The evil clown, also known as the creepy clown, scary clown or killer clown, is a subversion of the traditional comic clown character, in which the playful trope is instead depicted in a more disturbing nature through the use of horror elements and dark humor. The modern archetype of the evil clown was popularized by the DC Comics supervillain Joker starting in 1940, and again by Pennywise in Stephen King's It. The character can be seen as playing on the sense of unease felt by sufferers of coulrophobia, the fear of clowns.
Freaks is a 1932 American pre-Code drama horror film produced and directed by Tod Browning, starring Wallace Ford, Leila Hyams, Olga Baclanova, Roscoe Ates and Harry Earles.
American Horror Story (AHS) is an American horror anthology television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the cable network FX. The first installment in the American Story media franchise, seasons of AHS are mostly conceived as self-contained miniseries, following a different set of characters in a new setting within the same fictional universe, and a storyline with its own "beginning, middle, and end." Some plot elements of each season are loosely inspired by true events. Many actors appear in more than one season, usually playing a new character though sometimes as a returning character, and often playing multiple characters in a season. Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, and Lily Rabe have returned most frequently, with each having appeared in nine seasons, followed by Frances Conroy and Denis O'Hare who both appear in eight; Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, and Leslie Grossman appear in six, while other notable actors including Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Adina Porter, Finn Wittrock, and Jamie Brewer appear in five of the seasons.
"Edward Mordrake" is a two-part episode, consisting of the third and fourth episodes of the fourth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story. The first part aired on October 22, 2014, and the second on October 29, 2014, on the cable network FX. The first part was written by James Wong and directed by Michael Uppendahl and the second part was written by Jennifer Salt and directed by Howard Deutch.
The fourth season of the American horror anthology television series American Horror Story, subtitled Freak Show, is set in 1952 Jupiter, Florida, telling the story of one of the last remaining freak shows in the United States and their struggle for survival. The ensemble cast includes Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Michael Chiklis, Frances Conroy, Emma Roberts, Denis O'Hare, Finn Wittrock, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, and Jessica Lange, with all returning from previous seasons, except newcomers Chiklis and Wittrock. The season marks the first not to be strictly anthological, with Lily Rabe, Naomi Grossman, and James Cromwell reprising their roles from the series' second cycle, Asylum.
"Massacres and Matinees" is the second episode of the fourth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on October 15, 2014, on the cable network FX. In this episode, a curfew is placed on Jupiter, as the police investigate the freak show when they suspect that a police officer was murdered on the premises. It was written by Tim Minear and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon.
"Pink Cupcakes" is the fifth episode of the fourth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on November 5, 2014, on the cable network FX. It was written by Jessica Sharzer and directed by Michael Uppendahl. In this episode, Stanley and Elsa have their own ideas on getting rid of Bette and Dot as Dandy finds his first victim.
"Bullseye" is the sixth episode of the fourth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on November 12, 2014, on the cable network FX. It was written by John J. Gray and directed by Howard Deutch. In this episode, Elsa prepares to work in television by starting a new act and the sisters settle in their new home.
"Test of Strength" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on November 19, 2014, on the cable television network FX. It was written by Crystal Liu, directed by Anthony Hemingway and focuses on the camp girls planning revenge on Dell.
"Orphans" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on December 17, 2014, on the cable network FX. It was written by James Wong and directed by Bradley Buecker.
"Magical Thinking" is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on January 7, 2015, on the cable network FX. It was written by Jennifer Salt and directed by Michael Goi.
"Tupperware Party Massacre", initially reported with the title "The Fat Lady Sings", is the ninth episode of the fourth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on December 10, 2014, on the cable network FX. It was written by Brad Falchuk and directed by Loni Peristere.
"Show Stoppers" is the twelfth episode of the fourth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on January 14, 2015, on the cable network FX. It was written by Jessica Sharzer and directed by Loni Peristere.
"Curtain Call" is the thirteenth and final episode of the fourth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story, which premiered on January 21, 2015, on the cable network FX. It was written by John J. Gray and directed by Bradley Buecker.
"Checking In" is the premiere episode of the fifth season of the anthology television series American Horror Story. It aired on October 7, 2015, on the cable network FX. The episode was co-written by creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk and directed by Murphy.
The seventh season of the American horror anthology television series American Horror Story, subtitled Cult, takes place in the fictional suburb of Brookfield Heights, Michigan, during the year 2017, and centers on a cult terrorizing the residents in the aftermath of Donald Trump winning the 2016 U.S. presidential election. It is a season that does not present supernatural elements. The smallest ensemble cast of the series, it includes Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Billie Lourd, Cheyenne Jackson, and Alison Pill, with all returning from previous seasons, except newcomers Lourd and Pill. This season marks the first to not feature cast mainstay Lily Rabe.
"Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" is the second episode of the seventh season of the anthology television series American Horror Story. It aired on September 12, 2017, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Tim Minear, and directed by Liza Johnson.
"Election Night" is the first episode and season premiere of the seventh season of the American horror anthology television series American Horror Story, subtitled Cult. It aired on September 5, 2017, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, and directed by Bradley Buecker.
"Holes" is the fifth episode of the seventh season of the anthology television series American Horror Story. It aired on October 3, 2017, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Crystal Liu, and directed by Maggie Kiley.
FräuleinElsa Mars is a fictional character and protagonist appearing in FX's American Horror Story:Freak Show. She was primarily created by Ryan Murphy and portrayed by Jessica Lange, debuting in the 2014 episode "Monsters Among Us". Often portrayed as a villain by her fictional troupe of freaks, Elsa serves as one of the main characters during the events of Freak Show who tries to introduce her fame to the world of "monsters." She is the fourth and last character portrayed by Lange in American Horror Story, with the exception of Constance Langdon, who she reprised in American Horror Story: Apocalypse.
