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Carrie Preston talks fashion and True Blood - From LAist:
The TV Junkie is not a fashion guy. He looks to North Face's wicking microfibers because in this heat he sweats. He is a sweaty guy wearing frumpy, if not comfortable, clothes, so he was somewhat out of his element at the Mondrian Hotel yesterday, where their Skybar was hosting Emmy Suites, a collection of designers and cosmetics services targeting Emmy-party-bound performers and celebs.
Companies included Alexander McQueen, Joe's Jeans, Smash Box Cosmetics, Hobo Handbags, and Fenix Skincare. Most notably Beverly Hills Oral Spa Dentistry was performing teeth whitening on site (which seems kind of weird to us) and Moods of Norway, who really were Norwegian, was making waffles (which was also weird, but we didn't turn down the very tasty waffle they offered us). Whatever they had there, the glitterati seemed happy about it and it made some of them amenable to talking with LAist's TV Junkie.
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Boadicea | 09/19/2009 | Post Comment |
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Anna Paquin featured on Elle UK[Click to enlarge.]
Boadicea | 09/19/2009 | Post Comment |
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How to stay goth past 50: From the satirical website The Onion:
Boadicea | 09/19/2009 | Post Comment |
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Michelle Forbes on 'Throwing an Orgy or Two' Posted on September 18, 2009
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"True Blood" fans watched as Maenid Maryann met her doom on the vampire series -- but star Michelle Forbes says that while her character's life on the show was short, it was filled with sex romp fun! "Going in, I knew very little, so it was wonderful to watch her grow and to really move into her skin," Forbes tells "Extra" of her lust-inducing character. "You gotta love a girl that can throw an orgy or two or three!" "True Blood" boasted some of HBO's highest ratings this season -- and Michelle admits that the tune-in numbers blew the cast away! "We were all just gobsmacked at how everyone has responded to the show. We didn't expect it any of it. So we are thrilled, absolutely thrilled." Maryann's death scene made it look like the Bon Temps Maenid finally met her end, but Forbes says that all things are possible when considering her return. "Anything can happen -- but I do think Maryanne is in another realm now. I think we've seen the last of her."
Boadicea | 09/19/2009 | Post Comment |
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Ryan Kwanten and Sam Trammell enjoying the parties - from GuestofaGuest:The End Of Fashion Week Marks The Beginning Of The After-Party Celebrating Calvin Klein’s Spring 2010 Collection
The Calvin Klein Collection’s Spring 2010 show capped off the week with a star-studded front row followed by a celebration complete with models, celebrities, and the New York Social scene who’s never a bunch to turn down a party, no matter how fashion-exhausted they are. More story below…Guests including True Blood hunks Ryan Kwanten and Sam Trammell, along with Miranda Kerr, Ben Watts, Thandie Newton, Jamie Burke, John Stamos, Kerry Washington, Rose Byrne, Andrew Saffir, Dree Hemingway and many more joined Calvin Klein’s creative director, Francisco Costa, for dinner and an after party at The Standard.
Boadicea | 09/19/2009 | Post Comment |
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True Blood jewelry - From National Jeweler's Network:
| HBO bites into fashion with 'True Blood' jewelry Designer Udi Behr uses sterling silver, leather and rubies to give collection a seductive undertone By Stacy Straczynski
September 18, 2009
| | A piece from Udi Behr's "True Blood" jewelry collection, designed in collaboration with HBO and inspired by the TV network's series of the same name. |
Behr designed the collection of rings, necklaces and earrings using the TV show's themes as inspiration. The pieces, which incorporate sterling silver, stainless chain, leather and rubies, target fans of the show and its gothic aesthetic. Several items include fang-like clasp closures, and prices ranges from $59 to $1,295.
"I had a lot of fun with [the collection]. I didn't just want to make another vampire jewelry line, and that was challenging because I wanted to really go beyond that," said Behr. "I looked to the spirit of the show. The show is very sexy and seductive, and it talks about eternity. I tried to capture that in what I [designed]."
Behr's Love, Peace, and Hope collections previously won him Luxury Magazine's title of Designer of the Year, and his pieces have been worn by celebrities Elton John and Sharon Stone, helping him to catch HBO's eye.
"We're very pleased to be working with Udi Behr", said James Costos, vice president of Licensing and Retail at HBO, in a statement. "His designs are unique in the marketplace, and this jewelry collection really captures the essence of the series."
HBO's True Blood Sunday night TV series, which is based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris, recently ranked No. 8 on Nielsen's Top 10 cable TV Ranking Chart for the week of Aug 24-30, 2009, with 5.1 million viewers. Nielsen is the parent company of National Jeweler. |
Boadicea | 09/19/2009 | Post Comment |
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Mehcad Brooks: Macy’s Passport Perfect  True Blood hunk Mehcad Brooks shows off his washboard abs as he models on the runway at the Macy’s Passport event at Fort Mason Center on Thursday (September 17) in San Francisco, Calif. Mad Men’s Bryan Batt (art director Salvatore Romano) also attended the event, which benefited AIDS research and charities. Mehcad recently admitted that he doesn’t have marriage on his mind. The 28-year-old actor told HoneyMag, that he’s “not even concerned with marrying somebody until it’s legal for everybody to get married. And what I mean by that is the whole Prop 8 thing. I find it really offensive. I just find it really problematic when you start throwing people’s rights away. Until we get our gay brothers and sisters back into a realm of consciousness that everyone else is in, it’s just not right. A woman who’s getting married — it’s probably going to be a gay man who made her dress, and a gay man who’s doing her hair and makeup, but he can’t get married. How messed up is that?” 15+ pictures inside of shirtless Mehcad Brooks…
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Boadicea | 09/19/2009 | Post Comment |
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The astrology of Alexander Skarsgard - from The Frisky:In Bed With ... Alexander Skarsgard
Posted by: Kiki T | 12:00PM, Friday September 18th 2009
- VITAL STATS
- Born: August 25, 1976, Stockholm, Sweden
- Sun: Virgo
- Ascendant: Unknown
- Moon: Virgo
- Mercury: Virgo
- Venus: Virgo
- Mars: Libra
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Love Style:Alex is a man on a mission. He has a no-nonsense approach to life and in love — if he were a fashion style, he would be straight-up utilitarian. He’s not out for crazy sex with hookers spanking him senseless in random trashed hotel rooms filled with pills and leather. No, this is the guy that is all about love in the traditional sense and having relationships in a super-efficient way. He wants a partnership that works as a team for all the conventional aspects of life—a woman to go to the movies with, someone to come home to, discuss world issues with, etc. No, he’s not the most romantic, but he’s definitely loyal. What he lacks in excitement, he makes for in service, as he is the man that would like to be a tad pussy-whipped. It’s more secure for him to be in a situation where he is given direction, rather than being the one dispensing it. Sex Style: Alex gets off on getting his woman off. He feels at his best when he knows his actions have results. Chances are he takes the time to really understand his lover’s body and is determined to perfect his ways in pleasing her. This is good news for bossy chicks that just want to get some loving, without paying the piper — as he does well as the subordinate. While that can aggravate others who are into more equality, the bottom line is he does need a stronger hand to guide him. But no matter what the circumstance, the good thing about him is that he never quits. Although he can be a bit bland in his own style, he will make sure each adventure ends with a bang. His Type: What is good for Alex and what is his type are most likely vastly different. Virgo men like fixing people and, as most of you know, that never ends well. Yes, this gives him a bit of superior attitude in a relationship, as he will think he has the answers, but if he happens to hook up with a woman that can hold her own, that might be the shock to his system that he needs — as his need to be of service will have to get redefined. If a woman can charge his mental batteries with riveting conversation that stops him dead in his tracks, then that is the woman for him. However, chances are he opts for the easy route most of the time, opting for women he can serve in a safe way — as in being a daddy to or, at the very least, a consistent sex slave. It will take time and effort for him to build up his ego to have a woman that he has to push himself to impress, but once he gets there, he will find the perfection he craves. Astrosexologist Kiki T. is author of the ultimate astral guide to woo, coo, do and even shoo any man in the universe, “The Celestial Sexpot’s Handbook,” and The Frisky’s Astrosexologist Extraordinaire. Check out her FriskyScopes every Monday and her advice column, Ask The Astrosexologist, once a week. Plus, to keep up with astro updates as they happen, follow Kiki on Twitter!
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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Exclusive: Interview with Chris Bauer By Lividity on September 18th, 2009
TB-N: You spent some time with the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago and also the Goodman Theatre. Can you tell us how long you were in Chicago, which productions were your favorites and if you have any plans to return to the stage?
Chris Bauer & Emily Mortimer in Atlantic Theater's Parlour Song |
CB: I always have plans to return to the stage, and I always do. I never thought I’d appear on camera until I was 45. I figured I’d be lucky to be in plays. In fact I was cast in my first movie (Snow White: A Tale of Terror) after a casting director saw me in a show at Steppenwolf in Chicago. I consider Chicago audiences the best in America. They don’t discern by way of status. They will see a show at a storefront by a no-name theater group as avidly as they will whatever’s playing at the Goodman theater or Steppenwolf. Chicago is where I really learned how to act, how to live a creative life. All my ethics came from that place. And I moved there after I attended the Yale School of Drama. Thank God for Chicago, it was a place I could go to forget everything I’d learned at Yale. I’m grateful for my education but I didn’t form any good creative habits until I worked in Chicago. The aesthetic there is all about making your work as real and as human as possible. And I love that. During ‘A Clockwork Orange’ at Steppenwolf, the stage had a dirt floor and we used to pee on it! Maybe that was too real. But this isn’t a vain job for me; as is obvious to anyone who has seen my work. But I never go more than two years without doing a play. I’m a member of the Atlantic Theater in New York. It’s my favorite stage in the city. I work there whenever I can. And I got to do ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ on Broadway with Natasha Richardson (may God bless her forever), Amy Ryan, and John C. Reilly – insane talent in an immaculate play. I’m so lucky. I’ll never leave the theater behind. I’m that kind of geek.
Detective Andy Bellefleur
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TB-N: Throughout your career, you have often portrayed police officers or detectives. Have you worked with anybody in law enforcement to prepare for any of these roles?
CB: I have a close friend who is a United States Marshal. I admire him very much. He has helped a lot of people and is a really devoted dad. He’s a lot like many people I know in law enforcement. There’s a former cop in my hometown who I spend a lot of time with. He’s always got a story or two. And I was on ‘Third Watch’ on NBC for five years. We were up to our ears in cops, fire fighters, first responders, etc. 99.99999 percent of each of those people have been compulsively generous and brave. I’ve taken bits and pieces from each of them like a thief and filed them away in my imagination. It all comes into play when a character is born. It’s always been an honor to play those types, but man, I could never live that life… too chickenshit.
TB-N: We love Andy Bellefleur, and as the season moved forward he got more complicated and funnier. You have portrayed a lot of dramatic roles in your career, but we’ve seen you pull off comedy and dark humor flawlessly. What is your dream role? Do you prefer drama to comedy?
CB: First of all. THANK YOU. I’m so happy to hear that you or anyone loves Andy Bellefleur ‘cuz I love him so much. And sometimes he’s an ass! But he has to be. That’s the way he is. He’s so desperate for acceptance and so sure he isn’t going to get it that he beats everybody to the punch and puts out a really hostile vibe. It’s the classic dysfunctional contradiction of a person behaving in direct opposition to what they really want. He wants affection, respect, a feeling of belonging, love, fellowship. But his insecurity is so severe, as is his lonliness, and his antiquated perception of his families’ elite status in Bon Temps really gets in his way. But I’m so damn happy to play a character you can smile and laugh with/at. I’ve played some hardcore types before, but I just love Andy. He’s funny but he’s never trying to be! Anyway, I don’t know if I could put my dream role into words, but Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall, Chris Cooper, they’ve played all the characters and types of characters that I’m attracted to. But I’m such a baby; I’ve been doing this a long time but wouldn’t dare say I know what I’m doing yet. The great thing about a creative life is if you focus on the task at hand (scene you’re working on, character you’re playing, etc.), and avoid looking down the road, your path is comfortably revealed one step at a time, and you can be sure you’re heading in the right direction. When you try to determine that path without tending your creative obligations, you get lost.
Andy Bellefleur & Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten)
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TB-N: What would you say is the biggest challenge in portraying Andy Bellefleur? You have stated that the character of Andy fits you like a glove. Can you elaborate on why that is? What traits do Andy Bellefleur and Chris Bauer share?
CB: I want that love, that affection, that acceptance, status, fellowship, respect. If my ego made all the decisions, a) I’d be a shitty actor and b) I’d never risk alienating an audience by building a character that can repulse you, make you mad, turn you off. You know, we read our critics, we know what people glibly say about our work. And that’s ok. It’s a great life being an actor and my gratitude that I get to make a living at it is immeasurable. But a part of me will always want people to like me! (Sorry so human). Frankly the biggest challenge in playing Andy is maintaining his viability as a multi-dimensional character with a limited amount of scenes to do so. ‘True Blood’ is a major grab bag of characters and I love how many of us there are. But we have limited time to make our mark so it’s a real ballet to etch a portrait that sticks and that you can believe is real without throwing off the scale of the other character’s needs.
TB-N: What was your favorite scene to film in season one? In season two?
CB: Right off the top of my head, my favorite scene of season one was with me and Terry fishing out on the bayou and Sam goes streaking by, nude in the woods. Chris Offut wrote that script who is a genious author. Sam Trammel’s an old friend so I got a kick out of the fact that he had to run naked through these snake filled hills in Louisiana. And it just felt so authentic. I love that my job takes me to places like that. Sometimes those places are emotional, sometimes geographical. Season two: toss up between Jason and Andy carbing up in Jason’s truck when they are about to attempt a rescue of the town. That scene captures everything fun about doing ‘True Blood’. It was written by Alan who is superb and insightful. Tonally, it was funny, but dead serious. And Ryan Kwanten is a live wire scene partner. And the other one is square dancing with a crazy Bud Dearborne. Bill Sanderson has been a great teacher to me and I love working with him. He is a solid man.
Andy & Sheriff Dearborne (William Sanderson)
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TB-N: Do you have any memorable moments on the set from this past year that you found funny or poignant that you could share with us?
CB: Everyone has exhausted this image but you really can’t over-express how surreal it is when you’re surrounded by 40 naked extras in the middle of an ice cold night. My hat is so off to them. They were truly game. Man, they went for it and were a big part of the atmosphere this year. But that many nudies on a cold night is an eye opener, or closer, depending. And some of the party sequences at Maryann’s were shot not far from where I used to play as a kid. And one night we were working there and our trailers were set up in a parking lot near a mall that my mother used to take us to 30 years ago. And I looked out from my trailer and saw the church I went to as a very little kid. In that moment I really felt how far my life had taken me. I’m just so fortunate to be able to work at what I love.
TB-N: The scenes that Andy has with the pig this year were hilarious and fan favorites. What was your initial reaction when you read the script and found your character was going to be obsessed by a pig?
CB: Bring it on! I knew all would be well. My brother Mikey’s nickname was ‘pig’ in high school. He’s got a tattoo of big pink pig on his arm. I loved playing my little scene with the pig, which was actually enormous. Like five hundred pounds big. And the pig was a diva. for real. Had to be fed every take, and kicked down the door of the doll house when the carrot took too long. But I’m a fan. That whole thing might’ve gotten an extra mile or two because I figured out how to make ‘pig’ a four syllable word. Anyway, thank you. Glad you like those scenes. I’ll keep company with a pig any day.
TB-N: This season Andy has gone from stumbling drunk to possible savior of the town. Although Andy is drunk, he’s the smartest of the bunch now.
CB: How difficult is it to play a drunk who is actually the only guy in town that makes any sense? Making no sense is not difficult at all for me. The drunk part is harder. I haven’t been that guy in real life for awhile, but I rehearsed it plenty when I could. It was such a pleasure to dis-assemble that way.
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Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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Possible SPOILER! Cut scene from True Blood Season 1 Episode 1:
Boadicea | 09/17009 | Post Comment |
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INTERVIEW WITH A BABY VAMPIRE - TRUE BLOOD'S JESSICA (DEBORAH ANN WOLL) - PART TWO - Exclusive Interview The actress talks about apparently throwing an actor twice her size into a wall on the HBO hit series By ABBIE BERNSTEIN, Contributing Writer
Although author Charlaine Harris created a set of indelible characters in her Sookie Stackhouse books, one of the most striking denizens of TRUE BLOOD,Alan Ball’s HBO series adaptation of the novels (which wrapped up its second season run last night), doesn’t appear in the print version at all. Deborah Ann Woll as Jessica, the bratty yet vulnerable teen turned into a vampire by Stephen Moyer’s reluctant Bill last season, continues to be a riveting original. Jessica is Woll’s first role as a series regular, and by her own account, she’s having the time of her life in Part 2 of iF's exclusive interview.
iF: Do you have any specific epiphanies about Jessica that you can point to and say, ‘I suddenly realized …’?
WOLL: Hmm. There was one quite early on. Loneliness was one of the things that hit on me right away [about Jessica]. When I shot the first season, it had been clear to me that this was a very repressed young girl who was now freeing herself and trying to be an individual in a way she hadn’t been allowed to before. But then when they started writing the stuff with Hoyt, I started exploring this relationship with a boy and that love feeling, it occurred to me that this is the first time any man, or woman, or human being, had ever said something to her like, "You, by yourself, are great." Or "I think your smile is beautiful." These words are the first time I was ever being complimented in my life or anyone was accepting me and realizing actually what an incredibly lonely life that must be, so Jessica began for me as sort of this strike for freedom, then became this kind of desire and need for a companion, for love and a relationship, and now – I can’t reveal too much – it’s starting to pick up another little thing for me.
One thing that really fascinates me about working in television, unlike working in the theatre and I think even in film, that idea that I’ve spent more time with this character than any film or theatre production would ask me to. I think that as an audience member watching that [evolution over time], you get a really unique perspective on the characters, because you spend that full amount of time with them. You can’t watch them for two hours and form an opinion and then leave. You come back next week and see them do something else, and that might change your opinion or make you realize that what you first thought was wrong. I think about when Jessica was first introduced, she’s kind of this annoying child who speaks back to her maker, but then a couple episodes later, you find that her father was abusive to her, so yeah, maybe she might be a bit aggressive and angry with another father figure who was trying to be controlling. I think in a film, you might have only seen that bratty side and never looked deeper. TV sort of forces you to see that background, and I think people have really adjusted their opinions of Jessica, and I think that’s great, that we can use TV, we can use that medium to do that, to remind us that everybody has a story. I’ve been enjoying that aspect of working in television.
iF: On TRUE BLOOD, when vamps suddenly sport fangs, this is accomplished on set by having the actor raise his or her hand for everything to stop while the fangs are inserted. Have you gotten used to that yet?
WOLL: [laughs] Oh, yeah, it’s pretty routine now. I get to bare my fangs quite a bit this season. The first couple of times the special effects guy comes in and shows you how to do it so they have everything they need. Now I understand the process. I wear tight little dresses, so there’s not a lot of places to keep fangs [hidden] on my costume, but we tend to put it just outside the frame, on a table or the arm of a chair or something, or sometimes even a makeup person will just put their hand right outside [frame] and hold it there for me to reach out and grab.
iF: In the scene where Jessica throws her abusive father against the wall, how that was actually accomplished?
WOLL: They put us on a track, on a moving platform and sort of strapped us into the thing, and then a big strong guy grabbed the back and the camera was sitting on it with us. We rehearsed it a couple of times in slow motion, but then when it was time to go, they rammed us into the wall. [The wall] didn’t break the first time, so they really just rammed this poor actor playing my father into a wall, but then they went in and made a few more scores [in the breakaway wall, so that it would break] and they did it again and it worked right, so that was essentially a one-take scene.
iF: Do you gear up in any way for playing Jessica’s super-strength?
WOLL: You mean push-ups or something [laughs]? No, I – the only thing that I have to adjust is my mentality. I’m not used to being stronger than, say, a big man, so it has more to do with just switching that and knowing in my mind that there’s no hesitation, that without any kind of effort, I can ram that gigantic man against the wall. I think I just tell myself that I’m in control and that there’s nothing he can do about it [laughs].
iF: Is that one of the reasons you got into acting, that you can play something that is not physically likely to happen in reality?
WOLL: For sure. I started in classical acting, in Shakespeare, and most of the stuff that happens in a Shakespeare play is practically fantasy [laughs]. It’s all very heightened. But you have to commit one hundred percent to, ‘I am a vampire, I can throw this man against the wall and there’s no other way about it.’ Or even something as small as speaking with an accent. ‘That’s just how I talk – that’s not an accent, that’s how I speak.’
iF: Do you have a favorite TRUE BLOOD scene so far?
WOLL: Well, I really love Episode Three [of Season Two], meeting Hoyt. For me, that was sort of the first episode where I was working on it and reading the script with this new idea about another struggle, another thing that Jessica was struggling with came to light, so it was very fresh for me, that episode, and I’m quite proud of what Jim and I and Stephen [Moyer as Bill] and Anna [Paquin as Sookie] all found within ourselves to add to that. I really love that episode.
iF: Are you working on any other projects?
WOLL: I’m doing a [film] called LITTLE MURDERS, another called HIGHLAND PARK and a third called MOTHER’S DAY.
iF: Is LITTLE MURDERS based on the Jules Pfeiffer play?
WOLL: I don’t think so.
iF: Are the roles similar to or different from Jessica?
WOLL: Oh, very different from Jessica. I don’t think anybody will ever write a character like Jessica again [laughs]. I’m really safe from repeating that one. Part of the reason I like all three of these pieces so much is that they are very different characters. One is a mother, another is a sexy chain-smoking waitress and the third is a very interesting part, kind of a repressed young girl, but in a very different way than Jessica was. I’m very much looking forward to all of them. I’m happy to have these projects this summer to work on and keep my acting chops warm and fresh. iF: How was your Comic-Con experience? WOLL: Out of this world. I have never experienced anything like that before. I went because I had time with my boyfriend. We’re big nerdy genre fans ourselves, so we went to panels every day, we did autograph signings, I waited in line like every other fan girl for my autographs [laughs], so I actually spent more of my time being a fan girl than actually being [approached by] fan girls. But then our actual [TRUE BLOOD panel] was unbelievable. I’ve never seen that kind of [reaction] – people like the show and I’m so honored that they’re willing to tell us about that.
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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| ***SPOILERS*** | ***SPOILERS*** | ***SPOILERS*** |
True Blood: Season 3 Spoilers
Friday, September 18, 2009
True blood may have wrapped up its second season but it left us with enough questions to ponder on until the show returns for season 3. Who took Bill? What is Sookie? Will Sam finally meet his real parents? What will happen to Jessica and Hoyt? We won't know for sure until True Blood returns next fall. It's going to be a long wait, nine excruciating months to be exact but, luckily, I've stumbled upon some spoilers to pass the time.
Take note, however, that some of these spoilers are not confirmed by the network so read at your own risk.
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The Characters:
Sookie
She's not entirely human that's for sure. Series creator Alan Ball won't tell exactly what she is but assures fans that it will be revealed next season. "Sookie has a stronger genetic predisposition in another direction. People who have read the books know exactly what I'm talking about. People who haven't, it will be revealed," Ball explained. Based on the books, however, Sookie is a fairy.
Eric
The Viking vamp was missing for the most part of the second season finale but Alan Ball tells Entertainment Weekly there's a reason why and assures fans that Eric will be a prominent character in season 3.
Lafayette
We will be seeing more and more of Lafayette in season 3 as he gets vulnerable not just because he's afraid of Eric. He also gets a boyfriend!
Andy
He'll find out that he is related to somebody and it will totally shock him when he discovers who it is.
Godric
The vampire may have committed suicide by sunlight but he may still appear in the coming season in flashback scenes with Eric.
Queen Sophie-Anne
Queen Sophie-Anne may not have come across scary when she was first introduced in the second season but Ball says she will be in season 3. "You don't want to introduce a character you're going to see later and blow your wad up front. All I can say is keep watching. It will make sense," Ball explained of Queen Sophie-Anne who will return for the new season but not as a series regular.
Shocking Plots:
The Bombshell Secret
Ever since Queen Sophie-Anne graced the second season of True Blood, Bill and Sookie fans have been haunted with a theory from the Charlaine Harris books that would certainly destroy their favorite vampire-human couple: that Bill is working for the Queen and he came to Bon Temps to seduce Sookie with ulterior motives. It's certainly an issue that would divide True Blood fans as this will push Sookie right into the arms of Eric, and while series creator Alan Ball hasn't really followed the novels to the letter, he isn't completely shutting out the idea either.
"It's certainly something that I found really compelling in the books," Ball told Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello of Bill's deep dark secret. "I was like, 'Wow.' But I can't really tell you what I'm going to do story-wise. So much of the appeal of the show depends on the element of surprise."
"I try to stay out of how the fans are responding to the show," he added. "I have to tell the story that I think is the most interesting story. Certainly, the main ingredient in drama is conflict and revelations. For every person who loves Bill and wants him and Sookie to just be in love always, there's another person who's like, 'I'm sick of Bill. He's such a wuss. I like Eric. He's dangerous.' Especially when you're working on a show like this with the kind of palette and the colors you use; you want it to be continually surprising and shocking. Not for the sake of being shocking, but that's part of the fun."
Sookie and Eric, will they or won't they?
Season 2 left fans with a cliffhanger that saw Bill being abducted just before Sookie was supposed to accept his marriage proposal. Now that Bill is seemingly and temporarily out of the picture, we are now left wondering if Eric and Sookie will finally get together in season 3. But Ball tells TV Squad, "I can't tell you if they're going to get together, because that's going to ruin the anticipation. But, if you've been following season two, he's definitely been doing things to make her more vulnerable and more susceptible to him. And he does want her, he's just not sure why. I think it's deeper than just, 'I want her because Bill Compton has her.' Although that's part of it, because Eric is a total alpha-dog."
Casting News:
- Tony winner Denis O'Hare has been cast to play Russell Edgington, the King of Mississippi. There's no word yet on how far the series will deviate from the books, but based on the Charlaine Harris novels, Russell is described as the perfect southern gentleman who prefers men. O'Hare joins season 3 as one of the regulars and is expected to make his debut early on.
- Season 3 will also include werewolf Alcide, super bad vampire Franklin Mott, Sam's blood relatives and a character named Debbie Pelt, who is "bad news" and an ex-girlfriend of a guy who's helping Sookie find Bill.
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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Denis O'Hare to Join Cast of HBO's True Blood
Tony Award winner Denis O'Hare will join the cast of HBO's True Blood as a series regular during the show's third season, according to a report on EW.com.
The show, about the co-existence of vampires and humans in a small Louisiana town, also features theater veterans Sam Trammell, Anna Paquin, and Anna Camp.
O'Hare won a Tony Award for Take Me Out, and was Tony-nominated for Assassins. He starred last season in the Classic Stage Company production of Uncle Vanya and in the spring, will appear in Seattle Repertory Theatre's production of An Iliad.
Boadicea | 09/17009 | Post Comment |
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THE FALL
Those days at the beach are drawing to a close. The long afternoons and brief nights are ebbing. The air is turning colder, and good breather children everywhere are being forced out of summer break to once again attend class.
The Fall is coming.
Someone once told me a vampire’s existence is better measured in seasons than years. Years are temporary. Seasons are eternal. They are markers, each representing a perspective, a unique point of view on the passing years, far beyond the space of time that houses them. The same can be said of vampires. A number on a calendar means nothing to us. A single year little different than a single day. But over a long enough span, patterns do emerge. We change and evolve, shifting from one period of our lives to another, with changes as stark as the frozen winter to the warm summer nights.
Enough stalling.
I’m leaving Bloodcopy indefinitely, starting tonight. Another site has been gracious enough to house it in the meantime, so you can still access any part of Bloodcopy on the HBO web site. (www.hbo.com/trueblood)
There are a number of reasons for my departure, though I suppose the most direct involves some unfinished business with an old friend. It’s nothing dangerous or criminal (sorry, devout FOTS members), but it does require my full attention and could easily lead to greater changes in my future.
You could say I’m entering the next season of my life.
This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve suspended this site, so I won’t be rash and swear I’ll never return. Of course, the first time I left I was human. I must admit my farewell message that time still amuses me, where I claimed I was off to seek out new creatures in the world. Little did I know I’d become one of them.
This time I’m going to try a different approach. I’ll resist the temptation to expound on the state of human/vampire co-existence, the strides and back steps we’ve taken, the uncertain future facing us. I won’t recount my incredible experience as a member of Gawker, the new oddities I’ve faced since my maker called me back home. I won’t even thank each and every single person who’s joined me along the way. Comment on their insightful comments and thoughtful contributions. Tell them I’ve learned far more from them than they could ever from me.
I’ve said all these things before.
Instead, I’ll simply wish you pleasant evenings on your own travels. And do take good care.
Vampires may not be the only other creatures sharing your world.
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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Houston Press:The Music of True Blood: Depeche Mode and Bob Dylan Bring Season 2 to a Close 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. Though we're picking up midway through Season 2, from here on out as each new episode airs, Rocks Off will bring you a short report on the featured music.
Well, Season 2 of True Blood has come and gone. We've shared eternal hymens, vampire Yahtzee and a lot of Wal-Mart's demographic gyrating naked in the streets. Rocks Off must admit to feeling a little drained by the season finale ("Beyond Here Lies Nothin'"), though. Basically, HBO filmed a 30-minute last episode, and forgot that True Blood is an hour long. The first half ends with mad maenad Maryann getting the most graphic and gruesome consensual piercing from a bull since Minos' wife made sweet Taurean love in the green hills of Crete (see the "Minotaur" entry on Wikipedia). And it was graphic, buddy. There are traps in the Saw films gentler than the way Maryann bit it. So how do you top that mid-episode mark? You do not. Instead, we watch Bon Temps as a whole deny anything weird happened a la Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
But we're not here to criticize the show. We're here to talk about the music, and today you get a twofer. Not actually featured in the show, but used a promotion for the finale was a new track from some group named Depeche Mode. Apparently these guys have been around a while, and being a part of something like True Blood could be a really big break for them. "Corrupt," which is a single off their latest album Sounds of the Universe (released in April), is somewhat jarring for Gahan, Gore and Fletcher. Remember when NIN's "The Perfect Drug" came out and it was like we'd reached the bottom of the downward spiral? That's what "Corrupt" is like. If you lean more towards the "Blasphemous Rumours" Depeche Mode instead of the "Just Can't Get Enough" Depeche Mode, then this is the song you've been waiting for.
But what of the feature song? Well, it's actually a return to how Season 2 entered our collective consciousness. When HBO began hyping us for more vampire fun, they chose to do so with a promotional track from another April 2009 album called Together Through Life by Bob Dylan. The song is "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'," which is a quote from Ovid's Poems of Exile minus a "g." It's a good track, showing that Dylan's lost nothing as an artist as he ages and is still the same old jester in James Dean's coat.
The problem here lies in the song's context. Broken down simply, the song states that love is the only thing in the world, a bastion against an otherwise empty existence. That's beautiful, but can True Blood really be seen as a disciple of this particular Jesus? It can be argued that love in the True Blood universe is more hazardous to your health than enrollment in the Courtney Love Syringe of the Month Club - a point driven home by our last scene of the season where Sookie returns from powdering her nose to tell Vampire Bill she'll marry him, only to find him kidnapped.
Well, that's it for Season 2, but not for your favorite vamp-music column. With True Blood going into re-runs, Rocks Off will continue to analyze and jazzercise the music in episodes we missed before coming up with this idea. Keep checking every Tuesday for more.
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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Meredith Woerner's entertaining review - from io9:True Blood Finale - WTF Did I Just Watch?
By Meredith Woerner
This is it, the big finale. And if you thought True Blood went bonkers crazy WTF before, well then you've never seen an entire town marry off a God to a cow and a giant meat uterus. Spoilers ahead!
Remember last week when I said that the I liked it best when True Blood went bananas? I may have been a little hasty. Turns out wrapping up this sex party was pretty easy to do, if you do nothing but subject the audience to pure unbridled lunacy. While I'm all for the whole hog True Blood, I think it crossed the rat shit rubicon, a phrase I really didn't think I was ever going to use again, a month ago and this episode was just some really strange, disjointed crap. But thank goodness for teen vampirism, Claudine Clark and another round of Yahtzee. Because the whole thing turned around and revved up for the third season half way through, but not without some pretty huge surprises.
 Con: So we're back at the nest and Tara and Eggs acting like a pair of terrible Disney henchmen bumbling about and fawning all over said egg. Then Eggs made this face and I punched the TV....
Con: Where did we get all of these one shoulder bridesmaids dresses? Sure Maryann is wearing the grandmother's dress that was established but where did all of the same dresses come from? Did we teach zombie Eggs how to sew, because that's a cut scene I wouldn't mind viewing.
 Pro: Even though they all look absolutely bonkers in the getup, god bless Lafayette playing with his straps in the back. He looks the best in this dress too BTW.
Con: Any one else getting a "we're just making shit up as we go" vibe all of a sudden. When Maryann tells Sookie to hit her with the ET fingers again I felt like I was watching a different show. In fact everything dealing with Maryann from this point on felt off for True Blood. But I did like Maryann yelling at her for not committing to the power fingers.
Pro: "I'm a waitress what the fuck are you?"
 Pro: Hell yes to Hoyt's Mom is getting down to my favorite song. I'd like to think that if I turned into a black-eyed zombie I'd most likely end up in the kitchen twisting and singing Claudine Clark's Party Lights while making snickers casseroles. And by most likely I mean it's what I did this past Friday night.
Con: But now back to that infernal sex party, Sookie thinks back on her past specialness like when she almost killed Mr. Rattray. Sure, she may have special power but I thought the editing hinted at someone in the bushes helping not her magical cocoon powers? This is probably my misunderstanding but I was curious to find out who that was.
Con: More explaining that makes no sense from Maryann. So, Sam's the vessel because he showed up in her house naked and a virgin all those years ago? Then why did she sex him up? Why didn't she heart stab him back then instead of getting naked? What does this have to do with Tara summoning her?
 Pro: ERW giving vampire Yahtzee another go, and while it started rough, alright really rough (ERW try. harder. please) It got infinitely better as the game went on. Is it because Eric is in it? Perhaps, but ERW felt more realistic this go round. I like that she's letting Eric sell her blood, which makes me wonder if she's doing it to be able to police all of Louisiana by being connected to all the V users, or something of that nature. And I didn't even mind the dry fang humping moaning moment. Could this have been the most amazing character to grace the small screen this season? Yes.
Con: But, that being said, I did not like the cartoon face ERW made on top of Eric.
Pro: Side note hinted at from the Queen, if vampires drink Sookie's light blood they fall in love with her? So maybe Bill's not in love with her, which means we can get feisty I'm-going-to-drink-from-your-upper-leg-areas Bill from the first episode back? Please let it be so. I want sexy mean Bill back - no please. She's already intent on ruining Eric, so let Bill be the bad boy now.
 Pro: Jason and Andy packin and rollin'! Let do this.
Con: Nope they are zombies now. That was entirely too quick. Where was the big fight? What a huge build up for nothing. Also it should be noted that Jason and Andy are the out of control characters so it was funny to see them operate in a world where they had self control. Their big Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid moment was cut short, boo.
Pro: Terry telling them they can't see the bride before the wedding.
Pro: Bill wanting to glamor the kids. Ha, you're alright this episode Vampire Bill.
Pro: Sookie asking what was going on with the egg, thank you. What IS going on with the egg?
Con: The answer was basically "nothing we're just licking it." Sigh, so last week's giant cliffhanger was nothing, the nest was nothing, it's all nothing. Just a giant work up to a scene where a bunch of people sit around in the circle and lick it. It is vast nothing, like this entire Maryann plot. And it makes me think, "hmmmm I don't have nearly enough alcohol for this."
 Pro/Con: I'm not sure how I felt about the creepy wedding ceremony. I liked that Andy carried the train, and yet I hated how he jumped around like Tara and Eggs did earlier as though he was Gurgi from The Black Cauldron. And yet I did enjoy how idiotic Tara looked standing there with that egg. Still the whole moment where the Sam/Sookie swap took place was awkward and seemed very thrown together last minute.
Pro: Ooooh K so the giant meat statue isn't a cross it's a Bull with giant muscles. Well, when Jason looks at it, that's what he sees, so that's what the meat statue is.
Con: The sacrifice scene, I'm willing to say this may be the first time in True Blood history where I feel like the plot isn't funny or fun crazy, it's just kind of mean crazy. Like "let's see if we can get our actors to actually do this" mean. I railed against ERW last week for half assedly phoning in her Queen. When compared to the rest of the cast who give their all to sell the whole vampire and crazy sex party insanity, ERW's previous lack of sincerity made the whole Queen business seem fake. I think the reverse of this is happening right now. When the scene is so tremendously bad no matter how hard characters' commitment to the insanity it makes the viewer wince and feel uncomfortable. I was exceedingly uncomfortable. Not convincing your parents to give True Blood a try with a seemingly mild episode but forgetting then slowly remembering that what you're watching is the episode with the very loud grave dirt sex moment and thinking of excuses to sneak before said scene, uncomfortable, but close. This was demonstrated by Lafayette climbing on top of the meat womb and yelling "worship him bitches!" Yeah super funny in print but watching my favorite character climb on top of that messy meat heap and yell out was . . . weird. This is my finale? This is my grand moment of True Blood vampire blood sex and magic awesomeness? Worship him bitches? Yeah no thanks.
Con: Maryann's little history lesson. Mind . . . wandering . . . I wonder what that whole Kanye beef was about maybe I'll channel flip super fast....
Con...oh no wait the meat cross is a giant uterus with the sacred Egg inside it, literally.
Pro: Breaking the sacred egg. Good. Good riddance to confusing worthless McGuffin.
Con: Eggs did not stab himself as I predicted.
 Pro: The magic light fingers have returned.
Con: So have Maryann's magical powers of claw hands and head mice squeals.
Pro: WHAT THE FUCK DID MY EYES JUST SEE. Maryann sees her cow husband and goes to him, for the sex. Cause sure. She opens up her body and bull gores her in her stomach and Maryann just won't shut up until SURPRISE its Sam, and there is no god, literally. Naked Sam crushes her heart with his fist. Now this is crazy done right. Thank you for that True Blood. This is the kind of crazy I can respect, because at least all the crazy makes a half sense as opposed to some writer thinking it's a good idea to introduce an egg with no real significance other than to have everyone lick it.
Con: Sam being magically healed by Bill's blood was way too easy and fast. That whole thing felt kind of cheap it all happened off stage you can't see if one over crap. He was stabbed in the heart after all, doesn't that mean death?
Pro: Maybe Sam drinking Bill's blood will mean that he'll start having sex dreams about Bill? Which I would like to see.
Con: Bill is all drained and sickly and Sookie turns to him, get rid of the body dead thing! Already with the orders my goodness you were just holding him, not even a little wrist biting to give him a perk up? And get those damn kids off my lawn.
 Con: So that's what a Maenad looks like dead. Huh.
Pro: Mean Hoyt is just as interesting and sexy as nice Hoyt. I like where this is going. Tell your momma off Hoyt - now let's go get milk shakes and cry about it.
Pro: Awkward lawn party.
Con: Sam sees a deer and cries because he remembered that other deer he used to have sex with, then he pictured Bill with antlers.
Con: Eggs is smile crying with no real tears. How did he survive this? Eggs you were supposed to die so I wouldn't have moments like this anymore.
Con: Tara apologizes to Sookie. Where was this last episode, you selfish twit? Remember when you bailed on us for the spaz over by the sink?
Con: I highly doubt Sookie would be spending the night in her bed with all that nasty sex juice and meat bed. Just sayin - wash it first.
 Pro: Charlaine Harris cameo at the bar, yay! You rule Harris, good to see her getting cred, this is the kind of stuff that belongs in a finale. And I would have to agree with you dear, I did not see the town folk building a giant meat uterus in Sookie's front yard ever happening either. Whew.
Con: Charlaine as much as you fight the Twilight comparisons why would you let them cameo you the same way Stephanie Meyer cameod in Twilght....they are pretty similar.
Pro: Arlene's kids being smarter than her, but Terry being the sweetest of them all.
Pro: Let the spinning begin: it's aliens, no LSD no Ethanol! Maryann Forrester does rhyme with Martian Foreigner so it all makes sense, damn that liberal media and their meddling. Don't let Bon Temps become San Francisco. Nice moment.
 Pro: Gigantic pro for serving Mountain Dew in a pitcher. That's how we rolled in my family way back in the day. I don't care if it was a blatant sponsorship ad, I know plenty of people that drink this yellow nectar for every meal. In fact I just ate at a restaurant in Missouri that serves you your drink in a big gulp and it was delicious and I loved every moment of it. Now quick pass me the last chicken nugget.
Pro: "I'd wear him like a scrunchie."
Pro: Second only to the way Andy says, "It's DIET Coke with LIIIIIIIIME."
Pro: Sam calling Andy Bubbah. Did ya catch that?
 Pro: Bill sends Sookie a dress with a letter!!!!!!! He writes like he talks!!!!! I Gigantic I's and odd statements. Do you think he writes like this everywhere like household notes. "JESSICUH We are in great need of Draino. I tire of clogged showahs. Can you collect some upon your next visit to the shop? I would also very much like some old spice red stripe if that's not too much to aaaask. Eric is evil. Vampire Bill."
Con: Eggs big reveal in his brain is a bunch of shit we already knew.
Pro: Jessica is back - about time. Save us from this episode Jessica. And how adorable are these two acting together!
Con: Bill hasn't been to a French restaurant in over 70 years, because he's a vampire, in case you forgot.
Con: All this Sam returning home to his family business. Not necessary. I know you have a next season. Just have him say, I'm going to go find my real family, and then he drives off. End Scene. This did not need to be another 15 minutes of nothingness. I care so little about his adopted family issues.
Con: Evil Jessica is back wahoo! This is clearly setup for the next year, and is kind of annoying because it doesn't really say much about their relationship which is all still really new. It's still a great plot twist with a lot of potential. First off Bill and her are finally getting along, so that will all be shot to hell, and what if she bites Hoyt, or fights him, or goes back to him while secretly feeding behind his back because she's addicted to the taste and hates Tru Blood. Five seconds of Jessica time and I'm already infinitely more excited for the next season. More Jessica please.
 Pro: Seeing Vampire Bill dancing is like watching a cat walk on its hind legs. I can't rip my eyes away from it but I don't understand it.
Con: The second I heard that Bill had rented the place out and saw Sookie all dressed up with Mom hair I knew he was going to propose, I just knew it in my gut. And I knew Sookie would respond like a brat because that is who she is and she had gone 15 minutes without being horrible. Though I had forgotten the ridiculous Vermont is where the gays, I mean vampires can get married. Tell me again about how this show isn't about gay rights, Ball?
Pro: Still I was all yay yay clappy clappy when Bill pulled out the box, because that too is sadly also in my gut and I melted like butter and wished the make up artist had gone a little easier with the white yet again on Bill cheek bones, even though I was kinda bored with the whole thing.
This is what Yay clappy clappy looks like thanks to the brilliant phnuggle. You are my hero!!!!!! ![]()
Pro: Anyone else secretly wish that Sookie called for Eric in the bathroom? That's certainly spice things up a bit, he'd come too.
Pro: The best part of this finale. EGGS IS DEAD. If you dream it, it can happen people.
Pro: Now Jason is all entangled in another wacky death shenanigan, but nobody is going to care, because it's Eggs. It was his time. In memoriam for Eggs, Tara smile cries:
And that's it there ain't no more. Well, actually someone kidnaps Bill with gloves and silver because we need a big fat scary cliff hanger for the next season, but unfortunately for them you and I are not idiots. And we know they aren't going to kill off Bill. So nice try Mr. Ball. We're on to your tricks.
How do I feel about this episode as a whole? While it was pretty poorly stitched together with plenty of hits and misses and no real winning Jason line, it's still True Blood. I'm just going to pretend that the whole first half didn't even happen, because it's just easier that way. It's a shame we didn't get to see the Newlins, Pam or more Eric one last time, but I hope they all stick around for another season. All in all I love this show, with all of my heart.
They brought me dirt sex people and flying vampires and teacup humans. I have nothing but love. Yes, of course the final was going to try and take it to the biggest extreme ever and they succeeded with the cow arm gore death. But it kind of floundered throughout the rest of the episode making shit up for no reason. It almost, almost ruined Eggs death for me but when you've wanted something this badly for this long it still feels to watch him face up in a puddle of his own yolk. Ah egg pun.
I wish they would have spent a little more time saying goodbye to this season as opposed to just tying up lose ends and moving ahead with the cliffhangers. But I'll never forget the egg licking no matter how much it didn't work, because they tried to go there and it was, well crazy True Blood. I will miss you and see you next summer. And Ryan Kwanten, you deserve the gold vampire star of the season.
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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Blood Work! “True Blood” video recap Ep. 12: Always the bridesmaids!
For our last episode of Blood Work! Too, we took a tip from MaryAnn (”the Bitch”) and said “yes” to the dress, the Meat Tree, the potted plant hats, and – most importantly – the crazy.
So how did last night’s marriage-happy episode strike us? Were the loose ends (and runny Eggs) suitably dealt with? And of course, what do we think might be next for our drama-plagued Francophiles (Bill and Sookie), service industry members (Lafayette, Terry, Tara, Sam, etc.) and Mountain Dew enthusiasts (Handsome Woman A and Handsome Woman B)?
Join us in the video after the jump for our take on all the nonsense!
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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10 things that "True Blood" owes to "Buffy." There's been a lot of discussion around here of whether or not True Blood has been de-gayed this year. I don't have a strong opinion on that one way or the other, but one thing I have noticed: As the show moves beyond the source material from the Charlaine Harris novels on which it is based, Alan Ball's HBO series seems to be morphing into a racier version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
If you're familiar with both shows, you've probably noticed some similarities between the world of True Blood and that of Joss Whedon's Buffyverse. And not simply the obvious things (i.e. vampires), or similarities that were already present in the Sookie Stackhouse book series. I'm talking about characters, plot elements, and general themes that weren't ported over from the Charlaine Harris books and instead seem borrowed from Buffy. And in particular, Buffy season 5.
Don't believe any Buffy/True Blood similarities are intentional? Here are 10. You decide whether or not these parallels are simply coincidence.
1. The Big Bad
Every season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer had its "Big Bad": A major foe who percolated throughout the season before boiling over and being ultimately vanquished in the finale. There was The Master (Seasons 1 & 2), The Mayor (Season 3), Adam (Season 4), Glory (Season 5), Bad Willow (Season 6), and The First Evil (Season 7). True Blood has its very own Big Bad in the form of Maryann. Her ominous storyline has run through the entire season and clearly the upcoming finale will culminate in a big showdown with her. Maryanne is strikingly similar to season 5's Glory. Both are immortals who can't be killed and both are attempting a ritual that the protagonists are trying to stop.
2. The Crazy Henchpeople
Glory sucked the brains out of many of the citizens of Sunnydale. For the most part they just ran around acting crazy, but towards the end the crazies become her henchmen, helping her prepare for the coming ritual. Maryann does the same thing.
3. The Sacrificial Tower
In Sunnydale, Glory had her minions build an ominous metal tower for her. Maryann makes hers of meat.
4. The Key
Glory needs to bleed Dawn. Maryann has her sacrificial sights set on Sam
5. The Love Triangle
Sookie is torn between good vampire Bill or blonde bad boy, Eric. Does this triangle sound familiar? (Although, to be fair, this similarity was present in the Charlaine Harris books)
6. The Weapons Expert
In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xander had no particular skill set so, as if to compensate, in a bit of a plot contrivance he was made a "military weapons expert." Jason gets the same military upgrade in season 2 after a brief stint in the Children of the Sun compound.
7. The Vengeance Demon (origin)
Okay, this one may be a stretch, but in season 5 of Buffy we learned more about Anya and how she got her start as a vengeance demon. Back in Viking days, the human Anya had a boyfriend who cheated on her, so she gives up her humanity to become a vengeance demon and turn him into a troll.
In last week's True Blood, the vampire queen explains how Maenads like MaryAnn came into being: "You're a wild young girl who is married to some jerk who treats you like property and is also f#*king some 14 year old boy...."
8. Tara
Okay, aside from the name, which is surely only coincidental, both the Buffy Tara and the True Blood Tara lose themselves to the Big Bad, And saving them from the Big Bad becomes a major motivation in taking on the seemingly invincible foe.
9. The Teenage Ward
In season 5, Buffy gets a little sister seemingly out of nowhere. (Well, actually out of nowhere come to think of it.) And when mother Joyce dies, Dawn becomes Buffy's obnoxious teenage ward. In True Blood it's Bill who gets the ward, in the form of Jessica. And just like Dawn, she's dealing with typical teenage issues (although being a cable show, Jessica's are far more R-rated).
10. The Scooby Gang
A lot of Buffy fans (myself included) think the success of that show had very little to do with Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy and far more to do with the cast of supporting characters - Buffy's gang, her Scoobies, without which she would never be able to defeat the Big Bad. This season of True Blood is shaping up to be similar, with weapons expert Jason, the vamps, the shifters, and Sookie herself all working together to defeat the otherwise invincible Maryanne.
So, True Blood watchers, what do you think? Any similarities between Buffy and TB that I'm missing? Do you think these similarities are intentional and Alan Ball is using Buffy as a sort of playbook?
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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| ***SPOILERS*** | ***SPOILERS*** | ***SPOILERS*** |
'True Blood' exclusive: The bombshell secret that would destroy Bill andSookie “It’s certainly something that I found really compelling in the books,” says Ball of Bill’s deep dark secret. “I was like, ‘Wow.’ But I can’t really tell you what I’m going to do story-wise. So much of the appeal of the show depends on the element of surprise.”
Bill-Sookie shippers are no doubt hoping Ball opts not to go there. In addition to driving a stake through the heart of their favorite couple, it could push Sookie into the arms of Eric.
“I try to stay out of how the fans are responding to the show,” says Ball. “I have to tell the story that I think is the most interesting story. Certainly, the main ingredient in drama is conflict and revelations. For every person who loves Bill and wants him and Sookie to just be in love always, there’s another person who’s like, ‘I’m sick of Bill. He’s such a wuss. I like Eric. He’s dangerous.’ Especially when you’re working on a show like this with the kind of palette and the colors you use; you want it to be continually surprising and shocking. Not for the sake of being shocking, but that’s part of the fun.”
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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On Sunday, HBO’s season finales for sophomore vampire drama “True Blood” (5.1 million) and freshman comedy “Hung” (2.9 million) ended strong. Though “Blood” didn’t set yet another ratings record for its finale, the show concluded its season up sharply from where it started.
The same can’t be said for “Hung,” which finished about where it opened. Still, when you factor repeat viewings, as HBO loves to do, “Hung” is tracking to be HBO’s most-watched first-year series.
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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From the Buzz Log:
Drink It Up
by Mike Krumboltz
HBO's "True Blood" just completed another critically acclaimed season, but ravenous fans want more, more, MORE! Fortunately, they now have a way to (quite literally) quench that thirst.
The "It's Not TV" network has released a "True Blood" beverage, inspired by the hugely popular "artificial blood" enjoyed by vampires on the show. Called "Tru Blood," the drink comes in a pack of four and can be yours for $16 plus shipping.
Despite the lofty price, searches on "tru blood drink" and "true blood beverage" are both sinking their fangs into the Search box. So, what's it it? In a nod to the show's fans, the drink is made with real, honest-to-goodness blood (oranges).
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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| ***SPOILERS*** | ***SPOILERS*** | ***SPOILERS*** |
Blood Bath: Televisionary Talks to "True Blood" Writer/Executive Producer Alan Ball Written by Jace | Monday, September 14, 2009
 Still have some burning questions about last night's True Blood season finale? Or anxious to gather some clues about just what creator/executive producer Alan Ball has in store for the residents of Bon Temps when True Blood returns next summer? You've come to the right place. I caught up with True Blood czar Alan Ball this morning to talk about last night's season finale, deconstruct the second season, and find out about what's coming up on Season Three of HBO's addictive vampire drama. Text is hidden - highlight to reveal text >>>In this exclusive one-on-one interview, Ball hints at what's on the horizon for Sookie and Bill, new creatures, Sam Merlotte's quest, Jessica, a possible romance for Lafayette, the Vampire King of Mississippi, Sophie-Anne, and much, much more. Ball also told me that the writing staff had broken the fourth script for Season Three of True Blood already and that shooting is tentatively slated to begin December 3rd on the highly anticipated third season.
So what did Ball reveal about what's coming up on True Blood and what did he have to say about this season? Let's dive in, but beware: there are MAJOR SPOILERS below. (Note: Please do not reproduce this interview in full elsewhere. Quotes and excerpts are fine but please do not post the full text of this interview on message boards, websites, or elsewhere.)
 Televisionary: What was the decision behind having the Maryann storyline finish out the season instead of the Dallas plot?
Alan Ball: We used the books as a template and that is sort of the way the second book is structured. Maryann is not as refined in the second book; she’s a maenad, she’s just a crazy woman running around in the woods. And we also felt like the first part of the season we had a lot of different storylines taking place in different places and then we wanted to bring them all together, bring all of our regulars together for one—something--where everyone was fighting the same fight for the last episode.
Televisionary: Was it difficult juggling the separate storylines in the first half of the season? We do have the cast split up more or less for most of the season.
Ball: You know, it wasn’t difficult. It was definitely different from the first season. But I sort of feel like, you want to do that, you want to shake the show up and do different things. You don’t want to just do the same things over and over and over again. I follow my instincts. To me, they were three really fun, interesting storylines. And then the fact that Jason sort of veered in with Bill and Sookie and then everyone came home and it all sort of came together, I actually thought it was really fun.
 Televisionary: In speaking of Jason’s storyline, Anna Camp and Michael McMillian, who play the Newlins, became hugely popular with the audience. Is there a chance that the Newlins will be back?
Ball: They are so good. Of course, there’s a chance. They’re not dead. And I think they are both probably really pissed off.
Televisionary: Did you realize how much impact Godric’s death would have, despite Allan Hyde only appearing in a handful of episodes?
Ball: You know, I did because in the books, it’s really, really powerful and we tried hard to make it as powerful as it is in the books and that was a really tough role to cast because it was difficult to find an actor who looked so young but who could convey centuries of feeling and to be tired of life and tired of being alive and ready to move on. And I always thought that that was a great story and a great character. So I was not surprised; I was very moved myself. When I first saw the cut of that episode, I got a little teary, a little misted up.
 Televisionary: In a season filled with heartrending and memorable moments, it definitely stands out as a powerful and profound sequence.
Ball: That whole episode is really wonderful. The episodes leading up to that one have been so filled with adventure and suspense and craziness and then I love that whole episode because there’s not only the scene with Godric and everything that’s going on with him but the Jessica stuff is really starting to heat up. And I love that scene with Jason and Sookie in the hotel, where they talk about Gran and he sort of drops his guard and you see how vulnerable he really is.
Televisionary: In that same episode, Godric’s death also enables us to see a different side of Eric. Was that a way for you and the writers to give Eric an added layer of vulnerability?
Ball: Yes, absolutely. One of the great, fun aspects of the books—and it’s become for the show as well—is the romantic tension between Bill, Sookie, and Eric. And we started off the season and we wanted to make Eric a bad-ass and I think we were very successful with that, by having him shred that guy in front of Lafayette’s face. (Laughs) And then in order to have him be a real, viable option for Sookie, you have to have some humanity there. She may be attracted to him physically, especially now that she’s had his blood, but she’s never going to go with somebody who she feels is evil or at the very least amoral. That was definitely what we were thinking of with Eric.
Televisionary: While Sookie and Bill are our romantic leads, Hoyt and Jessica offer us a very different take on vampire-human love. Did you anticipate such an incredible reaction to their storyline and specifically toward Jim Parrack and Deborah Ann Woll?
Ball: When I saw the scene [in "Scratches"] in the third episode where she walks into the bar and I saw that scene cut together, I did anticipate it. I went, wow! We really have something special here. They’ve just become a major couple on the show. I don’t think it’s going to be easy for them. Nothing is ever going to be easy for anybody on this show.
Televisionary: Season One saw Bill protecting Sookie on an almost weekly basis but in Season Two we see Sookie take a major step into adulthood and stand up for herself. How will their relationship continue to develop in Season Three, especially given with Eric’s influence over Sookie and Bill’s kidnapping?
Ball: I know exactly what’s going to happen in Season Three, because we’ve already started breaking the episodes and figuring the arc of the season. So I can’t really say without giving too much away what I think. But I’ll say this: the love between them is authentic and real, but that doesn’t mean that they will necessarily stay together. But it doesn’t mean that they won’t either, though.
Televisionary: Looking ahead to Season Three, are there are any themes or plots that you intend to employ next season? One of the more intriguing threads picked up in last night’s episode is both Sam and Sookie looking to find their roots.
Ball: Yeah, I think that whereas if we had any sort of major overarching theme for Season Two it was about the power of belief, both positive and negative. I think probably Season Three is going to be more about identity and characters really sort of coming to grips with who or what they are.
Televisionary: It seems almost like a red herring that Eric was behind Bill’s kidnapping last night. Should we be looking at any other potential suspects behind his disappearance?
Ball: I think you should always be considering all possibilities. (Laughs) That doesn’t mean that we’re not going to make the choice that is the one that’s being positioned to look like a red herring. But with this show, you never know what’s going to happen. I try to work with the writers in creating a show that when you buy the DVDs and you watch the season over again, knowing what’s going to happen, you’ll see moments where you’ll say, oh, of course. We tried to structure Season One with Rene’s identity as the killer that way, to never shine a light on it but Michael Raymond-James, who played Rene, knew from the very beginning that he was the killer. So he played it in a very subtle way so that if you watch those DVDs, now you’re like, oh, I see it. But we never want to give that away on the first go-around. I’d have to say it’s a similar situation with [Bill’s kidnapping].
Televisionary: When I interviewed Deborah Ann Woll a few months ago, she described Jason Stackhouse as “delightfully dim.” Does Jason’s killing of Eggs in the season finale reinforce that description?
Ball: (Laughs) Well, it certainly wasn’t a smart thing to do but he did it from a good place because he thought that Eggs was going to kill Andy. That’s certainly something that’s going to come back and haunt him.
Televisionary: Did you always intend Eggs to die at the end of the season? It obviously has huge repercussions for Tara.
Ball: Absolutely. We always knew that… Of course, I’m sad to loose Mehcad [Brooks], I’m sad to lose Michelle Forbes, I was very sad to lose Lois Smith but it’s a show about vampires and there’s a lot of violence. You can’t just have everybody you like just always get away because then it becomes a very different kind of a show and it loses its authenticity. Or as much authenticity as a show about vampires can have. (Laughs)
Televisionary: The body count will always be high.
Ball: Yes, there will always be a big body count on this show.
Televisionary: It’s intimated in the season finale that there’s a hidden force that’s supposedly watching over Sookie? Will we learn more about this and is this connected to that dangling plot thread about what happened to the Rattrays in the pilot?
Ball: Absolutely. Certainly, part of Sookie’s quest in Season Three, apart from trying to find Bill and find out who took him, is to figure out who and what she is. And by the end of the season, she certainly will be beginning to figure that out.  Televisionary: One of the most shocking revelations this season was the reveal that Jessica will forever be a virgin, which was incredibly upsetting. Where did this idea emanate from?
Ball: That came from a writer on staff, Raelle Tucker. It was one of those moments where it gets pitched and I sort of go, well, of course. What other show could you do that on? Well, I guess now there are several other shows you could do that on, but at that point… I had never worked on a show where that actually made perfect sense to do something like that. For me, that’s the best part of science fiction or fantasy or genre or whatever you want to call it in that you can put people in situations that most of us will not have to face in life and it’s just really, really interesting.
Televisionary: Jessica’s been through a hell of a lot this season but then she hunts and kills in the season finale. Is this normal teenage rebellion or are we seeing her go to a much darker place next season?
Ball: I don’t think you can say anything is normal teenage rebellion. Basically, all of the events of Season Two take place over eight days. So she’s still a fairly freshly-made vampire. Bill hasn’t been much of a maker and she just had a really emotional experience with Hoyt walking out on her. It’s part of her instincts as a vampire and her need to feed and her not liking Tru Blood because it’s a poor substitute and also she’s just got rage. And she’s got good reason to have rage. She got turned into a vampire against her will and then she thought she’d found a way to make that work and then all of the sudden, it’s been taken away from her. She’s only 17 or 18, so… I wouldn’t call it normal teenage acting out. (Laughs)
Televisionary: One of the more unexpected partnerships that developed this season was Jason Stackhouse and Andy Bellefleur, who offered a bit of comic relief but also a genuine, strange friendship that might be shattered by Jason’s actions in the season finale.
Ball: We’re definitely going to put some tension on them but they will continue to actually be a sort of – I don’t want to call them a team but their lives are definitely going to intersect in Season Three.
Televisionary: How many scripts have you broken for Season Three?
Ball: We’ve broken four scripts so far.
Televisionary: Are you ever surprised by anything in terms of breaking the stories that you didn’t anticipate?
Ball: This is different from Six Feet Under in that we’re working from source material and one of the reason is that Charlaine’s books are so successful is that they work. We’re starting Season Three with the third book and the books are basically Sookie’s stories because she narrates them and then we try to figure out how to bring the other characters in and keep everyone involved. In Season Two, we specifically decided to send everybody off on their own little thing and then have them reunite at the end but I don’t want to repeat that so I’m really trying to keep Season Three certainly a little more organic with the connection between the regulars.
But, no, we’re working with the source material. Like I said, a lot of Charlaine’s books just work so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. On Six Feet Under, there were always massive shifts in seasons. But again that was more of a blank slate because we weren’t basing them on any existing material.
 Televisionary: Is Evan Rachel Wood a series regular next season?
Ball: No, she’s not a series regular but she definitely will appear. I know some fans thought that she wasn’t scary enough but all I can say to that is that I didn’t want to blow our wad at the top. She’s pretty scary and we’ll definitely see that. She’s crazy! I mean, that character is insane so I don’t think we’ve really seen an insane vampire yet.
Televisionary: So, we’ve seen telepaths, vampires, maenads, and shifters all turn up in Bon Temps. Any new creatures we can expect to see in Season Three?
Ball: Werewolves…
Televisionary: Are there any clues for what viewers can expect for next season?
Ball: I can tell you that we will meet the Vampire King of Mississippi and he will have an agenda with the Vampire Queen of Louisiana. We will meet werewolves, some other weres that aren’t wolves but they are not shifters either. (Laughs.) We are going to meet Sam’s blood relatives, we’re going to meet probably the nastiest vampire we’ve met yet and Lafayette might get some action, might have a little love story of his own.
True Blood's third season begins Summer 2010 on HBO.
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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| True Blood and the fashion world - from Liverpool Daily Post: This year, we’ll all be back in black. Emma Pinch reports
BLACK is the new black. Neither grey nor brown nor navy have ever really cut the mustard, and this autumn the catwalks are not even pretending that we’ll be covering our backs in anything else.
But this year, says Liverpool’s foremost fashionista Justine Mills, black’s not boring. Black is textured, layered, sequined, studded, laced and leathered. Welcome to the dark side.
Black looks we’ll be channelling this year include our inner biker bird and rock chick – either high glam like the quiffed and bespangled Rihanna, or Beyoncé’s softer, more romantic take on the style – while, thanks to the influence of Twilight and True Blood, make-up has a distinctly vampish flavour.
“Anything too bright is not going to really work,” says Justine, who owns Cricket in Cavern Walks, and sources her clothes from the catwalks of London, Paris and Milan.
“For a lot of people, black never went away,” she says. “But now we’re seeing black with different textures. “There are sequins and sparkle layered onto black which would otherwise be flat and boring. Leggings are black, but shiny or leather to add interest.
“You get flashes of colour, particularly red or metallics, and also brocade, but again it’s adding texture to black,” says Justine. Black is also being used to experiment with different silhouettes.
“Everyone is producing exaggerated shoulders. It’s different from in the 80s because then there was this boxy American footballer shape.
“Now they are with tailored, nipped in waists. Voluminous tops are balanced with leggings – really the cool version of tights – or skinny jeans. Everything has structure and shape.”
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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HBO files trademark for True Blood gameby Alexander Sliwinski
With True Blood character likenesses (hey Jason and Tara!) already showing up in Left 4 Dead 2 this year, it certainly took HBO long enough to wake up and smell the O+.
Superannuation has noted a US trademark filing for a video game based on the down-home vampire series, which should make fangbangers everywhere happy.
Of course, there's no word of what the game -- if one ever comes to sunlight -- will entail. HBO's never really sunk its teeth into major video game development before. Anyone remember those Sopranos games?
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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Always love "Think Hero" Roth Cornet's reviews:
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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Gran's appearance in True Blood Season 2: Latest from Ausiello and SpoilerTV:
[Read entire article.]
| Question: Where was the Lois Smith flashback Alan Ball said we were going to get on True Blood? —Kelly
Ausiello: There was no room at the inn. Per Ball, the episode she was supposed to appear in had reached capacity story-wise. “It was the show that could not be contained,” he explains. “Unfortunately, Lois was a causality of that. But there’s always next season. I’m pretty sure she would love to come back and do something on the show.” |
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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Kristin Bauer spotted at "Get Stripped" - From Gladling.com:Virgin America and V Australia "Get Stripped"by Annie Scott (RSS feed) on Sep 17th 2009 at 8:00AM
The Sunset Strip Music Festival heated up last Friday, September 11, when Virgin America and V Australia teamed up to hold the festival's official party "Get Stripped" and raise money for the Los Angeles Firemen's Relief Association's Widows, Orphans and Disabled Firemen's Fund.
They raffled off roundtrip flights on Virgin America and V Australia (complete with a hotel stay down under), which were won by the lucky Brooke George (see gallery). Celeb sightings included the Donnas, above -- who played the first ever concert inside LAX for Virgin America's Seattle-to-LAX launch back in April 2008 -- Australian singer Ry Cuming, and Chris Cornell, as well as Kristin Bauer from "True Blood."
[Continue reading...]
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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Sam Trammell news - from EOnline: Caught! Another True Blood Hottie Semi-Clothed! Today 5:38 AM PDT by Ted Casablanca and Becky Bain
All we do is yak yak yak about Alexander Skarsgård or Stephen Moyer when we talk about the True Blood hotties, but we totally forget about the superdoable Sam Trammell.
The delish boob-tube boy ended up going with a burgundy button-down, which he later wore on Chelsea Lately. Ah, so close to us, yet still too far away to do any good, know what I mean? And how was the hunk looking?
Reports our very own vamp-witness, who had to stop himself from scuttering into the dressing room with Sammy (fool): "Man is sex." Kinda like the way that dude describes! Uh, what say you, folks? Should we take a break from drooling over Skarsgård and focus more on the nonvamps of True Blood, Trammell and Ryan Kwanten—more specifically, their abs?
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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SheWired.com interview with Evan Rachel Wood:Exclusive: 'True Blood's' Lesbian Vampire Queen Evan Rachel Wood Chats Up SheWired!
| | by Lesley Goldberg | Article Date: 09/16/2009 4:12 PM |
It’s been quite a week for HBO’s critical and ratings darling True Blood. First, Sunday’s Season 2 finale finally found a way to answer the question of how to kill maenad Maryann Forrester (Michelle Forbes) but then left us with a slew of new questions: What is Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin)? Who kidnapped vampire Bill (Stephen Moyer)? What’s going on with young lovers Hoyt (Jim Parrack) and Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll)? And for LGBT fans of the show, will we see more of Evan Rachel Wood’s lesbian vampire queen Sophie Anne? Then, on Monday series creator/writer/director Alan Ball revealed to Entertainment Weeklythat next summer’s third season will feature more vampire royalty when we meet the vampire King of Mississippi (the recently cast Denis O’Hare, Milk) who will share scenes with Wood.
And if the week of True Blood news wasn’t enough, ratings for the finale were up 100 percent compared with the Season 1 capper, but down slightly from the penultimate episode of Season 2. Still, the 5.1 million viewers is nothing to turn your nose up at considering the show airs on pay cabler HBO.
SheWired.com recently caught up with Wood to talk about her character, falling for Sookie and which way she’ll lean in Season 3.
Wood with SheWired Contributor Lesley Goldberg
What can we expect from your character, Queen Sophie Anne, next season on True Blood?
I am waiting just like everyone else to find out. I have no idea what Alan Ball has up his sleeve for me, but he has assured me that it’s all going to make sense eventually, so I’m just waiting to see. But I have heard that she’s going to get a little more intense and a little scarier because she is pretty diva-ish and bratty right now; she’s definitely going to get more in-depth.
Are we going to see Sophie Anne with more women or men in Season 3?
Again, I don’t know. But her partner is a woman — Sookie’s cousin (Hadley Hale, played by Lindsey Haun), so I’m pretty sure there’s going to be more stuff going on there.
Maybe your lesbian vampire queen could fall in love with Sookie like everyone what seems like else on the show —vampires Bill and Eric (Alexander Skarsgard)?
I think she could, yeah, absolutely! I’m pretty sure she is one of the only characters on the show who actually knows what Sookie is.
Do you have any theories?
Not that I can actually say because I do know what Sookie is! So I’m keeping my mouth shut (laughs). No hints, nothing!
What did you think of the way Season 2 ended?
I thought it was out of control. I remember reading the script and just thinking, “I don’t know how they’re going to do this or get away with it or make it work and they did. They always do; the most outrageous scenarios, they always make them work. I’m very curious to see what happens next.
Are you going to have any scenes next season with Sam Trammell, who plays Season 2 hero and shape shifter Sam Merlotte?
I hope so. I think he’s a great actor, I hope I get some scenes with Sam. I hope my character enters Bon Temps at some point. That’s what I’m looking forward to. Definitely!
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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Be warned: 'Vampire lair discovered'
So reads a large billboard at a construction site
By Toni Fitzgerald
Sep 17, 2009
Sometimes in alternative media it’s all about taking advantage of what’s already out there. It just takes a bit of imagination.
In this case, we're talking about a giant hole in the ground at an abandoned construction site.
What do you do with it?
Put up abillboard announcing that construction was halted after it was discovered that the hole was, yes,a vampire lair.
“On hold,” says the sign in white capital letters, followed by, “Vampire lair discovered,” in red. A white arrow points below, toward the abandoned site. Smaller letters note, “Sorry for the inconvenience.”
The sign was the idea ofa New Zealand agency to promote the launch of “True Blood,” the hit HBO show, when itbegan airing onthe Prime network in latesummer.
[Continue reading...]
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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Ryan Kwanten, Chris Baurer, and Stellan (Alex's dad) Skarsgard for 'Final Four'? From MTV: SECRET IDENTITY: Who Should Star In The 'Fantastic Four' Reboot? Posted 29 minutes ago by Josh Wigler
With the likes of Evans, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis and Ioan Gruffudd presumably removed from the new "Fantastic Four," what sort of actors will the revamped film need in order to create a viable, sustainable franchise?
I've narrowed down my picks. Read on to see if you agree!
George Clooney as Mr. Fantastic: One of the biggest problems of the first "Fantastic Four" movies was its depiction of a younger Reed Richards. In my mind, Reed works best as an older soul—someone who has seen and done many bizarre things throughout his scientific career, but still has the heart and physique of a hero. George Clooney might seem too convenient of a pick—he's got star power and Reed's naturally graying hair—but that doesn't mean he isn't well-suited for the role. With his roles in "Michael Clayton" and "Burn After Reading," Clooney has come a long, long way from "Batman and Robin." Maybe it's time for the former Dark Knight to step back inside the superhero realm with Marvel's First Family.
Runners Up: Jim Caviezel and Michael Fassbender
Elisabeth Mitchell as The Invisible Woman: If we're casting older for Mr. Fantastic, we should probably do the same for Sue Storm, Reed's wife and most trusted confidant. While an actress like Jessica Alba is certainly a draw for the younger male audience, I think that Sue needs a stronger combination of experience and beauty than we've seen from her thus far.
"Lost" actress Elisabeth Mitchell brings both of those qualities to the role of the Invisible Woman. She's clearly a physical match for the part, and as Dr. Juliet Burke on the hit ABC television series, Mitchell played both strong and vulnerable equally well—something that Sue, simultaneously enthralled and repelled by Reed's workaholic nature, absolutely needs.
Runners Up: Naomi Watts and Reiko Aylesworth
Ryan Kwanten as The Human Torch: If the original "Fantastic Four" franchise got one thing right, it was the casting of Chris Evans. But with a reboot imminent, Evans is effectively out the window and a replacement is in order. Fox definitely needs an actor that exhibits many of the former Human Torch's qualities: good looks, snappy dialogue and a sense for comedic timing.
Already mentioned as a strong candidate for Green Arrow, "True Blood" star Ryan Kwanten has all of the qualities necessary to play Johnny Storm, the hot-blooded member of Marvel's First Family. It's hard to say if Kwanten is better suited than Evans himself, but he's proven himself in the realm of comedy—and as an authentic blond, he's already a better physical match than Evans.
Runners Up: Chris Pine and Jensen Ackles
Chris Bauer as The Thing: Like Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis is one of the few shining spots in the first two "Fantastic Four" movies—but also like Evans, Chiklis is presumably out of the running for the reboot. Despite his television popularity, Chiklis was hardly a big-screen fixture when he got the role of Ben Grimm. Given the Thing's reliance on makeup effects, having a recognizable actor is less important here than with any other role.
For that reason, I think Fox should take a gamble on Chris Bauer, a relatively unknown, gruff-and-tough character actor. Bauer has demonstrated a knack for both comedy and tragedy as seen in his markedly different roles of Detective Andy Bellefleur on "True Blood" and Frank Sabotka on "The Wire," a balance that's necessary in establishing a believable Ben Grimm.
Runners Up: Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Michael Madsen
Stellan Skarsgård as Doctor Doom: Fox has already taken two cracks at Doctor Doom with Julian McMahon, but the Fantastic Four's greatest foe might also be the franchise's greatest mistake thus far. His origin was changed drastically, his presence was far from menacing and his dialogue was often laughable for all the wrong reasons.
Doctor Doom needs to be terrifying, and one actor that could definitely pull off such an emotion is Stellan Skarsgård, father of former "Thor" contender Alexander Skarsgård. He's a taller physical presence, sports a menacing voice and—most importantly—the guy can act. With Skarsgård behind the mask, this version of Doom might actually give nightmares to younger viewers... exactly as he should!
Runners Up: Hugo Weaving and Christoph Waltz
Boadicea | 09/17/2009 | Post Comment |
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From Change.Org:
A True Blood Celebrity for Marriage Equality by Michael A. Jones categories: Gay Marriage, LGBT Celebrities, Marriage Equality Published September 15, 2009
Mechad Brooks, also known as Benedict "Eggs" Talley from the HBO show True Blood, is taking a page out of the Brad Pitt book when it comes to the issue of marriage. For Brooks, he'd rather wait until every person -- gay or straight -- has access to marriage before getting hitched himself.
Huh, does that make him a good candidate for the National Marriage Boycott?
Sure sounds like it. Brooks told Honeymag.com that he was offended by Proposition 8 last year in California, and the destruction that the initiative caused in the lives of so many gays and lesbians. As a sign of solidarity, he'd rather not take any vows until laws like Prop 8 are overturned and buried (to use another HBO reference) six feet under.
"I haven’t even gotten that far (thinking about settling down). But yeah, I want a wife, I want kids. The whole thing. But I’m also not even concerned with marrying somebody until it’s legal for everybody to get married. And what I mean by that is the whole Prop 8 thing. I find it really offensive," said Brooks. "I just find it really problematic when you start throwing people’s rights away. Until we get our gay brothers and sisters back into a realm of consciousness that everyone else is in, it’s just not right. A woman who’s getting married — it’s probably going to be a gay man who made her dress, and a gay man who’s doing her hair and makeup, but he can’t get married. How messed up is that?"
[Continue reading...]
Boadicea | 09/15/2009 | Post Comment |
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Reprint from True Blood News Issue #9 - True Blood fan helps Stephen Moyer's Brentwood Theatre - from Brentwood Weekly News:
Show's poster is not for Twits!
10:37am Thursday 20th August 2009
BRENTWOOD Theatre should have no problem filling seats at this year’s Christmas show after it got an award-winning artist to design the artwork.
Brentwood Theatre Company struck it lucky when Karen McInnis, an American artist and animator whose work has won her an Emmy award, agreed to design the artwork for its Christmas production of Roald Dahl’s much loved story, The Twits.
Mark Reed, from the community theatre, which is in Shenfield Road, explained it was thanks to the theatre’s patron, a former Brentwood boy, Stephen Moyer, that the artist came on board.
He said: “One of the American fans of our patron, Stephen Moyer, offered her services as a professional designer and created this wonderful unique art work for us.
“This is in addition to over £6,000 which has been donated by our international friends, which has been a huge boost to the theatre.”
Being such a big fan of Stephen’s US hit series True Blood, when she heard about the theatre, Karen offered her services.
She said: “Jean visited the theatre earlier this year and told me how much she loved Brentwood.
“When the guys started asking people what sort of image should be used to promote this show, I sketched out some ideas.
“They fell in love with my designs and, several adjustments later, we came up with this picture.
“I am so pleased to be supporting the theatre in this way and wish them the best of luck.”
Karen has worked in the graphic department for major US television networks, including CBS, and has also designed book covers, album art, and magazine illustrations, as well as having her work displayed in New York galleries.
[More info...]
Boadicea | 09/14/2009 | Post Comment |
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Wonderful 'cyber' Stephen Moyer event recognized on both sides of the pond! Trueblood-News.com
There is an opportunity for one lucky person to get a HOT RARE COLLECTIBLE from the award-winning HBO series “TRUE BLOOD” now airing on FX-UK: a sealed test tube of synthetic TRU:BLOOD, the synthetic blood that allows vampires to live among humans openly.
Only $5.00 Donation that will go to BRENTWOOD THEATRE via PAYPAL (International donors welcome, just ask you add on another .50cents to cover the conversion fee).
ALL proceeds will be collected, and all donors’ names will be listed, and all will be presented to Patron Stephen Moyer’s BRENTWOOD THEATRE!
HURRY! One Week Left to donate!!! Ends SEPTEMBER 20th, 9PM Eastern US time …
http://www.trueblood-news.com
As you and your fans know, Steve Moyer is native son “ol’ bloke on the block” to Brentwood, and Patron of the Theatre, but now that he is STAR of the acclaimed hit series TRUE BLOOD, his star is rising even higher! The show is now so popular, it has surpassed Sex and the City as the #2 hit show for HBO behind the #1 Sopranos… But it is likely to reach #1 very soon!!!
Like the guest at the fancy wedding who lifts up their dinner plate to see they get to take home the floral centerpiece, one lucky Donor will get the AUTHENTIC never-opened Vial of synthetic True Blood, part of the brilliant HBO promotion done summer of 2008 to introduce the show TRUE BLOOD. (The red substance is really a thick red liquid sugar syrup, but we’ll never tell!)
The link is on the True Blood News @ the Nest website, an international fansite (see below). People just have to press the button, and the Paypal link is there.
For only $5.00 donation perhaps to get actual promo Vial of True Blood?? This is a HOT collectible, going for upwards of $100 or more on eBay.
The test tube sample was sent out to a few select audience of HBO subscribers, Horror/SciFi bloggers, and others deemed by the suits at HBO as worthy of participating in what came to be known as the RED SEAL MYSTERY TB promo last summer ‘08 –Check out YouTube under “Red Seal Mystery” or “HBO Red Seal Promo” for all the buzz — A limited edition and never to be made again!
Remember, ALL proceeds going to Patron Stephen Moyer’s BRENTWOOD THEATRE!
http://www.trueblood-news.com/brentwood-theatre-fundraiser-true-blood-test-tube-vial
VolunteerFundraising Coordinator
Brentwood Theatre, Essex, UK
Boadicea | 09/14/2009 | Post Comment |
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Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead! Yes, folks! The maenad has finally been vanquished on True Blood. No bull! Well, yes, there was bull, a white one at that; a transformed Sam Merlotte. I was extremely pleased to see that storyline wrapped up and to see Maryann as the recipient of her own sacrificial agenda, even if it was literally quite gory. Ms. Forbes' acting at the end was fabulous, by the way, though I nearly clapped my hands when Sam crushed her black heart. Shame about Gran's dress.
Burning questions from this week's finale:
So, the following day, they opened Merlotte's, and there is no damage to the business. How did that happen? Did magical, tiny living spaceships with "no batteries included" suddenly repair the restaurant in exchange for energy?
Did Maryann go on a wild sewing machine marathon after watching "Sewing With Nancy" and whip out her bridesmaids' dresses? Just where did they all come from?
A fifty year old wedding gown is still white and looks like it just came off the rack at a bridal store?
Where did they get the ostrich egg? I didn't notice a zoo in Bon Temps. Hmmmm... There must be an ostrich farm close to that big old gator farm somewhere nearby. Did they have to lick the egg to make some kind of point?
"Jane (Bodehouse), you ignorant slut!" How could you have cut off your own finger? Since when does an amputated appendage that has been sitting on the ground under a meat altar for hours in the heat and humidity of Louisiana suddenly become a viable option for reattachment? I don't think so. In the real world, they need to be kept sterile and on ice.
I know Eric believes in loyalty and the chain of command because of Godric, but since when did he become pussy-whipped by his queen? This brief view of Eric in the final episode was a joke. For one thing, the queen would not have aired the fact that she had ordered Eric to sell vampire blood that she is providing to him in front of her blood bags. She would have had a private interview with Eric about it. In addition, wouldn't Eric try to have a word with Hadley about why she responded like she did when she heard that Bill loved Sookie? I would have if I had been him.
Bill is vamp-napped? The writers have set up Eric once again to be the heavy when he promises the queen to take care of Bill personally. I am sincerely hoping that it is Lorena who is the napper which would be closer to the plot of "Club Dead" even if, in the book, he went willingly when Lorena called him. We do know the culprit is a vampire because s/he was wearing gloves when handling the silver chain.
The writers have taken away the catalyst for Sookie to break up with Bill, which pretty much pisses me off as well as a number of other folks on the various discussion lists. We are all hoping that Lorena took him because surely Eric is still playing Yahtzee with the queen. Right?
How in the world is Andy, covering for Jason, ever going to explain away shooting someone in the side of the head as self defense when he was lying on the ground from another angle? I realize that Bon Temps law enforcement department is not the sharpest bunch but any blood spatter expert would determine that Andy's story was fabricated. Did he cover for Jason because they bonded earlier? Very noble of him but stupid!
Having a fight with Hoyt sends Jessica into the arms and neck of a passing truck driver, and now she is lying to Bill?
Why do True Blood writers have such a hard-on for Bill Compton? He is not the nice, romantic guy they are making him out to be. I for one was hoping the dress gift was from Eric, but as soon as I saw it was lilac, I realized it was from Bill. Eric would have sent a red dress. I'm sure that Bill fans enjoyed the nauseating sweet date and proposal scenario. In my opinion, it was a last desperate act on Bill's part to make Sookie unavailable to Eric since all else had failed. Bill riding in on his high horse to save the day is getting predictably old on the show as well.
What would make True Blood more interesting is to see more of Eric, Pam and Fangtasia and to develop the relationship between Eric and Sookie and stop with the trivial crap with the lesser characters, though I like some of the Bon Temps characters. If you are going to call a show True Blood and advertise that it is about vampires, then that is what we want delivered. Eric was also trying to seduce Sookie by the end of "Living Dead in Dallas." He did however trick her into drinking his blood in Dallas, so that he would know more about her and not to force her to become more attracted to him. He doesn't need to attract her with blood. Just look at him. Eric is also the one who paid for Sookie's new driveway in "Club Dead", I believe, without her asking for it. She didn't go to Dallas to work for Eric to buy her own driveway.
Additionally, in "Living Dead in Dallas," it was Eric who took a bull offering to the maenad as tribute, since she was targeting him and not Sam. Though she rejected the offering, she was finally appeased by taking the orgy participants instead. Both Bill and Eric protected Sookie equally during the maenad attack. It was also implied, in the book, that Sam had an affair with the maenad and was not a vessel to be sacrificed as he was in True Blood.
What I did like about the episode, and preceding episodes, is that they are exploring the fae side of Sookie. Charlaine Harris has touched on the fact that Sookie is part fae, but doesn't plan on giving Sookie fae abilities in her book series. She also put forth that Sookie's telepathic abilities are not related to her fae heritage. I'm pleased that the writers are developing Sookie's fae abilities. Apparently, Barry has a similar heritage as Sookie. Interesting that the queen seems to know that tasting Sookie's blood might make Eric fall in love with Sookie and that Bill has fallen for her because he has.
Jason is also part fae, making him more attractive to others, but he did not have fae magicical abilities passed on and is also why he fell under the maenad's influence so easily. Let's face it, Jason's never going to be a rocket scientist, adorable though he may be.
Though a departure of his family history from the book series, I like that the writers are choosing to have Sam seek out his foster and biological parents. He needed some closure on his past. Very nice move.
Overall, I was very disappointed in the season 2 finale though it had its moments. Here's hoping next season is more satisfying. I can definitely see some unplanned pregnancies in Bon Temps in the near future. Perhaps Jason will offer to marry Tara, who just might be pregnant, because he feels guilty over killing Eggs? Stay tuned for next season.
Favorite line from a bar patron about Sam as he walked away from her: "God bless who made those jeans. I'm serious. I'd wear him like a scrunchy."
Boadicea | 09/14/2009 | Post Comment |
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"Poorly played, sirs." From SeaCoastOnline: True Blood season 2 finale recap: Rotten egg? Glad that Maryann mess was sorted and I like the Bill cliffhanger, but where's the beef(cake), y'all?
By Gina Carbone | September 14, 2009 6:00 AM
The “True Blood” season two finale, “Beyond Here Lies Nothin,'” has come and gone. Like the god who never quite managed to come but still overstayed his welcome, it was a bit frustrating.
Let's get to the important questions first:
- Since Sam sucked down so much of Bill's blood to stay alive, will he now want to wear Bill like a Scrunchie?
- Is Sam the one who vamp-napped Mr. Compton at that French restaurant? Or was it Lorena? Or someone involved with “Club Dead,” which we should all read or re-read before season three so we can talk about who should play Alcide? (I have ideas on this.) Or was it Eric, since he's handling Bill personally? (Which he should feel free to do to me anytime – sorry, had to be said.)
- Are Mountain Dew and Diet Coke (with lime!) getting money for their plugs?
- Anyone else so sick of Yahtzee they think “True Blood” should pay the makers for giving it such a bad taste?
- Can I buy the earrings Queen Sophie-Anne threatened to make from Eric's fangs?
- Anyone miss Eggs?
- Did we really need to break up every couple on the show, including Hoyt and Jessica who actually have nothing to argue about?
- Anyone else furious at Sophie-Anne being so dismissive of Godric's death?
- Can the bull return to stab Maxine in the heart? I'll eat it. Just to make sure the job is really done.
- Anyone wish the egg was more than just an ostrich egg symbolizing fertility? That everyone had to lick?
- Who is going to clean up the Stackhouse house? It's a frickin' mess. And I think that guy is still on the floor.
- Can you really play Yahtzee to five million?
- Was Sookie's maid of honor dress fitted or did they just know her size?
- How does nail polish smell in the morning?
- Was Stephen Moyer inspired by this ep to propose to Anna Paquin? Did she say yes out of fear that if she thought about it too long he would be abducted?
- Is the wait staff at that restaurant dead or were they just out back or what?
- What's going to happen to those tickets to Burlington … can I have them?
- Why is the queen supplying vampire blood for Eric to give to Pam to give to Lafayette to sell?
- Is Evan Rachel Wood getting better or am I just getting used to her queen?
- Can I give Jane Bodehouse the finger? (Another one that had to be said.)
- Who would win a cage match between Jane and Maxine?
- Who are Sam's real parents? How ‘bad' are ‘bad people'? Bad as in boring? That I cannot take.
- Can the aliens erase my memory of at least half of “Beyond Here Lies Nothin'”?
And, most importantly, where's the beef?
As in, where's Eric?
Yeah, I saw him there playing Yahtzee and sucking face with his may-or-may-not-be off-screen girlfriend.
But where was the promise of the Dallas episodes? They set us up for … this?
I know. We had to end the Maryann storyline. And we did. Gracias. We had to end the Eggs situation. And we did. Gracias. We had to set up some drama for season three. And we did. Gracias.
But it's time to text Captain Obvious: The reason “True Blood” has become HBO's most popular show is largely the sexy time factor between Eric, Sookie and Bill. And Eric. And everyone Eric looks at. And Eric.
So what happened? You set us up for a winter famine with barely any Eric time and none of it sexy.
Poorly played, sirs. To quote the queen, “You suck at this.”
I still love this show and wouldn't sell it for a hundred engagement rings from Bill, but this was a disappointment.
The Bill abduction raised my eyebrows – that's a nice set up for season three – but but but but but. Too many buts.
And I'm upset at the forcing of soap opera drama between Hoyt and Jessica. Can't we have ONE happy couple on this show? Not even Jason is getting any anymore.
I'm going to do a separate story on all the stuff that needs to happen in season three – and I'm talking general humor, heart, sex appeal stuff, not exact character details – but for now I guess we have to accept that this is the end of season two.
The Dallas episodes are still the pinnacle of this series to date, but since Alan Ball and company must know that by now, and season three hasn't started shooting yet, I have hope they'll learn from this and do better.
Because despite the episode title, beyond here lies a lot more than nothing – there's another season of my very favorite guilty pleasure. Starring Eric. Don't forget Eric. Ever. Again.
Boadicea | 09/14/2009 | Post Comment |
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| ***SPOILERS*** | ***SPOILERS*** | ***SPOILERS*** |
Exclusive: 'True Blood' finale postmortem with Alan Ball! Though last night’s True Blood finale tied up a bunch of loose ends, it also untied a bunch more! For instance (spoiler alert): Who kidnapped Bill? Why was Eric mostly MIA? Will the Queen return? Are Jessica and Hoyt over? What is Sookie? And that’s for starters. Luckily, series creator Alan Ball agreed to a little post-episode Q&A to finish us off.
Some folks were surprised by the structure of the finale and your decision to wrap up the Maryann story in the first 30 minutes.
ALAN BALL: I try to look at the show as basically almost like it’s a novel, and each episode is a chapter. I guess I’m influenced by the fact that when I watch TV shows, I watch the [DVD] boxed sets. Ultimately, it’s just organically the way it worked out. And the season finale last year was very similar.
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Why wasn’t there more Eric in the finale?
BALL: There is a reason for not seeing Eric in the last part of the episode, but if I explain it, I’ll be [giving away] too much.
Will he be prominent next season?
BALL: Yes. Although, when I saw your [latest episode of Ausiello TV], for a moment I thought, we’re going to have to kill Eric, because you are the man. I thought wow, I had many seasons of Eric planned but I guess I’ll have to off him. [Laughs]
Speaking of which, are you surprised at how passionate the Sookie/Eric fans are?
BALL: Yes. I try not to get involved in that because it just sort of — it’s too confusing. I don’t want it to influence what the show is. Personally, I’m like, yes, Eric’s hot, but beyond that he’s dangerous, and I don’t know if he’d love anybody besides himself. What’s the appeal there? The bad boy? The danger?
Why wasn’t Sookie susceptible to Maryann’s powers but Jason was? Do they have different parents?
BALL: They have the same parents. We will find out what Sookie is [next season]. There are such things as dominant and recessive genes. Maybe Jason is fundamentally human but he has a trace of some non-human stuff. He’s kind of a ridiculously perfect [human being]. He’s athletic and has that charisma thing, so maybe he had some help in that regard. [Laughs] Ultimately, if you look at percentages, he’s mostly human. Sookie has a stronger genetic predisposition in another direction. People who have read the books know exactly what I’m talking about. People who haven’t, it will be revealed.
What’s up with the Queen’s Yahtzee obsession?
BALL: You’re 400 years old. What are you going to do? [Laughs] It’s something we came up with in the room and we thought it was funny.
Fans are polarized about Evan Rachel Wood as the Queen. A big complaint is that she doesn’t come off scary enough.
BALL: She will. You don’t want to introduce a character you’re going to see later and blow your wad up front. It’s funny because the fans are so rabid. Of course, that’s fantastic. And the fact that they’re so completely wrapped up in the show and they get upset and they think, “I don’t like that! I love that.” It means people are watching and the show is really affecting them. I think of the show as having a long life. You can’t explain everything and blow your wad in the first episode the first time time you introduce a character. All I can say is keep watching. It will make sense.
Will she return next season as a series regular?
BALL: She won’t be a series regular, but she will appear. Every state has its own vampire royalty. We will meet the King of Mississippi. Interesting things happening between him and Evan’s Queen. (Find out who’s just been cast as the King!)
As much as I loved Michelle Forbes’ portrayal of Maryann, the story felt like it dragged on a little long. Why did it take her so long to get to the endgame?
BALL: That’s part of what the queen talks about. They’re always improvising. She really can’t conjure up a God. But she’s so fervent in her belief; she keeps trying this sacrifice and that sacrifice. She’s completely delusional. She killed Miss Jeanette and I think she thought that was going to work. She always thinks it’s going to work. It never does because the God who comes never actually comes. But she so fervently believes that he will, and she’s been believing it for thousands of years. That’s how they were able to outsmart her.
Have we seen the last of her?
BALL: Yes, she’s gone. They destroyed her. She will never rise — which I hate because I love [Michelle], and she was so much fun to work with. She’s really delightful and everyone loves her and we hated to kill her but we had to.
How closely will you follow the third book next season?
BALL: We take the gist of the books, [but] we will depart whenever we feel like it makes better television as opposed to reading. We continue to use the books as templates. But now that I’ve read all nine books there are things that are revealed in later books that we are moving up so that they’ll probably happen in the show earlier than they do in the books.
Will you introduce werewolf Alcide?
BALL: Yes.
Have you cast him?
BALL: No. We will also meet Sam’s blood relatives, the super bad vampire Franklin Mott, we’ll meet Debbie Pelt, we will also meet the people who live in Hotshot a little bit ahead of schedule. We’ve already broken four episodes and I’ve sent two writers out with scripts over hiatus.
Have we seen the last of the Fellowship of the Sun?
BALL: No. Just because Steve got humiliated, they still exist. And maybe he’s angrier than ever.
The fact that Jason killed Eggs has me thinking you might restart the Jason-Tara love story next season. Will you?
BALL: Certainly, Jason is going to be consumed with guilt. And he’s going to feel like, “I’ve ruined her life and I’ve got to make her feel better.” Whether that’s wise in any way shape or form remains to be seen. I think Tara certainly gave up on her obsession with Jason, but now that she’s dealing with the worst thing that ever happened to her, she might be more vulnerable to his charms.
Is Tara ever going to be in a happy relationship?
BALL: Happy relationships are boring. We all want them in our own life. But I don’t want to watch them on TV.
Any plans to give Lafayette a boyfriend?
BALL: Yes.
Anything imminent?
BALL: Nothing I can talk about. But certainly we will see more and more of Lafayette. He built a lot of walls around himself. But we will see him get vulnerable next year — and not just being afraid of Eric.
Any regrets killing off Godric? As I’m sure you’re aware the character was very well-received.
BALL: There’s no regret in killing him off because I think that [story was] really powerful. That was my favorite thing about the second book. However, we can always go back in history. He and Eric had a relationship for a thousand years. We can always go back and see him again.
Are Hoyt and Jessica doomed?
BALL: They still love each other. But there will be problems — as you probably could tell based on last night’s episode.
You do realize how awesome those two are together, right?
BALL: I totally know that.
How long do we have to wait for season 3?
BALL: It’s probably going to premiere around the same time it did this year. We’re going to try to shoot one episode before the Christmas break. I don’t know if HBO will bring the show back earlier, but it certainly won’t be later.
Is there anything I’m forgetting to ask you?
BALL: I’m surprised you didn’t ask who took Bill.
Who took Bill?
BALL: It was Hoyt’s mother.
Boadicea | 09/14/2009 | Post Comment |
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BLESSED ARE THE FORGETFUL
I’m thrilled to report that the Maenad seems to have left town.
Not sure whether it was coerced, defeated, killed, or simply got bored, but I’d like to wish it a hearty Bon Voyage all the same. With the creature’s exit, humans have returned to normal, at least relatively. They seem to have little memory of their actions, but have taken great pains to explain their recent acts nevertheless: aliens, mind control, a few are even specifically blaming a resident named Maryann Forrester for some reason.
Gotta love that human capacity for denial.
But as my title alludes (lifted from a quote by my favorite German philosopher for those who care to look it up), I can hardly blame them for it. Human life is so short, the burden of responsibility for each and every act would quickly prove overwhelming. Selective memory seems as good a solution as any.
Sometimes I wish vampires could share in that benefit. That we could forget-
No. One more night, Andrew. You promised yourself.
So yes, the humans have regained their minds and are mostly blissfully unaware. But in between concocting rationales, I certainly hope they also set aside some time for clean up. The town is a mess. Graffiti, litter, pieces of what I can only assume was once a pot roast- and that’s just on my front lawn.
On the plus side, emergency services seem to up and running, and if anyone is in need of a police officer, I can easily think of one recently reinstituted detective who’ll gladly answer the call. From what I understand, Planned Parenthood may also be in strict demand in the very near future. Naughty, naughty breathers. And don’t even get me started on the paint job the town sign –
I’m sorry. I can’t do this anymore. I’ll explain myself tomorrow.
I promise.
Boadicea | 09/14/2009 | Post Comment |
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“True Blood” Finale: Season 2 Episode 12 TV Recap
Well… that was underwhelming. After a season full of great twists, creepy characters and hot shirtless vampires, the second season finale of “True Blood” was a bit of a letdown. Not only was there no epic showdown, but the cliffhanger was kind of lame and predictable, and the plotlines set in place for next season — Sam looking for his parents, Tara presumably seeking revenge for Eggs’ death, Sookie looking for Bill’s kidnapper — don’t grab me half as much as the plight of Godric and the Newlins did earlier this season.
So what went wrong? First, the structure of the episode was a bit of a mess. Maryann was defeated fairly early in the episode, and then the other characters were given rambling wrap-ups resembling the unnecessary final hour of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Second, barely any Eric. The Viking vamp was only seen in one scene, in which he takes Bill’s place as the Queen of Louisiana’s Yahtzee partner (”We play to five million”), and the audience learns that he’s been ordering humans to sell vampire blood on Queenie’s orders. Sophie Anne does get in some good lines — she tells Eric at one point, “I heard about your maker. That blows.” — but just as she starts to get interesting, the camera cuts away. More backstory next season, please!
As for primary plot, the episode begins in Sookie’s house, where Tara carries down the egg she’s been nesting — the physical object, not the man — and a possessed Lafayette orders Sookie to take her clothes off. Luckily, he just wants her to put on a white dress, because three rape attempts on the poor girl in half a dozen episodes would be a bit much, even for this show. Sookie is then guided to Maryann, who has put on Gram’s wedding dress and wants the telepath to be her maid of honor at her wedding to her god. She wants Sookie to zap her with electricity again, an effect the latter is unable to reproduce, and then explains that she’s using her as bait to catch Sam (”He’ll come running like a dog. Maybe as a dog”), whom she’s planning to sacrifice as a wedding gift to her new hubby.
Sookie is taken to the tower o’ meat, after being forced to lick the sacrificial egg — ostrich, it turns out — and is bummed out when she sees both her brother and Andy have fallen prey to the black-eyed zombie curse. Maryann is muttering some mumbo jumbo about Dionysus and how his ripped-out heart was placed in his mother to survive in ancient times, when Bill arrives on the scene, ready to exchange Sam for Sookie. Maryann happily obliges, has the shapeshifter tied up, and then has Eggs stab him in the heart. A vengeful Sookie retaliates by breaking the sacrificial egg and knocking down the meat mountain, but is quickly forced on the run after Maryann — having transformed her hands into minotaur claws — angrily chases after her. In the woods, the would-be bride is gored by a Brahma bull she thinks is her husband… but actually turns out be a transfigured Sam, living large and healthy, having apparently drunk a ton of Bill’s vampire blood.
In other news, Hoyt finally grows a pair and tells his awful mother that he wishes Jessica had finished her off. He later shows up at Jessica’s door bearing flowers… not knowing that she’s gone rogue and is now feeding on random truckers. Andy gets his badge back, because as Sheriff Bud points out, “You might have faults. But at least you got pants on.” A woman eyes Sam’s ass and says she’d wear him like a scrunchie. Jane Bodehouse reconnects with her cut-off index finger.
The episode ends with three semi-related threads. First, Eggs, who’s recovered his memory thanks to Sookie’s help, confesses to Andy about his past as Maryann’s go-to zombified killer, but is shot by Jason when the latter thinks his new bud is in trouble. Secondly, Sam goes to see his adopted mother, and gets the address of his “bad” natural parents. And finally, Bill proposes to Sookie — but while she’s thinking his question over in the bathroom, he’s abducted by an unidentified assailant.
Bill’s disappearance, if Alan Ball stays semi-truthful to Charlaine Harris’sthird book in the Southern Vampire Mysteries series, is right on track, but a small plea for a better developed big bad villain next season, please.
Boadicea | 09/14/2009 | Post Comment |
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By Damian Holbrook September 14, 2009 09:22 AM EST This is probably gonna sound like heresy, but what the suck was that? For the most anticipated finale of the summer, it sure seemed like we got a whole lot of noise and not a lot of awesome. The first half of season 2’s big ender was jam-packed with crazy wedding weirdness, as Maryann prepared to marry Sam and then sacrifice him to her absentee god Dionysius. Whatever. All I know is that everyone had their black eyes going on, togas are apparently the new black tie, and Sookie walked away with the worst maid of honor duty since ever. “You must lick the egg.” Cripes, by the time Sam had shapeshifted to give ol’ Shaky Miss Maenad the business end of his bull horns, I was ready to gore myself. It all just seemed so… Buffy, you know?
After that, we were left with a sluggish second half that would have been ok if they had just focused on the fallout of Maryann’s reign—because even weak Blood is still better than no Blood at all, let’s be honest. But no, they went and set up new storylines that bounced between jarring (Sam’s birth parents are baddies?!) to just plain WTF-able (Jason kills Eggs?!). Oh, and anyone who has stayed, well, true to True would never buy Sookie shooting down Bill’s proposal. Of course, it had to be Eric who abducted him while Sook was off in the loo having her mind changed by a honkin’ piece of bling—the gloves to avoid silver burns gave his vampire-self away—and we now have to wait until next summer for this whole business to play out. Until then, dear writers whom we really do worship, can you do us a couple solids? One, realize that there will be Hell to pay if you put Tara and Jason together only to break them up over Eggs’ death. Two, do not forget that you still need to explain what Sookie really is. And three, for the love of God, ditch the Vampire Queen’s fixation with Yahtzee ! Evan Rachel Wood is too twistedly fun to be reduced to board games and bitchy bon mots. You have like 10 months to get it together and come back stronger than you went out, so get to getting’!
What about you? Did this Blood get yours pumping, or was this an anemic finale?
Boadicea | 09/14/2009 | Post Comment |
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A Few Nagging Questions From Last Night's 'True Blood' Finale
Last night's sophomore year finale of HBO's True Blood, the summer's most talked about show, did exactly what it was supposed to do. It made me want Season 3 to start next Sunday night. But, it's going to be nine whole months until my beloved vampires, shifters and Bon Temp townies get together for some beer or blood down at Merlotte's, which has to be the coolest bar. Ever. As far as finale's go, Beyond Here Lies Nothin'' did wrap up the season's major story arc in typical gory, campy True Blood fashion. (Bye MaryAnn. It was fun.) But like all good serials, it left me with a few nagging questions, all of which are making my head hurt and my eyes go all crazy black like I'm one of MaryAnn's minions. (Spoilers ahead!)
First, if Sookie is immune to the thrall of MaryAnn, why did Jason's eyes go all black? I mean he and Sookie are brother and sister. Right?
Is Andy going to be able to stay off the sauce? Let's get real. Remembering that you saw your friends and colleagues naked and sex-crazed can be stressful. So is providing a cover story for Jason, who shot Eggs, who I think really wanted to commit suicide-by-cop.
Where did Jason run off to? And what kind of trouble is he going to find in those woods?
And oh Jessica, sweet Jessica. Are you really going to let a breakup with a boyfriend turn you into a truckstop trolling, bloodthirsty vampire wench who plays the virgin card? Noooooo.
Why is the Queen the kingpin (or is it queenpin?) behind the sale of vampire blood? Does she have some Yahtzee gambling debts? Is that art deco palace near foreclosure? Is it really possible that she made Eric look small last night? And why not more Eric last night?
And even more important, is it possible that I'm finally understanding Bill's allure? He was smart, brave, chivalrous, and romantic. And his proposal to Sookie was gushingly sweet. So it only stands to reason that while Sookie was contemplating her future in that French bistro powder room, some black-gloved lunatic used a silver chain as a garrote and dragged Bill off to who knows where. Was it Lorena, his maker? Some Fellowship of the Sun whacko? Was that one of the nicest engagement rings you ever saw?
Readers of the Charlaine Harris novels might know some of the answers to these burning (they morphed from nagging) questions. (Oh yikes, I just thought of another one: Is Sam going to find his real parents?) But, remember, this is a loose adaptation, and Alan Ball and his merry band of writers can take us most anywhere. Which means that if my head doesn't explode today, it may during Season 3, Episode 1, next June. I can hardly wait.
Boadicea | 09/14/2009 | Post Comment |
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'True Blood' star Ryan Kwanten likes a good vampire story
Luis Arroyave | September 14, 2009
Vampire-themed entertainment keeps coming in waves, including the "Twilight" sequel, another vampire flick, "Priest," which began filming last month, and the TV show "The Vampire Diaries," which premiered on the CW network last week.
Some involved in the genre might worry about backlash and oversaturation, but actor Ryan Kwanten of HBO's "True Blood" insisted he isn't too concerned.
"Personally, I don't [worry], purely due to the creative forces that are behind our show," said Kwanten, who made an appearance at Enclave (220 W. Chicago Ave.) Friday as host of clothing boutique Akira's "Dusk Until Dawn" fashion show along with "True Blood" co-star Nelsan Ellis.
"True Blood" had its season finale Sunday and will return for a third season of blood, sex and violence in June. The show has been pulling in HBO's best numbers since "The Sopranos," including an impressive 5.3 million viewers for its Aug. 23 episode.
"We knew we were part of something special before the fans did," Kwanten said. "But to hear the fans and critics speak out and watch the show in ways we couldn't imagine, even an optimist couldn't have predicted it."
The 32-year-old Australian actor plays Jason Stackhouse, the dumb-yet-likable brother of protagonist Sookie Stackhouse, played by Anna Paquin. Jason was McConaughey-esque in Season 1, going shirtless for many scenes and frequently dropping trou for sex scenes as well.
Nudity is common on "True Blood," one of the reasons Kwanten said the show would be a bit different on network television.
"It would be 25 minutes long," Kwanten said. "There's a reason it's on HBO."
Kwanten said "True Blood" can push topics in a way network television can't. In its first two seasons, the drama has taken racism, homophobia, drug addiction and orgies and given them a vampire twist.
Would Kwanten consider himself a fan of the vampire genre in general?
"I'm into a good story," said Kwanten.
"But I'm not answering your question," he said with a smile.
Boadicea | 09/14/2009 | Post Comment |
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True Blood Sucker Punch: Episode 12
Welcome to Sucker Punch, the only blog post that ranks the gaudiest moments on this week's episode of True Blood.
(Warning: Spoilers Ahead)
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Where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday that Miss Jeanette was lying dead in the back seat of Andy Bellefleur's car, and now Eggs is lying dead next to Andy Bellefleur's car.
But hey... seasons can't go on forever, and "Beyond Here Lies' Nothin'" sends True Blood out in style.
First, I tip my hat to Alexander Woo for writing such satisfying scenes for Queen Sophie-Anne. After her first appearance, I figured I'd be sending her No Thank You cards, but Woo really turned it around.
In this episode, Sophie-Anne is actually invested in what's happening. She's commanding Eric to sell her blood to humans, and she's making a big show of her power over him. Combine that with her casual references to her disdain for every living thing, and she suddenly seems like someone whose immortality has made her a cruel and disinterested god. She's bored by her existence -- hence all the board games -- so she amuses herself by making the world her plaything.
More to the point, Sophie-Anne is exactly what Godric chastised Lorena for being -- a creature who has gotten more petulant with age. But since Sophie-Anne is so powerful, her childishness makes her dangerous, like a howler monkey with a handgun.
I also appreciate that this week's episode suggests last week's Sophie-Anne was a put-on ... that all the stuff she told Bill about Maryann was intentionally confusing. If that scene was convoluted on purpose, then it's a lot more interesting.
Still, this episode has some head-scratchers. Like, when did Sam see a giant white ram? If he didn't, then how did he turn into one? I'm not saying I don't dig the scene where he kills Maryann by sticking his horn/arm into her black, dusty heart, but I wish it had been more logical.
Also, I'm not sure I accept Maryann's sudden vulnerability. I mean, maybe a little, since she thought she was giving herself over to her god and all ... but still. I guess any resolution to this interminable storyline was going to feel underwhelming.
But while I do have reservations about Maryann's last moment, I've got nothing but kisses for the scenes leading up to it. When Maryann asks Sookie what she is, and Sookie says, "I'm a waitress, what the f*** are you?," I could die.
Once again, Michelle Forbes' performance is superb. Take the moment when Sookie tries to do the ole' white-hand-lightning trick, but it doesn't work, so she pushes Maryann in frustration. Maryann responds by saying, "That's hitting me. You're not committing to this at all," and Forbes chews that line so hard that juice runs down her chin. The fact that she can muster that kind of schoolmarmish disapproval, even on the night when Bacchus is coming, is hilarious, and it's one of the reasons I like this show. There's always time for a sassy little joke, no matter whose heart is getting cut out.
Speaking of the white-magic scene, I've got to give it up to Anna Paquin, who does great work playing righteous indignation (at Maryann), self-doubting terror (after Bill proposes), and emotional release (when she decides to accept Bill's offer.) It's nice to see Sookie written and performed so vividly.
It's also nice to see Bill have something to do. The plan he concocts with Sam is dramatic and compelling. It also delivers a Sucker Punch nominee. Watching Sam get gutted by that giant knife is awful.
But it's not unexpected, so it can't win the prize.
Ditto for the egg-licking scene. By now, we're so used to Maryann treating crazy rituals like common sense that her antics are as comfortable as old slippers. It's still campy-fabulous, however, when she glares at Sookie and says, "You're the maid of honor. You have to lick the egg." If you're getting married in the next few months, I double-dog dare you to say that to your maid of honor. While holding, like, an Egg McMuffin.
Ultimately, the most scandalous and unexpected moment of this episode comes near the end, when Jason shoots Eggs in the head and Andy takes the blame. Jason tries be a hero, but his actions could haunt him forever, and Andy does a noble thing, but the consequences could be severe. Now these former enemies are united by blood. What will happen next?
And what will become of Jessica now that she's a truckstop hooker-murderer? And who kidnapped Bill? And who are Sam's real parents? All good questions that will keep me anticipating season three.
For now, though, let's say goodbye to season two. The writing got confusing sometimes, and there were a whole lot of stories that didn't go anywhere (how's it going, Steve and Sarah Newlin?), but on the whole, this was a stylish, sexy, and entertaining summer of fun. I'm glad I had the chance to discuss it with you!
Boadicea | 09/14/2009 | Post Comment |
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VIBE TV: Rutina Wesley -- True Blood, Sweat & TearsTrue Blood's Tara chats with VIBE about orgies, AK47s, and vampire fetishes just days before the show's season finale.
Boadicea | 09/13/2009 | Post Comment |
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Mississippi biting
A complete and authentic vampire killing kit, circa 1800 and housed in a walnut case, achieved $14,850. |
Aberdeen auctioneer John Dwight Stevens acquired a number of items last October from the estate of a deceased Natchez antique dealer. Among them: a wooden box containing a cross, Bibles, wooden stakes, a gun with silver bullets and garlic.
The vampire killing kit believed to have originated in 1840s New Orleans sold for $14,500.
"I don't particularly believe in vampires, but I guess some people did," said Stevens, who has sold antiques for a quarter of a century. "To me, it's just a myth."
The sale made the front page of the nationally distributed AntiqueWeek newspaper with a headline that read: "How much would you pay to kill a vampire?"
Chances are the price would escalate amidst the current vampire craze that has sunk its teeth into American pop culture.
[Continue reading...]
Antique vampire killing kits (click to enlarge):
Boadicea | 09/13/2009 | Post Comment |
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| *Minor Spoilers* | *Minor Spoilers* | *Minor Spoilers* |
Jackson Mississippi is calling - from Clarion Register:Mississippi biting Character on HBO's 'True Blood' may make trip to Jackson
LaReeca Rucker • lrucker@jackson.gannett.com • September 13, 2009
[Read entire article...]
| Set in rural Louisiana, True Blood features Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress with telepathic powers. She is friendly with vampires, who recently came out of the casket and into mainstream society thanks to the creation of a synthetic blood beverage that enables them to exist without feeding on humans.
Mississippi native Charlaine Harris, 57, created The Southern Vampire Mystery Series that became the framework for True Blood.
She was born in Tunica in 1951 to a father who was a farmer turned principal and a mother who was a librarian.
In 1973, Harris graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis and worked at newspapers in Clarksdale and Greenville before her first novel, Sweet and Deadly, was published in 1981. Harris later created two mystery series featuring Southern women as lead characters, but in 2001, she took a different turn with the publication of her first vampire tale, Dead Until Dark. It marked the debut of Sookie Stackhouse, a character Harris has described as a hard worker and churchgoer who struggles to do the right thing but, unfortunately, has to kill someone occasionally.
"I was getting a little bored and restless writing conventional mysteries, so I wanted to do something different," she said. "Certainly, the level of interest has somewhat startled me." When the vampire series made the New York Times Best Seller List, Harris had three offers to option the rights but felt Atlanta native Alan Ball best understand her work.
Ball, who won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar in 2000 for the film American Beauty, created and produced HBO's Six Feet Under and True Blood.
"I am working with the writers now, and we are creating the story arch," said Ball by phone. "Yes, the story will take place in Jackson."
Jackson is the setting for one plot twist that Ball plans to incorporate next season. Sookie will travel to Jackson to investigate the disappearance of her vampire boyfriend, Bill. She'll likely check out a Jackson nightclub called Club Dead frequented by vampires and shapeshifters. And viewers will meet Russell Edgington, the vampire king of Mississippi.
Mara Mikialian, of HBO, said there have been no discussions about whether the show will film in Mississippi. Season 3 episodes haven't been written, but Ball said he hopes to capture the authenticity of Harris' books.
"I grew up in a small town in Georgia," he said. "I sometimes see a cartoon version of the South portrayed. The authenticity is certainly something we try to maintain on the show." |
Boadicea | 09/13/2009 | Post Comment |
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Sam Trammell on Chelsey Lately 09/11/2009:
Boadicea | 09/13/2009 | Post Comment |
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Video: G TOM MAC's "Cry Little Sister (Swamp Version)" from TRUE BLOOD Saturday, September 12, 2009 10:51 PM James Zahn MUSICK NEWS Last month at Vampire-Con in L.A., Fango's Pat Jankiewicz reported on a special presentation (read it here) of a new music video for G TOM MAC's famous LOST BOYS anthem, "Cry Little Sister." Tonight, Fango heard from Gerard McMann (aka G TOM MAC) with said video in tow. Inspired by (and used for) HBO's hit series TRUE BLOOD, "Cry Little Sister (Swamp Version)" is a fresh and bluesy take on the song, and you can check out the full clip below the jump. Starting Monday, September 14, the track will be available as a digital single via iTunes and CD Baby. The video was helmed by Anthony Cappello with Paolo Cascio as the Director of Photography, and was edited by Phillip Lindsey & Daniela Pistone.
Boadicea | 09/13/2009 | Post Comment |
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Expect thrills, if not intellectual stimulation, from season finale of 'True Blood'
12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, September 13, 2009 By MAUREEN RYAN Chicago Tribune
We're used to top TV dramas evoking elegant meals, six-course affairs full of rich textures and witty constructions. We know we'll usually need time to intellectually digest these savory feasts.
No such time is needed for True Blood, which airs its Season 2 finale at 8 tonight on HBO.
True Blood isn't a carefully assembled feast. It's a jam-packed, all-you-can-eat buffet served with a side of crazy.
That recipe – which creator Alan Ball has effectively tweaked since the show debuted – has turned the populist vampire drama into a huge hit: The Aug. 23 episode of True Blood attracted 5.3 million viewers, a figure that doubles when repeats are added. Those are smoking-hot numbers for a premium cable channel.
Halfway through the show's increasingly addictive second season, I realized the mistake I was making with True Blood.
I'm not trying to insult the show by saying it's no Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel, but it isn't. There's no deeper meaning here.
Sure, most of the vamps on the show, most notably the devilishly charismatic Eric (Alexander Skarsgard), are sexy, hot rebels doing whatever they want with whomever they want. There's no denying the appeal of those hedonistic appetites in these stressful times.
But True Blood's attempts at more obvious metaphors – the depictions of the vamps as an oppressed minority and the portrait of their opponents as repressed hypocrites – have generally been clunky and unsuccessful.
The show excels as a Perils of Pauline serial, but one with lots of sex and crazy shenanigans in the woods. True Blood works best as a suspenseful beach read come to vivid, Southern Gothic life. The show mostly defies analysis, intellectual probing and the search for subtext. As Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten) put it, "The time for thinking is over." Exactly.
Every Sunday night, it's a chance to turn off your brain and enjoy a show that jams four or five episodes' worth of incident, plot and jaw-dropping moments into 50 minutes. Part of the reason True Blood is such a mass hit is that its characters are easily recognizable types: Newbie vamp Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) is the awkward yet fetching ingenue; Eric is the sexy stranger with a dangerous streak; Maryann (Michelle Forbes) is the crazy aunt; Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) is the tart-tongued cousin; and Bill is the slightly befuddled father figure. The recently introduced vampire queen Sophie-Anne (Evan Rachel Wood) is the kind of mischievous diva you can find in any number of Bette Davis films.
How will the season end?
I don't expect elegant resolution from True Blood. I expect an exhilarating, messy spectacle.
And you can count on one thing: There will be blood. True Blood
Season finale airs at 8 tonight on HBO. 1 hr.
Boadicea | 09/13/2009 | Post Comment |
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How we’d like the vampire soap to end the season
By SARA STEWART Last Updated: 11:04 AM, September 13, 2009
Season two of “True Blood” comes to its gory, bodice-ripping conclusion tonight, and we’ve got a wish list of issues we’d like to see resolved. Is this all really going to happen in one hour? Likely not. But then, this is Bon Temps, where nothing ever happens the way you think it will (unless you think it’s going to end campily, with a lot of bloodshed).
* Get Eric and Sookie in bed, already
In real life, not in her head. After being coerced into drinking his blood a few episodes ago, she’s been having incredibly realistic sex dreams about everyone’s favorite vampire sheriff (as has Lafayette, it turns out; why haven’t we been privy to those?). But we have yet to see any actual action, and we all know it’s going to happen eventually. So please, give us something tasty to tide us over until Season Three.
* Kill off Maryanne
Michelle Forbes’ Maenad has been vamping (sorry) for so many episodes, she’s starting to make crazed redneck orgies look downright boring. We get it, you’re waiting for Dionysus. You built the meat sculpture, you’ve got the followers — make it happen! And then, as the Vampire Queen suggested, enjoy the sweet release of your death. As will we.
* Justify the existence of Evan Rachel Wood’s character
When it was announced that Wood would be playing Queen Sophie-Anne, we were confident. Surely if anyone would be a natural for the role of haughty goth, it’d be Marilyn Manson’s former squeeze.
And she certainly looked delicious in her ’40s-era swimming costume. But really. . . Yahtzee? Too cute, “True Blood.” Give her something to sink her teeth into, plot-wise. Hey, why not make it Bill Compton?
* Snap Tara out of her overly-emotional stupor
Not the kind where her eyes turn black. The kind she’s been in all season, first brought on by her mother’s rehabilitation and then by her relationship with Eggs.
We miss the old feisty Tara, the one who told off customers and rolled her eyes when Sam whispered sweet nothings. If it’s necessary to kill off Eggs to make this happen, so be it. We’ll miss his abs, but that’s pretty much it.
* Do something about Bill’s hair
It wasn’t this bad last season, we swear. Is he letting himself go because he’s settled down with Sookie? Because those bangs do not scream smoldering, chivalrous vampire. They scream Supercuts. The only reprieve we got was the brief flashback to his Prohibition-era stint as a piano player, where we realized it’s still possible for him to look good.
* Turn Lafayette into a vampire
He made such a good case for it while trying to argue his way out of imprisonment in Fangtasia’s cellar. As a man of highly questionable moral character, “I’d hit the ground running,” he pleaded. And he was right! Why are they leaving him to flail around, all PTSD, seeing Eric’s head superimposed on anyone who looks at him wrong? This badass cook deserves better. At the very least, let him be Eric’s go-go dancer, as he so sweetly offered. (We know he’s got moves — we’ve seen them, right after he drank Eric’s blood.)
* Let Andy save the day
The poor guy’s been shuffling around muttering “The pig! The pig!” for most of the season. Now everyone he originally made his case to has gone over to the dark side, at least temporarily. Sure, he hasn’t stopped drinking, but at the moment he’s the closest thing this town has to responsible law enforcement. So please, give him a little taste of heroism, and let him earn back his badge.
Boadicea | 09/13/2009 | Post Comment |
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Michelle Forbes: True Blood’s Orgy Scenes Can Be ‘Just Another Day at Work’
As Bon Temps’s resident maenad, Michelle Forbes has been freaking out True Blood fans since she appeared naked in the road with a pig at the end of season 1. But, “I’m really very nice,” she tells PEOPLE. “Everyone’s getting so scared when they meet me now. I could kill [show creator] Alan Ball.”
This season, her character Maryann used mind control to turn an entire town into lust-crazed zombie-like revelers with black eyes. In a recent phone interview, the actress talked about bringing a mythical creature to life (and into pop culture), hosting TV’s wildest orgies (and a furry uninvited guest who showed up on set one day) and what’s cracking open on Sunday’s finale on HBO (9 p.m. EST). “It certainly went to a place that I wasn’t expecting,” she says. Caution: May contain spoilers! –Aaron Parsley
How was this role described to you?
It just mentioned the more basic points of what a maenad is … That women of this sort tended to run through the woods tearing children and animals to pieces, and they were known as the “wild ones” and the “raving ones.” That was pretty much it.
Did that appeal to you?
It did! It didn’t necessarily line up with what was on the page and that was the exciting thing that sort of gets the hair on the back of your neck standing up. You start looking for a shovel because you just want to start digging to figure out what this riddle is all about.
What do you think of the current vampire craze?
In this age of vampires, what I love about True Blood the most is that it’s a post-modern take on it. [Sookie Stackhouse series author] Charlaine Harris and [True Blood creator] Alan Ball turned that whole mythology upside-down … It’s not just about vampires. It’s about a lot of different things. And that’s what I love about the show … It’s great to see the interaction between all these different creatures and humans.
Do you believe in supernatural creatures?
Not really. No.
If vampires represent forbidden love, what, if anything, does Maryann represent?
I think Maryann represents things going on in the real world since the beginning of time — Woodstock, Paris in the ’20s, the transgressive movement of cinema and music in New York in the ’80s — when people were just really trying to shed all moral boundaries.
Well, you certainly shed a few. How awkward is it to film those wild orgy scenes?
It sort of flip-flopped between very disturbing and just another day at work, as odd as that sounds. You just sort of get used to it and everybody was very respectful … At one of the orgies there was this bunny — there was a rabbit, who was just sitting there staring at us. We all kept saying, “Look that bunny’s still there.” And after about 45 minutes, I thought, “Maybe he’s hurt,” and I started to walk over to it and it took two hops and I was like, “Nope, he’s just a pervert.” … He was pervy Peter Rabbit!
Tell us about Sunday’s finale. What’s up with that egg?
What is up with that egg? I can’t talk about the egg! All I can say is that it was so much fun shooting it. We had one hell of a time. It was pretty surreal at times. I don’t want to say anything because I don’t know what people are expecting, especially after that last glimpse of that egg. It certainly went to a place that I wasn’t expecting. … You can’t say that our gang didn’t take a risk that is really exciting. All we can hope for in life is that storytellers take risks and tell the story that they want to tell and that they need to tell. I think that we did this. We took a risk and it’s bold.
Boadicea | 09/13/2009 | Post Comment |
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An amusing interview of Ryan Kwanten - From AccessHollywood:‘True Blood’s’ Ryan Kwanten Talks Season Finale & How He Got Ripped
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- HBO’s “True Blood” went from cult favorite to bona fide hit in its second season and one of the reasons had nothing to do with vampires.
Australian actor Ryan Kwanten has become a breakout star of the series, playing heroine Sookie Stackhouse’s brother Jason, a muscled-up Southern boy known a great deal more for his bedroom acrobatics than his cerebral ones.
In the last few episodes leading up to Sunday’s season finale, Jason’s gone from cult follower and vampire hater, to breaking out his brawn for good. He helped save a host of bloodsuckers and his thought-reading sister down in Dallas, Texas. And recently, after tapping into what he’s got upstairs, Jason paired up with Bon Temps’ disgraced detective Andy Bellefleur and helped save (for now) shape-shifting bar owner Sam Merlotte from the clutches of the otherworldly Maryann – a powerful Maenad – and her flock of black-eyed hedonistic zombies.
“[There’s] some method to his madness I guess,” Ryan tells AccessHollywood.com down a cross-town phone line of Jason’s transition from hunk to hero. “There’s still stupidity there but he’s trying to channel it. He will continue to think that he’s saving the little town… And then he gets himself caught up in it.”
With lips as tight as his washboard abs, Ryan offered just a tiny hint at what’s in store for Jason on Sunday’s big Season 2 closing episode.
“I can’t tell you that much, but he gets himself caught up in something that’s really bigger than him,” Ryan hinted.And it appears Jason’s sister, played by Anna Paquin, runs into some major trouble too.
“Well, I think it’s to be expected that those two worlds — that Sookie world and the Maryann world — have to collide. And uh, obviously things aren’t going to end well for one of them,” he said.
While Ryan will say no more about what’s set to happen in Bon Temps in this weekend’s episode, the actor is glad to be a part of the “True Blood” team. Although he’s a brand name back in his native Australia, where he starred on “Home & Away,” the surfy soap that also gave the world Isla Fisher, “True Blood” has made him recognizable across America.
“I take it all with a grain of salt,” Ryan said of all the attention. “I still feel like I have a long way to go with my acting and my career so it’s definitely a huge step that I don’t take lightly.”
Another thing the star takes seriously is sports. As “True Blood” fans known, the 32-year-old is in incredible physical shape and his athlete-like physique comes from staying very active.
“I really do sort of just love, love to sweat,” Ryan said of his admirable body.
Ryan said he developed his sweating passion from indulging in sports as a young man.
“Everything from triathlons to boxing… rugby league (Australian football),” he revealed of his athletic indulgence history. “And it’s just kind of that discipline that stayed with me even though I’m in what’s considered to be more of an art form now in the film business. I still take that competitive nature wherever I go, I just… I’m a bit of a masochist at heart. I have to sweat. I have to break the pain barrier and see what’s on the other side.”
The actor doesn’t judge his workouts by the clock. Instead he focuses on getting his heart pumping.
“It’s definitely not obsessive but when I work out it’s all or nothing. I want to make sure it’s absolute quality time,” he said.While stars like his fellow Aussie, Hugh Jackman, have resorted to high-protein diets to get “Wolverine”-ripped, Ryan revealed he’s lucky enough to usually be able to enjoy himself.
“I never want to be one of those people that sort of [looks at] other people’s meals at the dinner table wishing they could eat,” he said. “I eat what I want. If it happens to be slightly more than I originally set out to do then I’ll just work out harder the next day.”
If the next day, however, includes a film script that orders him to strip down to very little, or nothing at all, as has been the case for Jason Stackhouse across the two seasons of “True Blood,” Ryan does tailor things a little bit.
“Yeah, there’s definitely… [a] regime that I have which would basically mean sort of [cutting out] alcohol and then just probably not as much pasta and desserts… Chocolate is hardest thing for me to cut out,” Ryan revealed, proving he’s human after all. “I don’t cut it out completely, [I] just don’t have as much.”
On Sunday, however, Ryan will probably be enjoying all of his weakness as he visits his pal and agent’s house to watch “True Blood’s” Season 2 finale.
[Continue reading...]
Boadicea | 09/13/2009 | Post Comment |
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True Blood: Season 2 Finale Preview
Sunday, September 13, 2009
It's time to celebrate because the moment has come for True Blood to wrap up its second season. In Bon Temps, however, the Maryann has a particularly twisted brand of merriment. She's throwing a party alright but it's not the kind I want to be a part of. Nothing's changed in Bon Temps since Maryann, the devil-worshipping maenad, still has the town's residents in the palm of her hand. In fact, things have turned from bad to worse with Tara and Lafayette now under Maryann's spell while a giant egg sits on a large bed nest in Sookie's grandma's old room.
I'm sure you're all with me when I say that the mystery behind the giant egg is the first thing I want uncover. It's the weirdest thing ever but considering all the crazy stuff that's been happening all season long, I shouldn't be surprised anymore.
Now as Bon Temps reaches a fever pitch, Maryann prepares for her ultimate bestial sacrifice. We all know from last episode, courtesy of Queen Sophie-Anne, that the only way to defeat Maryann is if she thinks her god has come for her. I'm counting on Bill to think of a clever plan to trick Maryann but he better work fast because she's conscripting Sookie to be Maid of Honor at the bloody nuptials where she's bound to marry the sacrifice-conjured Dionysus.
It's all too bizarre and wicked but at least the other part of town has some interesting developments as well. Sophie-Anne warns Eric to keep the lid on Bill's inquisitiveness while Hoyt is struggling with Maxine's endless stream of insults. Meanwhile, Jason and Andy continues working together in their heroic attempt to save the town, and Sam is forced to put his life in the hands of a most unlikely ally on what may be his final move to save Sookie and the town.
To entice you more, HBO has released a new promo video just in time for the finale "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" featuring the song "Corrupt" by Depeche Mode. For a sneak peek on what's to come, also check out the slideshow below.
Boadicea | 09/13/2009 | Post Comment |
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From Chicago Tribune - Ryan Kwanten hosts fashion show:
[Read entire article...]
Sightings: Ryan Kwanten of "True Blood"dined at the Elate Restaurant in The Hotel Felix on Friday. After dinner, he hosted Akira's "Dusk Until Dawn" fashion showat Enclave. You can findmy quick interview with Kwanten on the blog Sunday.... Actor and former MTV VJ Bill Bellamy hung out at The Underground on Friday.
Boadicea | 09/13/2009 | Post Comment |
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What will be said at MTV Awards about True Blood? - From DigitalSpy: MTV 'want to censor Brand at VMAs' Saturday, September 12 2009 | By Anisa Kadri
Russell Brand
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MTV executives have insisted that they want to censor Russell Brand's performance as presenter of the MTV Video Music Awards.
According to The Sun, the comedian wants to be more controversial than he was last year when he made jokes about the Jonas Brothers's virginity.
On US TV programme The View, Brand said: "Last year I didn't realise there would be quite so many death threats.
“But fortunately there were quite a lot of life threats so it balanced itself out."
Brand will reportedly be poking fun at actors in vampire film Twilight and television series True Blood.
The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards will be shown on MTV at 9pm on Monday.
Boadicea | 09/13/2009 | Post Comment |
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True Blood Season Finale Promises Fang-tastic Fun True Blood fans are on pins and needles in anticipation of tomorrow night’s season 2 finale after HBO released spoilers and pics of the upcoming episode.
HBO producers have fans of True Blood on the edge of their seats since releasing season 2 finale pictures and teasers on the Web last weekend, which hinted at the chaos to come. The September 13 episode, entitled “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’,” features impressive immortals battling it out amongst a bevy of hypnotized townspeople. The action-packed finale also has busty heroine Sookie Stackhouse, played by Anna Paquin, kicking butt as she tries to save her shape-shifter boss, Sam, from landing on the sacrifice slab.
Supernaturals aside, the recent frenzy surrounding Ms. Paquin’s new look has left some to speculate that her perky appearance stems from more than just a spray tan and dye job. Has this now blonde vixen undergone plastic surgery to better fit the role of the telepathic Louisiana waitress she portrays in the series?
Definitely not. In lieu of a going under the knife, Anna takes a more natural approach to beauty. For her role in True Blood, Anna buffed up in anticipation of her steamy bedroom scenes with co-star, and now fiancé, Stephen Moyer. She dished about her healthy habits and fervent fitness routine in an interview with US Magazine, saying, “I’m obsessed with Pilates.”
On looking blonde and beautiful, Paquin told Nylon magazine, “People are incredibly literal in how they view you,” she says. “You have dark hair and pale skin? You must be brooding. The second you dye your hair blond and get a spray tan, people treat you as if you’re a bit stupider and happier. Suddenly….you’re hot and sexy.” Fans will have to say goodbye to Sookie as season 2 of True Blood wraps up Sunday, September 13, with a third season starting next summer.
Boadicea | 09/13/2009 | Post Comment |
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Creative Arts Emmy given to True Blood casting directors - From Variety:Creative Arts Emmy winners on a roll Kudos for thesp Michael J. Fox, 'Intervention' on A&E
The 61st annual Primetime Creative Arts Emmys kicked off at the Nokia Theatre LA Live in Los Angeles with host Kathy Griffin in an array of costumes. Winners' names appear in bold for each category.
[Read entire article...]
Outstanding Casting For A Drama Series:Junie Lowry Johnson, Libby Goldstein, Casting directors, True Blood • HBO • Your Face Goes Here Entertainment in association with HBO Entertainment
Boadicea | 09/13/2009 | Post Comment |
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Most ‘superb' quotes from True Blood season 2 (starring Eric) Top 44 lines to please the dirty little monkey in you
By Gina Carbone | September 12, 2009 8:38 PM
We may have reached the end of “True Blood” season two, but according to Eric Northman, “This is the beginning.”
I've already ranked the season's episodes to date (see related stories) and before we say “Goodnight, tiny humans” until season three, I thought it would be superb if we counted down the best quotes of the year.
Many of these are by my own Satan in a Sunday hat love (although I shouldn't use words he does not understand), Eric, as played by that vamp god Alexander Skarsgard, who fills us all with joy and screams of pleasure.Since some of the best quotes come in groups, this won't be a list just of one-liners. But there will quite a few one-liners. ‘Cause that's how I roll. And I is gorgeous.
BEST QUOTES OF ‘TRUE BLOOD' 2:
44. Sookie Stackhouse to Bill Compton: “You're walking in my shoes and it's giving you blisters.”
43. Lorena to Eric: “Shame I didn't turn you. Then again, you're not really my type.”
42. Andy Bellefleur: “People thought I was crazy ‘cause I thought I saw a pig.”
41. Jason Stackhouse, singing: “The big ol' scary vampire went to the sun to fry.”
40. Terry Bellefleur to Jason: “Wait, stop. Don't you hurt my special lady.” | Arlene Fowler to Terry: “I need a haircut anyway, baby.”
39. Hoyt Fortenberry to Jessica Hamby: “You should try the chicken-fried steak. It's like a chicken and a steak got together and made a baby. It's delicious, crispy baby and … uh…”
38. Lafayette Reynolds to Eric Northman: “Why do you want to give me your blood?”
Eric: “I like you.”
Lafayette: “Bulls—t. You wanna be able to keep track of me. Why?”
Eric: “You obviously mean something to Sookie. What Sookie finds meaningful I find curious.”
37. Eric's last word as a human: “Life” (in Swedish)
36. Andy: “You got the burden of being a one-eyed man. I envy that.”
Sam Merlotte: “I have no idea what you're talking about.”
Andy: “I don't either.”
35. Male customer to female: “You don't need any beers, your butt's as big as a barn.”
Female responds: “Well you look like you're pregnant.”
34. Jessica: “Is it my fault my fangs come out when I'm turned on?”
33. Eric to Isabel and Stan: “Idiots.”
32. Sam: “Nice rack.”
Daphne Landry: “Nice balls.”
31. Andy: “F**k all y'all, devil zombies! Turning this town into an orgy from hell!”
30. Gabe to Jason: “Now that's a frickin' soldier of God.”
29. Terry: “Bullsh—t. God has horns.”
28. Fangbanger as Eric sucks her neck: “Ohhh that's it, baby.”
Eric: “Baby? I'm over 1,000 years old.”
Fangbanger: “Are you not having a good time?”
Eric: “Well there's just not much thrill left in feeding on the willing.”
Fangbanger: “Then should I try pretending not to want it?”
Eric: “Only if you're very, very good at it.”
27. Maxine Fortenberry to Hoyt: “You're Dirty Harry now ‘cause you're dipping your penguin dick into that vamper tramp?”
26. Sookie on Sarah Newlin: “You know in person, she looks like vanilla pudding.”
25. Maxine to Jason: “Why don't you offer yourself up to me Jason Stackhouse, you dirty little monkey?”
24. Jessica to Bill: “You're going to be so sorry when I get an eating disorder!”
23. Eric: “You surprise me and that is a rare quality in a breather.”
Sookie: “You disgust me.”
Eric: “Perhaps I'll grow on you.”
Sookie: “I'd prefer cancer.”
22. Eric to Lafayette: “Is there blood in my hair?”
21. Pam, on Maryann Forrester: “That thing owes me a pair of shoes.”
20. Pam to Arlene's kids: “You make me so happy I never had any of you.”
Eric: “Now come on, Pam, they're funny. They're like humans, but miniature. Teacup humans.”
19. Lafayette to Tara and Arlene: “So what you skank hos doing here?”
Tara: “Watch yourself, b--ch.”
Lafayette: “I am. And I is gorgeous.”
18. Lafayette to Tara, about Eggs: “Satan in a Sunday hat, girl. I'm trying to tell you, Satan in a f**king beautiful Sunday hat.”
17. Eric, in Swedish: “Wherever I am there will always be women.”
16. Jessica: “Hoyt, just take off your pants.”
15. Sookie to Lorena: “Go find another one you f—king b--ch you've lost this one!”
14. Sarah to Jason: “Oh for heaven's sake grow a brain cell – paint balls!”
13. Sarah to Jason: “You're worse than Judas.”
Jason replies: “Why, what'd he do to you?”
Sarah replies: “You Stackhouses, you're nothing but a bunch of heartless, two-faced vampire f---ers.”
12. Jason to Steve: “I reckon I've already been to heaven and it's inside your wife."
11. Eric to Arlene's daughter: “Don't you like vampires, little girl?”
10. Hoyt to Bill: “I don't know what you heard, but those were screams of pleasure.”
9. Sarah to Nan Flanagan: “I hate your hair.”
8. Sookie to Eric: “He's your maker isn't he?”
Eric replies: “Don't use words you don't understand.”
Sookie: “You have a lot of love for him.”
Eric: “Don't use words I don't understand.”
7. Eric, leaning down to kids: “Goodnight, tiny humans.”
6. Eric to Bill, about Sookie: “She was superb.”
5. Bill to Sookie, about Eric: “Don't be surprised if you feel some attraction to him … sexually.”
4. Sookie in bed with Eric: “There's love in you.”
Eric: “Only for Sookie.”
Eric: "This is the beginning."
3. Godric to Eric: “There are centuries of faith and love between us.”
2. Sookie: “Are you very afraid?”
Godric: “No.” (He laughs) “No. I'm full of joy.”
1. Godric: “A human with me at the end, and human tears; 2,000 years and I can still be surprised. In this I see God.”
Boadicea | 09/13/2009 | Post Comment |
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