Release Date: September 25, 2012
Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 532 minutes

Brace yourself for an addictive thrill ride! American Horror Story is TV’s most original new drama, a deeply stylish psychosexual haunt devised to keep you on the edge of your seat. The Harmon’s (Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton) fresh start in a new home deviously twists to reveal discoveries of love, sex and murderous revenge. Featuring a Golden Glober -winning performance by Jessica Lange, Season One scares up a host of engrossing extras.

Before American Horror Story, the series already seemed pretty twisted. Remember the promotional photos? Yeah. With the series coming from Ryan Murphy and FX, it was a given this would be another sexy, mysterious one hour drama but Murphy has taken all of that to new heights here in a haunted house setting. One of my favorite aspects about the series is that the viewers get to learn about not just the main characters on the series, the new owners of the house but the owners before them and what led to their untimely deaths. It’s no wonder nobody wants to live in a haunted house, especially after watching this series. Talk about danger and deceit. Seriously, Vivien and Ben are idiots for not doing their research on moving into what the neighborhood calls a murder house. It’s on a haunted house bus tour for goodness sake. Don’t move into those houses!

The characters are something else. Every character has a goal, every goal has a clear motive, and every character faces their share of conflicts as they attempt to reach that goal be it guilt, denial, etc… Make no mistake, this is not just a scare fest, there’s depth here. Kudos to the writers for not focusing so much on fear that they would forget about the characters that enhance the fear. And what a brilliant cast. Jessica Lange won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for this series and it is no question why. Every time I thought this series was overwhelming, Lange appeared on the scene and kept me there. I’m not a fan of horror but Lange alone kept me watching. What a delight is was to watch Lange shine and take viewers like me, who normally would not have stood by the entire season (simply because of a lack of interest in horror) on such a memorable ride. Connie Britton and Dylan McDermott have great chemistry. It was also a delight to see the introduction of Taissa Farmiga as well as more familiar faces, Kate Mara, Rosa Salazar, Zachary Quinto, Mena Suvari, Ashley Rickards, and Alessandra Torresani to name a few. What a brilliant cast that has been put together here. Job well done.

The setting makes the story just as much as the characters do. In this case, the setting truly is its own character. To see how the setting gets to the unfortunate homeowners in every single generation, it is truly astonishing. And just when you think you have something figured out, or think there is no way around a certain situation, the writers throw you for a loop! You can try to put the pieces together but you won’t be able to piece them all correctly.

American Horror Story, if you can get past the sex and gore (though it is not much compared to American Horror Story: Asylum) is one of the most disturbing and equally entertaining shows I have come across in a long time. It’s a psychological thriller just as much as it is a blood and guts horror. There’s a lot of symbolism and plenty up for interpretation. If you think you can handle it, give it a go! Still not sure about watching it? Well, a slight SPOILER. Have you seen Lost? Well, you know how everybody dies in the end? Yeah. Everybody dies. Only it’s not dignified like what we saw in Lost so the comparison ends there. Keep in mind though, American Horror Story is a series of mini series, so every season is its own complete story. With that in mind, watch at your own risk (and without children nearby).

Bonus Features:
The Murder House presented by Eternal Darkness Tours of Hollywood 6 minutes – If you are debating watching the series, I’d watch this house “tour” which will give you a good idea what you’re walking into. Otherwise, there’s nothing to see here.

Behind the Fright: The Making of American Horror Story 24 minutes – If you enjoyed the previous feature and want more while still deciding whether or not this series is for you, watch this feature. The cast and crew talk about their characters and what it took to find and bring all of the elements together to bring us the story at hand. You’ll get to see the creation of the tone of the show here, which is very, very unique and what everyone involved with the show wants you the viewers to get out of the show. Oh the choices we make. The consequences are all wrapped up in this house, this season, and watching it all come together was a treat.

Overture to Horror: Creating the Title Sequence 10 minutes – Understanding the purpose behind the title sequence for this series but still not quite understanding every image within the sequence… if you are hungry for answers about the images, music and more, watch this feature.

Out of the Shadows: Meet the House Ghosts 15 minutes – Ghosts are one of my favorite aspects of the show so a feature dedicated to them made my day. It’s always fun to see how the actors perceive their characters as people and then as ghosts and how to portray all of that. Ghosts are so dark, they are what carry such a heavy shadow over this house, they are what keep this house alive, what keeps death alive.

Commentary – The commentary for the “Pilot” is conducted by Co-Creator and Director of the “Pilot,” Ryan Murphy. If you are a fan of Pilots conducted by one person, particularly the creator of the show, this is a treat for you. There’s so much to learn about Murphy’s vision and how it translated to the screen as well as interesting behind the scenes tidbits, so if you enjoyed the Pilot, it would be a disservice not to watch the commentary.

Own American Horror Story The Complete First Season on Blu-ray and DVD today.