New "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" Movie?

AUTHORS & BOOKS

Review of Patti O'Shea's In Twilight's Shadow. "Another page-turner from Patti O'Shea. This one is full of interesting characters and some terrific action. O'Shea has become my go-to author for action romance." (The Good, The Bad, The Unread) FYI, retro burlesque queen Dita Von Teese sued the publisher over this cover with her unauthorized image.

Tez Miller reviews Ravenous by Sharon Ashwood. "Ghost-busting grab student Holly Carver is a witch out to make tuition money, but the Flanders House is no easy job. Six people have entered the building, but none have emerged yet." (Tez Says) Okay, I recognize this cover model in the same pose from another book. Does anyone remember what it was?

Author Lori Devoti's 30 Days of Vampires continues with a list of upcoming paranormals and descriptions, including Michele Hauf's The Devil to Pay. "Ivan Drake has been cursed since birth because his parents sold his soul to the Devil – but that’s just the start of his connection to the paranormal… (Lori Devoti)

How come I've never seen this blog before? Robots and Vamps is a few paranormal and sci-fi site, and I'm loving the title. Here's some info about the bloggers: "Matt & Christel have been married over 10 years and since that time have been up to some pretty geeky things, including reading comic books, watching all things sci-fi / fantasy / horror (you get the idea) on TV and in the Theater."


MOVIES & DVDS

Review of "Twilight" starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. "Unfortunately, the screenplay doesn't take the material to much depth. The fact that Edward and his friends are vampires is painfully (sometimes laughably) obvious, making the slow buildup kind of silly." (Eastern Oregonian)

Another review of "Twilight." "'Twilight' is more 'Saved By The Bell' meets 'The Lost Boys.' In other words, the movie is all appearance with no depth, no substance. " (South Town Star)

Review of fangless "Twilight." "It’s a film about falling in love for the first time and forbidden love and every other pillar of the teen angst catalogue. But how am I supposed to react to Edward Cullen’s dashing pretense and the trials of modern high school students?" (Times-News)

And as much as reviews dislike "Twilight," they rave over the Swedish vampire flick, "Let the Right One In." "It also deals with young vampire love, after a fashion, yet is unique, a romance between outsiders left cold (literally, in one case) by their exclusion, yet willing to go to unspeakable lengths for each other." (Arizona Central)

Another review of critics' favorite vamp flick, "Let the Right One In." "This subtitled film hews much closer to traditional vampire lore, and weaves a meaningful and powerful tale." (Cleveland Plain Dealer)


TELEVISION & THE INTERNETS

Is it true that Joss Whedon is making a film of "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer"? "The success of vampire film Twilight has led the writer to consider bringing the franchise to cinemas, reports the Herald-Sun." (Digital Spy)

Here's another report of this wonderful rumor -- and it would be even more wonderful it it was true. "Of course, Twilight and True Blood are romances at heart, while Buffy was more about kicking evil’s butt (vampiric or otherwise). And the actors who played Buffy’s undead paramours, David Boreanaz and James Marsters, are getting a bit long in the fang to be taken seriously as eternally youthful beings. (io9) La, how soon we forget the long wait for "The X-Files" movie.


GRATUITOUS VIDEO OF THE DAY

We can only hope that Joss Whedon will really make the "Buffy, the Vampire Killer" flick and bring back some of our favorite characters. I was always fond of the snarky loozer Spike, played by James Marsters.



And here's a video of dark Willow, raging over the murder of her lover. Is there any reason not to totally love Alyson Hannigan?

Happy Vampsgiving!

Despite these difficult times, we should be thankful for those things we can rely upon, who give us comfort and reassurance.

Vampires' Still In-Crowd, Fab Chicks of "Dr. Who"

AUTHORS & BOOKS

Cecilia Tan, author of the short story collection, White Flames, is the guest blogger at Literary Escapism. "But I have not returned to the theme of telepaths until now. I’m not sure why; telepathy and psychic powers have always been among my favorite themes in novels."

Kimberly Swan reviews The Devil's Due by Jenna Black. "This is the third installment in the Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist, series. As the storyline moves steadily forward, Ms. Black fills the pages with more deliciously dark and dangerous action than ever." (Darque Reviews)

Check out the cover for and read the description of Lori Devoti's next novel, Captured. "Now, for a chance to turn the tables on their tormentors and escape the nightmare of Kamp Arena, where hellhounds were bred for fighting, Leve would have to overcome her fear and distrust..." (Lori Devoti)

Watch a video for Katie MacAllister's upcoming novel, Zen and the Art of Vampires. "Pia knows one thing for certain: Where vampires are concerned, love isn't the only thing at stake." (Katie MacAllister)

SciFi Guy reviews the First Blood anthology. "First Blood is an urban fantasy anthology featuring novellas about vampires and romance from four masters of the genre. Each author has gifted us with a story from their existing series universes, so fans won’t want to miss these."

Ciara Stewart, who is basking on a warm beach in Mexico now, has a list of books for adult vampire books. "There is a whole world of heart-stopping vampire romance out there just waiting for you to sink your teeth into. Really, there are a lot of fanged love stories that are a thousand times better than Twilight. *gasp!*" (Ciaralira)


MOVIES & DVDS


Video and interview with "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke, who is elated by movie's success. ""When I think that we're going to be bigger than the biggest [James] Bond opening weekend? That blows my mind!" (MTV)

In the Hypothetical and Superficial Gossip Category: Are Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, who played Edward Cullen and Bella Swan in "Twilight," becoming romantically involved? "They only grew closer and realized that they had a lot in common and didn't take long to develop a very close relationship. They were very touchy-feely with each other and shared a lot of inside jokes." (Examiner)

In the Marketing Terms Casually Bandied About Category: is "Twilight" the new kind of chick flick? ""The box-office clout of the female audience is just astounding, and it's been an underserved audience for way too long. ... They have no trouble finding money for the things they're passionate about." (Associated Press)

Have your "Twilight" comments printed in The Examiner newspaper. "Therefore, I am calling on 3 Twilight fans from each camp (loved it, despised it) to do their best to prove the worth of their side by submitting intelligent, convincing answers to 5 questions about the movie. Your responses will be featured on the Book Examiner site along with your name, picture, and any other info about you that you'd like to reveal." That's swell, but are they going to pay to run the comments, or just get free copy from fans?

The popularity of vampires endures in films, on the small screen, and in novels. "Sara Hackenberg, an assistant professor of English at San Francisco State University, says the attraction is more basic – or base. 'Vampires are pretty much always about sex.'" (Sign On San Diego)


TELEVISION & THE INTERNETS

"Supernatural" recognized for its great episode titles. "Supernatural wins this year's Best Episode Title with the upcoming 'Criss Angel Is A Douche Bag.'" (Entertainment Weekly)

Reviewing the first of of this season's "Supernatural." "It's too early to judge the season as a whole, so I decided to look back at the first 10 episodes and grade them individually. I enjoyed every installment when it initially aired, but some held up better in my memory than others. Read on for the report card, then chime in with your own opinions on the best and worst of season 4." (Buddy TV)

What to know the history of "Dr. Who" and how it could have been ruined? "The BBC has released the earliest planning documents for its time travel dramedy Doctor Who – and they pitched a show very different from the one we love. " (io9)

Interview with Freema Agyeman, who played Martha Jones in "Dr. Who." "“I couldn’t have wished for a better start to my career than Doctor Who...It was like a rocket that blasted me up and as a consequence I have all these opportunities presented to me." (The Telegraph UK)


GRATUITOUS VIDEO OF THE DAY

Today's GVD goes out to the girls. Here's one of my favorite characters of all time, Billie Piper as Rose Tyler in "Dr. Who" from NightTimeWish.



And here's Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones in "Dr. Who," who knew not to let her emotions rule her mind. Thanks to Shannonsequitur for this one.



Hilarious Catherine Tate as Donna Noble certainly deserves The Jonesian Effect (TM) in this GVD by Chocolatesal.

The Silver Kiss, Werewolve Guests, Amazing Hair

AUTHORS & BOOKS

I'm the featured author today at Lori Devoti's 30 Days of Vampires celebration. "Werewolves are the original party animals. As pack critters, they have mad social skills. They may not be the best dancers, but they get down and get funky with during party perennials like 'Y.M.C.A.'" (Lori Devoti)

For those looking for a beloved vampire book for teens, try The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause, the author of Blood and Chocolate. Booklist said, ""Klause weaves all the gory details into a poignant love story that becomes both sensuous and suspenseful." Here's a description:

"Zoë feels alone-her mother is dying, her father is always at the hospital, and her best friend is moving away-then she meets a beautiful young man in the park late at night. He seems to understand all that she is going through. What she doesn't know is he is really a three hundred year-old vampire on a quest for revenge. For ages 14 and up. "

Read an excerpt from The Silver Kiss. "Zoe the Bird they called her at school. She had always been thin, but now her bones seemed hollow. Her wrists and joints were bruised with shadows. She was almost as thin as her mother, wasting away with cancer in the hospital." (Random House)

Win signed copies of Chris Marie Green's Vampire Babylon novels. "After facing off against the lethal Vampire Killer, Hollywood stuntwoman Dawn Madison and her friends are reeling. But for Dawn, the pain is much more personal." (Fresh Fiction)

Read an excerpt from Chris Marie Green's Midnight Reign, Vampire Babylon book 2. "When Jessica Reese came home from her job at a Hollywood bar that night, someone was waiting in the bedroom closet. Someone hiding amidst hanging party dresses and dry cleaning wrappers that ghosted back and forth with every slight, controlled breath." (Chris Marie Green)

Review of An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris. "The plot involves a serial killer, and Harris’ descriptions are likely to get your imagination going down dark alleys of the mind you might not really want to venture down. This was a tense, fast-paced read that I consumed at a gallop." (Ms. Bookish)

Urban Fantasy Land reports that Eos Books has a contest for lots of copies of Vicki Petterson's Signs of the Zodiac series. You can win: one of five sets of Pettersson's autographed books: The Scent of Shadows, The Taste of Night, and The Touch of Twilight.


MOVIES & DVDS

Why dating the undead sucks. "I’ll be the first to admit that the actors portraying Edward Cullen and Bill Compton are pretty hot, but the thought of vampires as boyfriends is beyond me. So what if they never age? Their timeless attractiveness would only end up making you feel insecure about having picked up wrinkles and gray hair during the human aging process." (Jamie Walden, UAB Kaleidoscope)

Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward Cullen in "Twilight," discussed his acting skills in an upcoming issue of Teen Magazine that also features a story on how to get amazing hair. (E! Online) Who doesn't want amazing hair? Sadly, Kristen Stewart is airbrushed into over photo is airbrushed into bland anonymity.

In which the question is asked, who is the hawtest vampire of all? "3. Gary Oldman, 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' (1992): Though an old, ugly monster in much of the film, Oldman's Dracula appears as a young and handsome prince with a taste for blood and spiffy sense of fashion." (San Jose Mercury) You have got to be kidding when Gary Oldman in any form beats out a bare-chested Gerard Butler (no. 8) in a kick-ass wig.

Review of "Twilight," starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. "Edward is Robert Pattinson and he earned himself a huge scream from the crowd the first time he appeared on the screen. He doesn’t have a lot to say, he pretty much just has to stand there looking tortured and beautiful." (BlogCritics)

Here's an entertaining "Twilight" spoof for your viewing pleasure.



"Twilight" was number one at the box office. "Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, it set a new record for the biggest opening weekend for a female- directed film, taking $70.6m (£46m). " (BBC)


TELEVISION & THE INTERNETS

Review of "True Blood" season finale. "Now at least we know what happens to a vampire when he ventures out into broad daylight: He starts to fry like bacon!" (Salon)

GRATUITOUS VIDEO OF THE DAY

Ya know, Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) always has the funniest lines and the coolest car in "Supernatural," but he couldn't do it without his little brother, Sam (Jared Padalecki). Because you need someone riding shotgun to really rock out when you hit the road. Video courtesy of Punkrockgirl80.

Lists of: Bad Vampire Movies, Best Vampire Movies, Good Vampire Novels

AUTHORS & BOOKS

Contest for The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance. "The biggest names in paranormal romance have created a fascinating array of 30 short stories of hot blood and inhuman passions that will leave you thirsting for more." (Wendy's Minding Spot)

RachaelfromNJ reviews Hex Appeal by Linda Wisdom. "Jazz, a 700 year old witch, thought all of her troubles were behind her. But someone or something isn’t done with Jazz and they’re striking with a vengeance." (What I'm reading now...)

Interview and contest with Carrie Vaughn, author of the upcoming Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand. "Kitty is a werewolf who starts a talk radio advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged. The fifth and sixth books in the series will be coming out in February and March." (AmberKatze's Book Blog)

In the there's-no-such-thing-as-bad-publicity department: Dita Von Teese is suing over her photo on a book cover. "Von Teese is seeking unspecified damages against Macmillan Publishers, which printed Patti O'Shea's In Twilight's Shadow, a paranormal romance novel about demon hunting." (E! Online)

List of other vampire books to quench your thirst. "Blood Books by Tanya Huff: Another series that has enjoyed the small screen treatment (in the form of Lifetime’s series Blood Ties), the Blood stars Henry Fitzroy, the bastard son of Henry the VIII, as its vampiric lead. Henry has set up a pleasant life for himself, working as a romance novelist and drinking blood from sexual partners of both genders." (i09)

Read excerpts from Tanya Huff's Blood Books, including Blood Price. "Tucking her chin down into her coat—it might be April but it was still damp and cold, with no sign of spring—Vicki Nelson stepped off the Eglinton bus and into the subway station. She was halfway down the first set of stairs leading to the southbound platform when she heard the scream." (Penguin Group)

Review of House of Cards by C.E. Murphy. "Readers see Margrit still running in the park at night watched and protected from afar by Alban, the gargoyle who first opened Margrit’s eyes to the extraordinary beings that walk amongst humanity hidden in plain sight. " (Love Vampires)

Check out C.E. Murphy's very cool website and read excerpts from her books, including Hands of Flame. "The scent of salt water rose up, more potent in recollection than it had been in reality. It tangled brutally with the smell of copper before the latter won out, blood flavor tangy at the back of her throat. She couldn’t remember if she’d actually smelled it, but her dreams tasted of it."

Deidre Knight, agent and author of Red Fire, is today's guest for Paranormal Romance Week. "Okay, I’ll admit it, here and now—I love Queen. And I’m betting that some of you, like me, remember their 1979 hit, 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love.'" (Authorial, agently and personal ramblings)


MOVIES & DVDS


For the vampires of "Twilight" and "True Blood" there are complicated relationships with "victims." "Yet Bella and Sookie don't need the help of others to save them. Unlike those around them, they seek relationships with vampires, seek to understand them (and more). While the vampire holds the ultimate hole card -- he can always kill with ease -- these women stare down what others see as dangerous monsters face-to-face." (Delaware Online)

Sequel to "Twilight" is confirmed with huge box office success. "'Twilight' is currently on track to become the highest-grossing film ever made by a female director, the highest-grossing vampire film of all time, and is also threatening several other records heading into Saturday." (MTV)

Watch a video of Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward Cullen in "Twilight," and Haley Williams from the band Paramore, interviewing each other. (Just Jared)

Here are fans' reactions to the "Twilight" movie. Watch out for spoilers. "I am an enormous fan of the Twilight saga, so of course I went to the midnight premiere! However, I am sad to say that the film adaptation of the book that I love so dearly, was not at all what I had built up in my mind..." (Examiner)

Author Catherine Karp blogs about "Twilight" and wonders what you thought of it. " I saw it last night with my sister, and we both thought it followed the book pretty closely." (Suburban Vampire)

Interviews with "Twilight" fans and their level of obsession. "I'm so completely obsessed it has taken over my life. My family hates it because I talk about it so much. If people say something bad about the books, I get really mad and defensive." (Sacramento Bee)

Review of the hit Swedish vampire film, "Let the Right One In." "In the film we meet 12 year old Oskar (Kare Hedebrandt), who is suffering at the hands of a bunch of cherubic looking bullies led by the increasingly violent Conny..." (Minnesota Public Radio)

If "Twilight" isn't your cup of blood, try these other vampire movies, including the classic "The Night Stalker" from 1972. "While the television show it generated was hit-and-miss, the original TV film was terrific. Darren McGavin starred as a cynical newspaper reporter who investigates a series of killings. By a vampire living in Las Vegas, of all places!" (Deseret News)

Review of "Interview with the Vampire" starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. "And in this rare mainstream project for a major studio, director Neil Jordan compensates for a lumbering plot by honoring the literate, Romantic qualities of Rice's screenplay." (Sci-Fi Fantasy Movies)

List of the 10 Worst Vampire Movies of all time and I was delighted to see that my favorite awful vampire movie made the list! "3. Dracula 2000 -- The cast isn't bad -- Gerard Butler, Christopher Plummer, Omar Epps, Danny Masterson, Nathan Fillion -- but this film about criminals who unwittingly ressurect the dark lord is one to skip." (National Post)



TELEVISION & THE INTERNETS

"True Blood" final episode rocks despite flaws. "To really love Alan Ball's HBO show True Blood, you have to get past a few things. Namely, the wacky special effects, the terrible Louisiana accents, and the fact that in a month or so, most of you will groan whenever you hear the word 'vampire.'" (Gawker)


GRATUITOUS VIDEO OF THE DAY

I'm sorry, but I can't stop posting GVDs with this Guy (of Gisborne) in black pleather. If men in eyeliner is wrong, I don't want to be right. Thanks to Principess55 for the video!



This GVD brings together (and it seems so inevitable) musical theater and vampires. Thanks to AngelKay7 for this genius "Dracula 2000"/"Phantom of the Opera" partnering. With guyliner!