Let me begin by saying that the artist behind these drawings is much more talented that I'll ever be when it comes to drawing and I hate poking fun at the art because it's actually quite good but the context in which it's used is too amusing not to share.

It's "Twilight." With ponies. I kid you not. I wish I could say this was a spoof but I think it was made with great intentions. It just happens to be insanely hilarious.

I know. All you want is a break from "Twilight". I promise you that break for at least this post though I'm not sure how long the interlude will really last.

I'd like to take a moment to share two things. The first is that I've just read the first two books of L. J. Smith's soon to be TV show "The Vampire Diaries". I don't love the books but have been convinced that the fourth book in the series ends in a spectacular scene and so I will slug my way through book three to get there.

You may recall that before I picked up the books I speculated that the show might be a winner. I still think it has potential but I'm decidedly more on the fence now than I was before. I did however, just stumble on this promotional still which has my senses tingling. It's a very racy image which suggests more "Gossip Girl" which as far as I'm concerned, is a good thing. See for yourself:

And if you'd like to hear me wax poetic on the the novels and the show's potential, you're in luck. Episde 19 of Before the Dawn has just gone live and is all about "The Vampire Diaries". Be sure to check us out!

As for the "True Blood" lover in me...I think I'm slowly starting to lose my mind. What on earth did I ever see in Vampire Bill? Seriously, even his name now rubs me the wrong way. It's something about the fact that he seems inwardly creepy and shady. Erik on the other hand...he may be evil but it's all on display. And I'm sorry, when you look like this, it's impossible to imagine anyone could look away.

This image has replaced my Twilight desktop. For now at least.

The Saturn Awards are given away annually and I've always thought of them as (for the most part) picking out "the best of the best" when it comes to sci-fi/horror/the supernatural.

I saw a few tweets last night about the awards but I didn't bother checking out any of the winners until a few minutes ago and BHAM! Awesomeness!

Remember "Moonlight"? That little TV show I talked about a few months back? The very same one hubby and I have been watching over dinner? Yeah, THAT one. It won an award. It took home the "Best Series on DVD" prize and for good reason too - it a bloody good show.

Word of waning if you do decide to shell out the $26 (I paid WAY more than that) I won't stop you (actually, let me help: get it here!) but I'm warning you now, they went cheap on the release - no extras whatsoever but still worth every penny.

And just for fun...take in Mr. Mic St. John...

I've talked about book trailers in the past but even the one I tracked down that was good wasn't quite this good. It's more of a teaser and really only works, I assume, if you've read the series but I'm curious for those who aren't familiar with the "House of Night" series: does this do anything for you?

In my daily trek through the interweb, I came across a great article by Bryan White who is the editor at the excellent Cinema Suicide. He wrote a great piece for Geek Force Five in which he examines this "new breed of vampire" looking specifically at the vampires currently at the fore-front of the entertainment world: the "Twilgiht Vampires" and the "True Blood"/Sookie Stockhouse phenomenon.

It's an excellently written, well though out look at the current state of vampires which includes a musing on why these specific types of vampires are so popular in today's culture. Read the article here.

In an effort to stay ahead of the curve and in light of the fact that the books have been optioned in the hopes of a hit the size of Twilight, I recently picked-up the first novel in the “House of Night” series by authors P.C. Cast and her daughter Kristin Cast. The idea of a Vampyre Finishing School is indeed an interesting sounding premise but it’s far from what you get in the series. Four books of the proposed nine part series have been released and I’m pleased to announce that I’ve bought into the series; hook, line and sinker.

In the Cast’s vampyre world, which seems to run parallel to our own, vampyres aren’t created by being bit. Instead when they reach puberty, some individuals are “marked” with a sign on their forehead and forced to move into a local “House of Night”, a school that essentially prepares the fledglings for a transformation into vampyres. Unfortunately, not everyone who is marked successfully completes “the change” and a few individuals die in the process. In this parallel world, the vampyres have also “come out” and live amongst humans. These vampyres can also travel in the day (though it’s very uncomfortable) and there’s quite the gap in time from when you’re marked to when you make the change giving the young ones a chance to adjust to their soon to be new lives. The story marries the traditional idea of the vampyre with a more spiritual approach. The vampyres in these stories are highly matriarchal with the women having the most power, and they are forever attached to the Goddess Nyx.

A few thoughts on the specific books (very mild spoilers - promise):

“Marked” – The first novel in the series sets up the story nicely introducing the main players including heroine Zoey Redbird, her group of friends, her nemesis Aphrodite and high priestess Neferet. Though I enjoyed the story, I found the characters, especially Zoey, highly unlikable and the style of writing obnoxious. I realize that Mrs. Cast brought her daughter on board to help with the “teen speak” but it’s a bit much and I nearly put down the book on more than one occasion thankfully, the story is compelling enough to keep the reader interested. Even more than the teen speak, I was particularly unimpressed by the continued and repetitive cultural references that came up throughout the novel which will do the book no favours in the ageing process. In the end, it’s a light read that ends on a fairly major cliff-hanger.

“Betrayed” – More of the same. I came to dislike Zoey even more in book two and started to wonder what kind of example this girl is setting for other teens. A couple of boyfriends? Flirting with a teacher? What on earth? I realize that books in a series are almost guaranteed to sum up the previous novel at some point near the beginning for those that jump in part-way through but the recap here felt particularly forced and unnecessary. The story isn't that complicated; have faith that your reader will figure it out. It was at this point in the story that I started to realize that the Cast’s had probably written an insanely long manuscript or pitched a story idea that the publisher asked them to draw out over a nine part series because book two ends in even more of a cliff-hanger than book one.

“Chosen” – This is where the story really starts to pick-up. The writing is a bit less annoying and the cultural references less pronounced not to mention that the characters, a little more developed by this point, have started to take on a life of their own. No longer are we simply tied to Zoey but some of the side characters have begun to grow into integral key players. Admittedly, the only reason I kept reading was because of Loren Blake. Oh dear, I do have a thing for the bad boys.

“Untamed” – So far, this is my favourite book of the series. It took three books to get here but the story is finally starting to develop beyond teen squabbles and relationships gone wrong. The characters are even more flushed out and it’s nice to see characters, particularly females, that are more than appearances. Stevie Rae and Aphrodite are complex and Zoey begins to show sings of maturity in both her actions and responses to the men in her life and to the events unfolding around her. The novel showcases the Cast’s excellent control of the story and the way in which it is unfolding and I must say, the women and their editors know how to keep the readers coming back for more.

I’m hard pressed to highly recommend the books because the series doesn’t start off particularly well but it develops quickly and the novels are addictive. On the one hand, I’m happy to see that teen sexuality isn’t pushed into the background and that sex is something which features prominently in the story (rather than simply pretending it doesn't exist). I wouldn’t be comfortable with a pre-teen reading this but then it’s nothing new that they haven’t seen or heard about on TV. Still, I’d probably hold off on a 13-year-old giving this a read unless you’re prepared to have “the talk”. Aside from the sexuality, there’s also the disclaimer of language and though easy to read, there is a fair bit of swearing in the series though again, nothing they’ve not heard at school.

The relationships, both with friends and boyfriends are complicated and not perfect love-stories which I liked though I’m still a little distraught by the whole Blake/Zoey aspect of things. It’s a relationship that seemed particularly forced and then quickly ended and though I have some moral issues with it, I must also admit that I found Loren completely engrossing; I would have liked this to be developed a little more.

Overall, though not brilliant, the “House of Night” series is highly addictive teen-lit with just enough racy bits to keep adults as enthralled as teens. Must reads? Not really but definitely worth a look for so called “beach reading”. I’m anticipating the other books in the series; “Hunted” is scheduled for release on March 10, 2009.

For loads more information and extras on the books, check out the official website and online community for the series.

Which creature of the night are you? Your Result: Vampire You are a social pragmatist, as likely to kiss as to bite. Your sensuality and social pragmatism is the counter-balance to your existential angst and your tendency toward depression.
Ghost
Sorceror
Incubus/Succubus
Cthulu Spawn
Demon
Werewolf
Which creature of the night are you? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Via Raincoaster.

Yes, I have a fascination with Vampires. For the most part, folks grow out of this stuff when they get out of high school but for me, the vampire mythos has a lot more going for it than a bunch of sexy 100+ year old guys. Maybe it's because I started my love with the horror creatures started with Anne Rice but any way you cut it, I'm always on the lookout for a new take on the vampire. I've already talked about how much I loved "Moonlight" but I've been expanding my horizons.

Earlier this week I saw the first episode of the UK miniseries "Ultraviolet" and I'm not as drawn in. I'll see it, mostly because I recognize a few faces and the first episode was intriguing, but it's exactly the type of show you expect from the Brits: smart and understated. I usually like these so I'm thinking I was in the wrong frame of mind when I saw the first episode. I plan on catching up with this one over the next few days.

One show that I've really been looking forward to is Alan Ball's new HBO series "True Blood". Based on a series of novels by Charlaine Harris, Ball's show takes place in a fictionalized present where Vampires have "come out" to the world - thanks in part to the invention of Tru Blood, a synthetic blood that fulfills all of a vampire's dietary needs. This particular story takes place in a Louisiana town and focuses on a Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress with mind reading abilities, her family and friends and a vampire named Bill.

The first episode was pretty interesting. I loved the opening few minutes before the credits but must admit that I'm still getting used to seeing Anna Paquin as "sexy" though I do love her mix of vulnerability and ass-kickery. As for Stephen Moyer as Bill - I'm not quite sure about him. He's no Mick St. John but there's a maturity to his character that I appreciate. What I'm having particular trouble with is how quickly their relationship has developed (2 episodes and they're dating) but I think that's something I can get used to. Bonus points to anyone who can figure out the connection between Moyer and another show I mentioned earlier in this post.

The real gems of the show are the supporting characters namely Rutina Wesley who had a fantastic introduction to film with this year's How She Move and who rocks the role of Tara, Sookie's best friend. The other stand out for me so far is Nelsan Ellis who plays the restaurant's gay cook Lafayette. He's loud and flamboyant and he makes me smile each and every time he's on screen.


I've seen the first two episodes and so far, I'm not completely impressed, mostly because the show defies my expectations, but that's also the reason I'll keep watching. I've loved all of Ball's previous projects so I'm expecting that this one will grow on me and HBO will give it a chance to do so. "True Blood" has been picked up for a second season!

Another thing I quickly want to touch on is the show's opening sequence which, again, defies expectation yet beautifully fits in with some of the themes and moods of the show. I've posted the video below. Be sure to check them out if you haven't seen them yet. If you're looking for a higher resolution version, one can be found at Digital Kitchen.

And to think this all started as an error.

I blame it all on UK blogger buddy Ramchandra, who accidentally watched "Moonlight" thinking it had something to do with Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight". There were an amusing group of Tweets surrounding the confusion but it all ended with a hearty recommendation. Since CBS/Warner have yet to release the show on DVD, I had to find other ways of tracking it down but after a little searching, into my possession came the first 12 (which means there are still 3 episodes kicking around out there that I haven't seen - MUST find).

The show stars Australian looker Alex O'Loughlin as PI Mick St. John (who also happens to be a Vampire), Sophia Myles (the human love interest), Shannyn Sossamon (the vampire ex-wife - if vampires can have ex-wives) and Jason Dohring (as Mick's best friend).

The pilot for the show is not particularly good. The acting is a bit off, there's little chemistry between the characters, the dialogue is stilted and generally uninspired. It's not surprising that critics ripped it to pieces and even more surprising that CBS kept the show on the air after the critical reception but numbers speak stronger than critics and the show was viewed by a load of people which likely saved it from an early demise. For me, it was a matter of the DVD player skipping to the second episode right at the end of the first.

The second episode was a little better but it was the third that really sucked me in. I spent Saturday and Sunday watching nothing other than the show, even going back and catching up with an episode my DVD player didn't like. The big seller: O'Loughlin and Myles have great chemistry and the banter between the two when the show finds its footing is excellent. I'll admit, it also helps that O'Loughlin is very, very handsome.


Now that I'm done, I'm a bit disappointed. CBS has canceled the show and Warner hasn't found anyone else to take up the reins. Too bad, I was just getting into it too. Lucky for me, I still have a few more to watch. Guess what I'll be doing over the next day or so?

In the meantime, it's worth noting that O'Loughlin isn't new to me. I saw him in Feed a few years back, a film that really rubbed me the wrong way, and he's starring in the upcoming Whiteout with Kate Beckinsale.

And I leave you with this, it opens the pilot and makes for a great introduction to the character:

I read something yesterday which really surprised me. I knew that Stephenie Meyer's closing to the so-called "Twilight Saga" would be a big seller but I'm not sure anyone expected it to sell quite this well. In fact, there were so many pre-orders that the publisher printed a second run of 500,000 books before the launch on Saturday. What really blew my mind were some numbers I read over at Scifi Wire regarding the sales of this in comparison to the last Harry Potter. According to the numbers, "Breaking Dawn" sold 1.3 million copies in the 24 hour period after it's release at 12:01 on Saturday morning. Loads right? Peanuts in com parison to Rowling's megaton bomb "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" which sold 8.3 million copies in its first 24 hours in the United States alone. Holy mother. That's a truckload of books. Rowling is the Spielberg of the book world. I haven't looked at the numbers but I'm willing to guess that the only other book to even rival Rowling's domination is the Bible.

My search for the book was a bit of a disaster. I started off on Saturday morning at Costco who had all of the other books in the series (I nearly re-bought them all - I'll have to do that next weekend) but not the new one. Wal-Mart didn't have them either. I spent the afternoon out and about so I didn't have a chance to stop anywhere else. I knew I was in trouble when I spotted a little girl of about 14, at Ridgestock holding the book. I made a bit of a scene with hubby, more as a joke than anything else.

I did manage to finally lay my hands on the book on Sunday morning when Cuz and I met hubby out at the car show in Coquitlam. There was a Chapters accross the street with an entire wall of books so I managed to pick-up my copy. I've been trying very hard to be reasonable about the reading schedule so I haven't been staying up late or anything but I have been overlooking things like DVD's and podcasts. I'll get to that at some point next week.

In the meantime, I have some thoughts about the book so far. There will be some ****MAJOR**** spoilers after the picture so if you plan on reading the book, you may want to skip the rest of this.

• Bella and Edward are married
• Bella and Edward have had sex (this is where the imagination comes into play since Meyer gives you very little - she's good that way)
• Bella is pregnant
• Bella is dying
• Jacob has left the pack

Ummmmm, where the heck is she going with this?!?! I'm not confused but I'm anxious to find out what happens next. *sigh* it's a few hours before lunch which means a few hours before I get back to it.

I haven't had HBO for a while now but I'm thinking I may need to start letting my fingers do the walking to jump on the bandwagon of the network's new show.

Created by "Six Feet Under"'s Alan Ball, the show stars Anna Paquin as a waitress who falls in love with a vampire, creatures that are accepted members of society now. The show is based on a series of books by Charlaine Harris referred to as the Southern Vampire Mysteries.

This sounds like it could be fun. Plus Ball is already in my good books for bringing me one of my favourite show of the last few years and with Paquin on board, I'm definitely more than willing to give it a shot.

No footage from the show yet but the boys at AICN have delivered the poster and it's delicious.


Hopefully we'll get a look at a "trailer" soon. I'll keep you posted.

UPDATE: Looks like "True Blood" will also be a comic. More details at Dread Central.

Somewhere along the lines, "The Incredible Hulk" discussion over at Row Three descended into comic book movies, "Blade" talk and then Andrew's posting on finding your Vampire name. I searched for mine and here's what I came up with:

The Great Archives determine you to have gone by the identity:
Josette le Boursier
Known in some parts of the world as:
Demeter of The Vile
The Great Archives Record:
Vile, foul, filthy and greedy: this creature knows nothing of light.
"Vile, foul, filthy and greedy"? I might like to shop but I don't think I'm greedy. And this "creature knows nothing of light"??? I'm, like, the happiest person you'll ever meet! Ok. maybe that's pushing it but you get the picture.

That said, I do like my name and all in all, it does make for an interesting persona. What's your vampire name? Find out for yourself and then share in the comments!

It’s been cold as hell for the last couple of days. I haven't brought out the big winter coat because I just KNOW it's going to get worse. At least I made a startling discovery this morning. The last few days, I've been getting to work with a headache. I'm OK when I get up but by the time I walk in the door at the office, I've got a pounding headache. I've discovered that this is due to the cold. The pain today didn't start until I was waiting at the Skytrain platform. I'm thinking I may need to start using a toque or something to keep my forehead warm and cozy. Oi.

Lots of fun stuff for Halloween so we'll jump right in. It took a lot of energy to keep this under wraps for over a month. To celebrate the new M&M's Dark, a site went up in September entitled "50 Dark Movies, Hidden in a Painting". The idea, find the 50 film titles as quickly as possible! It's lots of fun. Go here to take the challenge and make sure you let us know how long it took you to finish yours. It took me almost 30 minutes to do mine. I'll post a link with the answers on Friday!

As for the countdown of movies to see this Halloween…well, I just couldn’t make up my mind. In highschool, shortly after discovering Anne Rice, I picked up this fascination with Vampires. I didn't dress like one, I didn't drink blood because I thought I was one I just liked Vampires. Though I'm not as interested in Vampire lore anymore, I still remain a huge fan of Vampire flicks and of course, my number one spot for Halloween movies to see was going to be a Vampire movie but I couldn't narrow the list down to 1 so, I'm giving you a top 10 list.

10. Buffy the Vampire Slayer - low gore, quick dialogue and darn fun.
9. Blade - loud music, kick ass fight sequences and an ultra cool, buff vampire.
8. Underworld - sleek and modern, not to mention one of the (if not THE) best looking vampire I've EVER seen.
7. The Lost Boys - 80's greatness. I still love watching this one.
6. Night Watch - Russia like you've never seen it before.
5. Dracula - this original is still good today and even with all of the Lugosi parodies out there, the man still does Dracula better than anyone.
4. Shadow of the Vampire - the making of one of the best (and first) vampire movies. Malkovich and Dafoe are brilliant.
3. Nosferatu - this 1922 German classic has stood the test of time.
2. Bram Stoker's Dracula - what can I say? Gary Oldman is brilliant as the shape shifting Dracula. Throw in great performances from Keanu, Carey Elwes, Hopkins and even Winona Ryder, lots of blood, beautiful costumes, great music (which has since been used in TONS of movies) and Coppola behind the camera, and you have a winner. Oh yeah, and keep your eye out for the gorgeous Monica Bellucci…
1. Interview with a Vampire - well, my list couldn't really be topped by anything else. Anne's work, Neil Jordan behind the camera and a brilliant cast brings this, the story of Louis, the caring vampire, to life. But this is as much Louis' story as it is Lestat's and Cruise pulled this off beautifully. It's a gorgeous film with amazing performances. If you haven't seen it, do…it's well worth it. Plus, it's relatively low on the gore factor.

So there you have it. Essentially a list of my favourite vampire flicks.

I hope you everyone has a great Halloween tonight. Eat lots of candy, drink some funny coloured beer, cozy up with a scary movie and above all, be safe.