The trailer is out for Underworld Awakening and it looks awesome!  watch the trailer above.

This is set after Underworld Evolution. Looks like we will get to see human hunters enter the fight between the two clans and some hints that Michael might return as the abomination.

 

Plot:  "Kate Beckinsale, star of the first two films, returns in her lead role as the vampire warrioress Selene, who escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.

 

Underworld Awakening will hit theaters January 20, 2012.

More Underworld on dashPunk

Ok, I am not usually the person who writes posts like this.  I try to keep a cool head, and many of you know, I don't always succeed.  I've watched the first two episodes of the Syfy travesty, Being Human, and I am ready for it to go the way of the Dodo.

The show is beyond horrible.  The writing is bad.  The direction is bad which makes the acting bad.  The camera work is annoying.

There are only two nice things I can say about the show:

1. The FX are better than the original.


2. The scene of Sally floating down the stairs in episode 2 is breathtaking.

That's it.

From Goth to Emo

My main beef with the remake is that the Syfy series trades in the Gothic Horror of the original for a self-pitying emo cry fest filled with weak-willed, shallow people who do not deserve my time or attention.

That might sound harsh, but I don't know how else to say it.  Syfy robbed the characters any dignity they originally had.

Josh is a werewolf.  He is an asshole who apparently thinks that the character that Shia LaBouf always plays in every movie he has ever been in, is a role model for how to live and act.  WRONG!  Two episodes and they have not given me a single reason to care about him.  He is a jerk to his family, a bastard to his friends, and terrible to Sally.  I agree with his self-hatred.  He should hate himself.  I hate to break it to him, but he was a monster before be became a werewolf.

 

Aiden is a weak-willed Vampire who just needs a stake through the heart.  He had no backbone, no charisma, and no conscience.  He is a character from the golden age of Soviet Cinema who has given up on life, embraced the grayness of his life, and doesn't have the courage to look himself in the mirror.  The actor was cast because he is occasionally cute and has a hot body.  I feel like he is just in the show to appear naked from time to time to distract us from the wreck of the story around him.

 

Sally, portrayed by Meaghan Rath (the only main actor whose name deserves to be repeated), is one of the only hopes the show has.  Rath magically brings empathy and warmth to a poorly written character.  As much as I want to savage Sally like I did Josh and Aiden, Rath's performance has earned a reprieve for the character.

Where is the tension?

I knew when I first heart this remake was coming, there would be some changes.  I never imagined the main thing they would change would be to take the tension out of the show.  From episode 1 of the original series, I was on the edge of my seat afraid, concerned, and hopeful about various things, and desperate to find out what was going to happen next.

The Syfy show feels like going to a movie with a friend who has already seen the film, and tells you what it going to happen before it does.  They spoiled their own show too often.  Even when they went off script from the original and did something new.  That let me down more than anything.

Will I continue to watch?

Well...  Yes.  I have a 5 episode rule.  Shows I want to be interested in, I always give them 5 episodes to hook me, and there are a few reasons to hope for improvement:

• Meaghan Rath's Sally is vaguely interesting.


• Rebecca is played well and makes me want to know what they are going to do with her.


• Emily is a good addition to the show.  I think she is going to be the new Nina, and maybe she will accidentally kill her brother (I can only wish).

Now, I am voting for cancellation, but the rating have been good (sigh).

Get your copy of the original British series, Being Human

With a voice that can chill your bones and a personality that draws in his listeners, Mike Bennett is on his way to becoming the finest horror storyteller our generation has known. Mike has oodles of creepy short stories included in his podcast Hall of Mirrors and reads other classic horror tales on his podcast called Sometimes. Mike grew up as a Science Fiction fan in England. He currently resides in Ireland where he is a teacher, but when the lights go out – or sometimes even during daylight – Mike becomes the macabre voice behind the mic bringing us such gems as Hair and Skin and his newest vampire novel, Underwood and Flinch. I was fortunate to be able to ask Mike some questions recently about fandom, his life, and what scared him as a child.

EM: What were you a fan of as a kid?
MB: Spiderman, The New X-Men (well, they were 'new' then, now they're just The X-Men), Batman, James Herbert's Rats Trilogy, especially the last one, "Domain". I also loved Man from UNCLE paperbacks. I still have a complete set. Doctor Who (70s), Marine Boy, The Persuaders, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Starsky and Hutch.

EM: Who might you turn fanboy for today?
MB: I met Tom (Dr. Who) Baker once. I nearly fainted. I was working in a bookshop and he came in to see if we were selling his book, The Boy Who Kicked Pigs. Fortunately, we had it in stock. I showed him around and got him to sign a copy.

EM: What was the first real life experience that freaked you the hell out?
MB: Being relentlessly pursued - and finally bitten - by a horsefly.

EM: Which of your works is your favorite?
MB: Underwood and Flinch.

EM: When you were researching for Underwood and Flinch, what kinds of tools did you use?
MB: I lived in a small Andalucian town for six months. That gave me the insight into how a place like Almacena and its inhabitants worked. For vampire background, I watched all the Hammer Dracula movies (not exactly research, I know, but I enjoyed myself) and read Christopher Fraying's book, Vampyres: Lord Byron to Count Dracula. I also re-read Dracula.

EM: Is there any project that caused you more work than you were expecting? What would you do differently?
MB: Underwood and Flinch is a write-to-podcast affair. I began podcasting it as soon as I'd completed a rough first draft. In hindsight, I'd prefer to have completely finished the book first and had an editor look it over and then I'd have implemented the edits and done another draft and so on and so on. But then again, the probability is, I wouldn't have done the whole editor thing and later re-writes. If I hadn't started podcasting it when I did, I mightn't have ever taken the project any further. I would have more likely started work on something else and come back to U&F later - maybe. Maybe not. I don't know.

EM: How did you get involved in The Parent Vac project and what possessed you to become a vacuum salesman and an undead dad on film?
MB: My wife and I went down to Wexford to visit some friends, and someone said, 'Let's make a movie'. I was given the task of making up the story, so I looked around to see what props we had. We had a vacuum cleaner and a hat. I threw the story together and we improvised the lines over one or two takes.

EM: Where can readers find out more about you?
MB: www.MikeBennettPodcast.Com or www.UnderwoodAndFlinch.Com

Review

I finally rented Twilight.  It is a horrible move.  It can be summed up as awkward, boring, and the worst portrayal of vampires I have ever watched.

If only the project didn't take it's self seriously then Twilight might have made a mildly entertaining vampire spoof movie but unfortunately that was not the intent.

By Emerian Rich

• Read Emerian Rich's full review here:
  
  
  
  • Sadly, seeing Twilight was NOT the thrill of a lifetime.  In fact, if I didn’t love the books so much, I doubt if I would have stayed.
  
  
  • The screen writing, or the way the high school students were directed (I can’t tell which) was very Disney sit-com style.  I can’t blame the whole cast for this, I just think the styling and direction were lacking somehow.  It was almost like they focused only on Bella and Edward and the rest of the cast was an afterthought.  Even the scenes where Bella wasn’t with Edward seemed phoned in.
  
  
  • Overall, this flick will be a must see for all teen girls in love with Edward.  It finally gives them a face to fall in love with.  As for fans not in love with Robert Pattinson, we’ll have to hope the wolves help pull the second film out of the High School Musical demographic.
  
  
  
  

The DVD is out March 17, 2009

• Get your copy here Twilight - Movie.

More Twilight Fun

• Why Twilight is Popular Video: a great explanation of the infatuation


• Buffy slays Edward: Real vampires don’t sparkle! video of Buffy slaying Edward


• Twilight, a book to read or not to read: A debate whether to read the book or not.

Early Look

Twilight will hit theaters Friday November 21, 2008 and unlike many out there I’m not eager to see it.

I started out with mixed emotions over this movie the initial trailer was not that exciting.  After watching the Twilight Final Trailer I got a little more excited about this project but mainly because of the vampire element in it.  After all I'm a sucker for vampires.  The official site looks nice and loads quickly for a movie site.

Then I learned about all of the emo mentality that infused the characters and their perspective and was totally turned off.  Sparkeling vampires in the light... wtf.

Twilight is based on the book Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1).  I tried to read the book and could not even make it past the beginning part it was horrible.  Not very promising for the movie.

This is not even a renter for me.

Let me know what you think.  Will you go to see Twilight in the theater or rent it?  If you have seen it in the theater should I go see it and why?

Twilight Final Trailer

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Netflix lets you rent, watch and return DVDs from home - Try free for 2 weeks

Don't wait. Guarantee your seat before you go and  avoid a sold out show. Skip the box office lines and buy movie tickets at Fandango.com.

Exploring: True Blood Season 2

True Blood Season 2 is available on DVD May 25th 2010 and I can't wait to sink my teeth into it!

• Fun, dark storyline that doesn't leave me feeling dark or depressed afterward.


• They explore many great social motifs with out getting preachy.


• Realistic Characters that are brilliantly acted


• Well serialized:  Not only complete episodes but they all flow together to tell a full story for each season

Season Two Main Plots:

Eric sends Sookie and Bill to find the disappearance of Godric a 2,000 year old vampire sheriff for area 9, Dallas.  Jason continues to seek his purpose in life with the Fellowship of the Sun.  Meanwhile Maryann continues to influence the town and it's residents resulting in growing mayhem.

I have to find out what has happened to Lafayette Reynolds.

Motifs Explored

True Blood is much more then just a vampire show.

• It's a refreshing TV series with each episode complete in and of themselves yet they also have very good transitions between episodes telling a full larger story.


• Explore many social motifs like:
  
  
  
  • Homosexual rights:  The vampires are used symbolically to represent the real life struggle in the gay community.
  
  
  • Drug Use:
  
  
  • Religion and abusing religion to fuel hate
  
  
  
  

True Blood Suck It Up!

[reus name="True Blood"]

Daybreakers is out on DVD May 11th 2010.  It's a vampire movie set in the future.  I have not watched it yet but being a sucker for vampire films I put it on my rent list.  This movie is a renter for fans of vampire movies, beyond that don't expect too much.

When it was released to the theaters Daybreakers' promotional materials did not excite me too much. I’m intrigued with how they set up vampire starvation causing a rotschreck frenzy, sounds like someone was playing Vampire The Masquerade. Nothing else really excites me nor intrigues me about the movie.

The reviews were mixed mostly classifying this a a B movie and a nifty genera piece with a cold, steely blue, black,gray look.  Roger Ebert said "intriguing premise ... ends as so many movies do these days, with fierce fights and bloodshed."  Variety said it "emerges as a competent but routine chase thriller that lacks attention-getting dialogue, unique characters or memorable set pieces that might make it a genre keeper rather than a polished time-filler."

These reviews are not bad for vampire fans.  They match my expectations for the film.  Being a sucker for vampire films and the reviews landed this one on the on the renter list.  Warning:  Ethan Hawke is in it which is a red flag out of his current 49 movies only 2 were good and his part in them wasn't.  Sam Neill is a plus but though.

Renter

• Daybreakers: In 2009, a major viral outburst transformed a majority of the world’s population into vampires. It is now 2019. With only a handful of humans left to provide blood for the starving population of vampires, extinction is a very real risk for the new dominant species of humanity.  If a vampire doesn’t drink blood, then they will transform from having a recognizable human form into a violent, uncontrollable, and bat-like creature of the night.   Now two different factions strive for a solution.  A small factions of surviving humans wish to repopulate the species and a secret team of human and ‘cured’ researchers try to uncover a way that would rescue the human race.
  
  
  
  • Buy it / Rent it
  
  
  • Theater or Renter: January 2010
  
  
  
  

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[reus id="11"]

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen is still alive today … as a vampire."

With a tagline like that, I could hardly leave my copy collecting dust at the bookstore. Jane Bites Back is an awesome read for any Jane Austen lover. Though set in a world where Jane is still alive, and a vampire, this book sways more towards chick lit than horror. The gore in this novel is supremely tame and safe for all ages.

Jane is a bookstore owner who boils about not being able to collect royalties from her books. From the author finger puppets to the JA massage books, Jane is rather sick of it all! But Jane has a plan. She will attempt to publish her last great novel, the one that no one has seen yet, and she’ll try to do it without her secret getting out.

Perhaps my favorite part is the first chapter in which she has to entertain a Jane Austen wannabe author after a reading. You can just feel the steam rise as Jane hears her put down JA fans as if they are mindless zombies and even slight her own work.

“I don’t get the big deal about Austen myself... I could barely get through them... Talk about boring.”

Even Mr. Darcy wouldn’t expect Jane to control her blood thirst after a proclamation such as that! The author spins this tale so masterfully that I was still guessing at the end. Which beau would she finally get together with, what well-known literature queen was behind her attacks and would anyone find out about her true identity?

Michael Thomas Ford has successfully transitioned into the big time with this awesome paperback and I applaud it. Mostly known for his gay-themed novels and instruction books, he has shown that he too belongs on the bestsellers list. It is about time he gets some main stream recognition for his talented writing style.

I am pleased to hear that Jane Bites Back is only one of a trilogy. After reading you will see, Ford left it pretty wide open – anything can happen!

• Find out more about the book at JaneBitesBack.com.


• Get your copy from Amazon here:
  
  
  
  • Jane Bites Back
  
  
  • More books from Michael Thomas Ford
  
  
  
  

As you know I'm a sucker for a vampire movie bad pun intended. Many turn out to be really bad but every once in a while a vampire movie will stand out from the pack.

Suck is a comedy vampire movie about a rock band while on the road becomes vampires to improve their rock. With classic great lines like:

• "what happens on the road stays on the road"


• "try some groupie"

The trailer is awesome! Watch it below.

Unfortunately it is currently making the independent film rounds which means for me living in the middle of nowhere I will have to wait to watch it.

The guest stars in this movie floored me: Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop, Moby, and Henry Rollins all musical icons plus , Dave Foley who's performances I have always enjoyed.

(via /Film)

You gotta love the storyline for Vampire Doll.  A powerful vampire prince, Guilt-na-Zan, was sealed into a cross necklace by an exorcist. Years later, the exorcist’s descendant, Kyoji, releases him but there’s a catch. You see, instead of letting the vampire free to hunt, feed, and generally be his good old evil self, he awoke in the body of a wax doll. Not only has the exorcist handicapped Guilt-na-Zan by placing him in a cute blonde-haired girl with ruffles, he also expects him to be his maid.

Such a concept probably has you wondering if it’s a horrible joke. Nothing like this could ever be good, right? Wrong. Though I was skeptical at first, I found Vampire Doll funny and entertaining. Example? There are many.

First, when Guilt-na-Zan first awoke, he tries to summon tempest and beasts, but with his new found doll body, all that comes is flowers and teddy bears.

Next, when he is given an apron by Kyoji, he asks what it is. Kyoji says,

“A special battle apron. Now your maid skills are at level two and your cuteness level is at five!”

Something about a powerful vampire prince being treated like a dress up doll is just too funny for words.

Other characters include Guilt-na-Zan's faithful bat servant, Vince, who is now in a man’s body. Although he has his own room with a bed, he insists on sleeping hanging from his feet in the closet.  He is cute, but very dumb.

Kyoichi is Kyoji’s brother and they have a bitter rivalry in which they try to kill each other regularly. Kyoji’s sister Tonae seems to be the only sane one. She adores Guilt-na-Zan’s doll form and every time she lets him drink a drop of her blood, he is able to transform into his male vampire form. These rare occurrences conveniently coincide with an event where they need his vampire skills to survive. Though Guilt-na-Zan's male form is like a 1980's hair band reject, he's still rather intimidating as the vampire prince.

In volume two, a master doll maker and his doll arrive to mix things up. The doll has scissor hands and a soul!

The Extras

• Glossy color pictures of the characters


• Bonus comic strips which put the characters into silly positions or to tell jokes.


• Author notes.


• Trivia and Japanese word/concept definitions.


• A funny manga about how the book is made.


• A one page manga called “Sweets and Me” where the author explores why strawberries on cakes look so arrogant.
  “Nothing is done to them. They are naturally born with that shape. Yet, they have the attitude of a main ingredient!”


• Cross over comics with the characters of Strange Plus.

Entertainment for hours awaits you in the pages of Vampire Doll.  If you’d like to purchase them, they are available at Amazon.com.

Daybreakers so far has not really impressed me.  I want to like it because it is a vampire flick but sometimes that is not enough.  At least this promotional video has helped to bolster my faith in the movie’s ability to tell an interesting vampire story.  Plus it appeals to my Supernatural Horror / H.P. Lovecraft nature in it’s structure as a well played hoax.

Watch the video above.  Daybreakers is in theaters January 8.