True Blood

[sqbr]

After being persuaded by this Hoyden about Town post I'm currently 2 episodes in to "True Blood", the TV adaptation by Alan Ball of "Six feet Under" of the Sookie Stackhouse books. After a slightly rocky start I'm really liking it, like the book it tries to actually charcaterise real people and situations which happen to involve vampires and murder in the south rather than being a shiny fetishised cliche like Every Other American Vampire TV Show Ever(*).

They seem to have turned "Dead Until Dark", the first book, into the first season so it's more drama than mystery and goes at a measured, atmospheric pace.

I've heard complaints about the vampire love interest being kind of old looking but I like it: it should feel a bit creepy for a 100+ year old guy to be interested in a young girl, and the actor does a good job of coming across simultaneously as a regular 30ish guy and Very Old.

Oh and it is FULL of sex. Lots and lots. But not in a very sexy way afaict, it's more just..there, this thing people do which impacts on and is impacted by their characters and lives. Most vampire romance equates death with sex, this goes the other way too, so it's all very visceral and bloody and grimy. The credits are intense.

Lot of vampire shows at the moment though aren't there? I still haven't gotten around to trying "Being Human".

(*)The english do a bit better :)

Comments

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

I watched the first episode and thought it was crappiest crapshit I've seen in years.

But that's okay! I have George. =3

[greteldragon.livejournal.com]

I liked what I saw of True Blood (one episodes). But that may have been hot chicks/dudes. Really its pretty simple to get me to like a show.

Also I really liked the vampires in the south idea. Southern accents are hilarious.

[mpfl.livejournal.com]

True Blood is excellent, even if Anna Paquin doesn't quite work as a blonde Southern belle.

[elaran.livejournal.com]

ahahahah I'm watching True Blood for the tacky and the accents and the sex and yeah. I don't think it's good but I like it anyway I guess. You're right about the credits. O_O

[nephron.livejournal.com]

See, I disagree with you on this:

"Oh and it is FULL of sex. Lots and lots. But not in a very sexy way afaict,"

because of this

"it's more just..there, this thing people do which impacts on and is impacted by their characters and lives."

Sex for the sake of sex in TV and movies is just dull.

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

There should be a difference between what goes on and what's forced on the viewers.

[firvulag.livejournal.com]

I didn't see it as just being there at all. Almost all of it involved a character who pretty much his entire point of being is to fuck. And the need for him to be involved with different women to both build this character required sex. either alluded to or shown, and I think the show works alot better this way than if they just alluded to his acts.

I do agree though, sex just for the sake of it, in a tv show or movie. is annoying, and dull. There are places for sex just for the sake of it but a tv show/movie isn't it.

Oh, and I've watched all of season 1 and quite liked it.

[nephron.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure where you're going with this comment.

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

I prefer, if there has to be the second, that there isn't the first.

[morgaine-lafay.livejournal.com]

Hi, I found this through your comment on Hoyden. I just wanted to say that I haven't heard any complaints about the age of the love interest but find it hilarious that there have been any. Do the people complaining know that the actors involved (Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer) are actually dating irl (or, at least, last I heard)?

Oh, and definitely keep watching. I've seen the whole season and it gets better. The accents, unfortunately, stay pretty bad, though. I find it amusing that the British actor (Stephen Moyer) seems to be the only one who can do a decent (as in realistic and believable) Southern accent!

[http://users.livejournal.com/peasant_/]

Oh you must try Being Human! It is beyond awesome. Except it is very British, so maybe some of the humour won't transfer. But it has really meaty themes, and perfect writing, and great humour, and brilliant acting and I have seen lots of people say it is far better than Buffy, which considering these are hard, hard, hard core Buffy fans is saying something.



p.s. I know you care about these things, so as a general rule if in doubt say British not English, you are less likely to offend someone. Unless you are talking about something nasty we have done in which case English may be the safer option.

[velithya]

All I know about Being Human is that they recast two of the three main characters between the initial pilot and the actual series, and there is someone on my f.list that loved the initial pilot and the characters so much that she can't watch the actual series anymore because they're not the same characters!! or something.

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

How silly! They're better characters in the series. =o

[alias_sqbr]

Well FINE you HAVE George, see if I care!

[alias_sqbr]

Having seen the first 3 episodes: the hot chicks/dudes continue :)

[alias_sqbr]

I found I was alright if I forgot it was Anna Paquin :)

[alias_sqbr]

The first time I watched them I was just "o.O was that the KKK?"

[alias_sqbr]

Yeah I didn't say that right. What I meant was, it didn't feel like it was meant to titillate first and foremost.

[alias_sqbr]

the actors involved (Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer) are actually dating irl (or, at least, last I heard)?

That doesn't necessarily make it not creepy :)

I'm kind of blocking out the accents, the way one does the special effects in Dr Who.

[alias_sqbr]

Australia's pretty anglophilic, we tend to be ok with british humour (compared to americans anyway)

p.s. I know you care about these things, so as a general rule if in doubt say British not English, you are less likely to offend someone. Unless you are talking about something nasty we have done in which case English may be the safer option.

Ok, thanks.

[alias_sqbr]

I always find vastly different pilots interesting, makes me wonder what the series might have been like if they'd stuck with it that way.

[(Anonymous)]

Loved the books, loving the TV show. And the boobies make it interesting to my significant other, so it's something we can both enjoy! =P

Angie

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

I watched the first episode and thought it was crappiest crapshit I've seen in years.

But that's okay! I have George. =3

[greteldragon.livejournal.com]

I liked what I saw of True Blood (one episodes). But that may have been hot chicks/dudes. Really its pretty simple to get me to like a show.

Also I really liked the vampires in the south idea. Southern accents are hilarious.

[mpfl.livejournal.com]

True Blood is excellent, even if Anna Paquin doesn't quite work as a blonde Southern belle.

[elaran.livejournal.com]

ahahahah I'm watching True Blood for the tacky and the accents and the sex and yeah. I don't think it's good but I like it anyway I guess. You're right about the credits. O_O

[nephron.livejournal.com]

See, I disagree with you on this:

"Oh and it is FULL of sex. Lots and lots. But not in a very sexy way afaict,"

because of this

"it's more just..there, this thing people do which impacts on and is impacted by their characters and lives."

Sex for the sake of sex in TV and movies is just dull.

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

There should be a difference between what goes on and what's forced on the viewers.

[firvulag.livejournal.com]

I didn't see it as just being there at all. Almost all of it involved a character who pretty much his entire point of being is to fuck. And the need for him to be involved with different women to both build this character required sex. either alluded to or shown, and I think the show works alot better this way than if they just alluded to his acts.

I do agree though, sex just for the sake of it, in a tv show or movie. is annoying, and dull. There are places for sex just for the sake of it but a tv show/movie isn't it.

Oh, and I've watched all of season 1 and quite liked it.

[nephron.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure where you're going with this comment.

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

I prefer, if there has to be the second, that there isn't the first.

[morgaine-lafay.livejournal.com]

Hi, I found this through your comment on Hoyden. I just wanted to say that I haven't heard any complaints about the age of the love interest but find it hilarious that there have been any. Do the people complaining know that the actors involved (Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer) are actually dating irl (or, at least, last I heard)?

Oh, and definitely keep watching. I've seen the whole season and it gets better. The accents, unfortunately, stay pretty bad, though. I find it amusing that the British actor (Stephen Moyer) seems to be the only one who can do a decent (as in realistic and believable) Southern accent!

[http://users.livejournal.com/peasant_/]

Oh you must try Being Human! It is beyond awesome. Except it is very British, so maybe some of the humour won't transfer. But it has really meaty themes, and perfect writing, and great humour, and brilliant acting and I have seen lots of people say it is far better than Buffy, which considering these are hard, hard, hard core Buffy fans is saying something.



p.s. I know you care about these things, so as a general rule if in doubt say British not English, you are less likely to offend someone. Unless you are talking about something nasty we have done in which case English may be the safer option.

[velithya]

All I know about Being Human is that they recast two of the three main characters between the initial pilot and the actual series, and there is someone on my f.list that loved the initial pilot and the characters so much that she can't watch the actual series anymore because they're not the same characters!! or something.

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

How silly! They're better characters in the series. =o

[alias_sqbr]

Well FINE you HAVE George, see if I care!

[alias_sqbr]

Having seen the first 3 episodes: the hot chicks/dudes continue :)

[alias_sqbr]

I found I was alright if I forgot it was Anna Paquin :)

[alias_sqbr]

The first time I watched them I was just "o.O was that the KKK?"

[alias_sqbr]

Yeah I didn't say that right. What I meant was, it didn't feel like it was meant to titillate first and foremost.

[alias_sqbr]

the actors involved (Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer) are actually dating irl (or, at least, last I heard)?

That doesn't necessarily make it not creepy :)

I'm kind of blocking out the accents, the way one does the special effects in Dr Who.

[alias_sqbr]

Australia's pretty anglophilic, we tend to be ok with british humour (compared to americans anyway)

p.s. I know you care about these things, so as a general rule if in doubt say British not English, you are less likely to offend someone. Unless you are talking about something nasty we have done in which case English may be the safer option.

Ok, thanks.

[alias_sqbr]

I always find vastly different pilots interesting, makes me wonder what the series might have been like if they'd stuck with it that way.

[(Anonymous)]

Loved the books, loving the TV show. And the boobies make it interesting to my significant other, so it's something we can both enjoy! =P

Angie