Vampire Cafe

petzipellepingo — Sat, 13 Jan 2018 08:32:27 GMT

Bryan Fuller's Next TV Project Is Adapting Interview With the Vampire

By Lindsay MacDonald

TV has been a sad place for vampires lately, with The Vampire Diaries and The Originals both coming to a close on The CW and Midnight, Texas failing to take a bite out of audiences like NBC expected. That could all change soon though, since Bryan Fuller is currently developing Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles for Paramount TV.
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Most people are familiar with the film Interview with the Vampire, but you may be surprised to hear that the book it's based off of is actually one of 12 novels set in the world of Lestat and Louis.

"We bought 11 novels as part of the Vampire Chronicles initiative," Paramount TV president Amy Powell told The Hollywood Reporter. "Bryan Fuller is working with Anne Rice and [her son] Chris, who are writing the pilot. We are hoping he chooses to stay on and potentially showrun."

Fuller's attachment was also announced on The Vampire Chronicles' Facebook page, in which Chris Rice, Anne's son, tells a story about a young Fuller cold-calling Anne Rice as a teenager and telling her he would adapt her books one day.

Bryan Fuller is uniquely suited to help spearhead this project given his experience in writing and creating high-concept genre TV like American Gods (which he has now exited) and Hannibal. As a result, we wouldn't likely be getting the romanticized, cookie-cutter vampires we've become accustomed to in the age of Twilight and TVD. The pilot he's working would definitely lean more towards the gothic and gore worthy of Anne Rice's original novels.

Threre's no news yet on when this pilot would be ordered to series, but if Bryan Fuller agrees to sign on as showrunner, it's pretty hard to imagine a world in which the project wouldn't at least get a short season order to show what it can do.

http://www.tvguide.com/news/bryan-fuller-interview-with-the-vampire-series/

petzipellepingo — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 16:21:11 GMT

Dracula and 23 More Literary Vampires We Love
These novels don’t suck

Maureen Lee Lenker@themaureenlee

Nov. 8, 2017 marks the 170th anniversary of Bram Stoker's birth. Though the Victorian author did not initiate the myth of the vampire into pop culture (legends of bloodsucking creatures date back centuries), he at least perfected it. Stoker's Dracula has come to be the most influential vampire of them all — his Transylvanian roots, ability to control his victim's minds, love of darkness, aversion to garlic and metal stakes, and the sexual undertones of his blood-sucking have cast a long shadow over how we envision vampires ever since. Stoker's Dracula was further immortalized in Bela Lugosi's portrayal of the titular vampire in the 1931 film, forever linking the ill-intentioned count with our perception of blood-sucking creatures.
Check out 23 more literary vampires that don't suck.

Good suck:

adamonvoneden — Sat, 18 Mar 2017 00:56:18 GMT

https://adamonsvampiresken.jimdo.com/

https://www.pinterest.com/adamonvoneden/vampyrica-/

http://vampirstudien.tumblr.com/

petzipellepingo — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 21:57:26 GMT

Female-led Van Helsing series picked up by Syfy

by Danielle Zhu • @danizhuu

Dozens of actors have portrayed the vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing, but next year will see a new reimagining of the Dracula character. Syfy has picked up Van Helsing, a sci-fi action series that will center around a female lead.

The show will focus on Vanessa Helsing, the next in line of a lineage of vampire hunters. After being resurrected five years in the future – when vampires have taken over the world – Vanessa must fight to save humanity.
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“Van Helsing represents a new mythology in sci-fi by challenging traditional vampire rules,” said executive producer Chad Oakes in a statement. “The series is unique in exploring a world completely dominated by vampires, while the human characters have to learn the importance of working together to ensure their survival.”

Writer-director Neil LaBute will serve as showrunner, and the 13-episode season is set to premiere in fall 2016.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/11/02/van-helsing-syfy

petzipellepingo — Tue, 27 Oct 2015 14:59:03 GMT

Buffy star Juliet Landau launches crowdfunding campaign for vampire doc — exclusive
Film from 'Drusilla' to feature Joss Whedon, Anne Rice, Gary Oldman, and Tim Burton

by Clark Collis • @clarkcollis

Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Juliet Landau is sinking her teeth into another bloodsucker-themed project. Landau, who played Drusilla on the Joss Whedon-created show, is today launching an Indiegogo campaign in support of her vampire documentary, A Place Among the Undead. The project is codirected by the actress and her husband Deverill Weekes and features interviews with Whedon, Tim Burton, Gary Oldman, Willem Dafoe, Anne Rice, Robert Patrick, Charlaine Harris, Steve Niles, Fright Night director Tom Holland, and Underworld cowriter Kevin Grevioux, among others.
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“It’s been such an incredibly charmed project,” says Landau. “It’s fast becoming the most definitive [vampire] documentary ever made. It gathers the ‘Who’s Who’ of the genre. … The film transcends the traditional idea of a documentary. It’s a tapesty with interlinking narrative films inspired by the conversations. Everybody we’ve reached out to has been very excited about talking. And, actually, a lot of the people have come to us and said, ‘I heard about this documentary; would you want to interview me for it?’ The material is so vast that I have decided to make two feature-length documentaries: A Place Among the Dead, which covers when people take the fantasy of vampirism too far, and A Place Among the Undead, which covers every aspect of vampires in myth and pop culture.”

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What inspired you to make a documentary about vampires and their depiction in pop culture?
JULIET LANDAU: Whenever I’ve hung out with creators, writers, directors, actors, who have lived in the vampire universe, I’ve had the best conversations with them. I’ve always thought, I wish people could see this, the stuff that’s never been shared before, the camaraderie, and the insider’s view. So, it’s been percolating for a long time — really, since I did Buffy. And my husband and I finally started it.

Are vampires more interesting than other horror creatures? Or, if you had been cast as, say, a werewolf on Buffy would you now be making a documentary about werewolves?
[Laughs] I don’t know. That would be interesting. I think one of the things that makes it so compelling is that, basically, all the creatives use vampirism as a metaphor to explore the human condition. So, with Joss Whedon, it’s high school is a nightmare, which most people can relate to. Anne Rice wrote Interview with the Vampire just after her daughter died of leukemia and she created a child vampire that lives forever. Kevin Grevioux said [Underworld was] based on experiences with interracial dating, so he created [the situation of] two species — one being vampires — that don’t get along.

There are so many ways that it is a prism for us to look at our own natures. And perhaps werewolves have the same thing, but definitely vampires [do]. I think that’s part of the reason that society as a whole is so fascinated with the subject.

What has it been like, conducting the interviews?
It’s been so fun, getting to visit with Joss and talk about the shows that I got to work with him on. And then, with Tim Burton— I worked with him on Ed Wood — so the people that I know, it’s been really fun. But also because they shared stuff that I didn’t know before and I haven’t ever seen them talking about. And then, I’d never met Willem Dafoe before and he’s so lovely. Everybody that we’ve met has been so generous.

Could you talk about some of the rewards for contributors to the Indiegogo campaign?
Absolutely. On Nov. 7, for the Halloween season, I’m going to be having dinner here in Los Angeles — it’s a limited perk. And then we also have this incredible thing that Gary Oldman and my husband Deverill put together, this photographic book, which features these tintype photos that Gary took on his camera. He has a camera from 1853, and so it literally is painting up the tintype, and he goes under the big black fabric to take the picture. You have to hold still! And he shot Joss Whedon, and he shot Robert Patrick, and myself, and a number of the other interviewees, and it’s an incredible one of a kind photo [book]. And, then, Georges Jeanty, who was the comic book artist for Buffy season 8 and 9 — because the series continued in comic books after it went off the air — he’s done an exclusive poster for us. Another artist that is in the Whedonverse is named Mike Collins, [who] did another poster. So, we have incredible artwork as well.

Why did you decide to go the crowdfunding route?
Dez — my husband — and I were self-funding the project, and it’s just grown beyond our wildest expectations. We have so many more people that want to be included. We have gone to a number of production companies who want to invest, but we really want to make the film that fans want to see.

Like, we have Madeline Smith and Caroline Munro from the Hammer movies. One of the meetings we had, the gentleman was like, “Why don’t you cut out the Hammer stuff? It’s not as hip as everything else you have.” Were like like, “You can’t make the definitive vampire documentary and not include Hammer. There’s no way to do that.”

What have you been up to recently as an actress?
I did a movie in Africa called Where the Road Runs Out, where I play a missionary. I also did the The Bronx Bull, which is the prequel and sequel, kind of in one, about Jake LaMotta’s story. William Forsythe plays Jake, and I play a movie starlet. I’ve also been doing the Doctor Who Big Finish audio books, where I’ve been playing the iconic character Romana (a character originally played on the long-running time travel show by the late Mary Tamm). That’s been really cool. My husband’s favorite Doctor is Tom Baker, and that era, and he was like, “This is the best job you’ve ever got. All you have to do is watch Doctor Who.”

You can learn more about A Place Among the Undead at the film’s Indiegogo page.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/10/27/buffy-vampire-juliet-landau

petzipellepingo — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 07:42:56 GMT

Brides of Dracula series from Arrow producer gets NBC pilot commitment

by Will Robinson • @Will_Robinson_

It’s time for the three women in Dracula’s inner circle to hit the small screen. NBC has given Brides of Dracula — from writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Glee, Archie) and producer Greg Berlanti (Arrow) — a pilot production commitment, EW has confirmed.
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Deadline first reported the go-ahead for the soapy, family drama pilot centered on the vampire sisters living in contemporary New York City. The initially unnamed sisters first appeared in Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula, and later in the 1960 horror film The Brides of Dracula. In the classic tale, they are ultimately killed by Dr. Van Helsing. The gothic TV series would see them survive instead and try to keep their unusual family together in the modern era.

Berlanti has a hand in myriad shows, executive producing Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow on the CW and the upcoming Supergirl on CBS. He’s also producing the forthcoming Pan movie starring Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard. Aguirre-Sacasa, who is chief creative officer for Archie Comics, wrote the 2013 cinematic remake of Carrie and co-executive produced the acclaimed but recently canceled HBO series Looking.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/09/01/nbc-brides-of-dracula-pilot

UPDATES: COSPLAY PLANS FOR DALLAS COMIC CON OCTOBER 2015

xjubesx — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 17:13:55 GMT

petzipellepingo — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 18:13:42 GMT

Francis Ford Coppola explains the Old Hollywood magic of Gary Oldman's shadow in Dracula

by Jeff Labrecque • @JeffLabrecque

The last great epic that Francis Ford Coppola directed was Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1992. Gary Oldman played the creepy Count and Winona Ryder was the English beauty who fell under his spell. It was as much a romance as a horror film, but Coppola was mostly loyal to Stoker’s 1897 Gothic novel, and determined to make the film look and feel like an Old Hollywood monster movie, with practical, old-fashioned effects.

Take, for example, the Count’s shadow. In the film, Keanu Reeves’ lawyer travels to Dracula castle on business. When the nocturnal host appears, his shadow has a mind of its own, imitating its master’s motions only slightly and often revealing his true intentions. In an exclusive interview from a new Blu-ray, Coppola explains how a “shadow wrangler” mimed Oldman’s actions from watching on a video screen. Coppola chuckles a bit, since the shadow may have been expected to do a more precise job, but the effect of the imperfections added a surreal and warping chill to the character.

A new restored version of Coppola’s Dracula arrives on Blu-ray and Digital HD on Oct. 6. It’s the first of the Supreme Cinema Series, a new collection of “Clear Case” limited-edition discs from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
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Coppola and his son, Roman, who was the film’s second unit/visual effects director, sat for new interviews, and Coppola penned a new introduction that is part of the 24-page book.

All-New Blu-ray Bonus Features Include:

* 4K Restoration & Dolby Atmos soundtrack (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible)*
* Reflections in Blood: Francis Ford Coppola and Bram Stoker’s Dracula
* Practical Magicians: A Collaboration Between Father and Son
* Rare 1993 Commentary with Francis Ford Coppola, Roman Coppola and Greg Cannom
* To experience Dolby Atmos at home, Dolby Atmos enabled AV receivers and additional speakers are required; however, Dolby Atmos soundtracks are fully backward compatible with traditional audio configurations and legacy home entertainment equipment

Also Featured:

* Deleted Scenes
* Audio Commentary & Film Introduction by Director Francis Ford Coppola
* 4 Legacy Featurettes

The acrylic “Clear Case” limited-edition collector’s packaging will only be available while supplies last.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/03/bram-stokers-dracula-francis-ford-coppola-bluray

petzipellepingo — Sat, 18 Jul 2015 21:42:41 GMT

Vampires poke around social media in exclusive 'Shadows' deleted scene

By Brian Truitt

What Spinal Tap did for dim heavy-metal rockers, What We Do in the Shadows (on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday) does for the bloodsucking contingent. Written and directed by stars Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement (of Flight of the Conchords fame) the mockumentary follows vampire flatmates in New Zealand and how they get by in the world — in the case of Clement’s ornery Vladislav, that means 862 years of rockin’ it fang style. Like everyone, they have to get up to speed for modern times, and Vlad learns about social media from their human computer-programming guy Stu (Stu Rutherford) in this exclusive deleted scene from the horror comedy. There’s a woman named Caroline who is Vlad’s friend on Facebook who’s not really his friend per se — we’ve all been there, Vladster! — and he decides to “poke” her though he’s a little irked at what she might do in return.

http://entertainthis.usatoday.com/2015/07/18/vampires-poke-around-social-media-in-exclusive-shadows-deleted-scene/

Carmilla Fans!!!

kinky_carter — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 04:32:37 GMT

In case any of you are interested.

carmilla_series

Buffy - Amends

xjubesx — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 05:20:48 GMT

Taking part in my Christmas tradition of watching Amends :)

petzipellepingo — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 12:24:08 GMT

The 13 coolest vampire films of all time
If you can't make it to "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" this holiday, sink your teeth into these morbid classics

If you like your vampire movies cool, creepy and haunting, you can’t do better than Ana Lily Amirpour’s feature directorial debut “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night,” which finally opens today, months after wowing at Sundance. Shot in black and white, the David Lynch-ian slow burner follows a young Iranian woman who moves briskly through shadows with a penchant for human blood. To celebrate the film’s release, we’ve compiled a list of other cool vampire movies worth biting into — “Twilight” not included. Tell us some of your favorites in the comments section.
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“Only Lovers Left Alive” (2013), directed by Jim Jarmusch

Leave it to Jim Jarmusch to make what is arguably the coolest vampire film of all time. Having Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston vamping it up as the film’s two lead lovers doesn’t hurt matters. In the gorgeously lensed dark comedy, Swinton and Hiddleston team up to play Eve and Adam, a pair of old (but young looking) vampires, who reunite after living apart for many years. Their newfound quiet life together is interrupted rather abruptly with the surprise arrival of Eve’s wayward sister (Mia Wasikowska), who shakes things up — and not in a good way.

“Let the Right One In” (2008), directed by Tom Aldredson and “Let Me In” (2010), directed by Matt Reeves

In 2008, Swedish director Tomas Alfredson brought us “Let the Right One In,” a stunning and spooky horror romance that follows a romance between a reclusive 12 year-old boy and a mysterious girl who turns out to be a vampire. It’s a delicate and violent film, a picture that was expertly (and rarely) adapted into the English language. Only two years later, Matt Reeves, now known for this year’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” brought us “Let Me In,” essentially the same movie but with rising stars (at the time, at least) Chloe Grace Moretz and Kodi Smit-McPhee in leading roles. Both films are oddball coming-of-age stories which feature perfect levels of romance, youthful innocence and gore.

“Thirst” (2009), directed by Park Chan-wook

“Oldboy” director Park Chan-wook incorporates the supernatural into his raw psychological approach to storytelling with the 2009 film, “Thirst,” which centers on a priest who turns into a vampire after undergoing an experimental treatment for a deathly illness that has long been plaguing his community. “Thirst” meditates on many of the same themes as “Oldboy” — truth, desire, power and self-control. The supernatural aspect of the film enhances the potency of the narrative’s engagement with each theme because the extreme circumstances of the film allow us to travel the spectrum of each theme with the characters. We not only see them in their most contained or unhinged states, but also, in a way, experience it with them — which is rather unsettling (in a good way).

“Blade 2″ (2002), directed by Guillermo Del Toro

“Blade 2″ is the strongest entry in the vampire-action franchise by a landslide, thanks to the involvement of director Guillermo Del Toro, who injects the routine story with his own brand of inventive madness that’s impossible to resist. The film marked the director’s second studio effort following “Mimic” and it shows him on surer ground, executing a number of set pieces with the visionary sense we’ve come to love over the years in films such as “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “Pacific Rim.” Wesley Snipes is back playing the titular half man/half vampire, who this time around is forced to team up with the vampires he did battle with in the first round to overcome a new type of monster that threatens both races. Cue the carnage!

“Shadow of a Vampire” (2000), directed by E. Elias Merhige

While most films focusing on immortal bloodsuckers lend themselves to horror, romance or both, this Oscar-nominated film starring John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe blends its unnatural elements with the most natural of them all: humor. “Shadow of a Vampire” is the fictional behind-the-scenes story of another film on this list — and perhaps the most influential vampire film of all time — “Nosferatu.” The delightful twist carrying the film chronicling the other film is that the latter’s star, Max Shreck, is not an actor at all but the very creature he’s so expertly portraying. Dafoe sunk so deep into the role he too could have been mistaken for the Transylvanian transformer, and his efforts earned him an Oscar nod. Though conspiracy theorists will attest to its verisimilitude, “Shadow of a Vampire” is perhaps the most preposterous retelling of a classic achievement in cinema to date — a badge of honor for a film this compelling, clever and quite funny.

“Near Dark” (1987), directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Many years before her historic Oscar win for “The Hurt Locker,” Kathryn Bigelow crafted the vampire Western flick, “Near Dark” (1987) as director and co-writer. A cult classic, “Near Dark” stars Adrian Pasdar as Caleb Colton, a small towner who meets a vampire Mae (Jenny Wright) who both seduces him and brings him into the world of the blood thirsty and violent. Caleb joins a gang of roaming vampires and doesn’t fit in at first, due to his hesitance at killing in order to feed. He also ends up getting about a week from the leader of the vampire crew, Jesse Hooker (Lance Henriksen) to prove that he has what it takes to become a true vampire “family” member. What makes this film distinct is the fact that it veered away from the typical Romantic-Gothic complex of vampire canon, unafraid to take the dive into a more gritty portrayal where the vampires were unafraid to be downright bad rather than seductive, and very much susceptible to gun slinging and shooting. Even more unusual, a cure to vampirism was presented in the film, adding to its unique spin on the marriage between ‘80s horror, the vampire genre and the wild, wild West.

“The Hunger” (1983), directed by Tony Scott

Any vampire movie that pairs up Susan Sarandon with French icon Catherine Deneuve and Ziggy Stardust himself, David Bowie, is bound to get a mention. Tony Scott’s 80s thriller also happens to be a really good (and bloody) film. In it, Bowie and Deneuve play two extremely wealthy lovers, who, unbeknownst to the masses, are actually ancient vampires. Their relationship is put to the test when Deneueve’s elegant vampire lady begins to get the hots for new researcher friend (Susan Sarandon). Incredibly stylish and overflowing with sexual energy (that culminates in a scorching sex scene between Deneuve and Sarandon), “The Hunger” is all mood and no plot. Let it wash over you and you’re in for quite the torrid ride.

“The Addiction” (1985), directed by Abel Ferrara

Abel Ferrara’s bleak tale of an NYU philosophy doctorate whose existential despair is intensified when she’s turned into an East Village bloodsucker is a keen metaphor for drug addiction, but casts a much broader net by also taking potshots at religion and warring intellectual convictions. Lili Taylor stars as a fragile academic who gradually learns to accept her newfound powers, and Christopher Walken delivers a typically wily performance as an older vampire who has learned to control his urges. Above all else, “The Addiction” marvelously encapsulates the daily frustrations of urban life — and the euphoria involved in fighting through another day.

“Nosferatu” (1922), directed by F.W. Murnau

“Nosferatu” is not just the best “Dracula” adaptation of all time — it’s the landmark vampire film that came at the incipience of horror cinema. F.W. Murnau’s 1922 masterpiece is a haunting expressionist journey into vampiredom that employs horror techniques still being used today, such as committed POV shots, mounting suspense and tension, and the idea that what’s left to the imagination can often be more terrifying than what’s shown onscreen. Max Schrek’s performance as the gothic vampire Err Orlock is heralded as one of the Silent Era’s best.

“Summer of Blood” (2014), directed by Onur Tukel

Brooklyn based writer, director and actor Onur Tukel stars in “Summer of Blood,” a dark comedy where Tukel is Erik, a bonafide New Yorker and awkward loser-narcissist with commitment issues (he turns down his girlfriend’s marriage proposal) and related girl troubles. After the break, Erik goes on a series of online dates which do nothing to lift his spirits, let alone self-confidence. Everything for him changes one night when he runs into a vampire who bites him and transforms him into one of the undead. Cue Erik wandering the streets in New York covered in blood and craving blood, in addition to sex. His life seems to take a turn toward the better, as his social engagements blossom and threesomes are no longer a dream, but a reality. This film is another sort of outlier so distant from the “Twilight” craze which tapped into the sexy and brooding sensibilities of the male vampire. Erik doesn’t have a six pack and is old with salt-pepper hair and glasses which makes it laughable that he actually becomes a devastating lady killer with literal blood lust on the brain. Further irony lies in the instances where Erik’s able to nab the women who previously rejected him once undead. What makes “Summer of Blood” distinct is the self-disparaging and humor that manages to make some insightful commentary on the nature of human relationships—from a screwball, inhumane perspective.

“Rabid” (1977), directed by David Cronenberg

If you’re sick of the”sexy vampire” archetype that’s been so dominant in pop culture, David Cronenberg’s “Rabid” is the perfect antidote; its “vampires” are far from sparkling. Often referred to as a zombie film, “Rabid” is a classic example of Cronenberg’s masterful play with horror clichés. The film is the story of a woman who develops an orifice in her armpit that spreads a virulent strain of rabies around Montréal, turning people into drooling bloodsuckers. Crazy Cronenberg-ian gore aside, the coolest part of the film is the stunt casting. While Cronenberg had initially wanted Sissy Spacek for the lead role, he eventually cast ’70s porn veteran Marilyn Chambers. John Waters wishes he’d thought of that first.

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1992), directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui

Let’s face it, this 1992 film starring Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry is nowhere near as good as the Sarah Michelle Gellar Series, but comparing a two-hour comedy film to a nuanced (and well-acted) seven-season television drama isn’t that fair. What is fair, however is to give credit to the film for creating one of the most badass female characters in entertainment. Swanson’s Buffy might not have had Gellar’s comedic chops, but she could certainly, well…chop the heads off of some vampires and demons. And while everyone loved Anthony Stewart Head as Buffy’s watcher Giles, Donald Sutherland’s Merrick was the epitome of classy cool.

“Habit” (1995), directed by Larry Fessenden

Larry Fessenden’s seminal New York indie about a lonely bachelor who falls for a cryptic woman at a cramped East Village party works on a number of levels: In some ways, it’s less about the alleged vampire than the paranoia she invokes in her victim, who grows increasingly freaked out about his surroundings as he falls ill. Fessenden’s eerie tale is a marvelous look at the claustrophobic dimensions of New York youth culture.

http://www.salon.com/2014/11/29/the_13_coolest_vampire_films_of_all_time_partner/

Non-Spoilery Review of Dracula Untold

margotlefaye — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 18:36:53 GMT

Ignore the critics. They obviously do not get the genre. Dracula Untold is a visually stunning, perfectly balanced mix of historical drama, action film, and romance. I loved that they wove historical events from the real life of Vlad Tepes (obviously fictionalized/mythologized) with the legendary elements we have all come to know and love. We get a great origin story with a vital, passionate, strong warrior prince, and a lot of very cogent reasons for him to become what he does. Loved it. Hope they do more.

Get Ready To Join “Club Dead”

deaana — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 10:21:58 GMT

Get Ready To Join “Club Dead”

Meet The Master Vampire in this New Dracula Untold Featurette - Dread Central

deaana — Fri, 10 Oct 2014 12:19:30 GMT

Meet The Master Vampire in this New Dracula Untold Featurette - Dread Central

Dracula Untold trailer

deaana — Sun, 21 Sep 2014 00:34:08 GMT

petzipellepingo — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 08:06:22 GMT

petzipellepingo — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 08:05:29 GMT

Interview: Melissa de la Cruz, author of 'Vampires of Manhattan'

Jessie Potts, Special for USA TODAY

Today, Melissa de la Cruz joins HEA to talk about her New Blue Bloods Coven book, Vampires of Manhattan, and where our favorite characters are now. She's also the amazing author of the Blue Bloods series as well as the Witches of East End (Netlifx, anyone?) and Heart of Dread series.
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Jessie: Welcome to HEA, Melissa! We're so excited about Vampires of Manhattan. Can you tell us about it?

Melissa: Sure! It picks up 10 years after the events of Gates of Paradise and tells the story of what happened to the vampires who chose to stay on earth after winning the Great War against Lucifer. It follows the story of Ara Scott, a badass venator (vampire cop), tracking down a mortal girl's vampire killer, along with Edon Marrok, a down-on-his-luck wolf. Mimi Martin is back from the underworld and working at a Chelsea art gallery, Kingsley gets wrapped up in his old debauched life, and Oliver Hazard-Perry is the vampire king of New York. I wanted to explore everyone's happily ever after — and show how complicated life after victory can be.

Jessie: Tell us more about Oliver!

Melissa: Oliver is now the head of the Coven and about to celebrate the years of peace and prosperity. He's older now, and the ultimate insider — no longer the sarcastic outsider teen but one of the great men who run New York and the world beyond. He's cut his floppy hair! : )

Jessie: How was writing this in comparison to the Blue Bloods series?

Melissa: It was a bit of a struggle because I'm really taking the characters on a bigger leap than before. They've aged, they're grown-ups now, they're running the show, and no longer the teenagers that no one listens to (wink). They've lost a bit of that youthful idealism, some of them may be a little bitter, a little disillusioned with what life has brought them, some more arrogant than they even realize. All of them so human. : ) It was fun to explore more adult themes with my beloved Blue Bloods.

Jessie: Any fun or interesting things happen while writing VoM?

Melissa: I found it to be a very difficult book to write, just because I've lived with my characters for so long (that was the easy part) but bringing them into more danger, and figuring out how best to tell the story in an interesting way took longer than it usually did. I didn't outline as I usually do, which was fun but also new territory. In the end, like Oliver, I got by with a little help from my friends. It's wonderful to have author friends as critique partners. They calmed me down and were awesome sounding boards. They helped make the book so much better than it was.

Jessie: Do you have a favorite hero or heroine of yours? One that you just connect more with?

Melissa: I've always had a soft spot for Mimi Force. Mimi never gets what she wants, and I so relate to that.

Jessie: Is there any other genre you want to or plan to write in?

Melissa: Yes, I've been drawn to thrillers and mysteries lately. I've been working on one that doesn't have a paranormal angle, so that is fun and new. My favorite books lately are by Laura Lippman and Gillian Flynn. I've just been drawn to those dark, twisted psychological stories lately.

I also like the realistic contemporary romance genre, and I'm working on something in that vein as well.

Jessie: What are you working on right now?

Melissa: So many things! Other than those two, which are in very early form, Mike and I just turned in the final copy edits for Stolen, the second book in our Heart of Dread post-apocalyptic fantasy series coming out this November. I'm right in the middle of Descendants: Isle of the Lost, which is the book prequel to the Disney Channel original movie, about the kids of Disney's mightiest villains. And I have outlines and pages done for Vampires of Manhattan 2 and for Ring and Crown 2, along with finished manuscripts for a couple of new series we haven't announced yet. My husband and I have had a very busy summer! But that's OK, we're off to Maui now. : )

Jessie: Now for some rapid-fire questions …

Salty or Sweet? Salty.

Favorite writing snack? Trident gum.

If you were any candy, which one would you be? Toblerone.

Current book you're reading? The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared (by Jonas Jonasson) — recommended by a Hudson Booksellers clerk at the Vancouver airport. It's funny and very droll.

Book you're most looking forward to this year? I'm a HUGE HUGE fan of Maggie Stiefvater's Raven cycle, so Blue Lily, Lily Blue! I'm an Adam girl, though. I like the sad, poor boys.

Favorite childhood book? So many. Little Women. Lord of the Rings. Dune.

Favorite book boyfriend? Aragorn from LOTR. Although, in my younger years, I was very taken with Legolas.

Favorite villain? Right now, Maleficent. So much fun writing her daughter, Mal.

Last movie you saw in theaters? Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Caesar lives!

If you were any paranormal creature which one would you be? Obviously a vampire! : )

Epic one-liner?

Melissa: Ladies, if you want to have it all, you have to do it all.

—

Find out more about Melissa and her books at www.melissa-delacruz.com.

Jessie Potts, also known as Book Taster, adores books in all forms. She also does reviews for RT Book Reviews magazine and works in the submissions department at Dreamspinner Press. You can follow her on Twitter (@BookTaster).
http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2014/09/09/melissa-de-la-cruz-interview-vampires-of-manhattan/15287103/

petzipellepingo — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 13:20:16 GMT

Anne Rice’s ‘Vampire Chronicles’ Takes Flight at Universal

Dave McNary
Film Reporter
@Variety_DMcNary

Setting up a potential “Twilight”-like franchise, Universal Pictures has acquired movie rights to Anne Rice’s novels in “The Vampire Chronicles” series for Brian Grazer and Imagine Entertainment.

Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci are on board to produce.

The deal — announced Thursday — includes the adapted screenplay for “Tale of the Body Thief” written by Rice’s son, author Christopher Rice. Other novels in the series include “Interview with the Vampire” and the upcoming “Prince Lestat.”
...

Rice published “Interview with the Vampire” in 1976 and “The Vampire Lestat” in 1985, followed by “The Queen of the Damned” (1988), “The Tale of the Body Thief” (1992),
“Memnoch the Devil” (1995), “The Vampire Armand” (1998), “Merrick” (2000), “Blood and Gold” (2001), “Blackwood Farm” (2002), “Blood Canticle” (2003) and “Prince Lestat” this year.

The series is centered on the fictional character Lestat de Lioncourt, a French aristocrat living in poverty who became a vampire in the late 18th century.

Imagine president Erica Huggins will oversee films based on the series for Imagine Entertainment, and Bobby Cohen will exec produce.

An earlier version of the story, “Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles,” starred Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise in 1994 and was a strong performer for Warner Bros. with $220 million in worldwide box office.

Rice’s “Queen of the Damned,” also part of “The Vampire Chronicles,” starred Aaliyah and Stuart Townsend in 2002 and grossed $45 million worldwide for Warners.

Despite the amount of love the book received, “Queen of the Damned” was panned by critics and Rice fans alike. It has only a 17% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating a generally negative reception.

Kurtzman and Orci have teamed on multiple projects including “Transformers,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Now You See Me” and “Cowboys and Aliens.” Kurtzman is also on board to direct a reboot of “The Mummy” for Universal.

Anne Rice is represented by CAA, literary agent Lynn Nesbit of Janklow & Nesbit Associates and attorney Christine Cuddy of Kleinberg, Lange, Cuddy and Carlo. Christopher Rice is repped by Resolution, Janklow & Nesbit Associates and attorney Christine Cuddy of Kleinberg, Lange, Cuddy and Carlo LLP.

http://variety.com/2014/film/news/anne-rices-vampire-chronicles-takes-flight-at-universal-1201278069/

petzipellepingo — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 14:02:56 GMT

“Farewell to Bon Temps” Special Set for June 15

The week before the final season of True Blood premieres, HBO will air “Farewell to Bon Temps”, and 30-minute special in which the cast sit down and talk about their memories from the last seven seasons. Get a sneak peek at the special below.
...

P.S. Alexander Skarsgard finally participates in season 7 promotion! Of course they won’t give anything away about Eric’s upcoming storyline, but it’s good to finally see him.

"Farewell to Bon Temps” airs Sunday, June 15 at 9:30/8:30c.

http://true-blood.net/2014/06/03/farewell-to-bon-temps-special-set-for-june-15/

petzipellepingo — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 15:33:01 GMT

petzipellepingo — Sun, 18 May 2014 18:11:11 GMT

True Blood Season 7: Graveyard Tease

deaana — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 01:03:19 GMT

Season 6 of True Blood available on DVD June 3rd

deaana — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 13:13:15 GMT

Season 6 of True Blood available on DVD June 3rd

[TV] El Rey Orders Second Season of "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series"

deaana — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 13:09:42 GMT

[TV] El Rey Orders Second Season of "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series"