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When Were Vampires Ever Scary?
Often times when I hear people pissing and moaning about the vampires of Twilight, The Vampire Diaries and so on, I can’t help but do an internal eye role. They usually say the same old things, like…
"Vampires aren’t supposed to fall in love, that’s not scary!"
"Vampires kill humans, they don’t befriend them!"
"Vampires are supposed to rip humans to bloody shreds!"
And the biggest comment of all is…
"Vampires are supposed to be scary, like the used to be back in the day!"
That last comment is the one that stops me every time. I always have the instant urge to ask them, "When were vampires ever scary?" Yes, there are loads of scary modern day vampire films and books that showcase truly terrifying vampires, like 30 Days of Night for example. But those that are complaining are talking about vampires in entertainment from "back in the day." The first vampire movies and books. I hate to break it to the haters, but those weren’t scary, and not only that, but they feature a lot of the things people hate so much nowadays.
Take Bram Stoker’s Dracula for example, it’s the big vampire book that started it all. The classic book features and epic romance, a dapper and handsome vampire, and more. See, even vampires books from back in the day had romance and sexy vampires. And is Dracula scary? No. Not once when I was reading the book as a child was I afraid. It has elements of horror, it is indeed a horror novel, but it’s not any scarier than many of our modern day vampire novels that people bitch so much about. Of course, Dracula is better than those books in countless ways, but using the "vampires are supposed to be scary!" argument as a reason why it’s better does not work.
The thing is, I can’t think of a single vampire film or book from ages ago that’s truly scary, and that is why the argument about how new vampires in entertainment are lame because they aren’t scary like they once were, bothers me. Yes, vampires in classic stories and old black and white films weren’t cute fluffy bunnies, but they weren’t terrifying beasts either. They didn’t brutally mutilate their prey like in recent vampire horror films. They had an element of horror, but not in a nightmare-worthy way.
I can think of a 101 reasons to hate books like Twilight, but it not being scary like it’s "supposed to be" is not one of them.
So, to those that complain about modern vampires not being scary like before, I ask, "When were they ever scary?"
- Moonlight
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True Blood Releases First of Three Bloody Season 5 Posters
Season five of the True Blood won’t be here until June 10th (booo!) but until then HBO is giving us all sorts of goodies to tide us over until the big day. So far they have released a round of trailers showing glimpses of an action-packed season, behind-the scene footages, a teaser poster, and lots of characters posters. Now, True Blood Outreach has released the first of three fan posters HBO plans on using to promote the fifth season of its hit vampire series.
The fan poster contains a bloody hand print and has the clever text “GIMMIE FIVE” (which obviously symbolizes the show’s fifth season) underneath. Well done to the fan that created it. Check out the poster for yourself:
It’s not the greatest poster in the history of forever, but it’s nice and humorous. I look forward to the next round of fan posters.
HBO is definitely going all out on the promotion of Season 5, but then that has been the case with every single season so far. Here’s hoping it’s not all for nothing and they deliver a kickass season. True Blood has disappointed me enough in the past and I’d rather not have another terrible season. Season 4 was MUCH better than Season 3 (which was god awful), so hopefully the show continues to improve and Season 5 is even better.
I have high hopes though, the various previews of Season 5 have been fangtastic so far. I am loving all of the sneak peeks. For those of you that missed it, here is another look at the first full trailer for Season 5 of True Blood:
True Blood returns to HBO on June 10th.
What are your thoughts on all of the promotions so far? Are you getting more and more excited for the fifth season of True Blood? What are your hopes for Season 5?
- Moonlight
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Vampires, Trolls, Elves and More!
Every now and then I fall so in love with a series of books that I go into this obsessive book mode and read every book back to back as quickly as humanly possible. This is what’s currently happening with Rob Thurman’s Cal Leandros series – I am its latest fangirl. The series has some badass vampires in it, but better yet, it also has a wide assortment of other supernatural beasties. So if you’re looking for something with vampires and more, then this is definitely a series to check out.
The Cal Leandros series follows Cal, a cocky survivor, and his brother Niko, a perfectly controlled warrior, as they try to save Cal from his father’s side of the family. Cal, who appears to be entirely human, is actually half monster, and his sadistic monstrous side of the family wants him back. During their quest to save Cal from unknown horrors, the brothers cross paths with a horrific troll living under a bridge, a stunning vampiress, a mischievous puck, deformed werewolves, boggles in the park and much much more.
The world Thurman has created has many classic supernatural beings that we know and love, but the author put her own twist on them, making them fresh and new and horrifying. The world this series is set in is surprisingly innovative and captivating. While the storytelling is rocky in the first book, the story itself is beyond excellent, as is the story in every book so far. I am highly impressed with the tale this author has weaved.
But, while I adore the story, with its mystery and horror, I have to save that I equally love the characters themselves. Many authors struggle with characters, they have a difficult time portraying them to readers. But Thurman does not have that problem. You know each character inside and out, and you love what you see. Each character has a unique personality and is perfect for the story. There’s a depth to each person in this series.
Even if you don’t care much for the other supernatural beings in this book, I still suggest giving it a shot. There are vampiric main characters, and they are totally amazing, but they are just the icing on top of the already awesome cake.
Check out the official Cal Leandros website for info and reading order.
Has anyone else read this series? If so, what did you think?
- Moonlight
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The Hauntingly Beautiful Poetry of Conrad Aiken
There are quite a few lovely vampire poems that have been penned, but one of my (many) favorites is Conrad Aiken’s The Vampire. This chilling and bloody poem captures both the allure and horror of the vampire. Published in 1914, The Vampire is a poem about a remarkably beautiful vampiress who captures the hearts of men and eventually leads them to their doom. I adore this poem and highly recommend it to the poetry lovers amongst us. A haunting preview is below:
S
he rose among us where we lay.
She wept, we put our work away.
She chilled our laughter, stilled our play;
And spread a silence there.
And darkness shot across the sky,
And once, and twice, we heard her cry;
And saw her lift white hands on high
And toss her troubled hair.
What shape was this who came to us,
With basilisk eyes so ominous,
With mouth so sweet, so poisonous,
And tortured hands so pale?
We saw her wavering to and fro,
Through dark and wind we saw her go;
Yet what her name was did not know;
And felt our spirits fail.
We tried to turn away; but still
Above we heard her sorrow thrill;
And those that slept, they dreamed of ill
And dreadful things:
Of skies grown red with rending flames
And shuddering hills that cracked their frames;
Of twilights foul with wings;
And skeletons dancing to a tune;
And cries of children stifled soon;
And over all a blood-red moon
A dull and nightmare size.
They woke, and sought to go their ways,
Yet everywhere they met her gaze,
Her fixed and burning eyes.
Read the second half of The Vampire here. It is most definitely worth a read.
Do you enjoy poetry about vampires? What are your thoughts on Conrad Aiken’s The Vampire?
- Moonlight
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The Power of a Vampire After Death
The wonderfully varied and unique history of vampires has always fascinated me and I am consistently amazed by what people long before me once believed. One such belief was what happened after a vampire was destroyed. Hundreds of years ago, when the belief in vampires was very real, people thought that not only did a vampire have great power during life, but also when it was officially dead. The power was in its ashes.
In vampire folklore, the ashes of the burned corpse or burned organs of a vampire, mixed in a drink and taken as a kind of medicine, were thought to have the power to heal those who were victims of vampires. In Slavic lore, however, it wasn’t a vampire’s ashes, but the ashes of a burned caul (a membrane that covers a newborn’s head at birth) that was powerful. Consuming the ash of the caul was said to heal the victims of a vampire attack.
In some parts of the world, it wasn’t the ash, but the smoke from the vampire’s burning organs that were desired. This smoke was believed to ward evil and villagers would pass through this smoke in order to cover themselves in protection.
A Romanian account from the 19th century tells the story of a crippled man from Cujmir who died, but apparently, didn’t stay dead. Soon after this man’s death his relatives began to fall ill. For some the illness was so great that they died, while others simply felt their legs weakening. The weak legs suggested to the relatives of the crippled man that he was to blame for their ailments, so they dug up his body. What they discovered was a body gorged with blood and curled up in the corner of the grave. They sliced open the corpse, removed the heart and burned the organs to ashes. The ashes were then mixed with water and given to the relatives suffering from illness and weakness. All of them recovered.
So even after death, the vampire continued to have power, and this time, it was the power to heal. Or so they believed.
- Moonlight
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Sookie and Alcide get Hot in First True Blood Season 5 Trailer!
First it was just single virgin Sookie. Then it was hot and heavy Sookie and Bill. Then there was the super sexy Sookie and Eric. Now, according to the first True Blood Season 5 trailer, it’s Sookie and werewolf Alcide. Oh yes, the trailer reveals for a split second Sookie leaning towards Alcide for a kiss! Thank goodness, it’s about time the hottest actor on the show gets some super steamy scenes.
Check out the trailer for yourself:
See it? Just for a moment you see Sookie over Alcide puckering up for a kiss. Yes! But that’s not all the fangtastic trailer revealed. My mind instantly went towards the sexy, but we got a big look at what’s going down in Season 5. Such as…
- Drama going down with Russell Edgington and the big bad Authority and it looks like Bill and Eric have been assigned with the task of taking him down.
- Bill volunteering Sookie to help with their Russell quest, and giving her no choice to say no. That’s totally not going to go well.
- A flashback of Eric looking all dapper and gentlemanly.
- Steve Newlin goes from vampire hater to vampire. And from the "human are cattle" comment, he’s not going to be a good one. Also, him and Jessica won’t be playing nice with one another.
- The death of Debbie Pelt may come back to bite Sookie in the ass.
- Lafayette calls Sookie an "angel of death."
Lots of excitement going down this upcoming season! Sexy times and scary times.
I am really looking forward to the fifth season of True Blood and I seriously hope it doesn’t disappoint. True Blood has been pretty hit and miss with me – one season is fantastic and then the next is so bad I never want to watch again. Here’s hoping Season 5 doesn’t make me feel that way.
What are your thoughts on the Season 5 trailer? Are you also looking forward to some Sookie on Alcide action? Or are you more focused on all of the other goodies the trailer revealed?
- Moonlight
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- First ‘True Blood’ Season 5 Trailer Released!
- Joe Manganiello Promises Sookie & Alcide Romance
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Nina Dobrev on Being a Vampire in The Vampire Diaries
As every Vampire Diaries fan knows – Elena is now a vampire! The big Season 3 finale ended with Elena being turned into a vampire after drowning. Season 4 won’t be back until next year (booo!) but the cast are already sharing dish on the upcoming season. Nina Dobrev herself chatted about Elena being a vampire, her choosing Stefan and more. Check out the interview below!
Nina on Elena as a vampire:
"We’re definitely going to see her whole transition into becoming a vampire. We’re not going to skip over it, as we have with others. Becoming a vampire, everything you feel is heightened. . . We know what Elena’s like: She has high morals, she looks out for other people. So what’s Elena going to be like with those things accentuated?"
On Elena’s relationship with her teen witch best friend, now that she’s a vampire:
"Their relationship is probably going to be so strained because of that. Her best friend, the one person she’s been fighting to protect, is now what she’s been fighting against all this time. It’s going to be interesting."
On fan reaction to Elena choosing Stefan over Damon:
"It does kind of feel like you’re disappointing half the people. But you’re always going to disappoint half the people with this kind of storyline. I think we gave them both what they wanted at some point or another during the season, so it’s not like we shunned them or disregarded their wants."
On missing playing a human in addition to her second character, Katherine, who’s a vampire too:
"I liked having one human and one vampire, because then I get the best of worlds and I get to do a variety of things. But, then again, it is going to be different for me and it’s going to be challenge. It’s going to be more fun to sort of explore that world."
Read the interview itself over HERE.
What are your thoughts on Elena being a vampire?
- Moonlight
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