Through the Cam

Ranking the American Horror Story seasons worst to best

I have loved American Horror Story for a long time and it is probably one of my favourite TV shows so, I wanted to write a ranking of my favourite seasons (I will be only going up to season 7 as I have not watched the most recent two seasons)

Also, I don’t think any of these seasons are bad in the slightest a bad American Horror Story season is still great TV

7. Roanoke

Although there were some parts of Roanoke I liked, the season overall just moved really slowly, and I feel that it became a bit gimmicky with all of the shows within a show. Also, this was one of the first seasons without Jessica Lange and I think the season suffered because of it.

6. Cult

I liked cult for the most part and I really like Evan peters as Kai however, some of the character were very irritating and for me it didn’t match up to the quality of the earlier seasons.

5. Freak show

I loved the world Freak Show was in and I think twisty was a great addition the the AHS universe. This season is also bittersweet for me as it is the last one without Jessica Lange who was one of the shows strongest actors

4.Hotel

I really liked hotel it felt the most modern out of any of the season and I think Lady Gaga done an amazing job as the countess and I feel like no other actress could have done that character as well as she did.

3. Murder House

I think that Murder House was the perfect introduction into the AHS universe as it perfectly encapsulates the tone of the entire show. Also, this season features one of my favourite characters Constance who is portrayed by Jessica Lange

2. Coven

Covens a much more campy than other seasons but I still think it as just as good if not better than the more serious seasons

1. Asylum

Asylum for me is a perfect season, the ending is satisfying, the characters are great, and it is probably the darkest season out of the seven. (it also features the name game which is my favourite moment from any episode ever)

My opinion on Parasite and the 2020 Oscars

With the Oscars having took place a couple weeks ago there has been much debate over the nominees and the winners and I wanted to discuss my opinions on it. To keep this brief, I will only be discussing two categories best picture and best director.

Best Picture

For the most part I think all films deserve to be nominated (except maybe the Joker) but there are a couple of films that I think deserved a nomination and they are both horror (a genre that the academy is known to not be the fondest of). In my opinion Us and Midsommar should have been nominated, they both demonstrated great acting, a great script and both had a large cultural impact.

Overall, I was more than happy with the winner and in my opinion, Parasite was the best film of the year in a competitive category which also featured some of my other favourite films such as Little Woman and Marriage Story. However, I think Parasite winning is a massive step forward for the academy who traditionally gives awards to English speaking films, I think this opens the door for many more foreign language films to also gain the same recognition as English language films

Best Director

Again, I think Bong Joon Ho was the most deserving out 0f all the nominees, but I think that the Academy has an ongoing issue with female directors and ignoring them. I think that there was several female directors who were just as if not more deserving than some of the all-male nominees (Todd Philips) such as Greta Gerwig who directed little woman and Alma Har’el who directed Honey Boy which was completely snubbed from the Oscars all together.

In conclusion, I think parasite was the most deserving and I am glad it won however, I still think the Academy has a long way to go if they want to actually be inclusive.

Hereditary (2018) – Review

As I have mentioned before I am a huge Midsommar fan and I think the director Ari Aster done some amazing things with the story, so it only made sense for me to check out his first feature film Hereditary.

Hereditary follows the story of a family who discover horrifying secrets about their ancestry after the death of their grandmother.

This film has been stuck in my head since I watched it a couple of weeks ago, I love horror and I think this is a perfect example of a haunted house movie. My hopes were high, and I was not disappointed in the slightest.

It is going to be hard to talk about the film without giving too much away so I am just going to discuss some of my favourite things about it and what I think made it great.

Firstly, the performances in this film where outstanding and the actors managed to make the characters feel somewhat grounded throughout all of the horrific events. Another thing I loved was the portrayal of grief and the contrast it showed in how different people deal with it. There is a very important scene which takes place early in the film that I think was perfect at this however, it does contain major spoilers so I wouldn’t watch if you have not seen the film yet. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMVfyrEb4wM)

Overall, I recommend this film to anyone who enjoys horror and anyone who enjoyed Midsommar as even though they took place in very different settings I think that both of these films possess a lot of the same qualities.

Uncut Gems (2019) – Review

Watching Uncut Gems is like having an anxiety attack for two hours but in a good way.

The story follows Howard a chaotic Jewish Jeweller in New York as auctions off an uncut black opal to pay off his debts. However, Howard portrayed by Adam Sandler is a deeply unsatisfied man who lives off the highs and lows of life by making risky bets which in some cases his life depends on. He is consistently harassed by goons wanting their money from him and he takes risks steadily throughout the film.

Although I didn’t think I was going to enjoy uncut gems as much as I did due to people telling me it was slow or me just not being too interested in the synopsis, I was gripped the whole time. The performance by Sandler was one of my favourites and I personally feel it was crime he did not receive an Oscar nomination for best actor. In addition, the direction from the Sadfie Brothers and cinematography by Darius Khondji helps to add to energetic and jittery tone of the film. The cinematography is especially interesting as it has this sort of gritty 80s feel to it whilst still feeling current and modern.

Image result for uncut gems cinematography

*SPOILERS* Do not read on if you have not watched the film.

The final 30 minuets of the film are insane, scenes are suspenseful, and the stakes are high. All the tension that has been built up from the last hour and a half is released when Howard eventually wins the bet and releases the goons which he was previously keeping locked in his door while he watched the basketball game and in an instant one of the goons shoots Howard in the head and kills him. I think this is the only ending which would have made sense for Howard as he still would have been unsatisfied with his winnings and the cycle would have repeat itself.

Overall, I really enjoyed uncut gems and I would recommend to it anyone who wants a satisfying and suspenseful film which you would feel locked to the screen.

Never Back Down – The masculine dance film

It may seem a bit random of me to want to talk about the 2008 MMA film Never Back Down however, I think this film really encapsulates a niche in the early 2000s for a more masculine dance film.

The story follows a 16-year-old boy played by Sean Faris as he moves to Florida with his mum and brother. However, at his new school he is an outsider and after being humiliated at a party decides to join an MMA gym.

Although the story is predictable, and the dialogue is often cheesy the film is still fun to watch, and I think it follows a very similar formula to a very niche yet popular genre at this time dance movies.

And by dance movies I mean films were dancing is a major plot point and all the other drama in the film somehow relates to dancing. Some examples are Step up, Street dance, Honey and Save the Last Dance. Although some of these films may have other major themes like family or race and cultural differences it all weirdly still somehow relates to dance.

Never Back Down is essentially a dance movie but instead of dancing the plot revolves around MMA. Think Fight Club meets Step Up.

All of these films have a very similar plotline; protagonist is feeling down about something out of their control, meets friends who are in a dance troop/fighting gym, makes an enemy with someone who is very talented at said sport and they always end with a big dance off/fight in a club.

Personally, I love the simplicity, the fun and the melodrama of these films and I can understand their appeal completely. However, when watching them it can be funny to see how seriously some take themselves and never back down is very much included in that.

I don’t think the director Jeff Wadlow wanted to necessarily make a dance film but I think that’s why people (mostly men) enjoy this film as it takes something that is traditionally marketed toward woman like a dance film and turns it into basically the same thing but this time it is more socially acceptable for men due to it being about fighting. Although this concept may seem outdated now since anyone can watch anything and it’s quite silly to say men cant watch dance films but 2008 was a different time and I honestly think that everyone sometimes wants to watch something corny and predictable.

The significance of fashion in TV and Film

For some what a character is wearing may seem superficial and insignificant however, I think what a character wears can communicate a lot of things such as time period, what they feel and it can easily show if a character is going through a transition in their life.

To illustrate this, I am going to give examples from the 2019 HBO show Euphoria. Euphoria follows the life of Rue a teenager who is a recovering drug addict as she narrates the story of her and some of her friends and their struggles in life. Euphoria is a very stylized show where all the stylistic choices possess a meaning especially what the character wear.

The outfits in the show can even be used to progress the story for instance in episode four Maddy is shamed for her outfit choice by her boyfriend who tells her she looks like a “hooker” which then causes her to take drugs and humiliate him in front of his whole family which then causes him to lash out and physically abuse Maddy. This shows the impact an outfit can have on the plot. The outfit choices also say a lot about the characters as a whole as Maddys choice show that she is confident and does not care what others think.

Moreover, another character’s outfits and appearance are used to visually show a change in her mindset and behaviour. In the first episode Kat is shown wearing plain clothing due the insecurity with her weight however, as the season progresses, she gains more self-confidence through her sexuality and is shown to wear more bold and daring outfits with materials such as leather and latex. This change in appearance is important as it causes the characters in the show to treat her differently and the plot would not have worked as well if they did not visually display her change as well.

In conclusion, I think that fashion and clothing can impact a story greatly when utilised correctly and can be just as important part of a character as what they say.

Little Women (2019) – Review

The second directorial effort from Greta Gerwig was a controversial one for many, as an adaption of the cult book Little Woman may seem a little over done with three previous films and mini-series already existing.

However, before seeing the film I had hopes due to the cast which featured some of my favourite actors at the moment like Florence Pugh (Midsommar), Timothee Chalamet (Call me by your name) and Saoirse Ronan (lady Bird). Due the cast and Greta’s previous film Lady Bird being one of my favourites I was quite excited.

This film differs from previous films in many ways, but the biggest difference would be the structure. Where other films had a linear timeline, the 2019 version jumps from childhood to adulthood which helps give the audience a better understanding of the characters choices.

Another major difference was the ending and the role of Jo’s love interest Frederick In the other adaptations Frederick plays a much more important role in Jo’s New York life but in this version, we spend more time with Jo as she tries to become a successful writer and focus more on her relationship with her sisters and Laurie.

My favourite part of this adaptation was portrayal of Amy who in the book and the previous films she seems to be just a bratty younger sister who steals Laurie from her sister Jo but, in this version her choices of wanting to marry rich aren’t don’t make her look lazy. The film makes clear why she makes these choices and that her choices are just as valid and right as Jo’s choice not to marry.

Image result for little women amy screenshot

Overall, I recommend this film to anyone who enjoyed the book or had enjoyed Gerwig’s previous work Lady Bird. It stays true to the book whilst still keeping it fresh.

Some of my favourite films at the moment.

Instead of writing a generic introduction post I thought the best way for you to get a feel for my blog would be to tell you some of my favourite films at the moment and why.

Fantastic Mr Fox (2009)

Probably my favourite animated film of all time, it follows a retired chicken hunter Mr Fox who has become bored of his suburban life and decides to go on one last adventure.

My favourite thing about this film is the animation. Director Wes Anderson’s dollhouse aesthetic translates perfectly to stop motion animation. He can create these very symmetrical and visually engaging settings which would not have been possible in a live action feature.

Favourite Scene – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuKNXP9LcSg

Lady Bird

Lady bird is a coming-of-age film which follows the story of teen girl Christen “lady Bird’ who is desperate to escape her catholic high-school and hometown of Sacramento to move to the east coast.

Although I only watched this film recently it has instantly become one of my favourite movies. It gives a rare and realistic portrayal of platonic female relationships. It especially focuses lady birds relationships with her best friend and her mother. However, I recommend that everyone no matter age or gender to watch this as it is a truly funny and intelligent film that anyone can relate to.

Favourite Scene – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpDGnFwbw0U&list=PLZbXA4lyCtqoCYs5ViQHXNbusxmUbzPI5&index=2&t=0s

Midsommar

Another film which I only watched recently but stayed with me for days after is Midsommar.

This film sort of plays out like a demented fairy-tale. Set in the long summer days in the North of Sweden. It follows the protagonist Dani as she goes to Sweden with her boyfriend and his friends to escape the traumatic death of her family.

I highly recommend this film to anyone who likes horror and doesn’t mind gore. This film definitely is more disturbing that it is “scary” however, the director Ari Astor does an impeccable job of making the long bright Swedish days fill you with as much horror (if not more) as a traditional slasher film.

Favourite Scene – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLIPowmQTwE