Monday, January 30, 2017

Movie review: American Horror Story : Hotel (Season 5)

Season 5 of American Horror Story, titled Hotel, focuses on a downtown LA hotel named Hotel Cortez, recently purchased by the wealthy Will Drake. What Drake doesn't realize at the time is that the 90-year-old hotel is plagued by spirits.

Kathy Bates (Iris), Sarah Paulson (Sally), Evan Peters (March), Wes Bentley (John), Matt Bomer (Donovan), Chloe Sevigny (Dr. Lowe), Denis O'Hare (Liz), Cheyenne Jackson (Drake), Angela Bassett (Ramona), Lady Gaga (Countess).

Season 5 of American Horror Story definitely does not disappoint. This season the Hotel Cortez in downtown LA is the focus as it is purchase by wealthy designer Will Drake. Along with the hotel, Drake acquires the resident ghosts and demons including hotel designer March and his love interest, The Countess. The season follows along as the ghosts relive their past failures, and attempt to lure fresh blood in the front door.

Acting as excellent this season with Lady Gaga being amazing with both delivery and her apparent willingness to go the distance. Peters and Bates once again demonstrate the depth of their skills, as does Paulson in an appropriately fitting creepy role. O'Hare gave a wonderful performance throughout, as did Bassett and the remainder of the cast.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were good as expected from this series. Though much of the season takes place in the same hotel, variety and detail is good. Effects and action scenes were well done with some good gore and more excellent detail. Dialogue was enjoyable as always with nice depth. Sound and soundtrack were solid.

American Horror Story continues to be an enjoyable franchise and Season 5 continues the tradition nicely despite the absence of Lang and Conroy. The seasonal stories, while bringing back cast members in new roles, are fairly unique, detailed, and quite disturbing. Franchise fans should enjoy this season.

With plenty of violence, gore, disturbing images, nudity, foul language, and adult situations this should be fine for older teens and above.

Released: 2016
Reviewed: 1.29.17
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Drama, Sci-Fi Horror, Serial Killers

copyright ©2017 Dave Riedel
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Mine mine mine!!!!

Blog disclaimer and copyright information. . .

-I hope to make this blog revenue generating in the future and as such any posts found here may be paid posts. If you want to pay me to post for you, let me know!
-Content may change over time resulting in inaccuracies. I also make mistakes, some will be here.
-I have no control over what is at the other end of any links you may find here.
-Film pictures, dvd covers, film banners or whatever you like to call them are copied here from widely available public locations. I did not create them nor do I own them.
-Any files, programs or downloadables are provided only for convenience and fun. I in no way warrant, represent, or otherwise imply they won’t cause you problems. Use at your own risk! If your computer blows up I don’t want to even hear about it.
-Reviews posted here are my opinion and meant as informational for prospective viewers and are not meant to malign, defame, or otherwise harm anyone or anything. They also are not meant as advice or counsel , not necessarily factual or absolute, and the author will not be held responsible for the results of their use.
-Comments are NOT the opinion of this author, nor is he responsible or liable for the comments or their results. I will try to moderate them in a reasonable (to me) manner.
-Translation of any portion of this blog may result in other than desirable language for which the author is not responsible. Furthermore, I’m not an English major so there will be bad grammar and punctuation found here. There may also be language that is intentionally objectionable to support my opinions. Tough.
-Copyright: All reviews and opinions expressed here by the author are owned by the author. Please enjoy reposting and/or linking, I ask only that you give proper credit and inform me you have used my content for your own pleasure and devious purposes.
-Legal limit on damages: .02 cents, U.S. (Yes, I will give you my 2 cents worth if you abuse me in court).