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From Variety September 2008
TRUE BLOOD (SERIES; HBO, SUN. SEPT. 7, 9 P.M.)
Filmed in Los Angeles and Louisiana by HBO. Executive producer, Alan Ball; co-executive producer, Brian Buckner; supervising producer, Nancy Oliver, producers, Alexander Woo, Carol Dunn Trussell; co-producer, Raelle Tucker; writer-director, Ball; based on the novels by Charlaine Harris; camera, Checco Varese; production designer, Suzuki Ingerslev; editors, Andy Keir, Mic
hael Ruseio; music, Nathan Barr; casting, Junie Lowry Johnson, Libby Goldstein. 60 MIN.
Sookie Stackhouse Anna Paquin
Bill Compton Stephen Moyer
Jason Stackhouse Ryan Kwanten
Tara Thornton Rutina Wesley
Sam Merlotte Sam Trammell
Lafayette Reynolds Nelsan Ellis
Andy Bellefleur Chris Bauer
Hoyt Fortenberry Jim Parrack
Arlene Fowler Carrie Preston
Rene Lenier Michael Raymond James
Bud Dearborne William Sanderson
Eric Alexander Skarsgard
Adele Lois Smith
Creator Alan Ball insists, not entirely convincingly, that "True Blood" isn't just a sociopolitical
metaphor for vampirism as homosexuality. Nevertheless, if the popularity of "Twilight" and the Sookie Stackhouse books that inspired this series are any indication, women clearly embrace the romance of guys who suck for more exoticthan-usual reasons, creating otherworldly impediments to true love. So while the show is a trifle hokey, its soapy elements, gothic atmosphere and cliflhanger endings - coupled with Anna Paquin's knockout performance - do reel viewers in, laying the groundwork for what might be the cultish, undemanding romp HBO needs to inject much needed life into its lineup.
Ever since "Dark Shadows," people have sought to perfect the vampire soap, although even a "Shadows" revival failed to find the proper vein. And while Ball - of "Six Feet Under" renown - might seem an unlikely choice to go from chronicling the dead to the undead, he wisely approaches the material with few pretensions.
In the world of novelist Charlaine Harris, whose books inspire this series, vampires have been living invisibly among humans for ages but only felt comfortable emerging from the shadows - essentially, coming out of the coffin - after the Japanese invented synthetic blood (or Tru Blood, packaged in cute little beer-like bottles). Still, there's considerable unease about having bloodsuckers roaming around freely, with humans resisting the push for "vampire rights."
Having participated in the X-Men movies - which set up mutants as another discriminated against minority - Paquin is a marketable choice for a genre audience, but brings much more than that to the role of Sookie, a Louisiana waitress whose psychic ability has caused her to shun romance.
So to her surprise, when a hunky vampire, Bill (Stephen Moyer of "The Starter Wife"), moves into the bayou town of Bon Temps - taking advantage of vampires' recent decision to go public and enter the mainstream - she's instantly drawn to him, as he is to her:
Uncomfortable with knowing the inner-most feelings of those around her, she's blissfully unable to hear Bill's thoughts. Similarly, he senses immediately that Sookie is "something more than human."
Prejudice, however, dies hard, and Sookie's attachment to Bill alarms those closest to her.
The supporting players aren't nearly as interesting initially as the intense bond between Sookie and Bill, though they do keep the first few installments busy, including some nicely gratuitous sex, adventures in the Viagra-like effects of vampire blood, and a tepid murder mystery.
Based on the way women in particular have glommed onto the bodice-caressing aspects of such fare (consider the torch a dedicated few are still carrying for CBS'
"Moonlight"), HBO figures to have a cult hit on its hands at the very least - with Moyer representing the kind of brooding figure many would covet, dead or undead. Special effects are sparing but effective, which should boost male appeal, as will Paquin, who manages to be sexy, vulnerable and mysterious all at once.
How deeply the series resonates beyond that will hinge on how the plot advances and weaves in the secondary characters. Either way, the concept seems like a smart against-the-grain move for HBO, which has already done a phenomenal job marketing it.
If nothing else, nobody will confuse Bill from Bon Temps with "John From Cincinnati." The only question now is whether "True Blood" barely breaks the skin or can tap into a whole new artery.
PHOTO (COLOR): Anna Paquin is the psychic waitress next door and Stephen Moyer the vampire who loves her in HBO's "True Blood." from Alan Ball.
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By Brian Lowry
Sunday, February 8, 2009
A Soap with Teeth
True Blood Writer : Chris Offutt
Interesting post about Chris Offutt ( who seems to be quite the accomplished author) and he actually chimes in himself in the thread and says this :
"Hey man. I wrote Episode 7 of True Blood.
Then quit the weird world of Holllywood.
A cool learning experience, but not the place for me.
I suppose going out there is another thing we Kentuckians do when we leave the hills."
You can see more books by Chris here
**He is listed for both episode 7 and 10 "Burning House of Love" and "I Don't Wanna Know"
I turned on HBO on Sunday night to catch the new episode of Entourage. The channel’s new vampire series, True Blood was wrapping up and the final credits rolled. And I was shocked — and thrilled — to see Chris Offutt’s name listed as executive story editor.
I’m not positive, but I think it is indeed that Chris Offutt, the writer from Kentucky who authored No Heroes, The Good Brother, The Same River Twice, and others. According to the Internet Movie Database, the Offutt associated the television show was born in Lexington, Kentucky and is listed as a novelist and short story writer. So it’s gotta be him.
Offutt lived in Rowan County Kentucky, just a few counties over from where I grew up. He signed my copy of Kentucky Straight with a note that “here’s what we Kentuckians do when we leave the hills.”
The opening pages of Offutt’s 2002 memoir, No Heroes, are about returning to those hills in Kentucky after a lengthy absence.
You can go ahead and forget all your preplanned responses to comments about wearing shoes, the movie Deliverance, indoor plumbing, and incest. You don’t have to work four times as hard because the boss expects so little. You don’t have to worry about waiting for the chance to intellectually ambush some nitwit who thinks you’re stupid because of where you’re from.
You won’t hear these words spoken anymore: redneck, hillbilly, cracker, stump-jumper, weed-sucker, ridge-runner. Never again will you have to fight people’s attempts to make you feel ashamed of where you grew up. You are no longer from somewhere. Here is where you are. This is home. This dirt is yours.
I didn’t get a chance to watch that new vampire show. But I have it set to DVR. If True Blood comes anywhere near the quality of Chris Offutt’s books, then it’ll be worth watching.
Read all the posts here :
"http://www.slushpile.net/index.php/2008/09/08/chris-offutt-and-hbo/"
What does Joss Whedon think of True Blood ?
Thank you TVWeek.com for posting this tid bit.
TVWeek: Vampires are big in pop culture right now. Have you seen “Twilight’?
Mr. Whedon: I saw “Twilight.” And it’s—what can you say? It’s absolutely like crack. It strikes a tweener chord that’s just as loud as the apocalypse. You cannot deny the power of it. It just works. And I sort of like that.
TVWeek: What about HBO’s “True Blood”?
Mr. Whedon: I’ve seen less of it. “Twilight” makes its own rules, as we all do. It takes what it wants and discards the rest but ultimately, it is kind of classical. They’re puffy-shirt vampires in a sense.
“True Blood,” I think, is more what we see in a lot of the comic books, which is, “Let’s deconstruct this and explore what it would be like if [vampires] were really among us.” It’s more postmodern.
TVWeek: Did you watch “Moonlight”?
Mr. Whedon: I did not. I actually don’t love vampires. Anne Rice was definitely a life-changer. It was wonderful. But at the end of the day, I’ve really kind of had my fill.
You know, Buffy wasn’t going to necessarily fight vampires. The idea was always there’s a monster, she fights it. And when I did the Buffy/Angel romance, I thought, “There’s no way in the world I’m getting away with something this cheesy.” I thought, “People are going to laugh at me.”
Over the years, I’ve gotten a better understanding of why vampires resonate so much. I even came up with an idea for a vampire film recently … but then I saw there was this glut, so I thought I better ease off of that. It’s still in my consciousness. But I think I need to spend some time with some Frankensteins.
http://christapie.wordpress.com/2009/02/08/joss-whedon-talks-twilight-and-true-blood/
Watch out Charlaine might be watching you ....
Charlaine posted to her blog today and aside from talking, as she usually does about her own familial and domestic events such as: kids choosing colleges and having a sick pet. She also wrote briefly about the two short stories she is now writing, one for the Mystery Writers of America anthology and the other for a new anthology which she is co- editing with Toni L.P. Kelner called "Death's Excellent Vacation".
We don't know if either of them will be Sookieverse stories ...
But I found it most interesting that she chose to spend her time and used her blog as a platform to discuss what seems to be rampant right now on many of the Sookie Stackhouse /True Blood discussion/ forum sites and that is posters being disagreeable, argumentative and ganging up on other posters. I recently spoke about this too on a recent radio show (you can listen about 4 minutes into the recent Bill's show ) and I received excellent feedback from folks that appreciated what I said and now we see Charlaine addressing the same issue on her blog.
It's interesting to note, that she is most definitely visiting other forums and seeing this kind of behavior. I do think this behavior is in part due to boredom and us lacking anything new to talk about. One of the things we are doing to combat this boredom while we wait for the new book and the return of True Blood Season 2 on the HBO wiki is that we are getting together a group of folks to read and discuss "Dancer's in the Dark" the Sookieverse novella that Charlaine wrote in 2004. If you'd like to be involved with that discussion send me an email and I'll let you know more. We haven't begun the discussion yet so now is the time to get involved.
So beware when you post...Charlaine might be watching what you say ..
"Speaking of writing long - my moderators have recently become concerned that very long posts call all "conversation" on the site to a temporary halt. We've been emailing back and forth discussing the idea. We concluded that we'd ask posters will keep their messages short and to the point.
Sometimes it's impossible to make your case with brevity, but please give it a try.
As long as I'm talking about posting, I wanted to thank all of you for showing so much respect to each other. I'm proud of this website, and I want all my readers to know it. I hope this website never descends to the level of others I've visited, where one group gangs together to shout down the opinions of another. Respectfully disagreeing is the norm here, and I hope it stays that way. I'm glad you're here, and I hope you visit often."
http://www.charlaineharris.com/bb/bb_current.html
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Annubis Airline from All Together Dead : trip to Rhodes
What we learned about Anubis air in Book 7 
Bk 7
I whipped a little notepad out of my purse as Eric went over the date of our departure, the date of our return, the time our chartered Anubis Airline plane was arriving from Baton Rouge to pick up the Shreveport contingent, and a rundown of the clothes we would need.
Our sporadic conversation died by the time we neared the airport. There didn't seem to be anything else to be said. We were right by the main Shreveport terminal, but we were going to a small private hangar. If Eric hadn't booked an Anubis charter plane weeks ago, he would've been up a creek, because the summit was definitely taxing Anubis's capabilities. All the states involved were sending delegations, and a big hunk of Middle America, from the Gulf to the Canadian border, was included in the American Central division.
.. There were a few small planes parked inside, but we proceeded as Pam had instructed to the large opening in the west wall. The Anubis Air jet was parked outside, and the coffins were being loaded onto the luggage belt by the uniformed Anubis employees. They all wore black relieved only by a stylized jackal's head on the chest of the uniform, an affectation that I found irritating. They glanced at us casually, but no one challenged us or asked to see identification until we got to the steps leading up to the plane.
I couldn't help feeling a little anxious, since I was cutting my ties with my familiar life, at least temporarily. The Anubis Air employee in the cabin said, "Choose your seat, Miss Stackhouse." She took the hanging bag from me and put it away. The interior of the aircraft was not like that of any human plane, or at least that was what the Anubis website had alleged. The Anubis fleet had been designed and outfitted for the transportation of sleeping vamps, with human passengers coming in second. There were coffin 
bays around the wall, like giant luggage bins, and at the front end of the aircraft there were three rows of seats, on the right three seats, and on the left two, for people like me.or, at least, people who were going to be helpful to the vamps at this conference in some capacity. At present, there were only three other people sitting in the seats. Well, one other human and two part-humans.
The Anubis Airline attendant came through and offered drinks and snacks from time to time on the three-hour flight north, and after I'd finished my session with the trial lawyer, I got up to use the bathroom. That was an experience; I'd never been in an airplane bathroom before. Instead of resuming my seat, I walked down the plane, taking a look at each coffin. There was a luggage tag on each one, attached to the handles. With us in the plane today were Eric, Bill, the queen, Andre, and Sigebert. I also found the coffin of Gervaise, who'd been hosting the queen, and Cleo Babbitt, who was the sheriff of Area Three. The Area Two sheriff, Arla Yvonne, had been left in charge of the state while the queen was gone.
It was mid afternoon when we arrived in Rhodes. There was an Anubis truck waiting to onload the coffins and transport them to the Pyramid of Gizeh.
"There's an Anubis plane flying out in three hours. It'll go to Dallas first, then Shreveport. . "Make it to the Anubis terminal in time, and you'll both go home with us. If you don't make it, I'll assume something happened to stop you and you'll have to call to make some other arrangement..
True Blood Episode Twelve : 'You'll be the death of me ' recap from HBO site
** you should now have all 12 episodes, you can find them all here
Rene visits Jason in jail, the two of them talking through the bars of his cell. Jason still can't figure out how he could have done all this, but he sure feels guilty enough for it. "They were all fangbangers," Rene tells him. "If you hadn't done it, it was just a matter of time ..." Jason immediately cuts him off, insisting that his Gran was not a fangbanger. Rene backs off, just as Sookie bursts in, forcing herself past the deputy to Jason's cell. She reaches through the bars, holding Jason's hand as she tells him the story of Drew Marshall, with Rene listening intently. Andy comes over to ask what's going on, and she asks him about the fax that came from the police department in Bunkie, which he's heard nothing about.
Tara wakes up to a royal breakfast at Maryann's house, and when she puts on a robe and explores her temporary home, realizes it's more like an estate.
On the patio, she meets Maryann, who tells her that she should take this time to figure out what she wants in life - not to mourn what she's already lost. "Maybe your life has been cleared of all the things that weren't working for your," Maryann suggests. She says she wants to help Tara simply because the young woman deserves it. Upstairs, as the servant Karl makes Tara's bed, he notices her phone ringing with a call from Sam, turns off the ringer and slips the phone into his pocket.
Jason receives another visitor in jail, this time a representative from the human-purity movement Fellowship of the Sun, who tells him that a legal defense fund has been set up for him. Not that the Fellowship can condone murder as a means of ending human fraternization with vampires, but Jason's actions were still "a service to your race and to Jesus." The man, Orry Dawson, leaves Jason with a pamphlet and tells him the church will save him.
Read on here:
Episode Twelve ( S1) HBO Recap
Charlaine Harris was asked what some of her favorite films were ....
What are some of your favorite films, and what makes them unforgettable to you?
· Lawrence of Arabia -- Peter O'Toole is just great in this beautiful film about an incredibly complex man.
· The Last of the Mohicans -- The music, the scenery, a good script, and Daniel Day-Lewis. You can't go wrong with this much-changed version of the James Fenimore Cooper book.
· The Pink Panther -- I always laugh, no matter how many times I've seen it. All the Peter Sellers Panther movies are funny, and I love to laugh.
· Blazing Saddles -- This is just a funny movie, and it set the pattern for many to follow. "The Piano" A feminist fable with an awful lesson.
· Saving Private Ryan -- A heartstopping depiction of war and the test it lays on men
· The Birds -- Way to be scared!
Did you know it was based on a short story by Daphne Du Maurier ?
Interesting 5 minute featurette with Hitchcock talking about his new upcoming movie " The Birds "
Friday, February 6, 2009
Dead and Gone new synopsis up at Barnes and Noble
They have an interesting new synopsis up on Barnes and Noble for book 9, Dead and Gone !
Everything we know about Dead and Gone is HERE
SHIP DATE IS MAY 5TH !!!
Synopsis
For Sookie Stackhouse, the day to day activities of the vampire and were communities in and around Bon Temps, Louisiana, are of vital interest, She's blood-bound to the leader of the vamps, a friend to the local were pack, works for a man who is shifter, and has a brother who is a were-panther…
But for most of the humans in Bon Temps, the vamps are mysterious seductive creatures-and they don't even know about the weres.
Until now. The weres and shifters have finally decided to follow the lead of the undead and reveal their existence to the ordinary world.
At first it seems to go well. Then the mutilated body of a were-panther is found in the parking lot of the bar where Sookie works. The victim is someone she knows, so she feels compelled to discover who-human or otherwise-did the deed.
But what she doesn't realize is that there is a far greater danger than the killer threatening Bon Temps. A race of unhuman beings--older, more powerful and far more secretive than vampires or werewolves-- is preparing for war. And Sookie will find herself an all-too human pawn in their battle…
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Dead-and-Gone/Charlaine-Harris/e/9780441017157
True Blood fashion statement : Green print tie
OK , here ya go another Sookie fashion question.
Who wore this and where ?
True Blood goes to the movies : Anna Paquin stars in Buffalo Soldiers
1989. The Berlin Wall is about to fall, and the world is about to be made safe for the new world order. But outside of Stuttgart, West Germany, at Theodore Roosevelt Army Base, Specialist Ray Elwood of the 317th Supply Battalion is about to find his own cold war turn white hot. Elwood's a lovable rogue, a conscript who's managed to turn his military servitude into a blossoming network of black market deals, more out of boredom than ambition. Officially, there's his day job as battalion secretary to the inept but caring Commander Wallace Berman. On the side, 
there's everything from selling the locals stolen Mop'N'Glo to cooking heroin for the base's ruthless head of Military Police, Sgt. Saad. When a new top sergeant arrives, with the avowed intention of cleaning the base up, Elwood thinks the new blood is nothing he can't handle, especially after he lays eyes on the top's daughter, rebellious Robyn. But that was before he figured in the $5 million in stolen arms that just landed on his lap, Berman's jealous wife, an insane Turkish drug dealer, and, of course, the resulting lust, betrayal, and murder.
More here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0252299/
Vampire Diaries to be a new TV series
Twilight and HBO’s True Blood have helped the vampire make a comeback (mostly Twilight), and now the CW is looking to get in on the action by picking up the pilot for, Vampire Diaries.
The show will be based on a series of books with the same name that were published in 1993 (meaning before Twilight), and the story follows a young woman torn between two vampire brothers who are battling for her, her family and hometown’s souls. Dawson’s Creek scribe Kevin Williamson, will produce and Julie Plec (Kyle XY) will help with the writing duties.
http://www.horroryearbook.com/544407/vampire-diaries-headed-to-the-cw
Check out the book HERE
New True Blood t-shirts from HBO
Soft and comfy, this True Blood™ women's t-shirt boasts a 100% cotton construction. "I'm a fangbanger," "bite me," two bite mark graphics, and the True Blood™ logo are emblazoned on the front of the shirt.
HBO store
'True Blood' Cast Speak of Second Season
Nelsan Ellis hints on his character's fate, Stephen Moyer on Bill's relationship with Sookie and Rutina Wesley on Sam-Tara complication in 'True Blood' season 2.
It is at least another 4 months before "True Blood" begins sucking viewers with its second season, and some the cast are coming out to give an update. E! Online, has been trying to dig clues on the answers to the questions that leave the first season hanging.
One of the things is whether Lafayette really dies. It was seen in the very last scene of "True Blood" season one that a foot, very much like Lafayette's, is lifeless in the back seat of Detective Bellefleur's car. To this, Nelsan Ellis who portrays Lafayette, plays it coy saying "They have to wait and see," when asked whether or not it was the end of the character's fate. Should the writers decide to go by the book it is adapted from, then Lafayette is pretty much dead. When approached further on the possibility of him back filming, Nelsan said, "Absolutely, yeah, I'll come back. I'll take the paycheck."
Another issue that E! asked is whether Sookie and Bill's relationship will be shaken with the presence of Eric. said, "I couldn't possibly say. I honestly don't know, but I think that there will be all the conflict that there needs to be to make it a great frisson." There was also the talk about the love-hate relationship between Tara and Sam. Providing the answer was Rutina Wesley who dished, "[Sam and Tara have] a complicated relationship, and Sam still kind of has that little thing for Sookie. But Tara loves her some Sam-so we'll see."
The second season will arrive in either June or July. Meanwhile, the dvd for the first season is gettinga Blu-ray treatment. All 12 episodes will be compiled in 5 discs that include "True Blood Enhanced Viewing", a featurette of how the vampires are made, and introduction to the characters in Bon Temps by Lafayette. Set to be released on May 19, the Blu-Ray edition is suggested for a retail price of 79.98 dollars.
http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00021827.html
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