Friday, July 31, 2009
True Blood 2.07 Release Me previews
EW Vampire cover issue preview
This week's cover: Vampires!
This week’s Entertainment Weekly delivers the ultimate guide to vampires. You’ll find interviews with the authors behind Twilight and True Blood, our list of the 20 greatest bloodsuckers ever, and Anne Rice’s pick for the best new vampire — as well as a talk with her about how she revolutionized the vampire legend decades ago with Interview with a Vampire.
With Twilight a phenomenon, True Blood attracting converts by the millions, and hordes of new vampire projects looming in the shadows, bloodsuckers are haunting every corner of our lives: bookstores, television, movies, and more. Why has pop culture thrown open its door and invited them in? “The traditional vampire story, with monsters and victims, chases and chills, is more plain fun,” says True Blood’s executive producer Alan Ball. “But they can often reveal the general state of the cultural psyche.”
Vampires are such versatile symbols now that they can express both conservative and liberal views. Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight novels are steeped in her Mormon values. But True Blood speaks in part for gays and, as Ball puts it, “eight years of institutionalized demonization of pretty much any group that wasn’t on the bus with Mr. Bush.”
It may come as a surprise to learn that Meyer – reigning queen of pop culture’s vampire coven – has an uneasy relationship with them. Back in 2003, when she was writing the first draft of Twilight, she refused to show it to her husband. “I was embarrassed,” she said. “It was about vampires.” In fact, last year, she told EW that her great wish was to reclaim some time to write something new. “Look, I’m not just a vampire girl,” she said emphatically. “I can do other worlds.”
Laurell K. Hamilton, author of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter books, has her own thoughts on the Twilight phenomenon. “Stephenie Meyer has come and she’s taken the genre that I sort of pioneered. Her original audience was 11- and 12-year-olds, so she – very rightly – sanitized the genre. She took out a lot of the sex and violence, especially for the first book…I ask people, Why has this really captured you? What I heard from all ages is that it was very romantic that he was willing to wait for her and that there was no sex. They like the idea that [Bella] was like the fairy princess and [Edward] is the handsome prince that rides in and saves her. The fact that women are so attracted to that idea – that they want to wait for Prince Charming rather than taking control of their own life – I find that frightening.”
When asked why people find vampires so appealing, Anne Rice (author of the series The Vampire Chronicles) says, “I think people are intrigued by what they would do if they were offered the opportunity to be a vampire. Would they be willing to drink human blood in order to be immortal? Maybe they would.”
For more about vampires, including our list of the 20 Greatest Ever and Anne Rice’s pick for the coolest of the new crops, pick up the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly onstands as of July 31. And be sure to check out our 27 hottest TV/movies vampires gallery, online now.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
A little Q&A with Charlaine Harris
Charlaine Harris on her Sookie books, ‘True Blood,’ Bill vs. Edward
Posted by Diana McCabe, Paranormal Romance
Charlaine Harris is pretty much everywhere these days. The author of the Sookie Stackhouse series, which HBO is basing its TRUE BLOOD shows on, is working on her 10th Sookie book (due out May 2010), keeping an eye on the TV show as well as appearing at big fan shows such as Comic-Con. We caught up with her right before Comic Con to ask her a few things about the latest book out, DEAD AND GONE, and a little bit about the show!
Q. Do you think Eric has grown because of his relationship with Sookie?
A. I think parts of Eric have surfaced that he thought were buried for good.
Q. What will it take for Sookie to understand the blood bond? (It seems as if she is losing her ability to distinguish between her own feelings, Eric’s feelings and those generated by the blood bond.)
A. This is an issue in the next book.
Q. How would you compare the strengths between the bonds of vampire and sire, a vampire and his/her king or queen, and a vampire and his/her sheriff?
A. The vampire/sire relationship is the strongest.
Q. In one podcast interview, you said you didn’t see Sookie turning into a vampire or even winding up with one — in the sense that she would lead a normal life and be with a human. Do you still think she will be able to do that — settle with one person? Not a vampire?
A. I said that Sookie will never become a vampire. And a vampire can’t give her what she’s always thought she wanted; a regular marriage with children. But that doesn’t mean Sookie will end up with exactly what she wants. I see no reason why she couldn’t settle with one person.
Q. What did you want readers to take away from DEAD AND GONE?
A. I don’t know that I had a specific goal; I had several themes, though. The ruthlessness and inhumanity of the fae, the outrages we commit in the name of love, and the loneliness of those who simply can’t fit in and are doomed by their own nature . . . those were all elements of the book.
Q. Do you have a good idea of how the series will eventually end? If so — have you ever changed your mind about the ending?
A. I do know how the series will end. And I have never changed my mind.
Q. Tell us a little bit about your cameo at the end of season 2!!!!
A. I’m sitting in Merlotte’s at the bar talking to Sam. I’m wearing a striped shirt. I have a line. I almost hope they cut it. I’m not an actor.
Q. Alan Ball has certainly developed the HBO show differently from the books. Does his vision of the show make you think about how you’re writing your current book? Have you ever gotten an idea from the show to build on in the book series?
A. I keep them separate in my mind. The book characters have been living with me for a long, long time.
Q. Do you and Alan Ball talk before, during, after the season?
A. We email back and forth from time to time, more frequently before each season. We are both very busy people. If I’m in Los Angeles, we usually have lunch together or something. And we have some good conversations when we’re doing publicity for the show.
Q. To you — what’s been the most interesting/surprising or creative storyline(s) that HBO has developed in the series?
A. Jessica, without a doubt.
Q. Which parts of the TV series most visually match what you envisioned when you wrote your book series?
A. Sookie’s house is perfect, though it doesn’t have the same layout. But the rooms are just right. In Sam’s office, the desk is turned in a different direction, but other than that it’s wonderful.
Q. Do you know ahead of time what is on each episode? Do you watch each Sunday?
A. I do know ahead of time. And I do watch each Sunday.
Q. OK — gotta ask because it’s everywhere! Bill Compton vs. Edward Cullen?
A. There is no contest.
Deborah Ann Woll (TB Jessica) on becoming a Vamp
by Amy Wilkinson MTV Hollywood Crush
Bon Temps has seen a lot of changes during the second season of "True Blood." Jason left town to bunk at Jesus camp. Sam has a potential love interest in fellow shapeshifter Daphne. And orgies are all the rage thanks to mysterious Maryann. But one of the best additions to the small Louisiana town has got to be newborn vampire Jessica, played by Deborah Ann Woll.
The 24-year-old Brooklyn native spoke with H Magazine(see her full cover after the jump) about preparing to play Jessica, on-set antics and her favorite horror flicks.
For Deborah, portraying a sheltered-teenager-turned-mischevious-bloodsucker took both mental and physical preparation. "Research is a great tool," she said. "The more I know about my surroundings and the situations I am in the more creative I can be. So there is the culture of Louisiana, the primal vampire animalistic qualities, the awkward home schooled teenager syndrome. Even sometimes looking up precisely what a word means can be very eye opening."
Wildlife footage was also a great tool for mastering the "alien/animal" movements of a vampire. "I watched a lot of animal videos and often attack footage. Stalking and attacking and killing are practices lost in most humans, so I needed to teach myself to do them."
The HBO series isn't all blood, guts and gore though. Deborah described the set's vibe as comical, even revealing that hunky Ryan Kwanten, who plays Jason, is quite the prankster, inciting a bit of revenge from the crew. "I heard they filled his car to the brim with tiny styrofoam balls," Deborah said. "I don't believe he will ever get them all out!"
So what horror flicks does a vampire (or a gal who plays a vampire) watch to give herself the willies? "Well, at present I would say Neil Marshall's 'Descent.' That really terrified me and it was shot so creatively," Deborah said. " 'His Dog Soldiers' is great too. But growing up I always loved 'Alien,' 'The Exorcist,' and the original 'Haunting' with Julie Harris. 'The Haunting' would keep me up at night."
True Blood set for third season
Zap2it.com
The shows behind HBO's ratings resurgence this summer are getting their reward.
The premium-cable channel picked up all three of its current Sunday-night shows -- "True Blood," "Hung" and "Entourage" -- for new seasons. All three will be back in summer 2010, HBO programming group chief Michael Lombardo announced Thursday at the summer TV press tour.
"True Blood" has turned into HBO's biggest show in its second season. The series is averaging close to 4 million viewers in premiere airings on Sunday nights, and HBO says cumulative weekly viewing (including repeats, DVRs and on demand) tops 10 million people. "Hung" has also started strong, while "Entourage" has made huge gains on its ratings compared to last summer.
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Monday, July 27, 2009
Dammit Momma! Turn my cell back on! (True Blood recap)
It’s the roaring 20s and Bill and Lorena are vamping it up old-school style. “F*k Prohibition!” is what I say! I guess back in the day Bill wasn’t so sensitive to human emotions and wasn’t sold on the whole mainstreaming concept yet. Watch out ladies, this one’s a biter!
Sorry Sam, your love life sucks worse than Terry’s. Daphne teaches us there’s more than meets the eye (even for pig shifters) and lures Sam to MaryAnne’s hog heaven orgy festival. Everyone is doing 30-ways of nasty and Tara and scrambled Eggs just got home in time. Daphne says it’s the end of the road Sam and I happen to think this is an excellent time to fly.. as in shift into a bird Sam! Fly like the wind!
Lafeyette is back to business at Merlotte’s, Pam is offering employment opportunities turning his old tricks, V! Lafeyette ain’t playin. Terry tells Andy he’s not the same sheriff he was at Memaw’s and Papaws… ah.. isn’t that precious!
Meanwhile, back in Dallas. There’s all sorts of fang-tastic stuff happening, starting with Eric likes his donors kinky! Lorena’s in town sporting vintage bling. Bill’s not that thrilled to see his old tramp, as opposed to Jessica who is tickled pink… err white, to see that Hoyt made a road trip! Yippee!
Sookie and Hugo take a roadtrip themselves, to the Fellowship of the Sun compound. The compound sports a church, dorms, bunker and, thanks to Jason & Luke a “Meet the Sun” burn-a-vamp-in-flames alter! Folks this makes for a great tourism brochure! While Jason and Luke sing camp songs, Sookie and Hugo make wedding plans. Steve Newlin gives the grand tour with a grand finale trip to his daddy’s tomb. That Steve! He’s such a character! Sarah doesn’t think Sookie would like the dark, damp basement. Me neither, my hair always frizzes with that kind of humidity. Steve insists and shoves Sookie down the steps. Why is Hugo here? Dude can’t even protect a girl.
Sarah doesn’t like the “c” word, you know, the one that rhymes with bundt. But we’re not talking cakes here honey. She leans on Jason, because God, its His will.. you know.. God is all about adultery and live and let live, especially in church!
Next up, Bill sharpen stakes for Sookie, Eric puts the smack down on the Dallas vamps and Newlin is onto Jason’s shenanigans.
We are not affiliated with Charlaine Harris or her publisher.