Fangtastic!

And in the battle of premium networks, it only took one episode of True Blood for HBO to, uh, take a big bite out of Showtime. From Vampire Bill's explaining that his household recycles to Detective Bellefluer investigating drunk, to Eric's foil highlights, Alan Ball takes the addictive-as-crack books by Charlaine Harris and makes this the most entertaining show of the summer. Pure, bloody fun. You know you're in for some good shit when the pre-show warnings are a full page long and start off with "strong sexual content, graphic violence, nudity" and just keep going from there. But Ball makes the most of all that skin and blood and mines it for first rate chills and laughs.

In case you can't get enough from the show, Harris just released book nine in the series:
Dead and Gone


And one of my main complaints from last year was that I just wish the guys were more attractive. I've got no problem with the chicks, as Anna Paquin is both dollbaby darling and undoubtedly fierce as Sookie. In stark contrast to the grotesquely weak female in the "Twilight" series, Sookie is both sexy and strong. If it weren't so graphic, she would be an ideal role model for teenage girls. And now we've got Michelle Forbes added to the cast, looking luminous and acting like a crazy fucking freak. It's awesome!

As for the guys, although Ryan Kwanten's abs don't do anything for me, and Vampire Bill just doesn't trip my triggers, I have high hopes for Eric this year. His gangly hair turned me off last year, but after watching Alexander Skarsgard in the most truly excellent Generation Kill (and that's serious good, people, not the camp entertainment I'm talking about here), I have to admit that I got more than warmed up to the towering Swede. Given the looks of the new promo posters, and after seeing the mayhem that befell Skarsgard's Eric while getting his highlights retouched, I think we're in for an upgraded look for him this year.


Much more...tasteful look for him.

Summer on HBO is gonna suck -- in the best way!