Watching and Reading
I've been indulging my weakness for vamp/zombie/horror stuff lately, mostly because it's that time of year.
I've been watching HBO's True Blood series based on Charlaine Harris's "southern vampire" books. I'm hooked, and so is my sweet husband. **Spoilers** under the cut!
The good:
That opening sequence with its feel-it-in-your gut music and feverish strobe of images still slays me. Wonder why two of the "religious" images (the river baptism and the lady in white lost in a fit of rapture in church) the creepiest to me. LOL!
Credible southern/Louisiana accents by a gal from New Zealand, a British guy, and an Australian. Geez, I hope their dialect coaches are paid every penny they're worth.
Casting: Rutina Wesley pretty much steals every scene she's in. I love the temper, filthy mouth, and vulnerability she brings to Tara. The book version of Tara is not nearly as much fun as Rutina's version.
Anna Paquin: I'll admit that I was gobsmacked when I first heard that AP was cast as Sookie, but after watching just one episode, I can't imagine anyone else in the role.
Stephen Moyer: When jassyskie told me SM had been cast as Bill Compton for the HBO series, I promptly hit IMDB to see what the guy looked like. I'd read all of the books in the series, and I had a vivid mental picture of Bill. The tiny picture I found on IMDB all those months ago was intriguing, but I wasn't convinced this Moyer guy could pull off a credible Bill. By the end of episode one, all doubts were gone.
Lois Smith: No one could have played Adele Stackhouse better. I loved her in Twister, and even though I was prepared for Adele's fate in the HBO series, I still had that "Oh, noooo!" reaction. Sweet husband was *really* upset about Miss Adele's demise, which is a testament to Lois Smith's wonderful acting.
Nelsan Ellis: I loved Lafayette in the books, and I was glad to see his role expanded for HBO. Nelsan Ellis imbues Lafayette's arch flamboyance with real style and humor. I just hope the HBO version of Lafayette doesn't meet the same fate as the book version. :/
The books vs TV: For the most part, the eps are staying true to the book. I was a little disappointed in a key Sookie/Bill scene that was left out of the HBO version (Bill & Sookie's smooch-fest right after they make their escape from Fangtasia's raid) and one that was changed (their first time together in the book focused more on the lovemaking and less on the biting).
The not-so-good:
The Jason back story: Ok, we get that Jason is a horndog, is a few sandwiches short of a picnic, and has a nice bod. Enough with all the sex scenes already, or as one viewer posted on a True Blood LJ, "put some pants on him!" ;D I'm not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but all the emphasis on Jason's sex life takes away from all the other more interesting stuff going on. Move on, folks.
Sam: I really wish they'd cast someone else as Sam, someone with a bit more oomph/energy/sizzle. Sam Trammell is a good actor, but he's too bland and laid-back as the tightly-wound Sam whose heat and energy is so vividly depicted in the books.
Eric: Okay, what I've seen of the guy who plays Eric hasn't impressed me. He's not nearly as coldly intimidating as the Eric in the books. Still, it's early in the season, so I'll give Alex Skarsgard more time to sway me.
Pam: A minor character so far in the HBO series, Pam is a lot more interesting in the books. My nitpick: She's not a leather-wearing type in the books; as a matter of fact, she wears rather preppy/feminine styles. It's kind of funny to picture a vamp in pearls and modest heels, but she makes it work, and it's a nice contrast with her snarky attitude. I hope the series creators let her do more as the story unfolds.
I finally managed to DVR 30 Days of Night. Creepy fun, bad-ass vamps (those teeth!), and an ending I didn't see coming. Not bad!
I quickly realized that I wouldn't be able to do the horror-movie-per-day thing I'd considered earlier in the month, but I'm trying to make sure I get in at least a little seasonal watching/reading each day. ;) I just hope I don't miss the Charlie Brown special or my favorite yearly Halloween movie, Hocus Pocus *g*
I'm reading several books at the same time:
1. Vicious Circle by Mike Carey. Felix Castor is an exorcist of sorts; he can see, communicate with, and release ghosts from their haunting places. He's witty in a dark, dry way and tends to get in a lot of trouble without really trying. Oh, and his best friend is possessed by a very nasty demon, and he's giving a gorgeous but deadly succubus on-the-job training in how to run a successful exorcism business. Busy guy, eh? *g*
2. The Living Dead, a zombie anthology. What's Halloween without zombies? "This Year's Class Picture" was both moving and, well, scary. I'm looking forward to reading more good, creepy zombie stories that I really shouldn't read right before bed (but I will because I'm nuts like that). ;)
3. 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill. Spooky shit, even in broad daylight! Highly recommended. I believe it's in paperback now.
4. A Quick Bite by Lynsay Sands. Light & fluffy vampire romance loaned by a friend. Some of the clunky writing makes me wince, but the humor (such as the main character, a vampire who hates the sight of blood) makes up for it.
5. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. A YA urban fantasy about Shadowhunters who hunt and kill demons. I'm not sure this will be in my must-keep pile once I finish it. It's not bad, it's just kind of...meh.
Hope everyone is doing well!
I've been watching HBO's True Blood series based on Charlaine Harris's "southern vampire" books. I'm hooked, and so is my sweet husband. **Spoilers** under the cut!
The good:
That opening sequence with its feel-it-in-your gut music and feverish strobe of images still slays me. Wonder why two of the "religious" images (the river baptism and the lady in white lost in a fit of rapture in church) the creepiest to me. LOL!
Credible southern/Louisiana accents by a gal from New Zealand, a British guy, and an Australian. Geez, I hope their dialect coaches are paid every penny they're worth.
Casting: Rutina Wesley pretty much steals every scene she's in. I love the temper, filthy mouth, and vulnerability she brings to Tara. The book version of Tara is not nearly as much fun as Rutina's version.
Anna Paquin: I'll admit that I was gobsmacked when I first heard that AP was cast as Sookie, but after watching just one episode, I can't imagine anyone else in the role.
Stephen Moyer: When jassyskie told me SM had been cast as Bill Compton for the HBO series, I promptly hit IMDB to see what the guy looked like. I'd read all of the books in the series, and I had a vivid mental picture of Bill. The tiny picture I found on IMDB all those months ago was intriguing, but I wasn't convinced this Moyer guy could pull off a credible Bill. By the end of episode one, all doubts were gone.
Lois Smith: No one could have played Adele Stackhouse better. I loved her in Twister, and even though I was prepared for Adele's fate in the HBO series, I still had that "Oh, noooo!" reaction. Sweet husband was *really* upset about Miss Adele's demise, which is a testament to Lois Smith's wonderful acting.
Nelsan Ellis: I loved Lafayette in the books, and I was glad to see his role expanded for HBO. Nelsan Ellis imbues Lafayette's arch flamboyance with real style and humor. I just hope the HBO version of Lafayette doesn't meet the same fate as the book version. :/
The books vs TV: For the most part, the eps are staying true to the book. I was a little disappointed in a key Sookie/Bill scene that was left out of the HBO version (Bill & Sookie's smooch-fest right after they make their escape from Fangtasia's raid) and one that was changed (their first time together in the book focused more on the lovemaking and less on the biting).
The not-so-good:
The Jason back story: Ok, we get that Jason is a horndog, is a few sandwiches short of a picnic, and has a nice bod. Enough with all the sex scenes already, or as one viewer posted on a True Blood LJ, "put some pants on him!" ;D I'm not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but all the emphasis on Jason's sex life takes away from all the other more interesting stuff going on. Move on, folks.
Sam: I really wish they'd cast someone else as Sam, someone with a bit more oomph/energy/sizzle. Sam Trammell is a good actor, but he's too bland and laid-back as the tightly-wound Sam whose heat and energy is so vividly depicted in the books.
Eric: Okay, what I've seen of the guy who plays Eric hasn't impressed me. He's not nearly as coldly intimidating as the Eric in the books. Still, it's early in the season, so I'll give Alex Skarsgard more time to sway me.
Pam: A minor character so far in the HBO series, Pam is a lot more interesting in the books. My nitpick: She's not a leather-wearing type in the books; as a matter of fact, she wears rather preppy/feminine styles. It's kind of funny to picture a vamp in pearls and modest heels, but she makes it work, and it's a nice contrast with her snarky attitude. I hope the series creators let her do more as the story unfolds.
I finally managed to DVR 30 Days of Night. Creepy fun, bad-ass vamps (those teeth!), and an ending I didn't see coming. Not bad!
I quickly realized that I wouldn't be able to do the horror-movie-per-day thing I'd considered earlier in the month, but I'm trying to make sure I get in at least a little seasonal watching/reading each day. ;) I just hope I don't miss the Charlie Brown special or my favorite yearly Halloween movie, Hocus Pocus *g*
I'm reading several books at the same time:
1. Vicious Circle by Mike Carey. Felix Castor is an exorcist of sorts; he can see, communicate with, and release ghosts from their haunting places. He's witty in a dark, dry way and tends to get in a lot of trouble without really trying. Oh, and his best friend is possessed by a very nasty demon, and he's giving a gorgeous but deadly succubus on-the-job training in how to run a successful exorcism business. Busy guy, eh? *g*
2. The Living Dead, a zombie anthology. What's Halloween without zombies? "This Year's Class Picture" was both moving and, well, scary. I'm looking forward to reading more good, creepy zombie stories that I really shouldn't read right before bed (but I will because I'm nuts like that). ;)
3. 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill. Spooky shit, even in broad daylight! Highly recommended. I believe it's in paperback now.
4. A Quick Bite by Lynsay Sands. Light & fluffy vampire romance loaned by a friend. Some of the clunky writing makes me wince, but the humor (such as the main character, a vampire who hates the sight of blood) makes up for it.
5. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. A YA urban fantasy about Shadowhunters who hunt and kill demons. I'm not sure this will be in my must-keep pile once I finish it. It's not bad, it's just kind of...meh.
Hope everyone is doing well!