True Blood by deadlockvictim

OTHER SCIENCE FICTION SERIES

True Blood

POSTED BY: DEADLOCKVICTIM
UPDATED: Friday, October 31, 2008 05:17
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VIEWED: 4555
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Thursday, September 18, 2008 4:01 AM

The new series from HBO.... Seen it ? Like it ? Hate it ?

http://www.hbo.com/trueblood/

this ain't your Whedon's vampires...

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Thursday, September 18, 2008 4:20 AM

CHARLIEBZ

I've seen it. So far, I like it. Liked it enough to order the first four books in the series.

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Friday, September 19, 2008 10:54 AM

ZOEWASHBURN

I wasn't quite sure about this one. And the sad southern accents certainly didn't help to sway my allegience.

By the end of the episode, I was hooked. Now I can't get enough. Don't ask me why. I'm still trying to figure it out.

"The Status Is Not Quo!" - Dr. Horrible

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Friday, September 19, 2008 12:05 PM

FINN MAC CUMHAL

It’s a little blunt in its metaphors and Paquin really needs to visit the South for a little while before she decides she can reproduce the accent, but so far I’ve enjoyed it. I don’t think I’m going to go out of my way for it, but I like it.

I especially like the analogy that is being made to gay people. Using vampires as a metaphor for the homosexual community is a bold, but all too unsettlingly accurate comparison. When you examine the gay community you see a community full of moral and ethical diversity – many homosexuals live lives no different from anyone else – they go to work – they love their significant other or children if they have them – they argue politics, which isn’t always left-wing – they are regular folks. But then there are the dry-humping cross dressers who display themselves in disgusting, inconsiderate spectacles. Or worse the homosexuals, trapped in a bitter and hateful life, seeking to spread AIDs to punish society for not accepting them as they want, or exploiting teen-age boys for sex. Much like a vampire community might be envisioned – the gay community is composed of both good and bad, and while society could happily accept the good, they are rightfully afraid and disgusted by the bad. Along with this is the idea that society does not work to distinguish between the good vampire and the bad vampire, but both are regarded with suspicion, until such time as people’s views can mature.

I think the show has promise.

Nihil est incertius vulgo, nihil obscurius voluntate hominum, nihil fallacius ratione tota comitiorum.

Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than public opinion, nothing more deceptive than the whole political system.

-- Cicero

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Saturday, September 20, 2008 1:39 PM

ELVISCHRIST

Haven't seen it, but I'm intrigued by it. NPR's "Fresh Air" devoted a couple days to talking about it with the series' producer and director and Anna Paquin, and reviewed it. I found it funny that the reviewer on NPR said he liked it, but not as much as he likes Buffy. Also, he said the show isn't near as subtle as Buffy in its themes and metaphors.

Always nice to see our Slayer get some respect, especially from such "elitist" media as NPR.

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Saturday, September 20, 2008 6:32 PM

REGINAROADIE

I really dig it. I'm drawn to anything that Alan Ball does, since he's responsible for both one of my favorite movies (AMERICAN BEAUTY) and one of my favorite series (SIX FEET UNDER). I can't wait to see his new film TOWELHEAD. I think Alan Ball doing this show, as well as Tim Kring doing HEROES, actually gets me more excited than a new Joss, J.J. Abrams or Ronald. D. Moore series. The latter know genre tv inside and out, but for the former, having made more straightforward dramas, they can truly approach genre shows from a new angle. Alan Ball has said that going into TRUE BLOOD, he had never seen BUFFY or read TWILIGHT or immersed himself in vampire fiction. So while we could all write an ep of BUFFY in our sleep, he's only delving into the vampire mythos. So he could actually come up with new stuff.

As for the show, I'll admit that the pilot was a little rough around the edges, but I think once you key into the shows Southern Gothic wavelength, that you'd really get into it. The second episode was a lot more subtle. And I just loved the scene of Bill meeting Sookie's family and the tension between all of them. It's this kind of stuff, as well as the social commentary that I'm drawn more into than the vampire romance. While it's not bad per se, I think it's a case of bad timing, with those stupid TWILIGHT books being all the rage and TRUE BLOOD being perceived as a knock off. Plus, after 11 1/2 seasons of BUFFY/ANGEL, nothing rolls the eyes more than a good looking vampire. Whatever happened to NOSFERATU and Count Orlock. Of vampires actually being cadaverous, rat-like creatures like Willem Dafoe in SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE.

For those who say that it's not nearly as subtle as BUFFY, let me remind you all that season 1 of BUFFY was as subtle as a sledge hammer. "Teacher's Pet" was probably the worst ep of the series due to it's obvious take on Mary Kay Letorneau, and even well into season 2, it got pretty cheesy. It was only around season 3 that the show I feel, actually took off. It was their Sgt. Peppers year. So give it time. HBO certainly is. And while the "God Hates Fangs" sign in the opening credits may not be a downey feather of sublety, it actually made me laugh and smile, since it was so direct.

Also, I was wondering if anyone noticed that the opening scene of both TRUE BLOOD and BUFFY were similar in that it involved a couple trying to get laid, and the last person you'd expect showing their fangs.

Elvischrist- You've obviously never read an issue of Entertainment Weekly. The amount of gushing they do over BUFFY would make your head spin. They'd pretty much bend over backwards to gratify Joss for BUFFY.

**************************************************
"And it starts with a sentence that might last a lifetime, or it all might just go down in flames. If I let you know me, then why would you want me? Each day I don't is a shame. Each day I don't is a great shame."

Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack

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Sunday, September 21, 2008 6:42 PM

FINN MAC CUMHAL

Speaking of the intro, I like that song: "I Wan’a Do Bad Things With You." It’s an awesome WCS.

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Sunday, September 21, 2008 6:48 PM

REGINAROADIE

That's so weird. I was just about to bump this thread.

Tonight's ep actually paid lip service to BUFFY. When the bar owner was talking to the dog that keeps showing up, he says to the dog that he wishes Buffy or Blade or any kind of vampire hunter would come and ride Bill out of town.

**************************************************
"And it starts with a sentence that might last a lifetime, or it all might just go down in flames. If I let you know me, then why would you want me? Each day I don't is a shame. Each day I don't is a great shame."

Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack

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Sunday, September 21, 2008 7:30 PM

FINN MAC CUMHAL

I first thought that vampire's name was "Bell" because Paquin's attempt at a southern accent is so abysmal.

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Sunday, September 21, 2008 8:54 PM

PLATONIST

bump

brilliant, Alan Ball work

Vampires... the quintessential misunderstood subculture

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Wednesday, October 29, 2008 7:18 PM

REGINAROADIE

Hey. Just thought I'd post on this thread again to ump it back up.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm loving this show and getting more drawn into it with every episode. I think they've really found their voice and gotten the kinks out of their system and is going full blast.

What makes me really drawn into the show and why I'm actually liking it over BUFFY is how commonplace they're treating the whole vampire aspect of the show and seeing how normal people react to that knowledge. Like in the one ep where Bill speaks at the church to the town about what being in the Civil War was like and how different people had different reactions. You had the usual hicks that tried to raise a stink with the garlic, you had the town elders who were inquiring about their ancestors and the town origins, and then there was the soldier back from Iraq who personally thanked Bill, since he was the only person in town to truly get what being in combat is like. And even with Sundays ep where Bill and Sookie babysat and Bill made a fake teeth out of pizza, as well as the vampire played by Stephen Root who admits to watching HEROES. I love this so much. It always bothered me on BUFFY that even though they were situated over a Hellmouth, that the majority of the people were so dense to what was going on that they barely recognized all the deaths and monsters and screwed up shit. I mean, they had a vague idea, but to me it always seemed like a crappy excuse that they would just forget about it. But on TRUE BLOOD, the cards are on the table, and it's common knowledge. And that the real drama is just seeing all these people just deal with the fact that there are such things as vampires.

I read this over at ign.com, and to me, it nails perfectly what makes not only this show, but Alan Ball's work, so distinct and perfect.

"Every week, I keep waiting for this show to cross the line so deep into campiness that I can't watch it. I prepare myself for the disappointment, and every week, I'm amazed at how much I truly am enjoying this show. The opening credits, the campy clicking of the fangs, the disturbingly pale skin of the vampires - it all sets a tone that is gritty and risqué, yet oh so very aware of itself.

Somehow Alan Ball is able to bring to life characters who are so flawed, so real, and still remain likable. Even when they make major mistakes and poor choices, they're still so damn intriguing."

If you think about it, this, SIX FEET UNDER and AMERICAN BEAUTY does this perfectly. That they have characters that make horrible decisions and are incredibly flawed, but finds a way to make it seem not only organic, but vital to their characters and to the story. Not even Joss could take his characters and have them make extremely bad decisions and not have it come off as out of character.

I dunno. I'm just really digging this show, and think the whole "BUFFY is so much better than this" complaints are invalid. They're completely different, although it's interesting to see similar story and character moments show up in both series and see them done differently.

**************************************************
"And it starts with a sentence that might last a lifetime, or it all might just go down in flames. If I let you know me, then why would you want me? Each day I don't is a shame. Each day I don't is a great shame."

Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack

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Wednesday, October 29, 2008 7:50 PM

PLATONIST

Well said, Buffy had its merits, but this show kicks the Scooby’s cans all the way down Hollywood Blvd.

Welcome to HBO and thank heaven for DVR, because Showtime’s Dexter is on at the same time.

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Wednesday, October 29, 2008 7:57 PM

REGINAROADIE

I guess I'm lucky. Movie Central in Canada has both shows back to back on Sundays.

Yeah. After 7 seasons of them fighting one big bad after another to save the world from a new demon or vampire or God, to see a genre series so rooted in the real world that has a vampire interacting with a soldier back from Iraq is a nice cool breath of fresh air.

**************************************************
"And it starts with a sentence that might last a lifetime, or it all might just go down in flames. If I let you know me, then why would you want me? Each day I don't is a shame. Each day I don't is a great shame."

Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack

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Thursday, October 30, 2008 4:06 AM

DEEPGIRL187

I've been reading Charlaine Harris's books for years now, so when I first heard about the series, I was ecstatic. And so far, they haven't disappointed in the slightest.

I think the most fascinating aspect of the show is how they've expanded on the characters. Since the novels are from Sookie's point of view, you only see so much of the supporting characters. The series has really made them all come alive. Probably the best example of this is Bill, who was very cold and aloof in the novels. He's really a vibrant character in the series, and as a viewer you become a lot more attached to him than you would reading the books. It's also interesting how they've given characters who had very small parts in the novel a larger part, or even a complete makeover. Tara and Lafayette are barely in the stories (in fact, Lafayette is only in the first two books), but here they occupy an important part of the show's world. Tara's character in particular was almost completely revamped (pardon the pun), but it doesn't detract from the story one bit.

Alan Ball has an amazing grasp on these characters, and I'm very interested in where he'll take them next. I have to wonder if he'll be sticking to the novels closely, or if he's going to take his own path. If he does stick to the source material, things are going to get really interesting...

ETA: Also forgot to chime in about the soundtrack, which is amazing. I don't usually listen to the type of music they play, so it's been great being exposed to it. And hearing the Eagles Of Death Metal last episode kicked ass.

************************************************

"This is my timey-wimey detector. It goes ding when there's stuff. Also, it can boil an egg at 30 paces, whether you want it to or not, actually, so I've learned to stay away from hens. It's not pretty when they blow."

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Thursday, October 30, 2008 5:04 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

Really enjoying this. My first impression was, "haven't we had enough vampire tv?" Enjoying being wrong about that.
The stories and the choices the writers have made for the characters are often unexpected and that's unusual for tv lately.
I like the "drinking demon" approach for Tara's mom's addiction. And how she got rid of it? Whoa.

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Thursday, October 30, 2008 6:19 AM

EARLYWARNING

Watched four eps and stopped. Bored. Just a vamp soap opera with boring, whining characters. I am also real tired of the " don't hate me cause I'm different " ," why doesn't everbody love me " storylines.

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Thursday, October 30, 2008 10:59 AM

MSB

I love the show and it's enough to make me want to try the books

____________________________________________

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage."
Life is anything that dies when you stomp on it.”-Dave Barry

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Friday, October 31, 2008 5:17 AM

DEEPGIRL187

Quote:
Originally posted by MSB:
I love the show and it's enough to make me want to try the books

You'll like them I think, MSB. Though I should warn you that some of the characters are drastically different than in the show. But overall, it's a great series.

****************************************************

"This is my timey-wimey detector. It goes ding when there's stuff. Also, it can boil an egg at 30 paces, whether you want it to or not, actually, so I've learned to stay away from hens. It's not pretty when they blow."

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