¿Por qué gustan tanto los vampiros?

Desplazando a fenómenos como Jonas Brothers y High School Music, los chupasangre se toman carteleras y librerías. ¿Qué los hace tan atractivos?

Aquellas pálidas y aterradoras criaturas que dormían en ataúdes y vivían encerradas en sus castillos, hoy son el amor imposible de miles de jóvenes.  Si en Chile en su primer día de exhibición ”Luna Nueva” reunió a 37 mil personas frente a la pantalla, en Estados Unidos se convirtió, en un fin de semana, en la tercera película más vista de la historia del cine norteamericano. La gran mayoría de los asistentes fueron, qué duda cabe, adolescentes.

Una de las razones de esta fascinación juvenil es que los vampiros  abandonaron las antiguas y terroríficas características y nunca habían sido tan atractivos como ahora. Las nuevas generaciones de chupasangre rompieron con el clásico mito de la monstruosidad, pasando a ser elegantes, hermosos, humanizados, vegetarianos y modelo de príncipe azul para la mayoría de las niñas.

Para Emily Anderson, profesora de la Universidad de California, lo que llama la atención de los vampiros es el misterio. Sumado a ello, la sensualidad y el potencial peligro que representan hace que sean tan atractivos para las mujeres.

Un estudio, realizado por Donald Dutton y Arthur Aron, demostró que estos personajes despiertan emociones asociadas al miedo, como el aumento de palpitaciones del corazón y  de la respiración. Debido a que los actores que interpretan estos personajes son atractivos, estas respuestas sensoriales se confunden con pasión y atracción.

Otra de las razones por las que se han transformado en ídolos son sus características sobrenaturales. Una encuesta realizada en Estados Unidos a miles de fanáticos preguntó cuál era el poder de los vampiros que más les gustaría tener. La mayoría prefirió la capacidad de hipnotizar con los ojos. Según la sicóloga Helen Fisher, es muy probable que los adolescentes hayan elegido esto por la complejidad que enfrentan en sus primeras citas. “Al ser capaz de hipnotizar a tu acompañante, disminuye la presión del primer encuentro y se elimina la necesidad del período de cortejo”. Aún así, el hecho de que alguna vez hayan sido humanos y ya no tengan las limitaciones de la raza, puedan vivir eternamente, tirar autos por los aires, trepar árboles y derrotar a sus enemigos hace que los jóvenes admiren a estos fantásticos personajes.

La ciencia tampoco se queda atrás a la hora de explicar este fenómeno. Según los científicos, debido a que los vampiros son criaturas desconocidas  y peligrosas, el cerebro activa un sistema de recompensa  ante lo nuevo e impredecible. Así, la dopamina y los sentimientos de euforia aumentan. El proceso es el mismo que cuando un padre le impide a su hija ver a la persona que ama. Para la sicóloga Fisher, esto es la atracción de frustración: “Cuando no se puede tener lo deseado el sistema de dopamina sigue activo, otorgando un enfoque y la motivación para seguir intentándolo”.

Tal como explica el doctor Steven Schlozman, asistente de siquiatría en la Escuela de Medicina en la Universidad de Harvard, la atracción de los adolescentes por los vampiros también se relaciona con la angustia que se vive a esa edad. En su artículo Vampires and Those Who Slay Them explica que muchos de los cambios, problemas y otras características propias del período de la adolescencia se ven reflejados en estas historias.

Otra explicación apunta a la tesis de que en un mundo que rinde culto a la juventud por sobre todas las cosas, no es de extrañar que los vampiros sean el nuevo ícono. Al convertirse en inmortales no se enferman, no envejecen. Y tampoco se preocupan por la seguridad social. Según Emily Anderson, profesora de la Universidad de California, es un fenómeno que puede ser comparado con Peter Pan, ya que una vez que has sido inmortalizado te quedas para siempre en esa edad,viviendo el momento entre la infancia y la adultez, disfrutando eternamente la emoción y experiencia de ser adolescente.

Pero si sicólogos y científicos intentan escrudriñar desde sus áreas las razones de esta nueva idolatría juvenil, la autora de la saga  Crepúsculo, Stephenie Meyer, esboza una explicación más simple y antigua: estas historias son cuentos de romance con carácter clásico, de valores masculinos y hombres que pueden parecer perfectos, pero que en realidad son inaccesibles. A ello se le suma que la historia de amor entre el  vampiro inmortal y la joven humana representa los amores y miedos que todo adolescente siente. ¿Simple, no?

- por Guilherme Bakunin

True Blood 1×01 – Strange Love

A nova criação de Alan Ball, o mesmo responsável pela super elogiada Six Feet Under, é True Blood, um universo criativo de vampiros que se abrem ao mundo humano em razão do lançamento de um produto chamado Tru Blood, uma bebida de sangue sintético fabricada por cientistas japoneses. A polêmica gerada através dessa autorevelação dos vampiros aos humanos é um dos maiores focos da série, quase como um X-Men de vampiros. No entanto, o assunto principal é outro: o romance entre uma humana telepática chamada Sookie e um vampiro que é, aparentemente, boa praça, chamado Bill (!).

A série é, acima de tudo criativa. Lidar com os vampiros dessa maneira, a partir de uma exposição diplomática das “criaturas do diabo” ao mundo, é interessante. Ambientar a série no interior dos Estados Unidos, então, é instigar o tema da religião na história. E toda a desconstrução do tema de vampiros também parece ser bem interessante: pra começar, Bill e Sookie se conhecem, de verdade, após ela, uma humana, salvá-lo. A inversão de papéis é clara e exterioriza a situação que essas criaturas renegadas pela vida vivem naquele mundo, tão perigosamente humano.

O piloto, no entanto, é fraco. Muito desconexo, muito direto, muito seco. Com o passar dos episódios, a gente meio que percebe que todas as coisas tinham uma razão de ser. Porém, como o comentário é isolado, talvez Alan Ball, que escreveu o episódio, pudesse ter feito melhor. Mas a série é boa.

2/5

True Blood 1×02 – The First Taste

The First Taste é mais um dos episódios escrito pelo Alan Ball, e talvez mostre que o cara deveria mesmo é ficar na produção. Aparentemente o episódio não tem nada de bom, apenas alguns lances interessantes que desencadeiam numa quebra de expectativa imensa, como o “drink da Sookie” ou o assassinato da Marlotte pelo Jason. Mas na verdade, esse segundo episódio é uma continuação do primeiro, tendo sido dividido provavelmente por razões práticas. Aqui, Ball continua a criar e a introduzir suas personagens, seus dramas, suas vidas. Ainda não é a série propriamente dita, então. Vai ser a partir do próximo episódio que True Blood vai crescer surpreendemente como uma das grandes séries do momento.

1/5

True Blood 1×03 – Mine

É a partir do terceiro episódio que True Blood começa a ficar mais interessante. Agora que os personagens já nos foram apresentados, o roteiro se permite desenvolver-se. Em Mina, somos apresentados, ainda que superficialmente, ao mundo dos vampiros da região, onde ainda encontra-se resistência à tru blood (a bebida). As cenas aqui foram pesadas, e já fomos mais expostos ao perigo que cerca a trama, primeiramente com Eric, personagem ainda oculto – que se revelará no próximo episódio – e Carla, a chefe diplomata do vampiros que apareceu em Strange Love – o piloto. True Blood encontra aqui um bom momento, e deve se focar no mistério e nas relações – não apenas românticas de Sookie e Bill, mas em toda a forma como os personagens se relacionam em Bon Temps – para continuar crescendo.

3/5

True Blood 1×04 – Escape from Dragon House

Encontramos aqui a prova praticamente cabal de que há um serial killer em Bon Temps. Com o assassinato de Dawn, o círculo se fecha, e True Blood não parece ter muita pena dos seus personagens. Mais uma vez, o episódio émelhor que todos os seus precedentes. O que importa na série agora é mostrar como a cidade é completamente cheia de pessoas que possuem sentimentos, vontades e vida própria e como eles querem exteriorizar isso. A galeria de personagens da série só aumenta, e a forma como as pessoas se conhecem e se relacionam chega a ser fascinante. Eric, uma espécie de pequeno líder dos vampiros dá às caras e promete, especialmente para a enigmática telepata Sookie, retorno. Mas de longe, o melhor momento do episódio é o final, com Sam se enroscando nos lençóis de Dawn. O personagem é humanizado ali, e não pode receber de nós, como espectadores, nada além de pena. Sam precisa de alguém, e está disposto a fazer de Sookie essa pessoa.

4/5

True Blood 1×05 – Sparks Fly Out

Finalmente Bill vai à reunião dos Mortos Gloriosos falar dos seus tempos da grande guerra de recessão, fazendo assim a sua primeira grande aparição pública. Toda a cidade está presente, e muitos dos mitos vampirescos são ali desmitificados. Enquanto Bill diz que não é uma criatura do diabo, e chora ao ver a foto de sua antiga família, os cidadãos de Bon Temps se convencem de que os vampiros podem ter mais humanidade do que eles esperavam. E no final, True Blood parece ter reservado um argumento pra essa tese especialmente para nós: flashbacks de Bill mostram não apenas como ele tinha uma família, mas também que ele tinha muito amor por ela; e nos mostra também como ele, Bill, se tornou um vampiro. Mais uma vez o espectador de True Blood é confrontado com a piedade diante de seus personagens, e antes que pudesse digerir esse sentimento, uma das mais significativas personagens da série aparece indignamente morta ao chão, um choque que demoraríamos uma semana pra digerir.

4/5

True Blood 1×06 – Cold Ground

Começando a partir do cliffhanger magnífico do episódio anterior, esse é um dos mais belos de True Blood até aqui. Agora que Adele está morta, Sookie enfrenta de forma definitiva a opinião das pessoas em relação ao seu relacionamento com Bill; e Bill continua como um grande suspeito das atrocidades das últimas semanas, pelo menos de acordo com o xerife.

Os melhores momentos do episódio são a redenção da mãe da Tara, com aquele papo sinistro de “tenho um demônio dentro de mim”; Sookie comendo a torta da avó, e finalmente se deixando levar pela tristeza profunda – ela finalmente sente algo, além do choque; Jason se revoltando com a irmã e com Andy; e Tara e Sam juntos mais uma vez. Resta a mim esperar pra onde a série vai nos levar até aqui, já que o cliffhanger desse episódio pode mudar absolutamente tudo em True Blood.

5/5

Bisognosa di qualcosa da leggere, e incuriosita dall’omonima serie tv ora in onda negli Usa, ieri mi sono comprata i primi due volumi de “I diari del vampiro“.

Qualche pagina e subito mi rendo conto che l’unica similitudine con il telefilm sono i nomi, ne passa qualche altra e un pensiero mi si affaccia alla mente: “Certo che è la copia sputata di Twilight!”.

Stefan arriva tutto ben vestito, occhiali da sole, s0litario, in porsche. Edward: stessa cosa, cambia solo la marca della macchina, una Volvo.

Segreteria, lui ammalia la segretaria, lei lo vede. Scena identica.

Lei lo vuole, lui la fissa ma la ignora. Si scopre poi che è perdutamente innamorato di lei e proprio per questo non le si può avvicinare. Tutto un po’ troppo.. simile, per essere gentili. E per ora sono solo a metà libro.

Accendo internet e mi informo sulla diatriba: fan di “Twilight” che si accaniscono contro la serie della CW, cose da caccia alle streghe. Approfondisco un po’ la mia ricerca e cosa ne salta fuori? Ebbene, il primo volume de “Il diario del vampiro“, di  Lisa Jane Smith è uscito nel lontano 1991. “Twilight“? Nel 2005.

Sinceramente mi risulta difficile credere che la Meyer, come ha affermato più e più volte, non abbia mai letto nemmeno una pagina di questa serie.. le similarità sono troppo evidenti per essere frutto di una coincidenza.

Se poi ci mettiamo in mezzo anche le piccole “coincidenze” che ci sono anche con “True Blood” (datato 2001)… diciamo che la sua credibilità tende a vacillare non poco..

♥

Ormai è certo: True Blood ripartirà a giugno 2010 in America e nel frattempo fioccano spoilers che arrivano direttamente dal creatore della serie, Alan Ball e da alcuni sceneggiatori come Alexander Woo e Raelle Tucker.
Dichiarano innanzitutto che la serie seguirà in modo del tutto fedele il terzo libro della saga della Harris dal titolo “Club Dead” ma in questo caso non ci sarebbero molte news da dare, basterà leggere il libro. Ma siamo sicuri che questa dichiarazione rispecchierà la terza stagione? Vediamo un pò…

Quelle menti geniali non ci terranno molto sulle spine e ci diranno praticamente subito chi c’è dietro il rapimento di Bill mentre gira voce che Eric sfoggerà in tutto il suo splendore con pochissimi vestiti addosso… Ma qualche assaggio già l’abbiamo avuto nei sogni della nostra beneamina Sookie…

Nuovi personaggi, come era ovvio, nella nuova stagione che porteranno scompiglio a Bon Temps mentre è annunciato anche il ritorno di vecchie glorie: il più atteso (anche se solo nei flashback) e forse il più benvoluto dal pubblico è quello di Godric, ma anche Pam resterà accanto al suo creatore Eric. Pare invece che gli americani non gradiscano molto il personaggio della Regina interpretata da Evan Rachel Wood, ma ad ogni modo, dovremo tenercela in quanto il suo personaggio per ora è considerato “regular” nella serie.
Inoltre è stato aperto il casting per cercare l’attrice che interpreterà Caroline Compton:  la moglie di Bill sarà molto sorpresa nello scoprire che suo marito non è morto durante la guerra civile…
Come abbiamo già detto in precedenti articoli, la parte da protagonista delle vicende sarà affidata sempre a Sookie: per la cameriera telepatica (anche se in effetti al Merlotte’s ha lavorato poco ultimamente) ci sarà un viaggio introspettivo alla scoperta di sé stessa:

“Ci saranno più ipotesi e congetture su quello che lei può essere e per questo sarà portata a scoprire chi sia davvero“.
Tutta la stagione sarà incentrata proprio sulla sua identità e il che porterà in modo naturale a concentrarsi meno sul rapporto che ha con Bill anche se le dichiarazioni di Alan Ball sono ferme su questo punto: il loro rapporto non morirà.

The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Washington Redskins 7-6 yesterday but they do not have time to rest.  Dallas faces a short week of practice leading up to their annual Thanksgiving Day game against the Oakland Raiders.  Cornerback Mike Jenkins suffered a concussion and bruised biceps in the Redskins game.  Cornerback Orlando Scandrick took over for him.  Jenkins and tight end Jason Witten who both missed Monday’s walkthrough, are expected to play on Thursday.  Witten has a sprained foot.  On a positive note, head coach Wade Philips is pleased with the effort of cornerback Alan Ball and offensive tackle Doug Free.  Ball replaced Ken Hamlin at free safety.  Free replaced right tackle Marc Colombo.  Philips believes that Ball and Free fill the spots well and that those positions are not weaknesses.  Hamlin is out for another three weeks due to his high ankle sprain and Colombo is out until January.  Colombo is recovering from ankle surgery and a fractured fibula.  The Ball image is courtesy of dallascowboys.com.  The Free image is courtesy of foxsports.com.

Aaron Sorkin, mannen som tok allmenndannelse til et nytt internasjonalt nivå med tv-serien The West Wing, skal i gang med en ny tv-serie så snart Facebook-filmen hans er i klippen. Denne nye tv-serien skal foregå backstage på en – ja det stemmer – tv-serie.

“I’m going to be starting on a new TV series” when filming is done on the upcoming movie “The Social Network,” the Sorkin-penned account of the founding of Facebook directed by David Fincher, he says. “It’s going to be what turns out to be the third in the trilogy of TV shows that take place behind the scenes of a TV show, but this will be a different kind of TV show. That’s all I can let out of the bag right now.”

Sorkin said he “hopes” to reunite on the project with at least some of the actors he’s worked with previously. “If you’re a writer, when you’re find an actor like Josh Malina, Felicity Huffman, Brad Whitford, Matt Perry, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, all these great actors that I’ve worked with, you just want to stick them in your pocket and work with them forever, so I hope so.” He also expects to be working with director and longtime collaborator Tommy Schlamme “for sure.”

Alan Ball, en annen av mine tv-serie-helter gikk fra tidvis geniale Six Feet Under til vampyrserien True Blood. Der Six Feet Under var preget av dyp menneskekunnskap, er True Blood fascinerende, men ikke så mye mer. Grunnlagsmaterialet er altså med på å bestemme kvaliteten også på det svært begavede mennesker skaper. West Wing hadde autentisiteten og tyngden av verdens mest fascinerende og inflytelsesrike politiske apparat som grunnlag. Det blir spennende å se om kulissene til en tv-serie gir Sorkin nok luft under vingene.

The Dallas Cowboys lost to the Green Bay Packers 17-7 this past Sunday.  Dallas only ran the ball 14 times the entire game.  Quarterback Tony Romo threw 39 times.  This is not the gameplan for success.  The Cowboys were running well in the first quarter, then all of a sudden, they abandoned their backfield.  A football team needs to have a balanced offense to keep the defense guessing and to keep them honest.  Running the ball effectively slows down a defense’s pass rush.  Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers told reporters in his post-game press conference that the Cowboys offense was one-dimensional.  The Cowboys offensive line allowed a team-high five sacks due to the ineffective pass blocking of the line combined with the Packers defense not having to worry about the run.  Romo, who has learned to be a game manager, played decent in the game.  He went 24-39 for 251 yards with one touchdown and one interception.  He lost a fumble which was due to left tackle Flozell Adams missing a block and Romo taking a big blindside hit.  Wide reciever Roy Williams, who led the Cowboys in the passing game, fumbled, giving the Packers another takeaway.  Williams caught five balls for 105 yards and one touchdown.  Tight end Jason Witten and wideout Miles Austin both had a lack of production in the game.  Right tackle Marc Colombo has surgery on his left ankle to repair ligament damage.  He has a left ankle injury as well.  He will be out at least six weeks and possibly the rest of the 2009 campaign.  Offensive tackles Doug Free and Pat McQuistan will replace Colombo.

The score is misleading because the Packers had a 3-0 lead after three quarters.  Middle linebackers Bradie James and Keith Brooking led the defense.  James had 11 total tackles an Brooking had 10 total tackles.  Right outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware had five tackles and two sacks.  Cornerback Terence Newman and left outside linebacker Anthony Spencer had eight total tackles apiece.  Spencer was getting pressure on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers but its hard to tell if he was becoming a better pass rusher or just getting past sub-par offensive lineman.  Middle linebacker Bobby Carpenter and defensive end Stephen Bowen are becoming better players.  Carpenter had four total tackles and one sack and Bowen recorded three total tackles with one sack.  Free safety Ken Hamlin has a high ankle sprain and will miss two to four weeks.  This is a significant injury because Hamlin is the quarterback for the secondary.  Strong safety Pat Watkins and cornerback Alan Ball will replace Hamlin.  The statistics are courtesy of espn.com.  The image is courtesy of Sports Illustrated.

To make Sunday’s 17-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers worse, Dallas’ free safety Ken Hamlin and right tackle Marc Colombo will be out for extended periods of time.  Hamlin will miss two to four weeks with a high ankle sprain.  He is very important because he gets the defensive call from middle linebacker Bradie James and tells the cornerbacks on his side of the field what to do.  Hamlin calls audibles to corner and safety coverages.  Strong safety Patrick Watkins or cornerback Alan Ball will replace Hamlin on Sunday against the Washington Redskins.  Colombo had surgery on his left ankle to repair ligament damage.  He has a fractured fibula in his left knee as well.  Colombo will be out at least six weeks and possibly the rest of the season.  Offensive tackles Doug Free and Pat McQuistan will replace Colombo.  This information came courtesy of Calvin Watkins of espndallas.com.  The Hamlin image is courtesy of dallasnews.com. The Colombo image is courtesy of dallasnews.com.

Sookie (Anna Paquin), her friend Tara (Rutina Wesley) and local barman Sam (Sam Trammell)

HBO’s latest star series True Blood is a brash, extroverted and distinctly adult take on the vampire theme, complete with it’s own addictive murder mystery plotline. Whilst Twilight feels like peeking into the diary of an angst-ridden sixth-form virgin, True Blood feels like a night at the funfair – all candyfloss and rollercoasters, with, er, extra lashings of casual sex. It agrees with Twilight’s basic premise – that vampires are hot, and being bitten by one is sexual – but True Blood’s maker Alan Ball (of Six Feet Under fame) approaches this idea with schlocky abandon, describing the show as “bubblegum TV”. He’s right about that, but True Blood isn’t just about fighting and fornication (though these are the key pursuits for most characters) – the show is about the emergence of vampires as mainstream American citizens, keen to claim their place in a society that discriminates against them. This ingenious twist means that the real-life experiences of gay and black communities are neatly incorporated as a key subtext throughout the series, without being too preachy or heavy-handed.

For those of you who haven’t seen Channel 4’s broadcasts this autumn, here’s the set-up: Sookie Stackhouse is our sweet-but-strong waitress protagonist, blessed (or cursed, in her view) with the unusual power of being able to read minds. Her attraction to the mysterious vampire Bill Compton stirs controversy within her provincial Deep South community, Bon Temps. The trouble is that the average busybody finds the idea of a nice young lady stepping out with the undead more than a little distasteful, particularly since the women who seek out vampire lovers tend to end up as corpses themselves. So who is killing these women? Vampires, or local yokels with a chip on their shoulder?

The murder mystery plot is fun, but the best thing about True Blood is the ensemble characters. Sookie’s brother, the dim-witted sex addict Jason, is compellingly hapless, and her best friend Tara is both ferocious and witty with it; she says of her name “isn’t that funny, a black girl named after a plantation?” (that’s for any Gone with the Wind fans out there). The star of the show is Bon Temps’ local hustler Lafayette, who mesmerises as he embodies a series of African-American stereotypes – he’s a physically monolithic drug dealer with a gangster attitude – whilst deftly subverting them (he is also flamboyantly gay, with a penchant for make-up). In fact, Lafayette transcends all of his trappings, and is simply very cool. And Sookie herself proves to be a reasonable heroine, as far as light entertainment heroines go, particularly if one compares her with Twilight’s Bella. She is bold yet sweet, and much of her appeal lies in her heartfelt commitment to living an open-minded life. Her attraction to Bill is reliant on the fact that she cannot read his mind, something that paradoxically frees her from inhibitive worrying about what he thinks of her. She chooses to be with him because he represents sanctuary from judgement, whereas Bella is attracted to Edward because he represents danger and dominance. Sookie, meanwhile, has her own kinds of power, and she gets herself out of trouble as often as she is (somewhat inevitably) saved by Bill.

Jason Stackhouse, the resident slut. True Blood features a distinctly porny physical aesthetic, despite its otherwise liberal bent

One criticism that can be levelled at True Blood is that so far it focuses on depicting exclusively hetero, pornified sex, even as it includes plots that advertise it as pro-gay and generally critical of the status quo. In the course of season one, the only graphic sex scenes included for your viewing pleasure are ones showing conventionally attractive straight couples getting it on. Even though Jason is a morally vacuous character, we see him shagging multitudes of nubile young ladies, flexing his overdeveloped muscles, and being showcased as extremely desirable. Essentially, the female audience is supposed to objectify him, to think “I’d sleep with him as long as he keeps his stupid thoughts to himself.” The trouble is that equal opportunities sexism is not particularly imaginative or stimulating, at least as far as I am concerned. To compare, Twilight’s Edward Cullen character exploits female desire with far more insight, and with far greater success.

Continuing along conventional lines, we see blonde, white, straight Sookie get some steamy screen time with Bill the vampire. Her sighs of pain and pleasure as he bites her all echo old-fashioned male fantasies of virginity – fantasies of female passivity, of her fear of/desire for penetration, of the male’s physical dominance. It’s not exactly avant-garde. Meanwhile, when an interracial sexual relationship occurs, the cameras shy away from showing it explicitly. The same applies for Lafayette’s gay hustling. For all of True Blood’s leftist politics, the show doesn’t always practise what it preaches so loudly. I think that part of the problem is that certain branches of American liberalism confuse mainstream, male-oriented pornography with empowerment for all sexually sidelined communities, which makes True Blood’s approach more symptomatic of a cultural bias. The pro-hetero male porn aesthetic seems to have been assimilated into even relatively forward-thinking entertainment, and that – to me – is a shame.

Those qualms aside, True Blood makes a good fist of showing how idiotic domineering patriarchal figures look – it’s impossible not to sympathise with Sookie as she continually fends off criticism from her over-protective peers who do not tolerate dalliances with the Other, in this case vampire Bill. Compared to some TV dramas, True Blood makes an enjoyable and convincing case for tolerance and equality. It’s secretly more conventional than it superficially seems, but that doesn’t harm its overall success as an entertainingly camp reinterpretation of classic Southern Gothic.

I’m not at all sure how I feel about True Blood. Alan Ball = Brilliant. But I don’t really enjoy the ride. Confounded, mostly. Evan Rachel Wood (above) plays Sophie-Anne Leclerq – the vampire queen. First appearing in the episode Frenzy – and in that swim suit. A Norma Kamali. Specifically, the Jersey collection.

The following article was published by Press Media Group and appeared in the Nov. 5-12 issue of The Lynchburg Ledger newspaper in my column: Life, Literature & the Arts. Is it a coincidence that the paper hit the stands hot off the presses Thursday and come Monday morning I heard on the radio (106.1 The Corner) that the annual Virginia Film Festival had set a new attendance record and that sales went up 87% over the previous year?

You be the judge. Me? I’m almost 100% positive my weekly column is the reason in this statistic. Not only did I single-handedly help set the attendance record for the 22nd annual Virginia Film Festival, I have also come to the conclusion that my writing may help us unearth ourselves from the rubble of these touch economic times. Call me, Obama. I’ll be the bird in Austan Goolsbee’s ear. Chirp chirp.

CHARLOTTESVILLE – The University of Virginia presents the 22nd Annual Virginia Film Festival November 5-8, 2009. Eighty films from around the globe will be screened including Locked Out: The Fall of Massive Resistance, Death at a Funeral, More than a Game, Some Like it Hot, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

This year’s topic at hand is “Funny Business,” which, to make a long story short, focuses through the medium of film on the comedy of everyday life—from our culture to our politics, cataloging in black & white and color cinematography alike, our social graces and social blunders as well as idiocies and transgressions.

“I would like to think that it’s a program that will be funny and entertaining, thought provoking and challenging, irreverent and eye-opening, inspirational and uplifting, all those things that make us love film in the first place,” says Jody Kielbasa, Director of the Virginia Film Festival.

Special guests and speakers at this year’s festival include Alan Ball, screenwriter for American Beauty and Six Feet Under; Annette Bening, Richard III and Being Julia; Matthew Broderick, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Producers; Norman Jewison, director of Fiddler on the Roof and The Thomas Crown Affair; Cherry Jones, Angels in America and Ocean’s Twelve; and John Waters, Pink Flamingos and Hairspray.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit the Virginia Film Festival online at www.vafilm.com.

LYNCHBURG – Think Charlottesville is too long of a haul this weekend? Then stick close to home and venture down to The Warehouse Theater at The Academy of Fine Arts at 600 Main St., Lynchburg, Virginia, November 6-8, as the Black Theatre Ensemble of Virginia puts on Nu Naybahood II: A Musical Comedy, written and directed by Gloria Cannady with special guest, author D. Munyungo Jackson.

I asked Jamal “Rise” Williams, one of the cast members of Nu Naybahood II, to give me three reasons why folks in Lynchburg and surrounding areas should come out to see the play.

Jamal responded, “1. It is unlike any musical play ever performed; 2. It displays the root of Ebonics across generations through music and real life scenarios; and 3. It’s funny as hell.”

For more information, visit http://bteofva.com or call 434-846-TIXX. Tickets are $18. Bring a friend. Support the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

—————————————————-
JEFFREY PILLOW (b. October 19, 1981) is a contributing writer for Press Media Group & The Lynchburg Ledger. His work has appeared in numerous publications including URGE Magazine, the Official Partner of the Arts Council of Richmond; Living Well; 16 Blocks; and Nick Taylor’s debut novel, The Disagreement (Simon & Schuster, 2008). Pillow holds a B.A. in English Language & Literature from the University of Virginia.

He lives in Charlottesville with his wife Allison and dog Mozzarella. His favorite hobby is driving his wife nuts at 6 o’clock in the morning whistling the tune to “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers. Visit him online at www.jeffreypillow.com

Πριν ξεκινησω τα πρώτα επισόδεια του πρώτου κύκλου της σειράς, έβλεπα σειρές σαν το Grey’s Anatomy και το Desperate Housewives σαν το καλύτερο τηλεοπτικό υλικό που έχει να δείξει η τηλεόραση σήμερα. Γρήγορα άλλαξα γνώμη μετά από την παρακολούθηση λίγων μόνο επεισοδίων της εξαιρετικής σειράς Six Feet Under. Νομίζω είναι πολύ κρίμα που δεν την έβλεπα όταν προβαλλόταν και στην τηλεόραση αλλά κάλλιο αργά παρά ποτέ (δεν λένε?)!

Το κεντρικό θέμα της σειράς είναι γενικά ο θάνατος, πως τον αντιμετωπίζουμε στην γη και πως υποκρίνονται ότι δεν υπάρχει στην Αμερική. Ένα τέτοιο θέμα για σειρά φυσικά δύσκολα θα έπαιρνε το πράσινο φως για την προβολή, όμως ευτυχώς υπάρχει και η καλωδιακή τηλεόραση εκεί και φτιάχνουν και τίποτα παραπάνω από καλό. Με τις καλύτερες προδιαγραφές σε cast (Michael C. Hall [ο σημερινός "Ντέξτερ"], Peter Krauss, Frances Conroy και φυσικά Lauren Ambrose), δημιουργό (Alan Ball [ο δημιουργος του American Beauty και του True Blood]), σκηνοθέτες (συνήθως έναν διαφορετικό ανά επεισόδιο) και ένα κεντρικό θέμα που δύσκολα απασχολεί την τηλεόραση, δημιουργήθηκε ένα σίριαλ που ανέβασε τον πήχη ΠΟΛΥ ψηλά. Η σειρά παίχτηκε και στην Ελλάδα (περιέργως) από το Star Channel (ποιο αλλο?) υπό τον ανέμπνευστο τίτλο “Γραφείο Τελετών Φίσερ”.

Η σειρά διαδραματίζεται στην Αμερική και αφορά μια οικογένεια που τα τελευταια 35 χρόνια λειτουργεί ένα γραφείο τελετών. Ο πατέρας (Nathaniel Sr. Fischer) πεθαίνει από το πρώτο επεισόδιο, και εκεί είναι βασικά που ξεκινά όλη η ιστορία, η μητέρα (Ruth) είναι ένα control freak, ο μεγαλύτερος γιος (Nate) είναι αυτος που ειχε δραπευτεύσει από την φρικαλέα κατάσταση που λέγεται Οικογένεια και ζούσε στο Seattle μέχρι που ξέμεινε στο σπίτι που μεγάλωσε μετά την κηδεία αφού ο πατέρας του αφήνει και στους 2 γιους του το γραφείο κηδειών. Ο δεύτερος γιος (David) είναι αφιερωμένος στην δουλειά από μικρό παιδί και κρυφά ομοφυλόφιλος (μοιαζει τρομακτικα στη μαμα του παρ’ολο που η ιδια εχει αδυναμια στον πρωτοτοκο) και τελευταια (και καλυτερη) η μικρή κόρη (Claire), ένα 17χρονο freak που μισεί τους πάντες και τα πάντα.

Θεωρητικά εγώ θα έπρεπε να είχα αδυναμία στον David και να τον ξεχώριζα όμως από τις πρώτες κιόλας σκηνές ήμουν σίγουρος ότι θα αγαπησω περισσότερο από όλους την Claire. Δεν είχα άδικο γιατι επί 5 σεζόν που κράτησε η σειρά η Claire ήταν ο εαυτός μου σε γυναικείο ρόλο. Η Lauren Ambrose που την υποδυεται έκανε ΕΞΑΙΡΕΤΙΚΗ δουλεια και πραγματικά σαν χαρακτήρας η Claire μου κεντρισέ το ενδιαφέρον περισσότερο από κάθε ρόλο που εχω δει στη ζωή μου.

Δεν πρόκειται για μια σειρά όπως τις υπόλοιπες και δεν θα έπρεπε κανείς να περιμένει απίστευτο σασπένς και κλαμα απαραίτητα σε κάθε επεισόδιο. Είναι μια σειρά που στην ουσία μπορεί να σε κάνει να ταυτιστείς, που έχει ΚΑΙ την καθημερινότητα μέσα, που χαρίζει τις καλύτερες ατάκες ρόλων που μπορεί να ευχηθεί ένας ηθοποιός, που σου δινει τροφή για σκέψη και σε κάνει να γελάς με το ιδιαίτερο μαύρο χιούμορ της. Είναι αρκετά ωμή, σαρκαστική και ρεαλιστική.

Στο πέρασμα των επεισοδίων και των κύκλων παρατηρούμε τον κάθε χαρακτήρα να πολεμάει με την ιδέα του θανάτου, τη ζωή του και το μέλλον του ισότιμα (δεν υπάρχει πρωταγωνιστής) καθως και πραγματα που κατα τη διαρκεια της ζωής τους τους σημαδεύουν, λάθη που τα μεγαλοποιούν (όλοι το κανουμε) και περαστικοί που δεν είναι απαραίτητο να τους αλλαξουν τη ζωή (κατι που εκτιμησα πολυ!). Κατα τη διαρκεια των κύκλων παρατηρησα άψογα πλάνα. Υπηρξαν πλάνα που με έκαναν να δακρύσω χωρίς να λένε τίποτα. Υπήρξαν πλάνα που έλεγαν τα πάντα χωρίς μία γραμή από λόγια.

Νομιζω είναι κάτι που προτείνω στους ΠΑΝΤΕΣ να δουν διοτι πιστεύω ότι και το μεγαλύτερο ζώον του πλανήτη θα το έβρισκε ενδιαφέρον. Το τελευταίο επεισόδιο της σειράς (εκεί που όλα τελειώνουν) είναι για μένα ό,τι καλύτερο έχω δει οπτικά. Προσωπικά μου άλλαξε τον τρόπο σκέψης, με έκανε να κλάψω όσο δεν έχω κλάψει ΠΟΤΕ στη ζωή μου, μονοπώλησε τις σκέψεις μου για το υπόλοιπο της εβδομαδας και με έκλεισε μέσα στο σπίτι για 3 συνεχόμενες μέρες. Ακόμα το σκέφτομαι συχνά. Αξιζει να δεις ΟΛΟΥΣ τους κυκλους για το τελικό επεισόδιο και μόνο!

Σίγουρα η σειρά μπορεί για πολλούς να είναι καταθλιπτική ειδικά αν είναι άτομα που σαν κεντρικό φόβο της ζωής τους έχουν τον θάνατο. Προσωπικά έχοντας σαν μεγαλύτερο φόβο αυτό, μπήκα σε πολλές σκέψεις και για μέρες ήμουν υπερβολικά φορτισμένος συναισθηματικά. Φοβαμαι το θανατο και τον χαμο των γύρω μου όσο τίποτα άλλο και η σειρά με χτύπησε ακριβώς εκεί. Όμως δεν μπορώ να πω ότι ήταν μαζοχιστική η διαδικασία, κάθε άλλο. Έμαθα πολλά, σκέφτηκα ακόμα περισσότερα και μπήκα στη διαδικασία να εκτιμήσω τη στιγμή που ζω, την κάθε στιγμή, να ευχαριστήσω τη μαμά μου, να αντιμετωπίσω τις αναμνήσεις μου (κατι που με μελαγχολεί απίστευτα). Η σειρά μου έκανε καλό όντας την ίδια στιγμή διασκεδαστική.

Δεν είναι χάσιμο χρόνου. Αυτό.

Ακολουθούν τρέιλερς του κάθε κύκλου [δεν περιεχουν σπόιλερς ομως δινουν απόλυτα την τρομερή αισθητική της σειράς]

1ος κύκλος

2ος κύκλος

3ος κύκλος

4ος κύκλος

5ος κύκλος

I am going to be fang deep in vampires this weekend.

I’m heading to Dark Shadows at Twilight: A Paley Center Vampire Weekend at the Paley Center’s New York outpost.

If you’re not familiar with the Paley Center For Media, the organization hosts many events dedicated to the cultural, creative and social significance of TV, radio and emerging new media platforms, the most famous of which is their annual William S. Paley Television Festival.  I was lucky enough to go to this year’s Paley Fest with @TrueBloodDallas where I livetweeted the True Blood panel (read my live tweets from the event here).

Vampire Weekend officially kicks off on Friday, November 13 with screenings of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and one of my favorite vampire films, Nosferatu.

Saturday is going to be my big day.  I’ll be livetweeting from the True Blood screening.  Alan Ball, Stephen Moyer, and Anna Paquin are scheduled to be there, so expect loads of tweets and pics. While there won’t be any stars in attendance, I’m sure we all remember how quickly we were glamored by Alan Ball’s series, so yeah, expect loads of tweets and pics from the event.

I can’t wait to sink my teeth into the “TV Vampire Takedown” debate led by Entertainment Weekly’s Ken Tucker.  Expert vampire fans from the likes of Television Without Pity, TVland.com, and Vanity Fair are going to be debating merits of everyone’s favorite TV vampires.  Given that they’re going to be focusing on the results of Paley Center’s TV Vampire Poll (yup, Spike won), I’m expecting to see blood on the stage.

So if you’re interested in following the action, follow my Paley NY Vampire Weekend list on Twitter.  And if you’re going tweet me so I can add you to my list!

Friday, Nov. 6 marks the opening of The Hilberry Company’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I was lucky enough to catch a sneak peek of the production yesterday at one of the final dress rehearsals. Not only is Midsummer the longest running show in our repertory this year, it is also featured as our student matinee.

The cast features the entire Hilberry company, with some additional roles filled by members of our undergraduate Bonstelle arm. Featuring Brian P. Sage (Theseus); Lorelei Sturm (Hippolyta/Peaseblossom); Safiya Johnson (Mistress Philostrata); Dave Toomey (Egeus/Oberon); Carollette Phillips (Hermia); Peter C. Prouty (Demetrius); Rob Pantano (Lysander); Samantha Rosentrater (Helena); Erman Jones (Quince); Alan Ball* (Bottom); Jordan Whalen (Flute); Andrew Papa (Snug); Christopher R. Ellis (Starveling); Jason Cabral (Snout); Justin Vanden Heuvel (Puck); Sara Hymes (1st Fairy/Mustardseed); Christina Flynn (Titania); Katie Lietz Flannery (Cobweb) and Annabelle Young (Moth).

Directed by Joe Calarco. Scenic Design by Melinda Pacha. Costume Design by Christa Koerner. Choreography by Nira Pullin. Technical Direction by Jeffrey Strange. Sound Design by Jonathan Weaver. Lighting Design Jason Pratt. Publicist Kelly O’Connor. Stage Management, Michael Peters.

*Appears by special permission of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

(Still looking for tickets? Check out our online ticketing at wsushows.com)

In un articolo apparso su SCIFIWIRE ,il produttore esecutivo Alan Ball e gli scrittori Raelle Tucker e Alexander Woo, hanno comunicato un sacco di nuovi spoiler sulla season 3.

Ball ha affermato che il rapimento di Bill durerà circa 6 episodi, il tempo sufficente per mettere a dura prova Sookie e non spazientire i telespettatori. Inoltre Bill, potrebbe affrontare i suoi rapitori nella prima e nella quinta puntata.

I lupi mannari arrivano a TB. Alan dice: “sono solo lupi, è solo gente che può trasformarsi in lupi, sono leggermenti più grandi e più forti. I loro occhi saranno arancioni“.

Sookie, da semplice telepatica, ad una sorta di mano dal potere incandescente. I suoi poteri si amplieranno nella terza stagione. Incontreremo il re vampiro del Mississipi. E’ in netto contrasto con la regina vampira della Lousiana Sophia-Anne. “E’ più vecchio”, dice Ball, “è molto più maturo. Mentre la Regina è una sorta di Paris Hilton, la sua attenzione è di breve durata, lei è molto egomaniaca, e in realtà non pensa alle sue azioni, il Re vampiro invece è molto più “adulto”. Ha un ordine del giorno e scopi che vuole raggiungere. E’ più temibile di quello che la Regina pensa.

Jason, dopo le mille peripezie sia nella prima che nella seconda stagione, in questa manterrà un profilo “basso”. Cercherà di stare lontano dai guai.

La Regina Sophia-Ann, vista la sua attività di venditrice di “V” ,le cose per lei potrebbero andare molto male. Ball dice: “Quello che fa non andrebbe fatto per una figura autorevole come lei!”

Arriverà a Bon Temp una banda di motociclisti chiamati F Coot’s-k you Crew. Tucker ha detto che i nuovi personaggi sono ancora in fase evolutiva e non saranno quello che ci aspettiamo.

Tommy Mickens, nuovo personaggio, non vogliono rivelare chi sia per non rovinare la sopresa. Avrà un impatto enorme sui nostri personaggi preferiti. Giocherà nella loro vita emotivia. Sarà portatore di “male”

Per tutti i fans di Eric, gli scrittori non potranno soddisfare le loro richieste. Tucker dice: “Nei primi due libri Eric è un personaggio assai minore nell’universo di Sookie. C’è molta pressione da parte dei fans che vorrebbero una storia romantica tra lui e Sookie, anche se in realtà nei libri della Harris succede molto, molto più avanti. Credo che la magia di Eric, e in parte il mistero di Eric, è la sua inaccessibilità. Non penso e non voglio farne l’interesse di una amore romantico che è in ogni scena. Io credo che il suo essere pericoloso è importante, quindi non è giusto toglierli i vestiti ogni volta che qualcuno ha voglia di guardare il suo petto nudo. In realtà è un approccio più disciplinato”

Ringraziamo la fonte di questo articolo: http://trueblood.myblog.it/

Ian Somerhalder

Sarah Kuhn – HollywoodReporter.com

In prepping to audition for “The Vampire Diaries,” Ian Somerhalder employed an unusual approach. “I found out about the meeting at 9 o’clock the night before, and I was in Vegas, a five-hour drive away from L.A.,” he recalls. “I taped my sides together in the car and drove across the desert in the morning. That’s how I worked on my script.”

While this may not be the method most recommended by in-the-know acting coaches, it appears to have worked: Somerhalder nabbed the role of nefarious Damon Salvatore, a devilish bloodsucker who spends most of his time tormenting his younger, more earnest sibling (Paul Wesley). Somerhalder brings a wicked sense of fun to the role; with his well-timed smirks and smooth line delivery, he steals nearly every scene he’s in. In a way, he makes it all too easy to root for the bad guy.

“Damon is, by societal standards, bordering on the level of a sociopath,” says Somerhalder with a chuckle. “But here’s an interesting thing: My coach, Ivana Chubbuck, one phrase that she coined about Damon is that Damon has ill intentions but for righteous reasons. People like that are beyond dangerous. On a positive note, what makes that really fun is he truly believes in what he’s doing and he loves it.”

After reeling in a decent chunk of viewers with its moody early episodes, “The Vampire Diaries” was picked up by the CW for a full season. For Somerhalder, this lessens the sting of failing to book a part on that other vampire show, HBO’s runaway hit “True Blood.” The actor auditioned for the role of troublemaking Jason (which eventually went to Ryan Kwanten), but it didn’t go so well.

“I wanted it so badly, and I blew my audition with [show creator] Alan Ball,” Somerhalder says bluntly. “I had rehearsed this stuff so many times and it worked. And then I got in the room and I just blew it. I was bummed about that, and to be honest with you I couldn’t watch ‘True Blood’ until I booked ‘The Vampire Diaries.’ ” He chuckles bemusedly. “Then I realized, ‘Wait a minute. I have my own vampire thing now.’ “

Continue reading Sarah’s article HERE

Amazon Specials!

Western Michigan University Theatre Dept. opened Five Women Wearing the Same Dress written by Alan Ball Friday. The play features five women forced to don bridesmaids gowns that appear to be chosen only for the sheer purpose of making the bride look better.

Despite all odds and a touch of comedic writing, the five ladies form a bond. Director Mark Liermann and actress Tiffany McLaughlin stopped by the Nonchalant Café Hour to discuss the production.

Click on the above link to listen/download/share the interview.

 See a behind the scenes video of WMU’s Five Women (Produced by WMU)

Alexander Skarsgård

De acordo com o portal Terra, o criador e produtor de True Blood, Alan Ball, falou ao site E! sobre a terceira temporada da série, que deve estrear em junho de 2010 e, segundo ele, o vampiro Eric, interpretado por Alexander Skarsgård, pode aparecer nu em alguns episódios:

“Eu acredito que Eric vai aparecer sem boa parte das roupas dele já no primeiro capítulo”, disse ele.

Alan Ball também falou sobre os sobre os novos personagens da trama. Após muito criticar sua amiga Sookie (Anna Paquim) por amar um vampiro (o charmoso Bill – papel de Stephen Moyer), Tara (Rutina Wesley) também vai se envolver com um ser de presas, chamado Franklin Mott, cujo intérprete ainda não foi escolhido. Segundo o produtor, Mott é ainda mais perigoso do que qualquer outro vampiro.

Assim como em muitas histórias de vampiros, – por exemplo , a série Buffy – A Caça Vampiros e os filmes Lua Nova e Anjos da Noite -, True Blood também contará com a presença de lobisomens. A terceira temporada marcará o aparecimento de Alcide Herveaux (ainda sem ator escolhido).

Leia mais clicando aqui.

Thursday was an interesting day.  Alternately rewarding, perplexing, frustrating, cost-effective and chilly.  There was an audition that wasn’t quite an audition, an interesting conversation, a terrific meeting, a good self-tape and Fall-ish conditions.  Interesting.

The True Blood audition that wasn’t an audition.
Unless, it was.

Yesterday was a pre-read with Libby Goldstein.  For the uninitiated, a pre-read is when you sit down with the casting director in a very informal, relaxed setting and work the audition scene.  It’s an opportunity for them to figure out if you’re what the projects producers are looking for.  In Toronto, the pre-read practice doesn’t exist for reasons that I cannot explain.  (That’s a topic for another time, I think.)

I smacked the pre-read around.  It was super.

Chad McCord and I had worked the scene earlier that morning and even added in a not-so-subtle hint at the characters supernatural power.  Fans of the show would have been pleased.

When we finished, Libby sat me down for one of the all-time great “but” sentences in casting room history: “That was really good… and you really got the accent, I like the accent… but you don’t look anything like (name redacted) and Alan (Ball) really wants someone who looks like him.”

Oh.

The new series regular for season three is the brother of another series regular.  Ideally, the show’s creator would like to find somebody who looks a lot like him.  If that changes, I’m back in.  If my agents can coerce casting and production into giving me a shot, I’m back in.  Neither scenario is particularly unlikely.  The finished product of True Blood is unconventional and I’d imagine that there casting methods are as well.  More importantly, Libby will back up my acting chops if  the producers are hesitant to depart from their initial vision.

For the short term…  I don’t know.  For the long term (considering I’ve officially moved here) I’m more than a little happy that Libby Goldstein is a fan.

We also got into a protracted conversation about the television show Copper.  Libby knew exactly who I was because – apparently – for three weeks this past spring I was going to be cast in Copper.  Then, I wasn’t cast.  Not casting me was a mistake.  I would have annihilated that role.  And I don’t care if you’re not supposed to say that.  If I can admit to crying on the phone like Eric The Vampire right before Godric lights on fire, than I’m allowed to say that I would have been awesome on Copper.  Because I would have been. It all comes back to believing in yourself.

What, a, pre-read.

(It doesn’t count on the audition meter.  If I rock a Louisiana accent in front of Alan Ball, then it counts.)

The top floor at ABC and pangs of 0-1 Visa regret.

I need an 0-1 Visa.  Can’t get one on my own because I can’t afford it.  S*it.

Had a general meeting yesterday with Sandi Logan, VP of Network and Studio Casting for ABC.  Sandi is lovely. Everything is lovely.  (I think I might pick some flowers after I’m done writing.)

After seven full weeks in Hollywood, I’m really starting to settle in.  I’ve met a lot of people.  I’ve auditioned (and beat out) actors that I recognize from film and tv.  I’ve tested…  I even absorbed a punch from the industry that hit me square in the testicles.

I’m becoming difficult to rattle.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m nowhere close to unflappable.  I’ll still flap.  But when somebody like Sandi Logan sits me down in her office (with a beautiful view of the Burbank skyline) and tells me she wants to “put me on ABC programming”, I believe her.  Why shouldn’t I?  The tenor of this website is seeping into the outward aspects of my personality.  For twenty minutes, I put myself on the line in front of Sandi.  Sandi responded. Good meeting.  Also, interesting…

The 0-1 Visa is becoming a bit of a sore spot.  Here’s why:

The natural path for me in Hollywood would be to book “top of the show” guest star roles.  Like, the patient on House, or a prominent player in a Lost flashback / flash forward.  Those auditions happen all the time.  You go in, nail the audition and get cast later that day.  The casting director has a lot more autonomy in these instances and thus, what you do in the room really matters.  Moreover, networks and studios are probably more inclined to take a flier on somebody (relatively) new to the scene in a smaller (albeit important) role.  Moreover², my resume is littered with guest-starring roles.  Heartland, ReGenesis, Da Kink, Blue Mountain State and Flashpoint.

For those roles, you need an 0-1 Visa.  The turn around time between casting and shooting is too tight for the studio to get one for you.  Without an 0-1, they wont audition you.  (Conversely, if you get a series regular, feature film or pilot, the studio will sponsor you.)

So…  I’m going to stick it out through Pilot Season.  By that point, I’ll either have an 0-1 (because too much is going right not to get one) or I’ll have booked an excellent Canadian project (because too much is going right not to get one) and I’ll buy my own.

The Self-tape.

Threw myself on tape for a project that’s shooting in Winnipeg late November through the middle of December.  My agent thought the tape was delightful.  Winnipeg.  Winter.  I think I’m going to go for a hike.

(I love what I do…  I love what I do…  I love what I do…)

This was – by far – the most rewarding week in PTABB’s short history.  Thank you all.

Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Halloween.

EDIT: A good friend sent me this quote on Tuesday evening, post-Melrose, while I was drinking… by myself.

It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.

That’s a beauty from Ernest Hemingway.  Mr. Blair, thank you.

Posted by Missberlish

Oct. 28th, I attended “Inside the Writer’s Room: True Blood” at the Paley Center in Los Angeles, CA.  In attendance were creator/executive producer Alan Ball along with writer’s assistant Elisabeth Finch, script coordinator Kate Barnow, co-executive producer Brian Buckner, co-executive producer Nancy Oliver, supervising producer Alexander Woo, and producer Raelle Tucker.  The evening began with Alan Ball answering the Snoop Dogg question by stating he didn’t want to start an East Coast/ West Coast war, and from there the fun began. Below are my notes from the evening.

•Season 1, episode 5 was a particularly magical episode. This is the episode when Bill became a vampire. It was during this episode that Ball realized what the show was about and it was all coming together. ‘True Blood’ is a character driven show and that the damage and pain that vampire’s experience is a universal pain.

•The writing staff is very female heavy, which helps in the development of the strong female characters at the center of the story. When asked what Ball looks for in a writer, he replied that he reads the writer’s original work in order to get a sense of their voice and that it is instinctive. Also, can he spend 8hrs with this person and do they seem crazy. It was also mentioned that the writers are perverts and that there is “almost nothing we can’t do”.

•Vampires are a metaphor for sex or basically they are sex. The subject matter is all about sex, from Jason Stackhouse avoiding intimacy to Sookie and Bill believing it is not possible for soul communion.

•Part of the appeal of the show is the outsider appeal, Sookie’s accessibility and the supernatural.

•Ball tells the audience he loves all the characters equally, but enjoys writing for Jason and Lafayette. In regards to Jason, Ball is always asking the writers, “Can we get his shirt off?”

•Brian Buckner revealed that he would like to write more for Eric. Now that Alex is no longer a “prisoner of the wig,” you see that Alex has a dry sense of humor that is surprising and reveals Eric’s funny side.

•We are going to see Alex naked; he will appear in the 1^st episode without most of his clothes.

Here are some of the answers to the questions that were submitted for the panel-

•What happens to Bill will be answered in the 1^st episode.

•There will be more Evan Rachel Wood next season.

•Possibly more from the Newlins, won’t shut the door on that possibility.

•A big boatload of new characters in Season 3.

•Maryann really is dead.

•Sookie will have more conjecture and driven to find out what she is, but it won’t be revealed this season.

•Theme for Season 3 is identity and the struggle with identity.

•Stephen Moyer will not be marginalized. They will go through some rough patches but they have a connection that will never die in the TV world. In the book world, Charlaine had to be convinced to not kill Bill.

•Obligation to be true to the spirit of the books but can’t be stenographers. There would be no surprises then and there is a difference between TV and the books.

•Season 4, Eric has amnesia, still planning on doing that.

•Story wants to see more Eric, possible to evolve.

•Hoyt and Jessica story wants to be told.

•Is Bubba going to appear? No, then it would be an Elvis impersonator and it would be cheesy. No Bubba.

•There will be more Nan Flanagan, probably making a showing at the management problems at Fangtasia.

•There will be more Pam next season.

•No introduction of the blood bonds. Ball assumed that once the human consumed the vampire’s blood the bond was there.  He forgot about the three times rule in the book.

•The catalyst for ‘True Blood’ was Ball picked up Charlaine’s book and couldn’t put it down.  He was completely unaware of ‘Twilight’. This is not the first vampire moment; there have been many vampire moments. He would venture to say, that the popularity in vampires is because we had a vampire in the White House for 8 years who sucked us dry and we are just waking up to that.

•Godric flashbacks more than likely, considering Eric and him have 1000yrs between them.

Well, this is my recap of some of the discussion from the writers’ panel. I tried my best to take accurate notes but the fumes from my Sharpie were getting to me.  I apologize for any errors, it was hard to decipher my chicken scratch but I hope that I have answered some questions and provided a little insight behind the scenes.

Allan Ball and Shanon Gunter aka Missberlish

This week on the Nonchalant Café Hour Western Michigan University Theatre Dept. Assitant Professor Mark Liermann will stop by for a chat about his latest directorial effort “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress”.

Written by Alan Ball of “Six Feet Under” fame,  begs the question: why the bride has forced her bridesmaids to wear these unflattering dresses in an overblown wedding reception with one crazed bride. 

Certainly a question worth asking.

Also on the show live music in studio from Grand Rapids-based Zach Vinson who is performing Friday night at the Strutt. Vinson is in town as part of the Empty the Bookshelves Tour.

<<UPDATE>>

Listen to the interview with Director Mark Liermann and Actress Tiffany McLaughlin here.

<<UPDATE TWO>>

Listen to the interview with Zach Vinson and his live song performed in-studio.

See a video of Vinson below.



Plus listen in for our regular conversation with KalamaBrew as we explore the latest in Michigan’s craft beer scene.

Listen to the NCH streaming online:

Nuevos personajes para la tercera temporada de True Blood

Aunque todavía queden meses para que se estrene la tercera temporada de True Blood en el canal HBO (hasta el verano de 2010 no se estrenará), lo cierto es que la serie de Alan Ball parece que va a contar con una temporada bastante ampliada en lo que a nuevos fichajes se refiere y es que vamos a conocer a nuevos personajes que poco a poco ya se han ido revelando.

El primero de estos personajes será Franklin Mott que por lo visto es un vampiro que ya aparecía en el tercer libro de Charlaine Harris aunque en su “versión” televisiva será un hombre muy sexy que desde el primer momento parece que tendrá una conexión de lo más especial con Tara.

Otro de los “nuevos” personajes será el hermano pequeño de Sam, Tommy Mickens, que por lo visto trabaja en un almacen de neumáticos y que desconoce la existencia de su hermano mayor. Está previsto que tanto este personaje como el de Mott acaben por convertirse en regulares.

Por otro lado veremos a otros cuantos personajes pero en sus casos no se espera que aparezcan en muchos episodios. Cooter será el primero de estos personajes, un tipo bastante malo que liderará la banda de los motoristas, mientras que además veremos a un vampiro llamado Talbot, un atractivo latino gay llamado Jesús Velásquez, los jóvenes graduados de NYU que seducirán a Jason, una bailarina nueva de Clapton en Fangtasia, el reverendo Daniels, una anciana llamada Olivia y Betty y Marvin una pareja afroamericana.

Ahora faltará solo saber quienes van a interpretarlos porque de momento solo se sabe sobre los personajes, veremos si se realiza algún fichaje de altura.

Fuente| Aceshowbiz

Alan Ball gave an interview with Advocate and he let some good information slip regarding Season 3 drop.
We’ll be meeting the vampire king of Mississippi and his long, long-term companion — and by long-term I mean really long-term — Talbot. I think Lafayette may meet a love interest, and certainly Pam, who works with Eric, she’s certainly got a lesbian vibe — I don’t know that that’s all she is, but she certainly does seem to appreciate the women.

I was kind of hoping Eric and Lafayette would have something, because think of the cattiness Pam would unleash at the idea of that.
I think Sophie-Anne is definitely interested in Sookie; I don’t believe it’s for sexual or romantic reasons but she is definitely interested in Sookie and whatever it is about Sookie that is special beyond the realm of what is human, and that’s something that we definitely will learn more about in the upcoming season.

About those book things…
How much as writers do you stay true to the book series?
I think we try to stay very true to the spirit of the book series. We have made changes. The books are all narrated by Sookie, so the books are basically all Sookie’s story. We definitely have — in fleshing out the other characters — been creative. I think where we may not stay true to the books entirely, we do try to stay very true to the spirit of them.

You’ve said recently that a character will die in season 3. Will this story line follow the third book?
I’m a little leery to answer these questions because if I say yes it just gives it away. For people who read the books, some things will not come as a surprise. But for people who don’t read the books, it will be a surprise.

Are we excited? I miss this show. And FYI, Jason gets naked again!!!
There’s no shortage of man candy on the show and Jason is back in Bon Temps and he may be up to his old ways. I can tell you that you’ll definitely get to see a lot of Jason in the first few episodes, and by a lot, I mean a lot physically.

source: The Advocate