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[TV Review] “American Horror Story: Cult” Season Finale: “Great Again”

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American Horror Story 711-1

‘American Horror Story’ mostly sticks its landing as it ends a controversial season on a contemplative, cathartic note

“Women can’t lead. Women can’t win.”

After a season that largely fluctuates in quality, AHS: Cult’s final episode, “Great Again,” goes out with its heart in the right place. This finale kicks off with force as the episode jumps forward in time and smashes in everyone’s faces the reality that Kai is now in prison. However, Kai’s incarceration doesn’t slow down his trademark manipulation tricks. Kai might be in his biggest cage yet, but that doesn’t stop him from keeping his title as Divine Ruler. The skinheads that worship Kai in prison are no different than the “dude bros” that were supporting him before. He even hooks his talons into authority figures at the prison and finds new surrogates for past followers. The individuals aren’t important. This is all cyclical for Kai, just like the “Cult Leader Storytime” segments that have reiterated this all season.

Kai’s been in prison for nearly a year, but his plans remain at the same basic level: Women are Evil. Let’s Take Down the Women. It’s an angry, violent cold open that paints Kai as an automaton of sorts. He appears to be on autopilot as his imaginary bestie, Charles Manson, continues to call the shots. Kai may very well run out of rope here, but it makes for an exhilarating introduction to this final hour of the season.

On that note, AHS: Cult deserves some respect for their ambitious work with this finale. Past seasons of American Horror Story are no strangers to delivering a creative, atypical installment to close out the year. AHS: Asylum still manages to be one of the more effective examples of this as the season leans into its journalistic themes and transforms its finale into a documentary from Lana Winters (Lana also gets a pretty delightful shout-out here that brought a big smile to my face). So just when it feels like AHS: Cult is about to pull the rug out from under its audience, it’s deeply encouraging to see the finale remain mostly in 2018 and take its time before flashing back to how everyone reaches this point.

Frankly, I’d have been fine if we didn’t get any of these background details and were simply left to reach our own conclusions on Kai’s incarceration. This still feels like a finale that focuses more on Kai’s future and his rebirth, rather than a tedious lesson on how he falls from grace. It’s a smart decision that makes this final hour come alive, rather than resigning it to be on life support as it bungles the landing. It also doesn’t hurt that Jennifer Lynch directs the hell out of this finale and makes most of its subject matter resonate.

One of the most effective elements of this season has been the complete breakdown of Beverley Hope. Beverley’s mental anguish only intensifies over the past few episodes and Adina Porter does brutal work in her current state. She shuffles around like some lobotomy patient and is just eager for all of this to be over. At one point she wanted to run this show with Kai, but now she just wants the release of death. Beverley acts as a devastating character study of how cults can reprogram people to such shocking degree. Even when Ally tries to give her hope and tell her that change is coming, she doesn’t even know what she really wants anymore. She’s completely void of individuality and it’s just as harsh as any of the violence from this season. In fact, it’s worse. Thank God she’s able to get a moment of redemption before the season ends.

A lot of “Great Again” relies on Ally’s ability to run this show and outsmart everyone. She methodically moves all of her pieces into play so she’s able to pull off her giant coupe on Kai and his army. The success of this episode banks on the fact that Ally has some way to take all of these people down with her. Besides, all of Kai’s goons are too busy focusing on bigger issues, like how to successfully execute 100 pregnant women.

Ally’s success isn’t meant to be a surprise. It’s inevitable and something that has apparently been in the works ever since Kai sent her away for psychiatric help. A lot of this episode simply basks in Ally’s contentment. It’s almost the polar opposite of the season’s premiere where we meet Ally as a frightened, insecure mess. Hell, she’s even able to make a legitimate run for a seat at the Senate now, too. This transformation is no coincidence and after Ally’s triumphant coup, the episode slowly turns up the tension. Will Ally get her happy ending—let alone, does she even deserve it at this point—or is there one final danger that’s going to strike?

The episode plays Beverley’s story as an interesting counterpoint to what Ally experiences after her escape of Kai and his influence. Ally is the “celebrity” of the situation. She’s the survivor that everyone admires and wants to take their picture with while they praise her strength. That’s not wrong, necessarily, but Ally is still guilty of a shocking amount of murder and crime herself. She’s ready to put this behind her and use it to her advantage. At one point Beverley colloquially says to Ally, “You’re the one that we should have been worried about.” That’s the dangerous level of power that Ally plays with now. Even if she thinks that she’s okay, it’s clear that she’s changed and continues to change.

“Great Again” takes Ally’s run for the Senate and essentially morphs it into a redux of Clinton versus Trump, which frankly is the perfect way to bring this season full circle. The final scenes largely play out like some sort of fan fiction of the 2016 presidential election, but it’s an exaggerated moment that works. In other circumstances, such a conclusion might seem ridiculous, but audiences are more than ready to see Kai Anderson get his at this point.

Fortunately, this problematic season of American Horror Story seems to have gotten rid of most of its kinks at this point. With this season’s slow pace, this finale easily could have been split into two episodes, but it’s a better episode for not spreading story too thin. The year surprisingly ends on a note that not only doesn’t disappoint, but also manages to be somewhat optimistic. American Horror Story: Cult was far from a disaster and it certainly deserves points for ambition, but I’m still waiting for Ryan Murphy to make American Horror Story great again.

Daniel Kurland is a freelance writer, comedian, and critic, whose work can be read on Splitsider, Bloody Disgusting, Den of Geek, ScreenRant, and across the Internet. Daniel knows that "Psycho II" is better than the original and that the last season of "The X-Files" doesn't deserve the bile that it conjures. If you want a drink thrown in your face, talk to him about "Silent Night, Deadly Night Part II," but he'll always happily talk about the "Puppet Master" franchise. The owls are not what they seem.

Books

‘In Search of Darkness’ Book Review: A Must-Have for ’80s Horror Fans

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In 2019, the documentary of 80s horror In Search of Darkness became an instant hit with horror fans. Now, a beautiful coffee table style companion book is available and is a must-own for all fans of one of horror’s greatest eras. The book is a walk down the horror aisle of the best mom and pop video store in the heyday of VHS, featuring full color photos, poster art, insightful essays and more. More than just a nostalgic throwback, In Search of Darkness is the kind of book I wish I’d had back in my years as a burgeoning horror fan but is also satisfying for the film fanatic I have become in the years since.

The format is beautifully and simply laid out, with at least a dozen (usually more) movies from each year of the decade presented in order of release accompanied by informative and insightful essays by the authors Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley. Both authors have been mainstays of film journalism, specializing in horror, for many years. Wixson began her career in 2007 with Dread Central and has spent the past ten years as the Managing Editor of Daily Dead, from which she recently retired to focus on books and other projects. She has devoted the past several years to interviewing and writing books about the Make-up and Special Effects wizards that have brought so much to film over the years, specifically the horror genre.

Bromley is a film journalist and critic whose work can be found all over the place including right here on Bloody Disgusting. He recently provided the commentary for the Vinegar Syndrome release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and is known as something of a Tobe Hooper expert. He is also the founder and editor of F this Movie!, an eclectic film website, and host of its accompanying podcast. So, to be clear, the authors know their stuff.

Wixson and Bromley divide writing duties roughly in half and though each has a distinctive voice, their writing styles dovetail beautifully into a cohesive whole. Each author plays to their strengths. Being familiar with both their work I didn’t even have to look at the bylines to know that Heather covered Christine and Terror in the Aisles and Patrick took on The Funhouse and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. Wixson’s passion for make-up effects is clear and comes through in many of her contributions. In general, Wixson takes on the “big” titles, the movies that defined the decade the most, and Bromley covers what the more cynical among us might call schlock, but he would likely call pure cinematic bliss. There are exceptions and surprises, of course, as there should be (Patrick covers The Shining for example). Each essay dives into the history behind the film, the major players involved, the reception, and legacy with often surprising aspects drawn from interviews with the filmmakers from various sources and insights from the authors.

For all their in-depth explorations of each film, in general the authors keep their critics’ hats safely stowed, keeping in mind that every entry on the book has its fans. In fact, they may well have sold me on finally hitting play on some of the schlockier offerings of the decade like Evilspeak, Nightbeast, and Blood Diner. Hell, I may even give The Beast Within a spin for shits and giggles. The point is that this book is a celebration through and through. The authors are honest about the critical receptions of the films, which were often unkind, and sometimes let their own opinions shine through, but recognize how beloved even the schlockiest films can become given time and availability. And that is an ongoing theme of In Search of Darkness. What may have been dismissed in its day often becomes revered as the years pass. Variations on the phrase “the years have been kind to…” referring to various maligned projects like The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The Blob and many, many others, can be found throughout the book for good reason.

Each chapter of the book also includes a rundown of the top horror movies at the box office for the year as well as the top movies of all genres for context. The final page for each year highlights some of the major news and pop culture events including the top songs, albums, and television shows. There is a large central section that pays tribute to the talent involved with the greatest horror films of the 80s including directors, actors, effects artists, and more. This section includes brief biographies of John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Stephen King, Tom Savini, Barbara Crampton, Robert Englund, and many others presented in a dynamic and engaging fashion.

One of the beauties of the book is that it covers so much ground. Sure, you’ll find Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, and the Halloween sequels in it, but you’ll also find deeper cuts like The Changeling, The Being, and Tetsuo: The Iron Man. I was happy to find the same love given to Frank Henenlotter and Larry Cohen as to George A. Romero and David Cronenberg. In other words, In Search of Darkness is extraordinarily eclectic, highlighting the diversity that truly defined what is often viewed as a homogenous decade. The authors make the case that the 80s was horror’s greatest decade, and with what they lay out throughout this book, it’s tough to argue against that. I even came across a film or two I hadn’t even heard of before, which has become increasingly rare as the years go by.

At just shy of $85, the cover price may give some horror hounds pause, but believe me, it’s worth every penny. This is a beautiful volume that every fan of 80s horror will want on their shelf or prominently displayed on their coffee table. Filled with favorite titles, hundreds of full color photos, insightful and informative writing, this is simply a must own.

You can order your copy now.

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