“Bad Things” is True Blood

Jace Everett, who is the writer and performer of the True Blood theme song, “Bad Things”, will be performing today, July 22nd, as part of the Twilight Dance Series in Los Angeles. He will be performing along with Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux and Italian superstar, Jovanatti.

Jace had no idea when he wrote “Bad Things” that it would be the perfect opening for True Blood. Alan Ball who created the show typically takes breaks while writing scripts and hops on iTunes to do some exploring and then return to his scripts.

While taking one of these breaks Alan came across Jace and his song, “Bad Things”.  Alan thought the song was amazing but still wasn’t sure if it was “the one”.  So Gary Calamar, who is the music producer for the show, went and started looking for some other options.  Gary and Alan listened to some great songs but the whole time they admit Jace’s lyrics, “I wanna do bad things with you”, was still blazing in the back of their minds.

It became clear that “Bad Things” was the perfect song for True Blood.  It has a great mix of sex, menace, romance, and humor.  Gary believes the song even helped Alan and the writers find that unique tone for the show and he believes “Bad Things” will go down in history as one of the best television theme songs ever! I for one happen to agree completely!

SOURCE: KCRW

(Photo Credit: KCRW)

True Blood’s Phenomenal Success

SOURCE: Rolling Stone Magazine

(Photo Credit: HBO Inc.)

Alan Ball on True Blood

What makes True Blood so fascinating? Is it the dense plot that has fans and critics glued to the screen every Sunday at 9 on HBO? Or is it the mere fact that the events on the show are so bizarre and complex. Whatever the case, True Blood has gained so many fans that the show had to create its own Wiki in order to keep the audience up to date.

Recently Gina Piccalo from the LA Times got a sneak peek of the Emmy nominated show; she was backstage watching as Stephen Moyer was swinging on wires, baring his fangs as Bill Compton, ready to attack. Meanwhile Evan Rachel Wood was in her trailer perfecting the undead pallor of vampire Queen Sophie-Anne.

True Blood has become HBO’s biggest hit since The Sopranos and has made Alan Ball a creative hero. Stephen Moyer noted,

We do things that you’ve never imagined…The darker, the odder, the weirder, the better for me.

Weird and twisted has become True Blood’s mantra. The show is the grown up answer to the Twilight craze. It’s targeted for adults and not only has brooding vampires, but also a good sense of humor and lots of blood.

It came at the perfect moment. With the fall of 2008, came the series finales of both The Sopranos and Six Feet Under. HBO fumbled when they passed on Mad Men opting for John From Cincinnati, which was not a fan favorite.

During this time, Alan Ball wanted to create a 5 season project with levity. In 2005, he found Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse novels, devouring them quickly. Alan Ball had to wait a whole year to obtain the rights, due to a previous film option for the books. HBO agreed to green light the series based solely on Alan Ball’s creative genius. No one thought that the Southern gothic satire would gain such an audience. However, it popularity surprised HBO executives, but not Alan Ball who has called True Blood “popcorn for smart people.”

The show does not simply target one population of viewers, rather it appeals to everyone: men, women, and all age groups. Every episode is racy and exciting, balancing the idea of danger and comedy with surprising ease. The network’s president of programming, Michael Lombardi feels that if Alan Ball keeps up with the pace of the novels, the show could be on for a decade. However, as of now, no one knows if Alan Ball will continue after his contract expires given that he has been given the green light for his new project a pilot based on Charlie Huston’s novel, “”The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death.”

However, Ball is having too much fun to walk away right away. A simple tour of the True Blood set gives all the reason that he is hesitant to leave. With such a large budget, the set consists of a custom built cemetery in Calabasas as well as shooting on location in Mississippi and Louisiana.

The show has also taken over all but two of the seven soundstages on The Lot, a historic compound off Formosa Ave. Production designer Suzuki Ingerslev has meticulously created the world of True Blood from the fully functional kitchen in Merlotte’s pub to the hot rollers in Sookie’s bathroom counter.

Behind the scenes, in between shoots, Moyer and Wood chat; she shows him her engagement ring from fiance Marilyn Manson. This seems appropriate as the show revolves around the love of a telepathic waitress and a Civil War era vampire. Though love isn’t the only important thing on True Blood. Horror is key to any vampire tale; True Blood is no exception. There is a large body count and lots of blood.

None of the violence and outrageous sex is simply gratuitous. The writers try to use these scenes to push the story forward and create moments that are both deeply disturbing and extremely poignant. It is apparent that Alan Ball has used vampires as stand in for every genre of the disenfranchised. People struggle with shame and desire.

This season each character is struggling with an identity crisis. Sookie will also learn shocking details about her powers. As the show goes deeper into vampire politics, viewers will find a reflection of the American political system, which will give rise to many questions about government and power.

With politics as well as sex, the third season will question power and where it is concentrated. Viewers will be faced with shocking scenes, such as the vampire hate sex between Bill and Lorena.

Some viewers can view True Blood as pure entertainment, but the more aware viewers will be able to see the underlining meanings and the deeper intentions that Alan Ball wants to draw out. The show will leave many with thought provoking questions, which makes True Blood so much better than a simple television show.

SOURCE: LA Times

(Photo Credit: HBO, Inc)

Carrie Preston Chats on The Block

Carrie Preston, True Blood’s single mom waitress, Arlene Fowler, chatted by phone with Tim & Cassie on The Block. She was asked if she has any experience to call on, playing a waitress. And yes, she does.

For one summer during her high school years in Macon, GA, Carrie worked as a waitress in a local Olive Garden restaurant. Additionally, after attending Julliard, she worked as a cater waiter. So yeah, “I definitely know how to sling hash and carry a tray”.

As an actress, you always have to be “on” and Carrie was asked if she has any throat remedies to preserve her voice. Stating that lots of rest and fluids are important, she also said that when on stage and performing 8 shows per week, she guzzled throat coat tea.

Getting back to True Blood, did Carrie have any idea that the show would be such a big hit? She said they thought it might take off, since it was Alan Ball and HBO would surely give them a chance. But who knew that the audience would be so excited over another vampire show? Actually, True Blood was the first vampire show to air.

Assuming that the demographic of the show’s fans are older than those of the Twilight series, what is her take on why people are so intrigued by werewolves and vampires, aside from the fact that True Blood is so well done?

According to Carrie, we are a youth-obsessed culture – youth is worshipped. Vampires live forever and they’re young, hot and sexy. They’re romantic and loving and today’s vampires are nothing like the vampires of our parents’ time (i.e. Bela Lugosi’s Dracula). They will love you forever and even though they’re 500 years old, they picked you.

True Blood has mystery, romance, humor and fantasy. She calls it the “True Blood Comedy Drama Vampire Porn Variety Show”! “We don’t take ourselves too seriously.”

Referring to the shocking scene where Bill twists Lorena’s head around, Carrie said the show is pretty twisted, but it keeps you watching! And the freedom the writers are allowed lets them go in interesting directions.

In addition to slinging hash at Merlotte’s, Carrie has a couple of films that will show at the Toronto Film Festival and plans on directing a film for her own production company. She likes to stay busy. But she is very thrilled to be on the wild ride of True Blood.

One of the interviewers predicted that True Blood will win an Emmy. Well, we fans believe they should, don’t we.

To listen to the interview, go to theblockradio.com.

Source: theblockradio.com

(Photo credit:  IMDb.com)

Bon Temps Tattler: It Could Be You

I think I need to write you people again, the record needs to be set straight. First let me tell you, Bill Compton is NOT my daddy; I don’t care what he thinks. He is my maker and I have to listen to him but I do have a mind of my own and I won’t be silenced. Now, Bill told me to be nice in replying to Mrs. Fortenberry so I will tell you this very nicely. I think it’s funny that Maxine Fortenberry wants to show how her underwear out in public by putting it out there that she has lesbian tendencies. Honestly, didn’t she beg me to hog tie her? I have no problem with each man, woman, vampire or even dog doing their own thing but I am into men, Mrs. Fortenberry, more specifically I love your son. He knows how to treat a lady and he is doing Renard Parish a huge service by telling all these men (and I do use that term loosely) how to treat a female vampire. I think if you are smart you could even use his tips to date human women.

Bill told you all about his history but you know nothing  about my human Daddy.   My daddy is a self-righteous dictator that did nothing but make us believe that no matter what we did we were going to hell. My mother was his door mat and never stood up for her kids. I got a kid sister that lost the only protection she had when Bill turned me. I was in school and just like every teen-age girl and I had friends. They talked me into sneaking out to go to see Twilight and that’s how I got kidnapped, how’s that for a coincidence? I know I told everyone that it was the first time I had snuck out but truth is I had snuck out two other times. I was getting pretty sure of myself till that bitch grabbed me and took me to the tribunal. Bill was to be punished for killing a vampire, but I ask you, “Who do you think got punished?”

You know what we should really be debating? Well it damn sure ain’t who is dating Hoyt Fortenberry. Do you hicks even realize the rights I lost in a split second? As soon as our lives are turned Vampire, we lose rights like voting, marriage, having children and if the churches are right then we lose our soul, with any chance of getting into heaven. I guess daddy was right after all. I love Hoyt but if Mrs. Fortenberry has her way then that right will be taken away too. I am not the girl next door, but I’m not no whore neither. She has people looking down on me for being something I have no control over. I should not be looked at like I am lower than you; in truth I am better than you. I thought you Christians believed in acceptance but all I hear is you wanting to segregate or outright kill us. I am not asking any of you to accept me into your home. Hell, most of your houses I wouldn’t enter even if I was invited.

Eric, yes I am talking about Eric Northman, Sheriff of Area Five. You know, the area you live in and where I only need his permission to hunt who and where I want? Anyways he told me not to  worry over what lower life forms think. That in time I would come to understand that you are bitter because of your short lifespans. But I don’t want to wait when my character is being drug through the mud by a holier than thou bitch.

Mrs. Fortenberry will never accept that Hoyt loves me. She will always say I tricked her little boy. I am going to tell you this just once: there ain’t anything little on that man and he dang sure ain’t no boy! But that is our business and I know Bill will tell me to behave as a young lady should. So I will quote the great Abe Lincoln “Endeavor to Persevere” I will love Hoyt Fortenberry just like he loves me. If you want to sign up for MADV just think about me when you do it. You may be the next taken to stand in for a punishment. You may be the next Jessica Hamby….

[Editorial comment: Please feel free to leave your opinions in the comment section at the bottom of this 'Letters to the Editor' section. No reason why us more normal folks can't have our say too!]

This column is an unauthorized parody of the HBO TV show True Blood.  There is no relationship between what you see in this column and what will appear on the screen or in the Sookie Stackhouse novels.  This has been presented for entertainment purposes only and the actions, events and answers presented here have nothing to do with any persons or characters real or imagined, living or dead or undead.

(Header Graphic:  Kasandra Rose)

Deborah Ann Woll – A Teenage Vampire in a Story for Adults

When Deborah Ann Woll auditioned for a guest spot on the HBO series True Blood, she was supposed to work on a couple episodes and be done. However, her performance as Jessica Hamby in the vampire tribunal scene blew away the producers, and Jessica became a regular character.

Deborah Ann spoke in a teleconference with Today and answered a series of questions about True Blood and her role as a teenage vampire.  One comment she made was about Jessica trying to determine what type of vampire she wants to be – true to her vampire nature or more compassionate, like Bill.

How does she feel about being 17 forever?  Deborah contrasted Twilight’s teen vamps, “young, attractive and you could hit on all these 17-year old girls forever”, with her own character.

“But for me, I think being 17 forever is the worst thing in the world!  I mean, eternal virgin, I cry all the time, everything is up and down – it’s taken the romanticism out of that idea.  So, to have a teenage vampire in a story for adults, that takes a whole new perspective on that idea.”

Her challenge on the show is playing a teenage vamp, which is a lot of high energy work. “…there’s never a sit-down-and-read-a-book scene with Jessica”.

In preparation for her role, Deborah said she actually studied animals.  She said that True Blood has its own storyline and legend (“mythos”), unlike the vampire worlds created by Anne Rice and Stephanie Meyer.  She wanted to stay true to the human nature rather than the animal part of vampires.

Additionally, she likes the taste of the synthetic blood.  Explaining that the bottled True Blood that fans can buy is a blood-orange carbonated soda, she added that there are other types of synthetic blood used on the set, and they’re thicker.  The biting blood “has a minty chocolate flavor to it”.  But the show’s own bottled blood is purple carrot juice.  There is even a sugar free version of that one.

Put on the spot about which of the show’s men is the hottest – Bill, Eric, or Jason - Deborah, with a laugh, settled on Jessica’s boyfriend, Hoyt, played by Jim Parrack.  She said Stephen, Alex and Ryan are all really nice, warm and welcoming men. They’re not at all concerned about how good they look and that makes it easy to come to work.

When asked about working with Anna Paquin, Deborah had lots of praise for her.  She referred to Anna as a very hard worker and one who deserves all the credit she receives for her portrayal of lead character, Sookie Stackhouse.

“Watching her work, I sometimes get a little lost.  She’s so good that sometimes you forget that you’re working with her and you’re not an audience member.  She can take you out of it like that.  She’s beautiful in that way.”

Deborah really enjoys learning from her more experienced cast members and said she really, really loves her role.  Citing an example that had a major impact on her was having real wolves on the set for Season 3 .  While the interaction she had with them was minimal, she came away with the awe of their wildness and beauty. “They’re really good actors – puts the rest of us to shame!”

When asked for her opinion about why True Blood is so successful, Deborah Ann said it’s the storylines that Charlaine Harris laid out as the foundation.  Then the show’s writers ensure that the show has something important to say, while maintaining its fun and sexiness.

“They really put in a huge effort to make sure these are important stories.  I think the show has a lot to offer, but you have to remember not to take it too seriously.  It’s just a lot of fun and I hope you really enjoy it.”

It’s probably safe to say that the millions of fans are really enjoying it every Sunday night.

Source:  todayonline.com

(Photo credit – watchtruebloodseries.com)

True Blood Characters Dominate List of “Dateable Vampires”

Not that this will come as any surprise to Truebies, but in a recent list of “10 Vampires More Dateable than Edward Cullen,” three True Blood characters make the cut. The Gloss listed reasons why Bill, Eric, and Pam, along with 7 other vampire characters of film and television, would make better companions than the emo sparkle king of Twilight.

You should want to date sexy Southern gentleman Bill Compton because he has “a heart of gold as far as human women go. Besides, if he can roll Sookie’s name that way, imagine what he could do with yours.”

Eric Northman is another excellent choice because he’s in a position of power as a Sheriff of Louisiana, and he can fly. Another reason listed:

Are you perhaps visually impaired? Because I don’t even understand why I should have to justify this one.

For men, Pam would be great date:

She understands the value of a good pair of high heels without seeming like she’s memorized every episode of Sex and the City. And if you kill someone she can help you “go to the hypothetical hardware store and buy a theoretical chainsaw.”

Other vampires included who would make better dates than Edward Cullen are Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Damon from The Vampire Diaries, and Lestat from Interview with the Vampire. It’s worth mentioning, though, that no movie or show has more than one vampire on the list except for True Blood, as it should be!

SOURCE: thegloss.com

(Photo credit: HBO, Inc.)

Deborah Ann Woll Kills on Purpose in New Movie

As True Blood’s Jessica, Deborah Ann Woll accidently killed a human.  But in her new movie, Catch .44, Deborah Ann will get paid to do that deed.

The movie, which begins filiming in Louisiana on July 8th, teams Deborah Ann with another actress who plays a vampire in the Twilight films, Nikki Reed.  Evidently these two lovely actresses have what it takes to play two of the three female assasins on a possible suicide mission.

Deadline.com, in a brief article, stated that the other stars in the movie are Bruce Willis, Malin Ackerman and Forest Whitaker.  That’s a very high-powered cast.  Per Hollywood.com, this is an independent film; a crime drama dealing with a psychopathic hitman and a crime boss.

Well, watching her wonderful portrayal of new vampire Jessica every Sunday on HBO, we’re certain Deborah Ann will be up to taking a bite into crime in this new film, due out in 2011.

SOURCES:  Deadline.com

Hollywood.com

(Photo credit - goremasternews.com)

Bite Into This: Hot Hollywood Vampire Ratings

2010 may be the year of the werewolf, but vampires have been around for centuries (well, maybe decades in Hollywood).  The Pittsburgh Channel came up with their list of the 5 Hottest Hollywood Vampires, but let’s see if you agree.

#1 on the list is Count Dracula from the movie of the same name, starring Bela Lugosi.  Arguably, we can say this 1931 movie started it all.  Bela portrayed this tall, powerful, sexy, evil creature with masterful seduction.  Not only were women mesmerized by his dark eyes and very exotic accent, but he had a title and a castle.

The #2 vampire is Angel.  David Boreanaz portrayed Buffy, the Vampire Slayer’s love interest and then spun into an off-shoot series titled Angel.  The relationship between the good vampire and Buffy has been likened to Romeo and Juliet with a twist.  Evidently, Angel had a really bad alter ego, Angelus, who would show up unexpectedly, especially after good sex.  What can you expect from a sexy hunk of a vampire named Angel?!

Listed in the #3 slot is Santanico Pandemonium, portrayed by Salma Hayek in From Dusk Til Dawn.  This strangely named female vampire seduced men with her erotic table dancing in a sleazy strip club somewhere in the desert.  It would be easy to see how men would be entranced by her beauty, her body, her dance, her eyes…oops, didn’t see those fangs.  Rather than just bite like a normal vampire, Santanico changed into a hideous snake-like creature when she was hungry (thirsty?).

Now #4 we can dwell on for hours.  Mr. Bill Compton from HBO’s True Blood is next on the list.  Played by Stephen Moyer, Vampire Bill is sexy and seductive because he is kind, charming, good looking, loving towards his human girlfriend, has a delicious southern accent and is very much the southern gentleman.  Bill has a smoldering look and somber expression that he wears most of the time.  Trying to be a good vampire and fit into human society, Bill is very hot.

Listed in the #5 slot of Hottest Hollywood Vampires is Edward Cullen from Twilight.  More of the teenage love story, Robert Pattinson portrays Edward, a young-looking vampire very much in love with a human high school student.  Having quite a different reaction to sunlight – his face sparkles – endears him to his girlfriend, who accepts him for what he is.

This was a fun list and should generate a lot of discussion.  While I totally agree that Count Dracula is correctly in the #1 spot, in my own humble opinion Bill Compton should be second.  But then, I’m biased!

Source:  thepittsburghchannel.com

(Photo credits:  HBO, Inc., Summit Entertainment, WB, Universal Pictures)

Charlaine Harris Discusses the Vampire Outbreak

While vampires have been stretching the human imagination since the earliest of civilizations, Charlaine Harris has simply created an updated, dramatic, and sexy version of the undead. In May 2010, Dead in the Family hit book stores as the tenth installment of the Sookie Stackhouse novels and this June HBO premiered the third season of True Blood, the series inspired by Charlaine’s novels.

In the books, Sookie is a blond, buxom, telepath living in Bon Temps, Louisiana. As she falls into one dangerous mystery to the next, she must also decide between two vampires: the ex-Confederate Southern gentleman Bill Compton or the Viking Eric Northman. To make matter even more complicated there are tigers, werewolves, maenads, fairies, and shape-shifters all vying for a chance to court Sookie…or to kill her.

While Anne Rice set her famous vampire stories in the bayous and French Quarter of Louisiana, Charlaine sets her story in the less creepy Northern Louisiana. Charlaine sees Anne Rice as an integral part of the vampire genre and thinks she did a spectacular job at using Southern Louisiana as the home for her vampires. It was natural then, for Charlaine to use a part of Louisiana that was less known in the vampire genre.

While Anne Rice showcases the perspective of vampires, Charlaine wanted to go in a very different direction with her vampire novels. She notes,

“I didn’t want to write about being a vampire…I wanted to write about people who were interacting with vampires. I thought it would be fun to write about a woman dating a vampire, so I imagined what kind of woman would do such a stupid thing. It’d have to be a woman who couldn’t date humans for another reason.”

As it would happen, Sookie’s telepathic abilities leave her drained when interacting with humans. She’s either listening to their thoughts or trying to keep a steady wall up against all those thoughts crashing in on her. When she’s with a vampire, she can let out a sigh of relief as she is unable to hear their thoughts.

Another reason why Sookie would want to date a vampire is that in Charlaine’s world, they’re down to earth. Charlaine says,

“They’re just like everyone else…Some of them are good; some are bad…I wanted to kind of anchor them in reality and make them unromantic, since I just thought that would be funny.”

Funny is an interesting word to use in the vampire genre. With most television shows and films, vampires are admired for their beauty and superhuman sex appeal. The Twilight movies, CW’s The Vampire Diaries, and even True Blood follows this formula in order to get the viewers addicted.

This isn’t to say Charlaine’s novels don’t mention sex. On the contrary, Charlaine’s novels are aimed for adults. She points out that her novels predate Stephanie Meyer’s novels by several years and that while Stephanie Meyer’s books keep alive the story of Romeo and Juliet, hers certainly do not. Sookie is not a damsel in distress; she’s willing to fight and defend herself when necessary. When it comes to love, Sookie’s been betrayed by Bill, has been devastated, has picked up the pieces and has looked in new directions for love.

Oh, and then there’s the sex. Charlaine’s books contain detailed oriented scenes that make any reader feel like they just finished a workout. However, Charlaine refuses to go any further with the differences between her series and that of Stephanie Meyer’s. She firmly believes that she is not Stephanie Meyer’s critic, and rather she is glad that the Twilight series has been successful.

As for dishing about Alan Ball, Charlaine was enthusiastic about the genius who translated her books to TV. As a fan of Six Feet Under, Charlaine knew Alan Ball would do a great job at recreating Sookie’s world. She notes,

“I knew that he got the mixture of humor and horror that the books are. I knew he would do them justice…He wouldn’t gloss over painful parts and make everything shiny.”

With True Blood and the Sookie Stackhouse novels being such a success, one would think Charlaine is too busy for anything else. Aside from creating a world for Sookie to live and love in, Charlaine is busy with her family and a numerous amount of other projects. She lives with her husband, her college-aged daughter (while also keeping an eye on her two other grown up kids), various dogs, and a duck in Arkansas. She is a 10 time best seller, and the body of her work is incalculable. Dynamite Entertainment will be creating a comic based on the first book of her series Harper Connelly.

With the sucess of True Blood, not only is her vampire novels getting a bigger readership, but her other novels as well. Charlaine reveals,

“They’re selling more than when they were first published…I don’t know what happened with those books. I know I was really discouraged when they were released. I really thought at the time, That’s the best I can do and if this isn’t successful I just don’t know what I could do that would be as good. Well, luckily for me, I did come up with something.”

Currently, she is working on the eleventh installment of the Sookie saga. When asked about the other writers and all of the vampire stories being produced, Charliane feels that it is a reflection of the current social identity: youth obsessed and perfection searching culture. No matter, because these other vampire novels aren’t ruining Charlaine’s imaginative creations.

Charlaine Harris continues to be an inventive and prolific writer. With every book she writes, she creates a magical world that is accessible to the reader. Her characters are more than vampires, more than supernatural…they’re ultimately human. Readers can’t ask for more…well, there is one thing we can ask for: more Sookie novels!

Credit: Vanity Fair

(Photo Credit: shannonemmel.com )

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