Previous Editions available here: #1, #2, & #3.
This week’s edition of the Twisted Parallels of Cinema is upon us! And it’s the first of several intended volumes focusing on American Horror Story‘s many connections to other horror movies and movies in general.
Father Gore is a huge fan of American Horror Story, despite lame criticisms by people who claim to be ‘horror fans’ who seem to spend their time judging others for the type of horror they enjoy. It’s a fantastic show. Not only are the creators, directors, and writers all clearly dedicated fans of the genre, as evidenced by the many homages you’ll see in this column, the series also does excellent things for representation, both in front of and behind the camera— there are plenty of women writing and directing, and of course there are many roles for women in the show, alongside some stellar episodes that focus on women in horror/horror from a female perspective, as well as lots of representation in the same sense for people of colour and the LGBTQ community. Even if the show isn’t always perfect, it’s doing big things for the horror genre on many fronts.
The following side-by-sides are frames from Seasons 1, 2, and 4 (Murder House, Asylum, and Freak Show) alongside frames from other horror and classic movies. The next volumes will include other seasons of the show, so make sure to stay tuned for this Twisted Parallels of Cinema series.
Now, dig into these nasty little slices of horror and FEAST YOUR EYES!
Edition #5 available here.
Alex DeLarge receives an experimental form of therapy
A Clockwork Orange
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Cinematography by John Alcott
v.
Kit Walker is forced into therapy
FX’s American Horror Story
2×01 “Welcome to Briarcliff”
Directed by Bradley Buecker
Cinematography by Michael Goi
R.P. McMurphy is given ECT
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Directed by Milos Forman
Cinematography by Haskell Wexler
v.
Lana Winters receives ECT
FX’s American Horror Story
2×02 “Tricks & Treats”
Directed by Bradley Buecker
Cinematography by Michael Goi
The Virgin Mary is defiled by Pazuzu
The Exorcist
Directed by William Friedkin
Cinematography by Owen Roizman
v.
The Virgin Mary is defiled by Dr. Arden
FX’s American Horror Story
2×03 “Nor’easter”
Directed by Michael Uppendahl
Cinematography by Michael Goi
Lana Winters does an exposé on Briarcliff Asylum
FX’s American Horror Story
2×13 “Madness Ends”
Directed by Alfonso GĂłmez-RejĂłn
Cinematography by Michael Goi
v.
Geraldo Rivera’s famous news exposĂ© on Willowbrook State School
Willowbrook: The Last Great Disgrace
(TV Movie 1972)
Directed by Geraldo Rivera
Produced by WABC-TV Channel 7
A bloody SAMHAIN scrawled by Michael Myers
Halloween II
Directed by Rick Rosenthal
Cinematography by Dean Cundey
v.
A bloody word in Aramaic is scrawled on the asylum’s kitchen wall
FX’s American Horror Story
Directed by Michael Rymer
Cinematography by Michael Goi
Anthony Hopkins under the control of his ventriloquist dummy
Magic
Directed by Richard Attenborough
Cinematography by Victor J. Kemper
v.
Neil Patrick Harris under the control of his ventriloquist dummy
FX’s American Horror Story
4×11 “Magical Thinking”
Directed by Michael Goi
Cinematography by Michael Goi
The Gimp is out of his box
Pulp Fiction
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Cinematography by Andrzej Sekula
v.
Rubber Man roams the house
FX’s American Horror Story
1×04 “Halloween, Part 1”
Directed by David Semel
Cinematography by John B. Aronson
Benjamin Raspail’s head in a jar
The Silence of the Lambs
Directed by Jonathan Demme
Cinematography by Tak Fujimoto
v.
Lillian’s head in a jar
FX’s American Horror Story
4×12 “Show Stoppers”
Directed by Loni Peristere
Cinematography by Michael Goi
Tate Langdon commits a school shooting
FX’s American Horror Story
1×05 “Halloween, Part 2”
Directed by David Semel
Cinematography by John B. Aronson
v.
El Diablo creates his flame
Suicide Squad
Directed by David Ayer
Cinematography by Roman Vasyanov
Travis Bickle’s finger gun
Taxi Driver
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Cinematography by Michael Chapman
v.
Tate Langdon’s finger gun
FX’s American Horror Story
1×06 “Piggy Piggy”
Directed by Michael Uppendahl
Cinematography by Joaquin Sedillo
Leatherface’s mask
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Directed by Tobe Hooper
Cinematography by Daniel Pearl
v.
Bloody Face’s mask
FX’s American Horror Story
2×01 “Welcome to Briarcliff”
Directed by Bradley Buecker
Cinematography by Michael Goi
John Russell encounters the ghostly red ball
The Changeling
Directed by Peter Medak
Cinematography by John Coquillon
v.
Larry Harvey plays with his son’s red ball
FX’s American Horror Story
1×07 “Open House”
Directed by Tim Hunter
Cinematography by John B. Aronson
Harvey Dent becomes Two-Face
The Dark Knight
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Cinematography by Wally Pfister
v.
Larry Harvey’s half-burned face
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