My Favorite Vampires

Have watched Castlevania a few times now, and it has renewed my interest in vampires (in fiction of course).  (Also renewed my interest in vampire hunters - yes that means you Trevor.)

I confess that the only vampire novel I have ever read is Bram Stoker's Dracula.  I keep the book in my bookshelf, though it is decades old, and has been decades since I first read it. Have been thinking that Audible should get either Richard Armitage or Graham McTavish to narrate a new audiobook version. 

But through my life, starting in my early teens to today as a woman of a "certain age" I've kept my interest in vampires in film, TV, and stage.   I do prefer a certain style of vampire, one not just deadly and scary, but a seductive vampire with sophistication and charm. Yes - a certain type of seductive dangerous charm!

(Maybe that's why I couldn't get into True Blood - I tried watching a few episodes, but somehow not for me, though very popular with others.)

I'm sure I've told this vampire story before, can't remember if I did so on this blog.  If I did, I apologize for telling it again.  A personal vampire story I still find amusing.  OK - here goes.  Over a decade ago now, I started a new job, not at the place I work now.  On my first day at work I walked into the main reception area of my employer (a university) to find a huge and very ornate plate on the wall back of the reception desk, with this portrait in the center:

For those that don't know, that is a famous portrait of  Vlad Tepes, the real life Vlad Dracul, Vlad the Impaler,, who it is said inspired Bram Stoker's novel.  Now, as someone who has followed fictional vampires for a long time I recognized him immediately.  But being my first day at work, I said nothing and proceeded to go on to my new office.

Weeks later I was having lunch with some of my new co-workers and I thought maybe it was a good time to bring up a question that I wanted to ask since my first day of work.  So I said "Why do we have a portrait of Dracula at the reception area, entrance, to our department?"  Everyone looked at me with a mixture of horror and disbelief.  "What are you talking about?" they said.  "Well", I said, "The portrait on that ornate plate that is on the back wall of the reception desk, that you can't miss when you open the suite door, is of Vlad Tepes, a real life historical figure that inspired the legend of Dracula. I was wondering why such an otherwise conservative and otherwise serious place would have that so prominently displayed. We don't offer any degrees related to Vlad or vampires in literature."  (OK,  this is approximately what I said, it has been years, but something like that.) Well, everyone laughed and looked at me and asked how I could possibly know who that was. None of them did, or had heard of him before.  So they changed the subject,this was not a group that liked to talk about vampires, and I, being the introvert I am, never mentioned this again.  

Weeks later I happened to come in through the reception door (my office was in another part of the building) and I noticed that Vlad's portrait had been moved away from reception, and into an inner office.  I feel I must have had a small part in that, though it was never mentioned to me at all. It wasn't really my intention that they move it, I just wanted to know why it was there. Years later, when I no longer worked there, I asked a friend who still did, and she told me the plate had been a gift from a visiting group of international students. 

Anyway, to go back to my favorite vampires, here they are below, from my early teens to today:

Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins - Dark Shadows

Frank Langella - Dracula - on stage and screen 

Aidan Turner - Mitchell - Being Human 

(still my favorite Aidan Turner role)

Dracula - Castlevania

Voiced/Performed by Graham McTavish 

Voices 9: Discoveries: Joseph Mawle, Paul Trussell, Andrew Gower. Also Richard Armitage Reads a Poem

For my occasional Voices series I always hope to find a clip of a poetry reading or a clip of an actor's performance that is unexpected and new to me. I don't always succeed in finding the perfect sound bite or clip, but I always find something interesting.

In this post I'm featuring three new "discoveries":

Joseph Mawle


The first it turns out I've seen for a few years now, but he's always been one of those wonderful British actors whose performances I've loved but whose name I never memorized before. We've all seen him recently in two wonderful performances as Benjen Stark in Game of Thrones (Season 1) and as Jack Firebrace in Birdsong (2012).

Joseph Mawle  was born in Oxford and left school at 16 to become an actor. He contracted an ear disorder known as labyrinthitis that left him 70 per cent hearing-impaired. Mawle won a scholarship to study at the Bristol Old Vic's theatre school and graduated in 2002.  He's appeared in numerous British television productions and has a busy career on stage as well.


Below is a clip of Mawle in a recent TV production of Persuasion (2007) and in a video interview about acting that he did for A-Night-Less-Ordinary project.

Click on link for video interview:

http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/AEFefhMbh18



Paul Trussell


The second is an actor I've known and loved mostly for one role, Rifleman Tongue in the British television series Sharpe, based on the novels by Bernard Cornwell. But I recently discovered he is an artist of many gifts. Trussell is also a wonderful writer/playwright.


During his career he's appeared in many films, UK television series, and plays. Trussell's stage career includes appearing in his own play, "Mouse" (2007), at the Edinburgh Festival. He will soon be appearing in the play  "6 Actors in Search of a Director"  at the Charing Cross Theatre in London.


Below you can listen to Paul Trussell read an excerpt of his own short story The End of Gray's Malaise:

To listen to Trussell read the entire story go to the link below:

http://www.wirelesstheatrecompany.co.uk/index.php/component/jotloader?Itemid=15&cid=5&id=157

Andrew Gower

The third is a new actor for me, but who played one of the characters I most enjoyed in Being Human Season 4 (2012).  Gower played vampire/lawyer Nick Cutler (insert your own lawyer jokes here.) Getting back to voices, I thought his voice has a very interesting quirky quality.

Gower was born in Merseyside (Liverpool). He is a graduate of the Oxford School of Drama (2010).  In the UK he is known for a recurring role in the ITV series Monroe and is also a member of a rock band called Emerson. 

In the video below we can see and hear Gower playing Frankenstein in a live television broadcast of the new musical, "Frankenstein's Wedding... Live in Leeds" (2011). The show was broadcast live on BBC Three from a set at Kirkstall Abbey.

......and now for The Voice:

Filming for The Hobbit continues in New Zealand and not even a new Video Blog from Peter Jackson lately. I needed a little relief from the drought and my search unearthed the poem below read by Richard Armitage.

Back to the Land was written in 1917 by Cyril Bretherton a writer and poet who was a regular contributor to Punch. Most of his work was credited as Algol or CBH.  According to AllPoetry.com little is know of his life beyond that.

Join the Global North & South Watch  June 1, 2, and 3 on Twitter and Facebook. For details go to N&S Watch organizer Fanny/iz4blue's blog at the link below:

http://distractedinreality.wordpress.com/2012/05/03/i-have-a-dream-about-a-date-with-a-cravat-and-a-kiss/

Or to the Armitage Watch dedicated site:

http://www.armitagewatch.blogspot.com/

_______


Thanks to Wikipedia, Google Images, YouTube, RichardArmitageNet.com, Richard Armitage Central

"Being Human" in the USA

From the moment I heard the news about a US version of the UK BBC series "Being Human" I had doubts that it would work.  I'll admit to a certain bias since I'm a fan of the UK series I'm lucky to be able to watch on BBC America. What makes this drama/comedy/horror series so compelling and wonderful to follow is the charm and skill of the three lead actors. The charm makes it possible for the audience to fall in love with George (the werewolf), Mitchell (the vampire) and Annie (the ghost). Because we like them so, we forgive the horror that we sometimes witness when one of our supernatural friends falls off the "being human" wagon. We always have hope they'll continue their quest to be good citizens again.

Unfortunately none of what I've just said above applies to the new US version. I've just finished viewing Episode 1  of the new Being Human US on the SyFy channel and really don't know where to being on all that is wrong with this series in comparison with the original.  I hope for the actors sake and the investment that has been made by all concerned that future episodes will be better, but I don't plan to watch the series after tonight.

So forgive me if my review is just a list in no particular order of what is wrong with the US Being Human in comparison with the UK series. I know if you haven't seen the British version my list may not make much sense, but I hope it will encourage all to watch the BBC series instead of this sad new version:

1.  No Russell Tovey! This wonderful actor plays werewolf George in the UK series and he is the anchor of the series.  Our werewolf, Josh, is a scary mess, but the actor lacks the considerable comedic and dramatic talents of his UK counterpart. Even so, he's the best actor of the three!!!!!!
2.  There's absolutely no chemistry between the two guys! Another thing that makes the UK series work is the wonderful chemistry between the two misfits: vampire and werewolf. Without the audience believing the deep friendship between these two, the bromance if you will, there is no series.
3. Both US guys look too much alike. There were times when they were together I couldn't tell them apart.
4. The actor who plays our neighborhood  sexy US vampire looks like a thug from the Sopranos cast.
5.  Naming the vampire character Aidan, is not going to help at all, since the actor who plays the US vampire is no Aidan Turner (Mitchell). He lacks the charm, sweetness and vulnerability of Mr. Turner, and without that  it will be difficult for the audience to find any forgiveness for the evil things his character will do when falling "off the (blood drinking) wagon".
6.  US vampire Aidan is not nearly as good looking as UK vampire Mitchell (Aidan Turner). Lacks that Turner smile!
7.  The young woman who plays the US ghost, Sally, needs immediate remedial acting lessons. Looking good and no acting talent may be enough for a commercial, but it's not enough to make this ghost come alive.
8. Though this may not be entirely her fault since they've given her the most annoying dialog of the three roles. Instead of  warm and loving UK ghost Annie (Lenora Crichlow), we get annoying, selfish, teenage girl-ghost Sally.
 9. Bishop is  the US version of Vampire leader Herrick. Instead of being scary, dangerous,manipulative, and unpredictable, which makes the UK character ( actor Jason Watkins) so much fun to hate, we get a character that feels like an over-the-hill rock star that just happens to drop in on the set.
10. Bishop gives off no menacing vibes at all and Marcus, his second in command, barely registers.
11. There seems to be  a great deal of emphasis on  the fact the US werewolf, Josh, is Jewish. Maybe because the writers felt a US show needed some religious reference for the audience?  I’m not sure why.
12.  There's a great deal of  dark humor in the UK series from the fact that vampire and werewolf work as orderlies in a hospital.  At least in this first episode the US series seems to miss the dark humor element entirely.

I'm sure the young American actors are trying their best to make this copy of a great UK series work. Maybe in other roles, in another series, they would be fine and I would enjoy their performances. Not so in this American "Being Human".  Not for me at least.

For more about the UK Being Human click HERE.

UPDATE 2/9/11: Season 3 of  the original UK Being Human will begin airing on BBCAmerica February 19 for eight weeks.  For more information on the series, air dates, etc. click HERE.

Good to know someone agrees with me:

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Roush-Review-Human-1029597.aspx

In the US, watch the new season of Being Human on BBCAmerica starting February 19.