Fast forward 30 years and Netflix. Ever since I had Netflix I have been glued to a series called American Horror Story. Ok, if you haven't heard about this series where have you been? Seriously. Shortlist magazine, called it one of the scariest shows on Netflix, and I disagree. It is THE scariest show on Netflix not one of them!
Real life people are woven into American Horror Story. Marie Laveau was a voodoo priestess from the series Coven who actually lived in New Orleans
American Horror Story is an American anthology TV series, each season is like a self-contained miniseries with many of the same actors but a different story each time. With seasons called Murder House, Asylum, and Freak Show, this show is in your face horror, not for the squeamish that's for sure! Murder House and Coven are my favourite series.
Murder House is the first season of American Horror Story or AHS to its fans. It's creepy and scary and brought AHS to the notice of people everywhere and got me hooked. It centers on the Harmon family, Ben who is married to Vivien and their daughter Violet, who move from Boston after Vivien has a miscarriage and Ben has an affair. They move into a restored mansion, unaware that the house is haunted by the ghosts of its former residents and their victims.
My favourite season though is Coven, about witches and voodoo in New Orleans. Coven follows a coven of Salem descendants who reside within Miss Robichaux's Academy in New Orleans. When I visited New Orleans in March I had to do the voodoo tour and see where Marie Laveau a voodoo priestess lived in New Orleans. This is where the AHS writers are very clever. They weave real life stories into the horror.
Marie Laveau is heavily featured in Coven, her character is played by Anglea Bassett in the series. This person who actually lived in New Orleans in the 1800's was a very intelligent woman, a hairdresser to the rich of New Orleans, and she gained her power from listening to women gossip and using this information. She had a gift for showmanship and was also a Catholic surprisingly. She was granted permission to complete her voodoo rituals behind St Louis cathedral, and would remove curses, read minds and be a spiritual guide. A lot of filming for Coven was actually done in New Orleans too, so if you are a fan of the series I highly recommend visiting if you are in the area and doing a voodoo tour.
To me, though, the best thing about AHS is the acting. So many of the cast have been nominated for awards with Jessica Lange winning numerous Emmy and Golden Globes, as well as Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson, and Lady Gaga (yes she is also in the series). Many of the same actors come back season after season, playing new but equally as frightening characters.
So if you are a fan of horror, and you haven't already seen it, catch AHS now. A new series Roanoke has just started showing on the FoX channel and you can catch the first four series on Netflix. If you are new to the phenomenon that is American Horror Story check out this guide to American Horror Story brought to you by My Voucher Codes.
