Why Are Vampires So Damn Sexy?

Recent scary-lovely Swedish flick Let the Right One In is proof that Twilight can't drain all the magnetism out of vampires. And it adheres to a basic vampire principle by breaking sexual taboos beautifully.

Vampires are the sexpots of the undead. Zombies are usually too blood-dribbly and rotted to be players. And ghosts are, well, insubstantial. Which leaves us with vampires, who are permanently young, beautiful, and possess a fierce need to suck things. How could they not be the poster-children for weird sex after death?

Of course, vampires rarely have sex as we know it. Often their only outlet is blood sucking, which leaves them free to form erotic relationships that don't exactly fit the nuclear family mold.

Read on: http://io9.com/5124225/why-are-vampires-so-damn-sexy?skyline=true&s=x

Seven shows that just don’t get enough love

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to put together a list of my favorite television moments before the end of 2008, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t spend an inordinate amount of time in front of the tube. (Come to think of it, maybe my television addiction was the reason I didn’t have the free time to write about the best of 2008. Hmm.)

Anyway, here is a list of seven terrific shows that seem to be flying under the proverbial radar.

1. “True Blood” (HBO)
Alan Ball, the writer of “American Beauty” and the creator of “Six Feet Under,” brings us a series based on vampires in the Deep South. The series is based on Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series of books and stars Anna Paquin — whom I argued, under the moniker of Eli Cash a few years back, would have made a better Penny Lane than Kate Hudson — as a mind-reading waitress in a small town in Louisiana. The first season was excellent, though it got off to a bit of a slow start. Paquin is the key, but her best friend Tara (played by Rutina Wesley) often steals the show.

http://www.premiumhollywood.com/2009/01/08/seven-shows-that-just-dont-get-enough-love/

True Blood is resurrecting Sookie's Gram

File this under "S" for Stuff That Doesn't Suck: True Blood is resurrecting Sookie's Gram (played by the sublime Lois Smith) in season 2! And by "resurrecting" I mean "returning in newly-created flashback scenes!" Still bloody fangtastic if you ask me!

http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/01/casting-scoops.html

Catching up with Anna Paquin

[from July 11, 2008]

She’s the youngest-ever Academy Award winner (only 11!) and a Columbia University grad. Now "The Piano’s" Anna Paquin is back on TV in the upcoming HBO vampire series "True Blood."

The newly blonde New Zealander stars as Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress at a Louisiana diner who falls into the clutches of bloodsucker Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer).
The Post caught up with the sexy star in LA yesterday...

Q: Why do you think people are so fascinated with vampires?
AP: Because they are sexy. They are dangerous. What girl doesn’t like a bad boy?

Q: You have some sexy outfits on the show...
AP: My wardrobe is awesome! I am practically naked the entire time. What is not to love? [laugh] And they give me this nice spray tan, so I feel like I am sort of wearing an extra layer of clothing that is actually not really there. I feel quite naked actually. Or I did. I bought a lot of little tiny shorts to wear around on set.

Q: How do you stay in shape?
AP: I work out. I go to the gym. I run. I box. I do Pilates. I take dance classes. And I am now learning to skateboard, which is actually a lot harder than it looks.

Q: Where are you living these days?
AP: Well, I am not living in New York where I have been living for the past 8 years because my lease was up. So now I am staying out here (in LA). But I am kind of... a gypsy!

Q: Where is your Oscar now that you are a gypsy?
AP: It is at my brothers house... I think. [laughs]

Q: Are you attracted to the bad boy, like the vampire, in real life? What’s your type?
AP: I don’t have a type. I like smart people. Nice people. Good people.

Q: Is the blonde hair helping you find someone like that?
AP: I do okay for myself. [laughs]

- Sean Daly http://blogs.nypost.com/tv/archives/2008/07/catching_up_wit.html

If you don't like it you can just bite me ! ( 6)

This is the bite marks from one of the character in True Blood.

Do you know who this is ?

Do you know who the vampire was that did the biting ?

Post answer in comments !

Yes, this is Jerry and it would have been Malcolm who was bit him...

True Blood Episode Six: 'Cold Ground' recap from HBO site

Sookie stands next to Gran's body, paralyzed by the sight of blood splattered across the kitchen. She opens her mouth to scream but can't make a sound, and a pale hand clamps onto her shoulder ... It's Bill. He comforts her for a moment then hears a creaking floorboard and attacks its source, which turns out to be Sam, saying he came to make sure Sookie got home safe. At this point, she's in a state of total shock, and they move her to the living room while waiting for the authorities to arrive.

Bud Dearborn, Andy Bellefleur and Mike Spencer begin their investigation in the kitchen, so Sam sits with Sookie on the front porch, taking a shot at apologizing but succeeding only at irritating her. She asks for Bill, and though Sam leaves to find him, he then warns the vampire to stay away from Sookie. "This isn't the time or the place to ... mark your territory," Bill replies.

The investigators, examining the evidence, discuss the case again. Andy regrets releasing Jason, though Bud doubts the man could have slaughtered his own grandmother. At this point Bill enters the room, agrees to answer their questions and explains that he thinks the killer had come looking for Sookie. Out on the porch, Sookie tries to reach her brother with the news, but when his phone rings on Randi Sue's nightstand, he grabs it and hurls it against the wall. So, when Mike and the police officers bring Gran's body outside, Sookie has only Sam and Bill to stand with her. Still, she refuses to leave the house and immediately heads into the kitchen to start cleaning up the mess.

Episode Six ( S1) HBO Recap

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

True Blood Music Video of the Day

Brings me to life by Evanescence

Never Been Mine starring Alexander Skarsgard

This is a short independent film written and directed by Maria Tornberg, who also plays the protagonist, and featuring Alexander Skarsgard. Here is the film's description from M. Tornberg's website:

Liv Swedin is an actress in Los Angeles trying to get her career and love life off the ground. And it happens to be her thirtieth birthday. The day is filled with opportunities, a date, a meeting with an agent and an audition. But the cruel reality of Hollywood, illuminated by her fear of time slipping away, gets the best of her and little by little her world crumbles.

You can watch the entire film (24 mis.) here, on M. Tornberg's website (it also has a downloadable HQ trailer). But I found an embeddable version, too, so... here it is!

Never Be Mine


thanks luvseric
http://luvseric-totallyrandom.blogspot.com/2009/01/never-be-mine-2006.html

2009 will be the year of the werewolf

'Twilight' Werewolf Howls at 'New Moon'

I’m sure you’ve heard it before: if 2008 was the year of the vampire (I’m looking at you Twilight, Let the Right One In, True Blood), then 2009 will be the year of the werewolf (New Moon, The Wolf Man, Underworld 3) and the Twilight series is definitely leading the pack! According to Vairety.com, if you, like so many tween girls out there, took a serious likin’ to that adorable Lycan from the first Twilight flick, you’ll be trekking back to theaters in 2009 for the sequel, New Moon to watch Taylor Lautner reprise the role of Jacob Black! Since the release of Twilight and subsequent announcement of a definite sequel, rumors have been circulating that Lautner would be replaced by some other tween heartthrob in the sequel film based on the second book. But never fear Lautner-Lycan-lovers, he’ll be back with some bite! New Moon is set to be directed by Chris Weitz and will hit theaters sometime in 2009.

http://www.fearnet.com/news/b14259_twilight_werewolf_howls_new_moon.html

Stylemakers Predict Subtle 2009 Awards -Season Fashion

Hold the baubles. A classic satin pump by Stuart Weitzman is expected to grace red carpets this year.
When celebrities step onto the Golden Globe Awards red carpet this Sunday, subtle and subdued are expected to be the big buzzwords of the evening, style-wise.

What’s likely to be out: massive baubles and diamond-encrusted shoes. What could be in: minimalist jewelry and ensembles in neutrals or rich colors like turquoise or plum.

“The days of wearing the three million-dollar necklace are over–this is not the time to be wearing that,” says celebrity stylist Jeanne Yang, who has dressed stars like Anna Paquin for the red carpet and predicts that jewelry trends at the Globes will center more on colored stones and vintage pieces instead of flashy items. “Even if everybody knows that you’re borrowing it, I can’t imagine that anybody would wear something that’s over the top.”

Last year’s Stuart Weitzman “Retro Rose” shoes, studded with over $1 million worth of Kwiat diamonds, designed for then-nominee Diablo Cody. Ms. Cody opted against the shoes, and accepted her Oscar in gold ballet flats.
The red carpet during awards season, which kicks off this Sunday and continues through the Academy Awards in late February, is an opportunity for fashion labels to get millions of dollars in free advertising and brand-building through an event that not only has global reach but also has a very long shelf life. Pictures of celebrities looking their best — or worst — at awards shows sometimes end up running in magazines and on Web sites years after the event. In 2007, the last time the Globes was staged, 20 million people in 150 countries tuned in to watch, says the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

In an effort to strike the right chord during a recession, some designers have been sending stylists looks that are more sedate. Stuart Weitzman, who usually produces a small collection of shoes for the awards season, says this line usually comprises 75% “glitzy, blingy” shoes and 25% “classy” shoes that are less showy. This year, however, 75% of the collection is subdued while 25% is flashy, says Mr. Weitzman, who notes that he’s seen high interest in satin shoes in neutral colors or pale metallics among stars and stylists so far.

Pamella DeVos, who designs the Pamella Roland line that actresses like Kim Cattrall and Jennifer Garner have worn on red carpets, says she expects that there’ll still be Hollywood glamour on the red carpet on Sunday but it will be elegant rather than flashy. “There are a lot of people who want to see Hollywood be glamorous,” she says. “People think this will lift (Americans) out of the doom and gloom.” — Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan
http://blogs.wsj.com/runway/2009/01/08/stylemakers-predict-subtle-2009-awards-season-fashion/

True Blood premiers in Poland :"Czysta krew"

Five months after the American premiere of a new HBO series "Pure Blood" ( "True Blood") begins airing in Poland. The series is from the creator of the Oscar winner Alan Ball, and also the cult founder production of "Six feet under the ground" . This serial has attracted a very large audience for HBO and it's received two nominations for the Golden Globe. In the main roles are Oscar winner, Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer. Premiered the first episode, you can watch on Saturday, February 7 at. 22:00 on HBO.

Charlaine Harris speaks at the Houston Public Library 1/06/09

Part 1




Part 2



Part 3



The CH site has posted audio HERE

On Twilight, Vampires, and Romantic Love

The best comment from the CH event the other night came from a man who told CH that he much preferred ( and was attracted to ) the strong woman that she wrote for Sookie in the books and that he did not see the TB writers writing her the same way

Dr Rosenberg writes at her blog Psychablog ...

As you might notice from some of my other blog entries and my website, I'm interested in superheroes, particularly what their stories reveal about psychological phenomena. "Superheroes" can be defined somewhat loosely, including supernatural heroes, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Joss Whedon's Buffy is a strong female character: physically strong, plucky, tenacious, direct, and with a dry sense of humor. (To see Joss Whedon talk about his inspiration for Buffy, click here).

Whedon inspired others to create strong female super(natural) heros. So it's clear that Buffy is the mother, or grandmother, of a whole genre of supernatural female supes. One example is Sookie Stackhouse—the protagonist and selfless hero in Charlaine Harris' book series (and also protagonist of HBO's series, True Blood; I've read the Harris books, but not seen the TV show).

I thought that the female protagonist in Twilight, Bella (book by Stephenie Meyer), would be another daughter or granddaughter of Buffy. The film—and the fan hoopla—was getting a lot of coverage in the news, so I thought I'd see what the fuss was about and read the book. (Full disclosure: I haven't seen the movie.)

Boy was I wrong.

In fact, the character Bella—a teenage girl recently come to live with her father in rural Washington—is far from being a hero, super, supernatural, or "regular." Although clearly a bright and capable teenager, Bella seems to have little motivation or passion about much of anything except for [spoiler alert] the vampire who becomes her boyfriend.

A little background for those of you who don't know the story; bear with me. Bella transfers to the small local high school where she meets five very pale high school students who don't eat. No surprise to the reader—they're vampires. Girl meets vampire, vampire meets girl. Cue the violins. As the story unfolds, the only thing she's interested in is her vampire boyfriend. (In fact, though, she doesn't really "know" her boyfriend all that well, nor does she know all that much about vampires.) Despite these gaps in her knowledge, by the end of the book she wants to become a vampire—for all eternity—so that she can live with her boyfriend, both of them forever physically looking young. Bella feels so little interest in "regular" life—potential careers, relationships with others, the possibility of children—that she doesn't think twice about relinquishing her life to have a perpetual adolescence with her vamp boyfriend.

As an aside, the five vampires in this story who are high school students are chronologically older than teens; some of them are hundreds of years old. But they became vampires as teenagers, so that's how old they look; one assumes that they must go to high school forever or get in trouble with the authorities for truancy. Can you image having to go to high school forever? Moving towns and enrolling in a new high school every four years? Endless years of biology, English, and math? Does that sound appealing? [end of spoiler alert]

Back to Bella. Okay, so I was wrong about her being Buffy granddaughter. She's more like Buffy's antithesis. She can't get herself out of jams, doesn't act heroically, and is generally ineffectual.

What really got to me about this book is its themes of disaffected youth and nihilism. And the public's positive response to the film, which I assume is at least somewhat true to the book, leads me to feel even more anguish. This book endorses a concept of romantic love (for girls and young women for sure, and maybe for boys and young men) that goes beyond the "I love you so much that you are my life" type of all-consuming but inevitably flawed and unsustainable type of love. It endorses "love" nihilism—that beyond the relationship, life doesn't really matter. It's the "I love you so much that I will give up life to become undead with you" type of all-consuming but inevitably flawed and unsustainable type of love. But once that love peters out, the consequences are still there.

It seems to me this love nihilism is a vamp variant of the disempowering notions of romantic love that I had hoped were behind us for good:

• "I love you so much, I don't want to think about the consequences of my actions—nothing matters but this moment."
  
• "I love you so much, I'll do things that I know are against my self-interest."
  
• 
  
  "I love you so much, I'll have sex with you even though I don't really want to because I'm afraid of losing you,"
  
• "I love you so much, I'll have sex with you even though you don't want to wear a condom."
  

What happened to role models of female teens who were able to see love without blinders—to have the good sense to realize that life shouldn't be put on hold because one is in love? That being in love doesn't mean giving up oneself?

Buffy was strong, practical and pragmatic, and selfless for others.
Bella is weak, impractical and not pragmatic, and selfish.

Can we have Buffy back—please?

read more http://psychablog.blogspot.com/2009/01/on-twilight-vampires-and-romantic-love.html

Questions and Answers with Charlaine from Houston Library Appearance

The videos are now posted here. The photos are in a little slide show below. Sorry about the video quality but it was cramped quarters and remember to turn up the sound!

The first question asked was from the lovely Object Desire and she asked, Did you ever anticipate that people would spend this much time trying to figure out what you're gonna do next?

I think of myself as a very straight forward person. I don't think of myself as devious. And I'm really bewildered ..by the absorption in my hidden motives I mean it is entertaining to me; don't get me wrong, sometimes I think "Gosh, I wish I had thought of that: that's so much smarter than the actual plot.

Question about Eric getting his memories back that he's acting a bit different towards Sookie. Is he gonna keep that up or is he gonna go back to old Eric?

He's gonna keep it up! At least, in the next book. Eric & Sookie's relationship will be fraught with meaning.

Question about the accents. Do you think they're pretty accurate?
She was surprised at first. And then I thought well they're all trying really hard. You know after you watch an episode you get used to it and it's ok after that. The guy, who plays Sam, Sam Trammel, is from Louisiana. The guy who plays Lafayette is from Alabama. So there are some true born southerners in the cast.

I was wondering how you came up with the series for Sookie. How did you come with writing it?

She says she wanted to write a series about a girl who was dating a vampire.And that was my initial concept. So I developed her character based on that one fact about her. I figured she had to have some kind of disability or she wouldn't want to date a vampire. So after some thinking - which actually pretty tasteless about what kind of disability she would have I mean I'm talking wooden leg here I finally decided that telepathy would work.

Changes in story for True Blood
she is a little mystified at some of them but she knows that a purpose will be revealed

Anne Rice had southern Louisiana vampires and they were all full of angst and the can't have sex - so she went with Northern Louisiana vamps and sex.

Alan told her that there would be changes dues to his want to appeal to a broader demographic.

She asked him about Sookie's white dress and wanted to know when she bought it?
* he said he didn't know, that the writer just wanted to write a story with a woman in a white dress running through a graveyard

What are her favorite Sookie characters?
. Sookie, because she has fun with her and because she knows her so well and she knows what she'll do d do in almost any situations. Writing fun its got to be Pam because she's so fun and because she will usually do something really outrageous.

CH says she's really not that devious.

Question about dangling plot lines
. She says sometimes she has just forgotten them . When fans ask about particular ones she makes a post -it note and sticks it the wall and if she can she answers it in the next book

Will be ever see Bubba
. Alan say he can't tell her , maybe he's still thinking . She says sh'd have Bruce Campbell play him

Options and how Sookie became True Blood
. She had three offers and when one of them was Alan Ball she knew she'd be foolish to not go with him. She also thought he could handle the quirkiness of the combination of blood, sex and humor because of how he handled 6 feet under . And he sent her lots of pink roses

What character from the Sookie books would she spin off to create a new series of books?
. Stan Davis , sheriff of area 6 in Dallas . Or if she wanted to write gay porn it would be the King of Mississippi

Who does she prefer Eric or Bill?
. She says they both have strong points . Doesn't favor either one

What is the favorite book that she's written?
. Shakespeare Champion

Changes in Sookie between TB and the books
.CH says the TB Sookie looses her temper faster . CH really likes Anna Paquin and what she's done with Sookie

Changes to Bill
. An audience member wanted Ball to allow Bill eot levitate and she didn't know why they didn't let him

How many Sookie books will she write?
. She has contract for 10 Books ( or one more after Dead to Worse ) -(the audience gasps ) . She is sure her publisher will write her a new contract ( much applause) for more books


Is the amount of gratuitous Jason sex part of the demographic that Ball is looking for ?
. Yes, she thinks so

If anyone would like to have a copy of a photo without a watermarks contact me and I'll be happy to share, also remember to leave a comment to be eligible for the drawing we will have for an autographed book!

True Blood: More Expectations for Season 2

There's so much to look forward to when True Blood returns for its sophomore season. The first season ended with so many mysteries and cliffhangers, leaving me even more curious and wanting more. But before I can sink my teeth into new episodes, I still have to endure nearly five months of waiting. Luckily, I've stumbled upon an article that hints on what season 2 has to offer.

With several actors already on board for season 2, it's inevitable that a lot of hook-ups are in the works. Series creator Alan Ball hinted that there's going to be “new romances for Tara, Jason and Sara, while Bill and Sookie have a lot of issues to sort out, including having made a new teenage vampire that's living in their house.”

Tara's story is quite predictable. The minute Eggs was introduced to the picture, it became apparent that sparks were about to fly between these two sooner or later. Jason, on the other hand, has always been the gullible playboy so it's hard not to picture him without a love interest. As for Sara, she's a character who shows up in one of the books so it will be interesting to see what's in the cards for her.

I'm not a fan of TV romance especially when it becomes too cheesy. Somehow, I find myself drawn to relationships between vampires and humans. Perhaps it's because these forbidden and confusing loves are even more complicated than the whole blood-sucking issue. Then there's that desire and lust that runs through their veins, and fortunately, True Blood tackles these cravings head-on.

It's also a good thing that season 2 won't just be all about new romances. Ball reveals, “There's a new creature in town that is unlike any other. Nobody knows what this creature is, I'm not sure if it will be entirely explained in the show.” One thing's for sure, though, it's not a werewolf. One might think that Ball is referring to the mysterious “social worker” Maryann, who, according to the books, is a maenad, a character in Greek mythology who worships the god of wine. But there's also some speculation that it might be Terry, who seems to be starting up a relationship with Arlene if the season finale was any indication. There seems to be more to Terry's character than meets the eye and there were a lot of indications throughout the season. There's an episode in which Sookie says to Terry that he shouldn't worry about any nasty surprises or something like that and Terry kind of blushes and looks down and says, "Well that's because you don't know me that well." I think Terry has a dark secret which might explain why he didn't care about Sam running naked in the woods. Towards the end of the season, he also mentioned that everyone should listen to him because he knows things.

If these predictions are wrong, I'd still like to see more of Terry in the coming episodes. I think the writers could do a lot of running jokes with this eccentric character who doesn't seem to have a prejudiced bone in his body.

The next season on True Blood is slated to air in May

http://www.buddytv.com/articles/true-blood/true-blood-expecting-more-hook-25509.aspx

True Blood Music Video of the Day

Seether by Varuca Salt

GOLDEN GLOBES : How to forecast the winners

the Los Angeles Times has a real shout out to TB and Anna for winning the Golden Globes

This year: HBO's new "True Blood" and "In Treatment" have the best shots for best drama series. Since no new, wacky comedy is nominated, it may be time for voters to play catch-up with " 30 Rock," which hasn't yet won.

The actors: In the acting races, hip veterans in new shows look good: Gabriel Byrne ("In Treatment"), Debra Messing ("The Starter Wife") and Anna Paquin ("True Blood").

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/la-en-globes7-2009jan07,0,7442533.htmlstory