Results tagged “vampire”

What does it mean when a book that seems to be almost universally dismissed as drivel by many in the publishing industry is probably the greatest driving force in the hottest genre on the market today?

I’m no expert, but I’m guessing it means that, somewhere, all those smart industry people are kicking themselves.

If you’re not sure which book I’m referring to (I know—there’s so many that could fall into this description, no?), than I’ll give you some hints:

• It’s about vampires.
• It’s set in a high school in the Pacific Northwest.
• If you have a teenage daughter, granddaughter, or niece, chances are they expect you to get them to the movie theater on November 20th—with gaggles of their giggling friends.
• If you have a middle-aged wife, girlfriend, or sister—ditto.
• If you’re a twenty-something young professional woman—ditto.

If you haven’t guessed by now, then I suggest you lift your hands high up over your head, as that’s the best way to get out from under the rock you’re living beneath.

Because we couldn’t get the cast of New Moon (in theaters this Friday!) on Suvudu, we decided to do the next-best thing. We’ve spent the past two Mondays honoring our current, favorite vampires from True Blood and Vampire Diaries.

The wait is over. Today’s feature is all about New Moon.

We had to limit ourselves to just 10 but there are endless reasons why we love New Moon. Feel free to add your own reasons.

10. It’s all about the werewolves, baby.

[Credit: Clevver]

9. It stars improbably beautiful people in high school, who seemingly never attend class.

8. The worst break-up scene in history. Worse than: Britney and Justin, Jen and Brad, and yes, even worse than Nicole and Paris.

7. Road trip: Benvenuto in Italia. Ciao, Bella!

[Credit: ThinkingOfRob]

6. Victoria’s back. And she’s crazier than ever.

[Credit: TwilightMoms]

5. Taylor Lautner: have you seen the 17 yr-old shirtless? Can we even legally say that?

[Credit: GossipTeen]

4. Bella almost hallucinates herself to death.

3. Because we truly believe in Edward and Bella’s love.

[Credit: Fanpop]

2. Superhot Edward Cullen: Robert Pattinson. Sigh.

[Credit: davidarchuletanetwork]

And the #1 reason why we love New Moon…

Steamy, vampire-human love connections. Need we say more?

Just a reminder that this weekend is Vampire Weekend at the Paley Center in NYC. Paley’s vampire weekend events are free to Paley Center members and $10 for non-members. There are three days of screenings and special events, with all the details at…

http://www.paleycenter.org/dark-shadows-at-twilight-a-paley-center-vampire-weekend

Here are the other book, DVD and movie releases for the week!

HARDCOVER BOOKS

• Absolute Death by Neil Gaiman

PAPERBACK BOOKS

• Terminator Salvation: Cold War by Greg Cox

DVDS

• Blood: The Last Vampire
• Plastic Man: The Complete Collection
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
• Waterworld [Blu-ray]

IN THEATERS FRIDAY

• Astro Boy
• Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant
• The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D
• Saw VI

In The New Vampire’s Handbook, we devote a chapter to the topic of diversity among vampires.

That’s because until recently, vampires were almost always portrayed in the popular conscience as pasty, old, Romanian men. While this provided excellent cover for non-white, non-male vampires of all ages, it’s an absolute falsehood. Vampires come in every color of the rainbow, of every gender and nationality imaginable.

So while India may not be the first place you think of when you think “vampire”, it’s no surprise that a rich and varied vampire tradition exists there. This link to the 1990 film Bandh Darwaza (thanks to Blog of Dracula, where they took the time to find the fantastic film poster) features a western style vampire in a decidedly Bollywood setting. While the real vampires of India can be quite different from those of the West, there are plenty of unmistakeable similarities to remind us that at the end of the day, we’re all part of one big, happy blood-drinking, undead, vampire family.

Which of these creatures do you think best resembles the traditional “Western” vampire? And which would you non-vampires least like to meet along a rural Indian roadside?

Here are the other book, DVD and movie releases for the week!

HARDCOVER BOOKS

• At Empire’s Edge by William C. Dietz
• Dragon’s Ring by Dave Freer
• A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris
• Gwenhwyfar by Mercedes Lackey
• The Ghost King by R.A. Salvatore
• Quatrain by Sharon Shinn
• Fables Deluxe Edition Vol. 1 by Bill Willingham

PAPERBACK BOOKS

• The Complete Hammer’s Slammers by David Drake
• Zombie Raccoons & Killer Bunnies by Martin H. Greenberg and Kerrie Hughes
• Blood Memories by Barb Hendee
• Hunting Memories by Barb Hendee
• The Mermaid’s Madness by Jim C. Hines
• Demon Ex Machina by Julie Kenner
• City of Jade by Dennis L. McKiernan
• Vigilante by Laura E. Reeve
• The Flame and The Shadow by Denise Rossetti
• House of Serpents by Lisa Smedman
• Dragon Moon by Rebecca York

DVDS

• Contact [Blu-ray]
• Blood Ties: Season Two
• Ghost Ship [Blu-ray]
• Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein [Blu-ray]
• Medium: The Complete Fifth Season
• Paranormal State: The Complete Season Three
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs [Blu-ray]
• Stargate Atlantis: The Complete Series Collection
• Trick ‘r Treat
• Wolf [Blu-ray]
• Year One (Unrated)

IN THEATERS FRIDAY

• No New Movies

* note: the following blog was submitted in the evening; however, the author requested it be published this morning.

Good Evening. I am the Vampire, Miles Proctor.

As someone who’s lived through more than his share of fads (pantaloons, the telegraph, the hula hoop and the Hustle were just a few of my favorites), I can tell you that we are in the midst of a full-blown craze for all things fanged. From soft drinks to understated and tasteful pictorials in gentleman’s publications, that certain vampire je ne sais quoi has been co-opted for most every purpose you can think of.

But many of these new fictional vampires aren’t actually vampires at all. They never sleep in coffins, they don’t drink human blood - some of them even walk about in the day, their greatest fear not death from exposure to the sun, but being caught in the act of sparkling.

One of the most liberal, modern interpretations of the vampire ethos is of course Edward Cullen, the troubled teen vampire hero of the exceedingly popular and wildly inaccurate Twilight series. Cullen is so handsome, delicate and sensitive that one might mistake him for a particularly toothy, excruciatingly pale mumblecore filmmaker, rather than a fearsome, powerful creature of the night.

Not that the glittering creatures of Twilight are the first ones to get it wrong. Bela Lugosi’s theatrical Dracula was just another end of the stereotypical spectrum, albeit from an era of cartoonishly ghoulish vampires. In reality, neither portrait is definitive or entirely accurate.

I have laid out the truth, once and for all, in The New Vampire’s Handbook, about the habits and characteristics native to the true vampire. As it was written and edited by an actual handsome and successful vampire, there can be no doubt as to its accuracy —though I invite your comments as to how the reality squares with your notion of all things vampire.

Personally, I find the whole phenomenon mildly amusing, and await its passing. But I am curious as to what others think of the genteel, approachable, considerate, “new vampire” that’s so en vogue. Is the rise of vampire-lite in popular culture good for actual vampires like myself? Is it an affront to all of vampirekind? Will it outlast the popularity of Nu Metal, the Tamagochi, the Rubik’s Cube, or the Internet? I encourage you to speak freely.

I remain eternally yours,

The Vampire, Miles Proctor.

Good Evening.

Allow me to introduce myself.

I am the Vampire Miles Proctor - tailor, entrepreneur, vampire par excellence- and the author and editor of The New Vampire’s Handbook: A Guide for the Recently Turned Creature of the Night (Villard).

I’ve been a vampire for most of my 467 years. In that time, I’ve made lots of fantastic memories, and great friends with whom I’ve drained my fair share of prey.

But I’ve also met countless poorly mentored new vampires who hadn’t the faintest idea how to feed, where to meet another vampire, whether or not garlic could harm them. They lacked even the most basic knowledge, so that just surviving each night was a struggle for them. Watching them try to navigate a new world without the tools to do so was upsetting, to say the least.

After a while, I realized I had to do something to help these poor wretches, new to the fold with no one to guide them.

So I did what any self respecting vampire would do - I rolled up my sleeves, contacted my book agent, and hand picked human slaves from the likes of The Onion, The Daily Show, and Important Things with Demetri Martin to help me assemble a collection of indispensible information for the neophyte vampire. At last, The New Vampire’s Handbook has been released, putting a veritable treasure trove of information at the neophyte vampire’s fingertips, including:

• the ins and outs of your new vampiric body
• lessons on how to embrace your vampirosexuality
• fool proof methods for luring prey, faking your way through meals, and creating a four-hundred-year financial plan
• the surprising joy of scrapbooking

And that’s just the beginning. All told, there’s more than 200 pages must-have information for that no new vampire should be without.

I’ll be posting here frequently with updates and information that may be of use to the vampire community, as well as posting relevant topics for debate and discussion. When I am otherwise occupied, irritable, or tired from a long night out, I’ll have one of the human slaves do it for me. I invite you to stick around, and look forward to hearing from each and every one of you.

Thank you for your attention - and Welcome to the Night.

Eternally yours,

The Vampire Miles Proctor

I’m a guy.

I’ve read Twilight.

Would adding a conjunction to combine those two sentences make this a false statement:

I’m a guy and I’ve read Twilight.

Or, would the right conjunction help it retain its truth:

I’m a guy or I’ve read Twilight.

I’m a guy, but I’ve read Twilight.

If I had to guess, most guys (and some girls) would point to the latter two as being more plausible—the “or” statement being the closest to reality. The “but” would also be acceptable.

The thing is, though, that I’m one of those who is in the “and” statement group.

I’m a guy.

I’ve read Twilight.

This isn’t about shame, though. Sure, I did none of this reading in a public place. But that’s beside the point. Or maybe it’s exactly the point. Regardless, the deed is done, and opinions have been formed. Here’s what I’ve decided:

This book was exactly as good as I expected it to be.

That’s about as diplomatic a statement as one could make, and yet, it is the most accurate description of what I felt about Twilight.

I can, for example, see exactly why a teenage girl (or even a grown woman who enjoys romance novels) would like it: because that’s really what it is. Twilight is a teen romance, with all the angst and awkwardness that comes from a real-life encounter with a similar situation.

It just so happens that one of these teens also is a vampire.

But that Edward is a vampire really wasn’t a compelling feature for me (especially as his vampire-ness comes with the unfortunate “sparkling,” which I’m sure you’ve heard derided from here to Forks). His being a vampire is pretty much the equivalent of him being African-American, or poor, or some other social/ethnic minority-class that would seem out of place in an all-white community—and therefore taboo for a girl from the “right side of the tracks” to be with. Except, Meyer doesn’t play it this way (which I think would have been an interesting play on the standard trope, albeit a bit like Buffy and Angel/Spike). Instead, Edward just comes off as the angsty kid—the bad-boy—that of course Bella is attracted to.

And it helps that his breath smells like delicious, delicious candy.

While waiting for the last installment in the Twilight Saga to come out, I happened across the first in Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments trilogy, CITY OF BONES. I’d seen the books around and been attracted to the flashy covers (I like shiny objects, what can I say? It’s an elemental thing.) so I finally sat down and read it.

And proceeded not to get up for the next three hours (I’m a fast reader and I do not skim, no matter what any of my friends tell you!). Clare has a way of never letting the action stop so that you HAVE to keep reading. At one point, I was literally trying to read it while brushing my teeth. This was not a successful venture, as you may have guessed.

The books revolve around Clary, a teenager living in a New York City where demon hunters exist. She’s pulled into the world when her mother is kidnapped and it turns out Clary has a much closer connection to the Shadowhunter (those who kill demons) world than she previously thought.

Suffice to say that you will enjoy this entire trilogy if you liked Twilight. There’s some forbidden romance with vampires and werewolves and other supernatural beings thrown in the mix as well.

Links:
The Mortal Instruments website