True Blood Season 2 Possible Title Song: Ep.3 "Scratch My Back"

Title of episode has been changed to Scratches from Scratch my back.

We now know the titles of the first 3 episodes of True Blood for season 2.

The one thing we know about True Blood is that the episode names come from the a song used in and significant to that episode.

Episode 2.01 - Nothing but the Blood
Episode 2.02 - Keep this Party Going

Episode Three : Baby Scratch My Back

Sometimes called electric swamp blues written by James Moore, aka Slim Harpo. Crowley, Louisiana, October 1965 Excello Records.

James Moore AKA Slim Harpo Born: January 11, 1924 in the parish of West Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As a figure in the post-war rural blues, his music is often described as Louisiana swamp blues. As a teenager, his parents died, leaving him to raise one brother and three young sisters. In January of 1966, Slim Harpo returned to the charts with "Baby Scratch My Back" which hit No. 1 on the R&B chart on February 26, 1966, and remained No. 1 for two weeks. The song also peeked at Number 16 for 8 weeks in March on the Billboard Hot 100.



If you prefer a little Texas connection here is KM Williams and Washboard Jackson with a guitar / washboard version.



Lyrics:

Aww, I'm itchy,and I don't know where to scratch
Come here baby, scratch my back I know you can do it, so baby get to it

Aww,you're workin with it now
You got me feelin' so good
just look to the sun now baby
ummmmm...

This little girl sho' knows how'd scratch
Now, you're doin' the chicken scratch
Aww, its lookin' good baby
Just gettin' scratch That's what I'm talkin' bout

True Blood - Episode 2.03 - Scratch My Back - Casting Call

From Spoiler TV !

This episode begins filming on the 28th January.

[MISSY] Missy is a "recovering fangbanger" in her 20s, with roots growing out of her once Goth dye-job. Her neck is covered with vampire bite scars...1 speech, 1 scene (21)

[LINDSEY] 20s. Seen topless, she is a fun-loving drunken sorority girl who puts the moves on Eggs.sptv050769..1 speech & 1 line, 2 scenes (40)

http://spoilertv.blogspot.com/search/label/True%20Blood

Beegeek reviews Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

I love what Beegeek has to say on her blog...

I had never heard of the Southern Vampire Mysteries or the Sookie Stackhouse Novels, as they are known, before I watched the TV series True Blood. And honestly, I only watched the show because Dexter’s season ended. Anyway, after watching the show and actually enjoying it I was pleased to find out it was based on a series of novels by Charlaine Harris. And lo and behold on Christmas morning I received not one; but all seven novels in the series, starting with Dead Until Dark.

To say that I am not a fantasy or sci-fi fan is an understatement. The only thing coming close to either of those genres that I have ever had any interest in was the Harry Potter series. I don’t know why. I can’t explain it. It just doesn’t float my boat. So, needless to say, I was skeptical when it came to my newly acquired box set of vampire novels.

The series centers on Bon Temps, a small town in New Orleans and it’s inhabitants. Most notably it’s twenty-something ‘looney’ local Sookie Stackhouse. For most of her life Sookie has been something of a pariah in Bon Temps. Early on you learn that Sookie has what she calls a ‘disability’ and what everyone else regards as being something between bat shit crazy and mildly retarded. Her disability makes relationships with anyone; especially men virtually impossible. But then she meets her perfect man, Bill. All dark hair and dark eyes and fair skin. Ok, not really fair skin so much as a deathly pallor; because Bill is, in fact, dead. Bill is one of many freshly ‘out of the coffin’ vampires attempting to mainstream into everyday life throughout the world. And he has come back home to Bon Temps to live on the plantation that his family has owned for hundreds of years.

Of course, upon Bill’s arrival, the shit hits the fan in sleepy little Bon Temps. A series of unexplained murders start taking place which gets everyone’s knickers in a twist. With the obvious blame falling to Bill and his undead brethren. Although after some investigation the finger is pointing at someone even closer to Sookie’s heart than Bill. And it is with that that she strikes out to clear the names of the people she loves while trying not to get killed herself.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I dug this book. It wasn’t the typical vampire novel. There isn’t a whole bunch of bodice ripping and damsels in distress, while the big bad vampires wreak havoc on the unsuspecting town, until the calvary of burly men with stakes ride up to save the day. Sure there is the obvious amount of supernatural fantastic material contained within it’s pages. It is a book about vampires for God’s sake. But it is also about a tough as nails southern chick willing to look a fool and buck the system to save the men that she loves. And almost more importantly it is about a minority stepping out on to the world’s stage and attempting to be accepted for what they are; not what people expect them to be. And here I thought I was just reading a book about blood suckers and red necks. Who knew the novel about vampires and a chick with a goofy name could also be a study of independence and tolerance?

Read more of her book review s here :

http://beegeek.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/6-dead-until-dark-by-charlaine-harris/

True Blood Episode Ten : 'I don't want to know ' recap from HBO site

Sookie wakes up to find Sam at the foot of her bed - naked - and immediately starts kicking him. Convinced he's the murder after all, she flees to the bathroom, where a moment later, the familiar dog trots in ... then morphs into Sam. After Sookie gets over her astonishment, Sam explains that he's a shapeshifter and can transform into any animal he sees. At first she listens, interested, but as the depth of his lie dawns on her, she becomes angry and sends him away.

Tara, with Sam's $800 in her pocket, meets Miss Jeanette in the woods to have her demon exorcised. After drinking a vial of "snake juice" and rubbing the woman's spit across her face, Tara sees herself appear nearby as a young girl, but with black pupil-less eyes. Miss Jeanette tells her the demon can take any form and gives her a knife to stab the creature, which disappears when the blade touches it, leaving the knife covered in blood. Tara, overcome, falls to the ground weeping out of shock and relief.

In Jason's basement, Amy hooks an IV up to Eddie, who tells her he knows that she plans to kill him. Amy prefers not to accept moral judgment from a vampire, but when she finds the stash of Tru Blood that Jason has been feeding him, she realizes her relationship is at stake. Going upstairs, she tells Jason that she thinks they should be nicer to Eddie, treat him like a pet. The vampire could get Stockholm syndrome and maybe come to love them ...

At Merlotte's, Sam stands on a ladder to hang lanterns for Arlene's engagement party. As she corrects his work, his mind drifts back to his childhood, to the first time that he shifted forms - into the family dog - right in front of his adoptive parents. Terrified, he runs off into the night on all fours.

read on
Episode Ten ( S1) HBO Recap

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

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

you participate in more than one True Blood message board

when your sister finally returns your call, you say "If I remembered what feelings were, mine would be hurt".

You have Frescas, for guests.

you hum the tune to "Bill's Entrance" all the time.

you look in the Shreveport yellow pages for "Fangtasia!"

you obsess about Bill's hair and Bill's tongue. Anything related to Bill, period.

Thoroughly won over by Sookie Stackhouse

Paige Turner writes ...

Several months ago, I wrote a blog entry about how silly I thought the HBO show "True Blood" was. It's been the highest-trafficked blog entry I've written in the two years I've been writing this blog. I was very surprised by the response.I can't say yet whether I have been won over by "True Blood" because I am waiting for it to come out on DVD, but I am completely addicted to Charlaine Harris's "Sookie Stackhouse" novels. After the rabid hate mail I received (just kidding), I decided to give

Ms. Harris and her barmaid telepath a chance in writing. Maybe the fault I found in the show was all to blame on the show's producers -- maybe the books were better (I hoped). I am glad to say that the books are good -- a little trashy, full of supernatural creatures, a lot of fun and great for a little mind candy -- and I am eagerly awaiting Harris's next book about Sookie's adventures "Dead and Gone.
Read on

http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/books/2009/01/thoroughly_won_over_by_sookie.html

True Blood fashion statement : Purple paisley tie

OK , here ya go another Sookie fashion question.

Who wore this and to what .....?

Yes, its and yes, it does match his eyes.....
~~~

Quinn came across the lawn and mounted the porch
with an understated speed. He didn't look as though he was hurrying, but suddenly he was there, and I was smiling at him, and he looked wonderful. He was wearing a dark gray suit, a dark purple shirt, and a tie that blended the two colors in a paisley pattern. He was wearing one earring, a simple gold hoop.

True Blood Music Video of the Day

Amazed by Lonestar

What's your game?

Wonderland writes : I'm watching True Blood at the moment, HBO's jaw-socking vampire series. Some of the best television I've seen in a long while. In episode 9 or so, there's a magic moment where Bill (a vampire) is playing golf (during the day). Pan out, and he's on the Wii. Next scene, vamp visitors ask him, "what's your game? I see you're playing Wii...".

If this is product placement, it's genius.

http://www.wonderlandblog.com/wonderland/2009/01/whats-your-game.html

I also posted about this in November and you can watch the video of this scene:

Ask Dallas : Here Dean, come boy !

Btanalo sent me an email with a great question about Dean, the dog. I love receiving email but I can't promise that I will always be able to find or know the answer to questions , but this time I was able to find out the answer for her ...

She wrote :
Dallas,

I'd sure like to know more about the dog who plays Dean/Sam. Have you seen anything written up about him/her?
bt


Well BT - I'd like you to meet the animal actor who actually plays Dean , his real name is Duffy and he is an English Shepard. Dean as we know is Sam's alter ego , or what he becomes when he shifts to a dog from his human form.

Dean ... I mean Duffy actually works at Boone's Animals for Hollywood.
http://www.boonesanimals.com/



I also believe that the lovely Tina, the cat may also be one of the British Blue cats that also work with Duffy at Boone's.


http://www.boonesanimals.com/pages/3170/British_Blues.htm

True Blood also states at the end of every show " The America Humane Association Monitored the animal action. No animals were harmed.

To find out more about the Film & TV Unit of the American Humane Society
visit here :
http://www.americanhumane.org/protecting-animals/programs/no-animals-were-harmed/

Established in 1940, American Humane’s Film & Television Unit is the leading authority on the safe use of animals in film. We are the only animal welfare organization in the world with on-set jurisdiction from the Screen Actors Guild to supervise the use of animals. We are also the only organization with the authority to issue our renowned “No Animals Were Harmed”® end-credit disclaimer.

Animals Trainer include :
•Boone Narr
•David Bruce Allsberry
•Shawn Weber
•Brian Turner
•Linda Rowe
•Brian Turi
•Scott Davis
•Tracy Kelly
•Richard Long
•Scott Rowe

Yes, Virginia, there really is a Bill Compton house Pt. I

Yes, Virginia, there really is a Bill Compton house.

No, it IS NOT just a facade on some studio back lot. It's a real home and a real Pre-Civil War historic treasure.

No, it's not exactly located in Bon Temps and it is not next to the Tall Pines (Bon Temp) cemetery , nor just up the road from Sookie's house but it is a real home and a real beauty.

Let me say RIGHT off, I am not divulging any secrets or letting anyone see anything that hasn't already been made very public, but I would caution anyone to never interfere with filming or trespass on private property that also serve as film locations. The TV /Motion Picture industry is a very important business and brings much needed jobs and revenues to the local economies, especially in an area like Louisiana and I would urge everyone to always remember that and always be respectful.

Bill's house is actual known as Roseneath Plantation and it is located in De Soto Parish, Louisiana. When we visited it, last month it was undergoing extensive renovation and the contractor told us it was being renovated for the family. Generations of the Means family have continually inhabited the home since it was built in the mid 19th century. It is a lovely, stately old home and has stood there in that beautiful, lush rolling farm land since 20 years before the Civil War.

I have always thought it's most interesting and unique architectural attribute are the jalousie between the front porch columns. ( those kind of shutters). It's architectural description from it's historic designation.

Roseneath is a large, two story, frame Greek Revival plantation home located in a rural setting near the tiny community of Gloster. It has received relatively few alterations since construction. The house was built for William Bundy Means of South Carolina and has been occupied continuously by the Means family. The date passed down through the generations is 1846.

You can read the entire document here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/10977924/16023001

Document pertaining to it's designations with the National Register for Historic places ( maps, photos, etc.)

roseneath

Here is an article about the home from the Times of Acadiana: Tracking vampires in North Louisiana

http://www.scribd.com/doc/10978540/books2LTBiDW


Our wonderful trip travelogue from December http://lovingtruebloodindallas.blogspot.com/2008/12/sleuthing-in-truebloodville-travelogue.html

Photos from our Louisiana trip :

finalLAwatermark

Yes, Virginia, there really is a Bill Compton house Pt. II

More photos .. from True Blood still from the series left and real photo on right











Miscellaneous..

Vampires and Evil: the Romantic Antihero Reborn

Sandra writes...

Vampires have historically been considered evil, and were blamed for many little understood situations in the cultures that spawned them. But fictionally they are currently not considered 100% bad. Since they’re the living dead – creatures to be feared rather than desired – they deserve a closer look.

Body image and wealth are worshipped in our society, and if you add a bit of trendy perversity to the mix you might get an instant hero, or the 20th century equivalent – the antihero. This character is often dark in nature, and they have their own set of morals. They kill and frighten fragile humans, but they are no longer the monsters or villains of yore. Dress evil in smart clothes over a beautiful body and it doesn’t seem so unappealing anymore. Antiheroes are the ultimate outcasts, and if they are self-loathing, that’s even better: the romantic, but evil, protagonist is born . . . or reborn. Who better to personify those attributes than the modern fictional vampire?

Vampires are seen as evil when they lure nubile beauties into blood ritual. Their sensual side is not new. Dracula dawdled over Mina for days, during which time she appeared besotted, deceptive, and furtively aware of puncture wounds to her throat, an entrance into her body that she has allowed. He could have dispatched her as he did Lucy, but instead he lingered until she was begging him for it. It being his blood and her final transformation into another one of his vampire brides (he’d left three of them back at the castle). We didn’t want her to change; we wanted Dracula to be vanquished. This is the fundamental difference: if that story were written in the 21st century we'd want Drac and Mina together in everlasting bliss.

Vampires from an older period fed rampantly on the innocent, but in many books released today, they don’t randomly attack people and kill them. They offer many of their chosen the choice of transformation, and a “blood bond” is created instead of a “blood curse.” These vampires are depicted as torn by the pull of opposite urges, wanting to honor the remnants of their human side but still irresistibly drawn to seek blood. Their fictional human counterparts (buddies, lovers, misguided Renfields) witness their moral struggle, almost as if they were watching a human struggle with a substance addiction. They stand by wanting to offer support, but usually make the process worse, their bodies a pulsating temptation. They are the enablers upon which the plot twists.

In fiction today we want the vampire to get the girl, or boy (Louis and Armand in the Rice Vampire Trilogy; Edward and Bella in Twilight; Bill and Sookie in Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series).

Vampires have changed, but our notions of evil have changed as well. I’ll examine this aspect in my next installment.

http://www.bloodmother.com/2009/01/vampires-and-evil-romantic-antihero.html

http://www.bloodmother.com/

Bill Compton voted for Obama

We do know from Book 2 that Bill was a Democrat, so he would have probably voted for Obama and would have been celebrating our new presidential today..

bk2
Sookies says "I couldn't have been more surprised if Jason had told me Bill had been dating Hillary Clinton (though Bill was a Democrat)"

~~~~~

Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our Nation -- not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

That is the true genius of America, a faith -- a faith in simple dreams, an insistence on small miracles; that we can tuck in our children at night and know that they are fed and clothed and safe from harm; that we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door; that we can have an idea and start our own business without paying a bribe; that we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution, and that our votes will be counted -- at least most of the time.

Barack Obama Democratic National Convention speech 2004

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/convention2004/barackobama2004dnc.htm

True Blood Music Video of the Day

Lost Boys by the 69 Eye's

"True Blood" Star: 'Sam Has A Whole Life Nobody Knows About!"

Posted by Jarett Wieselman November 21, 2008

To think that just 75 days ago I had no clue what "Fang Bangers" were and I had never heard of Bon Temps -- the vampiest town in America. And while I might have been slightly delayed hopping on the bandwagon, I'm now at the steering wheel since "True Blood" is currently TV's most exciting, involving and unpredictable show.

Gearing up for Sunday's big finale, I had to squeeze in an interview with one more cast member before we bid adieu for a few months while the show goes underground to film season two -- expected summer 2009! This time, I had the pleasure of speaking with Sam Trammell, who plays Sam Merlotte -- owner of the local (only?) watering hole, formerly the unrequited love of Sookie Stackhouse and recently revealed to be a shapeshifter. Have I mentioned how much I love this show?

Pop Wrap: In what is now the traditional first question for the cast of "True Blood," what were your thoughts upon first reading the pilot script?
Sam Trammell: I thought it was amazing and I loved how it bridged so many different genres, but I wondered how Alan Ball would do it. If it was possible to pull this show off because it would either be amazing or not have its potential fully realized. But he made it happen!

PW: At what point did Alan, or someone, come up to you and lay out Sam Merlotte's history so that Sam Trammell could make informed acting choices?
Sam: He showed me the first two scripts and half of the third one when I auditioned for him, but before I auditioned for HBO, Alan brought me in to work with him and explained there would be an episode where we go through Sam's whole backstory and find out he's a shapeshifter. He just didn't tell me when. So I knew it was coming but I also read the books, I've read six or seven of them, just to make sure there wasn't anything super crazy in Sam's future.

PW: Interesting -- so you chose to read them while your co-stars Ryan and Rutina didn't. Why?
Sam: I thought there might be more information in there since Sam isn't really fleshed out early on. There's a lot more in the books about his history, which we're going to dig into next year. There's that whole time period between being abandoned as a child and appearing in Bon Temps that's left to discover.

PW: That scene when Sam was abandoned clued us in so much as to what kind of person he is, which was unexpected since I thought he was the killer!
Sam: A lot of people were under that impression and I think Alan is happy about that. We were hoping that would happen -- not counting on it -- but we definitely wanted to put some red herrings out there with the latex gloves and his mysterious timing of showing up at places.

PW: Maybe then you can explain the significance of Sam rolling around in Dawn's bed after she was murdered?
Sam: My feeling is, Sam had a relationship with Dawn -- they probably dated and he felt close to her. Actually he feels very protective of all the waitresses that work for him, and I think some of his animal instincts came through. That animalistic sense of smell bled into his human form, so I just think he was trying to be closet o her one last time. It was a very private moment -- that was filmed.

PW: Yeah, all the "True Blood" boys seem to have a lot of private moments filmed, which is surprising since most shows would prefer to focus on their naked female cast.
Sam: That's right -- Alan is an equal opportunity stripper. And I think it's great because you're right, in a lot of shows, the women get objectified more than the men, so here we're given an equal chance to take our clothes off. It's sort of the running joke -- "who has to wear the sock today?" Um, but let it be known there's more than one sock.

PW: Ha! That's reassuring
Sam: I think Ryan Kwanten wins hands down though, he's naked in almost every single episode. It's funny -- we shoot next to The Disney Channel's "Suite Life of Zack and Cody" in Los Angeles and we're walking around naked, covered in blood. But I met their dad at an event and he told me those boys are big "True Blood" fans, so that was unexpected.

Keep reading for major spoilers about the real identity of Bon Temps' killer, what lies ahead for Sam in the finale and in season two!

PW: This show seems to have a lot of unexpected fans -- why do you think it appeals to so many different demos?
Sam: Maybe because people need an escape right now. The first thing you see in the pilot episode is that really, really dark road going deep into the woods and it lets you know that you're going into a really different, really fantastical world. A world where anything can happen and I think Alan's created these really complex characters and relationships and playing them out.

PW: He also seems to favor talent over star power.
Sam: Yeah, well, aside from Anna who is super well-known, that's one of the best things about it. If you watch a TV show and don't recognize anyone on it, that helps you disappear into their world.

PW: You were born in New Orleans, does that make it more important for you to nail the southern accent?
Sam: Oh yeah, I put a lot of work into it. It comes to me pretty easily but I worked on it every day. I listened to a lot of different people -- Shelby Foote, the narrator from Ken Burns' "Civil War" documentary and this senator from Alabama. It was important to me to have a believable accent.

PW: As a cast, is there a sense of pride knowing that you're working on this special show?
Sam: Yeah, we are all so appreciative and happy to be on the show. Nobody is jaded or not into doing the work, we were all focused on making these characters authentic. We all feel the same enthusiasm about the show, so there were no rifts.

PW: You work most often with Anna Paquin, what's that like?
Sam: She's hilarious, but likes to get under my skin. She calls herself my annoying little sister, but she's utterly amazing because we'll be messing around and then the cameras will turn on and she's instantly in the moment. It's amazing how much she expresses with her face. I love doing scenes with Anna because acting comes so easily to her. I mean, she works real hard -- especially on the accent -- but she's a natural.

PW: And in last week's episode, Sam and Sookie finally made out!
Sam: He got a kiss, but it was kissus-interruptus. Unfair! That was a really interesting episode, such a fun day for Sam to have that day of sleuthing capped off with a kiss.

PW: And you two discovered, or seemingly so, who the real killer is -- Rene!
Sam: Oh yes, with the fax. That will play out Sunday night, you'll see what the deal is with that, but let's just say it doesn't look good for him. And if he is not a good guy, Arlene would be hugely affected by that, for sure.

PW: Who do you think really has Sam's heart - Sookie or Tara?
Sam: It is really complex. Sam loves Sookie but he hooks up with Tara. It's one of those things where he's a guy -- or a half-guy -- and I think part of that hook-up was rebellion. That, and Tara made a very compelling argument for them sleeping together since she said there would be no consequences.

PW: I think we all know that isn't how this played out.
Sam: Yeah, once he slept with her, his heard did become involved, so I think in an unintended way he's become wrapped up in Tara. Although I do think he's in love with Sookie and Tara was just a diversion from that.

PW: Who do you want him to be with?
Sam: I dunno, I know that the writers didn't originally plan to have Sam and Tara together -- it was going to just be that one time, but they liked us together, so it kept going. You'd think he'd be more loyal to Sookie but once you have sex your heart gets involved -- or at least it did for Sam because I think he really cares for Tara, even more so after sleeping together.

PW: Sunday's finale is bound to have a few big "oh my god" moments -- how many involve your character?
Sam: There are a couple big things that happen with Sam in the finale where it's like, "what?!?!?!" Big cliffhangers that sort of point to the secrets that we'll be delving into next season.

PW: My friends and I have been wondering if one of those secrets is that Sam can take the appearance of vampires since they're less complex than humans (he claimed to be unable to turn into humans because they have too many complex organs).
Sam: That's a good question -- I don't know. I'm not sure, I guess it's possible because he can't turn into a living thing but maybe he could turn into a dead one...

PW: So if that's not the secret, what is?
Sam: He has a whole life that nobody knows about which is pretty radical and interesting. Think about it, he's a shapeshifter and how has he used that, if at all, to survive? There are few things dealing with Sam that are teased and hinted at which are cliffhangers. There's a lot going on with him -- his past if very connected to where the show goes next season.

"True Blood" airs its season finale this Sunday at 9 p.m. on HBO!!!!

http://blogs.nypost.com/popwrap/archives/2008/11/true_blood_fina.html

Anna Paquin makes a welcome return to the gossip mags

Anna Paquin makes a welcome return to the gossip mags after her surprise Golden Globes win, but the Kiwi actress is staying typically humble.

Paquin - who won the Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series thanks to her role as a telepathic barmaid in HBO vampire series True Blood - tells Woman's Day she essentially plays a glorified Hooters waitress on the show.

"I'm beyond flattered and honoured ... I'm completely overwhelmed," the 26-year-old says, after beating Sally Field, Mariska Hargitay, Kyra Sedgwick and January Jones for the award.

"I was the pale brunette from New Zealand, and I'm playing this Southern tanned blonde, essentially a Hooters waitress."

Hey, even well-endowed barmaids wearing tight white tops need their moment in sun.

Paquin tells WD the award is "100 percent cooler" than her Best Supporting Actress Oscar win for The Piano at age 11.

"I don't even remember that, it was very blurry and crazy," Paquin says.

"This is quite blurry and crazy too, but at least I'm old enough to drink and stay out past 10pm."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4823377a1860.html