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Thursday, October 19, 2017

Lena Dunham Stole The Show, As Valerie Solanas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


                               I had so much fun with the seventh episode of "American Horror Story: Cult."  Entitled, "Valerie Solonas Died For Your Sins: Scumbag," it gave Lena Dunham a chance to steal the show as this week's titular character.  As long as she was on camera, she blew everyone else off the screen.  Even Evan Peters and Allison Pill.  Though I loved Peters' creepy take on Andy Warhol.

                                I also love Adina Porter as Beverly Hope. Hons, I am telling you, she is this generation's New Journalism--impassioned, direct, and on the mark.  Not unlike yours truly.  Everything modern journalism has ceased to be, which is why it is in such a decline.

                                But back to Lena as Valerie.  Her take is more fun and campy, in keeping with the spirit of this show.  For the gold standard on Valerie, turn to Lili Taylor in "I Shot Andy Warhol."

                                 Believe it or not, I once wanted to be the gay Valerie Solonas.  I tried reading "The Scum Manifesto," (Which stands for what, girls?  Society To Cut Up Men!!!!!!!!!) but found it an endless rant, just like Ian Brady's book on his serial killing career.

                                  But just that bit made me want to be the gay Valerie Solonas where I would rid the world of homophobic straights, and great big old closet cases.  I actually found a better way to do it than Valerie.  I simply exclude such from my life.

                                  Lena's posturings, though were so much fun to watch.  Her crazy hair, as she got loonier and loonier!  I thought she was going to get up on the table, at one point, and do "Valerie's Turn!"  It would have been a hoot!  The only other actress I could have seen in this role is Amanda Plummer!  Hey, where is Amanda, anyway?  And, Ryan, why don't you get her on this show?

                                   Finally, FINALLY, along comes Frances Conroy, as Bebe!  Oh, my God, that wig!  I thought she was trying to be Shelley Duvall.  And that whole Zodiac killer thing?  Crazy!!!!!!!!!   It might work in the AHS Universe, but I do not see Valerie Solonas, in real life, as being clever, subdued and objective enough to be as skilled as the Zodiac killer had to be.

                                    And how about that end, with Frances having the last laugh?????  This actress is having the time of her life with this role, and I am loving every minute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     I still have questions about those decaying parents, and how they got that way.  I think it was the children.  And I think they may have been justified in doing it; ie; abuse.

                                     But it was Lena's show, all the way!

                                      Now, all I have to do is wait for Lily Rabe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             

4 comments:

Victoria said...

Lena's a hoot!!

Videolaman said...

Ugh, Lena Dunham. I can totally see how you would find her portrayal of Valerie amusing, but it was torture for me (and I imagine most of the AHS audience). Dunham was so wrong for this on so many levels, even attention-whore stunt-casting Ryan Murphy should have thought twice and rescinded the offer.

Her Valerie might pass muster if you aren't familiar with Dunham's previous work, but if you are, forget it. Having sat thru six seasons of her over-baked HBO series "Girls", I'm unfortunately hyper-aware of all her acting limitations and tics. Her character Hannah on "Girls" was nauseating and annoying beyond the pale, but the show itself, supporting cast, and some of Dunham's writing could make it soar on occasion. Every now and then, Dunham would mercilessly mock herself via her Hannah surrogate, which made it more palatable. And she had one searingly relatable moment in the first season that everyone hoped (in vain) signaled a gripping series would develop.

The problem with Lena as an actor is she apparently thinks playing an exaggerated version of herself is the answer to any and every role. Her portrayal of Solanas was exactly the same as her portrayal of Hannah: a loud, cartoonish, braying, bovine, clueless cow. The very idea that this uncharismatic thunder-thighed slob could inspire a loyal '70s death cult was ludicrous. Every mannerism, every bit of body language was Hannah Horvath of 2016 Williamsburg. Her pathetic attempt to (sporadically) nail Valerie's accent just made it more of a ridiculous cartoon: Lena's interpretation of Valerie Solanas was essentially Foghorn Leghorn as a lesbian.

Dunham might have been (barely) tolerable if she wasn't required to carry the Zodiac cult subplot, and if Evan Peters version of Andy Warhol had been as tone-deaf as her Valerie. But she was expected to be plausible as the Zodiac mastermind, and Peter's take on Warhol was so good and so original he blew her clear out of the water. Honestly, it felt like she didn't even try.
Amanda Plummer, Lily Rabe, Denis Hare in drag, hell even Lady GaGa would have been far better, more compelling choices. Thank Jehovah this was just a one-off: if I had to spend the rest of the season with her I'd have to drop out.

At least, as you said, we got a mesmerizing new Francis Conroy character out of it! On to next week, and seeing just how insanely devious Conroy's "psycho Bettie Page" will get....

The Raving Queen said...


Well--

I had never seen Dunham before, nor knew
what she was known for. Lili Taylor is still
the gold standard, but I doubt she would have'
wanted to reprise the fine work she did earlier,
and not the camp fest made of it here. While I
think Plummer could have pulled it off, she might
have seen the entire role as reprising her classic
opening in "Pulp Fiction."

Unfamiliarity made Dunham work for me. Lili
still sets the standard. As for Frances Conroy,
what a delight. I still expect Lily Rabe to show up
as a surprise!

The Raving Queen said...

Victoira,

I simply adored her highjinks as Valerie.
It was, indeed, a hoot!