Ecards for the Vampire Occasion

With New Moon hysteria sweeping the country more freverently than the swine flu, the ecard business is jumping on the bandwagon. Generally, bandwagoning irritates me, but being a typical hypocrite, I make exceptions for things I like :)

Someecards, my favorite of all the ecard sites, has released several new ecards in honor of New Moon. Oh, the joy of snarkery.

And one from the original Twilight:

~Lily

"I will make you not thankful for this Thanksgiving!"

No holiday is complete without some tongue-in-cheek vamping.  Here is a slightly humorous take on a Bella-Edward thanksgiving complete with an evil "Vampire Diaries"-esque brother...and here which includes cameo performances by Buffy and a reference to True Blood.:)

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
~Helena

Oh and be sure to read the comments on the first post before reading the second link (it adds to the funny).

Just for you Lily!

~Helena (and Taylor Lautner Daily)

Ahem...

I saw New Moon today. That's right, I braved the onslaught of fangirls, tweens, and unapologetic twimoms (sadly, that's a real Web site) to see what all the hype was about. Right now, I have only this to say.

THIS.

This alone is well worth the price of admission.

And popcorn.

And that $5.99 bucket of cola that they have listed as a small, but that we all know could quench the thirst of the French Foreign Legion for a week or more.

What? He's not yet legal? But...but he has abs you could wash clothing on.

And look, he's all wet...
All right, fine. Someone notify me when this fine piece of, er, young man becomes, you know, legally a man.

I'll try to put the daydreams on hold til then.

~Lily

Blood and Chocolate - Movie Review

I recently finished the book Blood and Chocolate, by Annette Curtis Klause. Strangely, I didn't realize Blood and Chocolate was a book until after I saw the movie. Even more strangely, I think I enjoyed the movie more. This is an odd occurrence for me, and one I have to contemplate a bit more before presenting a final verdict. Liking a movie more than the book that inspired it? Hmmm...

Before I review the book, which I have very mixed feelings about, here is my review of the film. This is an old review, written back in my film critic days, right after the film was released. I'm reposting it here because, well, because I can. And with New Moon opening in just a few days (and visions of a shirtless Taylor Lautner frolicking through my head), I think a werewolf film review is appropriate.

Here's the review, originally printed under the title Werewolves Need Love Too.

How would I describe Blood and Chocolate in 10 words or less? It’s a little like Romeo and Juliet, with werewolves. It is easy to poke fun at the recent slew of over-the-top, special effects-laden horror films that are just, well, bad. But Blood and Chocolate isn’t a bad movie; it just isn’t a great movie.

Set in Bucharest, Romania, Blood and Chocolate tells the story of Vivian (Agnes Bruckner), an angry young woman with a dangerous secret. Her secret is that she is a werewolf, more specifically a member of loup garoux, the group of creatures at the heart of the werewolf myth. The loup garoux are a society of shape-shifters, able to transform into either human or wolf form at will. In a departure from traditional werewolf tales, loup garoux are not affected by the full moon and a person cannot become a loup garoux even if bitten by one, it is a group into which all members are born. Headed by a man named Gabriel, the loup garoux run Bucharest from the shadows and will go to any lengths to protect their secrets.

Into this clandestine world of pack rule stumbles Aiden (Hugh Dancy), a clueless young artist with a fascination for loup garoux who falls almost instantly in love with Vivian, not realizing who and what she is. Unfortunately, Vivian is being prepared for Gabriel. Violence and danger ensue as Vivian must decide whether to remain loyal to the rules and traditions of her lineage or follow her heart.

Blood and Chocolate has an equal number of negative and positive points. Broad allusions are made to an ancient prophecy, as there always are in this kind of film, and indications that Vivian will be the one to fulfill this prophecy, but this is never fleshed out. Although the notion of loup garoux plays with traditional werewolf storylines, the film itself is steeped in clichés, attempting to create an artsy, faux-intellectual air that falls flat. The producers of Blood and Chocolate were also responsible for Underworld, and it shows. One of the best things about this film, however, is the special effects. Instead of being flamboyant and fake, the special effects are subtle and well crafted. The werewolves are not CGI monsters, but actual wolves. The loup garoux are shown morphing into wolf form in a burst of light and the effect is actually quite beautiful.
Blood and Chocolate is not so much a horror film as it is a love story that just happens to include werewolves. While the plot is predictable and at times slow moving, Blood and Chocolate is an effective and even enjoyable way to kill an hour and half as long as your expectations are moderate.

~Lily

15 Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, a wonderful oil blend lab that specializes in many products both fantastical and good smelling, is now offering Vampire Tarot Cards.

The fifteen card deck, designed by Madame Talbot, is inspired by the Neil Gaiman short story, 15 Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot.

The cards will be introduced, one at a time, over the next 15 months. Each card can be purchased individually at the BPAL Web site and will be accompanied by a 5ml bottle of perfume.

Proceeds from sales will benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, an organization that fights censorship and works to defend and uphold the first amendment rights of comic book creators in the USA.

~Lily

Right, Cause Kids Aren't Frightening Enough

This. This is the definition of taking the whole vampire fad too far.



~Lily

Eau d'vampire

From the fragrance team over at The Soap Box Company, comes a perfume named Vampire's Garden:

"For vampires and other dark souls addicted to topsoil, the sweetly herbaceous scent of freshly turned earth, blood oranges, and staked tomato vines under a midnight sky"

I love the description, maybe even more than the idea of an actual perfume.  Find out for yourselves, a sample vial can find its way to you for only $2.  Sadly, it is currently out of stock, but keep checking back if you are interested!


~Helena

True Blood...Pottery?

I love Etsy, I really do. And now, there's even more to love. Creator and Seller MaidOfClay has created a series of True Blood mugs. Check these out:


I now want an entire set. Seriously, how cool are these mugs? If you're interested, stop by Etsy and show MaidOfClay a little love by purchasing one (or more) of these mugs for yourself.

~Lily

While We're Using Diagrams to Beat Up On Religion...

Hmmm, another venn diagram contrasting vampires, zombies, and the paranormal with Christianity...


I think this may be a trend.

And now I think I need to head off to that small confessional booth previously referenced.

~Lily