Southern Vampire Mysteries and the Gorgeous Sam Merlotte

A couple of weeks ago it seemed as if I was the only living (or undead) person who was not submerged in the fabulous world of Sookie Stackhouse and the Southern Vampire Mysteries.  Thankfully, that has all now been resolved as I started watching True Blood and bought the first novel in the series.  As I now prepare to buy the next book in the series and to watch the second season, let me tell you a little bit about the fabulous world created by Charlaine Harris.

Dead Until Dark – Charlaine Harris

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time waitress in a bar in Louisiana.  Perky and cute as a button, you’d expect everyone to love Sookie except they don’t.  In fact, they think she is plain weird.  That is because Sookie can read minds which makes it nearly impossible to date and makes for uneasy conversations as she verbalises what people are thinking.

So when she meets the brooding, handsome vampire Bill Compton and realises she can’t hear a thing he’s saying, it’s pretty inevitable that she’ll fall for him.

I have to be honest, the blurb for this book makes it sounds average and certainly doesn’t do the book justice.  This book is anything but average.  First published in 2001, it is everything Twilight isn’t with grown up, realistic characters and normal, healthy sex.  But it is the insight into Sookie’s mind (other others’), her strength and her plain old kookiness that makes this book so much fun.  I’m hoping the next instalment Living Dead in Dallas arrives in the next couple of days because I can’t wait to get started on it!

This is (yet another) vampire book and in the story vampires are simply a fact of life as they have “come out of the coffin”.  The first book focuses less on vampire mythology and more on the physicality of being an actual vampire.  Given my very real aversion to blood, I found the book quite easy to stomach.  What is most refreshing though is that there are no perfect characters but flawed people with normal weaknesses.  I’m sorry – it may take me some time to get over the Mary Sue wish fulfilment fest that was the Twilight series.

For pure and thrilling entertainment, a load of fun, lovable yet flawed characters and not letting me put it down until I was finished, I give this book 5 stars.  And I’d give it more if I could!

True Blood season 1

Any review of the HBO series True Blood is going to be incredibly difficult to do without spoiling parts of the story for people who have read the books but not watched it yet (or who are watching it but haven’t read the books).  I don’t want to do that as I remember how the internet became like a minefield for me as I tried to avoid spoilers all over the place.

There are certainly a lot of differences between the books and the television series.  In my mind, I’ll treat them as different entities in future and I’ll definitely try avoid the confusion again of trying to read the books while watching the show!!  People have complained that certain characters in the show aren’t in the books but that just irritates me.  I think we need to remember what came first and just as you can’t judge Dead Until Dark based on its similarities to Twilight (because Dead Until Dark came first and if anything, Stephenie Meyer stole ideas from it), you can’t judge the books based on what they did and didn’t contain from the television series.

Let’s just say I loved this show.  I love the opening credits, I think Anna Paquin is fabulous as ever in her role as Sookie and I love the cast.  I started watching the show before I picked up the books so my favourite characters are Tara, LaFayette and Jason.

I love the Southern setting in the show and I love that you can almost feel how hot and sticky it is down there.  Coming from the makers of Six Feet Under, this is an absolutely irreverent, crazy show.

Sam Merlotte

My favourite character in the whole show has me seriously worrying about myself and who I am becoming.  As ashamed as I am to admit it, it seems that I have fallen for yet another “nice guy”.  How can this be happening???  I’m absolutely mad about Sam Merlotte (played by Sam Trammell) and I loved every single scene he was in. 

Sam Merlotte is the owner of the bar in which Sookie works called Merlottes.  He is really gorgeous in True Blood but I actually prefer the book in this respect as he has a much deeper character and you get to know more about him.  I am 100% team Merlotte, that is for sure.

Here are some screencaps of the gorgeous Sam Merlotte taken by the legendary http://marishna.livejournal.com/.  Marishna caps and reviews every single episode so her journal is definitely worth a visit.

Seriously? When did I start liking men with facial hair??  And shaggy, mullet-type hair styles??  There is something about Sam Merlotte that just makes me sigh.  Those blue eyes – I think he’s drop dead gorgeous.

Maybe it’s the whole protective / grumpy thing?

I can’t begin to explain how hot I thought this scene was!  He’s not exactly sex on legs like Ed Westwick but there is definitely something about him.

Oh yum. 
Okay, I’ll stop now.  Actually, I won’t.  I’ve got the second book on order and now it is time to procure the second season of True Blood.  Watch it – you won’t be sorry.

Boondock Saints Back!

How did I miss this news??? The supreme hotness that is Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus is returning to our screen October 30th in The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day. 

My dear friend The Grynne isn’t too keen on the idea saying “ten years late, unfortunately. Sorry boys, but this sort of behaviour stops being charming when you've hit 40”. 

And so I am torn between my absolute love of the original Boondock Saints and a sinking feeling that she may in fact be right.

Now, I am slightly closer to 40 than our Grynne so the idea that one should magically grow up when one reaches such an age is quite foreign to me.  Nevertheless, after seeing the trailer, I will concede that I have aged much better than Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus in the ten years since Boondock Saints was released.  As in, I still look young and pretty and um, they don’t.  I mean look! They have wrinkles and are wearing make up to cover it!

Which makes me wonder why they bothered airbrushing these promo pictures to make them look younger – do they think we’ll go on off to see the film and not notice the contrast?

Billy Connolly is playing their father (again) which is an interesting choice to make.  I mean, Irish and Scottish accents are almost identical, right? So there is no way Billy Connolly could sound absolutely ridiculous putting on a fake Irish accent, could he???  He sounds stupid.  He sounds worse than I do when I try put on a Welsh accent and land up sounding Irish instead.  He didn’t convince me in the first one and I am sure he won’t convince in this one.

Incidentally, this is an interesting article on why it took ten years for a sequel to be made: 'Boondock Saints'' Troy Duffy and Billy Connolly Praise Fans, Blast Critics.  Back in the day, every single person I know went to see this film and it became a cult classic with us and a firm favourite.  I had no idea they had such distribution problems because we all loved it! 

Strangely enough, there are no release dates on IMDb and the message boards are rife with speculation.  The clearest idea I can get is that it will only be released in Europe early next year once they gauge how well it does in the States.

Seriously?  And they wonder why they have a problem with people downloading films illegally?  When the world has been reduced to the size of an Apple Mac keyboard or even an iPhone, the last thing you should be doing is restricting access to electronic media based on geographic borders.  Pfft.

I will go see the film, whenever it makes it to UK shores, and hopefully I will absolutely love it and fall in love with the Boondock Saints all over again.

Melrose Place – again?

Watching the new rehashed version of Melrose Place is a bit like moving back to university digs 15 years after you first escaped them.  Where 90210 manages to feel fresh and new despite the return of Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty (in the roles of Kelly and Brenda), watching the whole Sydney Andrews and Michael Mancini show after all of these years just feels like a giant step backwards into the mid-90’s. 

Still, they’ll have to solve the big, bad mystery of Sydney’s demise eventually and Thomas Calabro is only billed in a ‘recurring role’ so I’ve decided to give the show a chance.

The major reason for watching it is that I might have developed a little crush on one of the characters and this was the scene that did it:

Michael Rady as Jonah Miller, Melrose Place, season 1 episode 2

Yum! Look at those come-hither eyes. 

It is totally out of character for me to like ‘nice guys’.  Generally, I look for the meanest, grumpiest, most evil character in a film or show and that is the one I crush on.  But there is something about Michael Rady and he makes the show worth watching.  (I just hope this isn’t a new trend as I found myself liking Sam in True Blood).  Perhaps he’ll turn into an evil demon or axe wielding murderer or something and my reputation can remain intact.

Katie Cassidy as Ella Simms, Melrose Place, season 1 episode 2

I’ve mentioned before how much I like Katie Cassidy.  I just think she’s gorgeous and although her character Ella is really irritating on Melrose Place, she does have a fantastic wardrobe.

Katie Cassidy as Ella Simms, Melrose Place, season 1 episode 3

Nice wardrobe or not, her character isn't nearly as good as she was playing demon Ruby on Supernatural. Why they felt they had to replace her, I will never know. 

Ashlee Simpson Wentz as Violet Foster, Melrose Place, season 1 episode 3

I'm not entirely sure Ashlee Simpson Wentz can act but she’s quite striking on the screen.  With the Sydney / Michael show going on and the usual awkwardness between actors in a new series, there is room for her to improve and become believable but I really hope the producers don’t make her a complete Sydney clone.

Michael Rady as Jonah Miller, Melrose Place, season 1 episode 3

I thought I'd throw in another picture of Michael Rady (playing Jonah Miller).  There are a great deal more actors in the show but overall, they are really irritating and I don’t really like any of them.  I’d even go so far as to say that I dislike all of them except for Jonah.  We’ll see.  I just know that I’ll watch every episode in the series and it will maybe even become a guilty pleasure but I suspect I’ll give up on it just like I did with the original Melrose Place.

ITV Cancels Kingdom

Ooooh, ITV, you've really upset me this time! Stephen Fry has announced in his blog post Kingdom Come, Kingdom Gone that ITV decided not to renew the hugely successful Sunday night drama for a fourth season.

This is especially upsetting in light of the fact that I only just discovered the show and really enjoyed it this season!

Kingdom was set in Norfolk and starred Stephen Fry as Peter Kingdom a “delightful” village solicitor. The show also starred my absolute favourite English actress Hermione Norris as sister Beatrice Kingdom, Phyllida Law as Aunt Auriel and Karl Davies as Kingdom's adorable assistant Lyle Anderson.

Seriously, what is wrong with the broadcasters in this country? First BBC cancels The Street and now ITV cancels Kingdom. The hallmark of British television used to be realistic and powerful drama but with the rate at which drama shows are being axed and replaced by crud, that reputation will certainly be a thing of the past.

New Doctor Who logo

So the BBC has decided to launch a new logo for Doctor Who.

Two words: not happy.

Trinity: risqué or blasé?

Trinity is a new series showing on ITV 2 at 10pm on Sunday nights.  I tuned in to the first episode expecting absolutely nothing as it stars Christian Cooke from that abominable (and now cancelled) show Demons.  Well, well, well… I was surprised and pleased to be proven wrong yet again as Trinity is my new guilty pleasure.

What is it about the world of English upper class, private education that fascinates with its grandeur, ritual and wealth?  In the real world, upper class snobs irritate me no end and it’s been said that schools like Eton are simply breeding grounds for brainless, lazy toffs; but on television, I love the idea of grand old schools like Trinity College and Hogwarts.

Trinity College is part of the fictional Bridgeford University and for over 900 years, it has been the exclusive domain of the super rich and powerful.  That is until they decide to open up enrolments to the middle classed masses.  But behind the facade of sex, mayhem and parties lies a much darker world with connections to the college administration and the ludicrously ostentatious Dandelion Club. 

Christian Cooke is much better playing the morally bereft, super-rich brat Dorian Gaudain than he was playing "cute and hip Luke Rutherford in Demons.  At the end of the first episode, he has the funniest exchange with super pious nerd turned fiery crusader Charlotte Arc (played by Antonia Bernath):

Charlotte: “I never, ever want to see you again!”

Dorian: “Wh- I live next door to you!”

My favourite character so far has to be the gorgeous  Ross Bonham played by David Oakes.  He is meant to be creepy and psychotic but he’s one of my favourite bad boys in ages.  After episodes two and three, I’m not sure how much more we’ll see of him but I have a feeling he’ll be back.

How lovely is that?  Oh, go on then, one more picture of Ross and Dorian:

Trinity is not a show for children and is shown well after the watershed for a good reason.  There is gratuitous sex, language and nudity as well as healthy doses of incest, murder and suicide.  Still, I’m quite enjoying it and even though I have a feeling I know where the story might be heading, I think it is subtle enough and really well done (as in, I think it is going to more supernatural thriller and less Carry On… Uni).

All pictures in the post come from the Trinity fan page at Facebook.  In the words of the producer Ash Atalla:

"Trinity is a high-octane, ball-breaking drama. It's full of casual sex, casual drugs and casual murder."

So on that note, I’ll conclude that Trinity is definitely not blasé.  Give the show a chance and then rush off and sign up as a fan!

Dannii Minogue Signs Her Public Death Warrant

It is the live television event that has the Internet in uproar and is causing websites to crash: Dannii Minogue’s seemingly homophobic comment to X Factor contestant Danyl Johnson.

Danyl is flabbergasted on hearing Dannii's remark
You can see his performance here and at the end of the clip, Dannii says to Danyl: “…but if we’re to believe everything we read in the paper, maybe you didn’t need to change the gender reference in it”.  She is referring to the fact that Danyl had confessed in a News of the World interview to being bisexual and the fact that he had sang a “girl’s song” and changed the gender references.
I have to say that I have been a fan of Dannii Minogue for several years now and I loved her on X Factor but her comments were completely inappropriate and irrelevant.  I actually felt sick to my stomach for minutes after hearing what she said as the magnitude of her comment sank in.
One commenter on the ITV site sums it up perfectly:

“icanseethesea 10/10/2009 23:15:15
I am not a website-posting kind of viewer, but feel compelled to do so. To watch a grown adult forced to mutter the words 'I'm not ashamed' was vile. Dannii Minogue may not have intended to cause hurt (as a gay woman myself, I actually believe her intentions were good) but if you can't articulate yourself professionally then you shouldn't be allowed on TV.”

Yes, Minogue is a gay icon who frequents gay clubs; yes, he had outed himself in the press already but she blindsided him and should have commented on his performance not his sexuality. 
ITV took a full hour to upload Danyl’s video and at the time of posting this, there were 70 pages of complaints about Dannii in the comments section.  OFCOM is probably having the busiest night they’ve had since the Anton van Beke scandal last week!
All in all, it was a night where the judge’s performance far outshone those of the contestants and I imagine we can see fireworks for the week to come.  Read more about the night’s antics here.

EDIT: Dannii Minogue has issued an official statement at her blog:

"Dannii made a joke about the lyrics of Danyl's song, referencing a recent newspaper interview he has given about his private life. She spoke to Danyl straight after the show, explained what she was talking about and he wasn't offended in the slightest. Dannii is mortified if her comments have been misinterpreted as she has always been hugely supportive of the gay and bi-sexual community for her entire career." - source

Loot!

We went shopping today at Bluewater which is this massive shopping centre just outside the M25 east of London.  Let me tell you, I was in Emm Hell.  Masses of mothers with their screaming, unhappy children; wives fitting their sulking, grumpy husbands for suits and snotty, skinny twenty-something strumpets barging past me in amongst the dark and gloomy English autumn fashions.
Shopping and shopping centres are my two worst things on Earth so I went into HMV and drowned my sorrows.
The loot:

Charmed Complete Series (seasons 1 – 8)

Charmed was one of my favourite television series ever, on a par with Homicide: Life on the Street and The X-Files.  We certainly hadn’t intended spending £100 today but I’m pretty over the moon that we did!

Doctor Who series 3 volume 3

Doctor Who is my absolute favourite show in the world ever.  I’ve watched it my entire life and it’s been on our screens since 1963!  Human Nature, The Family of Blood and Blink were my favourite episodes of the show and I was so happy to see them all on one DVD that I just had to buy them!  It was only £5.
Human Nature and The Family of Blood were the episodes that the wonderful and gorgeous Harry Lloyd starred in and I’ve been obsessed with him ever since I saw them.

Harry Lloyd as Baines, The Family of Blood

The Host – Stephenie Meyer

Seriously, I don’t know what I was thinking.  I loved Twilight but by the time I got to the third book in the series, I couldn’t even bring myself to review them it was so bad.  I chose to bypass Breaking Dawn entirely, opting instead to read Cleolinda’s hilarious summaries:  Twilight means never having to say you're kidding.
But anyway.  The Host was on sale for £5 and I thought I might as well.  I’ve been a bit bored book wise lately so I may even buy Breaking Dawn one day, who knows.
I also bought a below the knee a-line, belted black skirt but that’s not half as exciting as the previous three items!

Music Monday # 11: Crackity Jones - Pixies

I'm meant to be going to a Pixies concert on Thursday. It is the 20th anniversary of their Doolittle album and they'll be playing the entire album during the show.  It would be amazing to see them again but I fear I may be getting too old to be going to concerts on a school night.

Find more Music Monday posts at Lady Java's Lounge or by clicking my label below.

Robin Hood: Lardner’s Ring – screen caps

I’ve noticed that the greatest number of visitors to my blog are coming through Google’s image search and thought it high time that I start giving my visitors what they want!  I’m going to start off with Robin Hood because this was one of my favourite shows once and it was the reason I became so very obsessed with Harry Lloyd.

Lardner’s Ring was one of my favourite Robin Hood episodes and that had everything to do with the hotness that is Harry Lloyd.  I’ve put a veritable treasure trove of screen caps and icons of Harry Lloyd, Lucy Griffiths and Joe Armstrong below.

These screen caps are usually used on the 'net for icon making and that type of thing. If you do use them, please credit Emm and link back to this blog or credit missus_emm at Livejournal.

Harry Lloyd as Will Scarlett

Best shot ever:


Phwoar!:

Will Scarlett 100x100 icons:

Joe Armstong as Allan-a-Dale

Lucy Griffiths as Marian Fitzwalter

Marian 100x100 icons: