As some of you may have noticed, I have been supremely slack in updating the blog of late. This is largely due to the symbiote I have been hosting in my body for the past 34 weeks. The little critter is due to make its grand entrance soon and this unfortunately means I am going to shut up shop here at Musings until 2011.

Thank you to all readers and supporters of the blog, I intend to return with more horror and raunch next year, but for now I will leave you with one of my favourite scenes from the new season of True Blood thus far.

Ms Harker

Like a heroin addict waiting for the methadone clinic to open, I trawl the web for a taste of True Blood news to satisfy my cravings until the Season 3 premiere on June 13th. I came across this trailer thanks to YouTube and True Blood Online. Ahhh I can feel the warmth running through my veins… Hello Sweetheart indeed! For a more extensive preview of Season 3 visit the HBO website.

Ms Harker

Things have been a little hectic around the Harker household with preparation in full swing for my very own Ripley moment, so apologies for the sporadic posting. However we are back on track this week with an installment from the world of The Vampire Diaries.

Is it just me or are people surprised at the improvement in the storyline and grittiness of what started out as a chocolate box, vaselined lens nod to horror? In the past half dozen or so episodes the show has seriously stepped up. Now, I am ready to admit I may be a tad desperate for TV Vampire action, like an undead bitch in heat I await for the return of Eric Northman to my lounge room.

However the storyline of Damon’s long lost love Catherine having somewhat wound up, we have a whole new kiss of vampires who have been released from the tomb into Mystic Falls. There has been an escalation in the shows tone, leaning towards darker at times more violent action, giving it more of a horror feel, rather than 9021VAMP. Elena’s biological mother is an intriguing plot line as is the rings she bestowed to certain characters which makes them immortal. Damon’s maintenance of his bad boy ways is a source of delight, who doesn’t love a man who can feast on a whole gaggle of sorority slappers?

However I have taken particular sadistic pleasure in the recent development which has the broody Stefan falling of the blood wagon. I am not a fan of the tortured, lamenting vampire protagonist, so Stefan’s new craving for the crimson liqueur has me giggling with evil amusement.  Lets hope the shows writers keep leaning closer to the dark side… At least until True Blood is back!

Ms Harker

Eat her Stefan, you know you want to!

Having woke up at the dawn’s crack yesterday I proceeded to read the online papers. Low and behold there were a couple of feature articles in both the London Times and The Age (Australia) on the lovely Anna Paquin. She who plays the sometimes irritating Sookie Stackhouse on everyone’s favourite vamp TV series True Blood, is campaigning for a gay rights initiative in the USA.

The campaign run by an advocacy group called the True Colors Fund has proceeded to overheat the internet and many a young man’s (and I’m sure some ladies) fantasies alike. Why you ask? Well the tidy little kiwi unit has ‘come out’ in her public service announcement (see below for the full video) for the group stating she is bisexual.

Fangtastic play Miss Paquin, supporting a righteous and worthwhile cause, slightly controversial but a risk worth taking so all people can be considered equal. Now with my politically correct endorsement out of the way, what does this mean for True Blood Season 3…

Will we see a return of the Queen of the Vampires making a play for Sookie, leaving Bill Compton to cry into his O Negative? Or will Eric and the Queen seduce the young waitress into joining a mange a trois? Ohhhh… the possibilities of the coming werewolf storyline just got a whole lot more interesting! Awoooooooo (is that how you write a werewolf’s howl?)!!

Ms Harker

With the news this week that HBO’s True Blood will premiere its third season on the 13th of June, the anticipation I have been managing to keep at bay (somewhat) has hit a peak and re-runs will not satiate its thirst! Now we have spoken before about the conundrum in the Harker household where there is a ban on reading the Sookie Stackhouse novels so as one individual does not gain information before another. So the books are not my salvation. I have been growing fond of the Being Human series and have developed a slightly lustful affection for the vampire with the Irish lilt Mitchell (Aidan Turner). My thoughts on the series will be posted at another time.

In short, I am interested to hear how others are maintaining their equilibrium during what feels like an eternity until the return of our favourite fang banging romp True Blood.

Ms Harker

What to write about this week has been quite the conundrum. Corey Haim’s death, the Oscars Horror tribute, that beast of a Twilight fan on YouTube who looks like she swallowed Shrek? No I think they have all been sufficiently covered. Instead I thought I would discuss one of my favourite horror diva’s from my favourite horror TV series Twin Peaks the devastating Miss Audrey Horne.

Audrey Horne was played by Sherilyn Fenn, who of the Twin Peaks ladies was the one with fabulous curves and didn’t go on to be famous for her anorexic frame ( Lara Flynn Boyle anyone?). Audrey is the embodiment of the wicked little rich girl with a secret heart of gold. The vixen virgin, constantly looking for her father’s approval, yet loathing him at the same time. She falls for the dapper Agent Cooper (who didn’t!) and proceeds to assist him investigate the murder of Laura Palmer.

Audrey’s commitment to assisting Agent Copper removes some of her bad girl image as she puts her safety on the line to infiltrate an underground brothel One Eyed Jack’s, becoming a lady of the night for a spell. This gives us an insight into her love for Agent Cooper, her ability to steam up the screen but also into her innocence.

Audrey was a style icon to young ladies during this time (well to me anyway!), the tartan skirts, tight sweaters and blouses were a must for any aspiring Twin Peaks Diva!

Ms Harker

Some titillating news for all you fangbangers in the land down under, the True Blood Convention is coming to our wide brown land! I spotted the news via the Vampire News blog, a good source for all things fanged.

The article by Gabrielle Faust details that the convention will be coming to both Sydney and Melbourne, on the 25th ad 26th of September respectively. Tickets range from $100 dollars for a day pass and $950 for a Platinum pass which gets you a breakfast and evening with the guests (so you may be able to rub up against Alexander Skarsgard for real not on your pillow), seats in the first two rows for panels etc, priority queuing for photo’ and autographs and a professional photo with the guests. Visit here for ticketing and more details.

With that fangtastic news I’m sure you are all reaching for your fans and smelling salts, so now to bring you back down to earth so you can achieve something with your day.

Speaking of rubbing on pillows; for those who have not seen it already here is the perfect present to get any pre-pubescent Twilight fan: a life sized Edward Cullen pillow… Now if they made Eric pillows that would be Ok wouldn’t it?

Ms Harker

Last year I decided to subscribe to in my opinion, two of the premiere horror zines Fangoria and Rue Morgue. As someone who enjoys the smell of freshly printed books a little too much, someone who enjoys the tactile sensation of new paper ( I would roll around in it if it weren’t for the paper cuts!), someone who would die before owning a device such as the Kindle, I felt subscribing was a good idea.

Each month I sashayed out to the letter box to get my copy of Fangoria, alas the tyranny of distance left me infuriated by Rue Morgue’s delivery rate which was disappointing as this as my preferred zine of the two (I only just received the December edition!), I enjoyed leafing through my special deliveries. However I found that a lot of the info I had already come across on the net via sites like Bloody Disgusting, FearNet or Shock Til You Drop. Now don’t get me wrong, the zines still provide very detailed information and the feature articles surpass the bites of info you get on blogs etc. However combined with the recent rumours of Fangoria’s demise I have been given pause to reflect are horror zines still relevant?

There is a voice echoing through the Harker household, that is not an auditory hallucination but JH saying ‘I told you so’, having pointed out to me when I subscribed that the internet has surpassed any need to have print media, print media’s days are numbered. But like I said I am a tactile woman at heart. I have to admit I have decided not to renew my subscriptions, however am curious as to whether others have made the same decision, or is there still a fierce following of horror zines in print?

Ms Harker

I for one am fanging for March to hurry up and get here! With March comes the release of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, which is one of my most anticipated films of the year.

So to tide you over during the long month of February I discovered these little beauties on Facebook for all the world to see. These are sketches created by the great man himself, detailing some of the characters, my favourite being The Red Queen. Just a little heads up, if we play Alice In Wonderland I am sooo The Red Queen!

If you like these sketches, Burton has also released a book of his artwork, which I received as a birthday gift from some delightful friends of mine! You can purchase it on his website.

For you lucky ducks living in or around New York I will personally spank you if you do not go and see his collection at the Museum of Modern Art, I am still living in hope the collection will travel the oceans to come Down Under!

Ms Harker.

Or more appropriately Buongiorno a Tutti. My Italian is a little rusty!

It seems that 2010 may be the year of renaissance for Italian horror, not unlike 2009 was for the French. The last Italian horror film I saw was ‘La Terza Madre‘ or ‘Mother of Tears’. Directed by the famoso Dario Argento, I entered into the viewing experience with anticipation. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The supernatural was there just with a little too much boobs and 70’s style bush (or in these parts we refer to it as a ‘map of Tassie’) for me. While on the topic of the bush in horror how come we never get any disco balls? Always with the bush, maybe something to address in Women in Horror Month (which starts February)? But I digress.

Can Mad In Italy bring us some disco balls? Well no, but it looks like it can bring some great scares, in a modern context. Shock Til You Drop indicated the director Paolo Fazzini feels the film addresses the current financial crisis, home loans, crooked politicians and a young maniacal serial killer. Who said horror can’t be both blood soaked and social commentary? Check the trailer below. Forza Italia!

Ms Harker

Lucky she's buried in bones so we don't have to see her 'Map of Tassie'!