It's all about Sexy Vampires

I have always had a bit of a fetish for a good vampire story. Can't say I am a huge fan of the damsel in distress style sob story. But a kick arse chick in a vampire story is usually enough to pique my interest. And yes, by this I mean that I have no time whatsoever for the Twilight series. Yes, I read it. All 4 books. But I hated myself for it. And I can't get behind the film. Even the previews make me feel slightly stabby.

Buffy I guess is my original inroad to the vampire thing. From there, there was some Bram Stoker, and some Anne Rice. And of course Angel.

And now there is True Blood.

Set in an alternate reality, where vampires have lived among humans for years, but have recently 'come out of the coffin', demanding equal rights as humans. Most of the action takes place in the 'small' town on Bon Temps in Louisinana. It's all Alan Ball and his obsession with death (he was the guy behind Six Feet Under). It's pretty high in the melodrama, and as a result, pretty overacted, but it makes for some compelling viewing!

The cast has a fair whack of the antipodean - Ryan Kwanten (of Home & Away fame) has trimmed down and must be on some kind of incredible regeime, because he is totally ripped. You know that line of muscle that runs down the inside of a boy's hip - commonly known amongst my friends as the 'sex bones'? Kwanten's Jason Stackhouse has sex bones to climb over broken tiles for. And Kiwi Anna Paquin might have what I am now calling 'shoulder boobs' (they just seem unfeasibly high and perky) and she might do a terrible screen cry, but her Sooky Stackhouse (shit name, right?) is cute as a button and totally self righteous. Plus the token Brit is the very broody (because you can't be a vampire love interest hero without being broody, right?) is Stephen Moyer's Bill Compton. Who kind of looks like Jon Bon Jovi on his imdb page...

The whole premise works as a metaphor about prejudice and justice and shifting power bases. The race card is played often - and beautifully - by Sooky's childhood friend Tara (who has hypnotically beautful skin) and her incredibly camp cousin Lafayette who also plays the homophobia card too (was there any doubt about his orientation when his folks chose that name...?). The show also deals with issues of addiction, with vampire blood working as a narcotic on humans. And there is the serial killer/murder mystery/Nancy Drew component. All this on top of the usual fare of high melodrama - star crossed lovers, unrequited love, casual sex getting serious... I think they were trying to do a something for everyone arrangement. Oh, did I mention the hard core sex scenes??

The Louisiana accent is so addictive. After only a few episodes, I found myself thinking in the Southern drawl. And when Bill says "Sooky" (it kind of rhymes with 'sucky' if you say it right) it is enough to make your insides melt. If you could just get over the giggling.

I've only seen season 1. And I can't wait to sink my teeth into season 2!