Interesting Green: Ghoulishly good

MY PAPER, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2011, PAGE A12, Media Watch, Entertainment
From http://epaper.mypaper.sg/cnd/fvxen/fvxp/fvxpress.php?param=2011-11-02
Source Website: http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20111102-308273.html
By Victoria Barker, vbarker@sph.com.sg, my paper, Wednesday, Nov 02, 2011

PHOTO: NEIGHBOURS: The Harmons (from right, Connie Britton, Dylan McDermott and Tessa Farmiga) move into an eerie mansion in Los Angeles, and realise they aren't alone ....

(PHOTO: MIO TV)
MY PAPER, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2011, PAGE A12, Media Watch, Entertainment

Must-watch series:
American horror story
mio TV Season Pass (Ch 706),
new episodes every Friday

Must-watch premiere:
True Blood S4
Tomorrow on HBO
(StarHub Ch 601) at 10pm

HALLOWEEN might have come and gone, but if you're still hungry for ghouls and gore, you won't be disappointed by small-screen offerings this week.

Okay, okay. We'll concede that the trend of monsters, demons and the supernatural on television isn't terribly new.

Remember the always-creepy series Tales From The Crypt, which ran for several years starting from the late 1980s? Exactly.

PHOTO: Acing the tailor-made lead role in GLEE creators’ Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s new supernaturally-themed FX series AMERICAN HORROR STORY, the former FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS star Connie Britton

http://images.broadwayworld.com/columnpic4/22D4B37A2-E0B4-6621-732F891177565F78.jpg
http://broadwayworld.com/article/InDepth-InterView-Connie-Britton-Talks-AMERICAN-HORROR-STORY-Neighborhood-Playhouse-African-Childrens-Choir-More-20111022

More recently though, shows such as zombie-fest The Walking Dead (which is currently in its second season on Star Movies) and American Horror Story have been giving the genre (type or class) a new lease of life by taking the scare factor up several notches.

PHOTO: AMERICAN HORROR STORY, Connie Britton
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/03mza1C4tcgr9/610x.jpg
http://www.pteforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2669&start=400

One might be surprised to find out that the dudes behind the latter - an hour-long programme revolving around a haunted house - are none other than Glee creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk.

PHOTO: Glee's Ryan Murphy To Tell The American Horror Story On FX
http://www.cinemablend.com/images/sections/30122/American_Horror_Story_30122.jpg
http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Glee-Ryan-Murphy-Tell-American-Horror-Story-FX-30122.html
http://www.entertainmentwallpaper.com/images/desktops/movie/tv_nip_tuck37.jpg
http://www.entertainmentwallpaper.com/download/20020559/

Once you've wrapped your head around the fact that these are the same guys who brought you a show about a bunch of singing teen misfits, the magic (or perhaps voodoo, in this case) begins.

PHOTO: The same guys brought you a show about a bunch of singing teen misfits and magic.
http://www.entertainmentwallpaper.com/images/desktops/movie/tv_nip_tuck39.jpg

http://www.entertainmentwallpaper.com/download/20020561/
http://www.entertainmentwallpaper.com/tv/nip_tuck/index.html

Here's a disclaimer: American Horror Story is not for everyone, despite the apparent simplicity of its premise.

PHOTO: American Horror Story is not for everyone, despite the apparent simplicity of its premise.

http://www.blogomatic3000.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/AmericanHorrorStory_familyhomeinLosAngeles.jpg_rgb.jpg
http://www.blogomatic3000.com/2011/10/09/four-images-from-american-horror-story/

The show, which premiered in the United States early last month, follows the Harmons - therapist Ben (The Practice's Dylan McDermott) and housewife Vivien (Friday Night Lights' Connie Britton) - as they move to Los Angeles after he was caught cheating and she suffered a stillbirth.

PHOTO: "American Horror Story" - The Harmons, a family of three who move from Boston to Los Angeles as a means to reconcile past anguish.

http://www.blogomatic3000.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/AmericanHorrorStory_Vivien_Ben__Violet.jpg_rgb.jpg
http://www.blogomatic3000.com/2011/10/09/four-images-from-american-horror-story/#.TrahTHJcxxk

With daughter Violet (Tessa Farmiga) in tow, the couple move into an eerie, old Gothic mansion, where strange things start to happen.

PHOTO: "American Horror Story" - Daughter Violet (Tessa Farmiga)

http://www.spoilertv.co.uk/images/cache/american-horror-story/season-1/episode-promotional-photos/Episode%201.06%20-%20Piggy%20Piggy/ahs10600004_595.jpg
http://www.spoilertv.co.uk/images/american-horror-story/season-1/episode-promotional-photos/Episode%201.06%20-%20Piggy%20Piggy/ahs10600004.jpg.php

What follows, in true Ryan Murphy over-the-top fashion, boggles the mind.

Best part? Veteran actress Jessica Lange (Cape Fear), in her first regular TV role as Constance, the Southern-accented, ramblin' neighbour who's privy to much more than she lets on.

PHOTO: "American Horror Story" - Veteran actress Jessica Lange

http://blogs.whatsontv.co.uk/tvspy/files/2011/04/jessica-lange-in-king-kong1-472x400.jpg
http://blogs.whatsontv.co.uk/tvspy/tag/american-horror-story/

Aside from Lange's inspired (some might say campy (exaggerated), which is, again, a Ryan Murphy trademark) performance, there's a lot more going on that intrigues (fascinates).

Among the strange and unusual happenings in the pilot episode are a kinky sex scene involving a ghost/demon-type in an S&M-style rubber suit and the appearance of a guy with half his face burnt off, as well as a housekeeper who is both young and old (you'll have to tune in to see what I mean).

PHOTO: TV Review: "American Horror Story" - a kinky sex scene involving a ghost/demon-type in an S&M-style rubber suit .

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCWzJ7ojip3_KiR5VDxR3YbFvley-DYamOVu26oxTA0KcQ-u-i9kDO6-mMIktkLpmwprYTqAKzwz1lmUhG_B258H3TGL_T_pCrQx_TwNNJuHeZCmfGeMSZ79VAJh-RO1Sm_25zh8Eas_g/s1600/american_horror_story_ver2_xlg.jpg
http://calibansrevenge.blogspot.com/2011/10/tv-review-american-horror-story.html

Indeed, subtlety isn't on the cards for American Horror Story and, at times, one can't help but wish its creators would put more thought into the actual plot rather than launching a full-on assault on the senses.

Still, though the storyline might cause a furrowed brow or two, the shock factor will surely suffice to reel viewers in.

Another show that embraces creepy, albeit (although) with better, less- contrived writing, is HBO's True Blood, which has been hotting up the small screen with its portrayal of vampire-human relations since its debut in 2008.

PHOTO: A scene from True Blood. HBO.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia0jBNzvwS5sUxlrK3hOhQLrF0C56Iz_zDkAfWsviEDL8FcFrOzfiuxD8H8klM24DnsJxvd9bXJ8SLEzbnSuF36e3p691ePwegieBbn0EUSc4sc02Mma2qpBSXf2INZnVGdEGKKRSrQQQe/s1600/eric+choke+out.jpg
http://tvmywifewatches.blogspot.com/2011/07/true-blood-s4e1-apparently-im-putting.html

In its fourth season, which premieres here tomorrow, the show manages to add even more supernatural beings into the mix.

This time, it's witches who wreak havoc in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana.

Of course, the fanged ones still play a major role. As usual, they're fighting over apple-pie protagonist Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), as are the werewolves (I dare say Twilight's Jacob Black ain't got nothing on Joe Manganiello's sexy character, Alcide Herveaux) and shapeshifters, among others.

PHOTO: STILL SEXY: True Blood's sweetie pie, Anna Paquin, continues to draw hunks like Joe Manganiello.

PHOTO: HBO
http://joe-manganiello.org/photos/albums/Uploads/Television/True%20Blood/wallpapers/wallpaper-quote-sookie-alcide-s4-1600.jpg
http://joe-manganiello.org/photos/albums/Uploads/Television/True%20Blood/wallpapers/
MY PAPER, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2011, PAGE A12, Media Watch, Entertainment

And though there's still lots of sex, blood and gore, none of then seem gratuitous [Uncalled for] (okay, almost none) and it all works well.

Seeing as the Alan Ball-created show has already been picked up for a fifth season, this much is clear: True Blood may be about the (un)dead, but there's lots of life in the show yet. What a scream.

By Victoria Barker, vbarker@sph.com.sg, my paper, Wednesday, Nov 02, 2011

PHOTO: TV Review: "American Horror Story" - a kinky sex scene involving a ghost/demon-type in an S&M-style rubber suit .

PHOTO: Glee's Ryan Murphy To Tell The American Horror Story On FX
http://www.entertainmentwallpaper.com/images/desktops/movie/tv_nip_tuck37.jpg
http://www.entertainmentwallpaper.com/download/20020559/

PHOTO: The same guys brought you a show about a bunch of singing teen misfits and magic.
http://www.entertainmentwallpaper.com/images/desktops/movie/tv_nip_tuck39.jpg

http://www.entertainmentwallpaper.com/download/20020561/
http://www.entertainmentwallpaper.com/tv/nip_tuck/index.html

HELPDESK
我的字典: Wǒ de zì diǎn

Ghouls: 恶鬼 - è guǐ
Stillbirth: 死产 - sǐ chǎn
Campy: 过于夸张的 - guò yú kuā zhāng de
Gratuitous: 无缘无故的 - wú yuán wú gù de

Reference

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Ghoulishly good