American Horror Story incorporates music in many of its seasons to advance the plot. I’m not talking about the soundtrack or background music used to set the mood, but rather music that is part of the actual story. Here are descriptions of these various creative uses of music. Continue reading →

Archive 81 is a mess.

I really wanted to like the series. I delight in a horror story in which music plays a role. It has a wonderful and diverse cast. But there are so many problems with the story, both large and small. The plot follows Dan, who restores archival footage and is hired to repair videotapes from a mysterious fire that destroyed the Visser apartment building in 1994. We watch him watching the parallel story of Melody, who moved into the Visser with her camcorder as part of a documentary project and disappeared in the fire, leaving behind the damaged tapes. Melody discovers that her strange neighbors are part of a cult involving human sacrifice. As her situation grows perilous, strange incidents begin plaguing Dan as well. Let’s take a look at how this narrative fails so miserably. Continue reading →