Fall Classic stretches to Halloween for just second time
PHILADELPHIA -- Happy Halloween.
They're dressing up as baseball players this year.
The hottest 2009 costumes are the Yankees' road grays and the Phillies' home whites, clean at first and dirtier after each inning, about to be seen in Game 3 of the 105th World Series, which comes to Citizens Bank Park at 7:57 p.m. ET on Saturday.
The hottest 2009 costumes are the Kate Gosselin wig, "Twilight" and "True Blood" vampires, Lady Gaga (she's a Yankees fan from New York), Disney characters, Elvis and whatever else comes knocking on your front door.
Movies and shows about bloodsuckers are sexy hits with more nosferatu characters coming for viewers
Published On Sat Oct 31 2009
Vampires just keep getting hotter. Perhaps not literally "hotter" – being undead and all, I would imagine their pre-meal body temperature is negligible to non-existent. But between the Twilight series of books and movies (the latter's much-anticipated sequel is due Nov. 20), the cable hit True Blood and its network counterpart, Vampire Diaries, the nocturnal stalker of myth and legend has never been sexier or more desired.
So there is something to be said about dying young and leaving a good-looking (reanimated) corpse.
Mind you, the vampire has always been something of a romantic figure, going back the grandaddy of them all, Bram Stoker's Count Dracula, who has himself just been literarily sequel-ized by Stoker's own great grandnephew.
Through many movie adaptations, from Bela Lugosi on through Christopher Lee, Frank Langella on Broadway and then exponentially with the book and film versions of Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire (Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt? That's just excessive), the concept of "necking" has taken on a frightening new connotation, as the afterlife of the average, red blood-drinking vampire becomes increasingly sexual, and thus more attractive to the living.Particularly on True Blood, a two-year-old ratings hit – HBO does not disclose its audience numbers, but if they did, those numbers are estimated to be in the neighbourhood of 12 million in the U.S., taking into account "on-demand" and DVR recording.
HBO Canada, despite a similar no-tell policy, will happily acknowledge that True Blood has, in its first two seasons (a third had been ordered), become the highest-rated HBO original on the franchised channel, and also on The Movie Network's on-demand service.
The series is based on the Charlaine Harris Southern Vampire Mysteries novels, adapted by showrunner Alan Ball as a follow-up to his earlier, similarly macabre HBO hit, the funereal Six Feet Under.
"After five years of peering into the abyss and contemplating life in the presence of mortality," he says, "I felt like, `Let's do something else.'
"This was really my first foray into the world of vampires. I really wanted it to be a show about characters, and to really explore what it means to be 170 years old, and what it means to fall in love with somebody, and not be able to see that person, except at night ... (when) basically part of the relationship would involve, in a world that's mutually satisfying, being fed upon ..."
October 30, 2009 - Call me old fashioned, but I still prefer the jolt provided by coffee to the caffeinated frenzy created by extract and sugar-infused energy drinks. Still, in the fast-paced competitive society we live in, I can understand the appeal of a drink that packs the power of 12 cups of coffee into a single 8 oz. serving, regardless of how much its flavor resembles ethanol or pure nitroglycerin.
In the gaming space, energy drink manufacturers Harcos, producers of the Mana and Health Energy Potions, market their products toward players needing a little extra boost when pulling all-night gaming sessions, but now the company is moving beyond the MMO space with Blood Energy Potion, a energy-boosting drink that looks like and has a similar consistency to real blood, and comes in a transfusion bag to boot.
Obviously Twilight or True Blood fans would get a kick out of the simulated vampirism, but those just looking to gross out younger siblings, squeamish friends, or unsuspecting relatives, the Blood Energy Potion is perfect. Loaded with iron, protein, and electrolytes, Blood Energy Potion promises 4 hours of pure, life-force fueled energy. According to the product announcement, however, Blood Energy Potion only looks the part, and features a fruit-punch flavor.
Does it taste good? Perhaps. Does the idea gross us out a little? Of course. Is it a delightful, albeit potentially useful, gag? Absolutely.
Blood Energy Potion is available now for $3.99 at LivingWithBloodLust.com and at Hot Topic, Fry's Electronics, and ThinkGeek.
From left: Dolce & Gabbana, Salvatore Ferragamo, Nina Ricci, Louis Vuitton
What?
Did Robert Pattinson, star of Twilight, ever think he’d become a style icon? Probably not. Designers, on the other hand, have come over all bloodthirsty for his alabaster skin, blue-red lips and gothic garb, leaving no neck – or catwalk outfit – unturned. Grab your crucifix: gothic chic is sinking its teeth into the season, just in time for Halloween.
Where?
Perhaps designers were feeling a little maudlin at the prospect of a tough retail season ahead. Or maybe it was just an excuse for those of a more sinister sensibility to explore their darkest thoughts. Perhaps they just missed Buffy. Whatever the case, a gaggle of goths emerged at Givenchy, Martin Margiela, Nina Ricci, Junya Watanabe and Antonio Berardi. With not a spray tan in sight, skin was translucent and weeds were widowy; while shapes and shoulders were stiff and arched, echoing the sharpness of Dracula’s collar, cuffs and cape – not to mention his teeth. At Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana, goths came in slightly more glamorous form – more Eva Mendes than Morticia Addams – wearing black lace corsets and swathes of amethyst fur at Dolce, and reminiscent of Donnie Darko at Vuitton, with ruched satin dresses, laceup bovver boots, and rabbit-ear head bands. As for those perennial representatives of the dark side, Rick Owens and Gareth Pugh, they didn’t disappoint. Owens honoured the slasher genre, ripping into stretched leather, while Pugh explored the kind of black lace Victoriana that would make Miss Havisham swoon.Why?
Twilight, True Blood and the Halloween movie The Vampire’s Assistant – with their ker-ching factor, need we say more? Everywhere you turn this winter, a neck-sucking Emo lurks round the corner. No wonder designers decided we all needed to dress the part. Not only is goth style a perfect antidote to the saccharine frothiness of summer’s florals, but come winter, nothing chimes as well with the prevailing mood. And, of course, never discount Hollywood: if the biggest stars in the world are embracing the look – Angelina Jolie returning to type in black leather Michael Kors, Kristen Stewart dyeing her hair ever darker, and that Mad Hatter Johnny Depp in a romantic goth frock coat in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland – you know this is a trend with mass appeal.
Should you invest?
Black has made a major comeback this season to mark the mourning period of the recession. And that means the high street and designers are on equal terms; after all, black’s the easiest colour in the palette. At Zara stretch black jersey tops with spiky shoulder inserts (the backbone of a gothic revival) beat the sheer expense of a Balmain equivalent. And ankle boots adorned with studs look just as convincing at Topshop as they do at Giuseppe Zanotti, at least from a distance. But for the luxurious treats – the black lace, the fur, the wafer-thin leather – only designer will do. Everyone can spot a fake, and odds are high you might look more costumed than chic. As for gothic accessories, why not try twilightstyle.com – the series’ online retail store – for some of the real things. As the tag line goes: “When you live forever, you know about style...” They have a point.
There's a general consensus that opting for a sexy Halloween outfit is bad form. Dressing up as a Playboy cat or a 'Witches of Eastwick'-type sorceress rather than your more traditional green-faced cackling version is cheating. If you want respect, get gluing those Rice Krispie warts on now, or for the more artistic out there, try the ghoulish looks demonstrated by Mac on YouTube.
That said, for anyone who loves make-up rather than face paint , Halloween is just too prime an opportunity to experiment with a dark, dangerous beauty trend to throw it away on a face covered in cereal.
The kind of deep-red lips that put the vamp into vampire appeared at several autumn/winter shows including Gucci, Dior , Henry Holland, Hussein Chalayan and Alexander McQueen.
If you want to be as in touch with the trends as you are with your dark side, feel free to forget the adage about not teaming strong lips with heavy eyes. Renowned make-up artist Sonia Kashuk says that "the current trend is for a very finished face, it's so chic to partner a darker lip such as my Bordeux [available at spacenk.co.uk] with a strong smoky eye for the most dramatic effect". She recommends making the colour last by filling in the lips with a pencil in the same shade.
It's not an easy look to pull off, though, and the wrong shade can leave one looking like an anaemic vampire who hasn't feasted for weeks.
Alan Pan, the international make-up artist for Estée Lauder, says that anyone with darker skin can get away with a deep shade such as Lauder's Plumberry and black skin tones suit very dark, vibrant colours and either cool or warm tones.
He advises that "fair-skinned people with blonde, brown or red hair should steer clear of going too dark and choose a warm shade". Try Lauder's Pure Colour Gloss Stick in Pomegranate Kiss, which Pan says "creates the illusion of a bitten lip". Very "True Blood".
This Halloween, are you yearning for more mystery than a gigantic variety bag of fun-sized candy bars can offer? Does your well meaning, but dull, boyfriend or husband leave you hankering for someone with stamina, strength and a passionate hunger? When you come upon Count Chocula in the cereal aisle, do you pause and ponder what it would be like to be with someone who has a bit of blood-lust?
Just in time for the undead to begin roaming your neighborhood, I spoke with vampire expert Scott Bowen. He is author of "The Vampire Seduction Handbook: A Guide to the Ultimate Romantic Adventure." He explains the vampire's appeal and, once you start dating the bloodsucker, how to handle him.
You wrote "The Vampire Survival Guide" a year ago. How have we gone from wanting to survive a vampire encounter to being seduced by them?
The desire to be seduced by them has been a part of vampire lore for a long time. How people want to be seduced and the social trappings of seduction change, though, and I think we are seeing that with [the TV show] "True Blood" and with "Twilight." With "True Blood" it is almost this constant orgy. That represents a kind of abandonment of social standards and wild sexual freedom.
With "Twilight" it's about tension and restraint and the perceived danger of sexuality. The whole "Twilight" series hinges on will she, won't she? I think that plays right into the adolescent struggle with sexuality.
What kind of woman is interested in being seduced by a vampire? I think all sorts of women are interested in vampires. But the one common trait is they are looking for something that hasn't yet happened to them in their otherwise heterosexual lives. You might have a woman who is a librarian who works a very regular lifestyle. Or you might have a woman who has worked as a model and a dominatrix and she might also desire some sort of relationship with a vampire.
I think it has to do with a sense of personal freedom, and what kind of experience you have had versus what kind of experiences you are willing to allow yourself to have.
Alley Cat's drinks include the soda that takes its name from the HBO vampire series.
Beware of evil spirits being served up by Charlotte bartenders this weekend.
If you're in the mood for a fright this Oct. 31, skip the haunted houses and head straight for the bar. With ingredients such as blood-orange mixers, Tabasco sauce, pepper-flavored vodka, habanero-laced syrup and the always frightening Bacardi 151, Charlotte bartenders have ghosts beat.
Check out our list of if-you-dare concoctions to consider (or avoid, if you're faint of heart) this Halloween weekend.
Therapy Café specials With its extensive list of award-winning martinis, Therapy Café's tongue-in-cheek concoctions are in a league of their own. Test your stomach against two of the scarier-sounding drinks.
Demons Within: Absolut Pepper and one drop of dry vermouth served with three jalapeno-stuffed olives. "Guaranteed to get you talking in tongues," Therapy's menu warns.
Latin Lover: Mango, tequila, lime juice and habanero pepper syrup. Blood-sucking spirits
The bartenders at Alley Cat are getting into the spooky spirit by mixing up some cocktails inspired by the popular "True Blood" series on HBO. Cases of Tru Blood (a blood-orange soda that appears on the popular show) have been arriving at the bar in preparation for its Halloween "Fangtasia" party. Some of the recipes vampire wannabes will suck on Saturday:
The Fangbanger: Absolut vodka mixed with Tru Blood.
Plasmapolitan: Absolut vodka, Tru Blood, peach schnapps and a splash of pineapple juice.
Order anywhere These classic shooters have been scaring the pants off 21-year-olds for decades. Any good bartender should be able to whip up a round. Just ignore that flash of alarm in his eye when he takes your order.
Liquid Cocaine: Equal parts Rumple Minze peppermint liqueur, Goldschlager cinnamon schnapps and Jägermeister.
Three Wise Men: Johnnie Walker, Jim Beam and Jack Daniel's. Enough said.
Prairie Fire: Your choice of tequila topped with a dash of Tabasco sauce. Feel the burn.
Speaking of fantasies, the ladies of The View were rather fantastical as a quintet of lady vampires, even without a Cullen in the bunch.
Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg opted to play it on the safe side as Vampira and an unnamed old bloodsucker. Sherri Shepherd donned a bikini top and some incredible contacts as the Queen of the Damned or, as she called it, "a broke-down version of Aaliyah."
Elisabeth Hasselbeck, never one to avoid an issue, served as Countess Chocula, wearing a cereal box around her face.
"I'm pissed off as well because the women have no rep on cereal boxes," she declared from her soap, er, cereal box. "So I'm tired of Tony the Tiger and Snap, Crackle and Pop and all the boys' club that's going on. So I'm bringing a woman back on the box!"
Barbara Walters was easily the most terrifying as "Fangtasia."
"I am from True Blood, I am also the bar on True Blood, where humans come to mingle and they all hit on me," she croaked."I used to be a human newscaster, but then I did a story on someone who didn't like me and she bit me, and now, now I am goth."
She kept her long, black fingernails close to her face as she spoke for the majority of the morning.
We'll say it—she's never looked crazier. On Halloween, at least, that's a good thing.
Halloween's tomorrow, folks. That means you've probably got your decorations in place, your costume planned and scary movies playing on your television.
I've been getting my costume ready, bit-by-bit, since early September, and I think I've finally got it perfected. This year, I'll be dressed as one of my favorite video game heroes — Link from "The Legend of Zelda."
I think I've got it exactly the way I want it, down to a replica of the Hyrulian shield and sword. (Yes, I'm a dork, but I'm sure all of you knew that already.)
Also, plans for my yearly Halloween soiree are almost complete, right down to my iTunes playlist full of creepy music, and of course, a rock remix of "The Legend of Zelda" theme song.
Now all that's left is finishing up some decorations and picking up the brew — my new favorite place to shop for that is House of Brews on Madison Street, which has more types of beer than I've ever seen in one package store.
What else could I possibly do to get more pumped for the holiday?Well, here's a few things: Movies Of course, I MUST watch the classics: "Halloween," "Friday the 13th," "Nightmare on Elm Street" and so on.
But I found a new favorite this year — "Trick 'r Treat" starring "True Blood" hottie and one of my favorite actresses, Anna Paquin.
The best way to describe this haunting flick is that it's like "Crash" with separate storylines that come together in a surprising way, but it'll creep you out to your core.
Like "Creepshow" of the old days, the stories are dealt with in horror comic book fashion.
You'll meet some interesting characters, including a creepy school principal, a group of sexy girls looking for a good party (and hiding a strange secret) and a group of kids looking to play a frightening Halloween prank on their friends.
Scariest of all, there's a little guy I call "Sack Boy," because he looks like the character in "Little Big Planet" except slightly homicidal.
It's gory, sexy and funny all at the same time, and it really fits the Halloween theme.
Of course, since it IS Halloween and all, there's a new "Saw" out — "Saw VI."
I love the films not only because of the genius traps and gore, but because the stories of all the films somehow intertwine in a really smart way. But in this film, it just seemed like creators are grasping at straws, looking at ways to keep the series relevant.
Personally, I think it might be time to let it die. End it with a bang, shock us all, but don't beat it like a dead horse so fans treat the sequels like "Halloween 3" and pretend it never happened.
Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood - which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. With Season 2 just completed, Rocks Off is now working our way backwards through the episodes we missed as HBO begins reruns.
Episode 1.4, "Escape From the Dragon House"
The song in the end credits this week is Lynyrd Skynyrd's "That Smell," but Rocks Off is just not going to talk about it. We like Skynyrd - who plays Galveston's Moody Gardens Amphitheater Halloween night with Leon Russell and the Edgar Winter Band, by the way - just fine, but refuse to believe that anyone is so in need of information on them that they are reading a column about music in a show about vampires. Sorry.
So we'll tackle the title track, "Escape From the Dragon House" by the Los Angeles band Dengue Fever.
Rocks Off's knowledge of Cambodia is limited to Jello Biafra's assertion that there is some kind of holiday there. Also, we went to elementary school with a Cambodian kid named Chad, and really hope one day to meet someone from Chad named Cambodia just to balance it out. Apparently, there is quite a pop scene in that country, and when you fuse said pop with psychedelic surf-rock, you get Dengue Fever. You can also get it from mosquitoes, though we may have mixed up our Wikipedia entries when compiling our notes for this article.
"Escape From the Dragon House" plays in the car as Sookie and Bill return from Sookie's first experience with the vampire bar Fangtasia. She had gone there to use her psychic pokemon powers to listen to patrons' thoughts in hopes of gaining some info on a friend's murder.
Instead, she ended up warning the owner, and vampire sheriff, Eric of an impending raid on the bar, drawing his attention to her. This, as all the fans know has all kinds of quirky consequences. And how does the song comment on what just happened? How exactly does it ironically enlighten us with its subtle tones and poetic lyrics? We have no idea.
We don't speak Khmer, and have been thoroughly unsuccessful in tracking down an English translation. For all we know the song, is about carnivorous doughnuts. It's catchy in a "Light My Fire" meets "Leader of the Pack" kind of a way, though, and well worth the price.
Gothic clothing is the height of fashion at the moment. Emma Pinch finds out how you can vamp it up this season:
VAMPIRES are dead cool just now, thanks to the likes of Twilight and True Blood.
People are fascinated by watching them, reading about them and even looking like them if the best-selling new Twilight make-up range is anything to go by. Gothic clothing has been a sartorial staple for sixth-formers and students for years, of course, but mainstream fashion has been filching black leather and PVC, Victorian lace and dark nail varnish from their wardrobes this season.
This year’s Goth can be soft or high gloss vamp, looks embraced by Kristen Stewart, Madonna and Rhianna lately. River Island and Topshop are particularly good sources for styles you’d willingly be caught undead in.
This week’s fashion shoot took place at the atmospheric St Luke’s Church, aka the bombed-out church, on Bold Place, Liverpool.
HBO's 'True Blood' will be available on Comcast on Demand Online.
After a successful trial run, cable giant Comcast Corp. is poised to accelerate the rollout of its Hulu-esque online programming service by the end of the year.
The biggest remaining hurdle is how quickly Nielsen can begin generating ratings for programs that are viewed online through the Comcast on Demand Online (CODO). Comcast's service differs from Hulu in that it is only available to users who already subscribe to Comcast cable service and are given a password in order to view programs online on an on-demand basis.
Comcast and Time Warner Cable are leading the charge to make more pay and basic cable programming available for online viewing, so long as viewers pay the freight through their monthly subscription fees. Among the hot properties available on CODO are HBO's "True Blood" and TNT's "The Closer."
The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills is hosting a True Blood writers panel this evening, featuring Alan Ball, Alexander Woo, Nancy Oliver, Brian Buckner, Kate Barnow, and Elisabeth Finch. The panel is being moderated by PopWatch’s Alynda Wheat. As usual we have operatives in place to report back to us with juicy tidbits in advance of a full report coming later. The panel begins at 7PM PT; keep refreshing for the latest and beware of spoilers!
Writers Brian Buckner, Nancy Oliver, Raelle Tucker, creator Alan Ball and writers Kate Barnow, Elisabeth Finch and Alexander Woo attend The Paley Center for Media's "Inside the Writers Room: True Blood"
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On the Red Carpet
Raelle Tucker’s favorite character to write for – currently – is Jessica.
Alexander Woo says that the scenes at the Fellowship of the Sun when the vampires and humans are fighting were among his favorites to shoot.
Alan Ball claims that all of the characters are his “babies”, but he especially likes writing for Jason. Alan also reveals that his favorite parts of season 2 include “the growing sexual attraction between Eric and Sookie, the Dionysian revelry, and Jason watching Sarah.”
Alan confirms that Alcide will appear beginning in episode 3.03. He has not yet been cast.
Regarding Bubba, Alan says that he loves the character in the books, but “because he’s Elvis there’s no way we can do it” on the show.
The Panel
Alan says he’s not a fan of stunt casting. Looks like Snoop Dogg won’t be getting his wish.
Alan thinks episode 1.05, “Sparks Fly Out”, is where True Blood hit its stride.
Alan: “I will admit to oftentimes saying, ‘Come on, can we just get his [Ryan Kwanten's] shirt off?’”
Nancy Oliver feels lucky to be on pay cable because pretty much anything goes. “We can do a story about priapism.”
Our girl Raelle Tucker on Sookie: “What makes Sookie an amazing character is that she feels as though she has a disability, she feels hopelessly flawed.”
Alexander Woo says True Blood fans are the best looking fans in the world. (Yeah we are!) Brian Buckner says he has to hide from fans, Alan appreciates the enthusiasm, and Raelle thinks True Blood fans have great costumes.
Raelle reveals a soft spot for Lafayette: “I am a dirty little slut for Lafayette, even if I’m not his type.”
Expanding on comments made on the red carpet, Alan says he enjoys writing for Jason and Lafayette, Raelle enjoys writing for Hoyt and Jessica, and Brian likes writing for Eric.
Alan knows what the fans want: “Alexander Skarsgard appears without most of his clothes in the very first episode of S3.”
We find out where Bill is in episode 3.01.
Fans in the audience are expressing their unhappiness with Evan Rachel Wood as Sophie-Anne. Alan takes it in stride.
Nothing new coming out of the fan part of the Q&A: lots of new characters in season 3, including possibility of the Newlins; Maryann is totally dead; the theme for season 3 is “identity”; Sookie will be driven to find out more about what/who she is/
Ah, some reassurance for Team Bill: “Bill will not be marginalized. Bill and Sookie will have troubles, but Bill and Sookie have a connection that will not die.”
And something else for Team Eric: Alan confirms that Eric will get amnesia in season 4.
The fans gave Alan a standing ovation for the last scene of Six Feet Under.
Alan says we’ll see more Pam and Nan Flanagan in season 3, groans at mention of pink spandex.
Godric’s death scene was partially live, partially green screen and they got it in only two takes!
Alan confirms that we’ll see Godric again in flashbacks in season 3.
Alan also confirmed that season 3 will launch in June 2010.
That’s a wrap! Our reporters on the spot are sticking around to get more photos and (hopefully) some autographs. We’ll have photos and a full report tomorrow.
Alan Ball and his writing and producing team for HBO’s True Blood talked gay undertones, spoilers and why pop culture is currently obsessed with vampires Wednesday night during a Paley Center for Media panel in Beverly Hills.
Ball, who created the books based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris, said the gay rights metaphors built into the series were “not the main point of the show; that’s just kind of some fun window dressing. It only is a symbol for the gay and lesbian community because that’s what’s going on right now. I mean, 50 years ago it would have been African-Americans, 100 years ago it would have been women and their struggles for equality and the right to vote, that kind of thing.”
“To me, that’s all from Charlaine’s books and it makes it relevant in a way that is kind of fun and contemporary,” the series creator/executive producer added. “But to me it’s not the heart of the show; it’s part of the fabric.” Co-executive producer Nancy Oliver added that the gay rights metaphors are “part of the vampire myth as well. I think part of the appeal is the outsider appeal for the supernatural and that (vampires) don’t belong to this (group) and they don’t belong to that (group).”
Touching on the nature of what it means to be on pay cable network HBO, Oliver said one of the many benefits is that “anything goes” when it comes to the frequent sex scenes on True Blood.
“Anything goes, anything rocks and at least you can pitch it to the (writers’) table and generally it winds up on television,” she said.
“To me, vampires and the notion of vampires and vampires as a metaphor basically is sex,” Ball added. “Of course that’s going to have to be a part of it and of course that’s going to be a part of the show, but that’s why people like vampires: because they’re sexy; even in the Victorian era, it was a metaphor for sex that people couldn’t talk about.
“It doesn’t make sense to me to not go there when that’s basically what the subject matter is all about to begin with,” he continued. “It doesn’t mean that we put sex in there just to have it in there — because that’s not interesting — but when ever there is sex in there, it feels real and it’s adult and it’s actually about something; it’s actually about in Jason’s (Ryan Kwanten) case it can be about avoiding intimacy."
"In Sookie (Anna Paquin) and Bill’s (Stephen Moyer) case it can be about two people who thought this was not possible to have this kind of emotionally and soul communion with another creature and we discovered that it is possible. So I can’t imagine having the show anywhere but HBO."
Ball later addressed the current wave of vampire mania sweeping film and television with shows like the CW’s The Vampire Diaries and Summit Entertainment’s boxoffice hit Twilight and that he was “completely unaware of Twilight at the time” he discovered the book series.
“Why is there such a big vampire moment? I do know it’s not the first one; we’ve had many vampire moments, vampires have always been really powerful symbols within the culture and pop culture and we just happen to have a convergence of a lot of things happening at the same time,” Ball said. “If it’s happening for any other reason other than coincidence … I would venture to say it’s because we had a vampire in the White House for eight years and now we’re just waking up from that.”
As for what fans of the genre show can expect from the upcoming third season, Ball teased that Sookie will get closer to finding out what she is; vampire henchwoman Pam (Kristin Bauer) will “have a lot on her hands”; vampire rights spokeswoman Nan Flanigan (Jessica Tuck) will “make a showing at Fangtasia”; we will see more of Evan Rachel Wood’s lesbian vampire queen; and that Season 2’s cliffhanger of who kidnapped Bill will be answered in the first episode of Season 3.
The 4th Annual Bow Wow Beverly Hills dog benefit--"True Blood Hounds"---is a benefit for the Amanda Foundation, a nonprofit, no-kill animal rescue and shelter in Beverly Hills with the only free spay/neuter mobile clinic in California. Special guests include cast members of HBO’s True Blood: Nelsan Ellis, Rutina Wesley, Kristen Bauer, Michelle Forbes, and Ashley Jones. The Halloween event also kicks off the community-supported three-day pet adoption drive at participating stores throughout Beverly Hills. The event runs from 6:30-10:30pm at Two Rodeo. $200 for the 6:30 VIP reception at Tiffany’s, $75 for general admission from 7:30 on.
True Blood creator Alan Ball has said that the sex scenes in the show serve an important purpose, as he feels that Vampires are a metaphor for sex.
Speaking at the Paley Centre for Media, Ball said:
“To me, vampires and the notion of vampires as a metaphor is sex. Of course that’s going to have to be a part of it and that’s part of the appeal. That’s why people love vampires, because they’re sexy.”
“Even in the Victorian era it was a metaphor for sex that people couldn’t talk about, so it doesn’t make sense to me to not go there when that’s basically what the subject matter is all about to begin with.”
Ball added: “It doesn’t mean that we put sex in there just for the purpose of sex – that’s not that interesting – but whenever there’s sex in there it seems real and adult and it’s actually about something.”
Crisis averted. After we fans got our first glimpse at True Blood season three earlier this week, there was widespread concern that werewolf Alcide Herveaux, a major fan fave character from the third book, would not be part of season three. Well, we caught up with True Blood boss Alan Ball last night, and he assures us that Alcide is present and accounted for in season three. (Woo!)
Alan tells us that not only does Alcide appear, but that he's bringing his backstory from the books with him: "Alcide Herveaux is going to be on TV. We haven't cast him yet, but I believe he appears first in the third episode. Alcide is already in love with someone, a very bad woman named Debbie Pelt. But will he fall in love with some else? It's too soon to say."
We learned a great deal more last night at the fantastic True Blood writers' event hosted by the Paley Center. Among other things, there was a promise from Ball that one of your fan-fave actors won't be marginalized on the TV series (even if Charlaine Harris does have it in for his character in the books), and crucial info about where/when/how you can next see Alexander Skarsgård nekkid. Here's what we learned about this very, very important question:
News for Team Bill: According to Ball, the bad news for Team Bill is that there probably won't be a Bill-Sookie (Anna Paquin) wedding this season, even after Bill's sweet finale marriage proposal, but the good news is that the show won't leave Bill hanging: "Stephen Moyer will not be marginalized...Bill and Sookie might go through some rough patches that last maybe a little longer than Team Bill fans might like. But Bill and Sookie have a connection that will never die."
News for Team Eric: Fans of Skarsgård will have a lot to like in season three. From Eric's humble beginnings in season one, when, as Ball puts it, "He was a prisoner of that wig," he's graduated to a front and center role in season three. To be specific, he'll be front, center and naked. Ball said, "Alex has indicated a willingness to go there, and I believe he appears without most of his clothes in the very first episode [of season three]." (Good work, vampire people!)
News for Team Everybody Else: Season three will be about "identity," as the various characters figure out who they are: Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) investigates his biological parents and his shapeshifter heritage, Sookie (Anna Paquin) "gets closer to the answer" of why she has that flashy fairy power—and why bro Jason (Ryan Kwanten) doesn't; and Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) explores her newfound vampirism. As producer Raelle Tucker told us, "Jessica's going through an identity crisis, and needing to suck blood to survive doesn't make [being a teenager] any easier. But she's really finding who she is...but when you have fangs, there are some missteps along the way that can be quite dangerous."
Which characters (from the books or from the show) do you most want to see front and center (and naked) in season three? And who do you think they should cast as Alcide? Tell us in the comments!
Leona Lewis is a bit vampire obsessed and has revealed that she would LOVE to guest star in vampire drama, True Blood.
“I’m totally mad over shows like ‘True Blood’,” Leona told Sugar magazine. “I’d die if someone asked me to be in something like that. It’d be a dream come true.”
However the former X Factor winner is also partial to vampire movies and admitted to fancying Taylor Lautner (Jacob Black) from Twilight.
“I also love films,” Leona added. “I’m obsessed with the Twilight films. Everyone seems to fancy Rob, but I’m definitely Team Taylor! I think he’s really hot.”
Which vampires sparkle in the sunlight, and which ones burn? Which ones fear stakes, or crosses? With vampires ruling the world of entertainment, it's important to know all the facts. Here's our roundup of 50 vampires' superpowers and weaknesses.
Click the chart to enlarge. Vampire Graph By Julia Carusillo.
Pour a little spook in your sip with Halloween-themed wines. We've done the shopping and tasting, so there's no need to be scared.
Some of these wines can be found at H-E-B, Central Market and Gabriel's locations, but we hit the jackpot at World Market, where all of the wines were spook-tacularly displayed together.
Phantom 2006, $16.99: The bottle accurately describes the wine as "mysterious and hauntingly seductive." Bottled by Bogle Vineyards in Clarksburg, Calif., the blend of petite sirah, zinfandel and mourvédre has big, bold aromas. The wine is complex and layered, starting with blackberries and black pepper. The first taste is the zinfandel, followed by a long, tannic petite sirah finish. Be careful; this bottle will disappear like a phantom.
Evil Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, $8.99: This wine lives up to its name, tempting the taste buds with a smoky chocolate flavor and a hint of oak. It is 100 percent cabernet. The upside-down label (an homage to its Down Under roots of South Eastern Australia?) reads, "It's just wrong." But it tastes so right. For white wine lovers, look for its companion chardonnay, Pure Evil.
Vampire Pinot Noir 2007, $9.99: Vampire Vineyards at one time sourced its grapes from Transylvania. But the growing company moved in 2006 to Paso Robles, Calif., and produces seven varietal wines. The 2007 Vampire Pinot Noir bleeds hints of tobacco and dark cherries that drip down the throat, making this wine easy to sink your fangs into. It has a slightly tannic finish with a touch of salt. Several stores said they are stocking up for Halloween, but it still might be hard to find if you don't get there before True Blood fans.
Spellbound Petite Sirah 2007, $15.99: Winemaker Rob Mondavi is the son of Michael and Isabel Mondavi, and grandson of Robert Mondavi. It's easy to taste that family experience. This wine from Napa, Calif., is balanced and approachable with full fruit flavors. It's velvety smooth, with heavy tannins and a mild, oaky finish that will leave you spellbound.
Twisted Merlot 2007, $6.99: The fun label is reminiscent of the musical Wicked. This wine is fun and affordable. It has a strong, fruity scent and flavors of black currant and blueberries. It recently won a Gold Medal at the 2009 California State Fair.
2007 Zeller Schwarze Katz Riesling, $9.99: There's no need to get superstitious if this black cat crosses your path. The German wine is more commonly known as simply black cat wine because of its bottle. It's medium bodied, crisp and sweet, making it purr-fect for Halloween.
By Steve Spears, Anne Glover and Steve Persall, Times Staff Writers In Print: Thursday, October 29, 2009
TRUE BLOOD: Eric, an urban male on the prowl, with leather jacket, tight jeans and boots.
You'd have to be dead not to realize vampires are it right now. Movies, TV shows and books are dripping with them. Which vamp suits you?
'True Blood' Southern Gothic The look:Brooding and serious, but never menacing until someone p----- you off. (Try not to spring your fangs if someone cuts you off at the keg line; such a waste of vampire power. Wait for a True Blood vampire moment, like a fight over perceived flirtations with a bartender.)
TRUE BLOOD: Bill, foppish skinny suits, puffy shirts and bolo ties.
The style: Choose Bill, and you'll need to visit Ybor's LaFrance for some foppish skinny suits, puffy shirts and bolo ties. Think Lyle Lovett with trendy haircut and some killer sideburns. Choose Eric, and you can be an urban male on the prowl, with leather jacket, tight jeans and boots. Think Brad Pitt with Angelina Jolie's moodiness. Choose Godric and, well, you'll not live to see the night.
Must have phrase:Sookie! (uttered in the lowest of voices, without the utmost Southern inflection, eyes smoldering.)
Props:Of course, you'll need some bottles of True Blood, the magic substitute elixir for the real thing. How you concoct this is up to your creativity. Be sure to note blood type (B-, A+) for true bloodiness. Got a cutie on your arm? Spangle them up with silver necklaces that can conveniently render you helpless to help with cleanup or kitchen duty. Said cuties can also be forced to wear a truth ring from the Fellowship of the Sun for late-night fun and games (or arguments). And don't forget your vial of vamp, the mind-bending drug of choice for illiterate backwoods folks.
Vampires suddenly loom large in TV, film and literature.
THERE'S something about a vampire . . . right now, on the page and the small screen, the undead are having a revival. Above all, the male of the species. And on TV, he's presented as a romantic hero with something extra: either a Mr Darcy with fangs or a High School Musical-style hot guy struggling with his own bloodlust rather than his grade point average. It is a two-pronged appeal: vampires for different age groups. The adult version is the acclaimed True Blood, adapted by Alan Ball (writer of American Beauty and Six Feet Under) from a series of books. Its second season, which is attracting a lot of buzz in the US and UK, is screening in Australia on Showtime. The series imagines a world in which vampires are "out" as a minority group with rights, problems and a tendentious relationship with mainstream society.
The heroine of True Blood is Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) a resourceful waitress in a small, rural southern town. She is also something of an outsider, burdened with what she regards as an intrusive gift: the ability to read minds. But one person whose thoughts are impenetrable to her is vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), who turns out to be a civil war veteran who once lived in the neighbourhood.
Courtly, solitary Bill keeps his distance from his fellow vamps, whose negative qualities are accentuated when they gather in groups. He comes across as an old-school gentleman among the more aggressive, more sexually voracious vampires who are not necessarily thrilled at the idea of taking their place in the mainstream. But they are also governed by a strict vampire code far more confining than anything the average anti-big-government American could dream of.
True Blood is sexually explicit, smart and funny, and its notion of the vampire fraternity as a marginalised social group gives it a broader context than the average bloodsucking narrative. Yet its heart is an idealised romantic pairing based on intensity, isolation and danger.
WB; Steven Lippman / HBO; Quantrell Colbert/The CW
Every center-of-the-universe TV heroine needs a great best friend to keep her grounded, and the leading ladies of ourthree vampire shows are no exceptions. For that matter, these girls (don't call them sidekicks!) bring their own mojo to the party. Buffy's BFF Willow (Alyson Hannigan) on Buffy the Vampire Slayer turned out to be pretty much the most powerful witch evar, Elena's best friend Bonnie (Katerina Graham)on The Vampire Diaries has second sight, and Sookie's beloved Tara (Rutina Wesley) on True Bloodis so saucy and snarky, it's almost a superpower.But which bestie is best? That's what we have Vampire Wars for, silly! So you can tell us!
And in today's Vampire Wars doubleheader, we're also asking you to choose the most essential helpless mortal young'un.
Jump inside to tell us which Zeppo you prefer: Sookie's libido-driven ditzy sibling, Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten), Elena's drug-addled baby bro, Jeremy Gilbert (Steven R. McQueen) or simultaneously valiant and cowardly Sunnydale native Xander Harris (Nicholas Brendon)—Xander's not technically a little brother, but he sure does give off that vibe, doesn't he?
Charlaine Harris once referred to herself as the "anti-Anne Rice, " and she meant that in a good way, in the most complimentary sense.
"A Touch of Dead: Sookie Stackhouse: The Complete Stories" by Charlaine Harris. "Since Anne has so ably done the dramatic and picturesque, " Harris said, "I chose the mall and the shallowness. I went for horror and humor. She picked the southern, really dramatic part of the state, and I settled for the northern part."
Seems fair. Particularly when Harris comes up with such howlers as "What happens in Shreveport, stays in Shreveport, " a line from one of the stories in "A Touch of Dead: Sookie Stackhouse: The Complete Stories."
Here's how Sookie describes the geographic divide: "Northern Louisiana is pretty darn different form southern Louisiana in several fundamental ways: it's the Bible Belt without the pizzazz of New Orleans; it's the older sister who stayed home and tended the farm while the younger sister went out partying. But it shares other things with the southern part of the state, too: bad roads, corrupt politics, and a lot of people, both black and white, who live right on the poverty line."
There was no easing into last night's macabre festivities at Spike TV's Scream 2009 award show. Nope, my eyes were covered mere seconds into the telecast as a pair of creepy blonde twins ascended above the stage. Instead of engaging in a rousing game of hopscotch or Miss Mary Mack, the devilish duo put on a bone-chilling display of "Mindfreak" proportions, as one drew a knife to her throat apparently slashing it, while blood gushed instead from the artery of her sister. Shudder! Squeal! Hide! And that was just the beginning. There was an award for Most Memorable Mutilation Scene. Seriously.
Between disembowlments and decapitations, the sci-fi/fantasy/horror ceremony managed to hand out several spike statues, with the HBO series "True Blood" sucking up the most wins. The vampire brethren of "Twilight" along with "Star Trek" and "Transformers" also scored several awards. In addition to the many stars on hand, the audience was packed with vampire/zombie/ghost-clad audience members who looked as bloodthirsty as Count Dracula. I have a feeling some of their desires were quenched with the slew of World Premiere footage aired throughout the night from highly anticipated films like "New Moon," "Alice in Wonderland," and "Shutter Island," as well as a never-before-seen clip from "Star Trek."
As I continue to try to bleach my brain of last night's horrors, let's turn our attention to some of the best moments from the Spike ceremony.
Best Dressed Female We got a sneak peek at the fierce fashions on the Scream Awards red carpet a little over a week ago when the ceremony was taped, and we're still smitten with "True Blood" star and Best Horror Actress winner Anna Paquin's zippered plum Marc Jacobs dress. The color is oh-so flattering, the silhouette is elegant yet modern and the zipper detail adds interest to what would otherwise be a pretty but perhaps slightly ho-hum dress.
Best Dressed Male If Taylor Lautner is really serious about this not-taking-his-shirt-off business, may I suggest he at least cover those killer muscles with a tight T and leather jacket ... always? The "New Moon" star, who won the award for Best Breakout Performance Male, accepted the "Twilight" spike for Best Fantasy Film, and presented behind-the-scenes footage from the sequel, looked badass in his black ensemble. Score one for Team Jacob.
Best Heartfelt Acceptance Speech
Best Science Fiction Actress winner Megan Fox eschewed her usual jokey approach to acceptance speeches (see: The Teen Choice Awards), aiming for earnest instead, addressing claims that she hated filming "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and is ungrateful for her star-making turn. "I don't usually do this, but I want to take this moment to actually say something genuine," Megan began. "There have been a lot of false reports done concerning how I feel about this movie, and I just want to be very clear that I've always felt that I'm an ordinary part of an extra ordinary film. These movies took me out of obscurity and they gave me a career, and I'm completely grateful to every one involved in and with this franchise." Classy move, Miss Fox.
Best Humorous Acceptance Speech Could we expect anything else from the guy who dreamed up the hillbilly, gas mask-wearing, God Who Comes costume? When "True Blood" creator and executive producer Alan Ball took the podium to accept the series' award for Best TV Show, he must have said the first thing that came to his mind while staring out at the blood-covered masses. "This is the most f***ed up award show I've ever been to in my life," he said with a laugh. "And therefore, the best."
Best Alexander Skarsgård Moment Who am I kidding? They were all great! When the hot, hot Swede came onstage to accept his award for Best Villain, he was all smiles. Now whether that was brought on by sheer joy from his win or the sight of "Straw Dogs" costar Kate Bosworth, we may never know. Either way, it was nice to see Alex's normally dour Eric-face light up. Also enjoyable? Watching him squat awkwardly to speak into the mic much too low for him, while thanking the shop teacher that taught him what evil was all about.
Did you watch last night's Scream Awards? What was your favorite moment?
With Halloween around the corner CityNews.ca film opinionist Brian McKechnie has hunkered down with a slew of horror movies on Blu-ray to see what titles are worthy of upgrading to high-definition. In Part 3 of his 5 part series he looks at the darker side of television shows on Blu-ray.
When I think about freaky television shows, The Twilight Zone, Tales from the Darkside, Tales from the Crypt, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Monsters come to mind. Friday the 13th: The Series, Masters of Horror, The X-Files, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and Nightmare Cafe are up there too. Even lighter fare like Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark? would sometimes be freaky. None of these are available on Blu-ray yet! There are a few great newer shows available though. Here are some I always enjoy.
As far as vampire shows go, HBO nailed it with True Blood. It's dark, Southern, wholesome fun. Anna Paquin stars as Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress in a Louisiana bar who has the ability to read peoples' minds. In this world, vampires are "out of the coffin" and drink synthetic blood so that they don't have to kill humans. It's a unique idea and works well on the small screen, thanks to the great talents of creator Alan Ball (of Six Feet Under fame). The picture and sound on Blu-ray looked so good they had me re-watching episodes, and the special features kept this disc in my player for a lot longer than I had planned. There are six commentaries and each episode has an enhanced viewing mode where you'll get information and behind-the-scenes clips popping up on screen as you watch.
Final verdict: From the packaging (which looks like a hardcover book), to the show and features, this set is brilliant on Blu-ray. A must own!
OK, let's try this again: In just nine or 10 short months, True Blood returns to HBO for season three, but to tide us over during the looong wait, we've got our hands on a leaked casting call that offers a sneak peek of things to come. (Preproduction is already underway on the new episodes and filming is set to begin in early December.) Text is hidden - highlight to reveal text >>> Where's Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) been taken? Are there any familiar faces from the books in episode one of season three? And who's the new girl banging Eric (Alexander Skarsgård)? Here's what we can tell you...
Shape-shifters and strippers and rednecks, oh my! The next season of True Blood has a veritable menagerie of supernatural Southern weirdness in store for us!
Vampires: Sookie's (Anna Paquin) fiancé-to-be Bill was kidnapped in the season-two finale, and when we pick up season three, we'll find him in the company of a courtly vampire named Talbot (as well as a quaint old Southern lady named Olivia). Talbot, by the way, is dating the vampire king of Mississippi. Ruh-roh! Other new vampires will include a looker named Franklin Mott, who takes a liking to Tara (Rutina Wesley).
Werewolves? If Alcide Herveaux, the werewolf introduced in Charlaine Harris' Club Dead novel, is anywhere to be seen in the season-three premiere of True Blood, he's hiding under an assumed name. We do, however, have a possible dog we can offer you. And no, not the misbehaving Lothario kind of dog, the shape-shifting-into-a-sweet-mutt kind of dog. In the season-three premiere, titled "A Pack of Wolves," True Blood goes to Arkansas to find Sam Merlotte's (Sam Trammell) long-lost little brother, Tommy Mickens, and we're probably going to see Tommy's naked rear end, since the casting call notes that butt nudity is required for the role. We smell a sibling shape-shifter!
Zombies? Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten) is going to canoodle with a couple of coeds who appear to have bullet holes in their heads. Are they the living dead, or is Jason cuh-razy? Tune in to find out.
Strippers: For those of you invested in Alexander Skarsgård's Eric (and/or in Eric's relationship with Sookie), you should know there's a new girl in the Viking vamp's life. Eric's latest lovah is not going to be the telepathic Merlotte's waitress but instead someone named Yvette, a Czech-born stripper at Fangtasia. Man, nobody's going to like her one bit. Sorry, Yvette!
Rednecks: There's a new gang of crazy white-trash bikers in town who like to assault vampires to feed their V addiction, and when they get their hands on a "vamper" we know and love, they start ripping him apart for the high. To which we can only say: True Blood, step away from the motorcycle clubs—you don't see them putting vampires on Sons of Anarchy, do you? Are you still a slavering True Blood addict, or did the lackluster final three episodes of last season cure your hunger a little bit?
Acolytes of the Church of True Blood are likely finding their Sunday evenings a little bit lonelier ever since Bill, Sookie, Eric and the other flush horndogs of Bon Temps sealed their crypts for the season. But if you just can’t wait until next summer for a fresh round of bloodsucking and fangbanging to begin, perhaps your hunger can be satisfied with this list of casting notices for Season 3, leaked by SpoilerTV.com. But can they outdo the bathtime hand jobs and lesbian crotch-lunching that made Season 2 such a dependably erotic treat? We believe they can!
That’s because virtually ever character description fumbles for the words to accurately relay just how bodice-rippingly, fang-baringly, pole-dancingly smokin’ they want these new additions to be.
Here they are — we’ve bolded the bits (“sexy, sexy, sexy, sexy,” “impressive,” “gorgeously hot,” “moves with the aid of a walker,” etc…) that got us particularly hot under the lace collar. Text is hidden - highlight to reveal text >>> [TOMMY MICKENS] 18 to 25 years old, dirty but good-looking, with a scar on his face from ear to cheek, he is Sam’s (Sam Trammell) long lost younger brother who works at a Tire Depot in Arkansas. Tommy’s family has a bad reputation for skipping out on their rent and owing money all over town. When Sam approaches him, Tommy hides his identity and claims to be someone else. He’s unaware who Sam is. BACKSIDE NUDITY…SERIES REGULAR (31)
[TALBOT] Male, 20s - 30s. This “intensely beautiful” male vampire has the buff good looks of an underwear model and an acerbic and sarcastic manner. Full of dishy sarcasm and cheerful prattle, he shows Bill around a magnificent mansion where Bill has been “invited” to stay for a spell…STRONG RECURRING (11) THIS ROLE FIRST APPEARS IN EPISODE 302
[JESUS VELASQUEZ] An attractive Latino orderly in his 20s to 30s. We come to learn he is a gay, Latino, attractive orderly! He’s feeding Ruby Jean at her care facility. As good-natured as he is handsome, he takes his demented patient’s racist gibes in stride.sptv050769..VERY STRONG RECURRING POSSIBLE OPTION FOR SERIES REGULAR NEXT SEASON (27) THIS ROLE FIRST APPEARS IN EPISODE 302
[FRANKLIN MOTT] Male, 25-mid 40’s and sexy, sexy, sexy, sexy. This tall, dark and handsome vampire seems to have an immediate and torrid connection to Tara, whom he meets in the local bar. He later rushes to Tara’s aid when she faces down a couple of racist rednecks…VERY STRONG RECURRING (49) THIS ROLE FIRST APPEARS IN EPISODE 302
[COOTER AKA “COOT”] In his 30s, menacing, the ringleaders of the F*ck You Crew, he and his biker thugs take turns stabbing Bill and feeding on him. Coot hates being told what to do…VERY STRONG RECURRING (3)
[JEN AND MISSY] These impressive young women in their early 20s, recent NYU grads who are both studying to become vets, wind up spending the night with Jason (Ryan Kwanten). Despite their attempts to get him in the mood, including making out with each other and agreeing to a threesome, they grow irritated by Jason’s lack of enthusiasm, and then downright disturbed by his admission that when he looks at them, he sees bullet holes in their heads…GUEST STAR ROLES. Above the waist nudity required. (38)
[YVETTA] Female, 20’s, gorgeously hot Eastern European is Eric’s (Alex Skaarsgard) new dancer at Fangtasia. She speaks Czechoslovakian with subtitles and knows how to work a stripper pole. She and Eric have a sexual relationship…2 lines, 3 scenes / POSSIBLE RECUR (36) Actress must be able to dance and be comfortable with nudity.
[REVEREND DANIELS] Male, African American. The pastor at Lettie Mae’s church, he tries to offer comfort to Tara, and suggests that all her hardships are part of God’s plan to bring her back to her mother. He’s a bit uncomfortable when Lettie Mae’s hug goes on too long…GUEST STAR (32)
[OLIVIA] This elderly woman in her 80s, who moves with the aid of a walker and also uses an oxygen tank, lives in a house in the middle of nowhere. She mistakes Bill for her son…GUEST STAR (48)
[LOUIE] A biker thug with Coot’s F*ck You Crew, he gets high on V blood…2 lines, 3 scenes 2 episodes. (3)
[BETTY] In her late 30s to early 40s, African American, she lives in a rundown street in Arkansas. She’s amazed that Sam is able to subdue her pit bull, and she tries to help him find someone he’s looking for…2 speeches & 8 lines, 1 scene (24)
[MARVIN] 40 years old, African American, he is Betty’s husband who comes to the door and grumbles about the Mickens. He “tsk-tsk”s when he finds out Sam’s related to them…1 speech & 3 lines, 1 scene (25)
[JIMMY] A greasy, amped up, speed demon biker thug, he enjoys stabbing Bill with a knife and feeding on V blood…1 line, 3 scenes (3)
[GUS] Another of Coot’s biker thugs, he gets crazy high on V blood…2 lines, 2 scenes (3)
For a backwater burg with only a single watering hole, Bon Temps sure does have a lot of colorful characters passing in and out (well, those that end up making it out). Case in point: Check out the motley crew Alan Ball and Co. are introducing in season 3 (premiering next summer). While Ball teased some of these arrivals in my recent Q&A, there’s nothing like sinking your teeth into the actual casting notices.
Text is hidden - highlight to reveal text >>> * Tommy Mickens is a grungy but handsome man in his early ‘20s who just so happens to be Sam Merlotte’s long-lost younger brother. Apparently, at some point he’ll be showing his unadorned backside, which, with Sam’s similar feral tendency towards the “full moon,” proves that they really must be related after all.
*After his mysterious abduction, Bill finds himself with the latest addition to the True Blood Gallery of Impossibly Attractive Male Vampires (or the TBGIAMV). Talbot, a bitingly (har har) sarcastic vampire with a model’s looks, will appear starting in the second episode as a guide of sorts for the kidnapped vamp.
* More news on the PYT front is the appearance of Jesus Velasquez, an unordinary orderly with a heart to match his good looks.
* In a friendly bit of one-upmanship, Tara gets her very own over-protective vampire buddy. And a “sexy, sexy, sexy, sexy” one at that. That’s right, four sexys. Eat that, Sookie. The neckbiter, Franklin Mott, is also clearly in the running for TBGIAMV status.
* We’ve had vampires, shape-shifters, and demi-gods, and now the next supernatural spook to waltz through Louisiana is…rednecks?! Well, maybe they aren’t so unearthly, but they can sure pack a punch and we can expect a group of them, led by a guy named Coot (of course), to unleash their mobile home magic on some of our dear characters.
* Jason Stackhouse will find that his notoriously limitless libido has taken a hit, when two NYU girls, Jen and Missy, ménage à try to get him into the sack to little avail.
* Yvetta, Fangtasia’s new Czechoslovakian dancer, is tremendously hot and comfortable being in the buff. Oh, and she makes lots of sexy time with Eric. (Don’t shoot the messenger!)
* Tara’s ever-distraught mom turns to the church for comfort (and maybe a little more) in the form of the honorable Reverend Daniels.
Got casting suggestions for any of the above? Share ‘em below! (Additional reporting by Keith Staskiewicz)
No gym policy . . . Ryan Kwanten, star of cult vampire series True Blood swears he's naturally buff.
HIS physique is the envy of men everywhere and Aussie actor Ryan Kwanten, star of cult US vampire series True Blood, has revealed the hard work behind his portrayal of dim but buff hillbilly Jason Stackhouse.
In an interview with a US fitness mag, the 32-year-old admits he doesn't go near a gym and instead clocks hours competing in triathlons, boxing, hiking, surfing, swimming and running. Phew!
The actor also cuts back on carbs in the lead-up to shirtless scenes on True Blood (of which there are plenty), opting for a ``paleo'' diet based around protein and vegetables, with few refined grains and carbs.
But his ``no gym'' policy hasn't washed with some fans, with one taking to the HBO website to protest; ``Ryan Kwanten Does NOT Work out in the gym?? I think this is a blatant insult to my intelligence!''
Spike TV’s 2009 Scream Awards is set to air Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 10 PM ET/PT. The show features Johnny Depp, Taylor Lautner, Stephen Moyer (True Blood) and William Shatner amongst others. You can get an advance look at a few clips below from the event that celebrates the best in fantasy, sci-fi, comics and horror. Tune in Thursday night!
Story updated at 11:40 AM on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009
[Click to enlarge]
VAMPIRE 101DEFINITION OF A VAMPIRE
A vampire is a reanimated, soulless, dead human who must drink the blood of others to remain “alive.”
VAMPIRES THEN AND NOW (DIFFERENCES)
Then: Vampires were things of fear and disgust. They could shape-shift to gain access to their prey. Sunlight was painful, debilitating and resulted in death if exposed long enough. Their goal was simply survival.
Now: Vampires possess unearthly physical beauty. Shape-shifting may be alluded to but isn’t common. Sunlight causes pain but can be endured as they now try to blend into human civilization.
VAMPIRES THEN AND NOW (SIMILARITIES)
Both possess more than human strength and speed and appear to have telepathic abilities. They, for all their strengths, remain vulnerable to humans.
MODERN VAMPIRES BREAK THE RULES
What we were always told
We’ve been told countless times ways to identify and possibly even kill a vampire, but those “rules” don’t hold true anymore. Vampires are not supposed to cast shadows in mirrors. Holy symbols such as crosses, crucifixes and holy water would debilitate a vampire. Garlic was a cure-all and was believed to repel all types of evil. Above all, a wooden stake through the heart, decapitation and burning were guaranteed ways to kill a vampire. Here are a few ways these rules have been broken:
"Twilight" These vampires do not sleep in coffins. According to Edward, the main character and Bella’s love interest, they cannot sleep at all. Sunlight? They avoid it. Not because it will kill them, rather, their skin sparkles like a diamond in the sunlight and would draw too much attention. "True Blood"
These vampires cast shadows in mirrors. They sleep, but not always in coffins. For example, Bill, the main character, sleeps in the space under the hall closet with a trap door under his house. Another interesting feature is they cry tears of blood. Holy water? “It’s just water.” How about garlic? “It’s irritating, but that’s pretty much it,” says Bill. ERAS IN VAMPIRE HISTORY Vampires as bloodthirsty killers 1746: Benedictine monk Antoine Augustin Calmet writes “Treatise on Vampires and Revenants.” 1872: Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu releases “Carmilla,” a vampire tale with lesbian overtones. 1897: “Dracula” by Bram Stoker is published. 1897: Philip Burne-Jones’ painting, “The Vampire,” inspires Rudyard Kipling to write a poem with the same title. 1909: “Vampire of the Coast” is one of the first silent vampire movies. 1922: “Nosferatu,” a German vampire film based on Stoker’s book, is released. 1931: Universal releases “Dracula,” starring Bela Lugosi. 1954: Richard Matheson publishes “I Am Legend.” The vampire tale is filmed as “The Last Man on Earth” (1964), “The Omega Man” (1971) and “I Am Legend” (2007). 1958: Christopher Lee stars as the count in “Dracula” Vampires become family friendly 1962: Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s novelty song, “The Monster Mash” reaches No. 1. 1964: “The Munsters” debuts on CBS, featuring vampire Grandpa Munster, runs through 1966. 1966: Vampire soap opera “Dark Shadows” debuts on ABC, runs through 1971. 1966: The Count Five, a California band that dressed in vampire capes, hits the Top 10 with “Psychotic Reaction.” 1967: Roman Polanski directs “The Fearless Vampire Killers.” 1971: A cartoon vampire starts selling Count Chocula cereal for General Mills. 1972: William Marshall stars in “Blacula.” He reprises the role in 1973’s “Scream, Blacula, Scream.” 1972: The Count, a friendly Muppet vampire, begins teaching counting skills to children on “Sesame Street.” 1975: “'Salem’s Lot” by Stephen King is published. Vampires as sex symbols 1976: The first of the vampire chronicles, “Interview with the Vampire,” by Anne Rice is published. 1979: George Hamilton stars in “Love at First Bite.” 1987: Kiefer Sutherland stars as a suburban vampire in "The Lost Boys." 1992: Kristy Swanson stars in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Sarah Michelle Gellar takes over the role of the high school vampire killer in a TV series that runs from 1997-2003. 1994: Fox Mulder meets a sulty vampire on “The X-Files.” 1995: Leslie Nielsen stars in Mel Brooks’ “Dracula: Dead and Loving It.” 1998: Wesley Snipes stars in “Blade,” based on a Marvel Comics vampire hunter. 2004: Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale hunt vampires in “Van Helsing.” 2005: Stephenie Meyer releases “Twilight,” which spawns a series of vampire-centric books and films. 2008: HBO debuts “True Blood,” a dramatic series about vampires in a small Louisiana town. The show is loosely based on Charlaine Harris’ “The Southern Vampire Mysteries” series. 2009: The CW debuts “The Vampire Diaries,” a series based on the novels of L.J. Smith.
* Note: this is not a complete list of all vampire events. If we left out your favorite vampire book, movie or TV show ... bite me.
Out writer-director Alan Ball continues to win over the hearts of LGBT audiences, first with his Academy Award–winning screenplay for American Beauty, then with HBO's critically acclaimed and Emmy-winning drama Six Feet Under. Now, with two seasons of his intoxicating vampire drama True Blood under his belt, the writer and executive producer of the HBO fanger, based on Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels, paused ahead of the October 28 Paley Center for Media writers roundtable to discuss staying true to the source material, why gay audiences love their vampires, and the slate of gay characters set to join the drama's third season next year.
Advocate.com: What initially attracted you to the Sookie Stackhouse novels? Alan Ball: It was an impulse purchase and it was just so much fun. The minute I finished the first book, I wanted the second one; it was like crack. I got addicted. I guess it was somewhere around the third or fourth book where I thought, This just really holds up, I think this could be a great TV show.
Were the gay metaphors something you envisioned immediately as you read the books? All that is in the books. Also, there are a lot of gay characters in the books as you get further and further into them. We'll be introducing some of those gay characters this new season. Text is hidden - highlight to reveal text >>> What other gay characters will be introduced in season 3? We'll be meeting the vampire king of Mississippi and his long, long-term companion -- and by long-term I mean really long-term -- Talbot. I think Lafayette may meet a love interest, and certainly Pam, who works with Eric, she's certainly got a lesbian vibe -- I don't know that that's all she is, but she certainly does seem to appreciate the women.
What do you think it is about the vampire genre that’s so appealing to LGBT fans? I think it's certainly not a huge step for LGBT people to identify with any group of characters that are, as a group, outsiders, that mainstream society feels threatened by; that are fabulous and powerful and sexy and all of that stuff.
Lesbian vampire queen Sophie-Anne is romantically linked to Sookie’s cousin, Hadley. Is there a possibility that the queen will also fall for Sookie? I think Sophie-Anne is definitely interested in Sookie; I don't believe it's for sexual or romantic reasons but she is definitely interested in Sookie and whatever it is about Sookie that is special beyond the realm of what is human, and that's something that we definitely will learn more about in the upcoming season. Denis O’Hare has just been cast as a regular for season 3. His character Russell Edgington, the vampire king of Mississippi, is gay in the books, so is this something we can expect to see in season 3? I think the kings and queens of the various states are aware of each other, and yes, he definitely knows who she is. Whether or not they end up in a scene together I can't really say; it depends on actors' availability and scheduling and those kinds of things. But they definitely are aware of each other. How much as writers do you stay true to the book series? I think we try to stay very true to the spirit of the book series. We have made changes. The books are all narrated by Sookie, so the books are basically all Sookie's story. We definitely have -- in fleshing out the other characters -- been creative. I think where we may not stay true to the books entirely, we do try to stay very true to the spirit of them.
Do you and Charlaine discuss changes you have in mind for the character and story development on the show? No. Charlaine put it very succinctly at Comic-Con -- she said, "I don't tell Alan how to write his show and he doesn't tell me how to write my books." We have a very, very good relationship; a mutual respect and admiration relationship, and I think the books have certainly been good for the show and the show has certainly been good for the books, but they are two completely different mediums and I think we both respect the boundaries of that.
You've said recently that a character will die in season 3. Will this story line follow the third book? I'm a little leery to answer these questions because if I say yes it just gives it away. For people who read the books, some things will not come as a surprise. But for people who don't read the books, it will be a surprise.
Will we see Jason Stackhouse scantily clad again in season 3, considering how modest he was in season 2? Well, he was at church camp! [Laughs] There's no shortage of man candy on the show and Jason is back in Bon Temps and he may be up to his old ways. I can tell you that you'll definitely get to see a lot of Jason in the first few episodes, and by a lot, I mean a lot physically. [Laughs]
Media Credit: Mel Kobran The English 215 class 'Vampires from Dracula to Twilight' explores the evolving view of vampires.
Cold, creepy and immortal, vampires seem to have infiltrated every medium of entertainment. It was just a matter of time before they made their way into college classrooms as well.
A new course at VCU - "Vampires from Dracula to Twilight" - explores the creatures as a cultural symbol throughout various centuries. Students are reading and watching their way through popular novels, films and television shows. Besides getting an education in classics such as "Dracula," the class will see how the world view on vampires has evolved.
The English department is offering the course as a special section of ENGL 215 (Readings in Literature). John Brinegar, an instructor in the department, came up with the idea for the course and is teaching the section.
Brinegar said he was inspired by the emergence of vampires in book stores, the entertainment industry and popular culture over the past decade.
"There are dozens of vampire series and vampires showing up on television. You've got 'Buffy' and 'True Blood' and all of these things. I just thought. 'What's going on?' " Brinegar said. "I was a fan of 'Buffy' and moderately interested in vampire films in the '70s and '80s. But I thought, 'Why the explosion in so many vampires? Why is this suddenly so attractive?' "
Currently, his students are reading and discussing the novel "Interview with the Vampire." The book, written by Anne Rice and published in 1976, marks a cultural transition from "Dracula" to the more current depiction of vampires, Brinegar said.
Although the class follows the vampire prototype to modern times, Brinegar said he enjoys the more traditional bloodsuckers. He said newer literature is not as original or well-written-but it's a touchstone for the way the public views vampires now.
While novels such as "Twilight"and shows like HBO's"True Blood"are entertainment, they also contain symbolism.
"People tend to treat them as just, 'Vampires are cool. Vampires are interesting.' I'm trying to get people to think a little bit about the cultural work these shows are doing," Brinegar said. "What is a series like 'True Blood' using vampires to show about the human condition? I think it's to try to get across to people that you can do the same kind of thinking about popular fiction as you can about great literature."
Brinegar will not offer the class next semester, but it could make a repeat appearance as early as fall 2010.
Recent vampire trends in modern media drew some students to enroll in Brinegar's course. Students say the classic books on vampires - notably, the Bram Stoker 1897 novel "Dracula" - have helped them understand why vampires are portrayed as they are now.
" 'Dracula' is very important because it's pretty much a progenitor to the literature and the media right now," sophomore Erik DeLeon said.
DeLeon said he is a fan of "True Blood" and thinks vampires are marketable now partly because of the idea that they are immortal yet still miserable over that very fact. He also thinks vampires' raw sexuality contributes to their staying power.
"Even though you're a guy, you want to have this girl who is like ,'Party all night and sleep all day,' " DeLeon said. "Girls want to escape with this guy that has a leather jacket and a motorcycle and is like, 'Hey, let's go ride on my motorcycle all night and after that have a hangover all day.' That's pretty much the allure."
Junior Francesca Rowan said vampire stories appeal to a wide audience.
"Since the 1970s, they've been portrayed sexily. People find them really alluring, and that's the whole popularity of the vampire romance stories and stuff," Rowan said. "Girls like the bad boys and guys like the sexy girls, so it kind of has something for everyone."
Rowan's favorite part of the class has been meeting people who share a common interest and zest for the material covered.
"All my friends are jealous about this class, and they all want to take it too," Rowan said.
'Interview With the Vampire' author says they reflect the 'desire of young women to have the mystery and protection and wisdom of older men.'
By Eric Ditzian
Anne Rice gets vampires. She understands the dangerous charm of these wily bloodsuckers and why audiences are attracted to their stories, and she spent years writing about them even before the Tom Cruise-starring big-screen adaptation of "Interview With the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles" in 1994. In the last few years, though, Rice quit writing about vampires and another author — Stephenie Meyer, with her "Twilight" tales of teen love — replaced Rice as the superstar storyteller of bloodsucking immortals.
Though she said she hasn't read any of the "Twilight" books, Rice still gets vampires and appreciates why they continue to fascinate people. A viewing of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart's film made all this clear to the author.
"I haven't read any of the 'Twilight' series, but I did see the film," Rice said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. "I felt that it reflected the deep desire of young women to have the mystery and protection and wisdom of older men. I think many girls mature much earlier than boys, and they are frustrated when they approach young boys for love or protection. Hence the fantasy of a wise and protective vampire coming into the life of a young girl who, of course, appreciates him in a special way."
"Twilight" isn't the only vampire franchise for which Rice has an appreciation. Since she's no longer writing about the supernatural beings, she can take pleasure in their moment of renewed pop-cultural relevancy. "I think it's wonderful fun," she said. "Now that I don't write the 'Vampire Chronicles' [series of books] I feel free to enjoy it. I really enjoy the HBO series 'True Blood.' When I was writing my own, I wouldn't have wanted to be influenced."
Might Rice again tackle the vampire? Could she herself tap into the cultural phenomenon? That seems unlikely, as she explained in the interview. "Vampires for me were always like feeling grief for my lost childhood faith, being cut off from that life," she explained. "I reached the point where I didn't have any more stories to tell from that point of view. Being on the side of the angels, it feels much better than being on the side of the vampires. Vampires were tortured, tragic figures."
Channel 4 has just brought the excellent True Blood to our screens, the Twilight series of books are some of the hottest around and The Vampire’s Assistant has just hit cinemas in the UK. This Hallowe’en Skyscanner brings you a guide to vampire legends from around the world.
Dracula, Romania The obvious one to start with, Transylvania was made famous by Bram Stoker’s novel which immortalised (even further), the infamous Count. There are supposed links to Vlad III Dracul of Wallachia who lived in the fifteenth century, and had unsavoury habits involving impaling his victims on stakes. Dracula has been the star of numerous films, and doubtless his legend will live on forever. Jiang Shi, China The Chinese vampire is created when a person’s soul fails to leave the body due to an improper death. Naturally, they then leap around killing living humans to absorb the life essence to compensate for this. Rather than the sleek, handsome vampires we usually think of, this lot are mouldy in complexion, smell bad and have long white hair. Make sure that really is gran at Christmas lunch!
Cihuateteo, Mexico As the sun sets in the west, these vampire-witches appear, for reasons best known only to themselves, at crossroads where they steal children and cause seizures and madness. They are thought to be the spirits of women who died in childbirth, and are sometimes considered envoys of the world of the dead.
Baobhan Sith, Scotland Legend has that these vampires take the form of beautiful young women, seduce young men with their looks and invite them to dance before eventually feeding on them (Premier League footballers will attest to their skills). Their choice of attire is a long green dress to hide their cloven feet, and they favour the countryside and open spaces.
Loogaroo, Caribbean Once again, these are female vampires, and they are required to give blood to the devil. If they do not provide any, he takes theirs and they die. They can leave their skin and float around as a blue ball of bright light as they search for victims. Interestingly, they have OCD, so a defence is to leave a pile of sand or rice outside your door which the Loogaroo obsessively count, thereby distracting them from their true aims. Vrykolakas, Greece Greek folklore has these undead creatures closely aligned with vampires of neighbouring Slavic countries. Blood-sucking is of marginal interest to them, but what they really like to do is go around knocking on people’s doors and if answered, the person will die just a few days later. All Trick or Treaters are Vrykolakas, and should be viewed with the utmost suspicion. Mulo, Serbia These vampires apparently usually appear as people wearing white clothes (Wimbledon and the Ashes will never be the same again), and they can also change into sheep and horses. They not only feed on the blood of their victims, but they eat them as well. White does not seem a practical colour for such bloodthirsty creatures.
Asanbosam, West Africa These African vampires eschew the whole coffin business and live in trees deep in the forests. They have a human form but have iron teeth and hooks instead of feet. Anyone walking past an Asanbosam is likely to swept into the trees and devoured. Rakshasa, India An Indian vampire this time, which can appear as an animal with human features, or a human with animal features. The name translates as the “injurer” which seems wholly appropriate given their fondness for eating the flesh of their victims and drinking their blood. They have the traditional weakness of sunlight though, and if it’s a cloudy day, then grab a passing exorcist to help you out.
Vampire Bats, Brazil (and other countries) And finally a genuine bloodsucker...vampire bats attack after dark, and use one set of teeth to shave any hairs or fur out of the way, before the razor sharp canines come into action.
Their saliva contains an anticoagulant which means the blood does not clot, so they can feed to their hearts content. They have been known to feed off humans, and since they carry rabies, this vampire, above all others, is one to take precautions against.
Stephen Emery became Stephen Moyer because he didn't want to be known as a horse's ass.
The Brit got his first Equity card for a role in the pantomime Oliver in the same week as another actor by the same name.
The other Stephen was literally "playing the back end of a horse, I swear to God, it's true," said Moyer from a hotel in Soho, London.
The other actor kept the name, but Moyer's now not only more well-known, he also got the girl.
The 40-year-old plays 143-year-old vampire Bill Compton in the critically acclaimed HBO TV show, True Blood, the second series of which starts on M-Net tomorrow (Tuesday).
The US premiere of the first episode of the second series was the most watched HBO show since the series finale of The Sopranos.
Moyer's engaged to co-star Anna Paquin, who plays his love interest, the telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse, a role that netted her a Golden Globe as best actress for the first series.
The show also won an Emmy for outstanding cast of a drama series, drawing on an international cast, with Moyer splitting his time between England and the US, Paquin from Canada, Alexander Skarsgard from Sweden and cast members from across the US.
"Allan (Ball) is brilliant at casting. One of the things he did was create a central core consisting of people who have almost all worked in the theatre. So we're all much more open to playing, creating and throwing things into the mix," said Moyer.
He wasn't initially familiar with the books (The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris), but read them after getting the part.
"When I began playing the role Allan wrote, he (Bill) warms up throughout the season in a way the character in the books doesn't.
"Sookie in the books also flits from one romance to another and if you did that with a lead female character, she would not be as virtuous as they wanted her to be. So Allan made the decision to let her have the attachment to Bill".
He described Bill as desperately trying to be a decent individual. "But he's still a vampire who kills."
It was a very conscious decision on the part of Ball to make the Bill character just as brutal as the serial killer of the first series.
Born in Essex, England, Moyer speaks with a decidedly British accent, but vampire Bill has a convincing Southern drawl, initially helped along by a voice coach, now by spending time in Louisiana.
"Just to feel the heat, see how people move. There's a Merlotte's in every town in Louisiana."
In True Blood Merlotte's is the bar providing the setting of many a meeting between Bill and the rest of the denizens of the fictitious Louisiana town of Bon Temps.
His favourite thing about the series is how episodes end on cliffhangers.
"I think Allan is a very clever film-maker because he puts in undercurrents of information in the show. It can also be a rollicking funny thriller, great fast television."
Some of the undercurrents he is referring to include raising issues such as homophobia and interrogating religious fanaticism.
When asked for pointers on what to look out for in the second series, Moyer mentions Jessica, the vampire he created at the end of the first season, describing her as a "bastard, neurotic child, sort of a teenage nightmare". Seeing Jessica "rushed through vampiric puberty" turned into a season highlight for him.
"Also, Bill and Sookie meet the vampires of Dallas. Eric becomes more intrigued by Sookie and that he can't have her and he tries to change that."
So exactly what is Moyer's take on the existence of paranormal phenomena? Is there another world out there we know nothing about, or should it simply be chalked up to some author's overactive imagination?
"If you'd asked me that question five years ago, I would have said the latter. But now I think there's something deeper and it's up to every individual to find out more."
"My Facebook page says 'lapsed atheist' and that's really all you need to know."
True Blood glossary
Fangbanger: A human who has sex with vampires.
V: Vampire blood, the most addictive drug ever.
Tru Blood: Synthetic blood
Glamour: Vampire hypnosis, as in Edward dazzles, Bill glamours.
When it comes to finding love, True Blood's vampire hunk Alexander Skarsgard is looking for a woman with brains – not fangs! – who likes to laugh.
"A sense of humor is number one for sure," Skarsgard told PEOPLE at the Gucci Icon-Temporary Flash Sneaker store opening in New York City. "Being funny and smart is very important."
Known as the sexiest man alive in his native Sweden, the single actor, 33, is turning heads and causing blood pressures to rise with fans everywhere thanks to his brooding True Blood ego and charming good looks. "It's very flattering," he said of the swooning. "I turn a little pink!"
Though Skarsgard, who's been shooting the film Straw Dogs in Shreveport, La., for the past three months, has been linked romantically to costar Kate Bosworth, the sexy vampire has experienced fervent fan encounters that have ranged from sultry to slightly uncomfortable.
"I've gotten proposals and suggestions that are slightly inappropriate," Skarsgard said with a laugh. "It's odd but very flattering!"
While True Blood fans will have to wait until next year to see Skarsgard again as bad-boy vampire Eric Northman, the actor will start shooting season 3 of the hit HBO series next month, and says he's eagerly looking forward to catching up with costars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, who announced that they were engaged to be married in August.
"They are some of my best friends back in L.A.," said Skarsgard of the couple. "The cast and the crew is amazing and I can't wait to get started again. I really look forward to it and I miss them a lot."
A West Virginia native says he is no overnight star.
"I've been kicking around," Actor Sam Trammell said on Monday's MetroNews Talkline. "I've been paying my dues for many years."
Those dues have paid off for Trammell who grew up in Charleston. Trammell nowplays Sam Merlotte on HBO's True Blood, a popular show about vampires based on Charlaine Harris' novels. "A lot of people look at these vampires in our show as metaphors for any sort of downtrodden group that wants to assimilate and have equal opportunities," he says.
True Blood is just the latest television series for Trammell who got his start in theater in New York City. He has performed on and off Broadway and was nominated for a Tony Award in 1998. Since then, he has made appearances on shows like Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Medium, House, Bones and Judging Amy.
He has also worked on several independent films.
Trammell's family moved to Charleston from New Orleans, Louisiana when he was in the fourth grade. His father had a friend from medical school who was from West Virginia and came to the state to go into practice with him.
"Even though I was born in Louisiana, I consider Charleston home," Trammell says. His father still practices in the Capitol City and his mother works for the state Department of Agriculture.
He attended Overbrook Elementary, John Adams Middle School and George Washington High School.
Trammell will be back in West Virginia later this week for "HallowEast," a four day fundraiser for Charleston's East End. He'll headline an interview sessionFriday at 8 p.m. at the Kanawha Players location on Beauregard Street in Charleston.
The Vampire's Kiss Martini can be potent and delicious.
Add some life to your Halloween party this year with a few of the undead. Vampires couldn't be more in vogue this season - think "Twilight" movies, "The Vampire Diaries" new to TV this fall, plus books and Web sites galore. Or should that be gore?
But if you want to have the perfect blend of fright and flirtation, along with a droplet or two of camp, follow the advice of one of these immortals - one whose sweet-fang can be satisfied with kringle only from O&H Danish Bakery.
Kristin Bauer, a native of Racine, plays Pam, an alluring member of the undead with killer instincts and fashion sense in HBO's "True Blood." The show's romantic heart beats around two lovers - one human, the other immortal - in Bon Temps, La., set against a national debate over a new and powerful minority of vampires that has come out of its collective coffin with the advent of synthetic blood.
Murder, politics, mystery, sex, romance and ever-present blood. It's no wonder "True Blood" is currently HBO's most-watched drama and a perfect foil for fall's most frightening night.
"I think people find the show compelling because it'sreally well-written," said Bauer, in a phone interview from her home in Los Angeles. "It's layered with social commentary and metaphors to what people deal with in life, and really, just what it's like being alive on planet Earth."
So how does a nice woman from Wisconsin transform into an undead bouncer at vampire club named Fangtasia?
"It's shockingly easy. Somehow, I just try to do my most dry and sarcastic self," she said. "The other aspect that I concentrate on is to try to physically look immortal and powerful."
Wardrobe is essential.
"Honestly, I think 90% of Pam is from (costume designer) Audrey Fisher. With Audrey dressing her, the work is almost done," said Bauer, who wears an enviable collection of high heels in the show but who prefers flip-flops at home. "The wardrobe is stunning, and the shoes are unbelievable."
All right: To get into the vampire mood, we must dress to kill (figuratively, of course) and exude confidence. But what about food and décor?
"For me, it's all about lighting, music and food," said Milwaukee-based personal chef Alisa Malavenda. "This show is sexy and Southern. I would make it all about red: red lights, red candles or white candles with the look of blood dripping down them by dripping red candle wax down them."
Malavenda recommends Bloody Marys or Vampire Kiss martinis for cocktails and suggests a unique way to adorn the martini rim: Add red food coloring to corn syrup in a bowl, dip in the glass rim, turn it upright and let the "blood" drip down.
Not gory enough for you? Try a river of blood: Set up a chocolate fountain and add oil-based red food coloring. Use hefty skewers as vampire-hunter stakes to pierce fruits and chunks of cake for dipping in the crimson flow. Keep the stake-in-the-heart theme going by using those Valentine's Day cookie cutters to make hearts out of red cake, and then puncture them with skewers.
"I would use glow-in-the-dark fake fangs as place setting holders," Malavenda said, "and as the beverages flow, people will probably start to wear them as they get more in the mood."
For the non-vampire guests, the chef suggests roasted garlic soup with homemade croutons cut into cross shapes.
Bayou-inspired song
Like vampires on the show that come in every size and nationality, music for your party can be eclectic, but don't stray far from New Orleans. There's a "True Blood" soundtrack with the show's theme song, "Bad Things," by Jace Everett and "Swampblood," by Th' Legendary Shack*Shakers.
But you could also spin discs from Harry Connick Jr., Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, any of the Marsalis family musicians, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet and some "swamp pop" with Cookie and the Cupcakes.
In "True Blood," tunes at Fangtasia lean a bit more techno as Bauer's character decides who gets to mingle with the vampires, not all of whom are ready to give up human blood for equal rights. With disdain for mere mortals, Pam isn't likely to throw an "unhappy" hour for the club's human clientele. But if she were, Bauer knows exactly what would be on the menu. Besides the humans, of course.
"She would definitely serve, what we called at home, cannibal sandwiches, with the raw meat and onion. Blood orange martinis and . . . red velvet cake because it's so sophisticated. That deep red cake, it's so shocking. Like Pam," she said.
Bauer will attend a special "True Blood"-themed event Thursday, when she and other members of the "True Blood" cast and their pets participate in a True Bloodhounds fund-raiser for the Amanda Foundation, a Los Angeles animal rescue. Vampire's Kiss martinis are the featured drink.
What, no kringle (which Bauer pronounces with the regional silent "g")? "I order it all the time and have it sent to people out here. They love it," Bauer said. "Even though everyone here is trying to lose weight, and they beg me not to send it to them, I still do because they're so good."
With "True Blood" on hiatus, Bauer has been dialing back her immortality and playing mere humans on shows such as "Private Practice," "The Secret Life of an American Teenager" and "Three Rivers."
"The two hospital shows had very mortal storylines," she said. "All that human stuff is seriously taxing. I keep telling the ("True Blood") producers to get us back into production.
"I seriously just want my fangs and heels back," she said.
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Sookie Stackhouse lost her Gran to a serial killer in season one of "True Blood." But before Gran met her untimely end, there's one memorable scene in which Sookie becomes nearly mesmerized by a slice of Gran's pecan pie.
This recipe, from Gourmet magazine, honor's Sookie's Gran, her unusual talent for mind-reading and being the girlfriend of a vampire.
I'm a Little Nutty Pecan Pie Bars Makes 21 servings
1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter (divided) 2 cups flour 1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar (divided) ½ teaspoon salt 8 ounces pecans (about 2 cups) 1/3 cup honey 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter into ½-inch pieces. In food processor, blend butter, flour, ½ cup brown sugar and the salt until mixture begins to form small lumps. Sprinkle mixture into 13-by-9-inch baking pan and, with a metal spatula, press evenly onto bottom.
Bake shortbread in middle of oven until golden, about 20 minutes. While shortbread bakes, prepare topping.
In food processor, coarsely chop pecans. In a heavy saucepan, melt remaining ½ cup (1 stick) butter and stir in remaining 1 cup brown sugar, honey and cream. Simmer mixture, stirring occasionally, 1 minute and stir in pecans. Pour pecan mixture over hot shortbread and spread evenly.
Bake in middle of preheated oven until bubbling, about 20 minutes. When slightly cool, run sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen bars. Cool completely in pan and cut into bars. Bars keep, covered, five days at room temperature.
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This dip recipe comes from neighbors of mine. It's pale, like most vampires on "True Blood," and once it has a hold on you, you'll do just about anything to have a few bites of it.
Glamour Dip and Chips Makes about 1 cup dip
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 2 tablespoons grated white onion, or to taste ¼ cup milk, more or less to desired consistency Potato chips
Place cream cheese and onion in mixing bowl. Using a whip attachment, blend ingredients slowly together. Pour in half the milk and blend, then increase speed of mixer. Whip for one to two minutes. If dip is too stiff, add more milk for desired consistency. Serve with potato chips.
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This recipe, from "The Joy of Cooking," sums up the character it salutes, Erik Northman, the vampire leader in Bon Temps who's a favorite among "True Blood" fans. He speaks Swedish with his right-hand vampire pal Pam and is easy on the eyes. These meatballs are their own little hunk of heaven.
Swedish Meatballs Makes 30 small meatballs
5 tablespoons butter (divided) 1 tablespoon minced onions 2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs 1 cup water ¾ pound lean ground beef ¾ pound lean ground pork 2 large egg yolks 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground allspice 2 tablespoons flour 2 cups beef stock
In small, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add onions and sauté, stirring often, until soft, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In large bowl of an electric mixer, combine bread crumbs and water. Let stand until soft, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add reserved onions along with beef, pork, egg yolks, salt, pepper, nutmeg and allspice. Beat on low speed until smooth. Turn mixer to high speed and beat until mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Using 2 spoons dipped in cold water, shape meat into 1-inch balls.
In large skillet over medium heat, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Cook meatballs in batches of about 15 to 20 at a time and brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towels before removing to a warmed serving platter. Cover to keep warm.
When all meatballs are cooked, reduce heat to low and add flour to skillet. Cook, stirring, until lightly browned. Slowly add beef stock. Cook, whisking, until gravy is thick and smooth. Strain, if desired. Pour gravy over meatballs and serve hot.
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Vampire's Kiss Martini Makes 1
One part pomegranate juice Three parts vodka Lemon twist
In a shaker filled with ice, combine vodka and juice. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with lemon twist.
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Merlotte's is a rockin' roadhouse, where the waitress outfits can be described only as "Southern Hooters" and patrons consume more alcohol than food. Who can blame them, being at the front line of the vampire-rights movement in Bon Temps, La.?
We turn to Paul Prudhomme's 1986 cookbook, "Louisiana Kitchen," for a classic gumbo recipe. During your party, keep this gumbo hot in a crockpot.
Cajun Seafood Gumbo with Andouille Smoked Sausage Makes about 20 appetizer servings
2 cups chopped onions 1 ½ cups chopped green bell pepper 1 cup chopped celery Seasoning mix (see recipe) ¾ cup vegetable oil ¾ cup flour 1 tablespoon minced garlic 5 ½ cups seafood stock (see note) 1 pound andouille smoked sausage or other, such as Polish sausage, cut into ½-inch pieces 1 pound peeled medium shrimp 1 dozen medium to large oysters in their liquor, about 9 ounces, or canned clams ¾ pound crabmeat (picked over; see note) 2 ½ cups hot cooked rice
In medium-size bowl, combine onions, bell peppers and celery. Prepare seasoning mix.
In large heavy skillet, heat oil over high heat until it begins to smoke, about 5 minutes. Gradually add flour, whisking constantly with a long-handled metal whisk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until roux is dark red-brown to black, about 2 to 4 minutes, being careful not to let it scorch or splash on your skin. Immediately add half the vegetables and stir well (switch to a spoon if necessary). Continue stirring and cooking about 1 minute. Add remaining vegetables and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Stir in seasoning mix and continue cooking about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic; stir well, then cook and stir about 1 minute more. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, place stock in 5 ½-quart saucepan or large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Add roux mixture by spoonfuls to the boiling stock, stirring until dissolved between each addition. Bring mixture to a boil. Add andouille and return to a boil; continue boiling 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes more. Add shrimp, undrained oysters and crabmeat. Return to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and skim any oil from the surface. Serve immediately.
To serve as a main course, mound ¼ cup rice in the middle of each serving bowl. Spoon 1 cup gumbo over the top, making sure each person gets an assortment of the seafood and andouille. For appetizer servings, serve half this amount in a cup.
Note: Seafood stock is available at high-end food stores and larger supermarkets.
Seasoning mix:
2 whole bay leaves 2 teaspoons salt ½ teaspoon white pepper ½ teaspoon ground red pepper (preferably cayenne) ½ teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves ¼ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
In small bowl, mix all ingredients well.
Notes:Crabmeat can be omitted without sacrificing flavor. More shrimp can be added in its place. Seafood stock concentrate can be purchased; we found it at Grasch's.
POWERS Vampire: Super fast, super strong, able to hypnotize prey (or “glamour” them, in True Blood-speak), and in some stories able to change form into a creature of the night.
Zombie: Relentless, strong teeth, fast (in newer zombie movies). Hey, they’re animated corpses. That’s pretty impressive right there.
KILLED BY... Vampires: Stake to the heart, sunlight, ultraviolet bullets (Underworld), entering a house uninvited (Let The Right One In), decapitation (Dracula).
Zombies: Decapitation, bullets to the head or other cranial trauma. That’s pretty much it.
INFECTION Vampires: Via bite wounds. If you’re not killed outright, you become a vampire.
Zombies: Space radiation (Night Of The Living Dead), Voodoo (I Walked With A Zombie), man-made viruses (28 Days Later, Resident Evil), toxic waste (Return Of The Living Dead), the English language (Pontypool), dunno (Zombieland, Dawn Of The Dead remake).
Zombies: If you said “Braaains!” you have Dan O’Bannon’s 1985 punk-zombie film Return Of The Living Dead on your mind (or its spoof on The Simpsons). Night Of The Living Dead branded them as flesh-eaters (also partial to sweetmeats). Prior to that, since they were only people under voodoo spells, I’m guessing they ate from the four food groups.
SEX Vampires: Totally, whether it’s sexual tension and heaving bosoms (Dracula) or mature themes, sexual content and graphic nudity (True Blood). If you lived through the Hammer films era of Christopher Lee Draculas, I’ve got two words for you — Ingrid Pitt. Also, Susan Sarandon and Catherine Deneuve’s girl-on-girl action in The Hunger.
Zombies: Very little. The Canadian gem Fido with Billy Connolly may be the only film I’ve ever seen with human/zombie sex.
FUNNY STUFF Vampires: Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein, The Fearless Vampire Killers (Or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are In My Neck), Dracula: Dead And Loving It, Love At First Bite, Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
Zombies: Return Of The Living Dead, Shaun Of The Dead, Fido, Zombieland.
OLD SCHOOL Vampires: Count Orlock (Max Schreck) in Murnau’s silent Nosferatu. Bela Lugosi in Dracula. Christopher Lee in Horror Of Dracula. You didn’t see Max or Bela speed around like The Flash after prey. They pretty much hypnotized people to come to them.
Zombies: White Zombie (1932) starring Bela Lugosi. Val Lewton/Jacques Tourneur’s I Walked with a Zombie (1943). Back in the voodoo day, zombies pretty much just sleep-walked until ordered to kill somebody by their zombie-master.
ART HOUSE/FOREIGN TAKE Vampires: Thirst, Let The Right One In, Martin (George Romero made a vampire movie!), Daughters Of Darkness.
Zombies: Dead Snow, Zombi 2, Re-Animator, Dead-Alive.
COOL CANADIAN TAKE Vampires: Blood And Donuts, Suck, the TV series Forever Knight.
Zombies: Pontypool, Fido.
METAPHORS Vampires: Duh, sex! Sinful, sinful sex.
Zombies: Man’s inhumanity to man (Survival Of The Dead), ecological awareness/proper waste disposal (Return Of The Living Dead), consumerism (Dawn Of The Dead), racism/slavery (Fido), science-run-amok (28 Days Later, Resident Evil), the importance of family (Zombieland), dunno (Pontypool).
Brit actor Stephen Moyer, 40, stars in the hottest, sexiest show on TV, is engaged to A-lister Anna Paquin and is now a heart-throb, fangs and all
Stephen Moyer was the kind of face you recognised, but couldn’t put a name to. Born in Brentwood, Essex, he started acting in his teens, and for years was a jobbing thesp in the likes of Casualty and even acted in films with Kate Winslet (in Quills) and Al Pacino (in 88 Minutes) – steady work, but nothing to put him on our radar.
Then, in 2008, the 40-year-old was catapulted up the fame ladder into the A-list – and it all happened overnight.
‘One minute I was sitting in London reading a fantastic script for True Blood and two days later I was in Los Angeles and being told I’d got the part,’ he recalls. ‘It was incredible. And yes it has changed my life completely.’
True Blood is based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris and was adapted for TV by Alan Ball, a heavyweight screenwriter well respected for his HBO hit, Six Feet Under.
Set in a world where vampires have ‘come out of the coffin’ and live freely with humans, True Blood is a mix of some of the hottest sex scenes on TV as well as a passionate love story to rival Kathy and Heathcliff. Or even Bella and Edward, if we’re talking vamp/human affairs…
Moyer plays 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton who falls for telepathic waitress Sookie, Anna Paquin. ‘I love playing him,’ says Moyer. ‘Bill is this tortured soul... He’s a pariah in terms of the humans because he’s a vampire. But in the eyes of vampires he’s “mainstreaming” – he’s mixing with humans – and they ostracise him too.’
Sookie, Anna Paquin (who won an Oscar at 11 for her role in The Piano), is a human with a gift. ‘She can read people’s thoughts,’ Stephen explains, ‘but with Bill, she can’t – and that intrigues her.’
The show has also hit headlines because of the chemistry between Sookie and Bill. The pair are engaged in real life, which comes in handy for those endless staring into each other’s eyes/lusting eternally after each other moments. Not that we’re complaining. Stephen has two children, Billy, nine, and Lilac, seven, from two previous relationships and divides his time between the UK and LA. We caught up with him for more about True Blood…
Are there any actors in your family?
No, but my aunt and uncle were holiday camp entertainers and one of my earliest memories is of going to the Isle Of Wight every summer and watching them perform. My uncle Tony was my absolute idol and he used to do these fantastic impressions – I can remember him doing Elvis. And they also did magic. I think a little bit of that stayed with me. And then I started doing plays at school and loved it.
How did True Blood come about?
I’d got a job at Fox playing this character who was a bit like the new Jack Bauer (from 24). It was an amazing gig. I’d put myself on tape and flown in to meet the people there and they’d loved it and it all seemed great. Then the show didn’t happen and it was all a bit of a mess. I came back to London and said to myself, ‘I’m not doing that again.’ It was just so upsetting and frustrating and that had happened to me before, and I actually said to my manager, ‘I’m not coming back.’ The Starter Wife, which I’d done with Debra Messing, was coming out and I just thought I’d go back to the UK and be with my kids. Then my agent called and said, ‘Look, even though the Fox job didn’t happen, your casting tape from that audition has been doing the rounds and people are talking about it. I’m getting scripts right, left and centre.’ Eventually she said, ‘There’s one I really think you should read. Please, just read this one.’ And I read it. The script was by Alan Ball for True Blood. And it was absolutely fantastic. I couldn’t believe it, it was amazing.
So you went back?
Well, at first I put myself on tape for it. I went to see a casting director I know, Nina Gold, who’s been great to me, and she emailed it off. Alan saw it that afternoon and called back and said that he wanted to meet me. I flew that night and I was sitting in front of Alan 14 hours later with Anna (Paquin) reading the part of Bill. The next morning I went to the HBO office and read it for some of the guys there and that was it, I was cast. Two days!
What’s it like playing a 173-year-old vampire?
I love him. He’s amazing. I love his back story. I knew from the character break-down he had kids and he’d been forced to leave them and it gives you a sense of this man who has to feed on blood, but it’s the last thing he wants to do. Also he is profoundly moral, so he has no qualms about killing if it’s for the right reason. You’ve got this romantic, old-fashioned gentleman who also happens to be a vampire. And the audience has to wonder about that conflict within him and wonder what he is capable of.
Bill is quite a snazzy dresser too, for a vampire…
When you first see him he looks like your classic vampire – he’s dark, he’s moody, and he’s brooding. But in episode 2 (of the first series) we tried to show that he smartened himself up a bit – he changed his hair, the way he dresses – because he’s trying to make Sookie and her family feel more at ease with him. Actually, one of the reasons I love this job so much is because we are playing with so many ideas. Like his costumes – the costume designer will come to me and say, ‘How about we try this?’ And it will be a little thing like having his collars turned up on a certain jacket that gives a hint of the Confederate soldier, just a little echo of part of his past.
It’s also very sexy…
Yes it is! It’s sexy, it’s dark, it’s twisted, it’s funny and it’s romantic. I think we’ve all been surprised by how much people have enjoyed the romantic aspect of it. But Alan is so clever because the character that is doing all the addictive sex isn’t Bill, it’s Sookie’s brother, Jason (Ryan Kwanten). He’s got his own problems. So the character you expect to be like that, isn’t like that at all. Bill is actually old-fashioned and cool.
The chemistry between you and Anna Paquin is clearly important.
Yes it is. And she’s amazing. From the first moment I met her, the moment we sat together on the sofa doing a scene for Alan, I knew we’d get along brilliantly. I used to teach kids drama and I used to say, ‘There’s no failure, it doesn’t exist. You can do whatever you want and if it doesn’t work it doesn’t matter because you’ll be able to use something from it.’ And with Anna we both sat there and said, ‘Let’s play with this.’ So on the first day we met each other we were walking around working the scenes together. ‘What if I do this? Or how about this?’ It’s an absolute dream to work with someone like that.
Why do you think we’re all so obsessed with vampires?
You’ve got immortality, you’ve got blood and you’ve got sharp, pointed teeth making a hole and sucking from it – (laughs) that’s sexy, man.
Ah yes, the teeth. How are they?
I’ve got three sets and they’re sharp and they go on to the eyeteeth as opposed to the canines – and actually I have quite pronounced canines. But they take some getting used to, I can tell you. And there were times, especially early on when we were still getting used to them, when the guys playing vampires would sit around between takes and we’d be talking about football and they’d say, ‘OK, camera’s rolling, everyone put your teeth in…’ When we first had to get used to the vampire teeth that was hilarious.
Presumably there’s CGI used too?
We shoot it twice – we shoot it leading up to the moment when the teeth appear, they CGI that moment, but apart from that, it’s all real!
You’ve got two young children, but True Blood isn’t something they’re going to be able to watch for a few years...
You’d be right. But my son’s called Bill and he thinks vampire Bill is named after him and he’s desperate to see it.
I'm a vampire, he's a vampire, won't you be a vampire too?
Gee, thanks, Count. Thanks, but no.
Despite being a lifelong vampire aficionado (um, does that sound creepy?), I'd rather be a vampire hunter right now. We're crypt-deep in vampires, thanks in part to an avalanche of mega-selling books and films, including Twilight, True Blood, the Underworld Trilogy, and their rapidly mutating spawn.
Pop-cult trends don't usually last this long. After nearly two years, vamp craze continues to rage.
Not even PBS's leading TV philosopher, Count von Count, could have anticipated how thoroughly we'd be saturated by the latest hyped-to-the-hilt pop-cult product phenom.
What's next? Barney and SpongeBob SquarePants with gleaming white fangs?
The publishing industry has been in a tizzy over vampires. PEN/Hemingway Award-winning author Justin Cronin sparked a fierce bidding war in the summer of 2007 over film rights for an unfinished 397-page manuscript. The Passage, which sold for $1.75 mil, is the first in a trilogy of stories about a medical experiment that creates vampires. It's due out June 8.
Publishers lined up to bid for Dracula: The Un-Dead by Bram Stoker's great-grandnephew, Dacre Stoker, and screenwriter Ian Holt (Dutton, $26.95), which was released Oct. 13. The novel, which reportedly sold for more than $1 mil, is a terrific and very bloody reimagining of Bram Stoker's classic novel. Set 25 years after Dracula's destruction, it features a big cast of characters, including Bram's original heroes and real-life monsters Jack the Ripper and Elizabeth Báthory. A film version already is in the works. (For more about the novel, visit http://go.philly.com/dracula.)
Surprisingly, there is a unifying theme that runs through many of the gazillion recent vampire books and movies: the question of vampires' moral status. Once we could rely on vamps: They were inherently evil. Bram Stoker's Count Dracula, for one, was a repulsive, ugly, fierce, bloodsucking killing machine. Bram's literary heir, Dacre Stoker, presents a far more sympathetic Dracula.
The creatures in filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's The Strain: Book One of The Strain Trilogy (William Morrow, $26.99) sure do awful things, but they're not the spawn of Satan. They are the product of a virus, which is morally neutral.
Vamps are as likely to be lovable heroes in today's stories, especially in the two best-selling book series by Stephanie Meyer and Charlaine Harris. No one seems more un-vampire-like than the "vegetarian" vamp family in Meyer's Twilight series.
How could anyone take Edward Cullen, played by Robert Pattinson in the film adaptations, for a monster? His swoony, melancholy gaze could melt glaciers.
(Little, Brown Books for Young Readers will release new editions of Meyer's books on Oct. 27: a $7.99 mass-market edition of New Moon and the comprehensive boxed set The Twilight Saga Collection, which is listed at $57.96.)
Barnabas, the conflicted vamp in the '60s soap Dark Shadows, may have been more good than evil, but he was never as nice!
Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series features a handsome nice-guy monster named Bill (played by Stephen Moyer in HBO's adaptation, True Blood). Sookie (Anna Paquin in the show) is incredulous when he introduces himself; Bill is as innocuous a name as you can get.
(Last month, Ace books released the Sookie Stackhouse 8-Copy Boxed Set, which costs $63.92. Earlier this month, Ace also released the new Sookie novel, A Touch of Dead, which sells for $23.95.) In Meyer's and Harris' fictional worlds, vampirism is no longer a metaphysical curse. It's the name for another kind of person. Vampires can be good or bad.
The best way to understand this huge cultural shift is to read some of the classic vampire tales in editor Otto Penzler's gargantuan, 1,034-page anthology, The Vampire Archives (Vintage Crime, $25). The superb collection features stories by Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Stephen King, not to mention John Keats, Lord Byron, and Goethe. The tome includes the full text of one of the greatest vampire classics, Sheridan Le Fanu's novella, Carmilla.
By their very existence, traditional vampires subvert the Judeo-Christian order, long the foundation of Western culture. They are neither dead nor alive. They can create other vampires (their "children") without procreation. They are powerful predators gripped by an insatiable need to feed off a human's life force or soul.
The vamp craze is part of a larger American fascination with the gothic handed down by the Puritans. It is the flip side, the dark side of our unbounded optimism.
As Peter Straub notes in the introduction to the short-story anthology American Fantastic Tales: Terror and the Uncanny from Poe to the Pulps (Library of America, $35), our forebears were terrified that the wild, chaotic power of nature would swallow up their carefully cultivated sense of moral decorum.
That basic fear - that we might lose our individual selves to a malevolent power, whether it be nature, God, the devil, technology, the military, or politics - lies at the heart of the modern horror.
Poe to the Pulps is the first in a brilliant two-volume collection edited by Straub, which concludes with American Fantastic Tales: Terror and the Uncanny from the 1940's Until Now (Library of America, $35). The second work shows the rapid evolution of fictional horror in an era beset by real-life horrors inconceivable a century earlier.
From the sublime we descend to the ridiculous with a growing series of self-help books designed for the undead and other fiendish creatures: Vampire Seduction Handbook: Have the Most Thrilling Love of Your Life, by Luc Richard Ballion and local author Scott Bowen (Skyhorse Publishing, $12.95); The New Vampire's Handbook: A Guide for the Recently Turned Creature of the Night, by Joe Garden, Janet Ginsburg, et al. (Villard, $14); and the particularly hilarious The Werewolf's Guide to Life: A Manual for the Newly Bitten, by Ritch Duncan and Bob Powers (Broadway Books, $13.99).
Don't laugh, they might save your life - or help you get a date - should you decide to become a vamp or a werewolf.
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HBO's 'True Blood' will be available on Comcast on Demand Online.
Acolytes of the Church of True Blood are likely finding their Sunday evenings a little bit lonelier ever since Bill, Sookie, Eric and the other flush horndogs of Bon Temps sealed their crypts for the season. But if you just can’t wait until next summer for a fresh round of bloodsucking and fangbanging to begin, perhaps your hunger can be satisfied with this list of casting notices for Season 3, 
Actor Sam Trammell: MetroNews Talkline
