American Horror Story - Season 1 [Blu-ray]

American Horror Story is the unique, fresh and scary horror series created and produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, the guys behind Glee and Nip n Tuck. Since its initial run in October 2011 it has achieved worldwide fame and acclaim. Actress Jessica Lange even won a Golden Globe award for her performance in this. The first season centres around "the murder house" a malevolent haunted house that seems to claim the life of anyone foolish enough to stick around. It features Dylan Mcdermott and Connie Britton as Ben and Vivien, a couple who have been torn apart due to the miscarriage of a baby boy and his subsequent infidelity with a younger student. They move to LA with their teenage daughter Violet (Taissa Farmiga) as they believe it is the only way to save their family from falling apart. After moving into their new "dream home" the family meets numerous strange and interesting characters, including their eccentric actress neighbor Constance (Jessica Lange) her daughter Adelaide (Jamie Brewer) who has downs syndrome and the mysterious housekeeper Moira (Francis Conroy/Alexandra Breckenridge.) Ben, a psychiatrist also begins therapy sessions with a troubled boy named Tate who may or may not have been responsible for a shoot-out massacre at his old high school. Tate also begins "seeing" Violet and ultimately ends up being the centre of the troubles in the house. From there, things take a terrifying turn as the family fight to stay alive in the house that knows no bounds.As this is a haunted house-type drama series there are plenty of scares and a whole bunch of gruesome ghosts, but this is very much a character driven story about trying to hold onto your sanity and save your family from the greater evils in life. Each episode begins by explaining a little bit more about the history of the house and some of the ghosts who reside there (like how they died and why they are bound to reside at the house.) The main story then begins and each chapter adds depth to a family who are on the verge of falling apart. McDermott plays a man struggling to find himself, his wife is stricken with grief for their unborn child and the ultimate betrayal from her husband and the teenage daughter has a hard time with bullies at her new school and the psychotic relationship with Tate who is antagonistic and narcissistic. So much happens to these characters that any "supernatural" occurances (and yes there are many) almost seem a relief as it takes away from dealing heads on with the obvious problems that are tearing the family apart. The characters who appear throughout the season are all interesting and layered and some scenes are unsettling to say the least. There are lots of jump scares but what works the most is the creepy atmosphere that seeps through the story. There are also lots of sadomasochistic sex scenes (this is a real life couple trying desperately to add spice into their relationship) but it is mostly done tastefully. There is also lots of violence, some of which is pretty disturbing (children getting their throats cut, people being shot in their beds, set on fire etc) but these moments are few and far between and actually add a lot to the story so they are not just scenes thrown in for shock value.This was obviously penned to shock critics and audiences across the world. Everything is thrown in- hardcore sex, countless bloody murders, children with downs syndrome being verbally abused etc, but if you can look past this then you will discover an interesting story that twists and turns and keeps you guessing til the very end. The acting is superb, especially from Lange and Evan Peters as the disturbed Tate. The dialogue between the characters is also very intriguing. The script goes from serious to tongue-in-cheek at times. Lange plays a deliciously evil character underneath but her bittersweet appearance and behavior makes her almost comical to the audience who know her real motives. Farmiga also steals the show from time to time as the angst-y teen with a fully loaded mouth to boot. Each actor and their alter ego ultimately does a very god job at convincing which is great to see in a horror driven TV show.The only thing that takes away from the entertainment are the cliches that sometimes rear their ugly head. Every single haunted house cliche is thrown in (though sometimes it feels as though this is done as an in-joke or homeage to other films) however AHS is mostly so scary that it never really matters. The basic plot is ripped directly from The Amityville Horror (family buys an expensive house for half the price due to a number or murders that occurred there, family moves into house to try and build a relationship) and the main protagonist Ben could almost be Jack Nicholson from The Shining (he starts to lose his mind etc) but overall this still feels fresh and there are interesting twists added to keep the story moving.This is definitely worth your time. It will keep you gripped and on the edge of your seat. The story is rich, fun, interesting and you can actually relate to the characters. Yes there is plenty of violence and it is also pretty sexy as well but this was never made for kids so hopefully you can look past that and see this for what it is- a horror series that aims to scare the living daylights out of you.

The first season of the series is a tribute to American cinema, from"Rosemary's Baby" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street", to "The Devil's Advocate"and "Kill Bill". It includes references to the crime history of Los Angeles:The Black Dahlia case, the murder of Sal Mineo, and the O.J. Simpson case.But it is much more than that:It is an allegorical group portrait of a very sick, insecureand unhappy urban America. It is a lurid tapestry of infidelity,abortion, suicide, alienation, home intrusion and school massacres.Even the latest in home-security technology cannot keep us safe from the intrusionof evil, because it already is inside the walls-in the "basement" of a rottingcollective psyche. The series is insightfully written, with clever dialogues,sardonic humor, and frequent situations of mind-numbing horror.Male characters -regardless of their sexual orientation-have been conceivedas weak, unreliable, sadistic. Their lives are defined by the choices and desiresof strong-willed female characters.Special visual and make-up effects are terrific, but they do not overwhelmthe character-driven drama.All principal actors give outstanding performances, but it is Jessica Langethat is truly awe-inspiring. Photography is excellent, but it takes timeto get used to the jarring effect of the fast editing which is frequently used.Such is the manifest superiority of the Blu-ray edition, that when I switchedback to the DVD edition (which I also own), it felt like going back to VHS.Be warned however, that since black is enhanced in the Blu-ray, some image subtlety may be lost.There are English SDH for all Blu-ray extras.

I absolutely love this series and have been hooked ever since I first saw it. I unwittingly stumbled across it one night on an obscure Sky channel and have doted on it ever since. It doesn't shy away from being controversial, bad and sexy and while at times it appears a little tongue-in-cheek, it also has a couple of terrifying moments, a script to die for, and a talented cast.The Harmons move from the east coast to LA hoping for a fresh start in a new home, following Ben Harmon's (played by Dylan McDermott, who shows his butt one too many times in the first episode) infidelity and the wife's, Vivien Harmon (Connie Britton) stillbirth. Their depressive daughter, Violet (Taissa Farmiga) is unhappy about the move and wished they'd stayed where they were. Naturally, their new home is spooky and misfortune lurks only round the corner. Although there is a linear plotline (albeit a rather warped one), different disasters jump out at every corner for the Harmons and it becomes clear that their 'fresh start' wasn't as anticipated...Despite employing almost every horror-movie cliche in the book, this series is full of surprises and you will be hooked from the first episode. Try it out, you won't be disappointed. :D

Enjoyed this very much,good story and great acting.

This product came very quickly, as expected! It was not damaged or anything, and you could not even tell if it was used if you saw it. I also reccomend the show, it’s very well made.

Primera toma de contacto con un tipo de hacer series poco comun, me gusto bastante, menos que la segunda, y mucho mas que la tercera y la cuarta. La quinta esta bastante bien tambien.

J'avais tellement hâte de voir cette série, étant un fan de l'horreur et des séries et d'avoir une série basé sur l'horreur, je ne pouvais que la voir.Après avoir vu le pilote de 50 minutes, je peux dire que j'ai pris bien plus de plaisir devant ce début que devant plein de films d'horreurs de 1h30 de ces dernières années ! C'est assez fou. Tout est réuni pour avoir à faire à un projet génial. Faut savoir que je ne savais rien de American Horror Story, juste ce concept que pour chaque saison (4 saisons au moment où j'écris mon article et une 5ème bientôt), elles sont toutes indépendantes des autres. L'histoire n'est jamais la même, on change de lieu et les formes de peurs sont différentes. Dans celle-ci, un couple avec une fille adolescente emménagent dans une grande demeure où plusieurs années auparavant il y à eu des meurtres. Maison qui fut abandonnée et retapée bien longtemps après. Jusque là rien d'original, on voit ça depuis des siècles. Mais passé ce bout du script, tout est maîtrisé à la hauteur ! Dans ce premier épisode on assiste à tous un tas d'intrigues intéressantes. Le père est étrange et à des vues flippantes, la voisine, superbe actrice (Jessica Lange) avec son air machiavélique mais en même temps intelligente, sa fille handicapée qui n'arrête pas de venir chez eux en leurs disant qu'ils vont tous mourir dans ce lieu, une gouvernante louche, un adolescent dont le père s'occupe de chez lui dans sa nouvelle maison comme il est psychiatre et ce garçon à de gros airs de psychopathe qui peut péter les plombs à n'importe quel moment et est à la limite de la schizophrénie, leurs fille qui à de sérieux soucis dans son nouveau bahut...Voilà une galerie de haute volée ! Pendant près de 1h il se passe sans arrêt des choses. C'est vulgaire, sadique, de bonnes frayeurs. Le rythme est très bon, je ne me suis pas ennuyé une seule seconde ! Dès la première séquence avant le générique qui lui aussi résume à lui seul la série, on est pris en apnée dans ce qu'on voit.Au deuxième épisode, la folie est encore plus présente et encore plus au top de sa forme ! On découvre encore de nouveaux personnages qui ont tous des problèmes mentaux. Ça fait d'ailleurs peur de se dire qu'on peut être vraiment entouré de malades comme eux. Jessica Lange montre une fois de plus son talent d'actrice. Pour la seconde fois, si on oublie l'épisode 1 et qu'on prends en compte juste lui, il est meilleur que tous les films d'horreurs sortis dernièrement. C'est un exploit ! Et le reste c'est génial. Le nombre de dingues dans cette série et cette histoire qui est intrigante, passionnante, mystérieuse et les intrigues des côtés paranormal/horreur et de la réalité, difficile de mettre stop à un épisode. Il y à une aura très particulière qui se dégage de cette série.De très nombreux flash-back datant de plusieurs époques interviendront durant chaque épisodes. C'est comme ça qu'on découvre le passé de cette maison et de toutes les horreurs qu'il y à eu. Ce que j'avais peur c'est qu'on est pas de réponses sur le pourquoi du comment mais on ne part les mains vides. Tout est bien montré. La relation est l'une des forces de cette première saison. Vous verrez qu'avec tous ces nombreux personnages perchés, on s'y attache vite. Pour cette saison, le thème de l'horreur est les fantômes. Des 12 épisodes que j'ai pu voir, ils explosent littéralement le genre pour les films. Les deux derniers épisodes sont magiques et incroyables !! Il faut les voir pour y croire. Alors ça part dans tous les sens, j'avoue et parfois on pourrait se dire "c'est du n'importe quoi" mais c'est bien fait et c'est le plus important. Mention spéciale à la bande sonore qui fait bien le travail.Je m'achète dès que possible le coffret de la saison 2 !!

Two television shows currently on the air have brought back the horror genre to great heights in the medium. Along with 'The Walking Dead', 'American Horror Story' also deserves some serious credit. Twisted, bizarre, deviant, visceral and layered...these are all words one could used to describe the Season 1 experience on Blu-ray. Created by Ryan Murphy (Glee), AHS is a creepy and brillantly written self-contained anthology show that delivers a full experience beginning to end.The first season surrounds a family that move into a vintage home in Los Angeles in an effort to save the bonds that have been nearly severed by traumatic and psychological issues. But the house contains a dark and malevolent history that soon becomes prominent in their lives, as it harbours the souls of any persons that died or were violently killed within its walls. These ghosts appear as living people in the residence, with the family none-the-wiser to their true existence. Can the family prevent becoming permanent household spirits as well?AHS is a wickedly bloody and dramatic horror show that's backed up by a pretty credible cast, including a highlighting award-winning supporting role by Jessica Lange. But the hook is the show's incredible depth of mysterious mythology, especially as it pertains to the ghosts. For example, not only are they able to physically interact with the living, but on Halloween they are able to leave the confines of the house and venture into the world for one night only.The Season 1 Blu-ray high-definition package is fairly impressive in its sleek 3-disc set. Picture quality is pristine in detail and vibrant on color, backed up by a strong DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track for your home speaker system. The set also contains some good extras including episode commentaries, a tour experience of the house and featurettes about the making of the show, the ghosts/characters and the crazy-cool opening title sequence.Do yourself a favour, if you love horror and a fresh breath of creativeness into the genre, then check out American Horror Story. What do a rubber man, a demonic baby, and a half-burned homeless person have in common? They are all part of this extremely disturbed and unique show that is unlike anything else ever put to television or Blu-ray digital disc.

Rilflessioni di un viaggio nella Murder HouseATTENZIONE: per chi non avesse visto la serie, il contenuto potrebbe contenere SPOILERMi sono vissuto un bel viaggio (durato 12 giorni) nella villa vittoriana popolata dai non morti, con passione e coinvolgimento, e affezionandomi (ma questo e normale) ai personaggi della serieTra horror puro, grottesco, punte di humor macabro, cinismo, efferati crimini, sesso, solitudine, drammi interiori, maternità (che sembra il cardine dove ruota tutta la serie), amarezze, delusioni, tuffi nel passato, mostri, fatti di cronaca nera, punte splatter, serial killer, leggende metropolitane, stragi e deformità (anche dell'anima), la prima stagione di AHS sazia l'encefalo e la visione. A volte citazionista fino allo stucchevole, con alcune idee di script, per "gonfiare" un pò il tutto, più che discutibili (penso al secondo episodio con situazioni alla Funny Games, al candyman di "Piggy piggy" nel sesto episodio o il caso Elizabeth Short nel nono)Ma nel complesso soddisfacente, che si conclude nel migliore dei modi nel bellissimo,e ultimo, dodicesimo episodio, con "carnevalate" horror irresistibili, un "lieto fine" che scalda il cuore e una chiusa finale beffarda , che si stampa sulle labbra come un ghigno satanicoTra Shining e un Beetlejuice rivisto da Tennesse Williams, per esemplificarlo in due battutePERSONAGGI:Constance (Jessica Lange) Il vero perno su cui ruota attorno tutta la macabra faccenda. Custode di dolori e lutti, nonchè di segreti inconfessabili. Capace di atti efferati, ma anche di slanci passionali e di gran cuore. Si difende dal dolore con cinismo e ironia. La Lange è semplicemente magistraleBen (Dylan McDermott) Come marito fallisce tradendo la moglie. Ma è un ottimo padre. Sarà l'ultimo ad aprire davvero gli occhi su quello che le accade intorno. Perfetta interpretazione dell'ex duro del Blue IguanaVivien (Connie Britton) Sembra la classica moglie cornuta e casalinga inquieta (e anche un pò "spenta"), ma risolutiva e capace di perdonare l'uomo che ama e che la tradita. Ottima prova della Britton, con un volto comune, perciò molto credibileTate (Evan Peters) Psicopatico, bugiardo cronico, crudele e malvagio. Autore di stupri e stragi. Sempre con le lacrime in tasca e innamorato-morbosamente-di Violet. Lui è l'autore di quasi tutte le disgrazie che succedono intorno alla casa.Violet (Taissa Farmiga) La figlia di Ben e Violet, adolescente complessa votata all'autolesionismo e a atti suicidi. Molto ben delineato il suo personaggio tormentato e irrequietoMoira (Alexandra Breckenridge/Frances Conroy) La doppia natura di una cameriera. Procace e focosa ninfomane che gira per casa con gli autoreggenti agli occhi degli uomini, ponderata e saggia signora anziana con occhio di vetro nella sua vera naturaNora (Lily Rabe) Era la mia preferita, addolorata e sconsolata dama degli anni 20, moglie di un chirurgo folle, persa nell'eternità a cercare quel bambino che le e stato strappato alla vita con efferata crudeltà. Alla fine, però, si rivela nevrastenica e senza nessun barlume di istinto maternoHayden (Kate Mara) Da viva, come amante giovane di Ben, era insopportabile e isterica. Da morta diventa lo spirito più pericoloso e psicotico che dimora nella Murder HouseAdelaide (Jamie Brewer) La figlia down di Constance. Sensibile e impicciona, che vuole essere una "bella ragazza". La sua morte spezza il cuore. Forse l'unico personaggio che non torna, perchè morta distante dalla Murder HouseLarry Harvey (Denis O'Hare) Innamorato perso di Constance, vede la sua famiglia avvolta dalle fiamme appicate da sua moglie. Ustionato su parte del corpo e per metà del volto, dopo che Tate le ha dato fuoco, e un pò il "facchino" degli spiriti della Murder House. Riuscirà a spurgare le sue colpe finendo in carcereCharles Montgomery (Matt Ross) E il chirurgo delle dive degli anni 20, ha fatto costruire la Murder House, caduto in disgrazia per via della droga. Procura aborti clandestini a giovani attricette nello scantinato della casa. Pervaso da una malsana sindrome di Frankenstein, riporterà in vita suo figlio Thaddeus, con conseguenze spiacevoliAltri personaggi, minori ma comunque incisivi, la coppia gay formata da Chad e Pat (Zachary Quinto e Teddy Sears), la medium Billie (Sarah Paulson), il mostruoso Thaddeus, i gemelli pel di carota e la mia Betty interpretata a Mena SuvariREGIA Il vero promotore sarebbe Ryan Murphy (suo e , infatti, il pilot e creatore della serie insieme a Brad Falchuk). La serie mantiene lo stesso livello costante, senza guizzi autoriali (due regie sono di due registi cult ottantiani, come Tim Hunter e Michael Lehmann), ma io ci ho visto solo e esclusivamente la mano murphyana (anche per il tratteggio della coppia gay) A lui vanno tutti i miei sinceri complimentiAltalenanti gli episodi (i migliori: Il pilot, il quarto, il settimo e l'ultimo). Ma , fra alti e bassi (e ricomponendo mentalmente il puzzle), più che soddisfacentiAlcune cose mi sono sfuggite: I ragazzi massacrati a scuola da Tate non sono morti nella Murder House (altro elemento che ho trovato superfluo e inutile alla linearità del racconto), allora perchè ritornano? Il marito di Constance è stato ucciso nella Murder House, ma lui non torna (forse perchè e stato macinato!).Lo spirito di Violet non può uscire dalla Murder House, mentre quello di Hayden se ne và bellamente a zonzo. Moira e morta giovane, perchè la ritroviamo invecchiata?Di culto assoluto: Le due Moire, l'altalena erotica, i flashback negli anni 20 con le disgrazie della famiglia Montgomery, la porcaggine di Moira, la "fame" di Thaddeus, la moglie e le figlie di Larry ridotte a stizzoni umani viventi, lo scantinato della sofferenza, i dolcetti di Constance, lo sgabuzzino degli specchi dove viene rinchiusa Adelaide, il massacro compiuto da Constance, in camera da letto, nel 1983, dove secca marito e amante (Moira) a colpi di pistola, il marito macinato e dato in pasto ai cani, il motivetto fischiettato di Bernard Herrmann (Twisted Nerve), la canzoncina che apre anche l'incipt del pilot (Tonight You Belong To Me), il deforme Bo nella soffitta, il parapiglia carnevalesco orrorifico per far scappare i nuovi inquilini, la chiusa dell'ultimo episodio, la tuta nera in latexBellissima la sigla iniziale tra foto d'epoca di bambini dai volti spettrali, immagini terrifiche subliminali e fiamme che avvolgono il tuttoMenzione speciale per il make up man Mike Mekash e per l'ottimo lavoro svolto su creature mostruose e maschere di dolore (nonchè per aver reso, di un iperrealismo dolente, il corpo divelto in due della mia Betty)Ottima, infine, l'edizione in dvd della Fox Video