Saturday, October 31, 2009

Fangs for the memories: The A-Z of vampires


From Independent UK ( this is great fun )

Once upon a time, they were monsters to be feared. But nowadays, they are cool, sexy creatures with great hair and killer cheekbones – and what’s more, they’re everywhere...Kevin Jackson gets his teeth into the A-Z of vampires

A is for Aristocrat

These days, the word "vampire" is likely to summon up images of a brooding high-school boy with killer cheekbones (Robert Pattinson in the Twilight films), or a macho Southern dude with killer cheekbones (Stephen Moyer in True Blood), or a beautiful young athlete with killer cheekbones (Kate Beckinsale in the Underworld movies, or Sarah Michelle Geller in the Buffy TV series). But for most of the past 200 years, the word evoked a tall, dark gentleman with exquisite manners (when he wasn't tearing open your jugular) and some highly desirable real estate. In short, the vampire was the aristocrat of monsters, the toff of terror. This would have seemed a bizarre idea to even earlier generations, for whom the vampire was a brutish and repellent thing, more like the zombies of our cinematic folklore than most of the vampires we know and half-love. What changed the creature of rotting rags and still more rotten flesh into the suave, elegant stalker of grand houses? Answer: the late Romantics, and one in particular, which is why ...

B is for Byron
Related articles

Britain has been the home of vampire myths for more than eight centuries – the tale of the Alnwick vampire dates from the 12th century – but the creature only enters English literature in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, in poems by Coleridge ("Christabel"), Southey and Byron. And it was Byron who wrote the very first vampire story in our literature, albeit a brief one. Byron jotted it down during the notorious "Haunted Summer" of 1816, when he lodged at the Villa Diodati on Lake Geneva with Shelley and others; it was this same sojourn which later inspired Mary Shelley to write Frankenstein. Byron's fragment was picked up, adapted and developed by his personal doctor, John Polidori, who published this longer tale as The Vampyre – and the floodgates opened. The Vampyre was a best-seller across Europe, and particularly in France, where it was widely believed not only that Byron was the author, but that it was autobiographical.

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Go Ask Dallas: Sookie and Halloween

What really happens in the Sookie books involving Halloween ? This is tricky ( haha) and involves a bit of trivia and a 'mistake'

Ok, first to the trivia question ?

What Sookie book/story happens on Halloween ?
Hint : There are 2 right answers

I'll give you the correct answer(s) tomorrow (if no one post its in the comments) but here are a couple of great Halloween book quotes from books 3 & 8

In Club Dead: Sookie says to Alcide about the Club "They can come in? Regular people?" I asked, nodding toward the single metal door. It looked as uninviting as a door can look. There was no name anywhere on it, or on the building, for that matter. No Christmas decorations, either. (Of course, vampires don'tobserve holidays, e xcept for Halloween. It's the ancient festival of Samhain dressed up in trappings that the vamps find delightful. So Halloween's a great favorite, and it's celebrated worldwide in the vamp community.

Then in Dead to Worse:

We see this scene "Did you get an invitation for the Fangtasia Halloween party this year?" he asked. "No. After the last party they invited me to, they might not want me to come back,"

I said. "Besides, with all the recent losses, I don't know if Eric'll feel like celeb
rating." "You think we ought to have a Halloween party at Merlotte's?" he asked. "Maybe not with candy and stuff like that," I said, thinking hard. "Maybe a goodie bag for each customer, with dry roasted peanuts? Or a bowl of orange popcorn on each table? And some decorations?"

Sam looked in the direction of the bar as if he could see through the walls.
"That sounds good. Make a thing of it." Ordinarily we only decorated for Christmas, and that only after Thanksgiving, at Sam's insistence.
Then the next evening this : There weren't too many houses between mine and Merlotte's, but all of them had ghosts hanging from trees, inflated plastic pumpkins in the yard,and a real pumpkin or two sitting on the front porch.

The Prescotts had a sheaf of corn, a bale of hay, and some ornamental squash and pumpkins arranged artfully on the front lawn. I made a mental memo to tell Lorinda Prescott how attractive it was when next I saw her at Wal-Mart or the postoffice.


I worked too hard the rest of the night to think about any of the interesting things that had happened that day. After the patrons all left, even Jane Bodehouse (her son came to get her), we put out the Halloween decorations.

Sam had gotten a little pumpkin for each table and painted a face on each one. I was filled with admiration, because the faces were really clever, and some of them looked like bar patrons. In fact, one looked a lot like my dear brother.
"I had no idea you could do this," I said, and he looked pleased. "It was fun," he said, and hung a long strand of fall leaves- of course, they were actually made of cloth-around the bar mirror and among some of the bottles.

I tacked up a life-size cardboard skeleton with little rivets at the joints so it could be positioned. I arranged this one so it was clearly dancing. We couldn't have any depressing skeletons at the bar. We had to have happy ones.

True Blood Hounds LA event video








BOOK REVIEW 'The Vampire Archives,'

From LA Times

"You have heard, no doubt, of the appalling superstition that prevails in Upper and Lower Styria, in Moravia, Silesia, in Turkish Serbia, in Poland, even in Russia; the superstition, so we must call it, of the vampire," wrote Sheridan Le Fanu in his classic "Carmilla," first serialized in London in 1871 and 1872. It's not just Le Fanu's language that feels antique but his ethos and geography.

Vampires no longer appall us or even stir superstitions; these days a vampire is much more likely to rise up in a high school corridor than from the graveyard mists of some decaying Eastern European pile. Audiences still want their vampires to inspire fear, but they also need them to be human, maybe better than human. Suddenly, and weirdly, vampires feel as integral to the culture as burger chains, except the undead don't chow down on Big Macs.

In "The Vampire Archives: The Most Complete Volume of Vampire Tales Ever Published," editor Otto Penzler assembles 80-plus stories that offer a survey of the genre from the early 1800s to the present day. Byron wrote a vampire poem, as did Samuel Taylor Coleridge (the wonderfully erotic and spooky "Christabel"), likewise John Keats, whose "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" Penzler includes

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7 reasons why Halloween is HUGE in 2009

from Popsugar



Vampire-hunting in New Orleans

From Guardian UK

New Orleans' steamy streets, Gothic buildings and voodoo myths have made it the setting of scary tales for decades

On Chestnut and First, in the Garden District of New Orleans, stands a handsome Greek revival mansion with Ionic and Corinthian columns and arches of ornate, lacy ironwork. Until a few years ago, it was the home of Anne Rice, high priestess of popular vampiric fiction and author of Interview with the Vampire, who, more than anyone, is responsible for making the Crescent City a tourist mecca for willingly gullible devotees of spookiness and the supernatural.

Rice assumed the role of Queen of the Night with brio: she would turn up to book signings in a quilted coffin, and once staged her own mock funeral at Lafayette Cemetery No 1, complete with horse-drawn hearse and a brass band playing dirges. She opened her elegant home to the public every Monday, and adoring fans clad in black would queue around the block to see the macabre artefacts it was stuffed with, including a lemur skeleton and a collection of evil-looking antique dolls, set out in rooms painted mauve and fuschia.

Guides offering tours to "Haunted New Orleans", who built their itineraries around a visit to Rice's mansion, were decidedly glum when the writer left the city five years ago, just before Katrina hit. She is, after all, one of the world's bestselling authors, and her feverish page-turners brought in hordes of visitors eager to experience the city's gothic atmospherics, along with its celebrated Creole food and jazz. This year, First Street offered rather more pedestrian fare in the run-up to Halloween: when I walked around the Garden District – it's an unmissable part of the city – a fortnight ago, I saw only pumpkins, plastic skulls hanging from porches, and the odd Frankenstein's monster tied to a tree.

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True Blood goes to the movies:" Beyond the pole " starring Alexander Skarsgard

Starring:Stephen Mangan, Rhys Thomas, Rosie Cavaliero, Mark Benton, Lars Arentz-Hansen, Alexander Skarsgard, Helen Baxendale, Patrick Baladi, Zoe Telford


Screenplay By:Neil Warhurst, Co-writer David L Williams

Directed By:David L Williams
Produced By:David L Williams and Andrew Curtis

Awards:Spirit Award nomination (Warsaw International Film Festival) World Cinema nomination (Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival)

Plot Outline:A documentary film crew follows the first Carbon Neutral, Vegetarian, Organic expedition to the North Pole. Ever.An arctic comedy/disaster movie Beyond the Pole is Withnail and I on ice, Touching the Void with Laughs.Nobody said saving the planet would be easy...but does it have to be this hard?!
50 more great photos on Facebook here
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Beyond-the-Pole/172486521602




Stars come home: Sam Trammell ( video)

Sam Trammell, Hollywood actor and a West Virginia native, returned home just in time for the Halloween Holiday.

Trammell, a graduate of George Washington High School arrived in Charleston Thursday. He plays Sam Merlotte, a man who can transform into Animals in the HBO hit series “True Blood”.

Trammell visit was in part of the HallowEast week long celebration for local artist. While in Charleston, he stopped by several east end businesses and a local hospital to talk to fans and sign autographs.

Friday, Trammell spent time at the State Capital Culture Center continue his visit with fans and answering questions about the “True Blood” series.

We spoke to Tiffany Nicholson of St. Albans a fan Trammell, “I’m so excited because I’m a big fan of the book an also of the television show, so I’m very excited to meet him an especially since he’s from our area.”

After leaving the Culture Center, Trammell will rapped up his tour with an “Inside the Actors’ Studio” style interview at the Kanawha Player’s Theater.

watch

Win a Spooky Trick ‘r Treat, er… Treat


Film School rejects has a great contest - remember Andy really liked this graphic novel !

Two (2) lucky readers will each receive a copy of Trick ‘r Treat on Blu-ray AND a hardcover copy of “Trick ‘r Treat: Tales of Mayhem, Mystery, and Mischief.” (Click here for more info about this very cool book.) As this is my first contest for FSR I thought long and hard about how I would determine the winners. What types of questions would I ask? What kind of self-portrait photos would I request? Then I realized that even if I didn’t get arrested for encouraging illegal picture submissions I’d still end up having to actually judge all of the entries.

So let’s do this instead… All you have to do to enter is be one of our Twitter followers and re-tweet this article. Go to Twitter and follow @Rejectnation and stay in the loop on all things FSR. Here’s a quick 1-2-3 guide to entering:

  1. If you don’t already have one, go to twitter.com and sign up for a free account.
  2. Go to twitter.com/rejectnation and follow Film School Rejects.
  3. Re-tweet the following twitter update by posting this to your Twitter stream: RT @rejectnation: Win a Spooky Trick ‘r Treat, er… Treat – http://tr.im/DErS (RT to enter)

Winners will be chosen at random on November 5, 2009. You must be 18 to enter and you must reside in the U.S. or Canada.

Please Don't Kill Bill, Charlaine!

Well, here the rumor pops up again, this time from Alan Ball's comment at the Paley event the other night ( I took this photo in Houston last January at a Charlaine event)

He said something like " I know in the book world that Charlaine had to be talked out of killing Bill in the last book but I’m saying in our world Sookie and Bill have a connection that will not die"
in response to a question.

Charlaine responds on her message boards:

duckpond100 2009-10-29 18:31

I understand that Alan was commenting on the differences between the future of the series and the plot of the books at Paleyfest, and remarked that I’d been “talked out of” killing Bill. That’s leaving an inaccurate impression with many readers, my moderators have told me.

Unfortunately, in a conversation with Alan some months ago I did tell him that when I was finishing DEAD AND GONE I did consider the possibility that Bill might die in the fairy assault on the field hospital. I did not realize that Alan might remember and repeat my words. During the course of the Sookie series, I’ve considered killing off several characters who haven’t bitten the dust yet and may never. That’s one of the choices a fiction writer considers with every book. And you’ll notice that in the end, I decided that Bill had more story to tell.

So please don’t give Alan’s words any more weight than they’re due, or blow them out of proportion. It never occurred to me that he might repeat a casual remark of mine about a possibility that never came to pass.

Charlaine Harris

True Blood Music Video of the Day: Halloween Video: Happy Halloween

True Blood Halloween video: Happy Halloween


Thanks, yokosen

Friday, October 30, 2009

A Writer goes on a journey: Charlaine Harris

from Writer goes on a journey

Background

Charlaine Harris looks like a very sweet mother figure, with three teenagers, three dogs and a duck. It’s probably cliché to say this, but she doesn’t look like the sort of person who would dream up the darkly handsome Bill, or frighteningly fine Eric. Vampires, werewolves, shifters and a whole bunch more, Charlaine Harris is the pinnacle of the sub-genre that has so captured the reading world. It’s not just romance and sex Mills and Boon style; Harris ultimately is a mystery writer.

She has written over 30 novels and numerous short stories since 1990. Her most famous series is that of the Southern Vampire Mysteries, also known as the Sookie Stackhouse novels (2001). It was barely a few years before Alan Ball, executive producer of Six Feet Under, brought Harris’ popular book onto television with the series True Blood. Gathering brilliant talent such as from England, Sweden, Australia as well as the US, the series has received critical acclaim and attracted many awards.

Charlaine is working on the 10th Sookie novel, Dead in the Family, and also on a new series she started in 2005, Harper Connelly.

Q&A

  • Where were you when you thought of Sookie and her story?trueblood2

Sitting in my office, which is a separate building attached to my house.

  • Do you find the characters sometimes take control of the story and take you to places you didn't expect? (What was the most surprising moment when a character did this, what moment did you not expect?)

The writer should always be in control. Those sudden moments when everything falls into place are the best reasons to be a writer. Of course it’s not the characters taking control; it’s another part of your brain, a part that knows the characters so well it’s suggested a plot twist.

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True Blood Dallas Halloween Treats from readers

Thanks to everyone who sent their Halloween recipes , photos etc

Ash on her very nice foodie blog [butterflyfoodie.blogspot.com] says 'Here's some spooky treats I just posted to my blog!'


creepy black ball cupcakes and vampire bitten cupcakes

The lovely Rita sent some photos of her den decorations ( left)
and the wonderful Lady Jane shares her Pumpkin Roll recipes.
Get busy!

*Remember my email was down and maybe missed some emails-if you sent me something and don't see it send it again, please!





Pumpkin Roll

Dark Shadows at Twilight: A Paley Center Vampire Weekend

Super vampire fun! Wonder why they didn't do this closer to All Hallow's Eve? The New York branch of the Paley Center just announced a vampire themed event the weekend of November 13th, with screenings of several past PALEYFEST events—with reunions of the casts and creative teams of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, True Blood, and Dark Shadows, and more. Didn't know they did an Angel Paley event in 2001! There will also be a live panel with a bunch of bloggers and editors. Also:

"The Paley Center for Media has partnered with Entertainment Weekly to explore what’s going on. EW’s Ken Tucker will moderate a panel of informed fans to debate the relative merits of vampires across media, with special attention to the rankings of the Paley Center's TV Vampire Poll (vote through November 2). A display of EW’s coverage of the undead phenomenon will be on view in the Spielberg Gallery through November 15."

note: love the comparison of Angel/Spike to Bill Compton/Eric Northman in that poll.

Click below for the deets:
http://paleycenter.org/dark-shadows-at-twilight-a-paley-center-vampire-weekend

Twilight-themed restaurant planned for Wash. town

Won't be long until we see a Merlotte's in Shreveport, huh ?

FORKS, Wash. — A new restaurant set to open next year in Washington state will be called Volterra after a city in the popular Twilight vampire novels, which are set in the town of Forks.

Owners Annette and Tim Root told The Peninsula Daily News it will be a family restaurant, and they have applied for a liquor license.

Forks already has the Twilight Lounge that features concerts and other events for fans.

The Twilight books and movies have brought vampire tourism to the remote former logging town on Washington's Olympic Peninsula.

The Chamber of Commerce says thousands of visitors come asking questions, such as whether it's safe to go camping with the vampire problems in the area.

Information from: Peninsula Daily News, http://www.peninsuladailynews.com

True Blood and Vampire Wines for Halloween

Another proof that Halloween is influencing the market at all levels is the wine business. Really, one key difference between the wineries in the United States and the wine makers in Europe is that the American wine makers explore other avenues than the wine connoisseur language. Let’s face it, when I host a party I am looking for a wine in the $13 to $20 price range to serve my guests. I go for a crowd pleasing wine in red and in white.

Going back to Halloween, vampires are in. There are many TV series and movies on vampires. In fact, we almost selected True Blood as the theme for my husband birthday party (more on that, later). It is sad that at the time, I did not know that I could have ordered a True Blood wine from Vampire Vineyards. Although $30 is too much to serve at a 35-guest party, I might have bought 2 or 3 bottles as a display.

Vampire Vineyards produces several wines with names that scream Halloween. You can choose between Vampire, Chateau du Vampire (Vampire Castle) and Dracula. The advantages with these is that you do not have to made your own wine label. Hopefully for us, that line ranges from $9.99 to $19.99.

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'True Blood' actor ( Sam Trammel) happy to help hometown

From Charleston Daily Mail

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- For actor and Charleston native Sam Trammell, West Virginia's shifting seasons have a certain familiar charm.

"I love coming back. It's just so pretty, especially this time of year with the leaves changing. It's stunningly beautiful," he said.

Transformation is a concept Trammell is quite comfortable with. He currently plays shape-shifting bartender Sam Merlotte on the fantastical HBO series "True Blood," based on the novels by Charlaine Harris. Merlotte can shift into different animals - most often a border collie - and then revert to his human shape.

It's this theme of metamorphosis that brought Trammel back to the Mountain State this week. The actor, who spent the majority of his childhood in Charleston and now lives in Los Angeles, is headlining "HallowEast," a four-day fundraising effort organized by the East End Main Street program. The event is designed to promote growth and sustainability in that historic area of the capital city.

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Anna Paquin interview

True Blood : Inside the Writer's Studio photos



Here are some great shots from the event at WireImage

SEE more here

True Blood Music Video of the Day : Wrong by Depeche Mode



Wrong by Depeche Mode LYRICS

Thanks, sabaceanbabe

Thursday, October 29, 2009

‘Vampire’ Law Prof Takes Academic Look at Zombie Litigation

From the American Bar Association Journal ( not kidding)

Just in time for Halloween, a Canadian law professor has put together a round-up of vampire and zombie references in legal jurisprudence.

There have been more than 200 such mentions during the past 50 years, with the vast majority in the United States rather than her own country, found Sharon Sutherland of the University of British Columbia. A teacher of theater as well as law classes, she has long been interested in the fictional world of the undead as portrayed in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and other popular television programs, according to the Ubyssey.

Sometimes judges use silly vampire references to make clear to everyone that they're not taking a frivolous case seriously, Sutherland tells UBC Reports.

"But they’re also clearly drawing on things their audience is going to understand and connect with, which is why we found a lot of references in case law that track popular culture," Sutherland continues. "Zombies are in, so it would be very surprising if judges didn’t make some kinds of references to them. It communicates well and it’s definitely a dramatic metaphor that captures people’s attention."

Her latest article, Corporate Zombies and the Perils of ‘Zombie Litigation,’ has been submitted for publication, the UBC article notes. It is co-authored by Sarah Swan, a fellow UBC law graduate.

http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/2009/10/01/more-than-just-bloodsucking-lawyers/

Anna Paquin's 'weird' vampire show nudity

From NZ Herald

Former child actress Anna Paquin admits it is "weird for people" seeing her naked as an adult in True Blood.

The former child actress - who won an Oscar aged 11 for her part in The Piano – doesn't mind baring all for scenes in her steamy US drama series True Blood but understands it is difficult for people to stop thinking of her as a "sweet" young star.

She said: "It's been a gradual evolution for me. It's probably weird for people to watch it and if they have this image of me as a sweet little child, but it's not weird for me.

"My wardrobe is awesome. I'm practically naked the entire time - what's not to love?"

New Zealand-born Anna – who is dating her co-star, Stephen Moyer, who plays vampire Bill Compton in the show – also explained that casting good-looking actors in the show was essential to explain the allure which vampires have.

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'Being Human' Vampire Series Coming To U.S.

YIPPEEE! From MTV
Following the success of series like 'The Vampire Diaries' and 'True Blood,' Syfy network to air American version of BBC TV series in 2010.You could be excused for thinking there wasn't possibly room in the pop culture ether for another vampire, what with the blood-loving folks from "Twilight," "True Blood," "The Vampire Diaries," "The Vampire's Assistant" and others jostling for space.

Well, Britain made an early-ish entry in the genre in February 2008 with "Being Human," a TV show about a vampire and his supernatural pals struggling to fit into society, and now the United States — vampire saturation be damned — is getting its own version of the show.

The Syfy television network plans to bring 13 episodes of the show to the small screen in the summer or fall of next year, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "Being Human" follows the aforementioned vampire, along with a ghost and a werewolf — all in their 20s — as they live together and attempt to conceal their true identities.

True Blood: "Bill and Sookie Have a Connection That Will Never Die"

From TV Guide

Temps is going to be very crowded for True Blood's third season, what with all the new vampires walking around. Executive producer Alan Ball, and several of True Blood's writers and producers, sat down with fans of the show Wednesday at the Paley Center for Media to discuss the new residents of Bon Temps, Bill and Sookie's future and a naked Alexander Skårsgard.

Watch full episodes of True Blood in our Online Video Guide

So where does the action pick up at the beginning of Season 3? "I believe [Eric] appears without most of his clothes in the very first episode," jokes Ball. (But seriously, he says, fans of Eric's amnesia story line from the books will have to wait until Season 4.)

"Sookie [Anna Paquin] is going to go off in search of Bill [Stephen Moyer], and she will find him," Ball tells TVGuide.com. But Sookie is in search of much more than just Bill. "There will be more conjecture about what she is and she will be more driven to discover what she is," said Ball. "She will get closer to the answer."

Will her brother Jason (Ryan Kwanten) help her? Not likely, as Ball explains that he doesn't share his sister's magical gifts. "It's a DNA thing, it's a genetic thing and skips some people and gets in some others," he says. "Jason has vestiges of it, in that he's such a fantastic athlete and he's a perfect shot, but he's still human, whereas Sookie is definitely a half-human, half-something else that we're waiting to reveal."

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TV Throwdown: True Blood Vs. The Vampire Diaries

From Film.com

Which vampire show do we love to feast upon?

Ten years ago, when a kid dressed up as a vampire for Halloween, you could safely assume he or she might be posing as Dracula.

But today, there's no telling which blood-sucker might show up on doorsteps and at costume parties. Thanks to a host of television shows, books and movies, vampires are enjoying some time in the spotlight -- and not just on Oct. 31.

The latest vamps to join the TV viewer bloodlust are Stefan and Damon Salvatore, of The Vampire Diaries.

So how do the newest small screen vampires stack up to their predecessors on True Blood? We pitted them against each other in a TV Throwdown:

MAIN VAMPS
As vampires go, Bill Compton and Stefan Salvatore are both the "nice guys" of their species. TB's Bill is a gentleman, retaining his chivalrous nature from his human life nearly 200 years prior. For his love, Sookie, Bill opens car doors, plans romantic dinners and refuses to stray, even when women throw themselves at him.
Stefan has been trapped in a teenage body for nearly 150 years. And he's willing to go to the mat for his main squeeze, Elena, even if that means trying to kill his evil vampire brother, Damon. But Stefan also has a complex history/love triangle an ex-girlfriend and his brother, and it appears another one is forming. With sibling rivalry in the mix, Stefan has a more complex history and situation than Bill.
True Blood: 0
The Vampire Diaries: 1

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True Blood Making of and Featurette by DIGITALKITCHEN

True Blood Making of and Featurette from DIGITALKITCHEN on Vimeo.

'True Blood' Season 3 Teases: Alexander Skarsgard (Almost) Naked, Godric Returns, No Snoop Dogg

from MTV

Sookie Stackhouse's telepathic abilities sure would come in handy to discern the fate of Bon Temps' residents in the third season of "True Blood." Unfortunately for us, mind reading isn't our forte, but we've got the next best thing. The people who pen the titillating series (creator Alan Ball, Elizabeth Finch, Kate Barnow, Brian Buckner, Nancy Oliver, Alexander Woo and Raelle Tucker) converged last night at a Paley Media Center panel in Beverly Hills and gladly spilled more than a few spoilers. We've combed through the scene reports to bring you the three juiciest, sexiest and tantalizing morsels, which we share below. (For more news from the event, check out "True Blood"'s official Twitter feed (@TrueBloodHBO) .

1. Alexander Skarsgård sans clothes

From the mouth of he who brings glorious visions to thine eyes (a.k.a Alan Ball): "Alexander Skarsgård appears without most of his clothes in the very first episode of season 3." There's really no further explanation needed here, right? I mean, whether it's strip Yahtzee or a half-naked highlight touch-up, I'm all eyes.

2. Godric returns

Just to clarify, the ancient undead doesn't become, well, undead. He'll return in a series of flashbacks, which we assume will most likely involve A. Skars. After Allan Hyde's exquisite, heart-wrenching turn as Eric's forlorn maker, I'm betting many a "True Blood" fan is eager to see the gracious actor on the series once again.

3. Snoop Dogg will not be in the third season

After name-checking "True Blood" in his song "Gangsta Luv," rapper Snoop Dogg admitted to MTV News that he'd like a part on the vampire series. "I love that show," he said. "I wish I could be on it. I'd be a hell of a vampire, don't you think? So what's happenin'? 'True Blood,' get at me — Snoop Dogg wants to be a vampire." But it looks like the only canines visiting Bon Temps next season will be the werewolves, according to Digital Spy. "Any time you bring in celebrities, like 'Hey! Look! It's Snoop Dog!', I feel like it's going to take us out of the story and it becomes something else so my guess is [it's] not going to happen," Alan Ball said.

Futon Critic has great run down of the discussion

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/rant.aspx?id=20091028_trueblood

T4: True Blood Coffin Chat with Stephen Moyer

How vampires rose from myth to modern obsession


From USA Today

Compared with the neck-biting ecstacies of Twilight and True Blood, the vampires of Hollywood's past are downright chaste. Not a drop of blood was shown in the original Dracula of 1931, and it wasn't until the Hammer studio films of the 1950s that the screen flowed crimson.

Now two of horror's top film historians take a look at the cinematic roots of the vampire phenomenom.

In Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff: The Expanded Story of a Haunting Collaboration (McFarland, 688 pp., $75, Nov. 9), a revision of a 1990 title, author Gregory William Mank explodes many of the myths about the Hungarian-born Lugosi, the screen's first Dracula.

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True Blood's Jason bares all to OK!


From OK magazine

OK! sinks its teeth into the former Home And Away hotty, who's got the ladies drooling - despite likening getting married to buying a sandwich!

It’s the vampire show with extra sexy bite and he’s the show hunk who’s sent drooling fans batty with lust.

Since getting his shirt off as lifeguard Vinnie Patterson in Home And Away, Ryan Kwanten has emerged to flex even more muscle as Jason Stackhouse in True Blood.

Fans of the blood-sucking Channel 4 series will be more than familiar with the sexy Louisiana slur and the buff body of sex-crazed Jason, who spends his time getting into trouble – mostly stark naked – and defending his vampire-dating telepathic sister Sookie (Anna Paquin) in darkest Mississippi.

Having moved to the States six years ago, Aussie Ryan has landed roles in Law And Order: Special Victims Unit and alongside Mischa Barton in the movie Don’t Fade Away.

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True Blood Season 3 Episode 1: 'Pack of Wolves ' Casting call and more from Spoiler TV

TRUE BLOOD, Episode 301 "Pack of Wolves"

TOMMY MICKENS: 18 to 25 years old, dirty but good-looking, with a scar on his face from ear to cheek, he is Sam's (Sam Trammell) long lost younger brother who works at a Tire Depot in Arkansas. Tommy's family has a bad reputation for skipping out on their rent and owing money all over town. When Sam approaches him, Tommy hides his identity and claims to be someone else. He's unaware who Sam is. BACKSIDE NUDITY...SERIES REGULAR

  • Backside nudity, eh? That's not a big surprise considering the amazing plenty of risqée nudity Alan Ball has exposed us to in seasons one and two! More shapeshifter man butt! This part will surely reveal even more of Sam's past and personality. Perhaps Sookie book fans will be upset that Alan Ball deviates from the book plot even more here, as Sam does not have a brother in the books.

TALBOT: Male, 20s - 30s. This "intensely beautiful" male vampire has the buff good looks of an underwear model and an acerbic and sarcastic manner. Full of dishy sarcasm and cheerful prattle, he shows Bill around a magnificent mansion where Bill has been "invited" to stay for a spell...STRONG RECURRING

  • An intensely beautiful vampire? Wow who would've thought of that - big surprise there! The "magnificent mansion" reference may perhaps reveal where Bill has been taken after his abrupt kidnapping in the second season finale. Team Bill members may breathe a sigh of relief to know their favorite southern vampire is alive, but his fate is still unknown!

JESUS VELASQUEZ: An attractive Latino orderly in his 20s to 30s. We come to learn he is a gay, Latino, attractive orderly! He's feeding Ruby Jean at her care facility. As good-natured as he is handsome, he takes his demented patient's racist gibes in stride...VERY STRONG RECURRING POSSIBLE OPTION FOR SERIES REGULAR NEXT SEASON

  • Sookie book fans - any idea as to which book character (if any) this show character is based off of?

FRANKLIN MOTT: Male, 25-mid 40's and sexy, sexy, sexy. This tall, dark and handsome vampire seems to have an immediate and torrid connection to Tara, whom he meets in the local bar. He later rushes to Tara's aid when she faces down a couple of racist rednecks...VERY STRONG RECURRING

  • This character is directly based off of a Sookie book character we first met in Club Dead, the third book in the series. In the book Mott is a vampire and Tara's boyfriend of sorts. He is portrayed as having gray hair and a mustache. Sookie believes him to be an older man in his fifties or early sixties when he turned a vampire. She describes him as being “vigorous and very masculine” and having an Italian accent.

COOTER AKA "COOT": In his 30s, menacing, the ringleader of the F*ck You Crew, he and his biker thugs take turns stabbing Bill and feeding on him. Coot hates being told what to do...VERY STRONG RECURRING

  • Oh no! Bill is alive but certainly not well! However will he get out of this horrible mess? Will Sookie save Bill? Will Bill get out alive? More importantly - what will his hair look like in season 3??

JEN AND MISSY: These impressive young women in their early 20s, recent NYU grads who are both studying to become vets, wind up spending the night with Jason (Ryan Kwanten). Despite their attempts to get him in the mood, including making out with each other and agreeing to a threesome, they grow irritated by Jason's lack of enthusiasm, and then downright disturbed by his admission that when he looks at them, he sees bullet holes in their heads...GUEST STAR ROLES. Above the waist nudity required.

  • Ut oh - is Jason PTSDing all over Lafayette's clam chowder? Holy smokes!

YVETTA: Female, 20's, gorgeously hot Eastern European is Eric's (Alex Skaarsgard) new dancer at Fangtasia. She speaks Czechoslovakian with subtitles and knows how to work a stripper pole. She and Eric have a sexual relationship...2 lines, 3 scenes /POSSIBLE RECUR Actress must be able to dance and be comfortable with nudity.

  • Love scenes with Eric? I'm sure that right at this very moment plenty of actresses in Los Angeles are studying Czechoslovakian and figuring out how to work a stripper pole.

REVEREND DANIELS: Male, African American. The pastor at Lettie Mae's church, he tries to offer comfort to Tara, and suggests that all her hardships are part of God's plan to bring her back to her mother. He's a bit uncomfortable when Lettie Mae's hug goes on too long...GUEST STAR

  • Lettie Mae's hug going on too long? Perhaps what Lettie Mae said in season one episode seven still stands: "There may be snow on the mountaintop, but there's fire in the valley!"

OLIVIA This elderly woman in her 80s, who moves with the aid of a walker and also uses an oxygen tank, lives in a house in the middle of nowhere. She mistakes Bill for her son...GUEST STAR

  • Who could this be? The only elderly person from the Sookie books with a known relation to Bill was Caroline Bellefleur (Andy and Portia's grandmother). This doesn't sound like it could be Caroline.
http://www.spoilertv.com/2009/10/exclusive-true-blood-episode-301-pack.html

Charlaine Harris and coffee with a canine

From Coffee with a canine blog!

Who is in the photo at right?

I’m Charlaine Harris, writer, and my dogs are Oscar, an aged male dachshund, Rocky, a male boxer-spaniel crossbreed, and Scrunch, female, a sort of terrier. Of course, all our dogs are neutered.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Every day is Take Your Dog to W ork Day at my house. They’re my constant companions in my office, and the dogs and a cup of coffee are the way I start my day.

What's brewing?

Folgers Dark.

Any goodies to go with the coffee?

Not this morning.

read on

True Blood Music Video of the Day: True Blood Funny Motivational Posters


True Blood Funny Motivational Posters


Thanks wrekincollegeL6

OK, Dallas is back- Baby!

OK almost 24 hours without internet! We are back up!

Loving True Blood in Dallas with no Internet Sorry!!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Halloween decorations, costumes or recipe ideas ?


If you do some great Halloween decorating, costumes or plan on making a favorite Halloween inspired recipe.

PLEASE share them with me and I'll post this weekend!

Thanks, truebloodindallas@gmail.com

Scream Awards video clips

In case you missed the awards last night ( Dallas enjoyed them !) as Alan Ball said it's the most effed up awards show -in a good way!

Thanks to TheLou for this compilation of TB wins!




Worlds Collide at Scream 2009


Stephen Moyer Best Horror Actor

What Kind of Monster Kidnapped Bill Compton on True Blood?

From EOline

True Blood is back! Er, wait, that's not right.

OK, let's try this again: In just nine or 10 short months, True Blood returns to HBO for season three, but to tide us over during the looong wait, we've got our hands on a leaked casting call that offers a sneak peek of things to come. (Preproduction is already underway on the new episodes and filming is set to begin in early December.)

Where's Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) been taken? Are there any familiar faces from the books in episode one of season three? And who's the new girl banging Eric (Alexander Skarsgård)? Here's what we can tell you...

Shape-shifters and strippers and rednecks, oh my! The next season of True Blood has a veritable menagerie of supernatural Southern weirdness in store for us!

Vampires: Sookie's (Anna Paquin) fiancé-to-be Bill was kidnapped in the season-two finale, and when we pick up season three, we'll find him in the company of a courtly vampire named Talbot (as well as a quaint old Southern lady named Olivia). Talbot, by the way, is dating the vampire king of Mississippi. Ruh-roh! Other new vampires will include a looker named Franklin Mott, who takes a liking to Tara (Rutina Wesley).

read on

True Blood Hounds

what a fun idea

WHEN: Thursday, October 29, 2009

WHO: BOW WOW BEVERLY HILLS

WHAT: With the public’s current fascination for all things vampire and spooky, the 4th Annual “Bow Wow Beverly Hills” dog adoption event pays homage to the hit HBO series, “True Blood”, and in the spirit of Halloween, is titled “True Blood Hounds”. The fete benefits The Amanda Foundation animal rescue and kicks off three days of dog adoptions in some of the most chic establishments on Rodeo Drive and throughout Beverly Hills.

Food and Refreshments will be provided. Cast members of HBO’s True Blood, including Nelsan Ellis, Rutina Wesley, Kristen Bauer, Michelle Forbes, and Ashley Jones will host an exclusive, invite-only VIP reception starting at 6:30 pm at Tiffany & Co. The cast will then serve as celebrity judges of the doggie costume contest at Halloween Howl, which follows on The Via at Two Rodeo from 7:30 to 10:30 pm.

WHERE: Via Rodeo at 2 Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, CA

HOW: $200 gets you access to the VIP Champagne reception at Tiffany & Co., and Halloween Howl, or $75 is the cost of general admission to Halloween Howl.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.AmandaFoundation.org

http://www.hauteliving.com/blog/los-angeles-calendar-listing-true-blood-hounds/

Writer Charlaine Harris is a lady with a vamp

From NOLA.com

Charlaine Harris once referred to herself as the "anti-Anne Rice, " and she meant that in a good way, in the most complimentary sense.

"A Touch of Dead: Sookie Stackhouse: The Complete Stories" by Charlaine Harris. "Since Anne has so ably done the dramatic and picturesque, " Harris said, "I chose the mall and the shallowness. I went for horror and humor. She picked the southern, really dramatic part of the state, and I settled for the northern part."

Seems fair. Particularly when Harris comes up with such howlers as "What happens in Shreveport, stays in Shreveport, " a line from one of the stories in "A Touch of Dead: Sookie Stackhouse: The Complete Stories."

Here's how Sookie describes the geographic divide: "Northern Louisiana is pretty darn different form southern Louisiana in several fundamental ways: it's the Bible Belt without the pizzazz of New Orleans; it's the older sister who stayed home and tended the farm while the younger sister went out partying. But it shares other things with the southern part of the state, too: bad roads, corrupt politics, and a lot of people, both black and white, who live right on the poverty line."

read on


****

______________________

Author! Author!

Charlaine Harris appears Thursday at 8 p.m. at Montrel's Bistro, 1000 Decatur St., at the fourth annual wine-tasting sponsored by Anne Rice's Vampire Lestat Fan Club. Tickets are $35 for members, $45 for nonmembers. She also appears Friday at 9 p.m. at the Tru Blood and Gold Ball at Republic New Orleans; tickets are $20 for members, $30 for nonmembers. Harris makes a special Halloween appearance signing her new books, "A Touch of Dead" (Ace Books, $23.95), as well as "Grave Secret" (Berkley Prime Crime, $24.95) Saturday, 1-3 p.m., at Garden District Book Shop, 2727 Prytania at the Rink. (harris will only sign two books at a time per person.)

Željko Ivanek-True Blood

True Blood

When dishy vampire Bill Compton kills a fellow bloodsucker to save his beloved human waitress Sookie Stackhouse, the undead community is less than pleased. Bill is forced to show up at a 'vampire court', where Ivanek pops up as 'The Magister' - an austere judge who decides that Bill's punishment should entail him becoming 'a maker'. Slumped back into his chair soullessly cajoling Bill, The Magister makes him sink his fangs into the neck of an innocent young lass called Jessica.

other favorite roles

A bit of vampire history for your Halloween bash Vampire lore, food perfect for Halloween

From Baltimore Sun

Pssst, you with the soggy cornflakes floating around your bowl. You might wanna put your spoon down.

WARNING: This is gonna get gross.

The subject here is vampires. Sorry, but it's that time of year. And this year bloodsuckin' is ... well ... bloody, bloody hot.

You might say it's splattered everywhere: Flip the TV channels, there it is dripping from "True Blood," the all-the-rage HBO series. "The Vampire Diaries" suck away on the CW network. Over at the book stalls, you've got "Twilight," "Twilight" and more "Twilight," the Stephenie Meyer series that can't be stanched. And just out: "Incarnadine: The True Memoirs of Count Dracula," a novel by D.H. Greene.

Be still thy bleeding hearts.

Seems like prime time for a Hallowed Eve's bash that's drip-drop-drippin' with the gory, the gross, the all-in-bloody-good-fun. Not even the Count himself would have counted on so many -- young and old -- being so bitten by this O-positive plunge.

read on- yummy recipe!

10 Vampire Vacations

From Forbes Travel

We vant to suck your blood

Even before Bela Lugosi muttered those infamous words ''I never drink wine'' in his 1920s stage and film versions of Bram Stoker's Dracula, vampires have been ingrained in our culture. Never more than now. Writers Anne Rice and Stephen King helped keep vampires alive and recent television shows, movies, and books like True Blood and Twilight have introduced vampires to a whole new generation

read on

Charlaine Harris: What story scares the hell out of you?


From Washington Post

Charlaine Harris: This is an easy one for me: "The Haunting of Hill House," by Shirley Jackson. No matter how many times I read it, I get goose bumps. Do not read this book if you're alone in the house.


read on to read what other authors answered here

True Blood Music Video of the Day : Timebomb by Beck



Timebomb by Beck
Thanks, smvgrey74

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Season 3 : Extremely juicy 'True Blood' spoilers

From EW

For a backwater burg with only a single watering hole, Bon Temps sure does have a lot of colorful characters passing in and out (well, those that end up making it out). Case in point: Check out the motley crew Alan Ball and Co. are introducing in season 3 (premiering next summer). While Ball teased some of these arrivals in my recent Q&A, there’s nothing like sinking your teeth into the actual casting notices.

* Tommy Mickens is a grungy but handsome man in his early ‘20s who just so happens to be Sam Merlotte’s long-lost younger brother. Apparently, at some point he’ll be showing his unadorned backside, which, with Sam’s similar feral tendency towards the “full moon,” proves that they really must be related after all.

*After his mysterious abduction, Bill finds himself with the latest addition to the True Blood Gallery of Impossibly Attractive Male Vampires (or the TBGIAMV). Talbot, a bitingly (har har) sarcastic vampire with a model’s looks, will appear starting in the second episode as a guide of sorts for the kidnapped vamp.

* More news on the PYT front is the appearance of Jesus Velasquez, an unordinary orderly with a heart to match his good looks.

* In a friendly bit of one-upmanship, Tara gets her very own over-protective vampire buddy. And a “sexy, sexy, sexy, sexy” one at that. That’s right, four sexys. Eat that, Sookie. The neckbiter, Franklin Mott, is also clearly in the running for TBGIAMV status.

* We’ve had vampires, shape-shifters, and demi-gods, and now the next supernatural spook to waltz through Louisiana is…rednecks?! Well, maybe they aren’t so unearthly, but they can sure pack a punch and we can expect a group of them, led by a guy named Coot (of course), to unleash their mobile home magic on some of our dear characters.

* Jason Stackhouse will find that his notoriously limitless libido has taken a hit, when two NYU girls, Jen and Missy, ménage à try to get him into the sack to little avail.

* Yvetta, Fangtasia’s new Czechoslovakian dancer, is tremendously hot and comfortable being in the buff. Oh, and she makes lots of sexy time with Eric. (Don’t shoot the messenger!)

* Tara’s ever-distraught mom turns to the church for comfort (and maybe a little more) in the form of the honorable Reverend Daniels.

read on


Movie Line lays it out nicely here and uses this photo *Dallas clutches her pearls*

Acolytes of the Church of True Blood are likely finding their Sunday evenings a little bit lonelier ever since Bill, Sookie, Eric and the other flush horndogs of Bon Temps sealed their crypts for the season. But if you just can’t wait until next summer for a fresh round of bloodsucking and fangbanging to begin, perhaps your hunger can be satisfied with this list of casting notices for Season 3, leaked by SpoilerTV.com. But can they outdo the bathtime hand jobs and lesbian crotch-lunching that made Season 2 such a dependably erotic treat? We believe they can!

That’s because virtually ever character description fumbles for the words to accurately relay just how bodice-rippingly, fang-baringly, pole-dancingly smokin’ they want these new additions to be.

Here they are — we’ve bolded the bits (“sexy, sexy, sexy, sexy,” “impressive,” “gorgeously hot,” “moves with the aid of a walker,” etc…) that got us particularly hot under the lace collar.

[TOMMY MICKENS] 18 to 25 years old, dirty but good-looking, with a scar on his face from ear to cheek, he is Sam’s (Sam Trammell) long lost younger brother who works at a Tire Depot in Arkansas. Tommy’s family has a bad reputation for skipping out on their rent and owing money all over town. When Sam approaches him, Tommy hides his identity and claims to be someone else. He’s unaware who Sam is. BACKSIDE NUDITY…SERIES REGULAR (31)

[TALBOT] Male, 20s - 30s. This “intensely beautiful” male vampire has the buff good looks of an underwear model and an acerbic and sarcastic manner. Full of dishy sarcasm and cheerful prattle, he shows Bill around a magnificent mansion where Bill has been “invited” to stay for a spell…STRONG RECURRING (11) THIS ROLE FIRST APPEARS IN EPISODE 302

[JESUS VELASQUEZ] An attractive Latino orderly in his 20s to 30s. We come to learn he is a gay, Latino, attractive orderly! He’s feeding Ruby Jean at her care facility. As good-natured as he is handsome, he takes his demented patient’s racist gibes in stride.sptv050769..VERY STRONG RECURRING POSSIBLE OPTION FOR SERIES REGULAR NEXT SEASON (27) THIS ROLE FIRST APPEARS IN EPISODE 302

[FRANKLIN MOTT] Male, 25-mid 40’s and sexy, sexy, sexy, sexy. This tall, dark and handsome vampire seems to have an immediate and torrid connection to Tara, whom he meets in the local bar. He later rushes to Tara’s aid when she faces down a couple of racist rednecks…VERY STRONG RECURRING (49) THIS ROLE FIRST APPEARS IN EPISODE 302

[COOTER AKA “COOT”] In his 30s, menacing, the ringleaders of the F*ck You Crew, he and his biker thugs take turns stabbing Bill and feeding on him. Coot hates being told what to do…VERY STRONG RECURRING (3)

[JEN AND MISSY] These impressive young women in their early 20s, recent NYU grads who are both studying to become vets, wind up spending the night with Jason (Ryan Kwanten). Despite their attempts to get him in the mood, including making out with each other and agreeing to a threesome, they grow irritated by Jason’s lack of enthusiasm, and then downright disturbed by his admission that when he looks at them, he sees bullet holes in their heads…GUEST STAR ROLES. Above the waist nudity required. (38)

[YVETTA] Female, 20’s, gorgeously hot Eastern European is Eric’s (Alex Skaarsgard) new dancer at Fangtasia. She speaks Czechoslovakian with subtitles and knows how to work a stripper pole. She and Eric have a sexual relationship…2 lines, 3 scenes / POSSIBLE RECUR (36) Actress must be able to dance and be comfortable with nudity.

[REVEREND DANIELS] Male, African American. The pastor at Lettie Mae’s church, he tries to offer comfort to Tara, and suggests that all her hardships are part of God’s plan to bring her back to her mother. He’s a bit uncomfortable when Lettie Mae’s hug goes on too long…GUEST STAR (32)

[OLIVIA] This elderly woman in her 80s, who moves with the aid of a walker and also uses an oxygen tank, lives in a house in the middle of nowhere. She mistakes Bill for her son…GUEST STAR (48)

[LOUIE] A biker thug with Coot’s F*ck You Crew, he gets high on V blood…2 lines, 3 scenes 2 episodes. (3)

[BETTY] In her late 30s to early 40s, African American, she lives in a rundown street in Arkansas. She’s amazed that Sam is able to subdue her pit bull, and she tries to help him find someone he’s looking for…2 speeches & 8 lines, 1 scene (24)

[MARVIN] 40 years old, African American, he is Betty’s husband who comes to the door and grumbles about the Mickens. He “tsk-tsk”s when he finds out Sam’s related to them…1 speech & 3 lines, 1 scene (25)

[JIMMY] A greasy, amped up, speed demon biker thug, he enjoys stabbing Bill with a knife and feeding on V blood…1 line, 3 scenes (3)

[GUS] Another of Coot’s biker thugs, he gets crazy high on V blood…2 lines, 2 scenes (3)

http://www.movieline.com/2009/10/leaked-true-blood-casting-call-suggests-season-3-will-be-its-sexy-sexy-sexy-sexiest-ever.php

It's CampBlood's "House of Horrors" DIY Halloween Special!

From Brian and Andy at Camp Blood

I'm as pickled as a prom queen in pig's blood to unveil CampBlood.org's latest video series, just in time for Halloween:


CampBlood "House of Horrors"!

We've married our loves of horror, entertaining and home projects into what will undoubtedly be the most insane (and insanely informative!) lifestyle series ever. It's the show that puts the "die!" in DIY!

For the first episode we’ve recruited a few of our ridiculously talented friends to devise some quick and easy Halloween-themed projects to help you get ready for the big day in just a few hours and for under $20 a pop:

* Ladyfingers! Christian shares his recipe for deliciously demented pretzels that look like severed lady’s digits. But first he has to get his nails did!

* Ghoul Makeup 1-2-3! Makeup artist Sacred turns horror hunk Joe Zaso into a walking corpse in under 20 minutes with basic supplies you can get at any drugstore. If you’re looking for a fun, easy look for a ghoul’s night out, you can’t go wrong with this how-to.

* Mummy Trick-or-Treat Bag! Aaron shares this creepily clever crafting project, which turns a plain canvas bag into a wonderfully spooky mummy that's guaranteed to tip candy-bowls in any neighborhood!

PLUS! The first installment of Andy’s Unicorner, a regular feature where Andy shares his picks and tips in comics, games, sci-fi, fantasy, and whatever else he finds in his cage.

You can watch the first episode at the CampBlood.org Blog by clicking here (full link: http://campblood.org/Newblog/?p=1125&preview=true)

We hope that you enjoy, share with your friends/colleagues/readers, and return for future episodes! We'll be back to put the horror in your home all year round.


Best wishes (and Happy Halloween!),

Buzz and the Camp Staff

We're Here, We're Queer, and We're Going to Eat You.




Buy the comic that Andy recommends

VAMPIRE 101

From Jacksonville.com read on for a nice timeline

DEFINITION OF A VAMPIRE
A vampire is a reanimated, soulless, dead human who must drink the blood of others to remain “alive.”

VAMPIRES THEN AND NOW (DIFFERENCES)

Then: Vampires were things of fear and disgust. They could shape-shift to gain access to their prey. Sunlight was painful, debilitating and resulted in death if exposed long enough. Their goal was simply survival.

Now: Vampires possess unearthly physical beauty. Shape-shifting may be alluded to but isn’t common. Sunlight causes pain but can be endured as they now try to blend into human civilization.

VAMPIRES THEN AND NOW (SIMILARITIES)

Both possess more than human strength and speed and appear to have telepathic abilities. They, for all their strengths, remain vulnerable to humans.

read on

What kind of Halloween costumes really attract women?

Men's life come up with a vamp costume for the guys

Q: I've been invited to a Halloween costume party that will be babe central. I don't want to dress up as some lame monster -- I want to look cool. What kind of costumes really attract women?

A: It's always easy to look hot in a costume as long as you have the confidence to own the character you're projecting.

I've worked on films where the actors wore ridiculous outfits but buried themselves so deep into their role, they not only pulled it off, but looked sexy as hell doing it. Confidence is seductive, no matter how you dress it up. If you have a presence and you believe in yourself, it will be hot ... even if you're dressed as an Eskimo.

At the moment, nothing is hotter than the undead. From True Blood to Twilight, vampires are getting women's blood rushing all over the country -- and it can be a very cool look for a guy. It's just the right combination of scary and sexy. Just get a nice tailored pair of black pants -- leather would be especially scandalous. Put on a white button-front shirt of very sheer or luxurious cotton fabrics with collars, worn open and tucked into the pants. Add an interesting, exotic and expensive-looking necklace (from a thrift store) that looks real enough to be 50 Cent-worthy. Slick back your hair to look particularly refined, and add a cape or a long jacket to embellish the look of exotic opulence.

Now that you've gone all Stephen Moyer with your threads, it's time to add a dash of horror with a little makeup and some spooky accoutrements. Pick up a pair of fangs from any costume store. (Just make sure they're the kind that make you look edible to women and not like Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor.) Then buy a little fake blood from any costume store and drip it from the corners of your eyes or mouth to let people know you mean business. Put a little eyeliner around your eyes and some dark eye shadow below them, and you'll bore holes through all the beauties in the room. Then make your face pale with some light powder makeup, and you'll be the hottest dead dude at the party.

Congratulations! You're frighteningly irresistible! You won't need a stake to pierce anyone's heart; just make sure to get home before the sun comes up.

http://www.kivitv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11390261