This Week In Hollywoodland – True Blood Version!

BEVERLY HILLS—This week in Hollywoodland was filled with surprises, new tell-all books, casting rumors, a prince threw a bash at the famed Beverly Hills Hotel and a Hollywood and Broadway legend was honored.

News came on a “True Blood” message board that the charismatic and talented Eric Braeden was being considered for a pivotal role as the supreme vampire on the hit HBO series. This role is for the vampire who is the leader of all vampires. The rumor was too good to be true. Or is it? Emmy-winner Braeden who has portrayed Victor Newman on “The Young and the Restless” for almost 30 years to date has recently renewed his contract with the soap. Last week Braeden’s representative told Canyon News, “Eric has agreed to return to ‘Y&R.’ This week when the rep was contacted for a statement about the rumors flying fast and furious online of Eric’s possible alliance with “True Blood.” The same statement was given.

EricBraeden-CBS1.jpg

I decided I had to delve deeper into this rumor, because Eric Braeden is the most powerful force in acting today on-screen and I can imagine seeing him as the head vampire and putting all the other bloodsuckers in their places like no other actor could convey on the small screen. It wouldn’t be a major surprise to see a performer doing double duty with “True Blood,” as Ashley Jones successfully played roles on “True Blood” and “The Bold and the Beautiful” last season smoothly. Also, during 1996 Braeden worked on the film “Titanic” starring Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslett while continuing flawlessly playing Victor Newman on “Y&R.” When Canyon News contacted HBO directly, they chose not to make a statement. Then I contacted the media relations division of Sony and CBS and was told, “Y&R does not comment on rumors.” Finally when Canyon News contacted the “True Blood” production offices, their media representative stated, “All I can say is we are currently seeing people all week for various roles for season 3.” Not a confirmation, but no denial either.

For now we’ll file this story under a rumor. Though it was too big of a story to go without some investigating, as Eric Braeden’s appearance on the hit show would put the already successful series over the top to mega-hit status in the time it would take for Sookie to decide to marry Bill.

The rest of the story is presented for completeness but is not True Blood related:

My friend His Serene Highness Prince Albert, II of Monaco has been enjoying his time here in the Hills of Beverly and last week threw a Monte Carlo Television Festival cocktail party at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Actress Dana Delany wowed the guests looking fit and beautiful and “Desperate Housewives” creator Marc Cherry was also in attendance. The fun table everyone remembered at the party was in the back of the room where Jeanne Cooper, Katherine on “Y&R” regaled partygoers with great stories and jokes. Doug Davidson and his extraordinarily beautiful wife Cindy Fisher were also at the table. Doug told Canyon News, “I came to the party and pretended it was for my birthday. We will have to talk to the staff about the missing birthday balloons. It’s a fun party.” Doug and Cindy had spent time earlier that evening with their beautiful daughter Calyssa at an art museum function. Doug later said of the evening, “It was nice that it was early, as we were home and in bed at a reasonable time.” Davidson had an early call at CBS the next morning. By the way, Happy Birthday Doug!

We’re not going to update you on “This is It” until we are sure it’s really all that we’re going to be hearing about Michael Jackson for a long time. We are going to tell you about the new book about Brangelina. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are Hollywood’s golden couple and we all knew it was only a matter of time before someone wrote a tell- all book about the entertainment super couple. “Brangelina Exposed” is going on sale December 1, and the author Ian Halperin who recently released the bestseller, “Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson” is promising another stunner. The book apparently will say in part that the wonderful relationship we all see between the couple is all for show and that they are not getting along and don’t like each other. It goes into how the power couple has manipulated the press and the public into believing they have a fairytale life together. I will chock this along with most of the Hollywood tell-alls and say, no thanks. Good luck.

Singer Taylor Swift is being yelled at by the media for posing at a party with a guy wearing a long t-shirt with a swastika on it. Celebrities are always in a position of being asked to take photographs with fans and I take Taylor at her word when she says, she had taken photos with at least 100 people that evening, and had not noticed what was on the man’s shirt. This is absolutely a non story that the press is pushing. This young lady is talented, beautiful and comes from a very good family. She should not have to apologize for what someone else is wearing. As for that individual, he should know better.

We are grateful to the LAPD for breaking the teenage burglary ring in town, which allegedly involved breaking into the homes of stars such as Orlando Bloom, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. On that note. My suggestion is everyone in Beverly Hills, Hollywood Hills and Malibu need to get a trained Doberman or two and a new alarm system. Initial information seems to point the fact that the perpetrators were well-known to their victims.

Jessica Simpson said earlier this week that she’s looking for an intellectual man. Good for her. However, maybe next time she shouldn’t date anymore football players, actors or pop singers. I suggest Jessica join the L.A. Country Club and meet some handsome smart doctors from UCLA Medical Center or Cedar’s. Barring the drastic change in her dating habits and her past being a predictor for who she will be dating in the future, she’d better make some alterations in her plans and tastes.

Constance Towers, actress, singer who lives in Beverly Hills with her handsome husband Ambassador John Gavin reports to Canyon News on her performance, “There’s Nothing Like a Dame,” in honor of the late legendary music and Broadway giant Richard Rodgers of Rogers and Hart fame. Towers says, “The show went very well, we even received a standing ovation. The other ladies who sang were, Karen Morrow, Nancy Dussault, Marni Nixon [Nixon dubbed Deborah Kerr’s voice in “King and I.”] Charmian Carr [Liesel in movie version-“Sound of Music”], and 94-year-old Patricia Morrison. It was at the El Portal Theatre in the Valley. We all told stories about our relationship with Richard Rodgers and sang his songs. The stories centered around Yul Brynner too.” Towers had some interesting facts about Rodgers and Hart which she relayed to the captivated audience that were given to her by the late legends. Towers tells Canyon News, “One was Mr. Rodgers and Mr. Hart were in a cab in Paris in 1927 with two beautiful girls and a car careened out of a side street nearly crashing into them and one of the girls said, oh, my heart stood still, Larry Hart turned to Rodgers and said, good title for a song. And of course it was a huge hit in ‘A Connecticut Yankee.’ Then I sang ‘My Heart Stood Still.’ It was an evening of Rodgers and Hart-Rodgers and Hammerstein. It was a very nice evening. I wish you could have been there, Tommy.”

Towers concluded by telling me a personal story from her own life in relation to Rodgers and Hart. “I was doing ‘There’s Nothing Like a Dame’ with Nancy Dussault last week when I remembered doing ‘Carousel’ for Mr. Rodgers at the City Center in New York. I was Julie and she was Carrie. In the middle of a very dramatic, tearful scene she leaned over and whispered in my ear, Connie, get a load of the handsome guy in the front row. Through my tears I sneaked a look and there sat John Gavin. He soon became my husband,” said Towers. Maybe Jessica Simpson should go to a play to find Mr. Right. Ms. Towers found her prince charming there.

Enjoy your week, see you next week!

Source: Canyon News

(Photo credit: CBS)

UK Third Installment of True Blood Season 1 – Mine

One of the vamps offered the male human (Jerry) for Bill to feed on, to which Bill agrees. As he is about to bite the human, Sookie hears the human’s malicious thoughts; he has “Hep D”.Sookie shouted “STOP!! he has Hep D” Bill stopped and the human pounce on Sookie and try to strangle her, but Bill broke Jerry’s hand and pushed him away. The other vamps grabbed Jerry and head out but one of the vamps wanted to know how Sookie knew about Jerry, however, Bill communicated with Sookie, letting her know not to say anything and the other vamps swiftly disappear.

Once they have gone, Bill apologized to Sookie for her encounter with the other vampires. Sookie asked Bill what Hep D is and Bill explained it as the only human disease that can affect vampires.  Hep D is harmless to humans but weakens vampires for about a month, it makes them weak, and easier to stake.

Sookie then asked Bill what on earth he meant when he said to the others that she was his. Bill explained that he was communicating with the others to let them know that he was the only one who could feed on her. Sookie was appalled and said that he “most certainly cannot” feed on her. However, had he not said what he had said, Sookie would have been fair game.

Sookie was angry with everything that she had encountered that evening. She explained to Bill that she found some contractors that have agreed to see Bill after dark. When she told Bill that she had to go home, Bill asked Sookie if he may kiss her good night. She refused, explaining that she “couldn’t stand it after them”.

Meanwhile, Tara and Sam as they finished their shift at the bar, they started to have a heart to heart. Tara knew that Sam was in love with Sookie and didn’t hold back when she asked why Sam has not made a move yet. Sam shot back at Tara about her love for Jason. It was like a tennis match between them, with comments being thrown back and forth.

Let’s not forget Jason, who we last saw tied to Dawn’s bed while she went to her shift at Merlotte’s.  She returned home after her shift to find her bed empty. Dawn was then molested, and forced on to the bed by an oddly dressed man. Dawn, at first thinks its Jason, but the man explained in a Scream-esque telephone voice that Jason was his starter and he was coming back for main course with Dawn. While Dawn is in a state of terror about the situation, Jason revealed himself from the mask. When Dawn realized that it was Jason, she lashed out. Jason cheekily told Dawn it was foreplay and he ended up getting his way with her again!

All was not well, part way through their very erotic sex, Jason lost his erection. Jason, being Jason, was understandably very upset. Dawn told him it happens to everyone, but Jason assured her that it had never happened before. Dawn returned from putting some clothes on with a gun, telling Jason to get our of her house.

He thought that she was messing around until she fired a warning shot at the floor. Jason made a run for it, while the neighbors came out to witness the commotion. While fumbling to get into his truck, Jason yelled towards the street that Dawn is a “crazy bitch”.

Back to Tara and Sam, who continued their heart to heart. Tara suggest that they should sleep together. At first, Sam flatly refuses Tara, but after persuading himself, he agreed to have no strings sex with her.

Tara returned home after her raunchy night with Sam, only to be confronted by her drunk mother who hit her with an empty liquor bottle. Tara left with haste and head straight to Lafayette’s.

Although Lafayette was ‘busy’ with a state senate (who pretends to someone he isn’t), he lets Tara in and gave her some TLC and a little extra.

The episode then jumped back to Sookie working hard on her grandma’s garden. Sookie has kept herself busy, trying to figure out her dilemma of what to do over Bill. She was not sure whether to follow her heart or her head.

She headed over to Bill’s and sat outside; it was midday, while Bill was fast asleep (or whatever it is he does when its daylight!)

Sookie thoughts take over her,  and she had a few ‘private moments’ before she was rudely interrupted by Sam calling her on the phone. Sookie was on her day off and she promptly told Sam that she was not coming in. However, all Sam wanted Sookie to do was to go and check on Dawn as she had not turned up for her shift. Sookie unenthusiastically agreed to go to Dawn’s.

Sookie arrived at Dawn’s, knocked more than once before inviting herself in. She walked in to find Dawn’s alarm clock  still ringing. Sookie made her way to Dawn’s bedroom only to find Dawn sprawled across the bed….Dead.

So yet again True Blood leaves you hungry for more.

This episode had a lot going on. I didn’t think it was as fast paced as the previous episodes and I kind of missed seeing Bill! However, we did get to learn a little more about Sam, Jason, Tara, and Lafayette.

More Bill in the next episode please!!!!

True Blood is on Every Wednesday at 22.00GMT on Channel 4.

Television’s Three Best Shows

HOLLYWOOD —With so many shows on TV, fans are always wondering what should we watch. Choosing the top three shows was a tough one, but I tried to be as fair and unbiased as possible. The three top shows are “True Blood,” the HBO vampire series that breaks all the rules more than any other television show on air today; CBS‘s “The Bold and the Beautiful,” for award winning acting and writing, which showcases some of television’s best actors like Susan Flannery, Jack Wagner, Ashley Jones and Kyle Lowder just to name a few; finally I am simply amazed by the acting and writing of Showtime’s “The Tudors,” which is the true story of King Henry VIII and his six wives. Two of which were doomed in reality and on the series to beheading for adultery and other alleged crimes by a King who was frankly uncontrollable even for the Catholic Church, which in the sixteenth century would have been considered the most powerful entity on the planet.

Sookie and Bill, True Blood, Courtesy: HBO

“True Blood” is one of those series that delves into the assimilation of vampires into mainstream society. The setting is Bon Temps, a sleepy town on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. with the regular stereotypes which did exist and in many ways still do. Vampires are essentially the minority population in the south on this series, they battle discrimination and bigotry. One thing however is different from the real story of this part of the country. Vampires are unstoppable forces when they need to be, while other minorities decades ago had no superpower strengths to get them the respect they fought and died for many times in our nation’s history.

Courtesy: Showtime

From vampires to shape shifters and mind readers, the show is a supernatural story of love between breakout actor Stephen Moyer as  vampire Bill Compton and his heroine, Academy Award winning actress Anna Paquin’s character Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie is the heart of the show, she is the protagonist which struggles to protect those she loves and even herself against often demonic forces like an ancient maenad, which was portrayed by Michelle Foster as Maryann. The one theme in the series is Sookie is our heroine. We want her to remain safe and happy, yet thanks to the genius of director and creator Alan Ball, we know that such a boring scenario is not possible.

Kyle Lowder Courtesy: Gillse Toucas, Bell Phillip TV Prod

“The Bold and the Beautiful” has something going for it that no soap created in the past 20 years can brag about. It is not only the most successful soap in television history but every soap brought on during this show’s two decade long history has failed and been canceled. From “Passions” to “Sunset Beach,” none of these soaps has captured the audience’s attention like Bradley Bell’s charge. Bell just two months ago accepted the coveted daytime Emmy award for Best Daytime Drama. No award has ever been so deserved.

The series focuses on the Forrester clan headed by John McCook’s Eric and Susan Flannery’s Stephanie. With Flannery on the series, there is no stopping the success of this show. Ms. Flannery is perhaps an act of nature as a performer She is surprising, powerful and beautiful, all of the attributes one thinks of when describing a natural act in nature. Bell’s writing is sharp, entertaining and at times over the top. In only the best ways, that is. An over the top soap is what fans desire today, which is why the show is the most watched TV show on the planet. Actors like Kyle Lowder, Jack Wagner, Katherine Kelly Lang and many others round out the perfect ensemble when Bell puts his pen to paper and uses his brilliant imagination to tease and entertain viewers.

Finally, “The Tudors” is one of television’s best and brightest. Being a student and lover of history, there has never been a monarch in European history with such a disastrous and yet epic life as King Henry Tudor the VIII of England. Whether it was falling in or out of love with his current wife, being delusional and paranoid about his friends and allies or battling the Pope from across the continent, King Henry was never boring. The actors who portray the major roles such as, King Henry, Jane Seymour, Anne Boelyn and Thomas Cromwell are perfectly cast in their roles.

“The Tudors” is groundbreaking in that instead of showcasing actors who would look identical to the their real life counterparts, they use what is considered the “Melrose Place” standard looking actors who are sexy, beautiful, exciting and leave fans wanting to see more of them. The actor Jonathan Rhys Meyer is King Henry, VIII and is perhaps the epitome of what a television leading man should be. Showtime’s superb drama is addictive. All three of these shows are equally as delicious.

“True Blood” airs on HBO, “The Bold and the Beautiful” on CBS and “The Tudors” on Showtime.

(Photo credits: HBO, Showtime and Kyle Lowder Courtesy: Gillse Toucas, Bell Phillip TV Prod)

True Blood Withdrawal: How to Deal

It’s been 40 days since Season two of True Blood ended. There was so much double meaning in the title of that finale episode, “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’.” The beginning of Sam’s search for his family, the shooting of Eggs, the kidnapping of Bill, and then nothin’!

For the better part of a year, we would have no more of this show that, to many of us, has become more than just a television show. We have fallen in love with the characters and become invested in the story. We have bonded with family and friends–and made new friends–over times shared watching and discussing (and rewatching, and discussing some more!).

True Blood offers so much to enjoy in its bizarre, sexy fun, but also portrays genuine relationships and emotions that we can all relate to. And then we are reminded that it is just a TV show when it goes on hiatus. We are left wondering about what “the future” (a.k.a., Alan Ball) will bring for Sookie and everyone in her world.

Of course, as difficult as it seemed at first, life has gone on as usual. While we no longer have a new episode to look forward to each week, True Blood hasn’t just dropped off the face of the planet. The Internet is still abuzz about the show and the actors. There is a perpetual #TrueBlood conversation happening on Twitter. The point is, millions of fans are still enjoying the show as they wait for it to return. So how do we cope with our withdrawal? Here are a few ways:

1) Read the books. If you haven’t gotten around to the Sookie Stackhouse series yet, now’s the time! Charlaine Harris has such a great imagination, and her writing is very funny. If you love the show and the characters, it will be easy to jump into the books. The stories are like parallel universes of each other. Some events will be different–it’s better that way and keeps things interesting. Nine books might seem like a daunting task, but they go by so fast. There’s a reason that Alan Ball always says he got addicted to them like crack!

2) Get a friend hooked. This is partly an excuse to watch all the episodes for the umpteenth time. For the most part, though, it’s fun to experience the show with someone who has never seen it before. Because everything is new to them, they bring a fresh perspective and might make you think about things differently. Bringing more people into the True Blood fandom not only helps the show, but it also gives you withdrawal buddies!

3) Have True Blood parties. There doesn’t have to be a new episode on to get together with fellow fans. Make up a drinking game and play with the TruBlood beverage (plus any other desired ingredients). Watch an episode and take a sip any time somebody says “vampire,” or whenever Bill says “Sookeh.”

4) Make a playlist of True Blood music. The songs used in each episode can be found on the HBO website. As you listen to the playlist, it can remind you of your favorite scenes, or how happy you get dancing to “Bad Things” during the opening credits.

What about you? How are you dealing with those True Blood cravings? Assuming the third season premieres around the middle of June next summer as it did this year, we only have about 234 more days to wait…

(Photo credits: HBO Inc.)

The UK Second True Blood Installment – First Taste

Last week we were left high and dry with a cliff hanger. The episode throws you back to where the last episode left us; it’s at full pace from the start. The Rattrays are beating Sookie, to within inches of her life, and the mysterious dog from the first episode reappears trying to distract the Rattrays, but one of them pulls a gun on the dog.  Sookie makes a grab for the gunman, but something throws him up into the air and against the trees and slits his throat, closely followed by the remaining Rattray. You kinda guess that they are both dead.
You know it is Bill that has come to the rescue and he picks up Sookie, taking her to a secluded area, while she falls in and out of consciousness. He rests Sookie gently on the ground and Sookie explains that she cannot feel her legs. Bill then takes a bite from himself and tells her she must drink his blood. She refuses as she doesn’t want to become a vampire, however, Bill assures her that she won’t and he forces her to drink his blood before his wound heals.  Sookie reluctantly drinks Bill’s blood, and it turns into a very sensual moment. After the reluctance fades, you realize that she is enjoying it far, far too much.

She then loses consciousness, and the scene cuts to her waking up to see Bill licking blood off her forehead.  Bill asks her “what are you” to which Sookie replies that she is a telepath.  Bill asks if she can hear his thoughts but Sookie states that she can’t and that is why she likes him so much because it is so relaxing after a lifetime of hearing “blah, blah, blah.” As Sookie starts to move she realizes that she is healed. She is shocked and asks Bill if doctors know what “V juice” can do; he explains that it is indeed a secret between them. Whilst Bill is walking her back to her car, Sookie asks his age.  Bill explains that he became a vampire in 1865, when he was just 30 ‘human years’ old. Sookie inquires about whether he was in the Civil War, which he confirms that he was. Sookie asks him to come and speak to her Grandma about the Civil War. Bill thinks about this for a moment and agrees to go because it will make Sookie happy. Bill arranges to visit Sookie the following day…after dark.

Meanwhile, Jason is being questioned by the police over Maudette’s murder. The police wait twelve hours before showing him a video that they have recovered of Maudette and him being particularly intimate, including a snippet of what happens when Jason leaves the scene. It shows Maudette is only playing dead and once Jason has left, she unhooks herself from the position she was in and turns the camera off. The police release Jason, and he goes straight to see Dawn (a waitress at Merlotte’s). All Jason wants is his way with yet another women, especially after the day he has had and, inevitably, gets what he wants!  In the second episode you learn a little bit more about the various characters. You find out that Tara’s mother is a drunk and that Tara hates living at home with her. She has her cousin Lafayette to call on when she doesn’t want to be at home. I really like Lafayette; he is a wicked character, he is fun, hilarious, and brings people out of their shells.  I only hope we see more of him as the series progresses.

You also meet Sookie’s Grandma, who dotes on both her grandchildren as they are all she has left of her family and she is all Sookie and Jason have too.  Sookie and her Grandma seem to have a special relationship. Sookie’s Grandma is very similar to Sookie in her  acceptance of vampires and is very excited that Bill has agreed to talk to her about the Civil War.  Bill arrives at Sookie’s; however, not only is he meeting Sookie’s Grandma, he also has the pleasure of meeting Jason and Tara, who are extremely rude to Bill. Sookie’s Grandma puts Jason firmly back in his place; she will not tolerate rudeness in her home. Bill agrees to talk at the church for Sookie’s Grandmas club.

With the acceptance of Sookie’s Grandma, Bill takes Sookie for a walk. Sookie pesters Bill with more questions. She wants to know what effects Bill’s blood will have on her, to which he explains that her senses will be heightened, as will her libido, and his ability to feel where Sookie is (he will even know if she is in trouble). Sookie demands that Bill try and work his magic in influencing her, but is surprised when he is unable to take control of her. They both accept each others special abilities and start walking again. Bill takes her to his home, and explains to Sookie that he is renovating the place and she offers a lending hand in helping to find contractors.

Bill then takes things a little further and is overwhelmed as he tells Sookie that that he can “smell the sunlight on your skin”.  Sookie is so drawn to him and grabs onto to Bill and they kiss passionately until Bill’s fangs make a sharp entrance and Bill pulls himself away from her.  Bill is embarrassed about his fangs and decides to take Sookie home.

You really start to see that both characters are falling for each other when Sookie keeps having adult dreams about Bill. It’s clear that Bill is falling for Sookie as well; he understands that Sookie can only be herself around him because she cannot hear his thoughts.

The next scene between Sookie and Bill, Sookie arrives at Bill’s home to deliver the contractors details however, she is greeted not by Bill, but three not so friendly vampires, one of which looks strangely familiar.

What will happen to Sookie, will Bill save her again?

This was another cracking episode which left me scared for Sookie again; will the poor girl ever have an easy life?? We shall have to wait for the next installment of True Blood on Wednesday at 22:00 GMT on Channel 4.

My Life with Vampires

When I hear people talking about  the “new fascination with vampires“, I want to laugh.  Vampires are not new.  And they have always been fascinating.

As a small child, my favorite Sesame Street Muppet was The Count.  My favorite cereal was Count Chocula.  And some of my favorite Scooby Doo episodes were the ones with vampires in them.  When I was about 10 or 11, my hometown’s community theatre group held a production of Dracula, and my neighbor played the part of the Count.  I was terrified of him for weeks afterward, but the story told in the play haunted me, and thus began a lifelong literary fascination which bled (har-de-har) into my choices in movies and television shows as well.

In high school, I found Anne Rice.  I read the paperbacks of the Vampire Chronicles so many times, they were falling apart by the time I got to college.  Louis was the first vampire I truly fell madly in love with, but by the second book, I’d transferred those affections to Lestat and never looked back.  I loved his sardonic wit, his self-confidence, his passion, and his fierce curiosity about the meaning of life, both for the living and the undead.

My favorite television shows have included Forever Knight, Buffy, Angel, Blood Ties, and Moonlight.  My DVD collection includes an entire history of the vampire myth.  The history of vampires has fascinated me, and I have written serious papers on vampires in college and in graduate school.

As a high school teacher, I watched the Twilight phenomenon bloom among my students, and even girls who hated to read, loved the story and quickly became addicted to the books.  One of my students reread the novels five times in one school year.  Some of them branched out to read other vampire series as well, including The Vampire Diaries, the novel series upon which the current CW television series is based, but Edward was definitely their first love.  The vampire fascination spread across all demographics.  Whether the girls were band geeks or basketball jocks, loved hip-hop or emo, they were in love with all things undead.

Currently, my day job is in a college library, and vampires are present there as well.  Vampire novels are the most in-demand for interlibrary loan of all the books we carry.  We have two book clubs, one of which is reading the Russian vampire novel Night Watch and comparing the film to the movie, and the other which is currently reading Charlaine Harris‘ Dead Until Dark and Living Dead in Dallas and comparing the mystery series novels to the True Blood HBO drama.

But teenagers and 20-somethings are not the only ones who have been bitten by vampire fiction and film.  Women I know who are in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s all have read Twilight and love it.  While the media has focused on the tween and teen audience when they talk about the upsurge in vampire popularity, I think they’re missing the fact that women of all ages are fascinated by them.  And have been.  My grandmother loved Dracula.  My mother has read and enjoyed Twilight and the Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mysteries.  My former college roommate and I send one another suggested reading lists of vampire novels.  And I’ve met women of all ages online who are equally passionate and devoted to vampire stories.

I also don’t agree with the media that vampires are simply a “chick thing.”  While Twilight may have been written with tween/teen female readers in mind, I also saw a large number of high school boys reading the books in secret, and they all were openly interested in other vampire stories and films, including the Underworld series.  And on campus, though they may not come to our book club meetings, there are a lot of football and soccer players whom I’ve overheard discussing the True Blood episodes as they pass in and out of our doors.  Our mailman loves to pause to discuss the episodes with the library staff, and the IT guys in the basement want to know when the next season is going to start.  And not all of the interlibrary loans of vampire novels are being sent to women.  Men may not be as open about their fascination with the fang, but, believe me, women are not the only ones who’ve been bitten.

Though the media would have us believe that we are currently in a “vampire renaissance,” I am not sure that they’re at all correct in their assessment.  Have they really ever gone away?

Thinking back on the last 20 years, I remember a huge number of vampire-related films (Interview with a Vampire, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, From Dusk till Dawn, Blade, Underworld, Let the Right One In), books (Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, Tanya Huff’s Blood Ties novels, Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight, and Charlaine Harris‘ Sookie Stackhouse series), and television shows (Forever Knight, Buffy, Angel, Blood Ties, Moonlight, and True Blood).  Perhaps our collective memories are simply so short that we’ve forgotten that vampires have always been there.  Or perhaps the media is finally waking up to a fascination that has been lurking in the shadows since Bram Stoker first put pen to paper.  If so, it seems to me that the media has come to the party over 100 years late.

For me, True Blood had me at hello.  Though I can make comparisons to other books, movies, and TV dramas, True Blood truly is not like anything else I’ve seen in the vampire genre.  The show combines so many elements–Southern storytelling, romance, mystery, horror, comedy–and quite honestly, even if there were no vampires in the show at all, the other elements are so compelling in themselves that I would still be addicted to the series.  Vampires add eroticism and danger to an already wonderful story.  I love that Alan Ball is able to keep me on the edge of my seat, wondering what’s going to happen next, questioning everything I thought I knew about the characters and situations in the series.  Even though I’ve read all of Charlaine’s Sookie Stackhouse novels several times, I can never predict what’s going to happen on True Blood from week to week.  And the entire cast is truly amazing.  As fans, we are extremely lucky to have such a talented group of people all working together.

It’s totally fine with me that vampires are getting more press these days.  I’m happy to see my favorite show continue to get a greater share of the ratings pie.  I’m thrilled to see True Blood win awards and for the actors to get greater recognition for their talents.  And as long as Alan Ball and the cast and crew of True Blood continue to create such fascinating stories, I and all the rest of the vampire groupies, men and women, ages 18-80, will keep watching to see what happens next.  But if one more person tells me that vampires are a new phenomenon, I really will laugh.

Vampire Hunters: Do They Exist?

When Polidori wrote The Vampyre in 1819, he spawned two branches of vampire fiction: an aristocratic romantic hero of Gothic fiction, and the vampire as an undead monster. But if Polidori spawned the vampire, the most well known vampire was created by Bram Stoker in 1897. However, before Polidori, Heinrich August Ossenfelder published the German poem The Vampire in 1748. Even Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights made a reference to the vampire when the housekeeper suspected Heathcliff of being one.

Unsurprisingly to us, at least, it seems that our gorgeous blood sucking friends have long dwelled among us; a highly adaptable species, they have changed with the times and have moved into the 21^st century, barely recognizable from their original incarnations. Originally regarded as an alien nocturnal species, sleeping in coffins, living in the shadows, drinking the blood of humans in secrecy, vampires are too easy to stereotype, but it is their variety and adaptability that makes them survivors.

They may seem to be creatures living on the margins of society, but they have been central to the stories humans tell each other and these stretch back to ancient folklore. But as long as there are beliefs in the existence of vampires, there also exist beliefs in methods of protecting ourselves against the undead. In some folk legends, for example, it was believed that eating blood bread, a bread made from vampire blood and flour, would provide immunity against vampire bites. And as long as people believe that the undead walk amongst us, they also believe that there are ways and means of hunting down the vampire.

In some folklore traditions, it is said that the killing of the vampire can only be performed by vampire hunters, priests, and monks. In the folklore of the Balkans, for example, the tales of the vampire hunters were as much part of the Romani beliefs about the vampire. Referred to as a dhampir in Romani or a vampirovic in Serbian, these folklores depict the vampire hunters using other less well known methods to entice the vampire to their traps. Aside from the well known methods of execution, such as staking, decapitation, crucifixes and holy water, it was also believed that vampires can be drowned in clear flowing water.

In literary fiction, the most well known vampire hunter is Professor Van Helsing from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. But now that the undead are returning with a vengeance to walk among us again, a new generation of vampire hunters also stalk among our midst. When thinking of a vampire slayer, Buffy and Blade no doubt comes immediately to mind.

Judging from their portrayals in Blade, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and From Dusk till Dawn, the arsenal of the modern day vampire hunter usually includes holy water, firearms with silver ammunition, silver nets, the appropriate religious symbols, crossbows that fire wooden stakes and even waterguns filled with holy water.While predominantly human, there are also other examples of vampire hunters. Blade, the eponymous hero of the movie and comic books, is said to be a hybrid, half human and half vampire.

In HBO’s True Blood, we encounter a particularly vile species of the vampire hunter in the first episode of Season 1. They are the Rattrays. From the minute Sookie Stackhouse lays eyes on Vampire Bill, her curiosity is piqued. Her friend Tara is not amused: “That’s trouble, looking for a place to happen. Tall, dark….and dead”. And Tara is right. Within half-an-hour, panic ensues in the vicinity of Merlotte’s bar when there’s an attempted murder and people are being beaten up. Sookie, the feisty heroine, played by Anna Paquin, comes to rescue Vampire Bill from the Rattrays, vampire hunters who are draining his blood to sell on the black market. “Low rent backwoods trash”, Sookie hisses as she sends them running with their tails between their legs. The Rattrays don’t take too kindly to Sookie’s disruption of their draining of Vampire Bill; inevitably, they return to seek their revenge.

In Alan Ball’s hands, the True Blood vampires are unlike the crucifix-fearing vampires of legend and folklore. Having emerged from the coffin, with the synthetic blood Tru Blood, designed to satisfy their thirst without having to resort to draining humans, the vampires of True Blood shatters the traditional mythology of the vampire. Based on the Southern Vampire Mysteries, the vampires of True Blood reveal that they have been tricking humans that the traditional vampire mythology is true when they actually aren’t at all. Now, our vampires can pick up a case of Tru Blood at the local Wal-Mart and pop a bottle of ‘O’-positive in the microwave to satisfy their hunger. They own businesses, like our very own Eric Northman, the 1000-year-old Viking vampire who owns Fangtasia; they pay taxes, they go to bars, and they are highly fashion conscious denizens of the night. There are tourists who go to vampire bars; ‘fangbangers’ who lust after vampires and long to be used by these creatures and there are the ‘drainers’ who hunt vampires for their blood because of its extraordinary properties. And then there is the Fellowship of the Sun who believes vampires are an abomination and should be destroyed. It doesn’t take a genius to see the clever socio-political themes lying just beneath the surface of HBO’s True Blood. In Ball’s hands, a new vampire mythology emerges, particularly the energizing side effects drinking vampire blood has on the human body.

This brings us to the question as to whether these antique vampire killing kits, recently up for auction, are capable of harming our Louisiana vamps. Some of these kits are incredibly well-designed and beautiful objects. Made out of rosewood or mahogany, these beautiful ornate cases come complete with the usual assortment of items designed to kill vampires. They include silver daggers, wooden stakes, garlic powder, a syringe (for injecting a garlic solution), an ivory crucifix, metal teeth pliers, and revolvers with the requisite silver bullets. These are definitely not cheaply made plastic novelty items; they seemingly tap into our utmost primal fears and fascination about these creatures of the night. Dwight Stevens, of Stevens Auction Company, has sold four vampire killing kits in twenty-seven years as an auctioneer, most recently in Natchez, Mississippi, for $14, 850. He states:

“I don’t believe in vampires – I’ve never met one. But somebody believed in them, something drove people to believe [...] From New Orleans to Vicksburg, these old boxes remain”.

Apparently, some of these kits date to circa 1880 Romania. Another was supposedly a Victorian kit, and was purported to have been sold at The Great Exhibition in London 1851 for $12,000. Tapping into our primal night-time terrors, these kits capture our fears of the undead originally evoked in those early folklores and legends, and there are indeed several of these kits in existence. One was seemingly made by a Professor Ernst Blomberg and was believed to be genuine. However, a man named Michael de Winter has stepped forward recently, claiming that he created these kits and made up the name of Professor Blomberg.

And while hoax and urban legends seem to pile up whenever the vampire is concerned, one does wonder if these vampire killing kits are even capable of harming our modern Louisiana vampires. Could they harm our quixotic, cunning 1000-year-old Eric Northman? Or will our Viking see them off easily? And if the drainers come armed with these vampire killing kits, is Vampire Bill capable of protecting himself or will he again require the services of our heroine, Sookie Stackhouse?

SOURCE: (Un)Holy Halloween, Batman, It’s Antique Vampire Kits!

PHOTO CREDIT: Collector’s Quest via collector’squest.com

Modern Vampires: Are They Thirsting For Love Or Our Blood?

We are surrounded by vampires. They now roam among us. What began with Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula, published in 1897, has now evolved into the trendy Twilight sensation of Edward Cullen and Charlaine Harris‘ Southern Vampire Mysteries, which has, in the capable hands of Alan Ball, been translated into the hit HBO TV series True Blood.

Stoker’s Dracula has often been seen as the forerunner of the vampire genre, contributing to many literary and cinematic genres within vampire literature, horror films and gothic fiction. Although Stoker did not invent the vampire, the novel’s influence on the popularity of vampires has been singularly responsible for many literary and cinematographic interpretations in recent contemporary history. With the onslaught of recent media exposure ranging from best-selling novels to TV series to major motion pictures, the obsession with vampires has now reached new heights. From Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire, to Buffy the Vampire Slayer to HBO’s True Blood and Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series, it seems that the public’s appetite for the vampire is insatiable.

Based on the Southern Vampire Mysteries, HBO’s True Blood series opened last year and has been gradually building a cult following among fans. Season 2 premiered on June 14 in the US and was the most watched HBO show since The Sopranos series finale in June 2007. According to HBO, True Blood averages 10.8 million viewers per episode, up 39% from last season. Even Tim Burton has now entered the realm of the vampire with his upcoming movie adaptation of the classic vampire TV show, Dark Shadows.

The popularity of the vampire for both teenagers and adults is undeniable and it looks like these marvelous fanged creatures are now stalking us across literature, films, theatre, and our own television screens.

Literary and film critics have long examined the attraction of the vampire, analyzing several common themes popping up in vampire literature and films, such as the role of women, taboos about sexuality, as well as socio-political themes, such as immigration and racial segregation.

But what is undeniable is that taken collectively the vampires in True Blood, Twilight and the Vampire Diaries are barely recognizable, having changed so dramatically from Stoker’s 19th century classic depiction of the vampire. What then has changed, setting Dracula apart from the more sympathetic, humanized vampires such as Bill Compton, Eric Northman, Angel or Lestat?

In Stoker’s Dracula, the forerunner of our modern vampires, we encounter a vampire truly terrifying. He is the ultimate bad guy, and compared to today’s vampires, who we would happily ogle, Stoker’s Dracula is physically repulsive. Stoker himself described Dracula as having eyes that were blazing red, a deathly pale face, thick eyebrows that met over the nose, bad breath, long pointed finger nails and pointed ears. He’s not exactly the modern day vampire heartthrob we’ve come to expect in our vampires. According to Foster,

“What’s changed between new vampire culture and that of Anne Rice is that new literature and entertainment allows vampires to be seen in a softer light. In Rice’s Interview with a Vampire, written in 1973, the main character Lestat chooses to live his life eternally as a vampire. After he has made his decision he is forced to live a solitary life forever. Similarly, the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer is based on the premise that the blood-thirsty creatures are evil. Buffy, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, is the only person capable of killing vampires who are dangerous to mankind”.

It seems that today’s vampires are more intent on wooing us than draining us dry. Rather than eating us, the modern vampire of Bon Temps seems to prefer stalking, seducing and sleeping with us. They are now brooding, insecure, introspective, angst-ridden and romantic, a dangerously attractive kind of decadent aristocrat. And while Dracula was not a looker, Stoker did set the sexual tone of the vampire. Vampires have now progressed from outsiders to becoming objects of desire, famed for their powers of seduction.

Unlike Stoker’s Dracula, the Louisiana vampires of True Blood have been transformed into seductive figures. No longer the villain and outsider, our modern vampires are angst-ridden heroes. Bill Compton has, for example, been referred to as a modern day Heathcliff or Mr. Darcy. HBO’s True Blood shows a world where vampires have revealed themselves to humans, and attempt to live in harmony. In this world, romances between vampires and humans are allowed, and many other supernatural beings now walk among the inhabitants of Bon Temps. Unlike Dracula, these vampires are part of our world; the focus is now on their interactions with each other, and their social relationships with humans. These lions really do want to lie down with the lambs.

However, what True Blood, Buffy and Twilight have in common is a central female character; through her we encounter and experience our modern vampires.

Warner Brothers’ television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel dominated late 90’s television. While the series revolved round Buffy and her Scooby gang solving countless mysteries in Sunnydale, it also centered around the love triangle between Buffy and the vampires, Angel and Spike.

Similarly, True Blood revolves round a central female character, that of the trials and tribulations of Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress with telepathic powers in Bon Temps who falls in love with 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer). Unlike Twilight, HBO’s True Blood is fairly seething in sin and overt sexuality; blending murder mystery, drama and comedy. But it is undeniable that its main focus is exploring the nature of sexuality and romance within vampire-human relations. Anyone who has watched True Blood will know that its vampires have taken lessons from their famous ancestor. And so, the vampire has adapted himself to contemporary society. No longer following in the footsteps of Dracula, he has evolved from an utterly terrifying alien creature to a cosmopolitan being, a bon vivant of the night.

As Foster indicates:

“Vampires now have a chance at romance and love. They are no longer innately evil. Rather, they are good or evil based on their own decision. The new take on vampires allows interaction between the cold ones and their human opposites. Instead of underground lairs and in-home coffins, vampires are now lurking in high schools and Louisiana bars. The tensions between a vampire’s thirst and his desire to fit into the human world simply make for good entertainment”

In Charlaine Harris’s Southern Vampire Mysteries, we see, for example, the blossoming romance between Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton gradually becoming increasingly strained through a series of, shall we say, betrayals, tumultuous incidents and the increasing attraction between Sookie Stackhouse and Eric Northman, a 1000-year-old Viking vampire.

In HBO’s True Blood, we encounter the vampires Eric Northman and Bill Compton who could be described as hommes fatales. In Bill Compton and Eric Northman, we encounter the modern day vampire who isn’t entirely evil, unlike their forebears. The formerly fearsome creature of the night has now become more sympathetic to humans. No longer the bloodthirsty predator, they are now fashion conscious creatures, intent on entertaining intimate relationships with humans. Rarely have monsters looked so sultry and alluring. The vampires in True Blood are charismatic, powerful, dangerous and devilish. Not only are they beautiful, immortal but they are titillatingly libidinous. They can defeat death, seduce anyone of their choosing, obliterate their enemies, play yahtzee and stay up all night. What’s not to like? Unlike our horror for Dracula, we empathize with our vampires in True Blood. And based on viewers’ reactions to the vampires in True Blood, we humans can surely say that we recognize in the Louisiana vampires a dangerous sexuality that is truly something wicked.

SOURCE: The Daily Orange

Photo credit: HBO Inc.

True Blood UK Terrestrial Channel Debut

With the roaring success vampires have been having recently with the massive international success of the first feature length installment of the Twilight Saga and the vampire fictional worlds growing ever stronger, it was no surprise that True Blood would be any different; in fact, it has been a huge phenomenon in the States. With the eagerly anticipated UK terrestrial channel arrival of True Blood on Channel 4 and its raunchy ad campaign (which had you begging for more) I, for one, waited with baited breath as True Blood landed on our screens last Wednesday.  Within the first few minutes I was hooked with its catchy theme tune, which gets into your head and has you singing “I wanna do bad things to you” throughout the day (which to be honest is not a great thing in an office environment!!).  The show itself is based in a small town called Bon Temps, Louisiana, where everyone knows everything. Sookie Stackhouse is the lead female character (played by Anna Paquin), and is an ordinary girl who works as a waitress in Merlotte’s Bar. Except she’s not so ordinary; she has a special power. She can hear peoples thoughts. Her gift is sometimes a hindrance: she has not been able to have a boyfriend, not for the want of trying, but she hates hearing what they want to do to her and what they think of her.  Oh, and I should also mention that in this world vampires live amongst the humans, no longer in secrecy. They have their own rights, and no longer need to feed off mortals to sustain their needs; the new invention of Tru Blood, a synthetic blood, satisfies their nutritional needs. Sookie soon realizes that vampires cannot always take care of themselves. She ends up rescuing a vampire from the Rattrays (a pair of low-life trash) who are trying to drain him of his blood, which is very sought after by us mortals.

It all starts off with Sookie having a bad shift, her worse customers have arrived (the Rattrays). As Sookie puts it so very eloquently “no count, backwards, trash”.  As always Sookie is polite and deals with them as she does with every other customer.

Her world is turned upside down when Merlotte’s gets its first resident Vampire coming into thew bar. Sookie knows straight away what he is; she has no preconceptions and dives straight in, head first to introduce herself. She doesn’t care what people think: she is intrigued by the vampire, and confused that she cannot hear his thoughts, however, she hears the Rattrays’ thoughts and knows there is going to be trouble.

But will Sookie’s rescue land her in trouble??

So with the Rattrays taken care of by Sookie’s intervention and the vampire in debt to Sookie, he introduces himself as Bill Compton (played by Stephen Moyer). Sookie is amazed that she cannot hear his thoughts. She is at peace because for once she has no-one else’s thoughts to hear but her own! Sookie is not the only one who is taken by surprise; Vampire Bill is taken aback when Sookie refuses to take the blood that the Rattrays have drained.  There is definitely something different and unique about her that he has not expereinced in a long time. Sookie says her goodbyes and cannot secretly wait to see him again.

Sookie has alot of people looking out for her, she has her brother Jason who is the complete opposite to Sookie and keeps his brain firmly in his trousers. I think secretly we all wish we could bottle what Jason has and bring it out every Saturday night; he is a bag of fun and is one hell of a ladies man. His heart is in the right place when it comes to family and he loves his sister dearly.

Then there is Sookie’s boss Sam Merlotte (the owner of Merlotte’s bar, funnily enough) who is constantly looking out for her. Except he has his own agenda, he is truly in love with Sookie. Despite being a supporter of the vampire rights amendment, he is not too keen on them coming into his bar, especially the ones who have a keen interest in Sookie!

Last, but by no means least, is Sookie’s childhood best friend Tara Thornton. She is the punch first, ask questions later kinda girl! She loves Sookie like a sister and just wants to protect her.  All three do not want Sookie talking to Bill Compton; they are fearful for her and are afraid of change. They all think they know whats best for Sookie Stackhouse!

However, Sookie has a mind of her own. She arranges to meet Bill after her late shift at Merlotte’s. Bill thinks it’s a good idea to keep low as he does not want to rock the boat with the locals. He is already concerned that they are all talking about him. All Bill really wants is to fit in as best possible and live as much as a normal life as a vampire can lead.

Sookie leaves the bar at the end of her shift and gets into a spot of bother, to which point the episode leaves you high and dry!

Will Bill get to Sookie in time to save her……..

To sum up True Blood in five words (I could not narrow it down to three) would be, exciting, fun, sexy, different and down right RUDE! (I know its a little more than 5 words but it just had to be said!)

The opening episode of True Blood had me craving for more, it is probably one of the best openings to any series and I cannot wait to see episode 2 on Wednesday 2200GMT on Channel 4.

Season 2: Episode 12 – “Beyond Here Lies Nothin”

In the Season Two Finale, Bon Temps achieves peak mass hysteria with Maryanne preparing for a Looney Tunes wedding ceremony. Enlisting Sookie as Maid of Honor, Maryanne dons Granma Stackhouse’s wedding dress for the occasion sealing her new title of Miss Asylum Bon Temps 2009.

Sophie-Anne warns Eric to keep Bill from finding out too much about certain arrangements that are going on. Jason and Andy attempt to do good but end up becoming part of the revelry.

Hoytt ends up learning a few home truths that change the way that he and Maxine will interact in the next season, and leaves home hinting that Bon Temps Romeo and Juliet may be reunited next season. Here’s hoping.

Sam is forced to put his trust in Bill and make a risky move. Sam’s trust pays off and Maryanne is tricked into thinking that the God has come for her, thus bringing forth her downfall. Who said Maenads can’t be gullible?

Season two cliff hanger ends when Bill proposes to Sookie at Dinner. Overwhelmed, Sookie leaves to regain composure and when she makes the choice, on returning finds Bill gone.

Top 5 of Season 2 Finale

5. That huge egg turning out to be an ostrich egg. Way to put a red herring in there! Nice trick!

4. Maryanne wearing Gran’s wedding dress. Anyone who wears a dead ladies clothes is definitely CooCoo for Coco Puffs!

3. Hoytt telling his mother how it is. This is an amazing character development for him and it will be amazing to see him grow over the period of next season.

2. Sookies engagement proposal. The emotions that it stirred, and the questions that it raised? Brilliant.

1. The Number One best of Season Two Finale? Maryanne is Dead! Thank Goodness, now lets move on to something that is a little less… repetitive.

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