‘American Horror Story’: All The Movie References In Chapter 2 Of ‘Roanoke’

For Netflix’s Stranger Things, it was all about the classic ’80s movie references. However, in FX’s American Horror Story: Roanoke, it is all about classic horror films. In past seasons, AHS has not only referenced classic horror movies, but classic horror stories in general. So let’s have a look at how many horror movie references have been made so far in the latest season of American Horror Story.

Spoiler Alert: This article discusses Season 6 of FX’s American Horror Story. Please proceed with caution if you wish to avoid spoilers.

Season 6 of American Horror Story has started and already fans are noticing movie references in the first two episodes. It is nothing new to the AHS franchise, but, considering how well Netflix did the movie references in their latest hit show Stranger Things, it has come to the forefront with FX’s Roanoke season.

Each season of American Horror Story is based on a classic horror theme. Within that theme, many true stories are used. For example, AHS Murder House (Season 1) explored the Black Dahlia story in which wannabe actress Elizabeth Short was brutally murdered and dismembered.

Season 2, American Horror Story: Asylum, was not only based on many true horror stories about what used to happen in mental facilities, but also explored the real-life story of Barney and Betty Hill who claimed to have been abducted by aliens in the 1960s according to Sugarscape.

American Horror Story: Coven used many real-life characters in Season 3. Madame Delphine LaLaurie was a prominent socialite in New Orleans who liked to torture and kill her slaves. The Voodoo Queen (also known as Marie Laveau), played by Angela Bassett, and the axe man, played by Danny Huston, are other characters based on real-life horror stories.

Twisty the Clown in Season 4 of AHS was not actually a real person, but he was based on the serial killer John Wayne Gacy. This killer was a clown by day and a murderer by night, luring many young men to their death. But not all stories in American Horror Story are based on grisly events. Evan Peters’ Jimmy Darling character was based on Grady Stiles, Jr, who had the famous “lobster hands.” Oh wait, no, he was convicted of killing his eldest daughter’s fiance according to Pop Sugar.

The last season of American Horror Story saw a character based on the true story of H.H. Holmes, a man who hid his murdered victims in the walls of the building he was constructing. Hotel also explored the story of Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute who killed several of her clients. A second portrayal of John Wayne Gacy was also seen in Season 5 of AHS.

American Horror Story: Roanoke has also based their sixth season on a true story. The Roanoke colony mysteriously disappeared in 1587, leaving no trace behind except for the single word “Croatoan” carved into a tree and the remains of a human that may have belonged to one of the English garrison.

If this isn’t enough of a rich backstory for AHS to delve into, they have already started to include some blatant references to classic horror movies. The most obvious of these in Chapter 2 of Roanoke is The Blair Witch Project. The scene was set in Chapter 1 when Shelby (Lily Rabe/ Sarah Paulson) and Matt (André Holland/Cuba Gooding, Jr.) found many stick figures outside as well as hanging inside their house.

Chapter 2 of American Horror Story: Roanoke saw an expansion on this with the introduction of Denis O’Hare’s character. O’Hare plays Dr. Elias Cunningham, a professor writing a book on two nurses who killed patients at their aged care facility. Dr. Cunningham initially stays in the house, but then moves out into the cellar after strange things keep occurring in the house and he feels his life is threatened. Shelby and Matt find a video recording of Cunningham entering the house and it is very similar to the jumpy camera work in The Blair Witch Project.

The other classic horror movie reference in Chapter 2 of American Horror Story: Roanoke is The Amityville Horror. Matt’s sister, Lee (Adina Porter/Angela Bassett), brings her daughter, Flora (Saniyya Sidney), to the house. This is where Flora picks up an imaginary friend, Prescilla (Estelle Hermansen). Just like Amy’s imaginary friend, Jody, in The Amityville Horror, Prescilla befriends Flora and it looks like just any other kid with an imaginary friend at first. However, Prescilla quickly turns nasty and Flora lets the grown ups know that Prescilla will kill them all, saving Flora for last.

Did you see any other movie references in American Horror Story: Roanoke? Let us know by commenting below!

American Horror Story returns to FX with Season 6 Episode 3 on Wednesday, September 28, at 10 p.m. ET.

[Featured Image by FX Networks]