Oh, my God, girls, I am telling you, if you were not raised Catholic, but especially if you were, you have GOT to see "Asylum" on "American Horror Story." This show has everything--a mental hospital resembling an abandoned Catholic school, two nuns who are the most whacked out depictions of the profession I have ever seen, (and two brilliant performances delineating them!!!!!!) a corrupt priest, a sadist doctor who used to be a Nazi war criminal, serial killers, and a Pinhead named Pepper!
It is a long way from "The Trouble With Angels."
Let's start with Sister Jude, played by Jessica Lange. I knew this show was for me, when, minutes into the action, when Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson) shows up on the premises, implying she was named after Lana Turner, Sister Jude replies, "That's a train wreck of a woman. Now Jennifer Jones...she was a true lady. Have you ever seen 'The Song Of Bernadette'????????" "Of course I have," Lana replies. "It's a classic."
From that moment, I was in. Sister Jude runs the place on Catholicism of 1964, when sex was a sin!!!!!!!!!!! They even have a patient known as Chronic Masturbator, and, boy, do they have a time, with him! Wonder how the actor got cast in that role???????????
Like Deborah Kerr's character in "Black Narcissus," Sister Jude has a back story, but it is a lot more interesting than simply being engaged to a man, and going swimming in a one-piece bathing suit. She was Judy Martin, back in 1949, a promising, and promiscuous, nightclub singer--are there any other kind?????-- who likes to dress in red and get all sexed up. She also likes to drink, and one night she overdoes it, runs over a little girl, leaves her there, and smashes into a tree in front of a convent, where she is found by Mother Superior Claudia, and gets The Call! I kid you not, dolls! This show crams it all in!
Having taken her vows, Sister Jude makes Gladys Cooper in 'Bernadette' look like a nice guy!!!!!! She screams, canes people, and just delights in being malicious, And, of course, you just GOTTA love her!
Now, Jessica Lange does a brilliant job as Sister Jude. But I am telling you, the reason to watch this show, the one who walks off with it singlehandedly, is Lily Rabe, as Sister Mary Eunice McKee.
Who would have thought the daughter of David Rabe and the late Jill Clayburgh, whom she resembles, would be such a compelling actress???????? Of course, it is the role; nuns always bring out the best in an actor or actress. But Sister Mary Eunice plays it very close to the vest, being as angelic looking as Bernadette (especially in the early episodes) one minute, then demonically possessive the next! As the possession worsens, she goes from one to the other in a split second with such transitional ease, even MERYL STREEP would be impressed!!!!!!!!!!!!
And both she and Sister Jude are partial to that color, red!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lily has done quite a bit of stage work in town, but I have missed it, because I never realized she was one to watch for! But she is, and from now on, I have my eye on Lily!
I just LOVE Sister Mary Eunice! I relate to her, too, because I have that same blend of innocence and demoniacal The only difference is, I know when I choose to use it. Sister Mary Eunice has no control.
She was ripe for possession because of her interesting back story--a naive young girl, who, in high school, was tricked by her peers into posing naked on a diving board at a pool party! Enough to scar an adolescent for life!
Then there is James Cromwell, as Dr. Arden, who is really Hans Gruper, an ex-Nazi war criminal. He is sadistic; forget anaesthetic with him, and does weird experiments that produce creatures resembling those on Dr. Moreau's "Island Of Lost Souls." And wait till you see what he does to Chloe Sevigny!
He is supposed to be seven feet tall, (Cromwell is actually 6'7"!!!!!!) but he is hung, like a golf pencil!!!!!!!!!
He has the hots for Sister Mary Eunice, because of her purity and innocence, but when she turns diabolical, and spreads for him on the table, he is repulsed in true Catholic fashion!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sarah Paulson is a delight as Lana Winters, who is almost the viewer's guide through this maze of horror! She is as brilliant here as when playing Anne Gillette on 'SVU'.
What else? Well, of course there are bull dyke nuns, not to mention Zachary Quinto playing a serial killer, with typical Mommy issues. Much more interesting is Nikki Hahn, as Jenny Reynolds, abandoned by her mother at Briarcliff Manor for being a homicidal child, like Rhoda Penmark, in "The Bad Seed," right down to the pigtails! She murders her playmate, Josie, with scissors, and then, when Mommy returns for her out of guilt, Jenny gets even the next day, and murders her family!
You just gotta love her, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There's only one thing left I gotta say about this show, that presses all MY button!
You have to see it for yourselves, hons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, and we just LOVE Naomi Grossman as Pepper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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