Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Vampire romance (but not a lovelorn teen in sight)

ChristchurchCity Library in Christchurch, New Zealand has posted a nice review of the Sookie books - they seem to be very proud of their own little kiwi, Miss Anna.

You’d have to be living in a box (or a coffin?) not to realise that vampires are hot right now. First there was the release of the first Twilight film (based on the Stephenie Meyer book), and more recently HBO series True Blood has garnered ex-pat Anna Paquin a Golden Globe for best actress in a TV series.

The show is based on Charlaine Harris’s Southern vampire series of novels and is less well know than the phenomenally successful Twilight but is much more to my tastes, being a bit more “adult” in nature. The man responsible for bringing True Blood to the TV screen is Alan Ball (better known as the creative force behind another death fixated series, namely Six Feet Under) and in doing so he has provided all those things that HBO does so well, sex, violence, swearing, substance abuse, dark humour, oh, and did I mention sex?

I’ve been reading the books upon which the series is based and they are saucy, humorous, seductive and are a fast, well-paced read. No delusions of literary grandeur here just good, old-fashioned blood-sucking fun. The books revolve around the character of Louisiana native Sookie Stackhouse: waitress, telepath, and one half of a pretty sexy human/vampire couple. The other half is one Civil War-vintage Bill Compton, who I’m pretty sure could kick Edward Cullen’s sulky butt (if he felt so inclined). The novels all take place in a world where the invention of synthetic blood (by the Japanese, natch) means that vampires no longer need to hide, but can “come out of the coffin” mainstreaming into human society, voting, buying blood at bars, etc. Though of course there is still deep-seated prejudice and suspicion from much of the human populace and Sookie finds that having a “pale and interesting” boyfriend isn’t without its complications (and dangers).

Read On http://cclblog.wordpress.com/2009/01/28/vampire-romance-but-not-a-lovelorn-teen-in-sight/

True Blood Season 2 Possible Title Song: Ep. 4a "Let's Take a Trip Together "

THIS IS NO LONGER THE TITLE OF EP 4 -go here

Episode 2.01 - Nothing but the Blood
Episode 2.02 - Keep this Party Going
Episode 2.03 - Changed to Scratches from Scratch My Back

All we know about Season 2 spoilers/casting calls etc can be found here

We know the amazing Gary Calamar puts great effort into musically curating True Blood !

Episode 2.04 - Let's Take a Trip Together , by the band, Morphine on the album Cure for Pain.

Morphine was an alternative rock group formed by Mark Sandman and Dana Colley in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1989. The band ceased to be in 1999 after frontman Mark Sandman died of a heart attack.

Morphine combined blues and jazz elements with more traditional rock arrangements, giving the band a very unusual sound. Sandman's distinctive singing was described as a "deep, laid-back croon,"and his songwriting featured a prominent beat influence. Wikipedia

Cure For Pain was the second album released by Morphine, put out on the Rykodisc label in 1993. The tracks "Sheila" and "In Spite of Me" were prominently featured on the soundtrack of the 1994 independent film Spanking the Monkey. The video for "Thursday" also appeared on an episode of 'Beavis and Butt-head.'

Here is the band's MySpace and they include many audio and video clips to other songs but i dont see " Lets Take "

http://www.myspace.com/morphinejazz

Two of the member are now: http://www.twinemen.com/

Another member is : http://www.akacod.com/

If anyone know of a link to the song send it to me ! here is 30 seconds

Lyrics

Let's take a trip together
Headlong into the irresistible orbit
Breathing the cold black space
With the glistening edges
Let's take a trip me and you
Let's go the scenic route
Get to finally (x3)
Get to know each other
Just to be alone (x2)
Just to be alone with thee
Somewhere there's no distracting breeze of information
Leaking through the windows dripping from the trees
Somewhere there's no earthquakes
Of other people's anxious questions
No nervous wrecks going down (x2)
Let's take a trip together
Headlong into the irresistible orbit

Here is another song from the album




L.A. Rag Mag discovers the Sookie books

The enthusiasm caught me, but the photo made me laugh out loud. Now admit it, every single one of us looked like this during some part of reading 'Dead to the World' -hahahahahha


A: Wha-WHAT! I’m totally glamoured by Sookie Stackhouse’s latest mystery, Dead To The World (Book 4), but this time it doesn’t involve her vampire boyfriend Bill. Instead she finds Eric the vampire stud lost and confused on the side of the road. I just ran to Borders last night and have been working so I’m only on page 50 but it’s already sucking the life out of my VH1 watching. I read book 3, Club Dead, a while ago, because honestly the books are so good you can pick up any one and Charlaine Harris will fill you in.

http://laragmag.com/2009/01/27/rag-mag-readers-club-dead-to-the-world/

Killer Curves: Rutina Wesley

Wow, hotcha-cha-cha Tara !

Surrounded by frisky vampires on HBO’s True Blood, Rutina Wesley is no stranger to thirsty dudes who stay up all night. Meaning we’ll get along just fine

So you think you can dance? Try stomping it out with actress Rutina Wesley. Owning the screen as leading lady in this year’s critically acclaimed street-stepping film, How She Move, Wesley left competitors served with her combustible routines. But the slender starlet is quick to note that her lifelong passion isn’t her sole meal ticket. “I definitely don’t want to [get pigeonholed] as the dance-movie girl,” says the Tinseltown newbie. “I get bored.”

Switching lanes like a tardy soccer mom, the Las Vegas native has used the role as a major, uh, stepping stone, bagging her latest gig on HBO’s ultra-explicit vampire series, True Blood. Armed with a potty mouth and thick bayou accent, Wesley plays the hotheaded Tara, resisting her small town’s newly integrated, undead citizens. But before you think about sinking your own teeth into the dark-chocolate delight, peep the wedding ring and promptly lay off like Lehman Brothers. Yes, reality bites.

Your first KING shoot couldn’t have been scarier than the bloodsuckers on True Blood. What attracted you to the show?
It was definitely [director] Alan Ball [creator of HBO’s Six Feet Under]. You see his name and it perks your ears up. It wasn’t a hard transition, because the character that I play on True Blood is very close to me in real life. When I read that script, I knew that character fit me. I understand her.

Were you comfortable signing on for such a graphic series?
I did go into it a little nervous, but everyone is very open, because it’s not about me taking my clothes off; it’s about the story we’re trying to tell. I’m one of those actresses who believe there’s no need to be taking your clothes off unless it’s absolutely necessary. As a culture, we’ve stopped using our imagination. It’s like we’ve got to see everything.

Tell us about it. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this is not.
[The show’s] been tasteful. It is very sexual, and the times when it’s nasty, it needs to be because that’s a plot point. My favorite thing about the show is that anything can happen at any moment.

Even a sexy scene starring yourself?
[Laughs] I plead the Fifth! I don’t know. The readers will have to keep watching.

Fair enough. But some viewers are more focused on the seemingly stereotypical black characters. How is your part unlike Omarosa?
I’m trying to make sure I always play a human being with a range of emotions, not this screaming robot. It’s funny—there are people who think I’m hilarious on the show and people who are offended, both black and white. They’re like, “I don’t talk like that. She’s ghetto.” I love hearing the differences, because there are people exactly like Tara—don’t lie and tell me there aren’t.

You should meet some of our ex-girlfriends.
It’s good that [Tara] offends you. She’s very offensive and very angry. If you watch for a minute, you’ll see why she’s so angry, and maybe you’ll realize that’s her mouth. That’s her.

Your onscreen cousin, LaFayette, is a drug dealer. Coincidence?
It’s a shame people get stuck on things. Everyone is quick to say it’s offensive. It’s not like a bunch of white people sat around and were like, “We’re going to make the black character cuss all the time, because that’s all black people do.” That’s not what it’s about. Alan has done a great job of creating real-life characters that aren’t these stock ones we’ve seen in the past.–John Kennedy

http://www.king-mag.com/online/?p=10224

True Blood - Episode 2.04 - Let's Take a Trip Together - Plotline and Casting Call

STORY LINE
Jason's promotion to soldier is not without strings, and while in Texas with Bill and Jessica, Sookie discovers that she's not the only one who can read minds...

[DRIVER]
30 to 45, this suspiciously pushy driver, whose thoughts are violent and dark, is sent by Fellowship of the Sun to abduct Sookie when she arrives at the airport. Instead, he is glamored (hypnotized) by Bill and Jessica, and experiences a wide spectrum of emotions and outbursts, from fear, to relief, to embarrassment as his will is usurped and his behavior is dictated. He is ultimately released to return to his superiors and tell them that Sookie "never showed up" (which is what he now believes)...GUEST STAR (33)

[DESK CLERK]
This sleek, female, European desk clerk at a Texas hotel prepares a room for Sookie, Jessica and Bill according to their specifications...CO-STAR (40)

[BELLBOY / BARRY]
This uniformed, 19-year-old bellboy at a Texas hotel brings Sookie and Jessica room service (a handsome guy to feed off of). To Sookie's surprise, Barry can read her mind, and he grows increasingly freaked out as they communicate silently sptv050769...CO-STAR / RECUR(?) (54)

[CHAUFFEUR]
50ish, very handsome, well-groomed and surprisingly country, he picks up Jessica and Bill's travel coffins to take to the airport...CO-STAR (24)

[YOUNG MAN / TRAVIS]
21 years old and very handsome in his hotel bathrobe, he is Jessica's polite, barely legal "room service" (B negative blood)...CO-STAR (54)

Source: SpoilerTV

Time to let all the characters come out and play in social media


Tris Hussey at Media2 is talking about "character blogging " and after our fantastic , ground breaking radio show last night, we are oh -so-very interested in it. If you missed the show it it's archived on the right " Role Playing " we interviewed by twitterboth Sookie and Eric and it was a great show!

I’m sure there are still people who might disagree with me, that “blogging” needs to be personal, real, authentic to be “true blogging”, but I think we’ve finally reached a point where we see social media for what is it: writing, storytelling, and sharing.

The main argument against character blogs was the lack of authenticity. How could a “character” be real? Hmm, we could ask Stephen King about Richard Bachman, I’d ask Samuel Clemens about Mark Twain, but well he’s dead. Literature and storytelling has a long history of pen names and characters. Sometimes you need to assume a pen name, or alter ego, to have the freedom to write and express what you’d like.

If I write anonymously, or as a character, is that not being true to me or am I just expressing another aspect of my personality more openly?

What got me thinking about this is True Blood. You see recently Sookie, Pam, Eric, and other characters from True Blood have been on Twitter (Bill was on there, but I guess he’s gone into hiding). No one has been up in arms. Fans of True Blood, like me, have been chatting with them. I know I’m not really chatting with Sookie (now if Anna Paquin were chatting with me, that would send a shiver down my spine!), and I don’t care because it’s fun.

I don’t know, or care, who is behind the accounts. Interns at HBO? Dedicated fans? PR group? Doesn’t matter. Not a social media fail, social media coup. Because True Blood is off air right now, and we’re dying for Season Two to start, getting a little reminder of the cast and characters keeps the fans going. Keeps us craving more shows. Reminds us how much we dig the show and how much we miss it.

Maybe now I don’t miss it as much now, because I can chat with Sookie (I’d like to chat with Bill again). I haven’t seen anything like they are going to pimp a DVD set. They are in character. Their world and ours is intersecting so why would we buy a DVD set of Season One of their real lives?

I think social media is growing into a more mature form of media. We are accepting that media, art, writing, literature, has many forms. There are so many ways to express oneself. Maybe I’d like to become a character on a blog. Maybe the escape of being free to be another is healthy. I follow a few “character blogs” and love them. What is even more fun is knowing the people behind the characters. Seeing the different facets of their personalities come out is damn cool.

Now, let’s get some more characters out there telling their stories.

And if you’ll excuse me, there is a tall, pall woman in a cloak at the door…

Read entire article :

http://www.blogm2o.com/time-to-let-all-the-characters-come-out-and-play-on-in-social-media/

You know you've watched too much True Blood when...

When you go to your sister's house, she has Lafayette's gold thong scene queued up on the Tivo and while watching it, you both recite the dialogue and copy his moves.

You wish Lorena existed so you could stake her for Bill's sake.

You start writing fan fiction!!! Yikes!

You've tried to style your hair like cool Pam (casual Pam great but "Mistress of Fangtasia" is better).

Tuvan Throat Music starts to grow on you

'Fly Away Home,' starring Oscar-winner Anna Paquin will make their Blu-ray debut on April 7

Just how cute is that face ...? See previous post on Fly Away Home here

Sony Pictures has announced a pair of family adventure favorites for Blu-ray release this April, 'Fly Away Home' and 'Winged Migration.'

The fictional 'Fly Away Home,' starring Oscar-winner Anna Paquin, and the acclaimed nature documentary 'Winged Migration,' will make their Blu-ray debut on April 7 as separate, stand-alone releases. Both features will enjoy remastered 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 video and high-res soundtracks in English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround.

Bonus features on 'Fly Away Home' include a director & cinematographer audio commentary, a trio of featurettes ("HBO Making Of: Leading The Flock," "Operation Migration: Birds Of A Feather," "The Ultra Geese") and the theatrical trailer.

Among the extras on 'Winged Migration' are audio commentary with director Jacques Perrin, two featurettes ("The Making of Winged Migration," "Creating the Music"), additional filmmaker interviews and a photo gallery.

Suggested list price for each Blu-ray has been set at $28.95 a pop.

You'll find the latest specs for 'Fly Away Home' and 'Winged Migration' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under April 7.

True Blood and Generation Kill to air on UK Channel 4

There will be lots of new fans for Alexander Skarsgard with both True Blood and Generation Kill !

C4 buys HBO dramas, lines up another with ABC


The UK's Channel 4 has struck a deal with HBO for terrestrial rights to drama series True Blood and Generation Kill and had greenlit a homegrown drama about the Queen, which will air on ABC in the US.

Vampire drama True Blood and Iraq war mini-series Generation Kill, which comes from the writer of The Wire, will both debut on C4 later this year, while casting is still underway for The Queen (working title) from Blast! Films.

True Blood and Generation Kill, both of which have already aired in the UK on diginet FX, mark C4's first major US acquisitions since saying it was scaling back spending in this area in favour of domestic documentaries.

True Blood goes to the movies : Stephen Moyers stars in Restraint

Two dangerous fugitives on the run from a murder scene take a hostage, who turns out to have a dark secret of his own.

Directed by David Denneen
Starring: Travis Fimmel, Teresa Palmer & Stephen Moyer

http://www.filmgraphics.com
http://www.restraint-movie.com/

Buy it on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Restraint-Phili...

Become a fan on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Restrai...





All Hail the Northman


Some lovely friends have started a great Eric Northman blog...

http://ericnorthman.blogspot.com/

Dead Until Dark new Spanish language edition

Spanish language edition of the the new True Blood version of 'Dead until Dark' or 'Dead Hearts' ?

El libro que ha inspirado la serie 'Trueblood', protagonizada por Anna Paquin y escrita por el creador de 'American Beauty' y 'A dos metros bajo tierra', Alan Ball.

Portada del libro 'Corazones Muertos' de Charlaine Harris. (La factoría de ideas).
Con la serie de Sookie Stackhouse, Charlaine Harris demuestra hasta qué punto su talento puede hacer que una casi imposible mezcla de vampiros, misterio, intriga y humor se convierta en una obra deliciosamente imprescindible.

Una autora avalada por más de dos décadas escribiendo y entreteniendo a miles de lectores de todo el mundo.

http://www.soitu.es/participacion/2009/01/27/u/books_1233059974.html

True Blood Music Video of the Day



Two Hearts by Kylie Minogue