Someone's at the door. (Please let it be the UPS guy with my copy!)

[amanuensis1]

It's here on DVD at last, and I can plug it.

Another of those "too good for television, only ran one season" shows, yes. I'm asking all of you with even the littlest bit of interest to give American Gothic a try. Put it on your Netflix queue, ask for the boxed set for Chrismukkahwanza, whatever--give me the pleasure of having you discover the moan-inducing joy that is Lucas Buck, the most seductive devil-on-earth bastard ever to own a small town.

I'm going to quote Bruce Webster's summary straight from the Amazon page ('cause why mess with excellence):

Like "Firefly", "American Gothic" is a unique, outstanding series never given a chance by its network (CBS, in this case). It was also probably the most chilling and disturbing series ever to air, a stark morality tale with Gary Cole as the Devil incarnate (or a close kin), disguised as Sheriff Lucas Buck of the small town of Trinity, SC. Buck rules over his little kingdom with morbid humor and playfulness, setting up moral pitfalls and dilemmas for the town's inhabitants, and dispensing his own brand of justice or vengance or just plain meanness--which often involves ruin, insanity, dismemberment, or death.

Opposing Buck is young Caleb Temple (played by Lucas Black), an orphan who talks regularly to his dead sister Merlyn and who has powers of his own--and who may or may not be Buck's son. Buck wants Caleb to follow him; Merlyn wants Caleb to resist; and the rest of Trinity gets caught in the crossfire, so to speak.

Watching Lucas Buck prey on pretty little Gail Emory (and wishing I were in her shoes) is still one of the highlights of my randy imagination. Go watch, darlin'.

Comments

[melpemone.livejournal.com]

SWEET MERCIFUL GOD YOU REMEMBER AMERICAN GOTHIC?! Oh Amanuensis, I knew I loved you for a reason! I adored that show! My heart was broken when it was cancelled! I can BUY this?! ::crashtackles::

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

You can buy it as of TODAY. In Media Plays and Best Buys and such ALL OVER!!! *gives you mad-eyed grin*

[gmth.livejournal.com]

Chrismukkahwanza

Hee! Best new word ever!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I actually liked the term "Festivus" (and the Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream flavor they made of it was pretty good too!).

[ldybastet.livejournal.com]

Oh yes! I remember watching that! I loved it and I was so disappointed they cancelled it!

It had such gorgeous atmosphere, and just the right amount of spooky.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

It was the show that made eating tuna fish sandwiches the sexiest thing ever.

And no, that's not a euphemism.

[nopejr.livejournal.com]

Dude! Bastards! *makes them release region 2 version goddamit fucking region encoding arrgh killkillkill*

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

*ducks your wrath* I feel your pain, truly.

[atalantapendrag.livejournal.com]

Multiregion DVD players are getting a lot easier to get hold of. Google "DVD region hacks", you might be able to convert the one you have.

[fluffyllama.livejournal.com]

Hehe, I should have know you'd like that. Thank god it's on DVD at long last, I can get rid of the taped-off-TV videos and the uh, versions the internet pixies sent me *cough*. I completelysecondthe recommendation, for anyone reading this who hasn't seen it. MMmmmmmmm.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Yes, I had Sci-Fi channel tapes of all the episodes myself! They were gonna wear out, I swear.

[marinarusalka.livejournal.com]

I loved American Gothic. A show ahead of its time -- I think it would've done better had it aired today. For the rest of my life, I'll never be able to hear "someone's at the door" without getting chills.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I used to use "Someone's at the door," as a sort of "you have broken my BRAIN" response among my friends who were fans.

[nimori.livejournal.com]

Oh, I remember that show now. I couldn't watch it. I was too askeered. *is big 'fraidycat*

[nimori.livejournal.com]

... And now you've got me thinking about The Ring and wanting to write a fic in which the Dursleys murder Harry when he's a kid and he can't rest until he kills Voldemort.

[twistingflame.livejournal.com]

*trusts* In the netflix queue as I type.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Oh, goody! I should mention that I don't find the pilot as compelling as the episodes which follow, but then I saw the pilot later. So I have to see what someone new to the show thinks.

[djin7.livejournal.com]

That is an outstanding show. With the added bonus of being conceived of and produced by Shaun Cassidy. Which also makes me quite happy. (He also co-created Roar)
All the good shows get cancelled. *sigh*
CHeers!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

With the rare exception of the show that stops when it's told its story. *eyes Babylon 5* But how often does that happen?

[glockgal.livejournal.com]

Woot! Something new to definitely add to my list. The best thing that was ever created for TV series is the DVD. It's like the tradepaperback of comic books. Yays!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

And the best thing that was created for DVD is Netflix, I swear!!

:D

[kagyakusha.livejournal.com]

I was so happy when I saw that they were releasing that on DVD.
I had recorded it off tv when it was aired -- but all of those are
on VHS, and I don't own a vcr anymore... X_X I could only watch them
if I talked my parents into loaning me their vcr.

Re: :D

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

And now we get it in an easy-to-transport form, yayy!! And without the commercial interruptions!

[lagreyeyes.livejournal.com]

God, that was a great show! My husband and I watched it faithfully every week and were so pissed off when it wasn't renewed!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Because the TV networks have the Stupids. Or the Agenda of the Stupids, which is not really the same thing but works out the same way, sadly.

[moonlite-tryst.livejournal.com]

Fanfuckingtastic! Can I say I love you for bringing this to my attention. I signed a petition months ago on the web site for it's release. The series hasn't been repeated on UK TV (apart from the sci-fi channel and they never went right up to the last episode for some reason) for years. I sincerely hope a Lucas Buck/Lucius Malfoy plot bunny comes nibbling at your heels begging for attention *crosses fingers*. Now all I need is a second series.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I am so happy to have alerted you, whee! And ooh, Lucas/Lucius; I have NO idea who would top. *plots and plans*

[calledbackhome.livejournal.com]

Man, I SO loved this show! My husband and I used to watch it religiously and were so bent when it disappeared...kinda like Carnivale...

All the best shows get the boot. I look forward to watching the show again! Thanks for the post - I'd never have known about this otherwise!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad! We must squee over the good bits all over again once we get to see them in glorious no-commercials DVD.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Yippee! This is exactly what I was hoping for--alerting all the people who didn't know it was arriving. *hugs you*

[isako.livejournal.com]

OH MY GODS DEMONS NATURE SPIRITS AND MINOR IMPS, IT'S ON DVD? THE PETITIONS AND TEARS AND WHINING AND PRAYER WORKED? AAAGEOIHCFBVZSIERGdvziienq2e4...

I beg your pardon. I have to explode with uncontrollable joy now. And then do the Happy Squirmy Puppy Dance. FOR A YEAR.

If ever, ever there were a moment for me to have a joyasm, this is that moment. Lucas Buck. On DVD. A DVD which will be sex incarnate. ::does not have words for how thrilled and frankly turned on she is::

[isako.livejournal.com]

*joyasm. Only with a G. JoyGasm.

My ecstasy knows no spellcheck.

[ruthannereid.livejournal.com]

YEEEEEEEES!!! I have been WAITING for this series for YEARS! WOHOOO!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Haven't we ALL! *dies of the happiness*

[atalantapendrag.livejournal.com]

First five discs from Neflix were just shipped to me today :)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

You get five discs at a time? You ANIMAL!

[sobriquet-99.livejournal.com]

Got it got it got it!!! One HUGE problem with the DVDs, though -- the episodes are apparently shown in the order they aired, which is not the production order and which messes the hell out of the ongoing story. You can get the correct episode order here in an easy-to-swallow, pretty much spoiler-free form.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Is that true? Who the heck was in charge of that? The link is great, thank you--I suspect I'll be popping in "Dead to the World" first thing, because that was my first episode and is probably still my favorite.

[lyttlelucyfer.livejournal.com]

I was only about 13 when that show was aired in the UK and I was allowed to stay up late to watch it until my Mom saw half an episode and freaked out because it was so scary. I'd love to know what happened in it. Also I was too young at the time to truly appreciate why so many women who didn't care for the story line watched it.

I bought my first DVD player the other day. I think the fates are conspiring for me to see this.

A few years after the last I saw of American Gothic, I read most of the Preacher series of comics, and for some reason they made a little link in my mind. Anyone ever read Preacher? It's fantastic. The Devil doesn't get all the good lines; the Saint of Killers does.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Yes yes yes! It is fate, you must see it!

And at some point I should look at Preacher; I hear that get mentions all the time.