forever.” -Cleopatra

So there you have it, this week’s episode review of American Horror Story: Hotel “Chutes and Ladders”. What did everyone think of the newest episode? How do you feel about the new characters that were introduced? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct9

I’ll Tell You What I Thought, What I Really Really Thought (AHS Episode 1)

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I’ll Tell You What I Thought, What I Really Really Thought (AHS Episode 1)

Hi hi hi everyone and happy Friday! So as you guys know by now, I’m an avid American Horror Story fan but unfortunately, I was very underwhelmed with the season premiere of Hotel which occurred this past Wednesday. There were a few things that really rubbed me the wrong way so let’s discuss:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHluAYPd9sE

It was SO jumpy: The season premiere, “Checking In” jumped around so much to the point that it was dare I say, unenjoyable. We were moving from different years, characters, and locations quicker than you could even get used to the people being introduced. I think what I loved so much about season one, Murder House, was how well it flowed. Each episode and story line developed so nicely into one another and I wish that AHS would fall into a more simple but effective story line. I’m not saying tone it down by any means – I’m saying that they shouldn’t bite off more than they can chew for each episode. Am I still thrilled for the future episodes of this season? Hell yes, but the premiere just missed the mark for me. It was hard to establish the tone of each character and at least some semblance of a cohesive plot…Whomp whomp.

The blood orgy: Yeah, yeah maybe I’m a prude BUT the graphicness of the sex filled blood bath between The Countess, Donovan, and their victims just seemed so unnecessary. And here’s the thing, AHS has gone graphic before but it wasn’t something that they just threw a character into willy nilly. I get that they wanted an edgy “here I am” scene to debut Lady Gaga’s arrival as the Hotel leading lady but it could have been done differently. I feel like the “here’s my butt and boobs, let’s have a romp” scene cheapened Gaga’s character and she didn’t even have any lines. Just my opinion!

Scarlett Lowe entering a crime scene house: Seriously, AHS? SERIOUSLY?!!! A child following after his or her daddy detective into a crime scene is SO overdone that I was kind of shocked that they went for it. I actually feel like a lot of the images and narratives of the episode were things that I’ve seen before. Like the Ten Commandments Killer who John Lowe was probably speaking to on the phone after he read to his daughter…Hello! That’s fresh out of Zodiac. And yes, I have to bring up The Shining even though I’m sure everyone has already. As the saying goes, “steal from the best and make it your own” and AHS really did nothing to make The Shining-esque scenes that they copy-catted unique. When I think of American Horror Story, I think of a show that creatively pushes the envelope and there didn’t really seem to be any “wow that was crazy” moments in the premiere…Just a lot of moments that were worthy of an eye roll.

Was the episode “Checking In” completely awful? No, it was still quite good. Was it totally awesome? No, not even close. So all in all, I would give the season premiere two and a half stars. I think that everyone got a little too over zealous with episode one. I’m really hoping that in the future episodes the plot will be more cohesive and the extreme Shining vibe will disappear.

I Told You What I Thought, What I Really Really Thought and now it’s your turn! How did everyone feel about the season premiere of American Horror Story: Hotel? Did anyone have opinions similar to the ones I mentioned? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct8

American Horror Story: Hotel “Checking In”

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American Horror Story: Hotel “Checking In”

Alright guys, as promised here’s my review and synopsis of the season premiere of American Horror Story: Hotel with the episode, “Checking In”. I think the best way to go about discussing the premiere is simply by introducing the characters who we had the pleasure of meeting tonight and outlining their role so far in the hotel. There were a lot of things that I liked and of course things that I didn’t care for, so let’s get to it:

Agie & Vandela: “Checking In” starts with the arrival of two twenty-something German girls who are in California to vacation at Universal Studios. However, as soon as they walk into the Cortez they instantly get the creeps and are put off by the fact that it’s farther away than expected to all of their vacation destinations. They ask Iris (Kathy Bates) if they could have a refund on their deposit to which she responds with a firm “no”. The girls are forced to stay in the hotel for the night but unfortunately they won’t even make it until then. In their hotel room Vandela and Agie discover a rotten smell which one of them describes as being like a “dead animal”. The girls realize that the smell is coming from the mattress and once they pull back the blankets they find crude stitching going all the way down the middle. They rip it open with scissors and out pops a badly blistered man with white eyes and horse teeth who is contorting and writhing in a most disturbing manner. A complaint to Iris gets the girls a new room and some questionable cleansing methods…

Iris (Kathy Bates): Fan favorite, Kathy Bates, returns this season as Iris, the hotel manager. With a short and brisk attitude we learn that Iris is a pro at covering up all of the dirty secrets of the Cortez. She also has an eye on the handsome John Lowe (Wes Bentley) which comes from the beautiful line she mutters upon meeting him, “woof”. Iris is the mother to the lover of The Countess (Lady Gaga). Her son’s name is Donovan (Matt Bomer) and thanks to a flashback we find out that he was a heroin addict who enjoyed shooting up with Sally (Sarah Paulson). After some stealthy detective work from Iris, she tracks down her doped up son and supplier in a room of the Cortez. Her son appears to be dead or near death and Sally begins to exit the premises only to be followed by Iris and pushed out of a window, falling to her demise. Iris then returns to the room where her son lies to find The Countess lounging beside him on the bed, preparing to turn him and his staggering good looks.

We learn in the premiere that not only is Iris a murderer but she’s also in charge of keeping the blood of the victims who fall to The Countess nice and clean. After Agie and Vandela get a new room from Iris (Room 64) things go all bad. One of the girls is found by the other lying on the bathroom floor with a sweet blonde child cowering over her with a blood soaked mouth. They end up in a chamber trapped in individual metal cages where Iris condemns them for the prescription pills she found in their luggage. She then tries to force the girls to drink a smoothie concocted from oysters, chicken liver, kidneys, and white wine to clean their blood for the consumption of The Countess. What a lady!

Sally (Sarah Paulson): One of my AHS all star favorites has to be Miss Paulson so I was very pleased to hear that she was coming back as a primary player in the Cortez, Sally. Because we know that Iris pushed her out of a window but she’s still somehow alive, I’m assuming that she’s a vampire as well. Sally is a heroin addict who has a soft spot for the captured girls, Vandela and Agie. She releases Vandela and unfortunately she falls right into the clutches of The Countess. In an extremely off putting scene where a doped up young man gets anally raped by a man yielding a spiraled pointed dildo who had latex-like skin, Sally appears. “The more you scream the more he likes it” she warns the stranger. I get the feeling that she has never had anyone in her life that truly loved her considering she begged the victim to “say ‘I love you Sally’ and it will all go away”.

The Countess (Lady Gaga) & Donovan (Matt Bomer): In “Checking In” we are introduced to Donovan and The Countess after a close up on a sign that says “Why aren’t we having sex right now?” The couple is preparing for a night on the town by applying makeup, snorting cocaine, and dressing to the nines. They go to a movie playing at a park where they attract the attention of a young couple. The first major scene to show off Lady Gaga’s acting chops ends up being a full on orgy turned blood bath after her and Donovan slit their throats with their rings with sharp talons attached. The scene closes with the couple lying in the blood of their victims and Donovan says “it’s not the getting ready, it’s the cleaning up” to which The Countess replies, “call housekeeping”. SASSY! I, for one, did not care for that scene at all but that’s just me. We learn that The Countess also has a brood of beautiful blonde haired children whom she’s kidnapped and turned. One of her “children” will definitely be playing an important role in the show, which leads me to discussing his father, John Lowe.

John Lowe (Wes Bentley): John Lowe is a father, husband (to wife, Alex, played by Chloe Sevigny), and detective. He has a daughter named Scarlett and had a young son named Holden. We follow John onto some of the gruesome crime scenes he’s investigating, which I’m assuming are linked to the Ten Commandments Killer. He is a dedicated father though, as we can see when he reads Little Women with his daughter via FaceTime. As he reads to Scarlett he gets a phone call and tells his assistant to take a message. Once he calls the number back we hear a man’s voice on the phone saying that he will be at the Cortez hotel and will kill again. He makes his way over to the hotel and is directed to Room 64 in which he ends up falling asleep and has a vision of his son, Holden, who was kidnapped in 2010. We see a flashback to this moment when the family was at a carnival and John took his son to ride the carousel. He gets Holden safely onto a horse and takes a phone call but when he returns, his boy is no longer there.

A lot of curious incidents happened to John in tonight’s episode like when his sushi dinner with Scarlett was interrupted by a text from his wife’s phone giving an address and saying she needs help. He rushes to the house with Scarlett in the car and leaves her there, telling a cop to keep an eye on her. He ends up in the pitch black home with his daughter following him shortly after. John approaches a man dressed all in black with what appears to be a top hat on his head but then he hears Scarlett scream. He finds her in a room with men hanging from their bed posts with their intestines hanging out of their stomachs. Yum! Due to Alex’s fear that whomever has been contacting her husband will harm their daughter, they both agree that he should go away for a while and the episode ends with John checking into the Cortez in Room 64.

Liz Taylor (Denis O’Hare): Known for his weird as hell characters on AHS, Denis O’Hare returns as cross dresser, Liz Taylor. He pops up everywhere in the hotel – the hallways, behind the front desk, ect. I’m confident that he knows a lot of the hotel’s dark secrets so I’ll be looking forward to the further development of this character!

Will Drake (Cheyenne Jackson): Will Drake is a fashion designer from New York who arrives at the Cortez with his young son and the intention to buy the hotel. His son is befriended by The Countess who asks him if she can show him something he might enjoy. She leads him to a hallway with a trap door that opens into a futuristic room filled with wall length Tetris boards and candy dispensers all being used by her brood of bloodsucking children.

So there you have it, the lowdown on the characters introduced to us on the season premiere of American Horror Story: Hotel. The episode “Checking In” brought us a unique cast of dwellers in the Cortez and an interesting story line so I can’t wait to see what next week’s episode will be like! How did everyone feel about the season premiere? Who loved Lady Gaga’s AHS debut? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep22

American Horror Story: Hotel

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American Horror Story: Hotel

Helloooo everyone and happy Tuesday! So as all of you know, I’m an avid American Horror Story fan. I’ve loved it since the beginning at the Murder House to the previous season at the Freak Show. So how do I feel about the upcoming premiere of the new season subtitled “Hotel”? Shockingly, very ambivalent. Check out one of the trailers and allow me to explain:

Okay, yes, Lady Gaga is the new face of AHS and quite frankly, I couldn’t care less. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Gaga – but I just don’t know how I feel about her taking over one of my most beloved shows. In my humble opinion, Jessica Lange IS American Horror Story. Point blank. Period. It will be exciting to have someone dare I say, younger than the previous leading lady but Gaga is the wrong lady for me. She’s almost too famous for my liking when it comes to the show, if that makes sense? I like how some of the actors on AHS are pretty low key and now that anonymity (for lack of better words) is jeopardized by the arrival of a super star.

I’ve been saying to literally everyone in my social circle who’s an AHS fan that I would have much preferred an unknown actress to take over rather than a mega celebrity ever since it was announced that Gaga would be the main character on the show. And now with the season premiere of Hotel just weeks away, I still stand by that statement. And here’s the thing, I know for a fact that once I see the premiere of season five that I’ll be hooked and more than likely gaga over Gaga…But for now? I’m feeling pretty meh – I just can’t put my finger on it.

Despite my mixed feelings for Miss Meat Dress herself replacing Queen Lange, I must say, the story line for Hotel sounds great. I’ve been really pleased with all of the teaser articles and trailers that I’ve seen as well as the impeccable casting choices with some treasured AHS alumni like Sarah Paulson, Lily Rabe, and Evan Peters. I’m also very happy that my Freak Show faves, Finn Wittrock and Wes Bentley, will be returning for a stay at the Hotel. However, I am SO pissed that Emma Roberts is returning in this season. I seriously can’t stand her and I don’t think that she’s AHS material in the slightest…and that’s really all I have to say about her -__-

Although my feelings for the new queen bee of American Horror Story: Hotel is lukewarm, I’m still really looking forward to seeing what season five has to offer! How does everyone feel about Lady Gaga joining the cast? Who’s excited for the October 7th premiere? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: I’m so aware that my blah opinions on Lady Gaga joining the cast is not the popular one, so don’t judge me too hard! 😉

Jul15

Woman Crush Wednesday: Lady Gaga Edition

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Woman Crush Wednesday: Lady Gaga Edition

Hellooo everyone and happy Hump Day! Welcome to a new edition of Woman Crush Wednesday – Lady Gaga style! This super cool starlet stole my heart from the moment I heard “Just Dance” on the radio for the first time. Every creative endeavor she embarks on makes me fall deeper in love with her, so let’s discuss!

Dear Lady Gaga,

Oh you gorgeous gorgeous gal. Words can’t even begin to tell you how much I adore and admire you. From your amazing musical talent and fabulous fashion to your incredible humanitarian work, it’s safe to say that you’re one of my heroes. You have delivered hit after hit in the musical world for years but I think my favorite moment of yours had to have been when you performed your Sound Of Music medley at the Oscar’s. You were simply glorious and your show-woman-ship moved me to tears. Your music falls into a category that is uniquely its own and no matter what the occasion I know that there is always a song by you to perfectly describe how I’m feeling. Obviously I’m a fan of your music but I’m also an intense lover of your outlandish style. I can’t even, to say the least. I always look forward to seeing what you’re rocking on the red carpet or just out and about. What I adore about your personal style is that you’re always head to toe perfection even if you’re just running around doing errands. It honestly reminds me of me because I too enjoy doing myself up for even the smallest thing. Unfortunately, my wardrobe will never be anywhere near as fierce as yours – but hey, a girl can dream. Your work in the LGBT community is an inspiration to so many people, myself included, so thank you for all that you do. Your message of staying true to yourself no matter what resonates with me and millions of others and we are all better people for it. And please PLEASE don’t even get me started on how excited I am for your debut on American Horror Story! I. Can’t. Wait!!!!! You are fabulous, fierce, beautiful, gorgeous, talented, and absolutely amazing. I LOVE YOU!!!!

gaga1

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^^^ Oh my goodness, can I just be her? Please?

So there you have it, my very deserving #WCW, Lady Gaga! What is your favorite song by my woman crush? What is one of your favorite outfits that Lady Gaga has worn? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct1

Lil Red Recommends: Part 2!!

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Lil Red Recommends: Part 2!!

Alright, it’s time for the annual Lil Red Recommends segment, where I let everyone know what songs I’ve been obsessed with as of late. Here we go:

  • Bad Suns – Transpose. LOVE this song, we played it at PacSun and it was one of my favorites.
  • Basement Jaxx – Romeo (remix). So catchy and fun.
  • Bastille – Bad Blood. Yet another PacSun song, but I don’t care. I love these guys. Their entire album, also entitled Bad Blood is really great.
  • Chromeo – Fancy Footwork. How can you not love Chromeo? Seriously.
  • The Go! Team – Huddle Formation. Get hyped, get hyped, get hyped.
  • Hot Chip – My Piano. Funky fresh.
  • Jay-Z & Kanye West – Gotta Have it. My two favorite gents absolutely have what I need 😉
  • Juicy J – Bounce It. Need I say more? Juicy is freaking hilarious. If you ever need a good laugh, just listen to one of his songs.
  • Kid Cudi – Ashin’ Kusher. Best believe I blast this in the Little Red Love Machine (aka my car) every chance I get. Who are you to judge? JUDY?!
  • Lady Gaga – Judas. Oldie but goodie.
  • Locksley – The Whip. Why? Well, just because. 😉
  • The Neighbourhood – Afraid. These guys are angsty. I love it.
  • New Order – Temptation. So classic. I always got so excited when we played this at Pac.
  • One Direction – Best Song Ever. Judge me, I dare you. 🙂
  • Rick Ross – The Devil is a Lie. I can dig it. Jay-Z goes IN on his verse. So good.
  • Say Hi to Your Mom – Blah Blah Blah. This guys lyrics are so quirky-cool.
  • The Stone Roses – Love Spreads. Cool band, cool lyrics, cool song.
  • Tapes ‘n Tapes –  Omaha. Do yourselves a favor and give this band a try. The Loon is easily their best album so it’s a good place to start.
  • Wild Belle – Keep You. This gals voice is sweet. Sick song too.

^^^ SO GOOD!

Give some of these songs a try and let me know how you like them! What should I listen to next? What bands are you guys obsessed with right now? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah