Just released! True Blood - Season 3 Collectible Poster #2!
OK. First association for me is to 'MILF' which kind of unbelievably has become a mainstream term for an older woman who is sexually desirable. The equivalent would be 'cougar.' Though it's pretty crude and despite the veneer of Southern genteelness in Bon Temps, it may quite literally mean 'Vamp I'd Like To (Have Sex With)'.
Since we know there will be weres in True Blood Season 3, it is quite possible too that there will be a cougar who would like to mate with a 'VILF," but the fun lies in guessing, right?
If you would, hit the comment button and tell me what you think 'VILF' stands for. Try to keep it somewhat clean.
Below is some early buzz on the newest HBO True Blood collectible poster:
HBO isn't letting up on the "True Blood" marketing campaign for its upcoming third season. The network has already begun promoting the new batch of episodes in a variety of interesting ways, including tantalizing previews of both Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgård) and Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) facing down some serious trouble, not to mention the possibility of a True Blood coffee drink.
Now comes the latest piece of what The Hollywood Reporter is referring to as "a 12-part weekly advertising series," this time with a simple and effectively bloody message...
The color red has become synonymous with the HBO vampire drama, so seeing such a color take a literal background role is somewhat surprising. In the latest poster, the word "VILF" appears in white against a pure red backdrop, once again signifying that the vampire community is striving to integrate with humankind — not only can bloodsuckers suck on caffeine, they can also toss slang words around like the best of us!
For the Kate haters: She could kick your pasty-white, cubicle-enclosed asses.
In seriousness, you probably couldn't care less about Evangeline Lilly but for a model with no acting experience prior to LOST just like Josh Holloway as Sawyer, I think she did alright. She rocked the action scenes. When Holloway ran it looked like he had a load in his pants. Why didn't you bitch about Holloway's acting chops? Because the :ahem: writers gave him some occasionally witty dialogue. What did they give Kate? A craptastic backstory, a three-way romantic dilemma and a penchant for wandering the Island after...usually Jack or Sawyer. Oh yeah. She took Aaron home as a consolation prize.
(Above) LOST: "Across The Sea" S6x15 - Young Jacob
I can't really tell you if "spoilers" are good or bad. I don't believe they in any way dissuade people from watching a show that they would have otherwise watched. One might guess that interest might be peaked prior to viewing an episode that had been "spoiled." Theoretically, more people might tune in to an episode to find out if what has been said to be revealed, actually plays out.
My experience as a viewer is that it does take some of the enjoyment out of viewing after one learns at least a key point or two about an episode.
As a writer however, it enhances my ability to form an opinion because I've had time to mull it over. In entertainment news/opinion time is of the essence. I don't' have a roster of volunteers at my disposal to crank out an uber-timely post so any help I can get via insider info prior to the show is greatly appreciated.
Just as theLOST
Spoilers site owner thanked people on the inside at LOST, seven of
which provided leaks about LOST production, casting, filming locations
and much, much more, I extend a thank you to him and to his site for the
wealth of material they have made available--most of it supplied with
only the request that it is correctly attributed (see link).
With that said, the following thumbnails will take you through Episode 16 of 18 episodes of LOST including a major incident in which there are many deaths. If you click the thumbnails you will read stuff that includes who dies through episode 16. People who are truly invested in the show may be quite upset about not only the deaths but other key plot points that are revealed way before we are supposed to know about them.
For my part, I'm pretty bummed about one death, a strong character since the very beginning. I hoped against hope that it wouldn't happen and now I'll be bummed through May. I guess I deserve it for being a spoiler junkie.
One more thing. I have multiple blogs and I've written both here and at The Love You Make which is where my LOST work is currently. Ultimately, I'm merging the blogs. WordPress shall win out over TypePad but only geeks care what platform I'm serving on.
Ashes to Ashes Trailer : Series 3 (Black & White)
Love this show! Final season. It's British so it's short. :( It's season 3 and we are in 1983!
[caption id="attachment_2707" align="aligncenter" width="499" caption="Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte - True Blood Season 3 - HBO - 6.19.10"][/caption]
Oh cool. A Sam-centric teaser!
I think all the men of True Blood are nice but Sam Trammell? Highly underrated. So far, anyway. He really was the heroic figure in the Season 2 finale, taking on Maryann was pretty ballsy. He and the dead guy (I kid. Vampire Bill) risking their lives to save the good people of Bon Temps. Sam a brilliant, white Brahma Bull who gored the self-enamored Maryann in her black heart and ripped it right out of her chest as he transformed back into Sam, naked in the moonlight. Great stuff. Hope we see much more of Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte in Season 3 - True Blood beginning June 13, 2010!
I'm tickled that he's gone in search of his kin in Season 3. Getting out of Merlotte's for a spell should suit him. Hope Sam finds his way home to Louisiana before the end of the season, though.
"True Blood "Waiting Sucks" promo showing Season 3 in production. This one features Sam Trammell in his pickup truck. True Blood returns this summer to HBO on Sunday June 13th 2010."
[caption id="attachment_2704" align="aligncenter" width="499" caption="Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte - True Blood Season 3 - HBO - 6.19.10"][/caption]
I am experimenting with TruBlood as a mixer. Right now half Tru Blood - half Arizona Green Tea. Good!
Between me and my three Tru Blood taste testers who have done the same with both non and alcohol-based drinks we are getting from 'interesting' to "really good" results. More later!
[caption id="attachment_2705" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte - True Blood Season 3 - HBO - 6.19.10"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_2714" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte - True Blood Season 3 - HBO - 6.19.10"][/caption]
Going into tribal council, Boston Rob laid out a strategy for his
alliance that was 100 percent fool proof. 100 percent. B-Rob is a very
smart and strategic player. He was absolutely right. Even if nobody
played the idol, so long as everybody voted as laid out by Rob, (three
votes Parvati, three votes Russell) then their alliance would stay
intact — at worst Russell, Parvati, and Tyson would be tied with 3 votes
each. They would re-vote, Rob’s alliance would most likely target
Russell, he would have been voted out.
But Rob was also prepared for an idol to be played, and if so, then
Parvati’s votes would not count, and Russell and Tyson would have been
tied at three votes each. We’d re-vote and Russell would be voted out.
He had it wired.
Russell was going home.
Russell should have gone home.
But this is Survivor and that means anything can happen.
And what
happened last night was…
RUSSELL DID IT AGAIN
(In the end, Tyson Apostol was voted out with
3-2-0 votes while James Clement was sent home 5-1.)
Russell with his precious.
The short, stubby, tooth-missin’ garden gnome did it again!
Unbelievable. UN-B-LEEVE-ABLE. I still cannot believe he pulled it off.
There were two HUGE elements at play:
1. It was a very inspired move to try to convince Tyson that he was
safe at the vote because Russell was turning on Parvati — therefore
Tyson didn’t need to worry about voting for Russell. He could just
change his vote to Parvati since his vote didn’t really matter. The
thing is Tyson didn’t have to change his vote. He could have gotten the
same result and still kept himself safe by voting for Russell. The
smarter move would have been to say, “Fine Russell, I dig that you’re
ready to vote out Parvati. I’m gonna keep with my plan to vote for you
just so I don’t alert anybody but I’m with you, and Parvati is going
home.” Tyson could have gotten the same result without risking anything.
Tyson simply lost his mind and forgot what he was doing… because
Russell put that damn Russell seed in his head!
2. Russell giving the idol to Parvati was the biggest risk he’s taken
in either of his two seasons. He went for broke and it worked.
You can write all the comments you want about how much you hate
Russell. I don’t care. I won’t respond. That dude just made a major
game-changing, momentum-switching move — and it worked. That’s what
legends are made from – big bold moves...Jeff
Probst blogs Survivor
Survivor: Heroes vs Villains - Next Time On: Episode 07
Preview episode 7 of Survivor: Heroes vs Villains
Survivor: Hereos vs. Villains - Episode Preview
“Oh man, I have nobody to blame but myself. I was the victim of my own stupidity,” Tyson said after voting himself off of “Survivor” in one of the most shockingly stupid Tribal Council moves ever.
That happened as part of a special Wednesday edition of “Survivor,” bumped by March Madness. But it was also special because there was one challenge and two Tribal Councils. The strategy was pretty clearly laid out, so it seemed like there would be few surprises at Tribal. Wrong!
It’s impossible to vote for yourself on “Survivor,” but Tyson effectively managed to do it. His alliance planned to split its vote between Russell and Parvati in case Russell played a hidden immunity idol. Tyson wanted to make sure Parvati went home, so he voted for her instead, leading to a 4-3 vote. The remaining three people voted for Tyson, which would have forced a tie vote.
Villains' Tribal Council side-swipe by Russell and Parvati. Tyson loses out after he inexplicably changed his vote and screwed himself royally.
Tribal Council Voting: Heroes
Russell's Long-Term Plan
Russell reveals his ultimate plans for after the merge
Survivor: Hereos vs. Villains - Parvati Warns Tyson
While Parvati and Tyson get water, Parvati hints to Tyson that he might get blindsided if he does not take certain action to stay in the game
'Banana Etiquette' Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains - Secret Scene: James
James is offended when Amanda tells him he needs to practice 'banana etiquette,' and takes it to the extreme when he continually offers his tribemates bananas
This sounds like a clue that Merlotte's will need yet another new waitress. They do tend to go through them awfully fast, it seems. Will "Holly' take Arlene's place at Merlotte's In Season 3?
"Season Four' is mentioned in the character description. Has it been green-lit already? It would be awesome to find out this way!
HOLLY: A thirtysomething (presumably single) mother of two, Holly applies for a job at Merlotte’s and creeps Arlene out with her oddly prescient observations. Very strong recurring in season 3 with a possible series regular upgrade in season 4.
[caption id="attachment_2664" align="aligncenter" width="392" caption="'Nothing Like A Good Cup Of Joe' - True Blood Season 3 Poster-Style Promo Photo"][/caption]
True Blood Spoiler Clip: Episode 6 - 'Hard Hearted Hannah/Friend Is A Four-Letter Word'
Sorry, just a few videos that are on schedule with the UK showing of Season 2 True Blood.
Episode 6 Synopsis:
Preview: HBO - Episode 206: “Hard-Hearted Hannah” US Debut: SUNDAY, JULY 26 (9:00-10:00 p.m.) UK: April 2, 2010
Accompanied by Isabel’s human boyfriend Hugo (Christopher Gartin), Sookie embarks on a dangerous mission to locate Godric. Meanwhile, Bill is shocked when a vampire from his distant, more violent past resurfaces in Dallas. In Bon Temps, Daphne presses Sam to get comfortable in his own skin(s); Hoyt (Jim Parrack) continues his unlikely courtship of Jessica; Andy (Chris Bauer) interrogates Lafayette about his disappearance; and Tara and Eggs (Mehcad Brooks) take a detour while on a road trip. At the Light of Day camp, Jason faces difficult emotional and physical choices. Written by Brian Buckner; directed by Michael Lehmann.
It appears that Episode 6 of Season 2 True Blood is called "Friend Is A Four Letter Word' in the UK.
There is a new Episode of Survivor 20, Heroes lose miserably to the vs. Villians on tonight - Weds. March 24, in which two castaways--one from each tribe get booted! (more after photo).
Next time on Survivor:
IN A HIGH STAKES CHALLENGE, BOTH TRIBES BATTLE FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN IMMUNITY AND A COVETED REWARD THAT PROMISES TO IMPROVE NOT ONLY THEIR MORALE BUT THEIR ENTIRE TRIBE'S STRATEGY, ON "SURVIVOR: HEROES VS. VILLAINS," ON A SPECIAL NIGHT, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24
"Banana Etiquette" - When the castaways discover that two people will be sent packing in a rare double elimination, everyone scrambles to save their own skin, and one castaway surprises everyone and risks it all at Tribal Council, on SURVIVOR: HEROES VS. VILLAINS, airing on a special night, Wednesday, March 24 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network
.
(Above) From Survivor 20x05 (last episode) during the now Banned Forever reward competition, "Schmergenbrawl." Amanda Kimmel, J.T. Thomas, "Coach" Wade, Rob Mariano, Colby Donaldson.
While playing in this reward contest, James injured himself and was forced out of the competition, leaving questions about his fitness as an ongoing tribe member.
In my last Survivor post--which seems so very long ago, I bemoaned (some would say "bitched about") the downhill hill slide Survivor has seemed stuck in now for about the last six seasons. Unless you're in the habit of cheering on in many cases, publicity-seeking pretty boys and girls or outright nasty people--or in the case of Parvati--both, I don't know how you can truly dig this show anymore. Even Jeff Probst, in his weekly column, Jeff
Probst blogs Survivor 20 Heroes vs. Villians, has been vocal about what he sees as the decline in game-playing quality. That must be a thin line to walk, given that Probst has much higher stakes than a simple host in this series.
In my 'fed-up-ness' with Season 20 in my last comments on Survivor I suggested that the show has run out of steam, that all the decent/honest/worthy ways of winning have been exhausted, leaving bottom-of-the barrel tactics that the likes of Russell and Parvati use to great advantage.
I may have been too harsh. An alternative idea now that I've been away from the show for a couple of weeks is that it go on extended hiatus, much like those expensive cable shows do and overhaul it to make it more fun. How about 12 months of no Survivor and when it comes back it does so with a crop of castaways who have never watched the show--ever. Start fresh.
Also, DO NOT let a former player return to play again for at least maybe 5 seasons which with the current schedule would be 2.5 years. That way we won't feel like they are being shoved down our throats (Russell)--and we won't be so familiar with their game-play strategies. Just some ideas because no show is immune to a decline in viewership--even if it's name is "Survivor." It's time to tweak this baby before the numbers truly reflect the quality of the programming Probst and Co. are offering.
Below is a great video to get out the bad taste in your mouth that may have been acquired by watching Season 20 thus far. Contained within are two Survivor winners--Jenna and Ethan--who played in Survivor seasons worth watching.
After the confrontation with Eddie at the end of season one, it’s now a few months later and Jackie is on the beach with her family. She’s cut ties with Eddie and is determined to dive back in and spend more time with her family.
Back at All Saints, Jackie deflects blame about the narcotic shortage. She refuses Dr. O’Hara’s offers of financial help and endures Sam, the altered nurse and his newfound sobriety.
A thwarted Dr. Cooper lodges an official complaint against Jackie with Mrs. Akalitus, as she fights a deaf woman’s insurance company to cover her hand injury.
Eddie overdoses and is brought into All Saints just so he can get Jackie’s attention.
"
S2x2
"Walk of Shame"
Disheveled, Zoey gets out of a cab as Jackie and Dr. O'Hara look on.
S2x2
"Unplugging Appliances"
Gracie saves up her allowance to buy a smoke detector.
Melissa Etheridge "Nervous" Music Video
Paul Schulze talks about Eddie doing whatever it takes to get close to Jackie in season 2.
"...more drama, more comedy and more consequences that come from Jackie's (Edie Falco) double life."
The entire Nurse Jackie cast was at "The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Presents an Evening With Nurse Jackie," mouthful!) and it looks like Jackie's double life won't be so double anymore. As season two unfolds, the writers and the cast promise to go deeper into the characters, and it's definitely not rainbows and puppies.
Have you watched the first episode of Season 2, Nurse Jackie,"Comfort Food' of yet?
Do you remember how Season 1 left off--with Jackie having taken a huge overdose then going to an empty rook and lying down on the floor and drifting off?
This episode begins with Jackie coming out of (what appears to be) a light nap on the beach. She's with her family, It's a normal day at the (off-season) beach--maybe early fall.
Nothing about the overdose. How did she survive w/out someone rescuing her? Why is her family and the hospital staff behaving as if they don't know that she OD'd.
I may have a slight guess. I've only watched S2x1 once so far though but I thought when the discussion was revolving around drugs going missing that Merritt Wever's character, Zoey sort of shot Jackie a look. She also seems very intensely interested in catching whomever is responsible for the drug dispenser's shortages.
Oh well. Loved seeing the cast again. Edie Falco is a goddess.
"Things become more complicated. It's harder to keep secrets the longer you're in an addiction situation," says Edie. "Jackie gets a little more threadbare. In a sense, it's more of the same. She's not fixed yet."
As for Jackie's two men, Kevin and Eddie, they aren't just going to be crossing paths.
"We'll be spending a lot of time together, getting to know each other," Dominic Fumusa (Kevin) spills.
"By the end of season two, you're going to see my character start to change. He'll realize there are some things going down. He's not going to be Mr. Nice Guy 100 percent of the time," Dominic promises ominously.
(Thank gawd because he'd look like a complete sap otherwise.)
Paul Schulze, who plays Eddie, the pharmacist Jackie dissed and dismissed at the end of season one, is a more direct about his character's journey. "Eddie is a little pissed," he says simply. "That's how it starts. He loves him some Jackie, and he wants some more."
Merritt Wever also gets an exciting development for her once-timid Zoey. "She tries to go stealth and do some covert operations. Be a bit of a badass," she teases. "I don't wanna say whether she succeeds or not," laughs Merrit. ..
And the best news yet:
Coop got a Twitter account. Seriously, you can follow him here.
From Kristen: Sources tell me that a female will die this season on True Blood.
That, coupled with the news that Carrie Preston (Arlene Fowler) has been cast on CBS' The Good Wife for multiple episodes—while according to Ryan Kwanten, True Blood is "halfway through shooting the season" ... Carrie has stated that "Something shocking happens to Arlene," which to me sort of de-bags the cat, so to speak.
Now that she and husband Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn, both of LOST (which, in case you live in a cave with no internets is in its sixth and final season) will be free for a bit they should do a play!
The new promo starring Alexander Skarsgård (Eric) ishere. ...along with a second teaser (above), in which Alex just looks dangerous and dreamy. He's probably looking at or thinking of Sookie.
"So what does this new teaser mean for the fate of a certain fan-favorite Merlotte waitress, and the much-rumored death this season? Spoiler Alert:..."
I wonder if Johnny Depp's partner Vannessa Paradis, had any say in this? The goss just last week was that Depp, who is currently working on,"TheTourist" with Angelina Jolie (described as 'eating' her male co-stars for lunch) is trying to get out of a steamy love scene with Jolie if not the entire film--at Paradis's behest. I applaud her if she's got that much sway with JD.There's no doubt that Depp has that much pull with Disney. He cemented that with his appearance three times on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. That and all the moola that the Pirates film franchise is pulling in almost completely due to Depp's performance as pirate Jack Sparrow, a character who he based in large part on Rolling Stone, Keith Richards.
Disney may be going au naturale for Pirates of the Caribbean: On
Stranger Tides.
The movie studio has banned actresses with artificial enhancements
for the fourth Piratesinstallment, the New York Postreports.
Filmmakers sent out a casting call last week, according to the paper,
seeking "beautiful female fit models. Must be 5 feet 7 inches-5 feet 8
inches, size 4 or 6, no bigger or smaller. Age 18-25. Must have a lean
dancer body. Must have real breasts. Do not submit if you have
implants." The potential ladies will also have to undergo a
test involving jiggling and jogging to determine their breasts'
authenticity, the Post says.
The movie, which is set for a May 2011 release, will star Johnny Depp
as Jack Sparrow, Ian McShane
as Blackbeard, and Penelope
Cruz as Sparrow's love interest, replacing Keira
Knightley as the female lead.
Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis
Now if Disney (or Vanessa) could have a word about this requirement of the 'Pirates' 4 film:
Must be 5 feet 7 inches-5 feet 8
inches, size 4 or 6, no bigger or smaller.
The 'no smaller' part is OK but no bigger than a size 4 or 6? So a size 7/8 on a 5'8" woman is considered too big? Has Disney taken a look recently at the animatronic ladies that Johnny is cavorting with in Disneyland? (j/k He doesn't cavort--only hides--then gleefully sits upon a huge pile of gold coins.)
I realize I'm being unrealistic in pointing this out but Disney started it when it took a stand on ladies with fake boobies.Why not go a step further and bump up the range of sizes a bit?
OK. I'm a terrible guesser (is that a word?) but a true fangirl so I'm going to guess about this snippet of a scene from Season 3.
Eric is guarding Sookie after Bill has "disappeared". The tattooed were tries to attack her but Eric intervenes. Eric's dialogue has the context of demanding to know "who" sent the were to Sookie's house--which is for sure where this is.
Have another taste of True Blood, Season 2 beginning tonight on HBO at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Season 2 will run in it's entirety leading up to the date that True Blood fans have been thirsting for--The Season 3 premiere of True Blood on Sunday June 13!
True Blood Season 2 Encore Trailer - Courtesy of HBO.
All Rights Reserved by HBO. Music: Yeah Yeah Yeahs~Phenomena
Check out the latest image profiling HBO's original series and characters. Also, listen to the hit single "Everybody Loves Me" by One Republic. For more information, log onto HBO.com.
Don't know how I missed this as it came out 2 weeks ago but I found it just in time to give Truebies a quick taste of what is to come as we rewatch Season 2. (C'mon once is never enough--check out the screen caps!) beginning tonight Sunday, March 21!
Q: Any new scoop on the upcoming season of True Blood? Ausiello: I’m 90 percent certain this is new: Mariana Klaveno is returning as Bill’s maker, Lorena, for roughly six episodes.
Q: Do you know if True Blood’s third season will feature Bubba? He’s not exactly a major character in the books, but I still love him. Ausiello: Unfortunately, Alan Ball says he couldn’t figure out a way to introduce Bubba “without it being cheesy,” adding, “I don’t know how to do it without either using an Elvis impersonator, which is cheesy, or having somebody and never seeing their face, just hearing their voice — and to me that sounds equally cheesy. So that’s just one of the casualties of the transfer from book to screen.”
Oh, wow! "Mariana Klaveno is returning as Bill’s maker, Lorena, for roughly six episodes."
If you read the books you know what this means! SPOILER!!! Scroll down after the photo of the lovely Ms. Klaveno to get the full scoop!
When we last saw Bill Compton, he and Sookie were enjoying a super-romantic meal in a fancy restaurant. Bill had arranged previously to have the restaurant empty of all patrons and he and Sookie danced and seemed to just revel in one anothers presence. But y'all know that good things like that cannot last for long in True Blood-- and they didn't.
First, despite Sookie's very recent trauma involving the Maryann debacle not to mention the Godric aspect of the storyline, Bill asked her to marry him! She was so taken aback that she burst into tears and excused herself to the Ladies room. Sookie took a few moments and composed herself and smiled at her reflection--at the sight of Bill's ring on her finger--and she was happy! She turned on her heels to return to him (most likely to accept the proposal) but he had vanished!
Unbeknownst to her someone had garroted Bill with a silver chain, natch, and dragged him off to parts unknown. As the audience we know this happened--Sookie does not. Neither Sookie nor the audience knows who is behind Bill's abduction . But now we do! Sookie Stackhouse book people--rejoice!
TVGuideMagazineJoin True Blood stars Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten and Rutina Wesley on their cover shoot for TV Guide Magazine! Exclusive interviews about the new season and behind the scenes footage!
Sounds like I'm going to being buying multiple copies of the TV Guide edition with the True Blood cover shoot and article that must be forthcoming. I don't do that often. Last time was for the series end of Battlestar Galactica. Maybe "someone" will be kind and do a scan of the different covers that you just know they are going to issue it in.
interviews Sam Trammell who plays Sam Merlotte on True Blood.
My lord! I knew about the Tony nom but had no idea what an academic he is! Brilliant, creative and cute. Killer combo!
I can't reprint the article of course but here are a few snippets of quotes from Sam Trammel that I loved. Click the link above to read the rest.
I would have killed to have talked to him--he's such an interesting guy! Oh, and he talks at length about his character in Season 2.
It's spoilerish, so read with caution!
SAM: I LOVEseason 2. I loveseason 2. My story line in season 2 is so insane and great. Sam is under the gun from the first episode all the way through. There really is no let up. He’s this magnet for punishment and abuse this year. Which I love! He has this relationship with this new character Maryann (Michelle Forbes), and what gets done to him is just so terrible. Which is great! It’s fun, but
...it’s really heavy this year for Sam. The stakes are really high and right from the very beginning he’s got trouble. There is trouble, trouble, trouble...
SAM: Yeah he’s got the weight of the world on his shoulders and the scope of his responsibility explodes outward from Merlotte’s. He understands things that other people don’t understand and he has to make some decisions that are big decisions.
(Anything new on the horizon for Sam Trammell once filming for Season 2 wraps up?)
SAM: I don’t have anything definite right now but I might be doing an independent movie with Sam Shepherd. Which would be great. (OMG. Would it! From reading this interview and what I know of Shepard they are very well matched in their approach to acting.)
TBN.com: Are there any questions you would like to ask the fans?
SAM: Yeah! Do you want Sam to find a woman and if so, who should it be? Or who or what should it be? Should it be Sookie? Or should it be one of the other characters on the show? Or if not what kind of girl or woman should it be? What should her qualities be? SAM: Next season, you’re really going to flip. It’s very entertaining and really fun.
My A: to Sam's query. Not Sookie. Stay best friends with her because she needs a friend as true blue as Sam and visa versa--once the characters get past Sam's big crush on her. Which I think he will. ;)
A nice girl is who I would pair Sam Merlotte up with but I'm wondering if he can find a nice girl in BonTemps once we rule out Sookie? ( I'm excluding Tara as he's flat out stated that he's "tried to love Tara but...")
MORE AFTER THE JUMP...
Unless you’ve been locked in a coffin lately, you know the hit HBO vampireTrue Blood drama helped ignite a true romance between stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer. As telepathic waitressSookie Stackhouse and Civil War–era bloodsucker Bill Compton, their sizzle is undeniable. “Our characters have had f—ing lust, romantic sex, emotional sex…” Moyer says. But as the show returns for Season 2, “it’s more like a normal relationship. They argue. But there’s a yang to that yin. There’s makeup sex.” Phew. Who wants to see these hot supernaturals paying bills and shopping at Wal-Mart?
Steamy couplings are the heartbeat of the show this season, says creator Alan Ball, so fans can expect exponential amounts of romance along with the gore, dark humor and jugular-jolting twists that are the show’s staples. Ball developed the show—set in the sweltering dirty south of Bon Temps, Louisiana, in a near future when vampires have gone mainstream—from the SouthernVampire series of books by Charlaine Harris. The drama’s become HBO’s hottest property, sucking in 7.8 million weekly viewers and scoring the network’s highest audience since The Sopranos signed off. It also helped Paquin land a Golden Globe. Needless to say, expectations for its sophomore season are high. No worries, says Ball. “There are surprises, serious heat, fun new characters and adventure.”
Bill and Sookie’s first adventure: “They become sort of parents to this teenage nightmare,” Moyer says. That’s Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll), the 17-year-old Bill sired as penance for killing a vampirewho threatened Sookie. The tension is obvious in a scene being shot on a dimly lit soundstage where the trio is crammed into a car, bloody tears streaming down Jessica’s face. “Jessicaconvinces Sookie to take her back to her parents’ house just to look through the window,” explains Paquin. “But she doesn’t just look through the window, and things go horribly, horribly wrong.”
So wrong that Bill rages at Sookie like he never has before. Paquin and Moyer go at the quarrel intensely, but there’s no kiss-and-makeup for this real-life couple when the scene wraps. She makes some calls on her cell. He chats with the crew. “They keep to themselves,” says Ryan Kwanten, who plays Sookie’s brother, Jason. “They are superprofessional. It’s not like they’re having sex in front of you!”
But Moyer admits he uses his personal experiences with love to get at the core of Bill’s fury. “In a relationship, you only get really angry when you really care,” says Moyer. “There’s that moment in those arguments when you think, ‘I’m never coming back.’ Then you go, ‘I love this person, so I’m going to sort this out.’”
Unfortunately for Sookie, she ends this particular clash on a much less mature note: “I’d rather walk!” she screams after slamming the car door and stomping off.
If you’ve seen the HBO promos, you know she’s about to encounter a horned, taloned creature in the woods. And from the looks of what’s lurking in a dark corner of the soundstage—a gash-covered prosthetic torso wearing the same plaid Daisy Dukes as Paquin—it’s going to get bloody. “I’m constantly getting bashed about and running away from things or after things,” says Paquin, whose neck is made up with fang marks (this show’s version of a hickey).
She got an emotional sock in the gut in last season’s finale with the discovery of a dead body strongly implied to be her Merlotte’s coworker, short-order cook Lafayette Reynolds (Nelsan Ellis). Quizzing Ball on the fate of Lafayette makes a set visitor wish for Sookie’s mind-reading skills. He’s not telling, but he does offer a clue about the backwoods monster. “People who’ve read the books know who that is.”
Answer: "Becky Eubanks is a stuck up whore who let Jayce finger her in church!"
(Courtesy HBO)
A number of online reviewers are saying that last night's eppy of True Blood, Episode 16 or S2xE4 depending on how you like to count them, was the best episode of the season so far.
Don't get me wrong. It was great but I have to wonder if... in the case of a few (some who really did not like True Blood last year but have jumped on the train this year) that had been given episodes 1-4 to review, so they knew what was coming so their opinions were swayed.
My opinion? I thought it was as good as Episode 1 this season. You cannot beat starting the season finding out that no, it was not Lafayette dead in the back of Andy Bellefleur's old beater only to find Miss Jeanette in full rigor mortis--with her heart cut out.
Then to discover that in Eric of all um, people living or undead, had Lafayette chained up in his basement. Also in that that episode we saw a terrified Lafayette bear witness to an extremely irritated Eric who happened to be getting his hair bleached by Pam and so had foils in it as he disemboweled Lafayette's fellow prisoner. All that and more in the premiere of season 2. Was last night better? No--but it was just as good.
My favourite scene is above--screen caps thanks to True-Blood.net.
Once again they have posted thousands of screen caps from the latest True Blood episode and I'm weeding through trying to find a few to share.
Up top you see the scene where Sookie, having travelled by Anubis Air (vampire serving airline) disembarking in the airline hangar as Jessica and Bill "rest". The flight was delayed and so it is now nighttime. Then the fun begins.
Much more to come. Watch this Sneak Peek from True Blood S2xE5 - 'Never Let Me Go'.
Next time on True Blood S2xE05 :"Never Let Me Go"
TRUE BLOOD S02E05: Godric Turns Eric Into a Vampire
FOR US AIRDATE: JULY 19TH 2009 UK Airdate March 19, 2010: In Dallas, Sookie connects with one of her own, then joins Bill and Eric for a strategic summit at the lair of the missing vampire, Godric (Allan Hyde), attended by his lieutenants, Stan (Ed Quinn) and Isabel (Valerie Cruz). Meanwhile, Jason shows his mettle at a Light of Day boot camp, and is rewarded for his hard work with a gift from Sarah (Anna Camp). Rebuffed by Tara in her relocation efforts, Maryann decides to cast her spell on the staff of Merlottes, softening Tara up towards her new family. Eric shares a little-known secret about his past with Bill, and Sookie makes a decision that might solve the Godric mystery or get her killed. (Season 2, Episode 5)
'Candy Machine'
Jackie talks to the nursing staff about missing drugs from the Pill-O-Matix.
Last time we saw Jackie, she was working at the hospital and all the potentially bad things that could go wrong in Jackie's universe (and the there are many) did go wrong. She calmy walked to the "Pill-o-matic" and, using the secret 'backdoor' that the former human pharmacist with whom she'd been having an affair showed her, purloined enough morphine/morphine-like drugs to kill a horse. Then she calmly walked to the nearest empty hospital room, locked the door, and sucked down all the drugs. She was spinning off into another reality, which will be the reality that she is dead unless intervention occurs.
Obviously, someone came to her rescue which is a very good thing as this little slice of funny (30 mins) is must-watch-tv beginning Monday, March 22 @ 10 p.m.E/9 p.m.C.
Edie Falco interview about season 2, how people react to Nurse Jackie off screen, her opinion of her character, Jackie Peyton, more.
From the Showtime site "'Nurse Jackie' examines the complicated heart and soul of a functioning
addict, a loving wife, mother, and a first-class nurse."
This is a promo for all of HBO's programming coming up including True Blood. The video shots from new, True Blood Season 3 footage are very brief so the quality of the caps I made is iffy but for now that is all we have.
Shake and Fingerpop (US Orig airing 7/12/09, UK airs 19.03.10)
With Jessica in tow, Bill and Sookie head to Dallas to carry out Eric's vampire-reconnaissance mission - but a surprise awaits them at the airport. At the Light of Day Institute, Jason falls victim to a practical joke, but has the last laugh when the Newlins anoint him for a higher calling. Maryann throws a birthday party for Tara, attracting much of Bon Temps to its Bacchanalian revelry. Sam postpones his departure from town to attend the bash, connecting with Daphne in the process.
It's good to see Lafayette cleaned up and sounded feisty, if exhausted. He's still as insightful as ever, turning the tables on just who needs whom in this scene with his cousin, Tara.
True Blood episode 204, “Shake and Fingerpop” (US Orig airing 7/12/09, UK airs 19.03.10)
True Blood "Shake and Fingerpop" Sneak Peek #3Eric and Bill
In Sneak Peek #3 (above) we've got Eric and Bill discussing "Godric" whom I believe is Eric's maker--though he has yet to reveal that to Bill. If I recall this is at least the second time he's proclaimed that Godric is 1000 years-old, mighty, and since he appears to have been "taken" that "no (vampire) is safe."
The Bill-Eric dynamic is growing on me as they seem to be growing on one another. Frenemies perhaps? Bill was quite effusive when assessing Eric's recent new haircut and did not hesitate to seek Eric's help in saving Sookie after she was attacked by the "bull-headed thing."
True Blood "Shake and Fingerpop" Sneak Peek #2 Sam & MaryAnn
Maryann really has a special way of cutting a man down to size. Here she uses her sharp tongue on Sam.
Photo Album: Some pages are of a mature nature with upper chest male and female nudity and a quick full monty from a really unattractive man. (I call double standard!)
HBO seems to be Twittering sites to which HBO-backed spoilers are being reported. I'll round them up and gather them here. Just a few minutes ago I revised another True Blood spoilers post (Part 2) to add a great deal more detail. Game on, baby!
(In Dallas)
“Isabel" (Valerie Cruz, right) runs with the Dallas vampires, but she kind of becomes friends with both Bill and Eric,” Valerie described of her role. “And she likes Sookie. [Isabel] has a penchant for humans, and she’s sensitive to this love story they have.”
Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten): Soon to repay the vampires for his wrongdoing.
I agree with Korbi (see pic below) that Stephen Moyer seems a delightful, gorgeous man and it especially shows when he's "himself" sans the whiteface and red-rimmed eyes (Note: becoming a vampire, one of the un-dead, ruins even great looks sometimes). I think Eric can do being a vamp cute-wise 'cos Eric is fair and the red-rimmed eyes just come across in a more flattering way on a really fair person. Jessica ( (Deborah Ann Woll) and Pam pull it off very well, too.
Q:Any scoop on... Lafayette's fate?
A:... What I know for sure is that Eric's blood brings our boy Lafayette back to
fighting form. We'll see the happy-go-lucky guy we loved last season once
again.
Q:I love the idea of Hoyt and Jessica on "True Blood"!
A: Hoyt loves the idea too. Jessica's into it as well, but I don't
think she's exactly a one man kind of (vamp)... not just yet anyway.
Am I imagining the overwhelming sexual tension between Jason
Stackhouse and the preacher's wife on "True Blood"? Is something going to happen
with that?
No to the former. Yes to the latter. Keep
watching, you're not waiting for nothing.
EDIT/That had to be the dumbest Q evar.:p
Q:Sookie and Eric! Is Alan Ball going to completely ignore that
storyline from the book series?
A:Nope. When I spoke to Stephen Moyer about what's coming up with Sookie & Eric, he got a
little jealous. I think he was joking... for the most part.
I read on Twitter that you weren't a big fan of last week's "True Blood"
episode. It was a little disappointing compared to the first two.
No worries, they step it back up this coming Sunday...
Korbi at SAG Foundation's "True
Blood" event with Stephen Moyer, which she moderated a couple weeks ago.
The lady in the foreground is Bill Compton's maker, "Lorena" (Mariana Klaveno).According to HBO's character thumbnail "although they parted ways some time ago she still manages to retain some type of hold over him."In the background you can see a dapper-looking gentleman at the piano who it turns out, is Mr. Bill himself (below).
Below I believe, is the modern-day incarnation of Lorena. You can see more photos of Lorena in the set below.
Carrie Preston, who plays Arlene Fowler, says, "The second-season finale is only two weeks after the end of the first season." That really frames the show well--all this stuff happening right after all that stuff (Rene, the waitress killing vampire hater) from Season One happened. Carrie, who has strong roots in theatre and is married to LOST's Michael Emerson (Ben) is pictured above with Todd Lowe, whose nuanced portrayal of the psychically scarred war vet with great insights both into himself and others is quite a pleasure to behold. It's super that his very minor though memorable "Terry Bellefleur" seems to be getting an expanded role in S2. I can't help but root for this guy to not experience any more grief.That said, here he is with Arlene, who goes through men like a mainstreaming vamp goes through Tru Blood, so I'm feeling kind of doubtful that Arlene is going to fulfill his high expectations.I'm wondering if their scene (above) is taken from Tara's birthday party thrown by Maryann (!) at Sookie's whilst Sookie is doing
Eric's bidding in Dallas? It looks (above) as if Sarah (Anna Camp) and Steve Newlin (Michael Mcmillian) are beginning to show their true colours (below).
True-Blood.net, has done a fabulous job with Season 2 screen caps. There are literally thousands per episode. It takes me several hours to sort through to find the ones that I think you'll like best--but you are so worth it!
I have to point this out. OK. Unless Daphne has somehow mesmerized Sam plus anyone who looked at her from behind, those awful gouges (scratches--last in the series above) on her back would have been so very visible. Look at them! They are huge and they have ridges that protrude! And ick.
Worse are the Sookie shots which actually seem pretty realistic in the hyper-gore department. They remembered to have her heal completely from the current and past injuries (so facial bruising completely healed now--helpful!)
But, I'm not suspending believe with Daphne and the really impossible-to-miss (even with a shirt on) scars on her back which seem to go nearly to the bottom of her shoulder blade. It ( they?) would have been visible in the shot before she took off her blouse if they had panned there. They did but only from a distance.
I started watching "Survivor" with my family a decade ago because my son, then age 6, liked the challenges.
When he was about age 11 or 12 he gave up on the show, I think in favour of video games. My spouse and I probably watched a couple more installments before we quit it, too. I tried watching the one with Courtney and the now-booted Randy and Sugar in it--Micronesia?--Tocantins? but couldn't stomach it after about 7 episodes of utter stupidity.
I'm feeling the same way now. Now in it's 20th installment, this show has devolved into a game of who is the best schemer. Even if a good player gets fairly far you just know the weaker, nastier people are going to win. If I had to pick one million dollar winner who turned me completely sour on the game it would be without question the aptly-named Parvati Shallow.
I'll be frank. I just read in a couple of different places who wins Heroes vs. Villains-- well, who the final 2 are--and I dislike them both intensely. For the jury it's going to be a choice between bad and ...bad. So why should I sit through more stupidity?
I'll just take comfort that I'm not alone as I've included a couple of excerpts from Jeff Probst's blog, EW.com, MSNBC and a couple of others and if they have to endure this show that honestly needs to be put down or at least put out to pasture, then I suppose so can I. This is the only 'Reality" show I've ever watched and it was pretty cool once--but that was long ago. In Survivor, the bad guys almost always win, and for me that's not entertainment.
Next time on Survivor:
IN A HIGH STAKES CHALLENGE, BOTH TRIBES BATTLE FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN IMMUNITY AND A COVETED REWARD THAT PROMISES TO IMPROVE NOT ONLY THEIR MORALE BUT THEIR ENTIRE TRIBE'S STRATEGY, ON "SURVIVOR: HEROES VS. VILLAINS," ON A SPECIAL NIGHT, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24
"Banana Etiquette" - When the castaways discover that two people will be sent packing in a rare double elimination, everyone scrambles to save their own skin, and one castaway surprises everyone and risks it all at Tribal Council, on SURVIVOR: HEROES VS. VILLAINS, airing on a special night, Wednesday, March 24 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network
Once again, Rupert tried to sell his vote based on keeping his tribe
strong.
Rupert: (referring to James’ bad leg). “He’s still stronger than
Tom.”
Rupert, if you really believe that James, with his bad leg, is still
stronger than Tom, then you need to stop drinking that pirate grog
because you’ve lost your friggin mind.
Ah, but that isn’t what Rupert believes. Rupert is doing what he
needs to do to keep his alliance strong. Once again, let me, “Mr. Back
Seat Driver,” point out why this makes no sense. Your own personal
alliance may be intact, but your tribe is dwindling and if and when
there is a merge, you are putting yourself in a very weak position
because you will have fewer members than the Villains.
You know how I feel. James has been a problem from day one. First
it was his attitude and now it’s his physical limitations.
And no, I’m not friends with Tom, nor am I enemies with James. I’m
just sharing what I feel and I’m guessing what the audience feels as
well.
RUSSELL FINDS THE IDOL
I loved the exchange between Russell and Parvati:
Russell: Just grab onto my coattails.
Parvati: I don’t ride coattails, baby.
Russell: You’ll ride these.
Russell is very good at using the idol. I’d say he’s as good at
using it as anybody. He really understands how to leverage its power
and he completely changed the game by securing Parvati in his alliance
and then bringing over Coach.
IS PARVATI RUSSELL’S ACHILLES’ HEEL?
Do you think Russell made a wise move? Or is he falling prey to one
of the most deadly flirts in Survivor history? Both Russell
and Parvati pulled out their big guns and told the other everything they
need to know. Russell believes Parvati will ride his coattails.
Parvati told him very clearly she does not ride anybody’s coattails. It
may be the showdown of the season thus far, even more so than Russell
vs Rob.
Parvati and Russell have both proven they can play this game very
well. It’s a deadly duo if they stay teamed up but there is no way this
relationship ends peacefully.
REWARD CHALLENGE – SCHMERGENBRAWL
I think my favorite part of the challenge was when Rupert threw Jerri
up against the side of the course: “Like I meant to do that!” And
Jerri responded by draining the winning bucket for the Villains. You
think it was the chocolate that made the difference?...
You may remember SCHMERGENBRAWL as the challenge that resulted in me tossing
somebody (Ben) out of the challenge for unsportsmanlike behavior and
also resulted in the evacuation of Mike Borassi due to dehydration. We
should have known that it was too rough, even for Survivor.
But instead, we brought it back again this season. Once again it was
physical and once again it resulted in a major injury as James was
removed from the challenge after wrecking his knee.
This challenge will NEVER be played again. It was officially retired
after last night’s challenge...
(NOTE: No Survivor next week and...
NEXT WEEK
Due to the NCAA college basketball tournament, SURVIVOR WILL
NOT BE ON NEXT WEEK! I know, we hate it too.
THE FOLLOWING WEEK
Survivor will be on for a special Wednesday night episode: WEDNESDAY
MARCH 24TH
BACK TO NORMAL
On April 1st we return to our regular Thursday night time
slot.)
In the space of one episode on Survivor Heroes vs. Villains, the
Heroes have gone from an amazing blindside to yet another amazingly dumb
decision. Between their stupidity at Tribal Council and their streak of
losses, they’re starting to look like so many tribes to come before
them, except as previous players, you’d think they’d suck less. But
you’d be wrong.
They kept James around, despite the fact that he can barely walk and
is an increasingly antagonistic bastard. (Does anyone still like him the
way they liked him in China?) Instead, they voted out Tom Westman. Now,
as a previous winner, a likable guy, and someone who isn’t a part of
the dominant alliance, I get why they wouldn’t keep him around. But the
choice was Tom, an able-bodied, capable person, or James, who can barely
walk!, and they kept James, thereby ensuring that they’ll continue to
suck at challenges even more.
The challenges tonight were a replay of Schmergen Brawl from last
season; since this season was filmed in Samoa, too, they just left up
the structure and returned to it. Its brutality as a challenge led to
James’ knee injury, and to Rupert slamming Jerri Manthey’s face into a
post for no discernible reason at all. (“Wow, stop!” Probst yelled, and
Rupert said, “I did not mean to do that. You okay?” Jerri, who
remarkably wasn’t even bleeding, said, “Whatever, dude, whatever.”) I’m
sure that’ll make Rupert a hero to Jerri-haters, but her resilience
impressed me and his action did not.
What does it take, exactly? How badly do you have to be injured
before your tribe will you vote you out? Do you need to be shot at close
range in the face? Will that do the trick? What about if you lost a
limb — an arm, say? Is that enough to get sent home? It is not my desire
to sound macabre. I’m just curious and all, seeing as how last night
the Heroes tribe decided to keep a player who could not even walk! How
absurd is that? James looks like he just stepped off the battlefield in a
Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks produced HBO war miniseries, and then
the tribe kept him instead of able-bodied Tom. Because he’ll definitely
be more of a help in the challenges, right?
Remember when James said the tribe had to get rid of Stephenie based
on her past results in challenges in Palau. Okay, let’s apply that same
criteria to Tom. Hmmm, well, let’s see — his tribe that season never
lost a single immunity challenge. Not one. And then he proceeded to
dominate the individual challenges as well. Yeah, let’s get rid of that
guy and keep Gimpy McGee over here with the occasional bouts of roid
rage. (And what’s James’ record in challenges anyway? Sure, he’s
massive, but he has never dominated in the way that Tom, Terry, and Ozzy
did.) You know what? If I could swap a player out, I actually would
take Probst’s niece over James at this point. C’mon, she’s a Probst so
you know she is scrappy, surely has ingrained leadership skills, looks
great in baseball caps, and will help your tribe get the benefit of the
doubt at all times from the host.
My favorite part of the Heroes deliberation came courtesy of Rupert
and Amanda. Rupert claimed that you don’t get rid of people because of
injury, citing how it would have been just as wrong for people to have
gotten rid of him for breaking his toe. Exactly! Because your tribe has
been doing so well in challenges with you and your broken toe! Amanda
put her rose colored glasses on as well, telling Rupert ” James is okay,
right?” Of course, he’s okay! Pay no attention to that man limping with
a splint covering his entire left leg! He’s fiiiiiiiiine. Absolutely
fine. Nothing to worry about.
Obviously, Amanda and Rupert are concerned about their alliance
numbers and nothing more, but in doing so, they are making it that much
harder for their own tribe to win. And not only that, but they are
running the risk of alienating people that may flip and align with
others on the Villains side if given the opportunity. As for J.T. and
Candice — I don’t now what the hell they are thinking. James, Amanda,
and Rupert seem like an air-tight threesome (not ITALIC {that}] kind of
threesome — get your head out of the gutter) so why would you want to be
in an alliance on the outside of that? Had they both aligned instead
with Tom and Colby, they would have made a much stronger foursome on a
much more level playing ground. I think they flat-out blew it on this
one. However, as we’ve seen in pretty much every single puzzle so far,
thinking through all the possibilities has not been a strength of the
Heroes tribe.
At Tribal Council, host Jeff Probst points
out the obvious fact that James presents a huge liability to his tribe
due to his injury. His tribemates stand up for James with the exception
of Tom, Colby and Candice, who contend that he is only being kept for a
loyal vote for his allies. James accuses Tom of being the sole reason
why their tribe continues to lose challenges, and proclaims that he is
much stronger with a bum knee than Tom is without any ailments. With
this, the Heroes cast their votes, and with five out of the seven votes
cast against him, Tom was voted out. Tom Westman, the 45 year-old from
Survivor: Palau became the fifth person voted out of SURVIVOR: HEROES
VS. VILLAINS.
The Losers tribe — or, uh, Heroes — lost yet again, unable to compete
physically or mentally with the Villains and keeping their losing
streak. Then they did their best to stay losers by keeping someone who’s
literally unable to walk. So heroic!
As Jeff Probst said at the end of the episode — our last episode for
two weeks, because basketball will interrupt next week — “Even with a
bad leg, James is more valuable to the tribe than Tom.” But before he
was voted out, “Survivor: Palau” winner Tom Westman identified the real
reason during Tribal Council: other arguments are “all nonsense,” Tom
said, because James is “being kept because he’s a loyal vote.”
The reward challenge almost knocked James out of the game. It was a
replay of the brutal “Survivor: Samoa” challenge Schmergen Brawl. Having
participated in a rehearsal in Samoa before that cast did the
challenge, I can promise you it’s very, very brutal, and we weren’t even
playing for $1 million.
I love screen caps as inevitably I’ll miss details. Admittedly I usually watch each episode of True Blood twice to start off but just the same…love, love love that in these scenes our pretty in pink Pam is wearing shredded stockings, a soiled blouse, leaves stuck in her hair and gracious! has ruined her new pumps! All because of being ordered–with Chow–to investigate the place on the backwoods road where Sookie was attacked by the “bull-headed thing.”
This is a very amusing sequence after in which Sookie's misfortune--the deep, long tears on her back inflicted by the "bull-horned thing," have put Eric into a vampiric-near-frenzy. The look on his face as he observes Dr. Ludwig at work on Sookie is one of animal hunger and it is ferociously funny.
Rarely am I glad that I am old enough to remember what was a huge pop hit for the adolescent Michael Jackson. This case is an exception as it is so very perfect.
"Ben" is a song about a boy's pet...rat.
The lyrics speak for themselves. The best of Ben Linus scenes that accompany it are priceless.
Jackie spends the day at the beach with her family.
Yay. Something to look forward to on premium cable. With Dexter and True Blood on hiatus it feels like a massive waste to me to pay for it each month. You really need to watch Season 1 of Nurse Jackie if you are going to start watching it now (and I stro
Thanks to trueblood.net for the wonderful caps. A talented and generous Truebie there made thousands of these. Click them to make them full-size.
It's freaky how black her eyes look after the attack, especially in cap #27,then in #28 you can see a bit of white but they are still really dark. And later in a scene where Sookie is treated by the "special" doctor her eyes appear black again. I'll post a series of her treatment which is pretty awful-looking but compelling, too.
Here's the next scene where Sookie's eyes are like Jane Boathouse's were while partying at Merlotte's with Maryanne and like a reveler at Maryanne's almost-orgy.
I see some white but they still look really dark.
It could be that Anna Paquin's eyes look really dark when she's crying--she is in both scenes as well as the lighting in the one is that of a dark country road, so I dunno.
FOR AIRDATE JUNE 28TH 2009: When Sookie is attacked by a mysterious creature, Bill must enlist Eric's help to save her. At the Light of Day retreat, Jason has second thoughts about the sect's anti-vampire agenda, but Sarah and Steve counter his doubts with flattery and promises. After snapping at Tara and new employee Daphne, Sam decides to cut and run. A bored Jessica heads over to Merlotte's, where a smitten Hoyt falls under her spell. At another Maryann hosted party, Tara finds her attraction to Eggs interrupted by a swirling, aphrodisiac fog.
Tara and Eggs S2E3 Scratches
Tara and Eggs S2E3 Scratches
Marianne S2E3 Scratches
Sookie and Bill at Fangtasia S2E3
Jason and Sarah S2E3 Scratches
Though these caps are delightful they really don't tell us anything. I'd still watch if they showed say maybe, Lafayette! In other "news," Tara and Eggs make a cute couple, don't you think? I have no idea what's to become of them but I can't help but wonder just how much Eggs is keeping from Tara and how much about Maryann he's got figured out or even is a part of.
I wasn't a big fan of Tara last year but she's in a place now (as her character) where the bluster is gone and I think we see more of the real Tara and she's pretty likable and funny.
OTOH, I really do not like the whole Jason/Newlin thing. We know Jason is a lovable loser. We know the Newlins are using him. And the stereotypes that are being hammered home with the Church of Lightness (or whatever)--I could just do without them as I want to get back to the good parts of the show!
Thanks to HBO for the caps!
BE SURE to CLICK the thumbnails below for full size!
This is a very amusing sequence in which after Sookie's misfortune she receives treatment for the deep, long tears on her back inflicted by the "bull-horned thing," puingtt Eric into a vampiric-near-frenzy. The look on his face as he observes Dr. Ludwig at work on Sookie is one of animal hunger and it is ferociously funny!
[caption id="attachment_2488" align="alignright" width="435" caption="Stephen Moyer (Bill) and Anna Paquin (Sookie) in Santa Monica, California in February, 2010"][/caption]
These comments from Stephen Moyer, who plays Bill Compton on True Blood are interesting as in all the press I've read and video interviews I've watched of him, I've not ever heard him talk about the fact that he dyes his hair darker for his role as the Bon Temps vampire (those it's quite a bit lighter when True Blood is not in production).
I suppose it is rather annoying too, that he cannot sunbathe as his leading lady both on and off-screen Anna Paquin, plays Sookie Stackhouse, a character known for her great love of the sun and sunbathing. I think someone needs to sit them both down and enlighten them on the risks of sunbathing and skin cancer and then suggest a really good tanning spray!
Stephen Moyer has revealed how he's banned from tanning himself - so he can stay pale for True Blood.
The Essex-born actor, who plays vampire Bill Compton in the series, was delighted to move to Los Angeles for the part, only to be told by TV bosses that he can't make the most of the hot weather.
"I couldn't wait to live by the beach and enjoy the weather, then they dye my hair and make me stay out of the sun - I was banned from sunbathing!" he told The Sun.
Stephen - who's engaged to True Blood co-star Anna Paquin - admitted fans often beg him to bite them.
"I don't think my fans are more aggressive than Robert Pattinson's. You don't get much more aggressive than a virginal 14-year-old," he went on.
"But they grab you and think it's OK to touch you - girls, ladies and men. They want to be bitter and want you to break their skin."
I'm pretty shocked at how open both the showrunners and cast of Dexter are being about what is in store for season 5. There are plenty of spoilers ahead in the excerpts from three major sources that put their own brand of spin on Dexter: Season 5--as well as Michael C. Hall's battle with cancer and his working relationship with wife, Jennifer Carpenter his co-star (Debra) on Dexter.
One of the big questions running through the minds of Dexter watchers was: Will the story pick up right after Rita's murder--or will they (take the cheesy way out and) time-jump? Question answered:
There will be no time-jumping, as some fans have speculated. In
fact, executive producer Sara Colleton promises we'll
"be able to grieve" the tragic loss of Rita and see how Dexter responds
to his world being turned upside-down. “I
think the death of Rita is so awesome that it needs to be honored,” she
said. “We’re not going to jump ahead; we’ll actually process that.”
Season 5 will pick
up
right where season 4 left off. “We have ...really debated how best to deal with the
aftermath of [Rita's death]. We ...decided that we don’t want to
jump ahead. We need to see Dexter go through the process that we’d all
have to go through if such a horrible thing had happened to us. We need
to see him doing everything from the big emotional things like grieving
the loss, to the mundane things like arranging a funeral, getting the
kids dressed, and all the other things that are usually done for men
because their wives or mothers do them. They have no idea how to handle
all of these things. As we saw, Rita was really the caretaker of their
baby.
"It would be cheating the audience of their catharsis to not see
Dexter go through that mourning period and see how it affects him or to
not see him dealing with the blowback of what he essentially caused. So
we will not jump to Harrison as a 5 year old yet.”
"I look forward to the comedy
that will come along with that, because Dexter has never been pitied
before," said Michael C. Hall. ...he said that some of his favorite moments are
comedic
scenes he has shared with C.S. Lee’s Vince Masuka and the richness that
adds to the drama.
“Dexter’s cluelessness sets things up for
comedy and hopefully now that this traumatic thing has happened to him,
he’ll find himself in situations that are inherently comedic because
he’s going to have to learn about what it means to be someone who
everyone’s treating as if he’s … been through something traumatic,” Hall
said.
“Grief is a thing he’s never felt before,” “So I think
it’ll be, uh, funny,” he joked. “He’s in hot water. I think there’s a
way out of it, but that’s what we’d like to see. He’ll figure his way
out. His capacity for stress management rivals his capacity for
straight-up killing.”
Knowing how tortuous a road it has been for Dexter to acknowledge having any emotion other than the ones provoked by his Dark Passenger I'm wagering that Dexter will be in no mood for pity.
We'll "discover that it changes things" between Dex and Deb now
that she knows the Ice Truck Killer (Brian Moser) was his real brother.
"That's a lot for her to take in," Michael explains. "It's a lot for her
to deny."
Michael, who announced his battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma in
January, looked healthy and happy and told the audience that he's doing
well.
"I'm great on the health front." In fact, he says he just had a
treatment 'last night" ... and
only has one treatment left, but says he is already cancer-free. Huge
round of applause for that. Michael also received a standing ovation—of
every single person in the audience—when he came out on stage..., Earlier, wife Jennifer (said), MCH's Golden Globe
win (amid all the frightening news in January) was "the best night of
[her] life."
Addressing a
fan’s question about the elephant in the room -- Hall and Carpenter’s
marriage and if it was “weird” to play brother and sister -- Hall was
ever the gentleman: “To us it doesn’t actually seem weird.” He then
paused and looked at Carpenter, who warned him to “Keep this short.”
Colleton then interjected that Deb is Dexter’s foster sister and that
fans “have to remember that. Dexter said (in the pilot) that ‘If I could
love anyone it’d be Deb.’ "Executive producer Sara Colleton took the focus off the awkward
Michael-Jennifer real-life couple Q by pronouncing that Deb and Dex
aren't blood related, so a coupling isn't out of the question...(lol)
According to departing show runner Clyde Phillips, the writers had Trinity kill Rita in the bathtub (instead of having her
jump off the building, which seemed to better fit his pattern of kills)
to bring the season full circle. "We wanted to end the season in
Dexter's house, where it started," Clyde said, adding that they also
wanted to return to the iconic image of (the baby covered in his mother's blood), as Dexter was as a child.
That last bit is part of the reason I love Dexter (the show) so much.They are willing to do the most outrageous things for the benefit of the story. Though those with less intestinal fortitude might contemplate the crazy train that is often Dexter's life they wouldn't act on it (no pun). Dexter's show runners do. (And yeah, it is hugely disturbing).
Dexter won't automatically be cleared of all wrongdoing in Rita's
death. How
will he explain all that blood and that Rita's missing when he can't
tell the force that he knew Arthur Mitchell? Will Batista remember
Mitchell being at the station visiting Dexter?
Wait.What? Rita is going to be missing? As in cut up into chunks are tossed in the ocean?! See, even that I wouldn't put past the show runners. Dexter's primary concern--always--is self preservation.
The showrunners wouldn't give a definitive answer on whether
there would be a new Big Bad in Season 5, but executive producer Sara Colleton did hint toward a
no, saying the focus will really be turned back on to Dexter and his
internal struggle with everything going on—something the series has
never done before.
“John Lithgow is a tough act to follow. If
there was
ever a year that we could take a step back from the Big Bad formula and
go deeper into Dexter and his psychology, this would be it."
That
said,Dexter has a dark passenger that won’t go away no matter how much
he yearns to be normal.
That rears up and needs to be dealt with. He may
even dive deeper after this traumatic loss of Rita. We are working on a
way that feels original and fresh and unique to what he has just gone
through. It cannot be the way it has been before. In [Season 1], he was
terrified of any kind of intimacy because intimacy equaled being
discovered. Then he slowly realized he had a need to be known and he set
up a family and tried the best he could to balance it all. And now, he
sees what being known brings him and he had it ripped out from
underneath him suddenly and that will have some affect on him.”
Hall -- who noted that Tuesday marked his
second-to-last round of chemotherapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma and that his
final round will be March 17 -- said that filming scenes opposite
fellow Golden Globe winner Lithgow’s frighteningly creepy Trinity was
actually the most fun he’s had acting with anyone.
“The darker it
was, the more hysterical it was (to film),” Hall said. “John is
infectious. It really became about finding reasons to keep him alive.
But yeah, he (Dexter) should have killed him sooner.”
Executive
producer John Goldwyn perhaps summed up Rita’s death best: “(Fans) felt
punched in the gut.” Added executive producer Sara Colleton: “After
they processed their surprise, (Rita’s death) felt right,” she said. “If
it’s possible that a death can be earned, it was. It wasn’t a plot
device or a cliffhanger.”
Colleton, meanwhile, addressed a fan’s
question about what happens to Rita’s kids, Cody and Astor.
“Cody
and Astor are somewhat insulated from Dexter’s world, but it is
something that is going to haunt Dexter,” she said. “That’s a very
provocative issue that we are going to explore.”
With such a shocking season finale what every fan of the show is
clamoring to find out is what happens to Dexter now? Tune in this September to find out.
Deborah Ann Woll at the Oscars on the Red Carpet: (Photo Credit: Chris Pizzello)
Deborah Ann Woll walked the red carpet at the Academy Awards Sunday evening and she was absolutely stunning. Deborah's Nicloe Miller lilac gown was unquestionably glam, with ruched bodice, bejeweled waist, and thigh-high slit. She completed the look with metallic accessories - glitzy handheld clutch, silver heels, and art deco-inspired drop earnings. What is equally impressive is that by watching the raw video you can hear the photographers telling her to look here and there and move this way and that and she did it all with a smile on her face, confidently and graciously like she's done it dozens of times. So impressive!
(I capped some shots from the video to show her gown in full and close ups of her accessories--posted after the video)
Thanks so much Shadaliza for this great, behind the scenes video!
Detail: Deborah Ann Woll's 2010 Oscar dress
"Detail of Deborah Ann Woll's 2010 Oscar accessories" "Detail of Deborah Ann Woll's Nicole Miller Oscar dress (2010)" This shot is not meant to be gratuitous rather it shows that 1. she has curves and 2. knows how to accentuate them and still be covered. Beating back the juggernaut of Avatar and rising to the top of a field of ten Best Picture nominees, the Iraq War drama The Hurt Locker pulled out six Oscar wins at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow, who became the first woman ever to earn that award. In the acting categories, Sandra Bullock beat out Meryl Streep to win the Best Actress Award for her turn as a fierce Southern mom in The Blind Side; Jeff Bridges earned the Best Actor Award for playing a past-his-prime country singer in Crazy Heart; Mo’Nique won the Best Supporting Actress for playing an abusive mother in Precious; and Christoph Waltz won the Best Supporting Actor Award for his portrayal of a coldblooded yet charming Nazi in Inglourious Basterds.
Read on for the full list of the winners:
Oscars 2010: The winners BEST PICTURE Avatar The Blind Side District 9 An Education WINNER: The Hurt Locker Inglourious Basterds Precious A Serious Man Up Up in the Air BEST DIRECTOR WINNER: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker James Cameron, Avatar Lee Daniels, Precious Jason Reitman, Up in the Air Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds BEST ACTRESS WINNER: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side Helen Mirren, The Last Station Carey Mulligan, An Education Gabourey Sidibe, Precious Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia BEST ACTOR WINNER: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart George Clooney, Up in the Air Colin Firth, A Single Man Morgan Freeman, Invictus Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker Best Foreign Language Film WINNER: El Secreto do Sus Ojos (Argentina) Un Prophete (France) The White Ribbon (Germany) Ajami (Israel) The Milk of Sorrow (Peru) Best Editing Avatar District 9 WINNER: The Hurt Locker Inglourious Basterds Precious Best Documentary Burma VJ WINNER: The Cove Food, Inc. The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers Which Way Home Best Visual Effects WINNER: Avatar District 9 Star Trek Best Score Avatar Fantastic Mr. Fox The Hurt Locker Sherlock Holmes WINNER: Up Best Cinematography WINNER: Avatar Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince The Hurt Locker Inglourious Basterds The White Ribbon Best Sound Mixing Avatar WINNER: The Hurt Locker Inglourious Basterds Star Trek Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Best Sound Editing Avatar WINNER: The Hurt Locker Inglourious Basterds Star Trek Up Best Costume Design Bright Star Coco Before Chanel The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Nine WINNER: The Young Victoria Best Art Direction WINNER: Avatar The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Nine Sherlock Holmes The Young Victoria BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Penélope Cruz, Nine Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air WINNER: Mo’Nique, Precious BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci & Tony Roche, In the Loop Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell, District 9 WINNER: Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious Nick Hornby, An Education Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air Best Makeup Il Divo WINNER: Star Trek The Young Victoria Best Live-Action Short The Door Instead of Abracadabra Kavi Miracle Fish WINNER: The New Tenants Best Documentary Short China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant WINNER: Music by Prudence Rabbit à la Berlin Best Animated Short French Roast Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte) WINNER: Logorama A Matter of Loaf and Death BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY WINNER: Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman, The Messenger Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, A Serious Man Pete Docter, Bob Peterson & Tom McCarthy, Up Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds Best Song “Almost There,” The Princess and the Frog, Randy Newman “Down in New Orleans,” The Princess and the Frog, Randy Newman “Loin de Paname,” Paris 36, Reinhardt Wagner & Frank Thomas “Take It All,” Nine, Maury Yeston WINNER: “The Weary Kind,” Crazy Heart, T-Bone Burnett & Ryan Bingham Best Animated Film Coraline Fantastic Mr. Fox The Princess and the Frog The Secret of Kells WINNER: Up BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Matt Damon, Invictus Woody Harrelson, The Messenger Christopher Plummer, The Last Station Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones WINNER: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds Read more: EW
Have you been missing Battlestar Galactica? It's been a while since any new material from the iconic science fiction drama, a re-imagined adaption (2003-2009) of a prior series with the same name was available but thanks to La-La Land Records' new release of series composer Bear McCreary's BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE PLAN/RAZOR you may now feast your ears.
It's true. Humanity does live on in composer McCreary's offering of the soundtracks to SyFy Channel's "Battlestar Galactica: The Plan" and "Razor" [feature-length] TV events which combined, were "literally years in the making," says McCreary.
Of the many accolades bestowed upon Bear McCreary this one I think says it best: (McCreary's music) "fits the action so perfectly, it's almost devastating: a
sci-fi score like no other," (NPR).
I have felt this many times whilst listening to Bear's music scores either alone or when they are more prominent in the Battlestar series as well as other efforts of his that I continue to enjoy, currently "Caprica." Bear forges an emotional connection which is completely, uniquely his in style and substance.
The music within this well-crafted CD includes music that Bear wrote before
and after the tracks on the Season 4 Battlestar Galactica Album. Bear, as he has over the course of the Battlestar Galactica series' run, makes strong use of past character and concept themes, expanding, refining and tweaking them so a number of familiar sonic elements do bubble up (which I love) as they in effect end up as sort of bookend-companion pieces. Bear McCreary's BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE PLAN/RAZOR is yet another
another powerful offering from Bear McCreary .With almost 70 minutes of
music spread over 19 tracks, this is more than
a full-length sampling of music from both Razor and the Plan.
You'll find another instance of "bookending" done to great effect on the new CD with Apocalypse (Theme From The Plan) both beginning and finishing out the album.The final, live version which completely rocks out, barely edging out the intro Apocalypse as my favourite version (so far). I'm sure many Battlestar Galactica/Bear McCreary fans will find it completely satisfying as many folks simply could not deal with the logistics inherent in attending the Bear McCreary/Battlestar Galcatica Orchestra live gigs in Southern California held last year.
It's been noted that compared to some Battlestar Galactica CD's,The Plan/Razor has a more introspective feel overall. When I went to pick a few of my favourite tracks I realized that two of my three were from "Razor": "Attack on The Scorpion Shipyards" and the haunting "Starbuck's Destiny." Razor's music is maybe a bit more unified and seeing as though it is the story from the perspective of newbie Pegasus crewmember, Kendra Shaw, it makes sense to me that they would be slightly more interior-sounding.
The almost palpable energy and enthusiasm of the live version of "Apocolypse (Theme From The Plan)" tips the scales for me as the best of a very solid effort. (I need to see this band live!)
Check my prior reviews of some Bear McCreary's work:
Hmm. Should I continue on my quest to be right about what happens next on True Blood? I said I would not go out on a limb again...but it's fun to guess so here's my halfway-educated guess about what happens next to Lafayette:
1. It's been spoiled that Lafayette drinks a lot of Eric's blood and in the TVGuide piece (below) Nelsan compares that to Sookie and her relationship with Eric. I'm sort of confusing the show and the Sookie Stackhouse books and it doesn't help that I'm in the middle of the most recent one ("Dead And Gone") so it may be that right now Eric's power over Sookie was because of his promise to "not kill humans" in exchange for her being "employed" by Eric to use her telepathic powers whenever he wishes. SPOILER: It's quite possible that Sookie will be drinking lots of Eric's blood, too.
2. So then, Lafayette is severely injured and Eric saves him with a "blood transfusion" which makes Lafayette indebted to Eric.
3. It's been stated that "someone" gets shot in Episode 2, "Keep This Party Going." I don't know how it would come to this but does Sookie shoot Lafayette?
Sunday's True Blood premiere answered at least one burning question: Is Lafayette alive? Answer: Yes! Nobody is more surprised by this turn of events than Nelsan Ellis, the actor who plays Lafayette.
As a fan of the Sookie Stackhouse novel series, on which Alan Ball based the vampire drama for HBO, Ellis knew that Lafayette, Merlotte's wisecracking cook — and part-time pornographer/drug dealer — is totally dunzo after Book 1. When he arrived on set for the finale episode's table read, he prepared himself for the end. "I thought, this was fun, time to look for the next gig," he says. But then... what's this? That painted toenail in the car didn't belong to Lafayette after all! "'You know we're not going to kill you, right?'" Ellis remembers Ball telling him. "And I was like, 'Noooo...'" Ball told the actor that he decided to keep Lafayette in the cast after shooting a scene between Ellis and Rutina Wesley, who plays Lafayette's cousin, Tara, in the pilot episode. Ellis and Wesley have combustive chemistry for sure, which Ellis attributes to their long friendship. (They attended Juilliard together in the early '00s.)
So now that Lafayette has been spared, what's next for the flamboyant entrepreneur? When we last saw him, he was chained up in a dungeon watching a fellow prisoner get disemboweled by a very cranky Eric, his vampire captor. Ellis reveals that, this season, Lafayette's fate will be inextricably tied with that of the vampires, but that their relationship won't always be quite as adversarial. "[Lafayette] stays with the vampires basically throughout the season," he says. "I guess how deep down the rabbit hole he goes with Eric is the biggest teaser I can give."
"Eric makes people beholden to him," says Ellis. "He did it to Sookie, and now he does force Lafayette to work for him to repay him for something he's done for him." Oh jeez, Lafayette isn't going to become a vampire, is he? Not any time soon, says Ellis. "I have a sneaking suspicion that, in the future, the vampires are going to learn to respect him and not mess with him," he says. "He's going to find a way to elevate his position with them. Lafayette is a survivor, so he's not going to stay in this scared state too long."
Below: more scenes from True Blood S2XE2 - "Keep This Party Going"
'Keep This Party Going"
Sookie is forced to babysit Jessica, as well as the romantic inconveniences the teen vampire’s presence creates. At the Light of Day leadership conference, Jason makes an impression on its ambitious leaders, Steve and Sarah Newlin. Maryann casts her spell on Merlotte’s patrons.
"He looks much happier here--but can he go outside on a sunny day?"]
Previously:
I'm declaring shenanigans on Ausiello and every other critic that has seen one-third of Season 2 of True Blood already and are blabbing about it. I write about spoilers and I don't even want to know what's gonna happen episodes down the line.
True Blood Season 2 Episode 1 Recap
However, in their quest to get eyeballs on their websites Ausiello and I'm sure a bunch of other's, paid and not, who are are practically wetting their pants, have proved totally untrustworthy by leaking info three weeks before it occurs on True Blood, a 12-week show on HBO.
I can't imagine that Alan Ball wants that much of his story out of the bag so early in the season.
I'm hoping it's more HBO's publicity department. You know, the ones who've been accused of driving one of the last nails in the coffin of the Los Angeles Times by wrapping Stephen Moyer around last Friday's edition?
"How will the experience of being locked in a dungeon and almost dying change Lafayette this season? ELLIS: It certainly humbles him. It shows him there are some situations he just can’t get himself out of no matter how slick he is. He's going to have to suffer the consequences of what he’s done. And I think he reflects back on his behaviour and maybe for a second thinks about changing. What was your reaction (to finding out LaFayette survives?) ELLIS: Thank you! I have a job for next season! That was my reaction. Did (showrunner Alan Ball) explain to you why he let Lafayette survive? ELLIS: Not really. He just said he decided after the bar scene in [the pilot], but he didn’t tell me until the 12th episode. He didn’t really go into any detail as to why he decided to keep me -- not to me anyway.
In an upcoming episode [SPOILER ALERT], Lafayette ingests a lot of Eric’s blood. The homoeroticism in that moment was off the charts. Was that something you were conscious of while shooting it? ELLIS: I wasn’t. I know Alexander said that from his standpoint he thinks Eric is a little drawn to Lafayette. My intentions were that I was completely terrified of Eric and what he can do to me. As far as I know, I hated his guts. It’s funny what the camera picks up... Alan has been making jokes about me and Eric and what’s to come in the third season. I definitely think I’ll be one of his henchmen, but as far down the rabbit hole as that goes, I don’t know.
So we can assume that Lafayette does, in fact, survive to see a third season?ELLIS: I think I’m back for the third season.
Do you think it’s possible for Lafayette to settle down and have a normal relationship with a guy?ELLIS: I don’t know that his normal is the general norm for everybody. I don’t think he’ll ever be normal to everybody’s standards. I do hope though that the dude can find someone that he loves and that loves him back. Everybody should be capable of that -- even Lafayette. (Additional reporting by Jeremy Medina)"
After Sookie is savagely attacked by a mysterious creature, Bill enlists Eric's help to save her life. Sam decides to hit the road after snapping at Tara and Daphne, the new Merlotte's waitress. Maryanne continues to work her magic on the locals, Hoyt in particular, Jason has his doubts about the Fellowship of the Sun's anti-vampire views and Tara's attraction to Eggs is disrupted by a mysterious fog at one of Maryann's parties.
US AIRDATE JUNE 28TH 2009: When Sookie is attacked by a mysterious creature, Bill must enlist Eric's help to save her. At the Light of Day retreat, Jason has second thoughts about the sect's anti-vampire agenda, but Sarah and Steve counter his doubts with flattery and promises. After snapping at Tara and new employee Daphne, Sam decides to cut and run. A bored Jessica heads over to Merlotte's, where a smitten Hoyt falls under her spell. At another Maryann hosted party, Tara finds her attraction to Eggs interrupted by a swirling, aphrodisiac fog.
Eric & Bill Talk Sookie (2 x 03 - Scratches) (True Blood)
The actor’s unaffected manner—all the more striking given his angular movie-idol looks—put the set in a state of mild bewilderment. This is, after all, the home of high-maintenance celebrity needs. So when someone as easygoing and ego-free as Skarsgård comes along, we almost don’t know what to do with him.
And yet there’s no arguing Skarsgård is a born star. The acting bug is hereditary. He’s the son of Swedish screen veteran Stellan Skarsgård. Like his father, Skarsgård the younger got his start as a child actor in Sweden. For American fans, he first emerged from the dust and cynicism of HBO’s Generation Kill by commanding scenes as easily as his character, Sgt. Brad “Iceman” Colbert, ordered around his marines.
But it’s True Blood’s wickedly sexy vampire sheriff Eric Northman that made him a bona fide sex symbol. Now, at 33, Skarsgård is in such high demand—both here and in Sweden—he shot two films simultaneously during his last hiatus. And his chiseled, athletic frame and riveting pale blue eyes have sent fans into such a worshipful tizzy they’ve given themselves a name: Skarsgårdians.
Pretty standard Q and A with Alex but the video is very much worth watching. Click link above.
Also Eric Northman, our favourite Viking vampire now officially has a dad!
[caption id="attachment_2429" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Hans Tester cast in True Blood Season 3 as 'Ulrick' (New York Times)"][/caption]
Actor Hans Tester has been selected to play the role of Eric Northman’s (Alexander Skarsgård) father in Season 3 of True Blood. Ulfrick, described as "a battle-scarred warrior" in his 40's or 50's and a "Swedish Viking King," will be seen in flashbacks to 900 AD. Though Ulfrick loves Erik he disapproves of Erik's behaviour and desires Erik to "behave in a more responsible manner as befitting royalty."
Tester will make his True Blood debut in Season 3 Episode 5, entitled "Trouble." Other supporting cast members in the episode include:
Marshall Allman as Tommy, Grainger Hines as Colonel John Flood, Joe Manganiello as Alcide Herveaux, Lindsay Pulsipher as Crystal Norris, Melissa Rauch as Summer, Don Swayze as Gus and Tanya Wright as Kenya.
Tester has a varied back ground in a show biz career going back to the early 1990's. He's been in film (The Informant) Television (Better Off Ted, Nip/Tuck) as well as having done voice overs and worked as a crew person. And yes, in case you are wondering it's said he speaks Swedish.
Next week: 'Knights of the Roundtable' Candace makes a game changing move, and while Russell goes on the hunt
for the immunity idol, Rob goes on the hunt for Russell. Someone else
goes down in the game and medics are called in.
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains – 'Tonight, We Make Our Move' (S20x04)
Last night, Survivor demonstrated its awesome powers, turning what
was shaping up to be a ho-hum hour of nature TV into a strategic tornado
that concluded with a massive blind side. Are you people not watching
this show? Why are you not watching this show!? Last night alone had
oiled up, half-naked contestants hurling themselves down a glorified
Slip ‘n Slide...,
stupid scheming, brilliant scheming, Coach crying, contestants in
American Gladiator balls, the host freaking, and a tribal-council
stunner.
I have to agree with the recapper above who sums up Survivor E20x04 very concisely. The episode did indeed HAVE IT ALL and isn't that the huge attraction? If you've been following this installment so far, overall the Heroes have been thinking like zeroes. No voting strategy what.so.ever. At least none that seemed to make sense. Almost embarrassing and I think that may have been what host Jeff Probst is gesturing about in the screen cap (below). What? Do these people truly want to lose because they are on their way to loserville quickly unless they can turn the tide and pick up the momentum. After Jeff's impassioned speech/ Q &A /diatribe, the Heroes voted and it seemed that they had been on the cusp on making a smart vote and Probst pushed them into it or JT had made up his mind and went with the very iffy, but only viable choice to fully align with Tom and Colby (which in essense was was Probst was pleading for).
Be sure to scroll down and click the thumbnails to get a close up and personal look at your castaways in some moments that never made it to the screen.--Cyn
But first, let’s pour a little out for Coach, who got his feelings
hurt at last week’s tribal council and blubbers to Tyson, “I did noble
things out here, and I look ignoble.” Did he win a thesaurus in a reward
challenge that we don’t know about? Tyson’s advice: don’t wear
feathers, tell crazy stories, or do tai chi in public. Rob’s advice:
“Act like a man.” Our advice: Get thee to Xenu, stat. Your cluelessness
and ego will fit in there.
Let’s pour a little more out for bad boy Russell, who’s flying too
close to the sun. Already on the outs because he’s the great unknown
(since his season aired after Heroes vs. Villains taped, he’s the most
slippery character), Russell aggravates his tenuous status by searching
for the hidden immunity idol after the Villains agree nobody will go
after it. (How oddly gentlemanly; everyone on the Heroes tribe hits the
beach running once they discover their clue.) None of the Villains know
that Russell is a literal immunity idol magnet, so much so that the clue
for the current one winds up in his hands first, tucked into the tool
set they win at the reward challenge. When they spy him digging around
under a palm tree, he is so busted. “He’s a stupid ass,” observes
Sandra. “Russell’s a bonehead. He’s like the hobbit on crack,” quips
Boston Rob.
Cirie Fields, back for her fourth shot at a million on“Survivor: Heroes vs.
Villains,” got a blindside at tribal council and was sent home in
Thursday’s episode, on Day 11 of the competition.
As a member of the Heroes tribe, the operating room supervisor at
Norwalk Hospital found herself at odds against a newly found alliance of
Tom Westman, James “J.T.” Thomas and Colby Donaldson.
Hidden immunity idols came into play in the episode, though a clue to
its location was shared with everyone at each campsite. Westman
pocketed one in the Heroes side and ended up using it, discounting the
three votes cast against him.
The votes:
Tom plays the immunity idol. Jeff reminds them that any votes cast
against Tom will not count, and the next highest number of votes will
send someone home.
Tom, Tom, Tom, Colby, Colby, Cirie, Cirie, Cirie. Tom’s votes do not
count, so Cirie is the eliminated from the tribe and goes home. Jeff
comments that this qualifies as the tribe’s first blindside and sends
them back to camp.
Survivor: Heroes vs Villains - Tribal Council Voting
Air Date: 03/04/10
GET IT TOGETHER MAN, I’M SERIOUS
I loved the exchange between Coach and Boston Rob because it brought out
Rob’s very limited patience for topics such as feelings and whining.
More than any other guy I know Rob is the quintessential “guys guy.”
He’s just not one to have long talks about feelings. You’re either with
him or you’re against him. It’s so clear that Coach desperately wants to
be with him and that is probably at the heart of why he’s feeling left
out. He just wants Rob to like him! But with Rob, it’s not so much if he
likes you as much as it is if he doesn’t despise you. Coach, he doesn’t
despise you, so take his advice – stand up straight and get back in the
game. It’s too soon for you to go home.
INTERMISSION
Oh, while we’re here… how about another response for those of you who
are still screaming at me to get off the Coach topic? Let’s see… hmmm…
how about this 8th grade classic… “Up yours.” Ya like that one? I do
too. It’s straight to the point.
I’m kidding. It’s just a joke. Where’s your sense of humor. Fun. You
remember fun, right? That thing you used to have before you became a
pain in the a–? Yeah, that thing. Listen, if I can laugh at myself with
wet cushions, you should be able to take a little Coach humor.
IDOL PLAY
I was a bit surprised at the different way the two tribes approached the
idol clue. I never would have guessed that it would be the Villains who
chose to not look for the idol, while the Heroes were tripping over
each other in a mad dash to uncover it. Further proof that at this
point, the Villains are more in control of their game. They just have it
more together than the Heroes.
Rob thinks the Tribe should find the Idol together and get rid of it, which Russell privately thinks is stupid. He later decides to go for a walk, but Rob becomes suspicious and asks Sandra to follow him. She think she sees him on the beach and reports back to the camp, prompting Rob to describe Russell as a “bonehead” and reveal that he doesn’t trust him and the safest thing to do is get rid of him.
Over at the Heroes camp, Tom discovers the same clue in the coffee jar, but again the entire camp learn the contents.
Tom eventually locates the Idol, and manages to slip it into his sock while Amanda and James search nearby – but not before Amanda sees him. She informs the other Tribe members, while Tom and Colby discuss how it could help them.
After the Heroes managed to lose two more challenges this evening,
they were back in a familiar place: Tribal Council, and the majority
appeared (appeared!) ready to vote out another strong player in either
Tom or Colby. Probst went to town on the tribe for being more concerned
with alliances instead of keeping the people who gave the tribe the best
chance to win.
When Rupert then openly disowned the vote he himself was
about to cast due to the alliances he had made, Probst went off: “What
part of that makes sense? Keeping your word in a game called outwit,
outplay, outlast?… ‘Cause I’m looking at a tribe that, you’re all
keeping your word. Great. All it’s doing is giving you more time with me
at Tribal Council.” When Rupert then noted that “being at Tribal
Council sucks,” Probst was incredulous. His response? “You’re a part of
the reason based on that philosophy, Rupert!”
This was merely the first shocking event of Tribal, however. The
second came when J.T. split from the majority to join Tom (who used his
hidden immunity idol) and Colby in voting off Cirie —someone he had been
looking to get rid off before the game even began, according to his
pre-game interview with me. It capped off an action-packed episode that
also involved a slip-and-slide, an epic Coach meltdown, the return of an
infamous challenge, and the search for two hidden immunity idols.
Last night (S2x01) we saw Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer quarrel over his keeping secrets--big secrets from her--and then having fierce, kinky make-up sex that looked pretty real right up to and including Bill's chomping on Sookie's neck, blood flowing like a necklace across her throat.
When True Blood actors said in pre-season interviews that there would be "more sex," I think they were being quite literal. Will more sex and violence, especially when coupled together turn off the audience members that are not the most ardent fans?
I hope so.
There is a vampire overload in American entertainment right now and most of it is dreck. Nothing especially wrong with that as judging from what the top twenty network shows are, most of teevee-show-watching America thrives on dreck.
I would just as soon see a smaller, more cerebral audience for True Blood than to see a bunch of teenagers jumping on the True Blood bandwagon seeking vampires that sparkle, because they don't belong there.
Despite all the hype--especially the viral marketing of True Blood--it's made for a specific demographic that is not put off by vampires biting whilst having sex, (almost) full nudity, intense violence which includes buckets of blood--and more sex. And just to mix it up and keep it interesting and fun we get the sheriff of Area 5, 1000 year-old former Viking, vampire Eric Northman paying a visit to his dungeon whilst in the middle of having his hair highlighted, foils and all.
We also get Sookie, upon discovering that Bill has turned his first victim vampire as punishment for last season's killing of Fangtasia bartender Longshadow when he was attempting to snap Sookie's neck, enquiring of Bill and new vamp Jessica, "Did you have sex?" To which Bill blurts out "No!" while Jessica throws in "Old"! (as in ew, he's disgustingly old). <big smiles>
Sookie and Bill, afters she stomps off and then comes back another night, end up declaring their love for one another and having frenzied sex. This is not stuff for teenagers, not stuff for the easily unnerved or to be blunt, prudish, nor is it for the squeamish.
The violence in True Blood, though played straight, is in fact done with a wink and a nod. Just pay attention to how ludicrous the storyline gets.
Last season for example, a scene begins with vampire Bill in his dilapidated old mansion--playing Wii-like golf on his big screen. It's funny yes, but also kind of sad as we know that no matter how long he "lives" he'll never play out on the greens.
And so True Blood goes. It's intense, scary, funny, sexy, witty, violent, escapist entertainment for need I say? Grown-ups.
There is a thread of social commentary running through it which you can feel free to ignore or acknowledge though why would you want to ignore it?
Please though if it offends you, pick up your remote and click over to Animal Planet. Oops, there's sex and violence there, too.
How about Dancing with the Stars or American Idol? They are pretty harmless and I've heard quite entertaining if you are into that kind of thing. And that's really my point. People that are into True Blood and therefore into Alan Ball's work are a bit left of mainstream and we don't get all freaked out by the freakiness. For us, the farther out he goes the more we enjoy ourselves.
As LOST's last season continues barreling to its May 23 conclusion, the LOST writers have given us some scenes that are sure to be referenced as "the best." I nominate this one, LOST - 6x06 "Sundown" - End Scene - ('Catch a Falling Star') HD in it's entirety but specifically Kate's (Evangeline Lilly) part in it.
'Kate' has MANY detractors, in fact she's probably more reviled in the fan community than Ben (Michael Emerson) ever was--and his is a 'good' kind of bad.But Kate is NOT bad. She just been written that way.
Think about what they gave this character to work with. Not a lot.
For every time Kate has been "bad" and here's the rub--she gotten pilloried more for her sexuality (Jack & Kate & Sawyer)--for every time she's been a bad girl, she's been badass twice as often.
This scene of unspeakable devastation & carnage shows Kate, though completely aghast at what she's experiencing still having the presence of mind take up a dead man's rifle & arm herself. It reminded me of the scene in Season 1 in both its similarities & contrast.
In LOST S1, the plane had crashed, bodies littered everywhere. Kate needed to be able to help pull the group together and at Jack's suggestion she needed to find some sensible shoes in which to do so. The only shoes that looked about right for her were on a corpse. She made her way to the corpse, fighting fear all the way and gingerly removed it's shoes and put them on. Contrast that scene with this. She's in a similar devastated situation--seemingly in shock but this time without anyone to prompt her into action. No need as her survival instincts are on full alert. She glances at a fresh corpse, see what looks like a working rifle and plucks it away from the body to take as her own--all the while taking in the insane scene of a reanimated John Locke with a ragtag clutch of Others and Claire--and Sayid!--all now followers of UnLocke. So much was telegraphed without words--only eye contact between UnLocke and Kate. No more hatin' on Kate. Kate is great.
Why this short self-interview is more memorable than 90% of the advertising for Alice in Wonderland:
The vast advertising campaign for 'Alice' often over-emphasizes Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter. In this interview neither his image nor his name is spoken. He's not referred to at all! Amazing!
Wouldn't you like to hear Mia Wasikowska say her own name so you'll know the definitive pronunciation? I've heard it mangled so many times that I wasn't even going to attempt to say it. Now I can say it correctly--over and over!
Speaking of Mia Wasikowska, she comes across as reflective in her thinking as well as utterly charming in an unforced way. I was hoping to see the side of her that Depp previously characterized as (to paraphrase) "delightfully odd," but the interview is short and she was sitting adjacent to Helena Bonham Carter who, let's face it defines delightfully odd.
Previously I've noted that I've not ever seen any work done by Anne Hathaway. It probably is unfair to judge based on this one interview but she seems bland and frankly, a dim bulb. For example, Bonham Carter had to correct Hathaway when Hathaway was referring to her own character's (The White Queen) behaviour and traits. Hathaway did not know to distinguish between the March Hare and The White Rabbit. Her explanation of what inspired her performance was quite pedestrian and taken as a (admittedly small ) package--in person, she is utterly unimpressive. Perhaps she transforms herself on screen or perhaps to get this film made Burton conceded and cast a "marquee" American actor.
Watch the video. It was the first thing I did online today--as I'd found it just before signing off last night and it was quite a delightful way to start the day.
In the latest edition of Unscripted, 'Alice in Wonderland,' stars Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and Mia Wasikowska discuss everything from their favorite characters and inspiration for their roles-- to who inspired the White Queen's punk edge.
Hathaway explains the thought process behind developing her role as the White Queen and combining the attributes of such diverse icons as Greta Garbo and Debbie Harry. Wanting to be both regal and left of center at once, her motivation was "the idea that someone can look so sweet but actually be very...fierce." She adds, "I've seen so many regal queens. I wanted to introduce a punk element to her."
Mia discusses depicting the older Alice, at the center of this film, compared to the iconic young Alice we know from previous 'Wonderland' productions and her experience in her first major starring role. The ever-charming Helena Bonham Carter, meanwhile, gives us insight on living and working with arguably one of the most eccentric directors in modern film: Mr. Tim Burton.
More Alice self-interview with Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and Mia Wasikowska after the jump.
"I went out and bought a lot of ordinary products from a home supply store near the museum. I used at least three patterns of movement for each object and made a total of about 300 takes. ... I filmed the relationship between the principles of physics, people and things as a performance." Incredibly satisfying.
'Lost' cast and crew were out for PaleyFest in LA Saturday night, teasing fans eager to figure out where the mysterious show is headed in its final season. (Feb. 28)
A: In short, no. Not for any definitive answers. If you have loads of time to spend you could screen cap them and try to squeeze out what you will. I did so here. Did I find stuff? Yes. Was it helpful in my understanding what is going on or has gone on with LOST? No.The promos for Season 6 are not giving anything away that is significant. Here's what I found in the two promos for Episode 6 of Season 6, "Sundown".
This is "Lennon'. See his glasses. Get it? Clever, huh? Look at the silhouette of the figure next to him--very diminutive (and Lennon isn't tall)--wavy hair--can't be Hurley, even Sayid is taller--see the pert nose? Has to be Kate. Also, Kate stated explicitly two times prior (to Jin and Jack) that she was NOT returning to the Temple--so for sure that is what she's done. She's Kate!
Guess what she's gonna do next.
Did you guess punch him in the throat? Yep. That's what she does. Why do you think Kate came back to the Temple (of Doom)? What or who could be so compelling? These days she seems to want to remind us that she came to the Island for one reason--to bring Claire back...so...
Claire is indeed on the premises--Feral Claire that is--who swore that if it really was Kate who "took" baby Aaron--she'd have to kill her.
Kate looks troubled perhaps by both Claire's appearance and that :cough:feral:cough: look in her eyes.
No matter. Kate rushes in...
Think this happens before or after Kate's meeting up with Claire? The cut of the promo wants us to think that it is right of the heels of meeting Claire. I say, if so--Claire saves Kate. (The pic is upside down so you are looking up from wherever Kate is struggling not to fall down into).
You know it's Kate because she favours the boot cut jeans.
Is this the moment before she takes a tumble? (Probably not--though it is edited that way.)
More Feral Claire and UnLocke (or 'Smokey' as actor O'Quinn prefers).
Claire: 'Your going to hurt them.'
UnLocke: 'Only the ones who won't listen.'
A random image of Dogen? Zero context here.
Sayid: 'I demand answers!'
Dogen "I want you to kill him..."
No answers but a nifty souvenir of all our fun times (a dagger).
Sayid is unnerved by something/one very tall/high up. The Hurley-bird?
Nope. Smokey. We are not afraid because we've been reminded that Candidates are special and that the rules say Smokey cannot kill them. I bet if Sayid knew he was a candidate he would simply blow off Smokey.
See? Smokey just wants to be friends--as long as you do what he says.
Is Hurley annoyed or just hot and tired (both?)
Regardless, Hurley and Jack are together in the jungle--no reason to head back to the Temple--unless that is what Jack is doing and Hurley, having spoken with Jacob, is trying to convince him otherwise. Hm.
The Temple looks closed. Smokey, not too happy. (The cap in the next frame that I couldn't get has Unlocke morphing into Smokey. Good times!)
Is it me or does it seem like Ben is destined for a bad end? (Not here, now but soon.)
Have no idea of the context here. That is probably Sayid with the dagger. Is Ben flashing back? No idea.
Dogen reminds Sayid 'why' he is called Master Dogen. Again, the sequence of the promo is distorted. Have no clue when this happens. Hopefully, in Episode 6.
Sun is freaked out by...something. She's at the Temple (ABC photos follow).
Notice the Temple-dweller Other in the background appears to be packed and ready to leave.
Now for the actual ABC photos which again, tell us nothing--but are high resolution! I added them to the screen cap mix and maybe have one small spoiler--that's it. (Click to embiggen.)
Best bet I've found out is to try and decipher what is happening in LOST after it has aired. A great help doing this is by checking out the HQ caps at either SpoilerTV or LOSTmedia.
ETC.---Includes SPOILERS
2.27.10. Paleyfest -
The answer is
“yes” to the following: Will Richard and Ilana exchange some
words soon? Will we see another painting by Bender? Do some of the
characters’ last names have significance, particularly Jack’s? Is
Jack married to someone we’ve met before? Was Jacob telling the
truth when he said someone was coming to the island? Will we learn
more about Hurley and Libby’s connection? Will we see Vincent and
Charlie again? Will we learn if Desmond was really on the plane?
The answer is “no” to the following: Will
we get a conclusion to the story of Ben’s love, Annie? Do the
purple circles in Bender’s mural mean anything? Did Juliet’s
ex-husband get killed by a smoke bus? Will there be a DVD release of
the show in chronological order?
The answer is “maybe” to the following: Will the
Hurley bird be explained? Will we see Walt again?
The answer is “no comment” to the following: Will
we learn why women can’t have babies on the island?
Radio
silence: After being bombarded with questions about the show for six
years, Cuse said they do not plan on commenting on the series finale
after it airs.
Q: Can you tell me if any of the following
Losties will get a centric episode by season’s end: Miles, Ilana,
Lapidus, or Claire?
Ausiello: No, no, no, and no. At
least as of 6.15. And my guess is the final hours won’t center on
anyone. The good news: You’ll see a lot of those four in other people’s
sideways arcs.
