‘American Horror Story: Coven’ Blu-ray Release Event

Article first published as ‘American Horror Story: Coven’ Blu-ray Release Event on Blogcritics.

This weekend, FOX and H+K Strategies threw an event in New Orleans to celebrate the release of American Horror Story: Coven on Blu-ray and DVD (my review of this set will be forthcoming). Held at Buckner Mansion, which served as the exterior of Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies during filming, press and fans were treated to cool costumes, an advance screening of a new episode of the franchise, and the chance to hear from a few of the people involved in the show. Needless to say, this was quite neat, and as a fan myself, as well as a reviewer, I jumped at the chance to attend.

The event day started with a walk through the imposing gate, and up those famous front steps of the more-than-a-century old dwelling, which actually was a school at one point, and still inhabited today. This was a rare chance to get up and close with an historic place not normally available to visitors. A charming guide, clad in black and with a witch-appropriate hat, provided some trivia and a few stories about the house, which she says is haunted. One might believe it, tucked into a rather picturesque setting on a quiet New Orleans street.

What struck me most about this place, is how small the yard actually is. In the show, it seems there is lots of room, and it’s quite likely that other outdoor locations were used in conjunction, although this wasn’t discussed at length. It is also very close to neighboring houses, making it a lot more suburban than it appeared. Still, it was very cool to be on that porch and see that white facade and those hand-carved columns.

Going inside, Buckner Mansion is actually quite different than Miss Robichaux’s in the show. There is no grand staircase, and only a small number of rooms make up that ground floor (if you can call it a ground floor, given its height off the ground). But it still seems full of the past, well decorated and preserved, and some of marketing photography for the show was completed in the room we were ushered into.
Adding to this were a number of costumes used in American Horror Story: Coven, including both the maid’s outfit and golden gown worn by Madame Delphine LaLaurie (Kathy Bates) and the chicken restaurant uniform belonging to Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe). Eleven costumes in all, all from female characters, were on display, and it was pretty cool to be so up-close-and-personal with clothing actually worn in the television show. There was also an entire room of hats used in this season, and the costume Emmy won was on display.

Then came the question and answer session with Jamie Brewer, an actress in both Coven and the first season of American Horror Story, and Emmy-award winning costume designer Lou Eyrich. The ladies had many insights about Coven. They got to tell us who their favorite characters and favorite scenes were, and what powers they’d like to have (clairvoyance for Jamie and time travel for Lou). Both were entertaining and natural on stage, seemingly happy to be there and plenty willing to answer questions at length, both from the moderator and those seated, which the myriad of fans, many of whom were in costume, enjoyed.

At the end of this panel, Naomi Grossman, who played Pepper in the second season of American Horror Story: Asylum, a character brought back for this year’s Freak Show, made an appearance. Sadly, there was little time to talk to Naomi, but she seemed excited to be there, and joined the gathered crowd in a viewing of this week’s upcoming episode of American Horror Story: Freak Show. (I’ll be posting a full review of this episode Wednesday evening, so look for it!)

This concluded the public potion of the event, though press got to go upstairs and sit down with the three creative folk in turn. Each session lasted 20 minutes, or so, and were much more in-depth than the initial Q&A, leading to many revelations and interesting tidbits being discussed. All three ladies were beyond accommodating and friendly, even as they were exhausted from their work weeks, and when these concluded, Naomi even stood around chatting casually with those in attendance, a surprising treat.

Lou went first for the group interview. She told us how she actually got her start ironing costumes while touring with Prince. She was there with her boyfriend, a lighting tech on the show, and because the world of costuming is such a small one, she sort of accidentally discovered she had a hidden knack for it about the same times others in her industry did. This has led to much work for her, including on many of Ryan Murphy’s projects, and while she’s tempted to retire, she can’t resist being pulled back in every time Murphy pitches a new season to her.

Lou was humble in admitting that many of the performers in American Horror Story have told her the clothing she selects helps them get into character, but one could tell she takes great pride in her work, and deservedly so. She’s also a perfectionist and a hard worker, putting in extremely long hours during the months the show is in production, which came as a bit of a surprise to me, unfamiliar with everything that goes into finding all the costumes and keeping them constantly available, well-take care of, and often copied so that they can be destroyed or mussed up. She is definitely one of the underrated heroes on the set.

Next up was Naomi. Her head is shaved for the character she’s playing, but lacking the prosthetics that make her Pepper on this day, she appeared relatively normal. Unlike Pepper, who is not very intelligent and a woman of few words, Naomi sparkles with great energy and talks a lot! One can tell just how enthusiastic she is about the part and getting to play it again. She had many interesting stories about her time on the series, and though she jokingly admitted to wanting to kill off her on-screen brother so she didn’t have to share her pinhead-ness anymore, she seemed to have nothing but respect for all of her fellow actors. She said the set is extremely professional and everyone cares a lot about one another, from Oscar-winners Kathy Bates and Jennifer Lange, all the way down to some of the “freaks” this season that have little, if any, dialogue.

Unfortunately, Naomi was not willing or able to share any secrets about why Pepper has returned or what is in store for her this season. She did confirm it was nice to have the job security of knowing she won’t be killed off, since Freak Show is set about ten years prior to Asylum, where we first met Pepper. But if anyone on the production has clued her into what Ryan Murphy does or does not have planned for her, she did a terrific job of playing ignorant, which is exactly what she should do, so it’s hard to complain, especially about someone who seems so nice.

Last up was Jamie, a driven and smart girl who has many ambitions. While enjoying her chance to act, Jamie shared her interest in all of the various aspects of film making, especially writing, which she is working on honing right now, and music, telling us she is a dancer (though sadly she did not do any dancing at this event). Jamie spoke of the personal emotions her characters have brought out in her, and what it’s like to deal with frightening things on set, such as running from zombies. She mentioned having a lot of fun with her sexy love interest in Coven, as well as battling his controlling mother, played by the great Patti LuPone.

Like the others, Jamie had lots of nice things to say about pretty much everyone she works with. She had a lot of trouble picking a favorite scene or costume, but that’s only because she says she loves just about everything involved in the production. She is definitely someone who is going places, and through these great experiences she’s having with AHS, she’s quickly becoming prepared to step into some bigger and / or different roles going forward in her career.
 

At the end of the day, we braved the sudden downpour as we fled from the house. Looking back through the rain, we got one last glimpse of the very cool house (perhaps cooler with the water dripping from it) which has left me with a lot of memories and fun I will not soon forget. Kudos to FOX and H+K for throwing such a fascinating experience. 

American Horror Story: Coven is available on disc now.

Glee travels to "New York"

     FOX's Glee ends their season by sending the New Directions to "New York" City to compete in the Nationals for show choirs. The kids are excited, and have a hard time focusing on writing their original songs for competition, instead wanting to explore the city. Finn (Cory Monteith) takes Rachel (Lea Michele) on a romantic date, only to have her reject him because she knows her future is in NYC, and doesn't think his is. Kurt (Chris Colfer) reaffirms Rachel's belief by helping her live out some dreams. Will (Matthew Morrison) makes a decision between performing on Broadway and continuing to teach at McKinley. Sadly, but not unexpectedly, the New Directions do not place high, but emotions are dwelt upon, and most  characters are satisfied with the trip.


     The New Directions's competition performance is exactly what it needs to be. The duet will be discussed later on, but their showpiece is "Light Up the World." It is not a perfect song, but given that the kids didn't write it until after their arrival in New York, it is good enough. What's more, there is never much expectation that they will win. This episode is about getting to the big time, while next season, when most of the star characters are seniors, they will likely take home the 1st place trophy in a triumphant swan song.

     "Yeah!" is a little bit of filler, but gives some comparison point for the New Directions. It is well executed, and a pleasure to watch, even though it will not win, either. The costumes and choreography are bizarre, and bring the performance down enough that it is easy to imagine the glee kids beating them. They ultimately do not because of a lack of professionalism, but that's OK. Showing "Yeah!" gives viewers confidence the New Direction can easily conquer that level of song next year, and proves that not everyone at Nationals is brilliant.

     "My Cup" is a goofy little number, reuniting Brittany (Heather Morris) with Artie (Kevin McHale). Far superior to Rachel's ode to a hair brush, it isn't especially catchy, but the lyrics are funny. While Brittany works better with one-liners, it's nice the writers decide to experiment with something a little more lengthy, similar to her Fondue for Two bit a couple of weeks ago.

     For two years, Mercedes's (Amber Riley) lack of love life has been frustrating. Light breaks the horizon as she is revealed to be having a secret fling with Sam (Chord Overstreet). While this development is hinted at in "Prom," and the two actually make a nice couple, the need to keep things secret is confusing. Sam is a relatively private person, but Mercedes has been complaining about her lack of man for awhile, and all of a sudden, she can't even tell Kurt? Weird. But forgiven, because of how awesome it is to see Mercedes with a good man.

     Kurt and Blaine (Darren Criss) take things to the next level by exchanging "I love you"s over coffee as Kurt enthusiastically recounts his trip to Blaine. This is perfect timing, and as a couple, these two work very, very well together. Obviously, Blaine is moved by Kurt's passion to express himself, and enjoying seeing someone happy is a hallmark of true love. Yay for them!

     In an otherwise excellent episode, two glaring issues stand out. Number one is Will's quick abandonment of his Broadway dreams after rival coach Dustin Goolsby (Cheyenne Jackson) outs Will's plans to the New Directions. Will feels totally at home after taking the Crossrhodes stage to sing "Still Got Tonight," a surprisingly decent song written by American Idol Kris Allen. Although the series chooses to forgo another tasty Kristen Chenoweth guest spot, it is an almost perfect scene, moving in a way Will does not often achieve.

     Will has mentioned before that he always wanted to sing on Broadway. He can do April's show in between glee club seasons, because they are done with Nationals, and he can perform through the summer. Why give up that chance? He can do both. It's not an either / or type of choice. I expected a phone call with Emma (Jayma Mays), where she convinces him to do Broadway, or at least a show of encouragement from the kids as long as Will promises to return in the fall. Surely, at least Kurt and Rachel understand Will's urge. Why cop out so easily by having Will decide not to do it as soon as the kids find out?

     The second is Quinn's (Dianna Agron) similarly unexplored strong emotions. She expresses serious anger issues with Finn, wanting to quit the glee club. She says she no longer cares about the whole thing, which is understandable. But then Brittany and Santana (Naya Rivera) cheer her up with a hair cut, which is clearly a deleted scene musical number, and she's suddenly fine? The episode moves from furious Quinn and team player Quinn in seconds, with no explanation or exploration of how she can begin to heal.

     This likely spells the permanent end of Quinn and Finn. They give it two good tries, but the reasons they should be together are shallow and goofy. Finn realizes this, and moves on. It is time for Quinn to do the same. With her baby arc, she becomes a very strong character in season one. In season two, Quinn is losing her edge, reverting back to who she is in the early days of Glee. After so much good character development, this can not be allowed to happen. With graduation for Quinn looming next year, season three should feature a strong, independent Quinn ready to map out a successful future for herself.

     Rachel's apology to Sunshine (Charice) is unnecessary, and not needed. Much like both "unnecessary" and "not needed" in the same sentence. But considering it leads to Sunshine performing "As Long as You're There," it can be overlooked. It's not the strongest song in the episode, but Charice's talent has been so under utilized, any chance to see it is welcome.

     Glee takes full advantage of location shooting in New York for "New York." The opening mash up of "I Love New York" and "New York, New York" is spellbinding as the kids run all over the city. The scenery is gorgeous and distinctive to the setting, while the costumes and energy do a great job conveying the characters' excitement over the trip. It is everything that needs to be in the episode.

     Even better is Kurt's private tour for Rachel. They have breakfast at Tiffany's, and then break into Wicked's theater to perform an amazing rendition of "For Good," definitely a highlight of the episode. The two enjoy the theater aspect of New York City as no two other characters can, and their enthusiasm is infectious. It is not hard to imagine their lives returning to NYC after graduation, and both being lucky enough to make it there.

     Rachel and Finn finally deal with what a real relationship means between them. Rachel has dreams, and while she is content to be with Finn while in high school, she is not willing to give up being a star for him. At least not yet. He does write a heck of a love duet in "Pretending," which ends in them kissing on stage, likely ruining their chances of a win with such a blatant display of unprofessionalism. But Rachel, uncharacteristically, doesn't care, because she is falling for him all over again.

     Will Rachel's romantic notions grow stronger, clouding out her life's desire? Finn's final play comes on the heels of an overly romantic date on the streets of New York, complete with a chance encounter with Patti LuPone (cameoing as herself) at Sardi's, and serenading of "Bella Notte" from Lady and the Tramp by the glee guys. As such, Rachel may have been a little more open to him than she otherwise would be.

     Perhaps a nice spin-off, post-season three, with Finn deciding to tag along with Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine as the three inevitably travel to New York to become stars?

     Also nice is Jesse's (Jonathan Groff) last ditch play for Rachel. It is probably about as sincere as he can get, and demonstrates once more that he is not good enough for her. It's slightly disappointing that Will seems to encourage Jesse a bit, but perhaps the director is merely being kind. Having Finn be the one to ultimately tell Jesse off may be chauvinistic, but it solidifies his claim on Rachel, who deserves the attention.


     Glee was picked up for a third season long ago, and will return next fall to FOX. In the meantime, check out The Glee Project, premiering June 12th on Oxygen, a reality competition where young performers will compete for a chance to be on Glee next year. This column will review the premiere, but may or (more likely) may not cover it weekly, depending on how good the series is.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Click here for all of my Current Season Reviews.

     To purchase Glee DVDs, streaming episodes, music, and more, please click here!

Article first published as TV Review: Glee - "New York" on Blogcritics.