Forever A Fangirl

Michael C. Hall Nails It Again, Wins SAG Best Actor for 'Dexter' (01.23.10) PHOTOS

 

Michael C. Hall and wife Jennifer Carpenter arrive at the 2010 SAG Awards looking truly a matched set. Make sure to note Jennifer's funky-cool-chic jewelry--and great stems. Note too, the awesome cut and finish on Michael's tux in the stage-light as he accepts his SAG Award for Best Male Lead! Woot! Sex-ay!

(see photo album below)

Photos: Getty Images
Website: www.gettyimages.com

"Healthy" looks very appealing too. Be sure to click past the jump at the bottom of the page to read several of Michael's comments how winning both the Golden Globe and SAG Best Actor awards has boosted his spirits as he moves closer to completing his cancer treatments. To me he looks brighter--less wan than he did a week ago when he won the Best Actor trophy at the Golden Globes.

Michael won the SAG award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series for his work in Dexter. This will be Michael's second award season win after picking up Best Actor at last week's Golden Globes.

The 2010 SAG Awards were held at the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday, January 23, 2010.

Here's a full list of winners of the Screen Actors Guild Awards, which were presented Saturday at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

2010 SAG Awards Nominees and Winners

X = winner

BEST FILM ACTOR
X - Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
George Clooney, "Up in the Air"
Colin Firth, "A Single Man"
Morgan Freeman, "Invictus"
Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"

BEST FILM ACTRESS
. X - Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"
Helen Mirren, "The Last Station"
Carey Mulligan, "An Education"
Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Damon, "Invictus"
Woody Harrelson, "The Messenger"
Christopher Plummer, "The Last Station"
Stanley Tucci, "The Lovely Bones"
X - Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz, "Nine"
Vera Farmiga, "Up in the Air"
Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air"
Diane Kruger, "Inglourious Basterds"
X - Mo'Nique, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"

BEST FILM ENSEMBLE
"An Education"
"The Hurt Locker"
X - "Inglourious Basterds"
"Nine"
"Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire"

BEST ACTOR IN TV DRAMA SERIES
Simon Baker, "The Mentalist"
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"
X - Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
Hugh Laurie, "House"

BEST ACTRESS IN TV DRAMA SERIES
Patricia Arquette, "Medium"
Glenn Close, "Damages"
Mariska Hargitay, "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit"
Holly Hunter, "Saving Grace"
X - Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"

BEST TV DRAMA SERIES ENSEMBLE
"The Closer"
"Dexter"
"The Good Wife"
X - "Mad Men"
"True Blood"

BEST ACTOR IN TV COMEDY SERIES
X - Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Steve Carell, "The Office"
Larry David, "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
Tony Shalhoub, "Monk"
Charlie Sheen, "Two and a Half Men"

BEST ACTRESS IN TV COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate, "Samantha Who?"
Toni Collette, "United States of Tara"
Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"
X - Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "The New Adventures of Old Christine"

BEST TV COMEDY SERIES ENSEMBLE
"30 Rock"
"Curb Your Enthusiasm"
X - "Glee"
"Modern Family"
"The Office"

BEST ACTOR IN TV MOVIE/MINI
X - Kevin Bacon, "Taking Chance"
Cuba Gooding Jr., "Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story"
Jeremy Irons, "Georgia O'Keeffe"
Kevin Kline, "Great Performances: Cyrano de Bergerac"
Tom Wilkinson, "A Number"

BEST ACTRESS IN TV MOVIE/MINI
Joan Allen, "Georgia O'Keeffe"
X - Drew Barrymore, "Grey Gardens"
Ruby Dee, "America"
Jessica Lange, "Grey Gardens"
Sigourney Weaver, "Prayers for Bobby"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN FILM
"Public Enemies"
X - "Star Trek"
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN TV
X - "24"
"Dexter"
"Heroes"
"The Closer"
"The Unit"

Source

After the jump: Michael C. Hall comments on how winning both the Golden Globe and SAG Best Actor awards has boosted his spirits as he moves closer to completing his cancer treatments.

As he told PEOPLE backstage, Michael C. Hall's cancer is in remission.

"I'm two-thirds of the way through this treatment that already has this thing in remission," he said. "It's nice in the homestretch to have this kind of shock of positive energy. It's a celebration." Hall, 38 ... initially said he revealed that he was being treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma, because he knew he would be making several public appearances. "Because award shows were imminent, I had to make a statement," he said at last week's Globes.
... "I've been feeling very well," he told reporters backstage at the SAG Awards, "because I made this announcement. Because of these public events, I've heard from people I would have not have heard from otherwise."

True Blood's Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin Talk Courtship on Set, The Sock, The Patch, Magpies and Scary-big Nipples

Stephen Moyer Q &A's

On having an on/off screen relationship with Anna, he says,

“Our relationship obviously started at the beginning of the show. We got together because we loved being together and created the thing in the first place. So I think this might be easier because the crew has grown up with us, watching us as a couple and we feel comfortable with them. So, we are able in some ways to explore an intimacy which maybe some people aren’t able to."

Photo credit: HBO

To was it love at first sight?, Moyer replies

"we both were absolutely single and we were doing this job and HBO puts us in the same hotel. We were the only two out-of-towners as everybody else lived in LA.

.. we just had some time off so we started hanging out together and literally finished the pilot, went home and felt very strange not being together suddenly. And I think we were both really surprised about that. Really nicely surprised by that."

Are you comfortable with all the racy scenes? Happy with your sock?

I love the sock! Everyone has got a different size sock, as you can imagine.

What size is yours?

I veer medium to extra large. No, it’s very funny, they brought in a selection of socks to try on and I don’t know whether they were doing it very sweetly, the costume department, like they brought in an extra-small one so that you feel really good. But I wasn’t the extra small which was very gratifying for me.

About True Blood's sexy scenes:

I like the fact that sex is shown in our show, I like the fact it is shown to be true. We show lustful sex, we show loving sex, and then my character does the loving and lustful sex. We’re in a society where it’s ok at 7 o’clock in the evening to see 200 terrorists gunned down by Jack Bauer [on 24], but we can’t see one female nipple unless it’s on cable network and I think that’s ridiculous.

 

People are scared of nipples?

They can be quite scary can’t they? Especially of the very big ones that look like dustbin lids. But I’m very proud of our show, and that our show embraces it. It’s not a problem for me at all.

Anna Paquin interview Q & A's

How’s life as a blonde?

It’s very high maintenance.

It must be...

Yeah it turns out my hair grows really fast and I have really dark hair naturally so, you know, this even the tiniest bit of roots, not okay. But now that we’re wrapped it’s okay because I’m not suppose to look like a natural blonde but not really a fan for sitting still for the hairdresser once every ten days for a couple hours. Makes me feel really vain and nutty.

...people stare at blonde girls. It’s funny. It’s bright and shiny and it catches the light. Like a magpie. - ANNA

How is it working with your fiancé Stephen Moyer?

He’s great. He’s really talented, and so is every other member of our cast and crew and writing staff and directors I mean, we have, we have such an amazing group of people and it’s a real treat.

Did you have any worries about doing the raunchy material?

I’ve done plenty of not particularly child-friendly work when I was less age-appropriate to do it. So maybe I’ve just never had conservative taste.

We keep hearing about the sock (to cover the male actors nudity)...

“I think they started calling it ‘the sock of destiny’ last season, I’m not entirely sure, I think that might have been a Ryan Kwanten coinage cause he was in little else for most of that season and if I’m not very much mistaken, I think he gave socks to all of the boys on the crew as a wrap gift...

But girls don’t have the sock. Girls have the patch.

The patch, is that glued?

No! (laughs) It’ s topstick, double-sided toupee tape.. .glue would be messy and awkward. Topstick is also awkward but less messy.

Yeah a "modesty patch," or just "the patch" or "the sock."

I think they started calling it ‘the sock of destiny’ last season...I think that might have been a Ryan Kwanten coinage cause he was in little else for most of that season...

http://nwonline.com.au

True Blood - NEW! E12 - Season Finale - "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" Photos (SPOILERS!) Video Recap S2xE11- "Frenzy"

Thank you, True Blood net dot com

Photos property of HBO via IMDb

UPDATE All photos now Wallpaper size in my gallery HERE!

OK, people. This here is by far the most interesting Episode 12 photo that HBO has released. Pictured are Sookie Stackhouse series author Charlaine Harris, Sam Merlotte, (Sam Trammell) and Tara (Rutina Wesley) doing her bartending thing. The bar, which was in complete disarray from the attack of the "bug-eyed freaks/Maryann's minions" seems back to normal. Is this a scene from weeks after the Maryann "marriage?"

Notice that Jason's eyes are not black? (Or as Lafayette puts it, Jason is not a "bug-eyed freak"?)

Is this a projection of some kind from Eric's mind to Sookie's wherein he reveals the monster that Bill used to be?

Hoyt Fortenberry, still trying to get his mama under control. When I watched Episode 11 the 2nd time Maxine seemed to be speaking about how Maryann was in for a bad surprise after the "God Who Comes" did so. Was she speaking generally about marriage--or does Mrs. Fortenberry know something more? In some ways she seems much more coherent than the other "bug-eyed freaks." Hmm.

NEW! True Blood Official Photos E 9, "I Will Rise Up," E 10, "New World," E 11, "Frenzy"

The official synopsis for “Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" which is True Blood's Season 2 finale:

Bon Temps reaches a fever pitch as Maryann prepares for her ultimate bestial sacrifice, conscripting Sookie to be Maid of Honor at the bloody nuptials. Meanwhile, Sophie-Anne warns Eric to keep the lid on Bill’s inquisitiveness; Jason leads Andy into the heroic abyss; and Hoyt struggles with Maxine’s endless stream of insults. Deliberating on what may be his final move to save Sookie and the town, Sam places his trust, and his life, in a most unlikely ally.

HBO

OMG, WTH?!!

“Frenzy”
Airs - August 30, 2009
Promo Photos - Screencaps

Synopsis -
With the crisis in Bon Temps careening out of control, Bill seeks out the advice of Sophie-Anne (Evan Rachel Wood), the Vampire Queen of Louisiana, but must exercise patience before she gives him critical information. Meanwhile, Sookie and Lafayette find that protecting Tara from herself is more difficult than they anticipated; a desperate Sam turns to an unlikely source for assistance; and Jessica tests Hoyt’s allegiance to Maxine.

Guest Cast -

[HADLEY HALE] Sookie’s (Anna Paquin) cousin, this fresh-faced 20 something year old country girl is locked in a steamy clinch with the vampire queen (Evan Rachel Wood). The dazed Hadley has been seduced into a whole other world — but she still feels the pull of her human roots…3 speeches & 1 line, 3 scenes (1) May recur next season in a few episodes

[LUDIS] Under 30. This straight, handsome, well-built Latvian man (with or without an accent), clad only in gym shorts, is only too delighted to volunteer for another man’s “feed”…3 lines, 1 scene (44)

[FRENZY MAN IN DRESS] This skinny, tattooed, “frenzy-eyed” man is wearing a badly ripped dress that doesn’t do a thing for him…1 line, 1 scene The more tattoos the better

Source: SpoilerTV ...

via and thanks to True-Blood.net.

Some studio shots from E10 - “New World In My View”

Jason & Sookie Stackhouse have a heart to heart

From True Blood Official Photos E 9, "I Will Rise Up," E 10, "New World," E 11, "Frenzy"

From True Blood Official Photos E 9, "I Will Rise Up," E 10, "New World," E 11, "Frenzy"

Update - True Blood - Season 2 Episode 11 - "Frenzy" - Promo Video, Screen Caps - Recap Video Episode 10

Download this gallery as a zip-archive

Episode 10, New World in My View was, as I'm sure many who watched will agree, not the best episode of Season 2 True Blood. It was essentially a series of scenes setting up the last two episodes of the 12 episode run.

We had Tara trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey, muttering and chanting, watched over by a worried Lafayette and Tara's mother. Sam was still on the run--now with his new partner, the ever-pickled Andy Bellefleur and later, Jason who with Sookie & Bill returned to Bon Temps via Anubis Air shuttle bus to find their town in shambles.

Jason went charging over to Merlotte's with ammunition including a chainsaw and a nail gun to face off against Maryann's "minions" and rescue Andy and Sam from Sam's walk-in cooler. Meanwhile Sookie and Bill arrived at Sookie's home, now occupied by Maryann where Sookie got in Maryann's face and had a strange moment that left Maryann captivated by "what" Sookie is (anyone else beginning to think maybe more than a mind-reader?). Bill thought he could take on Maryann using his traditional chomping-on-the-neck-style but her "blood" sickened him greatly and he and Sookie beat a hasty retreat. Upon finding Tara in Maryann-induced psychosis, Sookie entered her mind only to find...nothing. In desperation, Bill put the glamour whammy on Tara while Sookie again tapped into Tara's brain and this time Tara was able to come to her senses--for now, anyway.

Professing his inability to take on Maryann alone, Bill told Sookie there was someone he knew that he could try getting assistance from. Without elaborating and with instructions to "stay here with your friends," Bill left Bon Temps. 

 

True Blood - Season 2 Episode 11 - "Frenzy" FOR AIRDATE AUGUST 30TH 2009 -Episode 2x11 - With the crisis in Bon Temps careening out of control, Bill seeks out the advice of Sophie-Anne, the Vampire Queen of Louisiana (Evan Rachel Wood), but must exercise patience before she gives him critical information. Meanwhile, Sookie and Lafayette find that protecting Tara from herself is more difficult than they anticipated; a desperate Sam turns to an unlikely source for assistance; and Hoyt's allegiance to Maxine is put to the test by Jessica.

EricPark100

True Blood - Season 2 - Episode 10 - Sneak Peek Clip (HBO)

I suppose that we will have to take Jason at his word that he "ain't ever been so clear (about something) in his life and that "this, here (the madness in Bon Temps) is the war (he has) been training for." Interesting choice of words in the E10 synopsis below that Jason "takes the bull by the horns" to rescue Sam (temporarily). Of course it could be simply an expression but it could also be referring to Maryann.

Sneak Peek True Blood, Episode 10 New World in My View

Sookie, Bill, and Jason return to a Bon Temps turned upside down by Maryann. Lured to Merlotte’s by Arlene, Sam and Andy find cold comfort in their refuge from a group of bloodthirsty revelers. Bill discovers that traditional vampire techniques don’t work on Maryann; Hoyt and Jessica try to keep a lid on Maxine’s madness; and Sookie tries to push through the darkness consuming Tara. With all hell breaking loose, Jason takes the bull by the horns to rescue Sam, at least for the moment.

True Blood Men's Season 2 Cast T-Shirt - Jason Jason Stackhouse’s days as a free-wheeling small town bachelor came to a close when his ex Amy was murdered. More than anything, he just wants to be a good person, but lately, it doesn’t seem anybody can even tell him what that means. This T-shirt features a signature photo of Jason from Season 2 of True Blood, the True Blood logo and the phrase, ''It hurts so good.''

Updated! True Blood - S2xE10 - "New World" - Preview & Detailed Screen Caps

.

FOR AIRDATE AUGUST 23RD 2009: (Episode 2x10) Sookie, Bill and Jason return to a Bon Temps turned upside down by Maryann. Bill discovers that traditional vampire techniques do not work on Maryann; Hoyt and Jessica try to keep a lid on Maxines (Hoyt's mother) madness; Sookie tries to push through the darkness consuming Tara. With all hell breaking loose, Jason takes the bull by the horns to rescue Sam, at least for the moment.

Thanks to LucyLocket403!

True Blood preview/promos are notorious for attempting to mislead the sequence of events depicted, as well as by showing only one character, often in close-up, who the scene truly involves. Often it is a surprise when viewing the episode to find what seemed to be in the preview was not at all. With this in mind I'm going to play "match up the screen caps" in an attempt to piece together what really may be happening in the glimpses of S2xE10 - "New World in My View."

OK. That was too easy--but they usually start with the easy stuff, then accelerate to out-of-sequence/mismatched scenes that pass in a flash.

This is Jessica appearing to be about to fang Maxine Fortenberry.

Certainly Hoyt's mom asked for it, but ew.

This would seem to be Hoyt reacting to Jessica, saying, "No!" Or, perhaps he's cheering her on.

So, was Hoyt on the floor and he's now getting up, moving toward Jessica and Maxine? It would appear so. Did Jess fling Hoyt across the room like Bill did to Jessica when he caught her macking on Hoyt?

Sorry, this scene moved really fast. That is for sure Maryann--her cuff is shown in later scenes--in Sookie's home with her hand clutched on Sookie's throat.

I'm wondering if there is any power in Eric's blood that will help Sookie out of this jam?

And does Bill step in now--or is he already there?

 

Bill and Maryann. It seems he's trying to glamour her and she's playing with him.

So is this Maryann bidding Bill and Sookie goodbye as they retreat from Maryann's lair (Sookie's house)?

This is Lafayette reacting to someone very tall. Has to be either Eggs or more likely, the fellow below:

I have no context whatsoever of what Eric is up to in this shot. The tears seem incongruous for him in any other setting other than when Godric committed suicide. I just cannot fathom Eric in his right mind shedding tears again for a very long time.

My guess is one of two things is happening here: Maryann has put a whammy on him *SPOILER* like in the book.

Or, this is a dream of Sookie's where her witnessing Eric sob at the feet of his maker Godric prior to Godric's suicide and the effects of her (accidentally) drinking Eric's blood are coming into play.

One more then the full set (about 40 promo stills) will be after the jump.

Sookie talking to Bill, telling him he needs to help stop Maryann. Is it after Maryann tried to throttle Sookie? My guess: yes. 

There is dialogue for this scene on the promo in which Bill tells Sookie that she is SOL. He is powerless to stop Maryann.

True Blood Men's Bottle T-shirt Following the creation of synthetic blood, vampires have progressed from legendary monsters to fellow citizens overnight.Made from 100% cotton for a soft and comfortable fit, this True Blood Men's Bottle T-shirt features the Tru Blood 100% pure logo printed on the front.While some might say there's nothing like the real thing, we think real blood is for Sucker's.

True Blood - 2 Sneak Peeks E21 - S2xE9 - Tara & Maryann - Jessica, Hoyt & Maxine Fortenberry *VIDEOs*

Hoyt's mom is really rude to Jessica. Shocking, no? Mrs. Fortenberry is usually such a kind and gracious woman. :p

"No Tara. They were ecstatic" Maryann about the blackouts of the ancient mystics.

Episode 21 - "I Will Rise Up" preview

True Blood Men's Peace Love Vampires T-Shirt This 100% combed ringspun cotton t-shirt is adorned with "Peace Love Vampires" in red pinstripe foil on the front.The Peace Love initiative was conceived to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the peace sign.

True Blood *SPOILERS* - Preview - Episode 2x08 - Timebomb "Release Me" S2xE7 Video Recap, HBO Green-Lights ‘True Blood’ Season 3

Thanks to Shadaliza!

FOR AIRDATE AUGUST 9TH 2009: (Episode 2x08) Sookie's captivity takes an unexpected turn when Eric arrives at the behest of his sire Godric's, orders. In Bon Temps, Sam finds himself in deep trouble after making a gruesome discovery at Merlottes.

Sent home by Bill, Jessica and Hoyt learn that when it comes to sex, every time is the first time. Tara and Eggs physical  (they fight) after partaking in a "Hunter" (heart) soufflé prepared by Maryann.
After Jason pays off his debt to the vampires, Godric looks to enlighten his more single-minded followers.

I'm still on holiday with my family though I'm still in a pretty wicked not-on-their sleep schedule, schedule. Last night it was me staying up until the dawn's early light, fearful that our internet provider would shut down the juice because I had to have, freaking have True Blood.

From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. supposedly I won't have another nasty realization that I'm on about a quarter dial-up speed instead of broadband.

Also: You probably know already but to hear the official version if you have not have a chance to see and hear Alan Ball say that a third season of True Blood has been green-lighted by HBO!

I was glad to hear as well the source material's author announce that she's signed on for three more Sookie books with the latest, her 9th, released in May, 2009. Have read all the Sookie Stackhouse books. Many were great fun.

Alan Ball has amped up the "wicked" on True Blood but he's faithful the spirit of the books, especially to the characters.

The True Blood panel at the San Diego Comic-Con unofficially spilled the beans that the series would be renewed for a third season. It is now official after an announcement on Thursday in which HBO included True Blood in a list of three series it would pick up for another year. “The size of these shows have broken into the popular culture in a way we haven’t seen in a while,” said HBO co-president Richard Plepler.

Original Source: Variety

Thanks to Scifi Scoop

"Episode 2x07 - Release Me
Betrayed by Daphne, Sam finds himself in an unenviable predicament at the hands of Maryann and her wild-eyed minions. Imprisoned with Hugo in the F.O.T.S. church, Sookie uses her telepathic powers to reach out to Bill, who’s being detained at the hotel by a stubbornly obsessive Lorena. After crossing a line with the Newlins, a fearful Jason tries to sever his ties with the Fellowship of the Sun, but gets plenty of resistance from Steve and his enforcer Gabe. 

If you watch the HBO preview you'll catch a number of spoilers that have been floating around for a while.

Nice screen shot. I like Anna's hair so much more as shown here. TPTB should allow her to be bewigged and or have extensions in Season III. At the recent Comic-Con i San Diego her hair looked a mess and she said it was "breaking off and getting shorter because (she as Sookie is) a fake, fake, fake blond." Poor girl. Seriously, I'd rather see her in a good wig and off-screen get healthy hair back again.

Below -

Eric tells Sookie he has a plan.

The Plan? "Take me instead of Godric."

It's seems that Steve Newlin may be having neck problems...and Eric is sporting some nice chains-of-silver burns.

Episode 2x08 - Timebomb
Sookie’s captivity takes an unexpected turn when Eric arrives to do his master’s bidding on the eve of the Fellowship’s lockdown. In Bon Temps, Sam finds himself in hot water after making a gruesome discovery at Merlotte’s, and Andy proves no help in coming to his defense. Sent home by Bill, Jessica and Hoyt learn that when it comes to sex, every time is the first time. Tara and Eggs devour a mysterious meal prepared by Maryann, with unexpected results (Tara and Eggs get physical). After Jason pays off his debt to the vampires, Godric looks to enlighten his more single-minded followers.

Also, thanks to The ODI  E! SPOILERS

True Blood - Season 2 New Spoilers

True Blood - Season 2 New Spoilers
Q: Got any True Blood goodies about my beloved Alexander Skarsgård?

A: f Alexander Skarsgård waxing poetic on his character Eric is a goodie, then, yes, my friend, we have more True Blood goodies: "Eric was kind of misunderstood. A lot of people would come up to me and say, 'Oh, you're the evil...the bad guy.' I always had to defend him because there's more to him than that," says Alexander. "I actually got a chance to show that [this season]. I mean, he is a badass, of course, but I'm just happy because as an actor, you shouldn't play the same note for two years. You have to show different layers and go deeper and show that there's more to the character than that. And I've had fun this season because I have been able to show that he does have a sensitive side, a loyal side. He doesn't care for a lot of people, and not for a lot of vampires either, but the ones he cares about he's very, very, very loyal and devoted to."

Q: I haven't read the Sookie Stackhouse novels. How close is the Sookie in the books to the Sookie on True Blood?

Anna Paquin, who plays Sookie on True Blood, says they are one in the same. "I read the books rabidly," she says. "I felt that the Sookie that was on the page and the script was very much like the Sookie in the books."

News on True Blood1?

(1) Check out the awesome trailer above for an early look at the rest of the season! (2) Next week on True Blood, when poor dead zombie Daphne's (Ashley Jones) body is discovered, people start to suspect that Sam (Sam Trammell) killed her. Awww...poor guy can't catch a break. Also, Sookie and Eric grow closer over the next few episodes, after..the Viking vamp is injured and needs her help.
Source: E!Online

After the jump: Fan favourites Hoyt and Jessica in roses (deflowering).Thanks to xdanceintherainx!

New True Blood Comic-Con Exclusive Preview Trailer and Screen Caps, New Promo Clip

"Don't miss a sneak peek at whats in store for the rest of True Blood Season 2! This Saturday at Comic-Con, HBO premiered an exclusive advanced trailer introducing new characters and previewing the remainder of the explosive season. Go to http://www.hbo.com/trueblood/video.html to see and share the video. True Blood airs Sundays at 9PM only on HBO."

Above is a new, very short snippet of Lorena and Bill; the rest is in the full-length preview, which is also included in the screen caps below.

Thanks to Shadaliza!

Thanks to Shadaliza!

Recap E6 Hard Hearted Hannah New Episode True Blood S2xE7 FOR AIRDATE AUGUST 2ND 2009 - Episode 2x07

Betrayed by Daphne, Sam finds himself in an unenviable predicament at the hands of Maryann and her zombie minions. Imprisoned with Hugo at the Light of Day camp, Sookie uses her telepathic powers to reach out to Bill, whoʼs being detained at the hotel by a adamantly obsessive Lorena. After crossing a church line, a fearful Jason tries to sever his ties with the Fellowship of the Sun, but gets plenty of resistance from Steve and his lackey, Gabe.

Video thanks to LucyLocket403!

Thanks to danceintherainx!

Download this gallery as a zip-archive

I'm on holiday so I'll be slow posting though hopefully not as slow as I was in transit on Sunday (!)

I've worked on this for hours (screencaps) just because I read one of the worst so-called reviews today of True Blood Episode 6, "Hard Hearted Hannah." I have a deep suspicion that the reviewer hates the show, was assigned to write the episode review and then either fast-forwarded through most of it or just read HBO's synopsis though not very closely because if he/she did he/she would have known that Bill's maker is "Lorena."

I'm not doing a review now (I never really do as I'm sort of bored by them unless agood writer does them or, they tick me off because the person writing them is...nevermind) but a few things that were cool: Daphne is the pig! I was stymied by that 'til now. Upon listening to Sarah Newlin's thoughts we learned she had a few! No, actually that she truly thinks that Steve is over the top and therefore may be a weak link if Jason can sweet-talk her. OK, people just tuning in and perhaps that reviewer: Sookie can be annoying sometimes. That's the character. A naive but getting less so and very world-weary gal (despite not leaving her hometown) from dealing with the polluted thoughts of Bon Temps best all her life. Oh great, just lost the wireless. I'm in the deep woods with satellite internet. Must have been a UFO.

I'll be honest. I never tire of Bon Temps townspeople fornicating though if whomever survives Maryann has his/her memory intact there may be a few embarrassing moments in church on Sundays. (And just a note, it's all simulated sex.) I do think the Puritan ethic gets under some viewer's skins and they diss the show for that along with a laundry list of complaints. I like Nurse Jackie and Weeds, too. I suppose something like the Sopranos is more to the masses' taste but I liked that, too. Cheers!

Oh yeah, One more thing. Do you honestly think that in the 1920's flashback with Bill and Lorena that Stephen Moyer, who is from Europe, couldn't pull off a genuine-sounding French accent?! Of course he can! He was making light, albeit in a really evil way about how ignorant and full of themselves his and Lorena's victims were. They never suspected a thing was amiss and Bill and Lorena gave them clues--like the accent. On a side note I suppose one of the "pluses" to being vampire is that you have time enough to pursue all manner of interests including--piano playing. Another observation about Bill. He really minimized how much killing he did and for how long he did it as a vampire. I do believe early in his and Sookie's relationship that he implied he'd only killed a couple of times--then learned to not kill when feeding off humans. Obviously not true if 75 or so years into being undead he was as violent and deadly as Lorena and he thoroughly enjoyed it. This shouldn't be shocking except to those that weren't listening as recently he's let more truth about his "true nature" and how he fights it, trickle out when on the subject with Sookie. That, and the fact that he is a bloodthirsty vampire. No getting around that, Bill-fans.

Jessica Hoyt Sookie & Bill - True Blood - Shake & Fingerpop - S2E4 Screen Caps

Love the range of emotions Jessica especially, goes through. Mortification, anger and incredulousness. Embarrassment, relief and puppy love eyes when Hoyt says he believes Jessica, not Bill. Indignation and anger, when she tells Bill off first for turning her and feeling "like shit" for it--an insightful call for a 17-y.o.--then for not being fair by assuming she was "hunting" Hoyt, when she was having her very first kiss, and then embarrassment again when she complains to Bill that she did not know that her fangs came out when she got turned on. Nicely played by Deborah Ann Woll.

Images property of HBO. Caps done by True-Blood.net to whom I am grateful. Visit them to see literally thousands more--just from this episode!

True Blood - S2XE4 Screen Caps - Sam & Maryann - Not an Alpha

I'm going to miss Maryann when she finally gets bored manipulating the denizens of Bon Temps and torturing poor Sam.

I think she's wrong about him though. I think underneath that compact exterior is a guy that despite an uneven love-life otherwise has done pretty well for himself. More to Maryann's point, despite Maryann previously changing him into his dog form against his will, he still has the brass to stride up to her and threaten her again--which is pretty Alpha-like if you ask me.

I love this scene as it is two actors fully in sync. Maryann does fire the final shot before striding away, off to wreak more havoc. She did win this battle--but will she win the war?

Images property of HBO

Screen caps thanks to True-Blood.net

True Blood Q: What did Jessica make the man shout at the hotel? Screen Caps - S2xE4 "Shake & Fingerpop"

A:"Becky Eubanks is a stuck up whore who let Jayce finger her in church!"
(Courtesy HBO)

A number of reviews 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 going two weeks without a fresh episode helped sway them? In the case of a few (some who really did not like True Blood last year but have jumped on the train this year) had been given episodes 1-4 to review, so they knew what was coming. Even in their case I think having to shut up about it  for the extra week made them extra-excited about it when it did finally officially air.

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 Bellefluer'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 capped by the hard-working ladies at 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. Don't have any more time tonight but promise to work on them tomorrow.

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.

True Blood - 'Shake and Fingerpop' - 'Never Let Me Go' - 2x05 - Sneak Peek *SPOILERS*

Jinizilla

TRUE BLOOD S02E05: Godric Turns Eric Into a Vampire FOR AIRDATE: JULY 19TH 2009 US/ March 19, 2010 UK: 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)

Carrie Preston, who plays Arlene Fowler, says, "The second-season finale is only two weeks after the end of the first season." She's pictured above with Todd Lowe, whose nuanced portrayal of the psychically scared 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 Trublood, 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 byMaryann(!) at Sookie's whilst Sookie is doing Eric's bidding in Dallas?/EDIT/ Yes it is.

Tonight's True Blood, written by Alan Ball, "Shake and Fingerpop" was very funny--and scary. Best kind of True Blood. A touch of romance. Some very cute Jessica scenes. Acton in the airplane hangar! What happened to Deborah Ann Woll's (Jessica) voice, though?! It seemed lower than normal in tone(?) I wonder if she had a cold? I have difficulty remembering the title to this eppy - Number 16 is easier (counting from the first episode last year). I'm reposting some promos photos for 'Shake and Fingerpop' and future episodes. 

You saw maybe half these scenes in No.16 but the rest are yet to come. They are HBO publicity shots from True Blood and they belong to HBO. 

Some are from future shows but most are from S2XE4 (Episode No.16)

 

Ha! huge reveal at the end of Shake and Fingerpop, huh? No shots of that--yet. I'll get them. You knew that Maryann, grew claws, did you not? As Sam said, (she's) "a... whatever you are." 

Ack! Do you think "Daphne" is one of Maryann's "minion's" that's referred to as SPOILER

.

. 

. 

holding Sam captive? My vote is yes, based on SPOILER!

 .

 .

 . 

Intel is that Sam and Daphne have a "bad breakup." Actually, it is the episode description(s) in the next couple of eppys. I thought she seemed suspicious but the way she's clawed. I still think it's a continuity issue that they don't show the scars making a shape on her little white Merlotte's shirt. That thin cotton wouldn't hide those! And neither does the little top she was wearing tonight! I'm not suspending belief on this one as the claw marks go high up. It is annoying and I'm not really picky but it takes me out of the moment while I grumble about no way could "Daffy" hide those suckers and wear the skimpy tops she does.

*Not all the pics are brand new though they are from upcoming episodes. Thanks to The ODI!

Q: Spill me some news on True Blood, especially about that gorgeous Jason Stackhouse.

A: True Blood star Ryan Kwanten tells us that Jason and his sister, Sookie, won't be separated forever: "There will be [a reunion between the Stackhouse siblings] and quite an electric one, too, where we gang up for the greater good."

Q: When do we finally get to see this badass vampire Godric on True Blood?
A: We've been waiting patiently for this mysterious vampire-of-all-vampires too, and the wait is almost over. Godric (Allan Hyde) pops up in the July 19 episode, along with his lieutenants Stan (Eureka's Ed Quinn) and Isabel (Valerie Cruz). Valerie tells us, "Isabel runs with the Dallas vampires, but she kind of becomes friends with both Bill and Eric. And she likes Sookie. [Isabel] has a penchant for humans, and she's sensitive to this love story they have."

Q: I need some True Blood info!
A: Carrie Preston, who plays Arlene, says, "The second-season finale is only two weeks after the end of the first season. Things get crazy in Bon Temps, Louisiana, I'll tell you that." Wait, Arlene doesn't die, does she? "Not so far!"

Source: E! Online 

True Blood Season 2 - Small Spoilers - Humourous Commentary - 2 Sneak Peeks E16 - Maryann & Sam - Lafayette & Tara

I have to be frank and say that except for Alan Ball's answers the info below is old territory covered. I even  got the distinct feeling that the interview was conducted awhile ago. That, or the interviewer is not watching the show. Regardless, Alan Ball seems always able to put an amusing spin on his answers so that even if the questions are kinda stale which these were, you get something worth reading in his answers. I've excised the teeny tiny bit of new information if you could call it that, from what the lovely Deborah Ann Woll and the very cute Sam Trammell said and bolded a couple of good bits. Sam (so handy that both the actor and the character he plays have the same first names) alludes to an "insane" scene done "recently" and considering how a few scenes played out in Book 2 of the Sookie Stackhouse series, if the True Blood writers go that way it has to be totally insane in it's rendering. Looking forward to it. It should be very, very big and very, very bad. :D

Q&A with Deborah Ann Woll (Jessica Hamby)

Q: Jessica didn't want to become a vampire, and now she's a part of this vampire family. I take it she'll have some adjustment problems.

About the character of Jessica: "It's a whole new world. She has to deal with everything you have to deal with as a 17-year-old girl, and on top of that, she can kill people, which is maybe not such a good thing to add with a teenage temper." 

Q: Does her dramatic relationship will Bill settle down eventually, or does it remain more of a strained situation? 

A:It settles down as much as a father-daughter relationship ever does. Is that mysterious enough for you? 

Deborah Ann Woll - Photo credit: HBO

Q&A with executive producer Alan Ball 

Q:What genre of television would you say True Blood is, if you had to pick just one? 

A: Drama. We don't have an actual sign in the writers room that reads, "It's the emotions, stupid," but we might as well. We feel like we have to keep these characters rooted in some sort of emotional reality because otherwise, it's a parade of special effects and set pieces. Last season True Blood was very Southern Gothic and grounded in Bon Temps, La. This season seems more of an epic vampire family saga.

"Are we leaving Bon Temps for good? I'm working with source material, so I'm following the books.The show gets a little bigger in scope this year, but it always remains rooted in Bon Temps." -- Alan Ball

That's where Sookie lives, that's where Bill lives, that's where all our major characters live. They may go out of town for this reason or that reason, but they'll always come home. 

Q: Sometimes people on this show are just covered in blood—the first episodes are so graphic. Are you going for a comic-book look for the show? Are you going for a specific visual type? 

A:The reality of the fictional world of vampires is that it's bloody. Blood is everywhere, they feed on it, and they feed on people when they are having sex, so it's a messy world. If you're a vampire you're not going to want an all-white house. You're going to need a lot of Scotchgard. 

Q&A with Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte)  In re: his favourite scene this season:

"We did a scene recently that was so crazy. I don't even know how to describe it. I don't know how it's going to come out, it's just insane. The writers are crazy; they're not playing it safe at all this year. They're taking huge chances. If you could think of the craziest possible thing that could happen in a fantastical world of vampires and creatures, you'd have to double it to figure this out. It's really crazy. I hope it's good."--Sam Trammell

Source: E!

After the jump: Lafayette and Tara - Episode 16 Sneak Peek

Meet Bill Compton's Maker -True Blood Q's and A's *SPOILERS* - NEW! Season 2 Promo Pics*

The lady in the foreground is Bill Compton's maker, "Lorena" (Mariana Klaveno).

Accordingly 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." She's pictured above with Todd Lowe, whose nuanced portrayal of the psychically scared 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 Trublood, 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?

In the storyline that I'm least interested in, it looks (above) as if Sarah (Anna Camp) and Steve Newlin (Michael Mcmillian) are beginning to show their true colours (below).

 

*Not all the pics are brand new though they are from upcoming episodes. Thanks to The ODI!

Q: Spill me some news on True Blood, especially about that gorgeous Jason Stackhouse.

A: True Blood star Ryan Kwanten tells us that Jason and his sister, Sookie, won't be separated forever: "There will be [a reunion between the Stackhouse siblings] and quite an electric one, too, where we gang up for the greater good."

Q: When do we finally get to see this badass vampire Godric on True Blood?
A: We've been waiting patiently for this mysterious vampire-of-all-vampires too, and the wait is almost over. Godric (Allan Hyde) pops up in the July 19 episode, along with his lieutenants Stan (Eureka's Ed Quinn) and Isabel (Valerie Cruz). Valerie tells us, "Isabel runs with the Dallas vampires, but she kind of becomes friends with both Bill and Eric. And she likes Sookie. [Isabel] has a penchant for humans, and she's sensitive to this love story they have."

Q: I need some True Blood info!
A: Carrie Preston, who plays Arlene, says, "The second-season finale is only two weeks after the end of the first season. Things get crazy in Bon Temps, Louisiana, I'll tell you that." Wait, Arlene doesn't die, does she? "Not so far!"

Source: E! Online Blood star Ryan Kwanten tells us that Jason and his sister, Sookie, won't be separated forever: "There will be [a reunion between the Stackhouse siblings] and quite an electric 

True Blood Magazine Photo Shoot - *PHOTOS* *VIDEO*

Sam Trammell - True Blood's "Sam Merlotte"

Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin - True Blood's "Bill & Sookie 

EW shoot June, 2009 True Blood cast: Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Nelsan Ellis

I get the impression that the cast was undecided whether they were being photgraphed in character or a as "themselves." It's seems for sure that Nelsan Ellis is in no way emulating "Lafayette." Both Anna Paquin and Rutina Wesley look quite silly in the shoes they are wearing. For Rutina espcially it appears as if she's going to keel over at any time and Ryan Kwanten is her steading force. OTOH, Stephen Moyer (Vampire Bill) looks like Bill would look I suppose, if out in full sunlight--sans the crispy burning thing goin' on. I must say that Sam Trammell's good looks are hidden behind all the hair he sports in his True Blood identity as Sam Merlotte. With the wind machine blowing in the photoshoot he looks very handsome indeed. Inside Entertainment Weekly’s ‘True Blood’ Cast Photo Shoot Full article after jump.

True Blood S2 E3 'Scratches' Screen Caps - Daphne & Sam, Bill, Eric, Sookie, Dr. Ludwig

True-Blood.net, the Original Fansite for True Blood on HBO, is doing a fabulous job with screen caps this season. There are literally thousands. Per episode. :)

I have to point this out. Sorry but unless Daphne here 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 disbelieve 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'm overlapping in my posting among the three websites I write which feature True Blood. The one where eventually I want everything is at thetruebloodblog.com.

This will have all that plus additional original material.Lots of migrating to do, yet.

True-Blood.net put literally thousands of screen caps for me to go through to pick out a few as example of how wonderful a job they did--I spent like 7-8 hours. But they are awesome and now I have to learn how. I'm so bad with software though.:p

I no way, no how can make as many, either. And I thought it was time-consuming going through  LOST Media at just under 1000 frames per hour-long episode. But it's really quite fun. Must teach self. 

Cheers!

Cyn

(much more to come later, though probably at http://thetruebloodblog.com/.)

True Blood Screen Caps S2EX3 'Scratches' Sookie's Attack and Seizure

Thanks to trueblood.net the original True Blood fansite for the wonderful caps. A talented  and generous Truebie there made thousands of these.

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 reveller 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.

Update - True Blood Episode 2x04 - Shake and Fingerpop - Promo Screen Caps - VIDEO

 

FOR AIRDATE JULY 12TH 2009:

"Shake and Fingerpop"

With Jessica in tow, Bill and Sookie head to Dallas to carry out Erics 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 Tara a birthday party at Sookie's, 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. Having barely escaped Fangtasia, Lafayette finds himself reluctantly pulled back into Erics orbit.

Thanks to WireLover2!

(HBO -True Blood)

The publicity department is making it a challenge to coordinate screencaps (most likely they give it no thought other than,"What cool scenes can we splice together for the promo?"). 

In general, in the Season 2 True Blood promos we see scenes that do not play out "in the next episode" or even sometimes, the one after that. With these caps for the "next new episode" of True Blood,"Shake and Fingerpop," I went weeks back in the promos be they video or stills released from HBO. I'm glad I did because the resolution is way better on the previously released-but-out-of-context photos. I matched them up largely based on what people are wearing--simple but effective though I really hope Jessica starts wearing something other that that yellow sundress. :p

True Blood - Episode 2x03 "Scratches" Promo / Eric & Bill Talk Sookie /Dr. Ludwig Treats Sookie / 'Scratches' Videos

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.

xdanceintherainx

Synopsis:

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)

xdanceintherainx

Dr. Ludwig Treats Sookie (2 x 03 - Scratches) (True Blood)

xdanceintherainx

 

Thanks to thellou!

This is an awesome little clip taken at the True Blood Season 2 premiere party. Everyone was in such high spirits and looking so spiffy! It's still such a treat to hear Stephen Moyer (Bill), Ryan Kwanten (Jason Stackhouse), and Anna Paquin (Sookie) speaking with their native accents.

Alexander Skarsgård (Eric) does "The Buzz" intro and unexpectedly, one cannot detect his Swedish 

accent. I wonder if that's a savvy career move--kind of going mainstream and sounding no different than 

most trained American accents with the sort of "generic" Midwestern accent or has he simply lost his 

accent?

Thanks to true-blood.net!/HBO

HBO just released the True Blood July official episode synopses.  Here be SPOILERS! 

Episode 204 - “Shake and Fingerpop” 

Debut: SUNDAY, JULY 12 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT) With Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) in tow, Bill (Stephen Moyer) and Sookie (Anna Paquin) head to Dallas to carry out Eric’s (Alexander Skarsgård) vampire-reconnaissance mission – but a surprise awaits them at the airport. At the Light of Day Institute, Jason (Ryan Kwanten) falls victim to a practical joke, but has the last laugh when the Newlins anoint him for a higher calling. Maryann (Michelle Forbes) throws Tara (Rutina Wesley) a birthday party at Sookie’s, attracting much of Bon Temps to its Bacchanalian revelry. Sam (Sam Trammell) postpones his departure from town to attend the bash, connecting with Daphne (Ashley Jones) in the process. Having barely escaped Fangtasia, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) finds himself reluctantly pulled back into Eric’s orbit. Written by Alan Ball; directed by Michael Lehmann. 

HBO - Episode 205: “Never Let Me Go” 

Debut: SUNDAY, JULY 19 (9:00-10:00 p.m.) 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 Merlotte’s, 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. Written by Nancy Oliver; directed by John Dahl. 

HBO - Episode 206: “Hard-Hearted Hannah” 

Debut: SUNDAY, JULY 26 (9:00-10:00 p.m.) 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.

'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.

ASAdmin | June 22, 2009 WARNING: VERY GRAPHIC! HBO owns the rights. No copyright infringement intended. . "Pam Will Kill Me" True Blood S02xE02 "Keep This Party Going"

perajoe | June 23, 2009

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intended. Summary: True Blood S02xE02 "Keep This Party Going" After making up with Bill, Sookie suggests that he take it a little easier on Jessica as she is just a teenager. Bill tries to convince Sookie that a vampire as new as she is not capable of controlling her impulses and that she could be dangerous. En route to the Light of Day Leadership conference Jason becomes fast-friends with an anti-vampire zealot named Luke, but after Jason makes a good impression on Steve Newlin, and Sarah Newlin in particular, Luke’s good-natured friendship turns to bitter jealousy and he tells Jason that he doesn’t belong there. Eric approaches Bill and demands that he and Sookie help in finding a vampire sheriff named Godric, who has gone missing in Dallas. Meanwhile, Tara finds out more about Eggs' past as a criminal and he makes it clear that he is interested in her. After a failed attempt to escape from the basement of Fangtasia, Lafayette is badly injured and asks Eric, Pam and Chow to turn him into a vampire. Fangs bared, they ferociously bite him. Jessica realizes she misses her family after her parents, who think she has just gone missing, appear on TV. She asks Sookie to take her to see her family and Sookie agrees, on the condition that Jessica stay in the car. Although she agrees, Jessica eventually ignores Sookie and drops in on her old family. When her father comes home, he angrily accuses her of putting the family through hell, and even though Sookie tries to stop her, Jessica attacks her father and threatens to kill him for all the times he beat her. But Bill shows up and glamours his way into the house just in time. The episode ends on an ominous note, with Bill throwing Sookie out of the house barking at her that he has to "clean up her mess"

Last night 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)vfull 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 Balls' 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. 

Last time I checked that was the point of couch-sitting for 60 minutes whist facing a large plasma screen.

Below there are some hardcore spoilers regarding Nelsan Ellis's "Lafayette," BonTemp's gay, V -selling prostitute and Merlotte's (probably ex) short-order cook.

I'm calling 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.

However, in their quest to get eyeballs on their websites Ausiello and I'm sure I'll a bunch of others paid and unpaid who are are practically wetting their pants,totally untrustworthy about 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)

Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette

Ausiello Spoilers

Kristen video Spoilers

Evan Rachel Wood, who joins the cast of HBO's True Blood later this season, told reporters that she's already getting vamped out for her appearance. She is signed for two episodes of the show, which returns this Sunday and will air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
"I just got fitted for my fangs," Wood said in a press conference Monday in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Once the teeth went on, Wood couldn't help but get into character. "They just take over," she said. "You can't help but just snarl and be evil. It's great."
Wood's role as vampire queen Sophie-Anne has been announced, but Wood elaborated: "I'm playing the vampire queen of Louisiana, 400 years old and gay, so it's going to be a good one."
With vampires all the rage now, Wood had some choice words for posers who just hopped on the bandwagon. "It comes every now and then," she said. "I have always been into the vampire craze, OK? This whole Twilight thing? No."
Since she brought it up, who would win a fight between Sophie-Anne and the Cullens? "Considering I'm a real vampire, probably me," she said.

Source: SciFi Wire

Beneath the masthead of Friday print editions of the Los Angeles Times is a full front-page ad for the HBO's series "True Blood." A black-and-white close-up of star Stephen Moyer with blood dripping from the corner of his mouth dominates the page.
In news boxes around town, all that's visible is the close-up of actor's menacing gaze and the paper's banner splayed across the top. No other stories or photos appear on the cover, which is actually a separate four-page broadsheet touting Sunday's premiere of the show's second season.
Readers remove the wrap to find the regular front page, anchored by the Lakers' NBA Finals win over the Magic on Thursday night in Orlando. Times spokeswoman Nancy Sullivan says it's the first time the newspaper put its masthead above an advertisement wrapping the paper.
"One of the things for us is that innovation is pretty crucial in both a challenged and cluttered marketplace," Sullivan said. "HBO came to the Times to break through that clutter, and the result is what you see today."
Zach Enterlin, HBO's vice president of advertising and promotions, said HBO had placed front-page ads with Hollywood trade publications in the past, but jumped at the chance to do the same with the Times.
"We saw it as a fantastic opportunity to speak to a consumer audience in an innovative way," he said.

Source: Huff Post

Below: More cast photos, some that are new (to me).

William Sanderson is the familiar face from one of my all-time favourite mini series, Lonesome Dove, and films, "Blade Runner."  He was also part of a pop culture phenomenon rooted in his 8-year role on Newhart and his trademark line, "Hi. I'm Larry. This is my brother Daryl, and this is my other brother Daryl."  (It really is a visual joke.)

 

 

I never watched "Newhart" though I'd heard as a pop culture reference of Larry And Daryl. And Daryl.

What I was first familiar with was Mr. Sanderson's work in Blade Runner as the doomed toymaker, Sebastian.  

All these years later, it's great to see him pop up as I always enjoy his performances.

I have a link to an interview he did a couple days ago for ABC. He's very enjoyable to listen to, so humble, self- deprecating and certainly yes, a true Southern gentleman. I'm sorry ABC is stingy so I can't get the embed code to put the video here but you can watch his interview here. It has a not-seen-by-me-before scene from True Blood - Season 2! That's worth clicking right there! I did a couple of screens caps anyway. If I find better--which I doubt as I've had to scrounge from ABC previously for LOST video and pictorial promo morsels, I'll try to repost. I think William should put it on his site because it's a nice interview--I thought the interviewer had a good set of questions so in turn we good some good statement from Mr. Sanderson.

 

"But, no, that was all on a need to know basis, and I’m still learning. When I get to work with Alan Ball, the creator, I really try to be a sponge, but, for me it was a thrill to play what was — at least ostensibly — a normal person: I’m clean shaven and I don’t wear dirty clothes. But if you read the books, there’s not a lot on Sheriff Dearborne, but people have told me he’s a voice of reason (and that’s another irony with me). But it’s fun to play a normal person." -- William Sanderson

Source: www.the-trades.com.

Photos: William Sanderson dot net/HBO/ABC

 

   

I've done a number of sci-fi projects, and one was a great thrill and still a cult film. But I've never done anything like this. I look at it as providential, or a gift from God. I'm a greybeard, and lucky to get this job. -- William Sanderson

EDIT/ If you've watch episode one of season two watch this. See if you agree that these are the best scenes. Thanks to RainingXrisi!

Sorry. E! has removed the video but there's some juicy stuff from the interview after the jump!

"In all honesty, this stuff is for the rabid True Blood fangirls who need no introduction to these two, but if you're reading this anyway and you're the type who likes a little metadata with your content, then you should know this is a post about True Blood, which is an hour-long sex, blood, and soap opera Southern Gothic vampire series executive produced by Alan Ball and broadcast by the premium cable network HBO.

These interviews with actors Alexander Skarsgård, who plays Viking vampire Eric Northman, and Stephen Moyer, who plays Southern vampire Bill Compton, were conducted by E! News at the True Blood season-two premiere party at the Paramount lot in Hollywood on the evening of June 9, 2009.
For further information, please review our series of informative online articles (lulz) on the topic of True Blood.
Season two of True Blood premieres Sunday, June 14 at 9 p.m. on the Home Box Office channel delivered by your cable or direct broadcast satellite provider. Enjoy." Credit: TEAM WWK

Huh. That's the first time I've heard Alexander Skarsgård speaking as himself. I thought he'd have an accent. Isn't he really big in one of those Icelandic or Norwegian countries? Or is that just rumour and/or innuendo?

Also, it's still pretty striking too to hear Stephen Moyer speak as not-Bill. Lovely voice. Anna Paquin as well (not heard in this clip). Not an American in the bunch!

You'll notice in that when writing about True Blood E! (below after jump) really seems intent on making sure the reader knows that "True Blood" has some very raunchy sex scenes. That's because Alan Ball is unafraid of your reaction. But it's not teevee, it's HBO so he can do what he wants. As he did on Six Feet Under :)

Meanwhile, media outlets like E! can grapple with just how do they write about this show they ignored until it became a hit? Hmm.

Anyway, I think True Blood brings out into the open a number of sex taboos on American television, namely sex itself! The Brits are much more casual about a shot of breast or bum--and their language is saltier, albeit at times very hard to understand to my not-Brit ears.

More with Stephen Moyer talking to E! after the jump:

 

SCENE ONE - "She's a Hell of a Girl" - Michelle Forbes' Maryann meets Tara's (Rutina Wesley) mother (Adina Porter), but it isn't all love and warm feelings:

Oh, here it is! I've been waiting for Michelle Forbes to be turned loose. And that's the beauty of this actress. She can cut someone straight through using only the weapon of her words. Here, Tara's mother gets a taste of being "Maryann's" bad side. Excellent scene!

Source

 

SCENE TWO - "We're All Equals Here" - Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten) tells a visiting minister that God has a purpose for him: 

This may be unfair but I think the "Jason finds Jesus" storyline sounds the absolute weakest. It's an Alan Ball creation (not from the books) which I believe will segue into Jason's next adventure which should be way more appealing, IMO. I'm guessing though that his next adventure willnot start in earnest until the end of Season 2 or even not 'till Season 3.

   

SCENE THREE - "This Is All Your Fault" - Bill (Stephen Moyer) explains to Sookie (Anna Paquin) how Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) came into being and how long she'll be around.

Getting the tension between Sookie and Jessica started from the get-go, Bill answers Sookie's string of Jessica-related questions honestly, though with a strong streak of "but I did it for you" running through his explanation. In truth, Bill turned Jessica upon hearing that the Spanish Inquisition-era trained "judge" of his crime against vamps--the staking of Longshadow to save Sookie--told him he could show him some "real" torture.There was no threat against Sookie When Bill turned Jessica. All Sookie had to lose was Bill himself. Perhaps this act of selfishness on Bill's part is an exmaple of his "human" fraility?

 

SCENE FOUR - "We Made a Deal" - Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) lets Bill (Stephen Moyer) know that he still has need for Sookie:

This scene is odd with vamps Eric and Bill with a shopping mall as the backdrop. The pissing match between these two continues with Eric again (predicably) keeping the upper hand in procuring Sookie's services in locating the ancient vampire Godric..

"True Blood" premieres on HBO on Sunday, June 14.

Stephen Moyer True Blood Season 2 Premiere - StephenMoyerWebring.com

Here are a string of videos from the True Blood Season 2 Premiere brought to you by one of the original True Blood fans who actively promoted the show early on, without any "special access" (as far as I know!)

Much thanks to Shadaliza!

Sam Trammell True Blood Season 2 Premiere - StephenMoyerWebring.com

Unfortunately, the crowd noise was such that the interviewer could be heard just fine--so we hear the question put to the actors but the responses by actors Kwanten, Moyer, Paquin, Wesley and Trammell are almost inaudible. If you can read lips you'll have no problem, to a lesser extent you can get a feel for the actors by interpreting their body language.

For my part I've decided that the incredibly smart, gracious, and cute Sam Trammell is the one I'm going to really follow this season. As much as I love Anna, Sam Trammell has won me over. He's absolutely an actor's actor.

 

Anna Paquin True Blood Season 2 Premiere - StephenMoyerWebring.com 

After the jump Rutina Wesley, Ryan Kwanten

TVGuideMagazine Join 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. 

Off to watch this vid and then last night's Weeds, which due to my cable being downed in a storm, I missed. The guys miss sports plus a few cheesy shows. I'm OK except annoyed about missing Colbert this particulalr week, and not wanting to wait past tomorrow for Comcast to fix what the storm broke (we're assuming). The infrastructure of the cabling here in a condo complex is iffy at best. 

I really want to try AT&T/kill the land-line phone. Saves a $100 a month and we three get Blackberries (2 free), me with the internets. Other guys (family that lives with me) haven't decided--son probably no, unless he finds he needs it. Spouse needs to see what it could do for him. I will use it. I totally need to be online to maintain my modest earning power. Cheers! Cyn 

Photos from the shoot

TrueBloodnet.com

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 LOVE season 2.  I love season 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...

Evan Rachel Wood who playsTrue Blood's 

"Sophie-Anne LeClerq," the 400 year-old vampire Queen of Louisiana who makes her appearance in the Alan Ball-helmed HBO series near the end of season two, was honoured last night at Hollywood Life’s 11th Annual Young Hollywood Awards. 

About Queen Sophie-Anne -

"She's kind of a cross between Patrick Bateman and Paris Hilton. ... she's crazy-- and she's a lesbian!"

(And what about your lesbian love interest?)

"I haven't really met (her) yet. She's not really a love interest. I feed from her."

Wood was presented with the Young Hollywood Superstar award by Patricia Clarkson but prior to that spoke about her role as Queen Sophie-Anne and “her impending lesbian love interest.”

To watch her video interview click here.

SOURCE: movieline.com

(Photo credit: REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni)

I pinched the graphics from @Progrrl on Twitter. 

I am in her debt.

True Blood Season 2: NEW Poster Size Cast Photos

Hey guys,

I just finished putting up a NEW photo album of just-released True Blood Season 2 Poster-size High Res Cast Photos from HBO. It features seven of the major actors, in two poses each.

To get the VERY BIGGEST photos, you need to go to the album by clicking the link you see above Eric's photo here and then open the album and look under each photo (which are very good quality and the size of a small poster) for the SpoilerTV photo album link. 

Big thanks to SpoilerTV for being ever-reliable and very timely in bringing the best of everything we love to the web.

Cheers!

Cyn

Hey guys,

I just finished putting up a NEW photo album of just-released True Blood Season 2 Poster-size High Res Cast Photos from HBO. It features seven of the major actors, in two poses each.

To get the VERY BIGGEST photos, you need to go to the album by clicking the link you see above Eric's photo here and then open the album and look under each photo (which are very good quality and the size of a small poster) for the SpoilerTV photo album link. 

Big thanks to SpoilerTV for being ever-reliable and very timely in bringing the best of everything we love to the web.

Cheers!

Cyn

Photo credit : John P. Johnson / HBO

Really fun feature story on True Blood coming out in Sunday's L.A.Times. The article is available online for those of us who don't buy the Times. There are spoilers in the article penned by Jessica Gelt, which pertain  to the latter half of Season 2.

Since True Blood interviews have saturated the Internet and will continue on the airwaves this week coming with Stephen Moyer appearing Wednesday on both the ABC daytime chat-fest, The View, and late that night on Jimmy Fallon (check your local listings for info) , I was a bit more interested in things that have not yet caught my eye. Like for example the incredible access that fan-site truebloodnet.com gets is due to it now being pseudo-sponsored by HBO which "helps secure interviews for (them)," even taking one of the webmasters "on a guided tour of the show's set."

Since the interview also plugs "Bill's Babes," which originates from the website The Vault, 

my money is on the likelihood that they too have a "special relationship" with HBO.

That's all well and good IMO--anything that promotes the show--though the lines are getting blurry as to what is official and what isn't. This reflects in part the breakneck-speed changes in how we distribute and assimilate media. That sort of works in the favour of people like me who approach the show from a different perspective but like to have access to information surrounding it.

Since Ms. Gelt, the women of truebloodnet.com, and even True Blood showrunner Alan Ball seem to feel that True Blood is a women's show, I won't take issue with that but it is not why I tuned in. (I also suspect that because of the show's tolerance of all forms of sexuality--male-female,male-male, etc. that it may have a larger gay-bi-lesbian following than anyone is talking about publicly. Six Feet Under was also very tolerant, portraying a realistic long-term homosexual relationship--one of the things that contributed to its greatness, I think.)

I saw the adverts for True Blood a week or two before it's debut in 2008. It was marketed as "from the maker of Six Feet Under" which made me sit up and notice and "starring Anna Paquin." With that, I decided on the spot that I'd give it a go and I was fairly certain after being wrapped up in Alan Ball's Six Feet Under for it's entire run that True Blood would be good, if not great, too.

I've been a vampire lover since reading Bram Stoker's Dracula at age 9. My father, who is a big science fiction and to a lessor extent, fantasy reader had it on the bookshelf and it looked intriguing. I read it right through--twice and even at that young age I was aware of the sensuous undertones. Much later came Anne Rice and The Vampire Lestat and though I enjoyed several of Ms. Rice's books it wasn't until Brad Pitt did his turn as the tortured, beautiful vampire "Louis" in the film "Interview With The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles" that I truly got sucked in (no pun intended) to the notion that as Mr. Ball puts it, "Vampires are sex."

"True Blood" on HBO follows the romance between waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and her soul mate, 173- year-old vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer).
The bomb that shattered the living room left carnage in its wake. The floor is slick with blood, tattered bodies litter the room, entrails dangle from the ceiling and an unrecognizable mass of goo stuck to the wall erratically spurts jets of mauve blood.

"I'm gonna ask everyone to clear the set who is not actually dying on it," yells Scottie Gissel, a first assistant director for HBO's hit vampire series " True Blood," which launches into its second season of sensational Gothic gore and lusty, undead romance next Sunday. (Viewers will see the scene of explosive destruction that Gissel is stage-managing late in the season.)
On this sunny afternoon, the cast and crew work in overdrive on a gloomy, fog-soaked soundstage at the Lot on Santa Monica and Formosa. They labor with the assuredness of a project vindicated. After getting off to a rocky start critically last fall, "True Blood," based on the books by Charlaine Harris and created by Alan Ball, who created "Six Feet Under" and wrote "American Beauty," steadily built its audience to emerge as HBO's most popular show in recent years, with an average of 7.8 million viewers watching each episode by the end of Season 1.
With a fervent fan base, including nearly half a dozen fan-run websites that HBO -- in a forward-thinking approach to managing public opinion -- actively fosters, "True Blood" is hoping to prove with its sophomore season that even in the "Twilight" age of vampire overkill, it can maintain its success.

Unrest hits undead

"True Blood" takes place in a world where vampires have come out of the coffin , so to speak, aided by the invention of a synthetic blood substitute called Tru Blood that helps keep their primal appetites at bay. Still, prejudice against the undead abounds, with many of the show's human characters motivated by a hate and fear that is as gruesomely destructive as that of even the most unrepentant bloodsucker.
Season 1 established the main action: "True Blood" is set in the fictional backwater town of Bon Temps, La., where a telepathic good girl named Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) works as a waitress in a raucous bar called Merlotte's. When a mysterious vampire named Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) comes to town, Sookie falls in love with him. A high body count and muddy graveside sex ensue....

As he leads an on-set tour of Bill's cryptic, mossy mansion, Moyer says that he and Paquin were in England when Season 1 first aired, so they never got the chance to watch it.
In the real world, the pair are dating and live together. They kept their romance a secret for 10 months before coming out with it on set; its inception was aided by the fact that during filming for the pilot "HBO very stupidly put us in the same hotel," says Moyer, adding that he knew "True Blood" was building a fan base but didn't realize the scope of it until someone sent Paquin a shirt emblazoned with the words, Bill's Babes."

"She was like, 'I'm the original Bill's babe,' and she would occasionally wear the shirt around the house," says Moyer... 
... Ball says... says, although... deeper topics are definitely present, the show, its fans and its creator are primarily concerned with campy glee.
"I needed fun," he says. " 'Six Feet Under' was a really gratifying emotional and artistic experience, but it's hard to spend five years peering into that existential abyss. This one is just fun. It's so much fun."

Paquin thinks so too. Walking around the set in a dirt-and-blood-stained white coat and high heels, her shiny blond hair matted and fake glass sticking out of her slender calves, Paquin asks the crew and visitors for hugs and jokes about how fabulous she looks...
What fans are responding to, says Paquin, is the fact that "True Blood" is an "exciting, big-concept, plot-driven, really high-class soap opera."
And like in any good soap opera, Moyer knows that no matter how you chew on the show's politics, it all really comes back to sex. Biting, specifically. His dark eyes glittering with mischief, he says: "There wasn't a hole there before and there's a hole there now. It's sexy. There's no getting away from it. If you want to scrape away at it, scrape away, but it's really sexy stuff."

Read entire article: 'True Blood' devotees are thirsty for more

This is certainly a squee-worthy day! In this short Q and A video from SciFi Wire, several True Blood fans ask some great questions about Season 2 and refreshingly, Alan Ball seems quite open in his responses. It's worth a few minutes of your time to check out. Enjoy!

If you are curious about True Blood but are on the fence as you didn't watch Season One, a good compromise (with yourself?) would be to watch Season One's last three episodes which air on HBO2 on June 7 at 7 p.m. on HBO. I still haven't been able to convince my spouse that the show is worth his time (Burn Notice is more his speed) and have told him about Sunday night's airing. I know I'm going to watch it. I also know I'm perfectly content watching it alone and writing about it so either way, it's all good (and his loss, lol!)

The "Season 2 Official Press Release" makes for an interesting read as it provides not only a plot summary and Season 2 Episode 13-15 synopsises(sp) but HBO's official presentation of how they want us to perceive True Blood.

Also, here you'll find release dates on the True Blood DVD Blu-ray and CD.

HIT HBO SERIES TRUE BLOOD KICKS OFF SECOND SEASON JUNE 14

In the backwoods Louisiana town of Bon Temps, the mystery surrounding the serial killer has finally been solved. But just as things are settling down, deadly new twists threaten Sookie Stackhouse and everyone around her.

TRUE BLOOD kicks off its 12-episode second season SUNDAY, JUNE 14 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO, followed by other new episodes on subsequent Sundays at the same time. Mixing romance, suspense, mystery and humor, the show takes place in the not-too-distant future, when vampires have come out of the coffin, thanks to the invention of mass-produced synthetic blood that means they no longer need humans as a nutritional source. The show follows the romance between waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), who can hear people’s thoughts, and her soul mate, 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer). Alan Ball (creator of the Emmy®-winning HBO series “Six Feet Under”) created and executive produces the show, which is based on the best-selling Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris.

Other cast regulars on TRUE BLOOD include: Ryan Kwanten as Sookie’s brother Jason; Rutina Wesley as her best friend Tara Thornton; Sam Trammell as Sookie’s good-hearted boss Sam Merlotte; Carrie Preston as Sookie’s fellow waitress Arlene Fowler; William Sanderson as Sheriff Bud Dearborne; Chris Bauer as Detective Andy Bellefleur; Todd Lowe as Terry Bellefleur; Michelle Forbes as Maryann Forrester; Alexander Skarsgård as Eric, a Nordic vampire; Deborah Ann Woll as Jessica, a new vampire under Bill’s supervision; Mehcad Brooks as Eggs “Benedict” Talley; Michael McMillian as Rev. Steve Newlin; Mariana Kloveno as Lorena; Anna Camp as Sarah Newlin; and Jim Parrack as Hoyt Fortenberry.

June’s episodes:
Episode #13 (01): “Nothing But the Blood”
Debut: SUNDAY, JUNE 14 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Other HBO playdates: June 14 (11:00 p.m.), 16 (11:30 p.m.), 20 (11:30 p.m.) and July 5 (9:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: June 15 (8:00 p.m.), 18 (10:00 p.m.), 19 (midnight) and 21 (3:15 p.m.)
A shocking murder outside Merlotte’s has Bon Temps reeling. Meanwhile, Sookie’s (Anna Paquin) relationship with Bill (Stephen Moyer) is tested when she learns about Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll), and of his involvement in her uncle’s death. Sam (Sam Trammell) recalls a shape-shifting encounter he had with Maryann (Michelle Forbes) as a 17-year-old. Jason (Ryan Kwanten) gets a sudden windfall that allows him to pay for a leadership retreat with the Fellowship of the Sun. Two adversaries find themselves sharing a mysterious dungeon and, possibly, the same fate.
Written by Alexander Woo; directed by Daniel Minahan.

Episode #14 (02): “Keep This Party Going”
Debut: SUNDAY, JUNE 21 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: June 21 (11:00 p.m.), 23 (11:30 p.m.), 27 (11:30 p.m.) and July 5 (10:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: June 22 (8:00 p.m.), 25 (10:00 p.m.), 26 (11:00 p.m.) and 28 (2:00 p.m.)
Sookie is forced to cope with Bill’s obligations to Jessica, as well as the romantic inconveniences the teen vampire’s presence creates. At the Light of Day leadership conference, Jason makes a favorable impression on its ambitious leaders, Steve (Michael McMillian) and Sarah Newlin (Anna Camp), though not on his jealous roommate Luke (Wes Brown). Maryann casts her spell on Merlotte’s patrons, and Sam proves helpless to stop the revelry.
Written by Brian Buckner; directed by Michael Lehmann.

Episode #15 (03): “Scratches”
Debut: SUNDAY, JUNE 28 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: June 28 (11:00 p.m.), 30 (11:30 p.m.) and July 1 (10:00 p.m.), 4 (10:15 p.m.) and 5 (11:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdate: June 29 (8:00 p.m.)
When Sookie is attacked by a mysterious creature, Bill must enlist Eric’s (Alexander Skarsgård) 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 (Rutina Wesley) and new employee Daphne (Ashley Jones), Sam decides to cut and run. A bored Jessica heads over to Merlotte’s, where a smitten Hoyt (Jim Parrack) falls under her spell. At another Maryann-hosted party, Tara finds her attraction to Eggs (Mehcad Brooks) interrupted by a swirling, aphrodisiac fog.
Written by Raelle Tucker; directed by Scott Winant.

Episode 2.04 - Let's Take a Trip Together
Airs: Sunday, July 12
Bill and Sookie travel to Dallas to carry out Eric's mission; Jason falls victim to a practical joke; Maryann throws a birthday party for Tara.

Episode 2.05 - Never Let Me Go
Airs: Sunday, July 19
While in Dallas, Sookie connects with one of her own; Jason is rewarded for his hard work at the Light of Day boot camp; Eric shares a secret about his past with Bill.

Episode 2.06 - Friend Is a Four Letter Word
Airs: Sunday, July 26
Sookie embarks on a dangerous mission to locate Godric; Bill is shocked when a vampire from his past resurfaces in Dallas; Jason must make difficult emotional and physical choices.

Source: MSN.com

Concluding its 2008 run last November, the first season of TRUE BLOOD was a hit with subscribers and critics. USA Today called it “wildly imaginative,” with “one of the best ensembles of the new series,” while TV Guide hailed the show as “graphically sexy and scary, and often wildly funny,” and “a broadly entertaining, deliciously twisted slice of modern Southern Gothic.”

Before the new season of TRUE BLOOD kicks off, viewers will have a chance to catch up on season one. HBO2 will present three episodes per night back-to-back at 8:00 p.m., June 4-6, while HBO will present the first season’s final three episodes back-to-back at 8:00 p.m. on June 7.

“True Blood: The Complete First Season” will be released by HBO Home Entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray May 19; “True Blood: Music from the HBO Original Series” will be released by Elektra Records the same day.

TRUE BLOOD was created by Alan Ball; based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris; executive producers, Alan Ball and Gregg Fienberg; co-executive producers, Brian Buckner and Nancy Oliver; supervising producer, Alexander Woo; producers, Mark McNair and Raelle Tucker.


Source: HBO via

The ODI

After a media conference call with True Blood showrunner Alan Ball about Season 2 of True Blood (HBO Sunday, June 14, 2009, 9PM) which included journos Maureen Ryan from the Chicago Tribune, Jennifer Godwin from E!Online, and The Televisionary (dot com), the three scribes took to Twitter. Mashed all together, here are some of Alan Ball's comments that they tweeted:

First of all, Mr. Ball says “vampires are sex.” I agree but I'd add "death" as in "vampires are sex and death" but perhaps I'm being shallow as I've heard the sex act described as "a small death." <shrug>

Mr. Ball's perceptions of vampires leaves him a bit in the dark about what the attraction is in "Twilight" which he characterizes as “about abstinence” and “I guess...safe for young girls.” 

Ball also commented that "Bubba," who appears very secondarily in the Sookie Stackhouse series as Elvis Presley made vampire by a funeral attendant and therefore not quite "right," will not show up in True Blood. (Hallelujah!")

Season 2 will include the oldest and "most human" vampire, as Mr.Ball phrased it. I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess this vampire to be Eric's sire, who in the previews we've already been told is "twice as old" as the 1000 year-old Eric.

Evan Rachel Wood as it was previously reported, is to appear in the last two episode of Season 2 (E11-12). (I've read that she "may" appear in S3 as well.)

Ball characterizes True Blood's S2 overarching theme as "the power of cults, whether strange neo-Greco-Roman cult or church/organized religion.” 

Finally, Sookie Stackhouse author Charlaine Harris is “90 percent happy” with the series thus far and

will have a cameo in the final episode of the season. Ball again states that he is “remaining true to the spirit of the books” but expect him to go his own way as he feels necessary. 

For the Sookie Stackhouse books fans, I hope this doesn't get your panties in a bunch. There's always change when books are brought to the screen and more importantly in my opinion, Ball brings a completely different element to the adventures of Sookie. 

Alan Ball and Anna Paquin + vampires were the reasons I tuned in from episode one. I'm really happy to report that I've discovered some new (to me) actors that are pretty awesome and I'm thrilled that a couple more of my favourites, including Michelle Forbes and Evan Rachel Wood are getting story arcs.

Info SOURCE: True-Blood.net

(Photo credit: Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos)

UPDATE/ per Ausiello - Q: Please give us fang bangers some True Blood scoop. I cannot wait for season 2. Will some of it take place in Dallas like the second book did?

A: Ausiello: Yep. In the new season's fourth episode, Sookie, Bill, and their adoptive vamp Jessica (played by the awesome Deborah Ann Woll) wing it to Dallas, but there's a surprise waiting for them at the airport. Later in the episode, an even bigger shock awaits Sookie when a, ahem, special visitor drops by her hotel room. 

Q: Not that I don't appreciate the awesome True Blood scoop we got last week, it's just that I need, really need, scoop on Sookie/Eric. Is anything gonna happen between them? 

A: Ausiello: Something happens in the first four episodes that may lead one to believe Eric has eyes for someone else (hint: it's a dude!). But maybe I'm reading too much into it.

(Ausiello is so silly. Of course Eric swings both ways. He must not watch True Blood if he hasn't picked up on that!)

Our campaign in London churches. Take a look!

godhatesf

The ending is rather amusing and I hate to point this out because it feels sort of third grade but it really isn't a big leap to go from God Hates Fangs to God Hates (drop the letter "n").

Even here in the video as the woman who is viral marketing her hate campaign, shouts out "God hates fangs," it sounds very close to a real epithet. Didn't anyone at True Blood marketing have any qualms about this? Sort of hard to believe.                                                                                                 

Below: leandroy2

All credits are from Digital Kitchen, Chicago
Direction of Mark Bashore

HBO | True Blood Season 2 | Viral Deposition, Gymnast, 911, Seeing Eye Dog

I'm sort of surprised that the speculation about True Blood - Season One cast member Nelsan Ellis continues. I've previously explained why, unless Alan Ball did something truly bizarre, Lafayette's death is a done deal. However speculation seems to be what E! does best so here's what their latest (and hopefully last) say on the matter is:

Q: What can you tell us about True Blood? I'm so excited for season two!

We just chatted up True Blood star Stephen Moyer and asked him about the future of Nelsan Ellis' brilliant Lafayette, and Moyer said, "Lafayette, I can't talk about. Nelsan is an amazing dude, and, uh, I hope he does come back...but I, you know...who knows." There's no decisive statement in there, but "I hope he does come back" seems to suggest that Lafayette's gone somewhere, and for that matter, Nelsan's Lafayette also does not appear in any of the season two promo photos, the press releases or the books afterDead Until Dark. Long story short, we're starting to feel pretty naive for having believed/hoped the show was just toying with us and would find a way to keep Lafayette around for season two and beyond. We are going to need a lot of naked vampires to make up for this disaster. Post your Lafayette lamentations in the comments, and don't forget to check back soon for more from Stephen Moyer about True Blood Season Two.

Q: Do you have any new True Blood news?
Lesbians! You heard about the lesbians, right? Vampire queen Sophie-Anne and Sookie's cousin Hadley Hale end up sucking face. 

Source: E!

Apologies. This went to "draft" instead of post for the day. In case you missed the HBO half hour special here it is in it's entirety for your viewing pleasure. There has been so much great True Blood promotional material that I think I may burst before True Blood finally airs. It can't start soon enough, IMO!

Revisit the blood-soaked events from Season 1 of the hit HBO drama series True Blood. To find out more about True Blood, visit HBO.com/trueblood

Source: HBO

True Blood - Season 2 - Q and A's courtesy Ausiello (SPOILERS)

Q: Since you’ve seen the first four True Blood episodes of season 2, is there anything you can share?

A: ...Season 2— premiering June 14 — "gets off to a thrilling, gory, scary, sexy, disgusting, funny, suspenseful start. Alan Ball would drive a wooden stake through my heart if I spoiled any of the big twists (i.e. my lips are sealed about the fate of a certain flamboyant vampire blood dealer)"/EDIT/ See True Blood Season 2: HBO Escape the Everyday Sweepstakes and read the tombstone.

-There are three orgies, all of them powered by maenad Maryann’s (Michelle Forbes) aphrodisiac fairy dust. 

- Alexander Skarsgard’s Nordic vampire sherrif has an "extremely homoerotic encounter" with a character who shall remain nameless. EDIT/Well, we can at least we can rules out all the girls. 

- In related news, there are about two dozen gratuitous shirtless shots in the first four episodes, all of them belonging to either Mechad Brooks (Tara’s new BF, Eggs) or Ryan Kwanten (Jason). EDIT/ and boy, those two guys are buff! 

- Sookie has a very revealing conversation with a new character in episode 4. 

- If you’re wondering what secret Merlotte’s newest waitress (played by Ashley Jones) is harboring, a clue can be found on her skin.

True Blood  returns for Season 2 on Sunday, June 14, 2009 at 9PM/ET on HBO

"The blogging empire is temporarily welcoming a new site into its fold that’s written and paid for by HBO to promote the network’s noir vampire drama, True Blood. And the word “advertisement” won’t appear anywhere in the project’s vicinity."

I'm gonna say it. 

Wowsa.

I've been blogging in the "sponsored post" arena since November 2007, and there has not been one minute that it has not been controversial. Initially and I was late to the party by at least 18 months, all sponsored posting was baaaad. Only bad people with bad intentions did paid blogging without the blog post itself screaming "I'm an advert!!! She's getting money to write this!"

I admit I had not thought through what the ethical implications were to writing short blog posts which pushed products. I didn't think it was doing any harm as I talked about what I thought of the product or simply talked about the product in the days where I was assigned work that if I turned it down I would get no further work.

That company literally did not care what I wrote. They simply wanted me to insert a link. So for example, if I had to write about a diet supplement I would talk of the dangers of dieting and if you ever did use a product like "X" do so only under your doctor's care.

Frankly, I was glad when that company told me to choose them or another another company to work for.  The other other company told me to work for whomever I pleased. Guess who I chose?  At the same time, in fact years before, Google was getting very agitated because companies that had bloggers share their opinions about products got free "Google" juice when a "do follow" link was used in the post. That means, to make it very simple, that the company pushing a product was in direct competition with Google's Adsense when it came to search engine results that Internet users would get.

Huge no-no in the land of GOOG. Again, I totally had no idea that what I was doing was in violation of Google search engine rules. They stripped me of PageRank which is a metric which is considered to be a short-hand way of telling the world what your blog is worth.

Since 11/2007, I've made over $4000 doing paid blogging some with "do follow" links and here now only with "nofollow" links. There are no ads on this blog that violate Google's policy. I only very occasionally write adverts here and all of them have a big honking in-post badge saying I got paid, along with the non-Google juice producing nofollow links. I might add that I'm offered many posts per pay for decent money but the advertisers do not want me to disclose that I'm writing an advert. So I never write them. For one, I'm acutely aware that I'm being used (for my Page Rank! I feel so dirty!). They want to take advantage of my PageRank so they get sweeter link juice--for about a week--because that's when Google will strip me of my PageRank and if I have anything to say about that, it's not going to happen. I know better now.

If you read an ad on this blog you'll know it's an ad. And this is important, too: I hand-pick all my ads. As I said, I turn down money each day--and that's really painful, believe me. But I'm preserving my PageRank and my integrity.That's the other part of Gawker's experiment (their wording) that I find intriguing. Will they too lose PageRank? One would think that the Blood Copy ads will be in violation of Google's rules. I know I'm staying tuned in order to see what happens when one of the big guys does what the little guys got crushed for.

 

Lastly, Gawker is utilizing paid blogging to advertise one of my favourite shows. I have to be honest. I'm excited about this. I'm interested to see how it plays out, yes and I'm curious to hear what kind of reception the advertising gets from various fronts but most importantly from the consumer because friends, despite being told as we grew up that the Hokey-Pokey was what "it" is all about, that is simply not true. In this great land of consumers what it is all about is selling stuff, the more stuff the better. The ways of selling are changing at a dizzying rate. With newspapers, magazines, and television losing ground in the advertising wars, those that want to sell stuff need to be willing to experiment with a variety of venues. That's what it's all about, folks.

From: Gawker VP says sponsored posts will bring in majority of revenue one day

Entries from the blog, BloodCopy, will appear as cross-posts in the mix of Gawker Media’s eight verticals, which include Gizmodo, Kotaku, and the flagship. They’ll be set off by a border and labeled as BloodCopy posts but otherwise indistinguishable from editorial content — except that the blog is written by an undead, bloodsucking ghoul.

“With vampires, we thought we could be a little looser with the disclosure and create some disbelief,” Chris Batty, Gawker’s vice president of sales and marketing, told me yesterday, dismissing critics of the advertorial as “humorless.” He also made a bold prediction that surprised me so much I made sure to confirm I’d heard correctly:

 “If we’re around in three or four years,” Batty said, “the majority of our advertising revenue will be in sponsored posts like this.”

       

Thanks to johnstonr77!

True Blood - NEW Sam Solo Promo (w/Voices) Sookie's Solo True Blood Promo (w/Voices) Looks like toward the end of True Blood Season 2 we get to meet Sookie's cousin Hadley from whom Sookie is estranged.

[HADLEY HALE] Sookie's (Anna Paquin) cousin, this fresh-faced 20 something year old country girl is locked in a steamy clinch with the vampire queen (Evan Rachel Wood). The dazed Hadley has been seduced into a whole other world -- but she still feels the pull of her human roots...3 speeches & 1 line, 3 scenes (1) May recur next season in a few episodes [LUDIS] Under 30. This straight, handsome, well-built Latvian man (with or without an accent), clad only in gym shorts, is only too delighted to volunteer for another man's "feed"...3 lines, 1 scene (44) [FRENZY MAN IN DRESS] This skinny, tattooed, "frenzy-eyed" man is wearing a badly ripped dress that doesn't do a thing for him...1 line, 1 scene (sptv050769 54) The more tattoos the better.

Source: SpoilerTV

Revisit the blood-soaked events from Season One of the hit HBO drama series True Blood. For more on True Blood, log on to HBO.com.

HBO

"Oh my God. I think Merlotte's just got it's first vampire!"

Sookie said a mouthful when she innocently uttered those words, never dreaming what it meant that her little quiet town of BonTemps had become home to the undead.

HBO

I hope I can get my spouse to watch this as "Twilight" has really put a damper on his enthusiasm. He's never seen True Blood but unlike Twilight it's very much an adult drama. All the vamps drink blood of one kind or the other. They don't sparkle in the sunlight. It's a completely different story altogether. I think it's a marketing mistake to tag this "Twilight." Twilight has nothng to do with the world of True Blood and visa versa.

ALSO New Today: SEASON-II PROMO video Extended - NEW scenes(below)

Here's a very hot new promo for True Blood which includes "Phenomena" by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs as it's musical accompaniment. There is also a chance for me to grab some new screen shots like these*: I am one happy True Blood fangirl.

NEW today-

TRUE BLOOD SEASON-II PROMO Extended [VERSION-II] Make sure to turn the comments off, by pressing the upright arrow, on the bottom right corner of the screen.

 

*When there's an official release I'll try to get some clearer shots. I just love this scene of Bill laying down the law for "daughter" Jessica.

Bill does not spare the rod with wild child Jessica who he was sentenced to create  in Season 1 as punishment for killing a vampire who was trying to kill Sookie.

New True Blood Season 2 Preview Trailer - Thanks to jussunique!

 

 

  

     

MILD SPOILER -

I've read in a couple of places people expressing their dislike of Eric's Season 2 haircut. The screen clip that I'm showing here I believe tells you "why" his hair is short. He's in a fight with a supernatrual being and though vampires are not supposed to lose or regain hair, I think maybe in this particular instance that Eric loses his mane and probably some scalp before the fight is over. What comes after? I know as much as you do because this is newly written stuff, but I'm guessing that Eric is "forced" to chose a short haircut as what has been ripped from his scalp by a supe cannot be regrown./EDIT this was probably one of my worse guesses ever! Eric had foils in his hair as Pam was giving him makeover. LOL

 

Maryann's Solo True Blood Promo Courtesy of (HBO). The excitement is reaching a fever pitch as the countdown to the second season premiere of HBO's True Blood on June 14, 2009, is now less than one month away. The wait has been excruciating, but by all accounts it will be worth it. For my part, having read the Sookie Stackhouse novels, I have to say I enjoyed book II, "Living Dead In Dallas" more than I did the first book, which I really liked. Regardless of the disclaimer made by showrunner Alan Ball that his vision of True Blood is distinctly different than that of the Sookie books by Charlaine Harris (and I'm not disputing his assertion) ;),I can see from the bits and pieces of the promos that there is quite a bit of overlap, too. And that, IMO, is a very good thing indeed. Eric's Solo True Blood Promo Sookie Solo True Blood Promo Bill & Sookie True Blood Promo Catch three segments of HBO's The Buzz after the jump!

. Above: Very cute, short interview with real-life loves, Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, at a Australian Bushfire fund raising event.

Thanks to JohnTFolden!
"True Blood "extras" promotional trailer for Season 1, available on Blu-Ray on May 19th, 2009.True Blood "extras" promotional trailer for Season 1, available on Blu-Ray on May 19th, 2009."

The Blu-Ray narration by  Lafayette (Nelson Ellis) is very clever. 

POSSIBLE SPOILER

I thought most everyone knew why Lafayette had to die as in the Sookie Stackhouse book which inspired this series--but reading a review or two saw that no, people are holding out hope. LaFayette was fleshed out in the television role--but was not Tara's cousin and had a much more minor role in the book.

If Season 2 is only loosely based on the second book, "Living Dead in Dallas," Sookie goes out of town and Merlotte's sort of takes a step back for that part of the book. I think you may have heard sometime during Season 1, Sookie remarking on how many cooks Merlotte's usually goes through. It gives it a kind of charm and in at least one Sookie Stackhouse novel it's crucial to the story.

The scene that is playing out In the soon-to-be released Blu-Ray disc while Nelsan Ellis narrates is, of course from the first episode Of "True Blood", S1E1, when Sookie in the parking lot of Merlotte's the bar in which she works, saves Vampire Bill from "V" addicts (sort of the caliber of crack addicts)/sellers who have him hog tied in silver chains (which burn his flesh) and are draining him. I know. Ick. Sookie kicks ass but she's up again 2 so eventually she falters. Bill takes cares of her and then Season One goes from there. Great show. Cannot wait for it to start!

Here's some more info on the Bluray coming out:"HBO just sent over the following clip from the upcoming second season of True Blood which was recently shown at the Paley Festival. Season two of True Blood debuts on HBO on June 14th and season 1 of the series will be released on DVD/Blu-ray on May 19th. The soundtrack will also be released on May 19th."

Twitter thanks to @truebloodnet via @ProgGrrl

I'm really excited that soon we'll being seeing this group of actors bloodying up the screen.
This video totally rocks. I'll cap a few more but it's 5 a.m. past my bedtime. Cheers-


True Blood Season 2: Cast News for Episode 7

More True Blood Season 2 casting news for Episode 7 “Release Me.” Sarah Scott has been cast to play the role of Francis who is described according to a previous casting call as a pretty young chorus girl who has been hired by Lorena to dance for Bill during a 1935 flashback scene. She is described to be giggly, excited, and very drunk. During the scene she will have to know how to tap dance.

Thanks to Source

Bob Dylan’s new single, “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’,” which is performed on the True Blood Season 2 promo seems to have help launch Bob Dylan’s new album, Together Through Life, into the #1 spot for both the U.S. and UK album charts... ...Alan Ball, creator behind the phenomenally successful HBO TV series True Blood said, “When I heard the song, I knew it would be a perfect fit for our characters and storylines.”

Thanks to Source

Bob Dylan - Beyond Here Lies Nothin' - official video

 

I didn't realize that Dexter does not premiere until fall 2009! WTH? I thought for sure it was slated to start again this summer. I've caught up on my EW reading and according to them there's still a very long wait. I'm bummed! (I'm also stoked but I can't maintain that level of stoked-ness until fall! I'll have to re-stoke at some point.)

Source: EW

When the Showtime hit returns next fall, six months will have lapsed on screen, leaving newlyweds Dexter (Michael C. Hall) and Rita (Julie Benz) the proud parents of a baby boy. "This season, we're going to deal with: Can a serial killer juggle a personal life, work, and his 'dark passenger'?" reveals executive producer Sara Colleton. "In other words, can Dexter have it all? Which is something all of us grapple with every day of our lives. So we're taking something that is a very human dilemma and putting it through the prism of Dexter's special needs."

Further complicating Dexter's intricate balancing act will be a new, as-yet-uncast male antagonist who will "cross paths with Dexter in a major, dramatic way," teases Colleton. "He will illuminate a lot about Dexter's life and force him to make some tough choices." (Word is they're looking for a "Jeff Daniels-type" to play the role.)

Meanwhile, Dex's plucky sister, Deb (played by Hall's real-life wife, Jennifer Carpenter), will unwittingly threaten to shed light on his dark secret. "All the way through the season, Deb -- in her need to know her father more -- is going to get closer and closer to figuring out who Dexter's mother was and her relationship with her father," says Colleton. So might the day come when Dex is forced to slice and dice her? "That is inconceivable to me," declares Colleton. "Deb and Dexter are the best brother-and-sister team ever."

(Below -from April)

What ever happened to Dexter? Is there going to be a fourth season?
Of course, he's a serial killer. Season 4 goes into production in late May/early June and will probably premiere toward the end of September. If you couldn't guess from last season's wedding finale, the next cycle focuses on Dexter as a family man: How does he balance his role as a husband and father of three with his grisly nocturnal endeavors? Most parents can't find time to catch a movie, much less mete out bloody vengeance.
source: TV Guide

NEW Video! True Blood S2 Premiere- Improved! More Alexander Skarsgård

 

Thanks to thellou!

This is an awesome little clip taken at the True Blood Season 2 premiere party. Everyone was in such high spirits and looking so spiffy! It's still such a treat to hear Stephen Moyer (Bill), Ryan Kwanten (Jason Stackhouse), and Anna Paquin (Sookie) speaking with their native accents.

Alexander Skarsgård (Eric) does "The Buzz" intro and unexpectedly, one cannot detect his Swedish 

accent. I wonder if that's a savvy career move--kind of going mainstream and sounding no different than 

most trained American accents with the sort of "generic" Midwestern accent or has he simply lost his 

accent?

True Blood- July Official Episode Synopses - Here be SPOILERS! *Photos*

Thanks to true-blood.net!/HBO

HBO just released the True Blood July official episode synopses.  Here be SPOILERS! 

Episode 204 - “Shake and Fingerpop” 

Debut: SUNDAY, JULY 12 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT) With Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) in tow, Bill (Stephen Moyer) and Sookie (Anna Paquin) head to Dallas to carry out Eric’s (Alexander Skarsgård) vampire-reconnaissance mission – but a surprise awaits them at the airport. At the Light of Day Institute, Jason (Ryan Kwanten) falls victim to a practical joke, but has the last laugh when the Newlins anoint him for a higher calling. Maryann (Michelle Forbes) throws Tara (Rutina Wesley) a birthday party at Sookie’s, attracting much of Bon Temps to its Bacchanalian revelry. Sam (Sam Trammell) postpones his departure from town to attend the bash, connecting with Daphne (Ashley Jones) in the process. Having barely escaped Fangtasia, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) finds himself reluctantly pulled back into Eric’s orbit. Written by Alan Ball; directed by Michael Lehmann. 

HBO - Episode 205: “Never Let Me Go” 

Debut: SUNDAY, JULY 19 (9:00-10:00 p.m.) 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 Merlotte’s, 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. Written by Nancy Oliver; directed by John Dahl. 

HBO - Episode 206: “Hard-Hearted Hannah” 

Debut: SUNDAY, JULY 26 (9:00-10:00 p.m.) 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.

True Blood - An Acquired Taste? - Keep This Party Going - Promo Video - S2 02 *Spoilers*

'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.

ASAdmin | June 22, 2009 WARNING: VERY GRAPHIC! HBO owns the rights. No copyright infringement intended. . "Pam Will Kill Me" True Blood S02xE02 "Keep This Party Going"

perajoe | June 23, 2009

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intended. Summary: True Blood S02xE02 "Keep This Party Going" After making up with Bill, Sookie suggests that he take it a little easier on Jessica as she is just a teenager. Bill tries to convince Sookie that a vampire as new as she is not capable of controlling her impulses and that she could be dangerous. En route to the Light of Day Leadership conference Jason becomes fast-friends with an anti-vampire zealot named Luke, but after Jason makes a good impression on Steve Newlin, and Sarah Newlin in particular, Luke’s good-natured friendship turns to bitter jealousy and he tells Jason that he doesn’t belong there. Eric approaches Bill and demands that he and Sookie help in finding a vampire sheriff named Godric, who has gone missing in Dallas. Meanwhile, Tara finds out more about Eggs' past as a criminal and he makes it clear that he is interested in her. After a failed attempt to escape from the basement of Fangtasia, Lafayette is badly injured and asks Eric, Pam and Chow to turn him into a vampire. Fangs bared, they ferociously bite him. Jessica realizes she misses her family after her parents, who think she has just gone missing, appear on TV. She asks Sookie to take her to see her family and Sookie agrees, on the condition that Jessica stay in the car. Although she agrees, Jessica eventually ignores Sookie and drops in on her old family. When her father comes home, he angrily accuses her of putting the family through hell, and even though Sookie tries to stop her, Jessica attacks her father and threatens to kill him for all the times he beat her. But Bill shows up and glamours his way into the house just in time. The episode ends on an ominous note, with Bill throwing Sookie out of the house barking at her that he has to "clean up her mess"

Last night 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)vfull 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 Balls' 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. 

Last time I checked that was the point of couch-sitting for 60 minutes whist facing a large plasma screen.

Now, I'm spoiled. More on Lafayette's Fate and How it 'll Effect True Blood

Below there are some hardcore spoilers regarding Nelsan Ellis's "Lafayette," BonTemp's gay, V -selling prostitute and Merlotte's (probably ex) short-order cook.

I'm calling 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.

However, in their quest to get eyeballs on their websites Ausiello and I'm sure I'll a bunch of others paid and unpaid who are are practically wetting their pants,totally untrustworthy about 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)

Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette

Ausiello Spoilers

Kristen video Spoilers

True Blood - Evan Rachel Wood Gets Her Fangs On *PHOTO*

Evan Rachel Wood, who joins the cast of HBO's True Blood later this season, told reporters that she's already getting vamped out for her appearance. She is signed for two episodes of the show, which returns this Sunday and will air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
"I just got fitted for my fangs," Wood said in a press conference Monday in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Once the teeth went on, Wood couldn't help but get into character. "They just take over," she said. "You can't help but just snarl and be evil. It's great."
Wood's role as vampire queen Sophie-Anne has been announced, but Wood elaborated: "I'm playing the vampire queen of Louisiana, 400 years old and gay, so it's going to be a good one."
With vampires all the rage now, Wood had some choice words for posers who just hopped on the bandwagon. "It comes every now and then," she said. "I have always been into the vampire craze, OK? This whole Twilight thing? No."
Since she brought it up, who would win a fight between Sophie-Anne and the Cullens? "Considering I'm a real vampire, probably me," she said.

Source: SciFi Wire

True Blood - Bill Does A Full Frontal *PHOTO* NEW Cast Photos

Beneath the masthead of Friday print editions of the Los Angeles Times is a full front-page ad for the HBO's series "True Blood." A black-and-white close-up of star Stephen Moyer with blood dripping from the corner of his mouth dominates the page.
In news boxes around town, all that's visible is the close-up of actor's menacing gaze and the paper's banner splayed across the top. No other stories or photos appear on the cover, which is actually a separate four-page broadsheet touting Sunday's premiere of the show's second season.
Readers remove the wrap to find the regular front page, anchored by the Lakers' NBA Finals win over the Magic on Thursday night in Orlando. Times spokeswoman Nancy Sullivan says it's the first time the newspaper put its masthead above an advertisement wrapping the paper.
"One of the things for us is that innovation is pretty crucial in both a challenged and cluttered marketplace," Sullivan said. "HBO came to the Times to break through that clutter, and the result is what you see today."
Zach Enterlin, HBO's vice president of advertising and promotions, said HBO had placed front-page ads with Hollywood trade publications in the past, but jumped at the chance to do the same with the Times.
"We saw it as a fantastic opportunity to speak to a consumer audience in an innovative way," he said.

Source: Huff Post

Below: More cast photos, some that are new (to me).

True Blood - William Sanderson - Being Sheriff Bud Dearborne - 'It’s fun to play a normal person'

William Sanderson is the familiar face from one of my all-time favourite mini series, Lonesome Dove, and films, "Blade Runner."  He was also part of a pop culture phenomenon rooted in his 8-year role on Newhart and his trademark line, "Hi. I'm Larry. This is my brother Daryl, and this is my other brother Daryl."  (It really is a visual joke.)

 

 

I never watched "Newhart" though I'd heard as a pop culture reference of Larry And Daryl. And Daryl.

What I was first familiar with was Mr. Sanderson's work in Blade Runner as the doomed toymaker, Sebastian.  

All these years later, it's great to see him pop up as I always enjoy his performances.

I have a link to an interview he did a couple days ago for ABC. He's very enjoyable to listen to, so humble, self- deprecating and certainly yes, a true Southern gentleman. I'm sorry ABC is stingy so I can't get the embed code to put the video here but you can watch his interview here. It has a not-seen-by-me-before scene from True Blood - Season 2! That's worth clicking right there! I did a couple of screens caps anyway. If I find better--which I doubt as I've had to scrounge from ABC previously for LOST video and pictorial promo morsels, I'll try to repost. I think William should put it on his site because it's a nice interview--I thought the interviewer had a good set of questions so in turn we good some good statement from Mr. Sanderson.

 

"But, no, that was all on a need to know basis, and I’m still learning. When I get to work with Alan Ball, the creator, I really try to be a sponge, but, for me it was a thrill to play what was — at least ostensibly — a normal person: I’m clean shaven and I don’t wear dirty clothes. But if you read the books, there’s not a lot on Sheriff Dearborne, but people have told me he’s a voice of reason (and that’s another irony with me). But it’s fun to play a normal person." -- William Sanderson

Source: www.the-trades.com.

Photos: William Sanderson dot net/HBO/ABC

 

   

I've done a number of sci-fi projects, and one was a great thrill and still a cult film. But I've never done anything like this. I look at it as providential, or a gift from God. I'm a greybeard, and lucky to get this job. -- William Sanderson

True Blood: Best Scenes - Season 2 Episode 1

EDIT/ If you've watch episode one of season two watch this. See if you agree that these are the best scenes. Thanks to RainingXrisi!

Sorry. E! has removed the video but there's some juicy stuff from the interview after the jump!

"In all honesty, this stuff is for the rabid True Blood fangirls who need no introduction to these two, but if you're reading this anyway and you're the type who likes a little metadata with your content, then you should know this is a post about True Blood, which is an hour-long sex, blood, and soap opera Southern Gothic vampire series executive produced by Alan Ball and broadcast by the premium cable network HBO.

These interviews with actors Alexander Skarsgård, who plays Viking vampire Eric Northman, and Stephen Moyer, who plays Southern vampire Bill Compton, were conducted by E! News at the True Blood season-two premiere party at the Paramount lot in Hollywood on the evening of June 9, 2009.
For further information, please review our series of informative online articles (lulz) on the topic of True Blood.
Season two of True Blood premieres Sunday, June 14 at 9 p.m. on the Home Box Office channel delivered by your cable or direct broadcast satellite provider. Enjoy." Credit: TEAM WWK

Huh. That's the first time I've heard Alexander Skarsgård speaking as himself. I thought he'd have an accent. Isn't he really big in one of those Icelandic or Norwegian countries? Or is that just rumour and/or innuendo?

Also, it's still pretty striking too to hear Stephen Moyer speak as not-Bill. Lovely voice. Anna Paquin as well (not heard in this clip). Not an American in the bunch!

You'll notice in that when writing about True Blood E! (below after jump) really seems intent on making sure the reader knows that "True Blood" has some very raunchy sex scenes. That's because Alan Ball is unafraid of your reaction. But it's not teevee, it's HBO so he can do what he wants. As he did on Six Feet Under :)

Meanwhile, media outlets like E! can grapple with just how do they write about this show they ignored until it became a hit? Hmm.

Anyway, I think True Blood brings out into the open a number of sex taboos on American television, namely sex itself! The Brits are much more casual about a shot of breast or bum--and their language is saltier, albeit at times very hard to understand to my not-Brit ears.

More with Stephen Moyer talking to E! after the jump:

True Blood NEW! 4 True Blood - Season 2 Video Previews - New Scenes

 

SCENE ONE - "She's a Hell of a Girl" - Michelle Forbes' Maryann meets Tara's (Rutina Wesley) mother (Adina Porter), but it isn't all love and warm feelings:

Oh, here it is! I've been waiting for Michelle Forbes to be turned loose. And that's the beauty of this actress. She can cut someone straight through using only the weapon of her words. Here, Tara's mother gets a taste of being "Maryann's" bad side. Excellent scene!

Source

 

SCENE TWO - "We're All Equals Here" - Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten) tells a visiting minister that God has a purpose for him: 

This may be unfair but I think the "Jason finds Jesus" storyline sounds the absolute weakest. It's an Alan Ball creation (not from the books) which I believe will segue into Jason's next adventure which should be way more appealing, IMO. I'm guessing though that his next adventure willnot start in earnest until the end of Season 2 or even not 'till Season 3.

   

SCENE THREE - "This Is All Your Fault" - Bill (Stephen Moyer) explains to Sookie (Anna Paquin) how Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) came into being and how long she'll be around.

Getting the tension between Sookie and Jessica started from the get-go, Bill answers Sookie's string of Jessica-related questions honestly, though with a strong streak of "but I did it for you" running through his explanation. In truth, Bill turned Jessica upon hearing that the Spanish Inquisition-era trained "judge" of his crime against vamps--the staking of Longshadow to save Sookie--told him he could show him some "real" torture.There was no threat against Sookie When Bill turned Jessica. All Sookie had to lose was Bill himself. Perhaps this act of selfishness on Bill's part is an exmaple of his "human" fraility?

 

SCENE FOUR - "We Made a Deal" - Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) lets Bill (Stephen Moyer) know that he still has need for Sookie:

This scene is odd with vamps Eric and Bill with a shopping mall as the backdrop. The pissing match between these two continues with Eric again (predicably) keeping the upper hand in procuring Sookie's services in locating the ancient vampire Godric..

"True Blood" premieres on HBO on Sunday, June 14.

True Blood Season 2 Premiere - Cast Video Interviews

Stephen Moyer True Blood Season 2 Premiere - StephenMoyerWebring.com

Here are a string of videos from the True Blood Season 2 Premiere brought to you by one of the original True Blood fans who actively promoted the show early on, without any "special access" (as far as I know!)

Much thanks to Shadaliza!

Sam Trammell True Blood Season 2 Premiere - StephenMoyerWebring.com

Unfortunately, the crowd noise was such that the interviewer could be heard just fine--so we hear the question put to the actors but the responses by actors Kwanten, Moyer, Paquin, Wesley and Trammell are almost inaudible. If you can read lips you'll have no problem, to a lesser extent you can get a feel for the actors by interpreting their body language.

For my part I've decided that the incredibly smart, gracious, and cute Sam Trammell is the one I'm going to really follow this season. As much as I love Anna, Sam Trammell has won me over. He's absolutely an actor's actor.

 

Anna Paquin True Blood Season 2 Premiere - StephenMoyerWebring.com 

After the jump Rutina Wesley, Ryan Kwanten

True Blood Season 2: TV Guide Video Photo Shoot Interview - True Blood - Sam SPOILERS!

TVGuideMagazine Join 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. 

Off to watch this vid and then last night's Weeds, which due to my cable being downed in a storm, I missed. The guys miss sports plus a few cheesy shows. I'm OK except annoyed about missing Colbert this particulalr week, and not wanting to wait past tomorrow for Comcast to fix what the storm broke (we're assuming). The infrastructure of the cabling here in a condo complex is iffy at best. 

I really want to try AT&T/kill the land-line phone. Saves a $100 a month and we three get Blackberries (2 free), me with the internets. Other guys (family that lives with me) haven't decided--son probably no, unless he finds he needs it. Spouse needs to see what it could do for him. I will use it. I totally need to be online to maintain my modest earning power. Cheers! Cyn 

Photos from the shoot

TrueBloodnet.com

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 LOVE season 2.  I love season 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...

True Blood's Evan Rachel Wood on Queen Sophie-Anne and her "lesbian love interest"

Evan Rachel Wood who playsTrue Blood's 

"Sophie-Anne LeClerq," the 400 year-old vampire Queen of Louisiana who makes her appearance in the Alan Ball-helmed HBO series near the end of season two, was honoured last night at Hollywood Life’s 11th Annual Young Hollywood Awards. 

About Queen Sophie-Anne -

"She's kind of a cross between Patrick Bateman and Paris Hilton. ... she's crazy-- and she's a lesbian!"

(And what about your lesbian love interest?)

"I haven't really met (her) yet. She's not really a love interest. I feed from her."

Wood was presented with the Young Hollywood Superstar award by Patricia Clarkson but prior to that spoke about her role as Queen Sophie-Anne and “her impending lesbian love interest.”

To watch her video interview click here.

SOURCE: movieline.com

(Photo credit: REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni)

I pinched the graphics from @Progrrl on Twitter. 

I am in her debt.

True Blood Season 2: NEW! (6.06.09) Poster-Size High Res Cast Photos

True Blood Season 2: NEW Poster Size Cast Photos

Hey guys,

I just finished putting up a NEW photo album of just-released True Blood Season 2 Poster-size High Res Cast Photos from HBO. It features seven of the major actors, in two poses each.

To get the VERY BIGGEST photos, you need to go to the album by clicking the link you see above Eric's photo here and then open the album and look under each photo (which are very good quality and the size of a small poster) for the SpoilerTV photo album link. 

Big thanks to SpoilerTV for being ever-reliable and very timely in bringing the best of everything we love to the web.

Cheers!

Cyn

Hey guys,

I just finished putting up a NEW photo album of just-released True Blood Season 2 Poster-size High Res Cast Photos from HBO. It features seven of the major actors, in two poses each.

To get the VERY BIGGEST photos, you need to go to the album by clicking the link you see above Eric's photo here and then open the album and look under each photo (which are very good quality and the size of a small poster) for the SpoilerTV photo album link. 

Big thanks to SpoilerTV for being ever-reliable and very timely in bringing the best of everything we love to the web.

Cheers!

Cyn

NEW! True Blood - Season 2 SPOILERS - LA Times Feature Story, Cast Interviews

Photo credit : John P. Johnson / HBO

Really fun feature story on True Blood coming out in Sunday's L.A.Times. The article is available online for those of us who don't buy the Times. There are spoilers in the article penned by Jessica Gelt, which pertain  to the latter half of Season 2.

Since True Blood interviews have saturated the Internet and will continue on the airwaves this week coming with Stephen Moyer appearing Wednesday on both the ABC daytime chat-fest, The View, and late that night on Jimmy Fallon (check your local listings for info) , I was a bit more interested in things that have not yet caught my eye. Like for example the incredible access that fan-site truebloodnet.com gets is due to it now being pseudo-sponsored by HBO which "helps secure interviews for (them)," even taking one of the webmasters "on a guided tour of the show's set."

Since the interview also plugs "Bill's Babes," which originates from the website The Vault, 

my money is on the likelihood that they too have a "special relationship" with HBO.

That's all well and good IMO--anything that promotes the show--though the lines are getting blurry as to what is official and what isn't. This reflects in part the breakneck-speed changes in how we distribute and assimilate media. That sort of works in the favour of people like me who approach the show from a different perspective but like to have access to information surrounding it.

Since Ms. Gelt, the women of truebloodnet.com, and even True Blood showrunner Alan Ball seem to feel that True Blood is a women's show, I won't take issue with that but it is not why I tuned in. (I also suspect that because of the show's tolerance of all forms of sexuality--male-female,male-male, etc. that it may have a larger gay-bi-lesbian following than anyone is talking about publicly. Six Feet Under was also very tolerant, portraying a realistic long-term homosexual relationship--one of the things that contributed to its greatness, I think.)

I saw the adverts for True Blood a week or two before it's debut in 2008. It was marketed as "from the maker of Six Feet Under" which made me sit up and notice and "starring Anna Paquin." With that, I decided on the spot that I'd give it a go and I was fairly certain after being wrapped up in Alan Ball's Six Feet Under for it's entire run that True Blood would be good, if not great, too.

I've been a vampire lover since reading Bram Stoker's Dracula at age 9. My father, who is a big science fiction and to a lessor extent, fantasy reader had it on the bookshelf and it looked intriguing. I read it right through--twice and even at that young age I was aware of the sensuous undertones. Much later came Anne Rice and The Vampire Lestat and though I enjoyed several of Ms. Rice's books it wasn't until Brad Pitt did his turn as the tortured, beautiful vampire "Louis" in the film "Interview With The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles" that I truly got sucked in (no pun intended) to the notion that as Mr. Ball puts it, "Vampires are sex."

"True Blood" on HBO follows the romance between waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and her soul mate, 173- year-old vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer).
The bomb that shattered the living room left carnage in its wake. The floor is slick with blood, tattered bodies litter the room, entrails dangle from the ceiling and an unrecognizable mass of goo stuck to the wall erratically spurts jets of mauve blood.

"I'm gonna ask everyone to clear the set who is not actually dying on it," yells Scottie Gissel, a first assistant director for HBO's hit vampire series " True Blood," which launches into its second season of sensational Gothic gore and lusty, undead romance next Sunday. (Viewers will see the scene of explosive destruction that Gissel is stage-managing late in the season.)
On this sunny afternoon, the cast and crew work in overdrive on a gloomy, fog-soaked soundstage at the Lot on Santa Monica and Formosa. They labor with the assuredness of a project vindicated. After getting off to a rocky start critically last fall, "True Blood," based on the books by Charlaine Harris and created by Alan Ball, who created "Six Feet Under" and wrote "American Beauty," steadily built its audience to emerge as HBO's most popular show in recent years, with an average of 7.8 million viewers watching each episode by the end of Season 1.
With a fervent fan base, including nearly half a dozen fan-run websites that HBO -- in a forward-thinking approach to managing public opinion -- actively fosters, "True Blood" is hoping to prove with its sophomore season that even in the "Twilight" age of vampire overkill, it can maintain its success.

Unrest hits undead

"True Blood" takes place in a world where vampires have come out of the coffin , so to speak, aided by the invention of a synthetic blood substitute called Tru Blood that helps keep their primal appetites at bay. Still, prejudice against the undead abounds, with many of the show's human characters motivated by a hate and fear that is as gruesomely destructive as that of even the most unrepentant bloodsucker.
Season 1 established the main action: "True Blood" is set in the fictional backwater town of Bon Temps, La., where a telepathic good girl named Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) works as a waitress in a raucous bar called Merlotte's. When a mysterious vampire named Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) comes to town, Sookie falls in love with him. A high body count and muddy graveside sex ensue....

As he leads an on-set tour of Bill's cryptic, mossy mansion, Moyer says that he and Paquin were in England when Season 1 first aired, so they never got the chance to watch it.
In the real world, the pair are dating and live together. They kept their romance a secret for 10 months before coming out with it on set; its inception was aided by the fact that during filming for the pilot "HBO very stupidly put us in the same hotel," says Moyer, adding that he knew "True Blood" was building a fan base but didn't realize the scope of it until someone sent Paquin a shirt emblazoned with the words, Bill's Babes."

"She was like, 'I'm the original Bill's babe,' and she would occasionally wear the shirt around the house," says Moyer... 
... Ball says... says, although... deeper topics are definitely present, the show, its fans and its creator are primarily concerned with campy glee.
"I needed fun," he says. " 'Six Feet Under' was a really gratifying emotional and artistic experience, but it's hard to spend five years peering into that existential abyss. This one is just fun. It's so much fun."

Paquin thinks so too. Walking around the set in a dirt-and-blood-stained white coat and high heels, her shiny blond hair matted and fake glass sticking out of her slender calves, Paquin asks the crew and visitors for hugs and jokes about how fabulous she looks...
What fans are responding to, says Paquin, is the fact that "True Blood" is an "exciting, big-concept, plot-driven, really high-class soap opera."
And like in any good soap opera, Moyer knows that no matter how you chew on the show's politics, it all really comes back to sex. Biting, specifically. His dark eyes glittering with mischief, he says: "There wasn't a hole there before and there's a hole there now. It's sexy. There's no getting away from it. If you want to scrape away at it, scrape away, but it's really sexy stuff."

Read entire article: 'True Blood' devotees are thirsty for more

Update (6.7.09) True Blood's Alan Ball Answers Season 2 Q & A's - Season 2 Official Press Release - It starts this weekend!

This is certainly a squee-worthy day! In this short Q and A video from SciFi Wire, several True Blood fans ask some great questions about Season 2 and refreshingly, Alan Ball seems quite open in his responses. It's worth a few minutes of your time to check out. Enjoy!

If you are curious about True Blood but are on the fence as you didn't watch Season One, a good compromise (with yourself?) would be to watch Season One's last three episodes which air on HBO2 on June 7 at 7 p.m. on HBO. I still haven't been able to convince my spouse that the show is worth his time (Burn Notice is more his speed) and have told him about Sunday night's airing. I know I'm going to watch it. I also know I'm perfectly content watching it alone and writing about it so either way, it's all good (and his loss, lol!)

The "Season 2 Official Press Release" makes for an interesting read as it provides not only a plot summary and Season 2 Episode 13-15 synopsises(sp) but HBO's official presentation of how they want us to perceive True Blood.

Also, here you'll find release dates on the True Blood DVD Blu-ray and CD.

HIT HBO SERIES TRUE BLOOD KICKS OFF SECOND SEASON JUNE 14

In the backwoods Louisiana town of Bon Temps, the mystery surrounding the serial killer has finally been solved. But just as things are settling down, deadly new twists threaten Sookie Stackhouse and everyone around her.

TRUE BLOOD kicks off its 12-episode second season SUNDAY, JUNE 14 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO, followed by other new episodes on subsequent Sundays at the same time. Mixing romance, suspense, mystery and humor, the show takes place in the not-too-distant future, when vampires have come out of the coffin, thanks to the invention of mass-produced synthetic blood that means they no longer need humans as a nutritional source. The show follows the romance between waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), who can hear people’s thoughts, and her soul mate, 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer). Alan Ball (creator of the Emmy®-winning HBO series “Six Feet Under”) created and executive produces the show, which is based on the best-selling Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris.

Other cast regulars on TRUE BLOOD include: Ryan Kwanten as Sookie’s brother Jason; Rutina Wesley as her best friend Tara Thornton; Sam Trammell as Sookie’s good-hearted boss Sam Merlotte; Carrie Preston as Sookie’s fellow waitress Arlene Fowler; William Sanderson as Sheriff Bud Dearborne; Chris Bauer as Detective Andy Bellefleur; Todd Lowe as Terry Bellefleur; Michelle Forbes as Maryann Forrester; Alexander Skarsgård as Eric, a Nordic vampire; Deborah Ann Woll as Jessica, a new vampire under Bill’s supervision; Mehcad Brooks as Eggs “Benedict” Talley; Michael McMillian as Rev. Steve Newlin; Mariana Kloveno as Lorena; Anna Camp as Sarah Newlin; and Jim Parrack as Hoyt Fortenberry.

June’s episodes:
Episode #13 (01): “Nothing But the Blood”
Debut: SUNDAY, JUNE 14 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Other HBO playdates: June 14 (11:00 p.m.), 16 (11:30 p.m.), 20 (11:30 p.m.) and July 5 (9:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: June 15 (8:00 p.m.), 18 (10:00 p.m.), 19 (midnight) and 21 (3:15 p.m.)
A shocking murder outside Merlotte’s has Bon Temps reeling. Meanwhile, Sookie’s (Anna Paquin) relationship with Bill (Stephen Moyer) is tested when she learns about Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll), and of his involvement in her uncle’s death. Sam (Sam Trammell) recalls a shape-shifting encounter he had with Maryann (Michelle Forbes) as a 17-year-old. Jason (Ryan Kwanten) gets a sudden windfall that allows him to pay for a leadership retreat with the Fellowship of the Sun. Two adversaries find themselves sharing a mysterious dungeon and, possibly, the same fate.
Written by Alexander Woo; directed by Daniel Minahan.

Episode #14 (02): “Keep This Party Going”
Debut: SUNDAY, JUNE 21 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: June 21 (11:00 p.m.), 23 (11:30 p.m.), 27 (11:30 p.m.) and July 5 (10:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: June 22 (8:00 p.m.), 25 (10:00 p.m.), 26 (11:00 p.m.) and 28 (2:00 p.m.)
Sookie is forced to cope with Bill’s obligations to Jessica, as well as the romantic inconveniences the teen vampire’s presence creates. At the Light of Day leadership conference, Jason makes a favorable impression on its ambitious leaders, Steve (Michael McMillian) and Sarah Newlin (Anna Camp), though not on his jealous roommate Luke (Wes Brown). Maryann casts her spell on Merlotte’s patrons, and Sam proves helpless to stop the revelry.
Written by Brian Buckner; directed by Michael Lehmann.

Episode #15 (03): “Scratches”
Debut: SUNDAY, JUNE 28 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: June 28 (11:00 p.m.), 30 (11:30 p.m.) and July 1 (10:00 p.m.), 4 (10:15 p.m.) and 5 (11:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdate: June 29 (8:00 p.m.)
When Sookie is attacked by a mysterious creature, Bill must enlist Eric’s (Alexander Skarsgård) 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 (Rutina Wesley) and new employee Daphne (Ashley Jones), Sam decides to cut and run. A bored Jessica heads over to Merlotte’s, where a smitten Hoyt (Jim Parrack) falls under her spell. At another Maryann-hosted party, Tara finds her attraction to Eggs (Mehcad Brooks) interrupted by a swirling, aphrodisiac fog.
Written by Raelle Tucker; directed by Scott Winant.

Episode 2.04 - Let's Take a Trip Together
Airs: Sunday, July 12
Bill and Sookie travel to Dallas to carry out Eric's mission; Jason falls victim to a practical joke; Maryann throws a birthday party for Tara.

Episode 2.05 - Never Let Me Go
Airs: Sunday, July 19
While in Dallas, Sookie connects with one of her own; Jason is rewarded for his hard work at the Light of Day boot camp; Eric shares a secret about his past with Bill.

Episode 2.06 - Friend Is a Four Letter Word
Airs: Sunday, July 26
Sookie embarks on a dangerous mission to locate Godric; Bill is shocked when a vampire from his past resurfaces in Dallas; Jason must make difficult emotional and physical choices.

Source: MSN.com

Concluding its 2008 run last November, the first season of TRUE BLOOD was a hit with subscribers and critics. USA Today called it “wildly imaginative,” with “one of the best ensembles of the new series,” while TV Guide hailed the show as “graphically sexy and scary, and often wildly funny,” and “a broadly entertaining, deliciously twisted slice of modern Southern Gothic.”

Before the new season of TRUE BLOOD kicks off, viewers will have a chance to catch up on season one. HBO2 will present three episodes per night back-to-back at 8:00 p.m., June 4-6, while HBO will present the first season’s final three episodes back-to-back at 8:00 p.m. on June 7.

“True Blood: The Complete First Season” will be released by HBO Home Entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray May 19; “True Blood: Music from the HBO Original Series” will be released by Elektra Records the same day.

TRUE BLOOD was created by Alan Ball; based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris; executive producers, Alan Ball and Gregg Fienberg; co-executive producers, Brian Buckner and Nancy Oliver; supervising producer, Alexander Woo; producers, Mark McNair and Raelle Tucker.


Source: HBO via

The ODI

Updated -True Blood's Alan Ball Talks Season 2 *Spoilers* True Blood Scoop!

After a media conference call with True Blood showrunner Alan Ball about Season 2 of True Blood (HBO Sunday, June 14, 2009, 9PM) which included journos Maureen Ryan from the Chicago Tribune, Jennifer Godwin from E!Online, and The Televisionary (dot com), the three scribes took to Twitter. Mashed all together, here are some of Alan Ball's comments that they tweeted:

First of all, Mr. Ball says “vampires are sex.” I agree but I'd add "death" as in "vampires are sex and death" but perhaps I'm being shallow as I've heard the sex act described as "a small death." <shrug>

Mr. Ball's perceptions of vampires leaves him a bit in the dark about what the attraction is in "Twilight" which he characterizes as “about abstinence” and “I guess...safe for young girls.” 

Ball also commented that "Bubba," who appears very secondarily in the Sookie Stackhouse series as Elvis Presley made vampire by a funeral attendant and therefore not quite "right," will not show up in True Blood. (Hallelujah!")

Season 2 will include the oldest and "most human" vampire, as Mr.Ball phrased it. I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess this vampire to be Eric's sire, who in the previews we've already been told is "twice as old" as the 1000 year-old Eric.

Evan Rachel Wood as it was previously reported, is to appear in the last two episode of Season 2 (E11-12). (I've read that she "may" appear in S3 as well.)

Ball characterizes True Blood's S2 overarching theme as "the power of cults, whether strange neo-Greco-Roman cult or church/organized religion.” 

Finally, Sookie Stackhouse author Charlaine Harris is “90 percent happy” with the series thus far and

will have a cameo in the final episode of the season. Ball again states that he is “remaining true to the spirit of the books” but expect him to go his own way as he feels necessary. 

For the Sookie Stackhouse books fans, I hope this doesn't get your panties in a bunch. There's always change when books are brought to the screen and more importantly in my opinion, Ball brings a completely different element to the adventures of Sookie. 

Alan Ball and Anna Paquin + vampires were the reasons I tuned in from episode one. I'm really happy to report that I've discovered some new (to me) actors that are pretty awesome and I'm thrilled that a couple more of my favourites, including Michelle Forbes and Evan Rachel Wood are getting story arcs.

Info SOURCE: True-Blood.net

(Photo credit: Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos)

UPDATE/ per Ausiello - Q: Please give us fang bangers some True Blood scoop. I cannot wait for season 2. Will some of it take place in Dallas like the second book did?

A: Ausiello: Yep. In the new season's fourth episode, Sookie, Bill, and their adoptive vamp Jessica (played by the awesome Deborah Ann Woll) wing it to Dallas, but there's a surprise waiting for them at the airport. Later in the episode, an even bigger shock awaits Sookie when a, ahem, special visitor drops by her hotel room. 

Q: Not that I don't appreciate the awesome True Blood scoop we got last week, it's just that I need, really need, scoop on Sookie/Eric. Is anything gonna happen between them? 

A: Ausiello: Something happens in the first four episodes that may lead one to believe Eric has eyes for someone else (hint: it's a dude!). But maybe I'm reading too much into it.

(Ausiello is so silly. Of course Eric swings both ways. He must not watch True Blood if he hasn't picked up on that!)

True Blood - God Hates Fangs - HBO - Deposition, Gymnast, 911, Seeing Eye Dog - 2 Viral *Videos*

Our campaign in London churches. Take a look!

godhatesf

The ending is rather amusing and I hate to point this out because it feels sort of third grade but it really isn't a big leap to go from God Hates Fangs to God Hates (drop the letter "n").

Even here in the video as the woman who is viral marketing her hate campaign, shouts out "God hates fangs," it sounds very close to a real epithet. Didn't anyone at True Blood marketing have any qualms about this? Sort of hard to believe.                                                                                                 

Below: leandroy2

All credits are from Digital Kitchen, Chicago
Direction of Mark Bashore

HBO | True Blood Season 2 | Viral Deposition, Gymnast, 911, Seeing Eye Dog

True Blood - Season 2 Spoilers - Vampire Queen Sophie-Anne and Sookie's Cousin Hadley Are...

I'm sort of surprised that the speculation about True Blood - Season One cast member Nelsan Ellis continues. I've previously explained why, unless Alan Ball did something truly bizarre, Lafayette's death is a done deal. However speculation seems to be what E! does best so here's what their latest (and hopefully last) say on the matter is:

Q: What can you tell us about True Blood? I'm so excited for season two!

We just chatted up True Blood star Stephen Moyer and asked him about the future of Nelsan Ellis' brilliant Lafayette, and Moyer said, "Lafayette, I can't talk about. Nelsan is an amazing dude, and, uh, I hope he does come back...but I, you know...who knows." There's no decisive statement in there, but "I hope he does come back" seems to suggest that Lafayette's gone somewhere, and for that matter, Nelsan's Lafayette also does not appear in any of the season two promo photos, the press releases or the books afterDead Until Dark. Long story short, we're starting to feel pretty naive for having believed/hoped the show was just toying with us and would find a way to keep Lafayette around for season two and beyond. We are going to need a lot of naked vampires to make up for this disaster. Post your Lafayette lamentations in the comments, and don't forget to check back soon for more from Stephen Moyer about True Blood Season Two.

Q: Do you have any new True Blood news?
Lesbians! You heard about the lesbians, right? Vampire queen Sophie-Anne and Sookie's cousin Hadley Hale end up sucking face. 

Source: E!

Correction - A Taste of True Blood - Alan Ball Season 1 Recap - Video *SPOILERS*

Apologies. This went to "draft" instead of post for the day. In case you missed the HBO half hour special here it is in it's entirety for your viewing pleasure. There has been so much great True Blood promotional material that I think I may burst before True Blood finally airs. It can't start soon enough, IMO!

Revisit the blood-soaked events from Season 1 of the hit HBO drama series True Blood. To find out more about True Blood, visit HBO.com/trueblood

Source: HBO

True Blood - Season 2 Spoilers - Three Orgies, Eric, Maryann, Sookie, Ashley, Eggs

True Blood - Season 2 - Q and A's courtesy Ausiello (SPOILERS)

Q: Since you’ve seen the first four True Blood episodes of season 2, is there anything you can share?

A: ...Season 2— premiering June 14 — "gets off to a thrilling, gory, scary, sexy, disgusting, funny, suspenseful start. Alan Ball would drive a wooden stake through my heart if I spoiled any of the big twists (i.e. my lips are sealed about the fate of a certain flamboyant vampire blood dealer)"/EDIT/ See True Blood Season 2: HBO Escape the Everyday Sweepstakes and read the tombstone.

-There are three orgies, all of them powered by maenad Maryann’s (Michelle Forbes) aphrodisiac fairy dust. 

- Alexander Skarsgard’s Nordic vampire sherrif has an "extremely homoerotic encounter" with a character who shall remain nameless. EDIT/Well, we can at least we can rules out all the girls. 

- In related news, there are about two dozen gratuitous shirtless shots in the first four episodes, all of them belonging to either Mechad Brooks (Tara’s new BF, Eggs) or Ryan Kwanten (Jason). EDIT/ and boy, those two guys are buff! 

- Sookie has a very revealing conversation with a new character in episode 4. 

- If you’re wondering what secret Merlotte’s newest waitress (played by Ashley Jones) is harboring, a clue can be found on her skin.

True Blood  returns for Season 2 on Sunday, June 14, 2009 at 9PM/ET on HBO

Gawker and BloodCopy - A Marriage Made in Advertising Heaven or Hell?

"The blogging empire is temporarily welcoming a new site into its fold that’s written and paid for by HBO to promote the network’s noir vampire drama, True Blood. And the word “advertisement” won’t appear anywhere in the project’s vicinity."

I'm gonna say it. 

Wowsa.

I've been blogging in the "sponsored post" arena since November 2007, and there has not been one minute that it has not been controversial. Initially and I was late to the party by at least 18 months, all sponsored posting was baaaad. Only bad people with bad intentions did paid blogging without the blog post itself screaming "I'm an advert!!! She's getting money to write this!"

I admit I had not thought through what the ethical implications were to writing short blog posts which pushed products. I didn't think it was doing any harm as I talked about what I thought of the product or simply talked about the product in the days where I was assigned work that if I turned it down I would get no further work.

That company literally did not care what I wrote. They simply wanted me to insert a link. So for example, if I had to write about a diet supplement I would talk of the dangers of dieting and if you ever did use a product like "X" do so only under your doctor's care.

Frankly, I was glad when that company told me to choose them or another another company to work for.  The other other company told me to work for whomever I pleased. Guess who I chose?  At the same time, in fact years before, Google was getting very agitated because companies that had bloggers share their opinions about products got free "Google" juice when a "do follow" link was used in the post. That means, to make it very simple, that the company pushing a product was in direct competition with Google's Adsense when it came to search engine results that Internet users would get.

Huge no-no in the land of GOOG. Again, I totally had no idea that what I was doing was in violation of Google search engine rules. They stripped me of PageRank which is a metric which is considered to be a short-hand way of telling the world what your blog is worth.

Since 11/2007, I've made over $4000 doing paid blogging some with "do follow" links and here now only with "nofollow" links. There are no ads on this blog that violate Google's policy. I only very occasionally write adverts here and all of them have a big honking in-post badge saying I got paid, along with the non-Google juice producing nofollow links. I might add that I'm offered many posts per pay for decent money but the advertisers do not want me to disclose that I'm writing an advert. So I never write them. For one, I'm acutely aware that I'm being used (for my Page Rank! I feel so dirty!). They want to take advantage of my PageRank so they get sweeter link juice--for about a week--because that's when Google will strip me of my PageRank and if I have anything to say about that, it's not going to happen. I know better now.

If you read an ad on this blog you'll know it's an ad. And this is important, too: I hand-pick all my ads. As I said, I turn down money each day--and that's really painful, believe me. But I'm preserving my PageRank and my integrity.That's the other part of Gawker's experiment (their wording) that I find intriguing. Will they too lose PageRank? One would think that the Blood Copy ads will be in violation of Google's rules. I know I'm staying tuned in order to see what happens when one of the big guys does what the little guys got crushed for.

 

Lastly, Gawker is utilizing paid blogging to advertise one of my favourite shows. I have to be honest. I'm excited about this. I'm interested to see how it plays out, yes and I'm curious to hear what kind of reception the advertising gets from various fronts but most importantly from the consumer because friends, despite being told as we grew up that the Hokey-Pokey was what "it" is all about, that is simply not true. In this great land of consumers what it is all about is selling stuff, the more stuff the better. The ways of selling are changing at a dizzying rate. With newspapers, magazines, and television losing ground in the advertising wars, those that want to sell stuff need to be willing to experiment with a variety of venues. That's what it's all about, folks.

From: Gawker VP says sponsored posts will bring in majority of revenue one day

Entries from the blog, BloodCopy, will appear as cross-posts in the mix of Gawker Media’s eight verticals, which include Gizmodo, Kotaku, and the flagship. They’ll be set off by a border and labeled as BloodCopy posts but otherwise indistinguishable from editorial content — except that the blog is written by an undead, bloodsucking ghoul.

“With vampires, we thought we could be a little looser with the disclosure and create some disbelief,” Chris Batty, Gawker’s vice president of sales and marketing, told me yesterday, dismissing critics of the advertorial as “humorless.” He also made a bold prediction that surprised me so much I made sure to confirm I’d heard correctly:

 “If we’re around in three or four years,” Batty said, “the majority of our advertising revenue will be in sponsored posts like this.”

       

True Blood - NEW Sookie and Sam Solo Promos (w/Voices) - Episode 2.11 - Frenzy - Casting Call

Thanks to johnstonr77!

True Blood - NEW Sam Solo Promo (w/Voices) Sookie's Solo True Blood Promo (w/Voices) Looks like toward the end of True Blood Season 2 we get to meet Sookie's cousin Hadley from whom Sookie is estranged.

[HADLEY HALE] Sookie's (Anna Paquin) cousin, this fresh-faced 20 something year old country girl is locked in a steamy clinch with the vampire queen (Evan Rachel Wood). The dazed Hadley has been seduced into a whole other world -- but she still feels the pull of her human roots...3 speeches & 1 line, 3 scenes (1) May recur next season in a few episodes [LUDIS] Under 30. This straight, handsome, well-built Latvian man (with or without an accent), clad only in gym shorts, is only too delighted to volunteer for another man's "feed"...3 lines, 1 scene (44) [FRENZY MAN IN DRESS] This skinny, tattooed, "frenzy-eyed" man is wearing a badly ripped dress that doesn't do a thing for him...1 line, 1 scene (sptv050769 54) The more tattoos the better.

Source: SpoilerTV

NEW! True Blood 3-minute Season 1 Recap -True Blood: About The Show (HBO)

Revisit the blood-soaked events from Season One of the hit HBO drama series True Blood. For more on True Blood, log on to HBO.com.

HBO

"Oh my God. I think Merlotte's just got it's first vampire!"

Sookie said a mouthful when she innocently uttered those words, never dreaming what it meant that her little quiet town of BonTemps had become home to the undead.

HBO

I hope I can get my spouse to watch this as "Twilight" has really put a damper on his enthusiasm. He's never seen True Blood but unlike Twilight it's very much an adult drama. All the vamps drink blood of one kind or the other. They don't sparkle in the sunlight. It's a completely different story altogether. I think it's a marketing mistake to tag this "Twilight." Twilight has nothng to do with the world of True Blood and visa versa.

NEW True Blood Season 2 Trailer fea. Yeah Yeah Yeahs Phenomena - What's Going On With Eric's hair?! *SPOILERS* Screen Shots

ALSO New Today: SEASON-II PROMO video Extended - NEW scenes(below)

Here's a very hot new promo for True Blood which includes "Phenomena" by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs as it's musical accompaniment. There is also a chance for me to grab some new screen shots like these*: I am one happy True Blood fangirl.

NEW today-

TRUE BLOOD SEASON-II PROMO Extended [VERSION-II] Make sure to turn the comments off, by pressing the upright arrow, on the bottom right corner of the screen.

 

*When there's an official release I'll try to get some clearer shots. I just love this scene of Bill laying down the law for "daughter" Jessica.

Bill does not spare the rod with wild child Jessica who he was sentenced to create  in Season 1 as punishment for killing a vampire who was trying to kill Sookie.

New True Blood Season 2 Preview Trailer - Thanks to jussunique!

 

 

  

     

MILD SPOILER -

I've read in a couple of places people expressing their dislike of Eric's Season 2 haircut. The screen clip that I'm showing here I believe tells you "why" his hair is short. He's in a fight with a supernatrual being and though vampires are not supposed to lose or regain hair, I think maybe in this particular instance that Eric loses his mane and probably some scalp before the fight is over. What comes after? I know as much as you do because this is newly written stuff, but I'm guessing that Eric is "forced" to chose a short haircut as what has been ripped from his scalp by a supe cannot be regrown./EDIT this was probably one of my worse guesses ever! Eric had foils in his hair as Pam was giving him makeover. LOL

 

True Blood - NEW! Season 2 - HBO Promo Videos - Maryann, Eric, Bill and Sookie, Sookie Solo - Plus - HBO's The Buzz #1 #2 #3

Maryann's Solo True Blood Promo Courtesy of (HBO). The excitement is reaching a fever pitch as the countdown to the second season premiere of HBO's True Blood on June 14, 2009, is now less than one month away. The wait has been excruciating, but by all accounts it will be worth it. For my part, having read the Sookie Stackhouse novels, I have to say I enjoyed book II, "Living Dead In Dallas" more than I did the first book, which I really liked. Regardless of the disclaimer made by showrunner Alan Ball that his vision of True Blood is distinctly different than that of the Sookie books by Charlaine Harris (and I'm not disputing his assertion) ;),I can see from the bits and pieces of the promos that there is quite a bit of overlap, too. And that, IMO, is a very good thing indeed. Eric's Solo True Blood Promo Sookie Solo True Blood Promo Bill & Sookie True Blood Promo Catch three segments of HBO's The Buzz after the jump!

True Blood - Season 2 - Official Paley Festival Clip - The Maenad Attacks Sookie - TRUE BLOOD "EXTRAS" PROMO FOR SEASON 1 BLU-RAY

. Above: Very cute, short interview with real-life loves, Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, at a Australian Bushfire fund raising event.

Thanks to JohnTFolden!
"True Blood "extras" promotional trailer for Season 1, available on Blu-Ray on May 19th, 2009.True Blood "extras" promotional trailer for Season 1, available on Blu-Ray on May 19th, 2009."

The Blu-Ray narration by  Lafayette (Nelson Ellis) is very clever. 

POSSIBLE SPOILER

I thought most everyone knew why Lafayette had to die as in the Sookie Stackhouse book which inspired this series--but reading a review or two saw that no, people are holding out hope. LaFayette was fleshed out in the television role--but was not Tara's cousin and had a much more minor role in the book.

If Season 2 is only loosely based on the second book, "Living Dead in Dallas," Sookie goes out of town and Merlotte's sort of takes a step back for that part of the book. I think you may have heard sometime during Season 1, Sookie remarking on how many cooks Merlotte's usually goes through. It gives it a kind of charm and in at least one Sookie Stackhouse novel it's crucial to the story.

The scene that is playing out In the soon-to-be released Blu-Ray disc while Nelsan Ellis narrates is, of course from the first episode Of "True Blood", S1E1, when Sookie in the parking lot of Merlotte's the bar in which she works, saves Vampire Bill from "V" addicts (sort of the caliber of crack addicts)/sellers who have him hog tied in silver chains (which burn his flesh) and are draining him. I know. Ick. Sookie kicks ass but she's up again 2 so eventually she falters. Bill takes cares of her and then Season One goes from there. Great show. Cannot wait for it to start!

Here's some more info on the Bluray coming out:"HBO just sent over the following clip from the upcoming second season of True Blood which was recently shown at the Paley Festival. Season two of True Blood debuts on HBO on June 14th and season 1 of the series will be released on DVD/Blu-ray on May 19th. The soundtrack will also be released on May 19th."

True Blood Season 2 - Second Sneak Peek Promo Video - Screen Caps- Dylan Video - Beyond Here Lies Nothin'

Twitter thanks to @truebloodnet via @ProgGrrl

I'm really excited that soon we'll being seeing this group of actors bloodying up the screen.
This video totally rocks. I'll cap a few more but it's 5 a.m. past my bedtime. Cheers-


True Blood Season 2: Cast News for Episode 7

More True Blood Season 2 casting news for Episode 7 “Release Me.” Sarah Scott has been cast to play the role of Francis who is described according to a previous casting call as a pretty young chorus girl who has been hired by Lorena to dance for Bill during a 1935 flashback scene. She is described to be giggly, excited, and very drunk. During the scene she will have to know how to tap dance.

Thanks to Source

Bob Dylan’s new single, “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’,” which is performed on the True Blood Season 2 promo seems to have help launch Bob Dylan’s new album, Together Through Life, into the #1 spot for both the U.S. and UK album charts... ...Alan Ball, creator behind the phenomenally successful HBO TV series True Blood said, “When I heard the song, I knew it would be a perfect fit for our characters and storylines.”

Thanks to Source

Bob Dylan - Beyond Here Lies Nothin' - official video

Dexter Update - Can a serial killer juggle a personal life, work, and his 'dark passenger'?

 

I didn't realize that Dexter does not premiere until fall 2009! WTH? I thought for sure it was slated to start again this summer. I've caught up on my EW reading and according to them there's still a very long wait. I'm bummed! (I'm also stoked but I can't maintain that level of stoked-ness until fall! I'll have to re-stoke at some point.)

Source: EW

When the Showtime hit returns next fall, six months will have lapsed on screen, leaving newlyweds Dexter (Michael C. Hall) and Rita (Julie Benz) the proud parents of a baby boy. "This season, we're going to deal with: Can a serial killer juggle a personal life, work, and his 'dark passenger'?" reveals executive producer Sara Colleton. "In other words, can Dexter have it all? Which is something all of us grapple with every day of our lives. So we're taking something that is a very human dilemma and putting it through the prism of Dexter's special needs."

Further complicating Dexter's intricate balancing act will be a new, as-yet-uncast male antagonist who will "cross paths with Dexter in a major, dramatic way," teases Colleton. "He will illuminate a lot about Dexter's life and force him to make some tough choices." (Word is they're looking for a "Jeff Daniels-type" to play the role.)

Meanwhile, Dex's plucky sister, Deb (played by Hall's real-life wife, Jennifer Carpenter), will unwittingly threaten to shed light on his dark secret. "All the way through the season, Deb -- in her need to know her father more -- is going to get closer and closer to figuring out who Dexter's mother was and her relationship with her father," says Colleton. So might the day come when Dex is forced to slice and dice her? "That is inconceivable to me," declares Colleton. "Deb and Dexter are the best brother-and-sister team ever."

(Below -from April)

What ever happened to Dexter? Is there going to be a fourth season?
Of course, he's a serial killer. Season 4 goes into production in late May/early June and will probably premiere toward the end of September. If you couldn't guess from last season's wedding finale, the next cycle focuses on Dexter as a family man: How does he balance his role as a husband and father of three with his grisly nocturnal endeavors? Most parents can't find time to catch a movie, much less mete out bloody vengeance.
source: TV Guide

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