Book Review: Blood Oath

I am reviewing yet another vampire book. Yeah, don't act so surprised. But Christopher Farnsworth's Blood Oath is one of the most satisfying books of any genre I've read in a while.

In a unique set-up inspired by an actual historical event, the reader is introduced to Nathaniel Cade, a vampire who has spent nearly his entire second life in the service of the highest office of the United States, through several different administrations since the 19th century. Why he does so is something to be discovered by the reader, but Cade is officially "The President's Vampire", and it's his job to deal with the supernatural threats that crop up against the free world.

Blood Oath centers around a new emerging terrorist threat just as Cade is breaking in a new human partner, Zach Barrows, a young up-and-coming White House staffer who, of course, has no idea what he's in for and sees this assignment as something of a punishment.

I loved the set-up, which kind of fits along the same lines as Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, mixing up real world politics with supernatural elements. The characters were intriguing, complex and never boring. Cade could carry a whole series of books, as Farnsworth has already discussed writing. Plus there was a lot of action, cool gadgets both magical and technological, truly scary villains (ranging from megalomaniacs to the purely psychopathic) and adult language. Plus it touches on themes of religion, addiction and the fear of the unknown, so it's a little deep on top of everything else.

My Verdict: Gripping and high octane, everything you could ask for in a grown-up supernatural novel. No Twihards need apply (yeah, I know, I'm ragging on Twilight again, but come on!).

Fan Expo 2010: Day 3 (Last Day)

Ahhhh, last day. But what a day it was. I'm exhausted, I'm sore, but damn it I'm happy! And I'm so glad I did all three days to get the true experience.

So, to recap: Got down to the convention center right around 10 am. The line down Lower Simcoe was almost under the tunnel, but not quite, and before too long I was back up across the parking garage and very nearly where I was yesterday. But Lord it was hot. I stood baking in the sun for over an hour, listening to very loud geeks discuss whether or not David Tennant's sideburns are real and whether or not Data could have a child biologically. Sigh. I ended up meeting one of those geeks, dressed head to toe in a Doctor Who suit, named Ellen, when I discovered she was also racing to the line-up to get James Marster's autograph. It was just after 11am by that point, and he was starting at 11:30. She made a beeline for one of the merchant tables, however, to buy a sonic screwdriver, so when I got to the line-up a mother/daughter team by the name of Denise and Alicia got in behind me, and then Ellen got in behind them. Denise and Alicia chatted me up as we waited, and it turns out they're pretty hardcore fans. Alicia apparently had even been to a Twilight convention.

As we got closer, and I could see Mr. Marsters sitting up front, dressed in a blue t-shirt that hugged his torso nicely, I began to get nervous. Just as I had done with Bruce Campbell the year before, my nerves were getting to me. I checked with my new friends if I looked alright, and they assured me I looked fine and to relax, it was going to be fine. But still, this is James Marsters were talking about. There was no relaxing here.

Once I paid for my autograph and handed over my DVD cover of Spike episodes that I wanted him to sign, I found I was having the opposite problem that I did with Mr. Campbell. Instead of rambling, I clammed up! The two people ahead of me had lovely chats with the man at the booth, and he seemed happy to talk with them (this was a little less formal than the session I went to last year), but as soon as I got up there it was almost death. I smiled and said hi, he said hi and shook my hand (I TOUCHED HIM!), I asked how he was and he said fine. He complimented me on my hair, and I said thanks, I had just got it done. Then there was a lull as he signed my cover, so I mentioned that I had been to the Q&A yesterday, and it was a lot of fun. He said he had fun to, but wished that the hosts hadn't asked quite so many questions so that the fans could get more of an opportunity. And here's where I choked. In retrospect, I could've said how his singing was my favorite part, but my mind went blank at that moment. I smiled, nodded, said thank you very much it was nice to meet you, and made a hasty retreat. Gaaah. I hope he could see I was nervous and he didn't think anything of it. He meets lots of people, I'm sure, so he could probably tell. But I went and stood at one of the tables behind the lines for the autograph tables and waited until I settled down and was sure that the ink had dried on the signature before sliding it back into the DVD case with trembling fingers. Still, I looked at that signature, in silver ink, and was so happy. I had done it! I had met Mr. Marsters, shaken his hand, spoken with him and got his autograph. So cool! That disc will now have a place of honor on the shelf.

After that I had another mission. I had t-shirt requests from my brother and my roommates sister and brother-in-law. After looking at some of the tables that had shirts, and getting side-tracked at the Marvel table with free comics and a photograph with Captain America's shield (which made me look so tiny, as you can see) I went back to the big Stylin booth to find two Bazinga shirts for my roommates people, and a Green Lantern shirt for my brother. Mission accomplished, and they still had the sizes I was looking for.

After all this, I figured I'd earned a break, and I was not going to make the same mistake I did yesterday, where I only lived on granola bars. I got a slice of pizza to keep my energy up (and listened to a kid have a full blown tantrum in a stroller. Lovely). Then, as it was just past 1pm by that point and I had some time to kill before the afternoon events I wanted to attend I worked the floor, searching through boxes and boxes of discount graphic novels and getting some more free stuff. There weren't quite as many people as there were yesterday, which made navigating the crowds easier.

By the time I made it to the lowest floor for the Vampires in Film and Television panel discussion I was really feeling the exhaustion. Because of that, and because of the podium blocking off the table from where I was sitting so I could only see three of the five people, and the guy sitting beside me leaned forward the entire time, so I had to as well to see even that, I didn't catch every point that was made. But what I did catch was very interesting, like how some mediums use vampirism as a commentary on homosexuality, and the defanging, so to speak, of vampires in YA fiction when adult vampire fiction is so mature. There was a little talk on the difference between Western and Eastern vamps, and on favorite vampire movies or books. I do love my vampires.

Once the discussion was over I raced up one floor to find the room where they were screening an episode of Supernatural. I found it full, so I stood for the first few minutes, but people were coming and going, so it didn't take long to find a seat, and even though it was in the back I could see everything perfectly. I hoped it would be one of the many episodes I haven't seen yet, but nope; it was "Lazarus Rising". Still, an excellent episode, introducing favorite character Castiel, and I stayed and watched the whole thing.

After that it was just before 5, with a little more than an hour until the Expo shut down. So I decided to make a few last loops around the convention floor. At the Tron booth they were throwing out t-shirts and light disc frisbees, but I was not fortunate enough to grab one. What I did find though was the other iTunes card I wanted sitting out on the DC table, so I grabbed one for myself and some for other people. Sweet.

A lot of the collectibles I was looking at were so expensive, so I ended up getting one more graphic novel. By then it was twenty to 6, so I took a moment to take every in one last time, and then went downstairs to head back out onto Front street and to Union station. The ride back had a slight delay (what is with Subways this weekend?) but nothing major, so I got back home alright.

I'm sad it's all over, but I'm also wiped, so maybe it's good that it is only three days. Back to work I go tomorrow, but I feel happy. I feel like I was a part of something special, something big, and the more I go to Fan Expo, the more I feel that these memories will stay with me forever. I really feel I belong, and it's a great feeling.

Another year until we do it all again. I'll see you there.

Fan Expo 2010: Day 2

I think I'm in love. With who you ask? James Marsters. Now lots of you will probably think, yeah, we know, you've been in love with Spike for ages. True, but now I'm in love with the man behind Spike.

And so leads us to my second day at Toronto's geek heaven. The trip to and from was much easier this time around (thank God, no smoke on the tracks I guess). How would I describe today? Exhausting and not without it's mild irritants, but mostly...magical.

I arrived at the Convention Center around 9am and found a line, as I'd expected, but a much shorter line this time around, only going down Simcoe a little ways. And though I travelled alone, I managed to make a line buddy by the name of John. We chatted for some time about likes, dislikes, home life and what brought us here today. He was there mostly for gaming and anime, so the opposite of what I was there for, but we found a lot to talk about regardless and he explained the finer points of his costume to me.

I got in at about 10:15am. Perfect. I had time to take a quick look around, ask about the iTunes gift cards and discover that they were only being given out to people buying tickets that day (Boo!) and to find the room, two floors down, where the DC Universe panel discussion was being held. That was a very interesting talk between some DC writers and artists about some upcoming projects, and some very interesting questions came up (among them were what everyone's favorite DC and Marvel characters were).

I left that a few minutes early to get in line for the Tron Legacy sneak peak. I was a little worried once I saw the line, but it turns out it was in a huge theatre, so finding seats was no trouble. There was some talk of everyone having to confiscate their cameras and phones, as they were showing secret movie scenes, but fortunately it did not come to that. They just had security guards to keep an eye on things. Once in my seat I met another Melissa and her mother and brother. The Tron preview was hosted by InnerSPACE hosts Ajay Fry and Teddy Wilson, and featured a peak at the new video game with one of the games designers and a Wii demo on the big screen. Then we had a great compilation of clips showing Tron references in pop culture, from 30 Rock to Family Guy to music videos and South Park. Then a very cool surprise; Mr. Bruce Boxleitner was brought out, an actor who has starred in both the original Tron and the upcoming feature, and is maybe best known for starring in Babylon Five. Then we were shown both a trailer and seven minutes of never before seen footage, all in 3D (glasses were handed out as we came in). Honestly, the movie looks pretty cool, and I'm excited to see it. Mr. Boxleitner came out with Ajay Fry to answer a few questions from the audience. I quite enjoyed Mr. Boxleitner, he was funny and charming. One thing he pointed out was that the original Tron was slammed by the critics at the time and did poorly at the box office, but he feels that some of the blame for that lands on the fact that E.T. came out that same summer and, as he put it, sucked all the oxygen out of the room. But, he was quick to point out, E.T. doesn't have a new movie coming out 27 years later. The audience cheered at that. He also encouraged all of us to go out and see it four times each opening weekend.

By the time that wrapped up and we had deposited our 3D glasses in the recycle bin it was a little after 1. I knew it was too late to try to go to the Stan Lee presentation, but as that wasn't high on my list of things to do this weekend that was alright. I was ready to get some lunch. But, by then the size of the crowd had ballooned to almost locust-like proportions. There was a nice sized crowd of people waiting to get in outside, so leaving the building was impossible unless I wanted to join the wait to get back in. And they were only letting people back upstairs a few at a time to try to control the crowd, so there was a crowd of people waiting around the escalator. Seeing I had nowhere to go and nothing to do, I decided to go get in line for the James Marsters Q&A, even though that wasn't for a couple of hours. I found the right line, got comfy, found a granola bar I'd packed for just such an emergency and settled in with my iPod Nano. Plus I had to deal with a mass of people, including a few behind me who kept talking at booming volumes and kept wiggling into my personal space. Grrr.

But you know what? Totally worth it! I got a great seat, just a couple rows back from the front and on the aisle, so I had the clearest view I think I've ever had at Fan Expo. After another half-hour, our hosts (Teddy Wilson and Natasha Eloi) introduced the man of the hour. He's looking good, that guy; his brown hair's grown out a little bit and he had on a sleeveless shirt, showing off his arms. Meow. It was funny hearing him talk and not sound British. He sounds very American, and I thought at times I detected a Southern twang to his voice. Still, I'm not picky.

He was an absolute delight. He was funny, intelligent, gave nice full answers and was great with the fans. Turns out he's a well rounded actor. He's not only done the Sci Fi stuff like Spike or Captain John or Brainiac, but also the stage and Shakespeare and more main stream stuff as well. When asked about playing villains he talked about how in Shakespeare there are no villains (with the exception of Iago or maybe Richard III), and that that's how he's always seen the characters he's played. He told some great stories about working on "Once More With Feeling" and how hard the cast worked to make that come to life. He talked about his new projects and how much he relates to his character on Caprica. He talked about Angel and having to make it look like he was kicking David Boreanaz's butt while Boreanaz had a bad knee but wouldn't give up until the scene was finished. Of course he was asked about his kiss on Torchwood with John Barrowman. Again, meow. He described Barrowman as a born leader who helped him out of a tight spot while filming and made him feel comfortable about that hot and heavy scene. Apparently Marsters was originally hoping to get on Doctor Who but they didn't need him for anything there and came up with this role on Torchwood instead. Our gain.

A couple of my favorite responses: when asked if there was anything about Spike he would've played differently; "Nothing." And when asked if it was better playing a supercomputer than a vampire; "Actually, I don't think anything's been better than Spike." Yay! Spike's voice even made a brief appearance this afternoon.

But the most awesome thing came right near the end. He sang for us. Someone asked him if he remembered any lyrics from "Once More With Feeling" and would he sing them for us. He confessed that he didn't, but he could sing something else. A song from a TV movie he'd done for SyFy. I made sure the video option on my camera was running. Honestly, it was lovely when he started singing. For a song from a TV movie it was haunting and sad, and he sold it. The whole auditorium went silent. I was beaming and felt something pretty deep. It was a real moment.

And then he finished, and it was over. One last round of applause and a standing ovation, myself included. I left feeling so satisfied and happy. I knew that if I'd experienced nothing else that whole day that one hour would have made the trip worth it.

The crowd had dispersed somewhat by that point, so I made it back upstairs and basically walked around for about an hour and a half looking at comics and collectibles and displays until my shoulders ached, my feet started to hurt and my mind went numb. I got some graphic novels, some free stuff, and checked to see when Mr. Marsters would be signing autographs tomorrow. Then a little after 6 I left to head back to the subway. They were keeping the Expo open until 8 tonight to meet demand, but I figured it's been a good day and the time had come to leave.

So there's two good days. Can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring. Last day, a few things on the agenda. How will it all go down? To be continued...

Fan Expo 2010: Day 1

After a long wait, a year of anticipation, one of my very favorite times of the year is finally upon us. Fan Expo, one of the biggest geekfests in all of geekdom, opened it's doors to all at 4pm this afternoon. And where was I at that time? Not quite where you might think.

Picture this. I and my roommate Andrea get ready to leave for about 1:30pm. I've got my Batman t-shirt on, my new Capri jeans, my shape-ups in the vain hope that this will tone my legs (I've put on weight recently), and I've done myself up with black-eyeliner, silver sparkly eyeshadow and red lipstick to go with my awesome, recently dyed purple hair. I'm dressed to kill, I have everything I need, my ticket is in hand, I'm ready for anything.

Or so I thought. We get on the subway line from Yorkdale headed to Union station. So far things are fine, we're aiming to be at the Convention Center early to avoid a massive line-up. We get to the St. Claire West Station, and are told that due to some smoke in the tunnels, we all have to leave the train because it will go no further until the fire department gives the all-clear. But don't worry, they tell us, because shuttle buses will take you to the next station down south and you can hop the train from there. All of this would have been fine with me...if we did not have to wait a good forty minutes or so to catch one of those buses. Lord, did that tick me off. I felt like I was waiting for Godot. Not so much the wait, but the fact that the instructions for where we wait and for what were not very clear and there was no one to ask. I mean, what kind of operation are they running?

But we get our shuttle bus (we practically had to knock people over to get on), get to the St. George Station and take that the rest of the way in. We end up chatting to a Melissa, a fellow geek who's meeting her husband down at the convention. We finally get to Union, get to the Convention Center...but by this point it's after 4, and my worst fears have been confirmed. A line up. A massive line up, snaking all the way down under the tunnel on Simcoe Street. And not only must we wait, but we must wait in separate lines, because Andrea still needed to buy her ticket. So I'm standing alone for about an hour and a half to get in. Fortunately there were lots of costumes to see and I had my iPod with me, but still it was a long wait.

By the time I get in, get my wrist band and get onto the convention floor it's about twenty to 6. I figure there's no point in trying to make any of the 6pm panels I was hoping to get to and try to occupy myself until Andrea makes it inside (the line for ticket buyers was longer than the one with advanced tickets). However, how could I possibly stay down hearted? It's Fan Expo, for God's sake! Even in the little bit I saw tonight and with the heavy crowds my heart leapt. These are my people! This is where I belong!

And boy was there a lot to see. The tables for Marvel and DC and the Tron Display kept me occupied until Andrea made it in at about 6:15. We went to the food court to get some pizza (with me getting a Fangtasia tattoo along the way), which was right near the autograph stations so we saw a few famous faces like Ernest Borgnine and Felicia Day. After getting my picture taken with the Metallicar (see above, so awesome!) we went to the big T-Shirt store and Andrea got some really good scores with shirts featuring Sheldon Cooper's Friendship Algorithm and Pinky and The Brain's to-do list (1. Wait until tonight 2. Take over the world). While she was doing that I tried to find out about the collectible iTunes cards that the Expo is handing out. She got one, with Doctor Who on the front, when she got in but I didn't, so I went back to the ticket counters only to find out that they were fresh out. Aaahhhh! Fortunately Andrea gave up hers, as she's not a fan of Doctor Who or Torchwood, so yay! Hopefully they will have lots to give out for the next two cards over the next couple of days.

After a stop at the HMV set-up there, we went downstairs to room 205B. That's another thing that surprised me about this year's Expo. While last year it was held in the South Building in the deepest, darkest depths, this year it was in the North Building, which is all open with lots of room and lots of natural light. A nice improvement. Anyway, room 205B was a panel discussion on the X-men comic series, featuring bigwigs from Marvel comics. Andrea was talked into this with the promise of having somewhere to sit. Before it started and while she was saving our seats I picked up a couple of things and had two separate but similar conversations about True Blood with two vendors, after they noticed my Fangtasia tattoo. Once they heard I haven't seen Season 3 they kept mum so nothing would be spoiled, which I appreciate.

The discussion itself was very interesting. I admit, I did wonder if I would get kicked out once people noticed my Batman t-shirt, but nobody seemed to mind. After our speaker pointed out a kid Wolverine and his X-23 mom, we got into an update of what's been going on in the comic series and what we can expect in the near future. This is great for me because I'm very behind on the comics and have no idea what's going on. For instance, I had no idea that one of my favorites, Nightcrawler, had died. Whaaa? Or that the devastation to the mutant population from the House of M events may start to turn around with a new group called Generation Hope. Plus we got into a little bit of insight into how that industry works. Once I heard the questions from the hard core fans, I was a little reminded of how out of my league I was. Wow.

So, aside from a few hiccups, it was a good day. I got some great free samples, especially from the DC table, where I lined up to get free comics and lots of buttons and posters. I was able to squeeze in an event, and there's two more days of cool stuff to look forward to, with my orange Deluxe wrist band strapped on for the whole three days. All in all, a good start.

Now please God, let the subways be working tomorrow...and let the line ups be short.

Book Review: Little Vampire Women

So onto phase two of my mash-up fiction experience; Little Vampire Women, author Lynn Messina's attempt to add blood-suckers to Lousia May Alcott's beloved tale. I haven't read Alcott's original book, but I am familiar with the story, thanks to the 1994 film version starring Winona Ryder and the book adaptation, which I must have read a hundred times (and yet never the original). So how could I pass up the chance to see the March sisters as vampires?

Turns out, I probably could've done without it. You see, all the March sisters, their parents and even Aunt March are all vampires. In this Concord, Mass. vampires live out in the open with their human neighbors. The March's are strict humanitarians, in that they don't eat people, so neighbors Laurie and his grandfather are free to form a friendship with them.

So this probably sounds not too unreasonable right? But you see, here's my problem; there just didn't seem to be any point to the changes. The plot stays just about the same as the original text, but certain factors had been tweaked or edited so it makes sense in this new world of vampires, with mixed results. Was the story still enjoyable? Sure it was...but it was when they were human too. It seems the only reason they were made vampires was to cash in on this fad.

I liked Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter so much because it had something interesting to say and the supernatural elements worked within the realm of American history. The changes in Little Vampire Women were not necessary, and sometimes seemed kind of ridiculous. The book's ending, though nice, was too tidy and had one glaring plot problem that was not resolved to my satisfaction. I hate when that happens.

My Verdict: A fine read, but don't go into it expecting too much.

My Second Helping of True Blood

I finally got the second season of True Blood on DVD from my library and finished watching it last week. I think this second offering may have been even better than the first. With the inclusion of religious intolerance, vampire intrigue, an ever expanding world of the supernatural and a maenad to add a touch of crazy (look 'em up), the second season provided further character development, cliff-hangers to keep you guessing, moments to make you laugh, cry and cringe, and a climax that was thrilling. My man Eric showed a lot of depth this season, Sookie and Bill grew closer and other characters learned more about who they are. It was all so...awesome!

Now season 3 is on air and I'm missing it! I'll have to wait for that to arrive on DVD too. It's the waiting that's going to kill me.

Book Review: Abraham Lincoln - Vampire Hunter

You know, some people are already yakking about how 'mash up' fiction is just a passing fad and already on it's way out the door. For those of you unfamiliar with that type of fiction...where have you been the last year? Basically, it's when authors take an established work of fiction and turn it into a new genre. And it may very well be on it's way out, but personally, I'm going to enjoy it as long as it's here.

I have not yet read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the bestseller that started this whole 'fad' (my cousin informs me that I have to read the original first, and no offence to Austen fans out there, but that's just not going to happen). But one of the many titles that have since come out of the woodwork caught my attention; Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Me being as big a vampire fan as I am, it was perhaps inevitable that this would cross my path. Written by Seth Grahame-Smith, who also wrote Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the concept of the story, which tells the 'real' history of Lincoln's life and presidency, really hooked me. Apparently, as if the 16th President of the United States hadn't accomplished enough with ending slavery and the Civil War, he was also hunting vampires on the side. 'Cause you know, those overachievers have to be involved with everything.

Before you go thinking what a silly gimmick that is, let me assure you that it works surprisingly well here. Written in the epistolary-style, the reader does get the sense that this is an autobiography, pieced together by documents both historically verified and 'lost'. From the first chapter, in which the author describes how he came to be in possession of the 'secret diaries' and letters of Lincoln, you are treated to an alternate history, in which so many facets of both Lincoln's life and American history are given a new spin. And in the context of vampire fiction, it all comes together nicely. Grahame-Smith obviously researched Lincoln in quite a bit of detail, and paints a very vivid picture of a brilliant yet haunted man who grows and learns through life experiences and, to paraphrase Shakespeare, is born great, achieves greatness, and most assuredly has greatness thrust upon him. And as you're reading you can buy into every word.

From Lincoln's earliest days, to his first steps into hunting, to his unlikely yet pivotal life-long alliance with a man named Henry Sturges, to his days as a lawyer, a politician and a president, right up to his assassination, the plot that unfolds is informative, dramatic, gory, funny, heartbreaking and surprisingly resonant. This was no small feat that Grahame-Smith has pulled off, making all these disparate pieces fit together, but by gosh, I'm liking it. A lot.

Along with P&P&Z, Vampire Hunter is in talks to be adapted to the big screen. Tim Burton is looking to direct. I wonder who could star as Lincoln? Not many actors could play him, the man was so distinctive looking. Still, I'm excited. I'm thinking Johnny Depp could be Henry Sturges.

My Verdict: Despite some initial scepticism, I think most readers will be pleasantly surprised by how this 'real' history is brought to light. I know I was.

The one and only time Joss Whedon broke my heart

Joss Whedon. A name that commands the utmost respect in the pantheons of geekdom. Very few individuals in any media have brought us such side-splitting humor mixed with heart-wrenching drama and deep mythological lore. Over several different series with many different characters, Whedon has pushed the boundaries and redefined television several times. The term 'Whedonverse' hasn't been coined for nothing.

In case you can't tell, I'm a big fan.

My first big exposure to Whedon came from a little show called Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Maybe you've heard of it? In my humble opinion, which is shared by many critics and fans alike, it is a travesty that Buffy didn't get any real recognition from the Emmy Awards over it's seven seasons. A more complex, sharp-witted, funny, dramatic, heart-breaking, action-packed, well-acted and written hour of television you'd be very hard-pressed to find. It's spin off, Angel, also had it's moments.

Then I was introduced by two of my friends (who were fellow members of the University of Waterloo Buffy Watcher's club; yes, I am that much of a geek) to Firefly, Whedon's short lived Western-in-Space experiment. Why that show got cancelled, I'll never know and forever regret. It had the scope of vision that Buffy had, with a band of outlaws traveling in a space-ship in a far and distant future. You wouldn't think that it's Wild-West flavour, villains of both the government and cannibal variety and Mandarin swear words would work well together, but by God they did! And the characters and story lines had just as much humor and depth that Whedon's other projects had shown. But then it was cancelled. Boo! Fortunately, the fans got another taste in the feature-length film Serenity.

But every subject of fan worship is allowed to hit a stumbling block or two. For me, that came about when the show Dollhouse premiered on Fox in February of 2009. I was all excited for Whedon to return to television, and I was looking forward to discovering a new world added to the Whedonverse.

I think I lasted about three or four episodes, then stopped watching. What gives?

It's not that it was a bad show...but it was one that just did not appeal to me. The plot lines were somewhat intriguing, and what I saw hinted at a very rich future ahead that would be carefully laid out as we went along. But it was a no go for me.

Why? Two reasons. The first was that I just could not get behind the premise. The whole idea of taking human beings and stripping away their memories, their personalities...basically what makes them who they are and reprogramming them as someone else time and time again was just so deplorable to me I could not root for the organizations known as 'The Dollhouses'.

The second reason was that I could not get behind and support the shows main character either. That would be Echo, portrayed by Eliza Dushku (who, if you're keeping track, played Faith on Buffy). Echo was one of the 'actives' or 'dolls' who was reprogrammed every episode as a new person and hired out for a variety of missions. And while Dushku handled the acting challenge very nicely, I think there was one thing the creators of the show didn't consider: How in the heck were we supposed to get to know and cheer for a character who was a different character every episode? It just wasn't going to happen, at least not for me.

Apparently I was not the only one who thought so. Due to low ratings Dollhouse was officially cancelled in November of 09, and the final episodes aired this past January. As sad as I am that another Whedon show was cancelled so soon, to me Dollhouse just was not in the same league as Firefly, so it is not a loss I'm going to loose sleep over.

So there you have it folks. The one time Joss Whedon broke my heart. But like I said, we all stumble and fall every once in a while. Even geek icons who have whole universes named after them. So Joss, I forgive you.

Now if you really want to make it up to me, how about giving Spike his own movie?

New True Blood Add

HBO is going all out with it's add campaign for the June premier of True Blood. Here's the latest poster

Simple, blunt and more than a little provocative. Too much?

True Blood in Advertising.

For your approval: A new teaser poster for the 3rd season of True Blood.

Classic. Bet you never look at coffee the same way again. Your thoughts?

Twilight Hater...And Proud of It!

Firstly, December is here! Now everyone can go nuts with the Christmas season and I won't say a word. Heck, I'll even join you!

But back to my main point; I hate this whole Twilight fad. Hate it! Hate just about everything about it. Now as you may have noticed if you're a regular reader I love vampire fiction...but I hate this. Hate that it's so popular. Hate that it's giving vampires a bad name. Just...oooohhhh.

Some of you may be screaming 'NOOOOOOO! How can someone hate Twilight? It's so awesome, it's the best thing ever!' Or at the very least you might be thinking 'Hey it's not Keats but it's not that bad either; why the strong negative feelings?' And look there are some things I'm so crazy about that I can't understand why someone wouldn't like it, so I get where you're coming from. But, in a rare moment of zen, we have to realize that nobody can like everything (and if they say they do they're lying scum). And if you'd be so kind to indulge me, I'd like to take this oportunity to vent my frustration at this obnoxious fad (I can call it that, it's my blog).

So be more specific? Well, I hate Bella Swan. She's a whiny little wuss who lets her life and identity be consumed by a man. Even if he is a gorgeous, mystical, sparkly, slightly thrilling man, that don't make it right. There were a few recent articles at EW that make a great argument for Edward's stalkerish and potentially abusive behavior (see here and here).

And speaking of Edward, as the wise and vampire-savy authors at the discussion panel I attended at Fan Expo pointed out, why on earth would Stephanie Meyer make Edward a vampire if there's no bite to him, or at least not enough to make him truly dangerous. Sure, he might try to kill Bella...but chances are he probably won't. Boooooring!

Plus, real vampires DON'T SPARKLE! I understand taking liberties with vampire mythology, and Dracula was able to walk around in the daylight, so that's not the issue. But Dracula didn't sparkle. Know why? Because he was a REAL VAMPIRE! (And no I don't mean 'real' in the literal sense, I mean real in the established fiction and mythology sense)

Now I'm sure there are those out there who are saying, 'Well Al, how can you spew such venom at something you've never read or seen?' Fair point, but what you may not realize, gentle arguing reader, is that I did try reading it. At the coaxing of the teens I serve at my library I picked up the first volume and thought I'd give it a try. I made it to page 100, decided life was too short, and closed the book. My adorable, incredibly smart 18 year old cousin had assured me before hand that I'd feel like I was falling in love with Edward along with Bella. Maybe I'm looking at it from an almost 30 year old filter, but I have to disagree; I thought Edward was a jerk. And the constant back and forth dance he'd been doing with Bella up to that point was just annoying. Maybe I don't have the patience for that kind of thing at my age, though I know of many people older than me who like the series. Go figure.

Whether you agree with me or not, that is my point of view. Bring me True Blood or Buffy. That's what I'm looking for in my vampire fiction. Hell, I'll even take Van Helsing. At least their suped-up version of Dracula didn't sparkle. Feel free to cheer me on or condemn me in the comments section, your choice.

True Blood: Love at First Bite!

Last week I finished the first season of True Blood, the hit HBO show inspired by Charlene Harrís' Southern Vampires series of books, on DVDs I borrowed from my library. I have two words for you...me likey!

For those of you unfamiliar with the show, allow me to paint a picture for you. Imagine if you would, that vampires are real. Got that image in your head? Okay, now how would you react if they wanted to live out in the open? How would you feel about them having equal rights? Or if they interacted with your family and friends? Would you be able to accept that on any kind of level; intellectual, personal, moral or spiritual? Even if they had synthetic blood to drink would you really trust them not to eat you?

If you take those issues and package them in a sex, violence and drama filled soap opera, you essentially come up with True Blood. Set in Louisiana, the show centers around Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic bar waitress who falls in love with Bill Compton, a vampire trying to 'mainstream' (live and interact with humans). Behind the religious and political issues surrounding vampires 'coming out of the coffin', the show gets a lot of soapy story lines from Sookie's friends and family. A show about intolerance and the supernatural with lots of sex and drama? So it would seem.

Plenty of action from the undead in question too. We get a privileged look at a vampire bar, Fangtasia (yes, bad pun, I know). We hear from some vamps who feel that coming out was a bad idea...mostly because they like drinking human blood. There's even a vampire trial. You see, these vampires come in all shapes and sizes, have their own system of government, their own rules, and their own law enforcement. Which, by that way, is where my man Eric comes in, the Nordic Adonis I've been dreaming of for some time now. And while I'm still on team Eric, I have to admit that Bill has his moments too. Watch the show and you'll know what I'm talking about.

From what I hear the second season is even crazier...and even better. Can't wait, but a very promising start in the meantime. I think this is how vampires should be portrayed, not all that sparkle nonsense. No offense to Twilight fans, but seriously, real vampires DON'T SPARKLE! Anyone agree with me?

Movie Review: Let the Right One In

I went into this movie last Friday night on the heels of a lot of hype. Back when I went to Fan Expo, everyone on the panel discussion I attended on Vampires in Fiction said that this Swedish sleeper hit was the best recent vampire film they'd seen. Reviews have all been good as well. I gotta say though that while I definitely enjoyed it, I watched the credits roll that night without any sense of "Oh my God, that was awesome!" I started to wonder what all the hype was about.

Now that I've had a few days to let it process, I am starting to see a few things about Let the Right One In that make the film stand out. The story about Eli, a vampire in the body of a twelve-year-old girl who befriends Oskar, a twelve-year-old boy, comes across as a surprisingly sweet tale of adolecent romance, given the subject matter. Many of the classic vampire elements are here, from sunlight = bad to not being able to enter a home without being invited (hence the title).

But what I think is the true message of the film didn't really hit me until those few days later. I think what makes the movie stand out was that it really shows the downside of being a vampire. Most vampire movies I've seen show vamps as being powerful, confident individuals, part of communities of other vamps and living indulgent, aristocratic lifestyles. Not so for Eli. She is lonely, dependant on others for survival, constantly at risk of being discovered and stuck as a twelve-year-old. Not a glamorous life at all, and showing in the full light of day (pardon the pun) that is what makes this vampire movie so unique...and so haunting (trust me that scene at the pool...you'll know it when you see it...is quite jarring). I don't know why it took a few days to pick up on all of this (maybe I was having a slow week), but I got there eventually.

My Verdict: Quiet, mature, a bit touching, and it makes you think. In a vampire movie. Wow.

Perhaps one of the Greatest Ad Campaigns Ever!

One of my all time favorite cars, sold to vampires! Could it get any better?

Quick Update: EW corrects it's Vampire list (sort of)

A few days ago I posted a complaint about Entertainment Weekly's list of the 20 Greatest Vampires and the unforgivable absence of my favorite, Spike. Well, apparently other EW readers agreed with me and wrote in (which is what I should really do if I'm going to complain like this). The August 21/28 issue just came out and includes a short list of the vampires that didn't make the cut but readers thought should have, and Spike is on there. Yay! Other vamps that readers felt got the short end of the stick included Blacula, Frank Langella's Dracula, Barnabas Collins, Count Vladimir Dracula from Love at First Bite, and Mick St. John. It's a small gesture of contrition on EW's part, but I'll take it.

By the way, still haven't seen True Blood, but I now have a poster of Eric set as my laptop's wallpaper. He's doing the finger pyramid of evil contemplation. I really need help.

Plenty of love for the Undead, but what about Spike?

Imagine my excitement when my August 7th issue of Entertainment Weekly was waiting for me in my mailbox after a tough day at the library. Right on the cover, up top, in big bold white type was the word "Vampires". Eeeeh! (I shrieked excitedly, hoping the neighbours didn't hear) Not only did this issue discuss the most current vampire craze with interviews from popular vampire writers, there was also a list of their choices of the the 20 Greatest Vampires of All Time! Happiness...overload...

I've been a fan of bloodsuckers for...well, forever. They've always been my favorite movie/book/TV show monster with their effortless sexuality, rich mythology and bad-boy-hiding-tortured-soul archetype. And boy howdy are they hot at the moment. With the Twilight series still discussed ad nauseum (I still take requests for it at the reference desk), the show True Blood heating up HBO and more vampire projects coming out of the woodwork the undead have staked a firm claim in pop culture right now.

So as happy as I was to see this issue, there was one colossal error that I must address. Their list of the 20 greatest vamps was really good, with mentions going out to some obvious picks like Edward Cullen and Dracula (four different film versions of him actually), newer selections like Bill and Eric from True Blood (which I haven't seen yet, but there's much debate over which of the two is hotter, and I gotta go with Eric right now) and others both famous and more obscure. Their pick of Lestat from The Vampire Chronicles as number one surprised me, but I decided their reasoning was sound.

But there was, to me, one gaping absence from the list. No Spike. No Spike? Spike, one of my favorite reasons to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then the last season of Angel did not make the list at all? Angel was number 7, but no Spike? Come on! Not only was he gorgeous with his bleach blond hair, cocky sneer, British accent and trademark black duster he was one of the most complex and fully rounded characters on the show. Who else can you name, vampire or otherwise, who could go from timid poet to punk bad ass, from big bad to comic relief, from villain to hero, soulless killer to soulful lover, all within the run of the series and still stay believable and remain a fan favorite? Not many, that's for sure.

Ah well, you can't win them all. Maybe he was number 21. But I've said my peace, and we can all move on. That's one big reason to have a blog in the first place. Any favorite vampires you hoped made the list? And does anyone agree with me that Spike deserved more love?