After all the hoopla surrounding the HBO series True Blood, I decided to finally see what the fuss was about and buy Season One on DVD. Vampires have always fascinated me, though I am partial to zombies and serial killers in my own short stories, and at this point it takes a lot to engage me. I am not a fan of Twilight and there's a cable TV show on now that didn't do anything for me when I tuned into its debut.
But True Blood? All I've heard are ecstatic rumblings and I decided to join the Sookie Special. What's the verdict with one of the discs left to go? Oh man. Somebody get me a drop of "V" and fast!
It's no surprise, really, that I am hooked on this show. I think no one does television as well as HBO. The Sopranos. Rome. Entourage. Curb Your Enthusiasm. Four of my favourite shows of all time. In fact, other than movies and HBO, I don't watch much TV anymore. It sucks. Well, actually, True Blood sucks... but in a good way. Wanna experience true love and passion? Study Sookie and Bill. Want pathos? Exhibit A: Poor Grandma Stackhouse. Comedy? Tara is just hysterical. As for vampire lore, go no further than the vampire nests of Louisiana and learn what they're really all about, their unique brand of justice included, no sugar coating necessary.
There's blood, nudity, sex, great cuisine, lush natural surroundings... I have been to Louisiana, roared across the bayou in a motorboat, traversed the French Quarter at midnight, devoured crawfish and sweat hot sauce out of my pores. Watching this show makes me ache to head there again. Yes, in New Orleans you also see appropriately-attired vampires lurking on the shadowy streets. Are they real? Now I'm not so sure they're not.
I gotta tell you one thing, though. As I age, I realize that vampires are more civilized than we humans. They aren't nearly as cruel to one another as we are. I actually envy them.
Vampire movies I recommend: The new theatrical release Daybreakers is chill. 30 Days of Night is one of the most frightening vamp films I have seen, a real treat. Nosferatu, both the original and the remake starring the late Klaus Kinski. Vampyr is a 1932 German black-and-white masterpiece that will leave you chilled to the bone. And the first Underworld film pleased me a lot, because it was something new. I also enjoyed Wesley Snipes's performances as vampire-hunter Blade, even more in the second film than the first. You must see the original Dracula, because Bela Lugosi does a great, albeit campy job and it's still a classic although it doesn't make people faint like it was once purported to do. The late 1970s version with then-sexy Frank Langella (Nixon in Frost/ Nixon) was good, but the later Francis Ford Coppola version was even better. Gary Oldman, who's a year younger than me, I just learned, was a phenomenal Dracula and any movie with Anthony Hopkins in it is a cause for celebration. I can't wait for the new Wolf Man film.
But True Blood? My blood is pumping faster in wild anticipation of Season 2!
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