How Masked Horror Villains Should Jump the Medium

Ah, yes. What I am sure is going to be the next “low-rent” re-hash of one of my favorite horror flicks makes it’s way to the movie theaters today. “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” has had some worthy notes to the franchise and some rather full fledge duds as well. And this latest incarnate of Leatherface has me feeling that this is on the latter side of the sequel/remakes.

This time around “TCM” gets a name makeover to the awesomeness of “Texas Chainsaw 3D” (yes, for whatever the fucking reason we get to see Leatherface in all his gory glory in 3D… yay! And yes I am being sarcastic when I say “YAY”). Hollywood seems to still have a hard-on for that for some moronic reason. Sure we have the supper hot Alexandra Daddario for our heroine but is that enough to make me cough up ten plus dollars to sit in the theater, and in January no less. Because we all know that January is the dumping ground for crap movies. That and I have been fucked over too many times with these updates/reboots that have just sucked. (“Friday the 13th” anyone?)

Hey. I am all for a good telling of the same old story. (Just ask any of my friends who get to sit through one of my drunken retellings of days gone by to anyone new and/or willing to listen.) I think with how horror has finally jumped mediums and moved into television we can truly explore some of the old 80s villains. (Hell, they already have Norman Bates & Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lector cued up, ready to go.) Just look how widely respected “American Horror Story” and “Walking Dead” have become. This makes me think that it might be time to explore that thinking. How good of a story do you think can come out of story lines like “Hellraiser” if given a 13 episode run instead of trying to pound 3 lbs of shit into a 80-90 minute flick? Same goes to Freddy, Jason, and the aforementioned Leatherface.

Hopefully Hollywood is watching and taking note if “Bates Motel” takes off. Imagine the great TV horror fans and fans of the great masked villains would be given.

Until Next time…

BATES MOTEL NEWS: NORMAN GETS A MOM

It seems that Norman Bates’ mother has been found!

She was in the basement the whole time… lol

Anyway, it looks as if A&E’s television version of the 1960’s Hitchcock hit (“Psycho”) of one Hollywood’s most dysfunctional families ‘The Bates’ has cast Vera Farmiga to play the most notorious mothers in all of cinema for it’s up coming “THE BATES MOTEL”

The Academy Award nominated actress, [Vera] Farmiga (“Up in the Air”), downplayed the role of the twisted mother who unwillingly molds her son into a deranged serial killer, saying: “She’s complicated, passionate, and compelling, Norma Louise is a smart, multidimensional character who is always capable of surprising us.”

The show is being described as a contemporary exploration of Norman Bates' formative years and will explore the relationship between Norman and his mother, Norma. Offering a look at the backstory that helped set the stage the infamous serial killer and the forged what will eventually happen in “Psycho“. “Bates Motel” is being dubbed as a cross between “Twin Peaks” and “Smallville“.

A&E has opted to bypass the traditional pilot stage and has ordered a full ten episodes and is scheduled for a 2013 premiere.

“The Bates Motel” will be Carlton Cuse’s first television project since his “LOST” days as that show’s co-show runner and it’ll be interesting to say the least to see how “Bates” will turn out.

The role for Norman has yet to be cast.

American Horror Story - Season 2 Asylum

Ah, yes, “American Horror Story” is back and I can not wait, and if it’s anything like season one then it should be great. Although, I wasn’t all that crazy about the season finale of the show. Thinking that it should of ended with the episode 11 entitled “Birth”:

     “Tate (Evan Peters) cannot promise Vivien's baby to Nora, for fear of revealing to Violet that he raped her mother. Nora is resolved to take the child anyway.

Ben (Dylan McDermott) picks up Vivien (Connie Britton) to take her from the ward to her flight to Florida, not understanding why Violet (Taissa Farmiga) refuses to leave with him. The doctor strongly warns Vivien and Ben that, despite only being six months in the womb, one of the twins is ready to be born any minute, telling them that the other twin is dying because the dominant twin is taking all the nutrients.

In the house, Violet and Tate encounter Chad (Zachary Quinto) and Patrick (Teddy Sears) preparing a nursery and cribs, planning to take the twins. Violet objects, contacting Constance (Jessica Lange) for help in stopping them. Constance and Chad confront one another. Constance offers Ben's twin to Chad, but demands her grandson for her own. Learning that Tate is the father of the other twin, Chad remains resolved to take both children. Constance and Violet enlist the help of Billie Dean (Sarah Paulson), who senses Violet is dead, but keeps it a secret from Constance at her request. She tells Violet that she can banish a spirit if she burns one of its close possessions and recites the word "Croatoan". Tate obtains Patrick's ring when Patrick attacks him, screaming that he could have been "free" of Chad and the house if Tate hadn't killed him, which Chad overhears, heartbroken.

Ben enters the house to retrieve Vivien's bags and Violet. Violet tells him that she is dead from suicide and cannot leave the house, futilely urging him to take Vivien far away from the house and its ghosts before she gives birth. Ben thinks she is high and tries to take her to the car. Meanwhile, Vivien goes into labor in the car and Constance appears, taking her into the house against her will. The power goes out and ghosts destroy the car, forcing Ben and Vivien to have the babies there. Dr. Charles Montgomery (Matt Ross) handles the delivery, with the 1968 nurses' ghosts (Celia Finkelstein, Rosa Salazar) attending. Constance urges Ben to accept the house's help with the birth.

In the basement, Violet burns Patrick's ring and Chad's watch, and recites the spell, but Chad mocks her, saying that "banishment spells" are all fake. When she asks why he is destroying the cribs, he explains that he now knows that Patrick no longer loves him and has given up. He then tells her that Tate killed him and Patrick and also raped Vivien.

While Vivien gives birth, Ben helps her with her breathing, remembering the day Violet was born. The first twin is stillborn, and Dr. Montgomery hands it to a happy Nora. Constance takes the second twin, and she and Moira (Frances Conroy) gush over it, until Hayden (Kate Mara) appears demanding the child. Vivien begins to postpartum hemorrhage and Violet appears, apologizing to her and urging her to let go and join her. Ben, unaware of Violet's presence, urges Vivien to live, promising her that they can still have a happy life together. Vivien dies and Ben finds himself alone.

Violet confronts Tate, revealing that she knows all he has done and she forces him to remember the school massacre. Distraught, Tate begs for forgiveness, saying that Violet has changed him. She believes him, but cannot forgive him because Vivien is dead and Ben is alone. She states he must be punished for it and that, therefore, she cannot and will not be with him anymore. She forcefully banishes him by saying "go away" and Tate disappears. Violet, alone and crying, is soon comforted by Vivien's ghost, who tells her she was brave and that she is proud of her.” -which, in my opinion would of made a stronger impact on the audience.

Whatever the case, season 2 looks to be shaping up into something that is going completely bad ass as this time around we find ourselves not only in a metal asylum but a completely different time period altogether (that being the 1960s, prime time for the greatness of the metal institute craze… lol), and it is being touted that one time enemies will be allies.

“American Horror Story” premiers on October 17th on FX.