Blood Predatoress

Sam Worthington is, supposedly, in talks with Universal Studios to play Dracula in the upcoming Dracula: Year Zero movie.

Let’s get this straight: from a good marine metamorphosed into a world-saving avatar turned into a world-destroying vampire… how will THAT play for Sam and you?

Anyway it’s no surprise that Worthington is in the running, together with Ryan Reynolds or Robert Pattinson, is it? You should pretty much expect that their names are going to be attached to any big role that comes along.

Dracula: Year Zero is an original take on Dracula, telling the story of, “Vlad the Impaler,” the Wallachian prince. According to Bloody-Disgusting, “It depicts Dracula as a flawed hero in a tragic love story set in a dark age of magic and war, repositioning him more as a vengeful hero than the monster seen in Bram Stoker’s classic novel.”

So, what will a new take on Dracula be like?

The movie reportedly has a budget of over $100 million; by comparison, Universal spent over $150 million on its new Wolfman movie (yowza!), but I imagine the special effects needed to create the actual Wolfman were much more costly than what you would need to put Dracula on-screen. Not unless they’re going for some CGI version of the bloodsucker…

Dracula: Year Zero is said to be one of eight films that Universal needs for 2011. With the success of the Twilight franchise, as well as vampires being popular on TV with True Blood and The Vampire Diaries, it’s no surprise Universal would want to choose the movie they already have a script and director for, which is about vampires. Recent attempts to bring Dracula to life have been unsuccessful with examples being Blade: Trinity (one of THE worst excuses for a vampire flick) and Dracula: 2000 where Gerard Butler portrayed the character. Can Universal revive arguably the most famous horror character of all time and draw in audiences? We’ll have to wait and see.

Would you like to see Sam Worthington play Dracula? Are you looking forward to a new take on the character? And can the project play off of the current vampire mania to become a success?

There’s no official release date set for Dracula: Year Zero but it looks to be slated for a release sometime in 2011.

That’s at least one more year in the Twilight zone… nuff already! Can’t my kind have peace, ever???

So it’s true… you CAN become young again via vampirism….

photo credit: Divine Harvester

Recent research by a Howard Hughes Medical Institute team found that through exposure to “young” blood cells, bone marrow stem cells start to act young again as well.

The researchers have not yet isolated the blood-borne factors that can switch old stem cells back to a more youthful state. Their results, nevertheless, are consistent with other recent studies that show stem-cell aging may be reversible.

Together, these results suggest that it might one day be possible to boost the practical lifespan of stem cells, and thereby increase the body’s resistance to disease and age-related degeneration, EVEN WITHOUT US, my current and former vampire sisters and brothers.

As a former Undead, I do laud this latest development!

Reality has a way to catch up with you. How many ways can the same vampire story be told? How many times? With how many distortions, half-truths, and sex thrown in, to make it a mass consumption phenomena? How much can you write about this without becoming repetitious? Is there anything worse than a boring Undead, former or present?

This is another way of saying that while I’m keeping this blog going, I will only post irregularly, when I’m absolutely certain it is worth your time to read and mine to write. I’m involved in a number of other projects. One of them could lead to a sequel to Predatoress. I haven’t decided yet.

With love (real, not that blood-soaked variety) and appreciation to each one of you, my blog members and readers, I remain

Your eternal Emma, the Predatoress

by Staff, Brand Republic 11-Dec-09, 12:15

LONDON – ITV and Warner Bros are to make the hit US show ‘The Vampire Diaries’ available to buy on Apple’s iTunes at £1.89 per episode before it broadcasts the series on ITV2.

The drama, which airs on the CW network in the US, has been a smash hit with its stories of brooding vampires, drugs, drinking and sex.

The show, sold to ITV by CW’s parent Warner Bros, is not due to be broadcast on British television until February, but episodes are being made available while it is still airing in the US as part of an effort to fight online piracy and satisfy fans of the L. J. Smith-written books on which the series is based.

Josh Berger, president and managing director, Warner Bros. Entertainment UK, said: “We’re committed to providing our shows with the best possible launch platform. This highly innovative approach to releasing ‘The Vampire Diaries’ gives us and ITV2 the chance to maximise excitement ahead of its UK premiere in February, and provides consumers with a high-quality legal alternative to pirated versions.”

The first episodes will be made available this Friday at a standard price of £1.89 and £2.49 for the high definition version. The show is only half-way through its 22-episode run in the US, having debuted on September 10.

‘The Vampire Diaries’ tells the story of two vampire brothers – one good and the other bad – as they compete for the attentions of a high school girl Elena Gilbert (played by Nina Dobrev). Elena, like Bella from ‘Twilight’ and Buffy from ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ before her, has to deal with teenage life in a town where supernatural events take place.

The show is CW’s best performing series and was given the go-ahead for a full, 22-episode first season, a strong indication that it will be back for a second year.

Adapted for the small screen by Kevin Williamson of ‘Scream’ and ‘Dawson’s Creek’ fame the show appears to echo the smash hit ‘Twilight’ vampire movies from the books penned by Stephenie Meyer, but L.J. Smith’s books came first.

The show joins a growing cast of US dramas airing on ITV2 and available on ITV’s iTunes store, including ‘Gossip Girl’, ‘Supernatural’ and ‘Entourage’.

Van Helsing’s personality is described by Jack Seward, his former student, thusly: “He is a seemingly arbitrary man, because he knows what he is talking about better than any one else, so it comes to him naturally to keep jumping from one thing to the next. He is a philosopher and a metaphysician, and one of the most advanced scientists of his day, and he has, I believe, an absolutely open mind. This, with an iron nerve, a temper of the ice-brook, and indomitable resolution, self-command, and toleration exalted from virtues to blessings, and the kindliest and truest heart that beats, these form his equipment for the noble work that he is doing for mankind, work both in theory and practice, for his views are as wide as his all-embracing sympathy.”

The Van Helsing character was created by Stoker as a counterpart, as an equal but opposite of Dracula. By that standard these are two very strong characters facing off in the battle of good versus evil.

Well…

Van Helsing may have been a white knight for Bram Stoker; Dr. Barabas, my nemesis, was also a very talented person, but a publicity-hound who would’ve caused irreversible damage had we, my beloved Zoltan, friends, our families, and I not fought the totally antiquated treatment he wanted to use at first!

I do have a winner and will announce her name as soon as my congratulatory email is confirmed by her!

12/19 UPDATE

She is: Nyah Watson from Austin, TX. Congratulations!

Hopefully she’ll get the gift set before Christmas; if not, let me wish her and all of you who participated in my contest and who read my blog a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Yes, I have a soft side too … don’t count on it for too long, though!

Vampire humor or comedy, as a genre, has its genesis in stage plays. In a play, written dialog must be interpreted and performed before a live audience. The exchange in between author and reader while reading a novel, is no longer an intimate experience. It is transformed into a group affair with its own nightly dynamic. The experience between concept and delivery is altered radically – there is the playwright’s conception, the actors’ interpretation and delivery of that vision, and finally the audience’s response to the total package.

Jean Charles Emmanuel Nodier introduced the vampire theme to the French stage in 1819 with his play Le Vampire. Despite mixed reviews, the drama was an immediate success and had a long run. Nothing like success to breed imitation and there followed two other vampire plays along with several comical and satirical plays lampooning Nodier’s work. The British actor and playwright, Hamilton Deane, had a similar experience. The thought of being lampooned kept Dean from bringing his play “Dracula”(1924), which had been quite successful in rural England, to London. In time, a comic version of the play, “Dracula, the Comedy of the Vampire” appeared in various European cities in the 1930s. Dean’s play was successfully transferred across the Atlantic, the vampire played by Bela Lugosi, a defining moment in the Dracula/Vampire lore.

As the play or the actor’s performance becomes more popular, the greater the chances of it being lampooned or parodied. The spread of popular vampire humor awaited the creation of the widely recognized stereotypical cinematic vampire by Bela Lugosi in the 1930s. The first major attempt to exploit the humorous possibilities of Lugosi’s Dracula occurred in the 1948 Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. The plot of the movie revolved around Dracula’s attempt to steal comedian Lou Costello’s brain and place it in the head of the Frankenstein monster.

Vampires as comical figures have continued to evolve. The 1960s saw the production of one of the best comic vampire movies ever made, Roman Polanski’s The Fearless Vampire Killers or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck (1967). Polanski’s film (originally called Dance of the Vampires) concerned the antics of two vampire hunters, Professor Ambronsius and his assistant (played by Polanski), as they tracked down the villainous Count Von Krolock (Ferdie Mayne). Television also became a source for humorous vampires with shows such as The Addams Family and The Munsters.

The lighthearted theme continued to carve a niche for itself in plays, movies and television. The decade of the 70s closed with what generally is considered the best of the many comedy vampire movies, Love at First Bite (1979). George Hamilton played a modern Dracula in pre-revolutionary Romania.

Possibly second in popularity only to Love at First Bite as a humorous treatment of the vampire theme is Andy Warhol’s Dracula (a.k.a. Blood for Dracula, an Italian production in which Dracula traveled to Italy looking for the blood of “wirgins.” The humor centers upon his comment on modern society and the inability to find a virtuous (sexually pure) young woman — a fact graphically displayed by his regurgitating every time he got blood from an apparently virginal female.

I must admit I enjoy fun vampire stories, characters, and plays. My fav is Love at First Bite — George Hamilton is a riot in that movie!

The vampire theme has been presented throughout the ages in the various media available at the time, selected by their authors. The first efforts at visual presentations were in the form of operas such as “I Vampiri” by Silvestro de Palma, which opened in Milan in 1800 and “Der Vampyr” by Heinrich Marschner, which opened in Liepzig in 1829.

It would be a long time before the first known vampire movie was or could be made. The silent movie “Vampire of the Coast” was filmed in 1909. Once the format made its appearance there was no holding back, as it allowed for editing, light/shadow and other tricks of the trade not available to opera and theater. The birth of talking movies only accelerated the production of vampire movies.

One of the earliest vampire plays was “Le Vampire” by Charles Nodier, which opened in Paris in 1820 while the J. Planche translation of the play opened the same year in London. The plays were not critically well received but the public’s fascination with the subject kept the audience coming. Inspired by Nodier, Alexandre Dumas wrote a new play with the same name and staged it in Paris in 1851. Only marginally better than the original version, it points out the difficulty of presenting this subject, on the stage, as drama. There were books and poems, many by famous and respected authors to inspire the playwrights and actors. It would have been interesting to see Bela Lugosi’s performance in the 1927 play “Dracula” that opened in NYC and compare it to his movie roles that commenced in 1931. One of the better-received dramatic versions was Frank Langella’s 1977 performance in the play “Dracula”.

A different approach in staging was presenting the play as a musical, for example the 1997 musical “Tanz Der Vampire” by J. Steinman and M. Kunze. The play was based on a Roman Polanski movie. The format allowed for lavish visual and audio entertainment for the audience and the play was quite a success.

photo credit: Showbits

My take though is that the stage is not the best venue for presenting us vampires in the “proper light.” It’s too constricting, especially when it comes to displaying the cold manipulation, cruel ways, and bloodletting we wreak on the world. Agreed? Right!!!?

Do you have what it takes to be a Vampire Hunter? Ahead of you lies 4 tales to tackle. Your strength, courage, and wits will be put to the test. Only the bravest of the brave, the smartest of the smart, and the strongest of the strong will survive. Trust me. I know.

If you think your not ready for the challenge you should study up and learn what it takes to be a Vampire Hunter. You will learn everything you need to know in the How to Terminate a Vampire section of this Squidoo page.

It’s raining blood so good luck — and don’t forget your umbrella!

You find yourself at a Bonfire party on the beach. You are rather light headed (”maybe it was the wine I drank”). You hear the embers from the fire popping and it reminds you of your childhood. You decide to stray from the party and take a walk down the beach. You feel the sand between your toes as you stumble down the beach line. Out of thin air a demonic figure appears before you. You see blood dripping from the figure’s chin. You scream but the music from the party in the distance drowns out your cries. You know vampires don’t exist but you are standing face to face with what you believe is a vampire. To your left you see wooden chair. To your right a metal rod. In front of you on the ground is a small piece of rope. You are wearing a cross around your neck. What do you do?

A. Pick up the rope and throw it.
B. Grab the metal rod and thrust it at the enemy.
C. Move towards the vampire while holding your cross in front of you.
D. Grab the sharpened leg of the wooden chair and charge the vampire.
E. Find the correct answer here: “How To Terminate a Blood Sucker.”

You are at the Arcade playing Vampire Hunter 3. The manager says: “Time to go we have been closed for 30 minutes”. Disappointed because you were on the final level, you shrug your shoulders and walk out of the building. As you walk down the street you notice it begins to get extremely cold and you can see your breath. “This seems odd as it is the middle of summer,” you think to yourself. You feel a sudden chill shooting down your spine as you walk by an empty ally. Looking down the ally you see a pair of red glowing eyes and the scent of decay fills your nose. A hideously deformed vampire emerges from the shadows. You know you need to make a move quick or you will surely be a victim. You see a can of spray paint, a broken beer bottle, and an old shoe. You also have the following items in your pockets: a pack of gum, and a lighter. What are you to do?

I won’t tell you … Vampire Hunter …!?

Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga has turned tiny Forks, WA — the setting of the series — into a tourist destination. You don’t have to drive to the Olympic Peninsula, though, to partake in the vampire-mania, if you prefer the big city atmosphere. Seattle has its own haunts, happy to welcome people besotted by vampires and vampire tales. Forget the zombie pub crawls so popular these days; you can really sink your teeth into this city.

In “Twilight,” the first book and movie in the series, heroine Bella Swan and her Undead crush, Edward Cullen, dined on mushroom ravioli at Port Angeles’ Bella Italia restaurant. You can re-create the scene for yourself by picking up some freshly-made crab ravioli and marinara at DeLaurenti Specialty Food & Wine (1435 First Ave., 206-622-0141, www.delaurenti.com).

Next stop: Scarecrow Video in the University District for some flicks (5030 Roosevelt Way N.E., 206-524-8554, www.scarecrow.com). The video store’s vast vampire holdings include these titles, recommended by the knowledgeable staff: 1958’s “Horror of Dracula”; “Martin,” made by “Night of the Living Dead’s” George Romero; “Near Dark,” about a vampire biker gang; “Blacula”; “Vampires: Los Muertos” — Jon Bon Jovi as a vampire hunter; “The Hunger” and the “Blade” trilogy. But F.W. Murnau’s silent 1922 classic “Nosferatu” tops the list.

“Nosferatu” also happens to be the favorite of Gayle Nowicki, owner of Gargoyles Statuary (4550 University Way N.E., 206-632-4940, www.gargoylestatuary.com). The leaf-strewn shop, where lanterns hang from tree branches, carries coffin-shaped purses, batlike candleholders, vampire bat plaques and other gothic accouterment. You can even get a set of fangs custom-fit to your mouth by Victor Moray on Saturdays this month ($60).

This brings us to another “Twilight” character, Jacob Black, a member of La Push’s Quileute tribe and a major rival of Edward’s for Bella’s affection. “According to their ancient creation story, the Quileutes were changed from wolves by a wandering Transformer,” as the history on www.quileutenation.org reads. Download the free PDF book “Raven Tales” to explore how this world works and how to behave in it, as told through fascinating fables. Then, check out the Tlingit Yéil X’eenh (Raven Screen), from 1810, at Seattle Art Museum (1300 First Ave., 206-654-3100, www.seattleartmuseum.org.)

No Undead tour of Seattle would be complete without some atmospheric music to set a spooky mood. In The Vogue, located beneath Neighbours (1509 Broadway, 206-324-5358) DJs mash ’80s, industrial and darkwave to a pulp, for a room brimming with timelessly idiosyncratic style on Saturday nights.

One more live-music alternative: Catch a concert of “death jazz” played by Seattle band The Vampirates on Friday at the U. District’s Lucid Jazz Lounge (5241 University Way N.E., 206-402-3042).

Finally, for the truly adventurous seeker, there’s Burien’s A Mark of the Vampire tattoo shop (14842 First Ave. S., 206-243-1219, www.markofthevampiretattoo.com). No, there’s nothing particularly Transylvanian or Twilighty about the place: No coffins or skulls, and manager Keith Danielson says vampire mania was actually more pronounced when Anne Rice’s books were hot.

Now, that is really hard for me to believe!