On my way home from the gym tonight I noticed some new ads in HBO’s brilliant subversive Marketing campaign for True Blood. Two days ago these posters were pristine and I didn’t even read them. Today I’d noticed that another layer of posters had been added to mimic vandalism by anti-vampire integration types. Brilliant. (CLICK ON IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE ADS)
The new posters (and I apologize for the location, they are building an Urban Outfitters-offshoot behind those bills) hold the slogan, “Vampires were people too” along with a link to a site for the American Vampire League. The call to action at the bottom reads, “SUPPORT EQUALITY FOR ALL CITIZENS. SUPPORT THE VAMPIRE RIGHTS AMENDMENT.” This, along with Bloodcopy, The Vampire Blog and the TruBlood beverage ads that started it are making me wonder how much further this campaign will go?
I just had my first real Earthquake. I felt a little tremble last year, but just now at work we had a real one.
It wasn’t scary. It must not have been very big.
[edited 8:47pm]
It was a 5.8 about 40 miles away. The walls shook for about 20 seconds. It was fun! But Its no tornado, they didn’t cancel work. : sigh : Nothing even fell off the walls in my apartment.
Lollapalooza 2008: Chicago, Ill: Grant Park: Saturday August 2nd: Day 2 - 12:45-1:30pm The Ting Tings @ the AT&T Stage.
If you live in Los Angeles then chances are you listen to Indie 103.1 or KROQ 106.7. They are the main 2 “Modern Rock Alternative” stations and where you will most likely hear Salford, England’s 2-Piece party dynamo The Ting Tings. If you listen to either station then you might even be sick of said band considering they play at least 1 of their 3 singles at least 1 to 3 times an hour. And as far as I remember Indie 103.1 was spinning “That’s Not My Name” since sometime last fall (’Feel My Heat’ or ‘Big Sonic Heaven’ most likely?). Say you don’t live in L.A…poor thing, you probably got your first taste of The Ting Tings with “Shut Up and Let Me Go” from their iPod+iTunes ad. The Ting Tings album “We Started Nothing” is good. Too Good. Its catchier than Hepititis at a Motley Crue show. Without giving you a full review I’d say the album for its sheer ass shaking power easily scores a 7.5/10.
Here is a recent AvantTrash interview with The Ting Tings’ firecracker Katie White (Guitar, Vox, Bass Drum…Cowbell) and beat master Jules De Martino (the drums, the drums, the drums…):
AvantTrash: That’s not your name? What is your name then?
The Ting Tings: Katie White & Jules de Martino
AT: I’m really bad with names. So you wouldn’t answer to darlin’?
TT: Captain darlin maybe! But just darlin’ …erm no!
AT: I’m sure you’ve met a lot of people lately, how do you remember peoples names?
TT: We don’t really. We become very animated when meeting faces we recognize but names we’ve forgotten. Lots of pats on backs and leans on shoulders seem to do the trick.
AT: Summer festivals, when is the best spot? Early and get it over with or later to a bigger, more pumped up crowd? Whats the biggest crowd you’ve played to so far?
TT: Glasto[nbury festival] spilled out to around 13-14k, T-in the park was about the same. I reckon there’s no time like the headline spot on the pyramid. That’s king. The rest are all brilliant princes and princesses.
AT: It seems that a lot of music is coming from across the pond. What is the musical climate in England right now? What would you say set all of this off?
TT: There’s a lot of real pop emerging! Home made pop not the glossed up manufactured stuff of the 90’s. Technology has set off a bunch of new musicians capable of creating big sounds with few people. That’s how we do it. We once saw one guy start a set with acoustic guitar but within 2 minutes it sounded like 6 Nirvana’s playing all with the aid of loop stations and pedals. Unfortunately in this particular case the artist sounded like 6 Nirvana’s playing different tunes at one time but it can work.
AT: You are a band of two. How do you support the sound of a full band live?
TT: Live looping, fx on K’s guitars, lots of energy on the kit and screaming melodies.
AT: What is your songwriting process like?
TT: There are no rules to our song writing. Either one of us will lead the way, on keys, guitar even drums. A rhythm can set of a tune for us. We like to be enthusiastic and keen with any route to a good tune. We often only gave a new idea only 2 hours before either scrapping it or keeping it. If it didn’t feel like a hit in 2 hours it was erased from disc.
AT: Jules: You play the drums live, Why do you prefer them to guitar or anything else you could be behind?
TT: Drums are the most rewarding of all instruments. You can orchestrate from behind them, watch and control the audiences energy, let out the frustration and most importantly hide behind them.
AT: You’re songs are catchier than Bird Flu, how do you come up with your “hooks”?
TT: We’ll Katie has had two encounters with bird forms. A seagull shat in her eye when she was a toddler. Looking up at the sky it landed one right inside and needed emergency cleaning. Then just before forming this band she arranged the removal of tons of pigeon shit from a disused factory loft. So maybe the birds are responsible for the hooks.
AT: Besides spinning a hot Ting Tings remix, what makes a “Great DJ” anymore?
TT: A person that spins great records of course. They don’t have to be anything else but catchy rhythmic songs that make you feel part of the gig. If you’re feeling isolated you’re either in the wrong place or listening to the wrong dj.
AT: Everyone in music anymore seems to have a line of clothes, i’ve heard you make your own stage costumes, do you lust for the life of a fashion designer?
TT: No. I don’t think my clothes would survive a week. They look great but fall apart as I’m not the hottest seemstress.
AT: Well here’s to hoping for a wardrobe malfuntion!
The Ting Tings play August 6th @ the El Rey in Los Angeles and this Saturday afternoon at Lollapalooza and AliUptown and I will see you there!
I shouldn’t have to tell you anything more than this: Danny Elfman is Satan.
Now you know what you’re going to be doing in L.A. this Wednesday the 30th at 8 pm. You’re going to see Forbidden Zone at the Egyptian. Not convinced? Here’s the trailer…
You need more? Needy bastard…sheesh. Well here is an AMAZING write-up from No Smoking in the Skull Cave. If I was in town Wednesday night, which I won’t be, I’d be walking the 2 blocks to Hollywood Blvd to see this movie. As if that trailer and this photoshop vomit of a poster aren’t enough then how about some special guests? This is Hollywood after all and you can’t swing a cat without hitting someone famous. There will be a Q&A with Director Richard Elfman, I’m sure some actors from the film will be there and its rumored that there may be an appearance by Jack Skellington’s singing voice himself, brother Danny Elfman.
I’d first heard about this movie from Brian Ibbott’s excellent Coverville Podcast. And other than that I’ve heard it described as cheesier than Rocky Horror and Shock Treatment put together. The Soundtrack is provided by early Oingo Boingo back when it was The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo.
And perhaps the secret weapon of this film… Hervé Fucking Villechaize. Tattoo from Fantasy Island’s ghost will be in the theatre with you.
Animation, Blackface, Nudity! Bring the kids!
WED JULY 30th, 8:00 PM
American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theater
Up for grabs now is one of very few remaining screen-used Hoverboard props from Back to the Future part II. At the BALLSY opening price of $30,000, the props master putting the board on the market is living in Bob Zemeckis’ fantasy world where he believes it may actually grab 50 grand! That’s Heavy! If you act now, he’ll throw in the flux capaciter and a tube of Plutonium!
Motherfucker, i can BUILD you a hoverboard for $200, maybe less. And I’ll spray you with acid so you can pretend Griff and his gang are chasing you around in the future! Sadly, the Hill Valley town square is no more so you’ll have to settle for your front yard. (I’m bringing the video camera)
But really, this baby is worth the price, it will look Radical in the back window of your Delorean. Good Luck and Happy Bidding!
Rihanna wandered onto the set of NIN’s “Closer“, and this sexiness happened. Thanks again, LaChapelle, for another amazing video. She’s in my top 5 for girl crushes. I would go gay for her Barbadian ass. That spiderweb swimsuit is out of control. She is so close to perfect, it’s not even funny.
One summer when I was visiting my father in Colorado, he lived out on a ranch and if I didn’t go with him to the bars and honky tonks he used to play (they’d let kids hang out and play darts and drink cherry coke back then because they weren’t Nazis like they are now) then I would be back at the ranch playing Nintendo or watching T.V.
That summer I must have seen at least 80 episodes of The Golden Girls. I’m sure everyone agrees. It was a Good fucking show. And the formula for Sex in the City: 4 old bats in Florida, who knew?
It was funny that she was actually one of the younger members of the cast, playing the oldest. I think Sofia taught us a lot about living for today. Cause tomorrow it could all be over. Thanks, Estelle.
Last weekend in Los Angeles was VH1’s Rock Honors Weekend celebrating The Who and you could absolutely not escape the promo for this event. 2 of the club events I attended under the umbrella of this occasion were Sunday’s Toms Shoes Benefit @ the Hotel Cafe and Monday’s Steel Panther show at the Key Club. Reviews Below, but first… The WINNER of the AvantTrash/Filter Magazine/VH1 Rock Honors “WHO AM I?” CONTEST!
The Questions: and answers.
1. I can’t hear, I can’t talk, I can’t see. Who am I? “Pinball Wizard” or “Tommy, Can You Hear Me” Were both acceptable answers.
2. No one knows what it’s like to be me. I’m sad. Maybe even bad. Who am I? “Behind Blue Eyes” was the correct answer but a couple people answered Brick or Jumbo, which was a more amazing answer. So I decided to reward the winner for ignoring the rules (I was looking for the song title, not the narrator) and giving the more nerd-tastic answer.
3. I’m not old, I live on the Isle of Man. Kids can’t hurt me but they try, try, try. They ride on my head with furry donkeys. They can’t prevent me from being what I am. Who am I? “Happy Jack”…of course.
The winner of The Who prize pack was David Basile of Valley Springs, NY who says, “I really enjoy your site, good content, your contests are the best!”
So congrats David! Cheers!
——–
Sunday, July 13th, The Hotel Cafe’s Toms Shoes Benefit, Hollywood, CA
Sunday’s show was nearly a who’s-who (pun accidentally intended) of Hotel Cafe Singer/Songwriter regulars, headlined by the always amazing elder statesman Butch Walker (long ago of The Marvelous 3). Also playing sets were Greg Laswell (who had an album release show the night previous) and Cary Brothers (not siblings, one guy). Honestly I felt a bit aglazed (fuck you spellcheck i made the word up) Sunday and didn’t show up until the last 6 (of 14) performers took the stage. The cause was noble enough: Toms Shoes has a philosophy where for every pair of their shoes they sell, they donate a pair to needy foreign children. Unfortunately the show didn’t have much to stand on. Too much sausage and not enough talented ladies at the end of the night. Butch Walker’s set was full of “new” and “in progress” songs bound for their inevitable obscurity. Walker’s music is too amazing for public consumption (thankfully?), leading many to call him “The best musician you’ve never heard of”. I put “quoteys” around “new” because although they haven’t been released yet (album delayed) I’ve heard some of these songs nearly half a dozen times live (see “Atlanta”). But a good thing about Butch Walker is the way he lets the fans hear his songs evolve between live show and recording. Somehow “Racecars and Goth Rock” from 2004’s Letters sounded better in it’s acoustic “California Gridlock” bootleg form. This trial by fire of sorts has also made some of Butch’s compositions some of the best category-free Rock and Roll of the last 10 years. As per his 1 downer song per album trend I jokingly noted that there would probably be a new song about someone dying and sure enough he sprung one into his set titled something along the lines of “I drove by your house, I saw his car, I thought of you”. I give Butch’s show-and-tell performance a 7/10. It would be unfair to judge the rest, I wasn’t really paying attention.
I didn’t hear any WHO covers that evening.
Monday, July 14th, Steel Panther @ The Key Club, West Hollywood, CA
Big Hair, Spandex, Synchronized Guitar Coreography, Hair Solos, Simulated Oral Sex and Tits. If you’ve never seen the Steel Panther (formerly Metal Shop Metal Skool) show @ the Key Club, then you must truly hate Hair Metal and all things Sunset Strip. Either that or it has somehow remained under your radar despite its continued success. A packed house, every monday? But why? Because it’s hilarious, brilliant, crude, disgusting and shamefully nostalgic. What it boils down to are 4 Hair Metal maestros with Studio Musician cred, playing covers with amazing accuracy and more importantly…enthusiasm. Some Mondays are better than others, but this one was pretty good. I’ve seen better nights and I’ve seen worse. And almost always that has to do with how many of the regular special guests they have joining them during their set. Usually it will be a figure from the glorious 80’s hayday, a slumming pop icon, or in this instance another piece of 80s nostalgia… William Zabka. You know perhaps know him best as “Sweep the leg, Johnny” from The Karate Kid. (or if you are really cool from “Just One of the Guys” or “European Vacation”.) “Billy” as he was addressed by the band, played guitar on a cover of Van Halen’s “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” and actually did a pretty good job. Unfortunately David Cassidy’s older brother was also in the house and played drums on the track…causing its calamitous ending to die in a whimper.
Adding to the festivities was a bevy of what looked like Jager shots delivered to the birthday boy, “53 year old bassist” Lexxi Foxxx. If you go, I suggest you get a birds-eye view of the debauchery from the balcony. You will also get an eye full of L.A.’s biggest douches rubbing metal flake Christian Audiger’d shoulders with semi-famous musicians and personalites of L.A.’s Past and Present (but mostly past). Steel Panther doesn’t take the stage until 12:15 so I suggest you head down to the famous Rainbow Bar and Grill for a bite (great food) and few pre-party drinks (cheaper than the Key Club). 2nd to the food and drink is the amazing people-watching; which is so beautiful it is hard to put into words …there will be fringe, feathered and dyed bangs, spandex and cellulite and probably a few guys who have played Jason or Michael Myers (or could if they removed the masks).
The only Who cover performed was “My Generation” with the lyrics replaced with rhymes about well… groupies mostly. There were masks of Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend circulating the crowd, Half of a Daltry made its way to Michael Starr for the final set of rhymes before the finale. Although sometimes the show borders on the bad side of “Girls Gone Wild”… it is just one of those L.A. things that you have to see. 8.3/10
On July 2nd of this year, occasional member of Queens of the Stone Age, Natasha Shneider, succumbed to cancer leaving behind a elegant legacy and some unfortunate financial obligations.
In her honor, QOTSA will be holding a concert at the Music Box @ the Fonda on Saturday, August 16th. Joining them will be an army of Rock and Roll guests including PJ Harvey, Jack Black + Kyle Gass (not billed as Tenacious D), Matt Cameron (Soundgarden), Brody Dalle (The Distillers), Jesse “The Devil” Hughes (Eagles of Death Metal), Billy F. Gibbons (lead beard player from ZZ Top), Chris Goss (QOTSA Producer), and Alain Johannes (Eleven). Natasha’s band, Eleven, included members of what would become the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Tickets are $100 with proceeds going to offset Natasha Schneiders remaining medical and burial costs. Donations are also being accepted through http://www.natashashneider.org.
RECAP:
Queens Of The Stone Age w/Guests
The Music Box @ Fonda - 6126 Hollywood Blvd. - Hollywood, CA
All Ages Show - $100
Whatever they’ve written about The Dark Knight. It’s all true.
Heath Ledger’s swan song was breathtaking. This is the insane, full force, no bullshit Joker that every Batman Comics reader has hoped would see reality. His magnificent performance pushes this highest-caliber crime drama completely beyond the superhero genre. Christopher Nolan has thrown us to the absolute bottom of the rabbit hole. The plot twists like a leviathan and fearlessly spares NO ONE. My biggest concern is that this movie killed the franchise. Enjoy this movie… there may be nowhere left to go from here.
The marketing was perhaps the best that has ever been in American Cinema. If you believe The Dark Knight is over hyped, then you haven’t seen it yet.
9.4/10 - I’m not telling you this is the perfect movie, It felt a bit stretched and sometimes hard to swallow… but its faults are few and far between. This Is Art.
Should you be in Hollywood and lucky enough to catch it at the Arclight, Costumes from the film and the Bat Pod will be on display this weekend. Who’s ready for The Watchmen?
Full Frontal Male Nudity is not a staple of most performances I’ve seen at the UCB Theatre, but the exception seems to be Midnight on every 3rd Saturday of the Month when the Dirtiest Sketch in L.A. Contest tries to live up to it’s name. The concept is simple: 2 great hosts, 3 “celebrity” judges and a half dozen or so teams put on a sketch show aimed at the shock and disgust of the audience. Winner take all…er, $3.07.
Naturally in the assumed mecca of depravity that is Hollywood you expect nothing less than entertainment suited for the Sadist ring of Dante’s Inferno, thankfully most performances come pretty close to meeting that expectation.
Of course the mind can paint the dirtiest pictures of what you would hope to see but perhaps that level is more suited for Tijuana than California. Liberal as it is here, there always seem to be limits. Either that or just the realization that we live in a city that is all talk. But I digress, because i don’t expect to see a donkey show in this setting (although i was told that one performance involved intercourse with a pig’s head), i do expect that there will be a few select brave individuals who would break right through the limits of decency. Which thankfully they always do.
And although sometimes the humor can go for the lowest common denominator…in a bad way; the writing can also be brilliant and full of a truth so profane that it will shake you down the innocent person that still lives inside of you. Most of the world just isn’t ready for that. So whether you are there to see slapstick and simulated bodily fluids (literally any and all of them) or a brilliant monologue about fucking the life out of a still beating heart (srsly), Dirtiest Sketch is not to be missed. You sick motherfucker.
So I was doing one of those random, time-wasting searches on YouTube, when I stumbled across a video on how to apply makeup to look like a particular star (notice I failed to mention which one I stumbled across). In this video was this smiley, unassuming girl with a funny little accent, who was very natural on camera, and very skilled at makeup application. I saw that she had tons of makeup tutorials on YouTube, so I spent a good couple hours watching them.
Turns out this friendly face was Lauren Luke, who has been putting these videos up online for over a year now. Lauren (panacea81), 26-year-old mother of one, got tired of her job and decided to do something she loved. She started selling cosmetics and makeup brushes on eBay, and instead of putting pictures of the say, mango-orange eyeshadow, she took pictures of herself wearing said eyeshadow. Then she began to get requests for tutorials. Her videos became more and more popular, and she soon began getting requests on how to look like Leona Lewis in her new music video, or say, Britney Spears in the video for Toxic. Now she’s one of the most well-known makeup artists in the world, and her videos are some of the most viewed on YouTube, with over 8 million hits.
Lauren was completely self-taught, a lover of makeup and crazy colors (much like myself) and experimenting with them. She’s recently began taking beauty school classes, to ‘brush up on the basics’. Off camera, she is quiet and timid, and admits to having few friends.
I think she came up with a million-dollar idea that has global appeal for women who want to learn how to use makeup. YouTube has recently begun a partnership with its most popular channels, and through this Lauren could potentially bank. Not to mention that her viral popularity has caught the eye of cosmetic brands like MAC, Stila and Barry M Cosmetics, the latter of which has her making videos for their own website, reviewing their products and using them in her tutorials. She is such a personable, humble girl to be such a huge YouTube star-one of the most popular channels in the UK. And myself being of the ‘non-stick-sized’ variety, it is so refreshing to see someone real succeeding in the cosmetics/beauty industry.
I personally want to thank Lauren, not only for setting an example for people afraid of pursuing their dreams, or for being a role model for the real girls out there, proving that you don’t have to look the way movies or magazines tell you to look in order to be happy and/or successful, but most of all, for bringing a little color into the world, and helping others feel beautiful and confident. Girl power, rar!
I went to the Midnight showing of Hellboy II: The Golden Army tonight and fucking loved it. This is an epic that goes so far beyond being “just a comic book movie” that I consider it a moving piece of art. Guillermo Del Toro has proven once again that as a director he has total control over an AMAZING army of costumers, visual fx hordes and production designers. His unique fantasy aesthetic mixed with Mike Mingola’s brilliant characters bring Hellboy II to life with 10x the flesh of his indie-esque endeavors. It has proven that you can throw money at brilliance and return something positive.
Danny Elfman’s score is at once subtle and appropriate AND a bold storytelling symbiont, it took me half the film to figure out that it was even his! Perhaps the boldest musical choice was the mix of Rock Songs (namely the vintage Eels track) to push the narrative and successfully keep the slow points (the non-punchy shooty stuff) to a minimum.
But once again I can’t stress the amazing work of the artisans who crafted this film. The phrase of “too many cooks in the kitchen” does not apply to this film which must have had some amazing head chefs to produce this NON-STOP occular feast. Jim Henson and Stan Winston would weep if they could see the creativity in this SEAMLESS mix of CGI and good old fashioned creature effects.
As far as the acting goes it is a bit comic book-y but um, duh, it came from a fucking comic book. What do you want? That aside acting was fair, Seth McFarlane’s Germanic accent was a bit stressingly humorous, the fantasy characters melodromatic in an “I’m in 100 lbs. of foam rubber and you want me to be Peter-fucking-O’Tool for christsakes!” kind of way. The exception being Doug Jones’ triple costume duty which is probably as hard as it looks. And I think Selma Blair is hot.
But you’re now screaming, “What about the plot?” Because surely we have seen a bevy of movies lately trying to push a piece of shit plot through with an overload of Eye Candy to trick us right? Well, Not Really. Although Rotten Tomatoes is already rating 100% for The Dark Knight, calling it a crime drama on par with HEAT, I can’t say Hellboy II would get that kind of presumptive acclaim from this reviewer. HOWEVER! This movie is a fantasy, and a fucking good one at that. Deal with it.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army, directed by Guillermo Del Toro gets an 8.5/10 because I have an art degree and this movie makes Damien Hurst look like Jeff Koons made me cum in my pants and want to become a Production Artist.
This all being said. AliUptown and I already have our tickets for the Midnight showing of The Dark Knight next week. Sorry you only have a week to shine, Hellboy. Can’t wait for you to destroy the world in the 3rd!
If you have a time machine, you can always kick it old school.
In my top 5 movies of all time you will find Back To The Future, which I saw in theatres back in 1985. I didn’t want to go, the Dark Cauldron was out that weekend as well. But my Mom dragged my sister and I to see the movie… and I think I never opted to see a kids movie ever again. And I’m a dork. It should also be noted that I live 150 feet from the Hollywood United Methodist Church (the actual location of the ‘Enchantment Under the Sea’ Dance where Marty plays Johnny B. Goode). But we’ve already established that I am a dork…let’s move on.
I saw BTTF:2 on New Years of ‘89/’90 and after witnessing the future scenes it wasn’t just a new year once I left the theatre… it was a new world! Well up on ebay right now is a working prototype of one of Marty McFly’s Nike Air Mags. Bidding began at $1,000 and is now at $2,025 with 8 days left.
This comes shortly after Nike themselves introduced the Back To The Future II inspired shoe which may be a little more affordable, but not much more wearable in public unless you have an orange vest and suspenders. And although they don’t even light up or autolace, they will probably match your Delorean.
But the real question is when will they sell us the hoverboard?
[ADDENDUM: SUN: JULY: 13 2AM]
Today I recieved an email from the folks partially responsible for getting the Nike 2015 Hyperdunks into production. Namely the Maloof brothers @ www.mcfly2015.com {link is down: click here for cached version} gathered 41,000 signatures online and the Prez of Nike still wouldn’t hook them up with a pair! They’d asked him if Nike was planning to produce a faithful McFly “Slamball” shoe (with working autolace and glowing logo) to which CEO and President Mark Parker responded, “The voices have been heard. Stay Tuned!”. Read about their press here.
Thanks for the tips Mickey Maloof and good luck on your quest! I share your dream and hope it becomes a reality. You know if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.
For $22 (with a portion donated to charity, for your guilt-free buying needs) you can buy me this poster for my living room….cause I don’t feel like tattooing L.A. or CA on my other arm just yet, and I really want this!
Speaking of local pride: I saw Tilly and the Wall tonight here at the Echoplex and they were great! (i’d seen them opening for Neva Dinova at Knickerbockers in Lincoln before and both shows were so much fun, Tilly i mean, I don’t get Neva Dinova. I think they kinda suck.) But I’m aboslutely in love with their single “Pot Kettle Black” and am thrilled that another Omaha band have finally broken through. And Kianna Alarid is gorgeous and has the voice of a young Belinda Carlisle. And just to namedrop; both Blake Sennett and Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley were there. I swear I see her around town AT LEAST once a month, for real. (at a Cursive show, at Beauty Bar last week, by a salon in Silverlake…)
We got lots of posts in the works, We got a namedrop on the world famous Splattercast from our friends over at DEADLANTERN.COM, had a massive spike in hits, some graphic updates to the site and will reveal the winner of The Who contest this weekend. More contests to come (cleaning out our closets).
For those of you that enjoy “extreme relaxation”, your day has come. Serious. This is a real product on the market. That one could actually purchase.
Drank is apparently the latest “lifestyle” beverage to hit the market. Considered the anti-energy drink, it combines Valerian Root, Rose Hips, and Melatonin to “slow your roll” after a hectic day. It also promises to sharpen your attention at the same time. For reals. And it’s chock-full of sugar, much like its energy-drink counterpoints. Sensing a conflict in the product information?
Part of the inspiration for this ridiculous beverage comes from Purple Drank, a recreational drug of choice for some, a mere cough suppressant for others. Woah, my roll has definitely slowed.
Look for this carbonated clusterfuck in liquor stores in the near future. I bet it goes great with vodka…
Waiting for the #72 bus after work today, an ad at the bus stop caught my eye. It was an advertisement for Tru:Blood, a “synthetic blood nourishment beverage”. I was taken aback that there might actually be an alcoholic beverage that catered to freaks like me who have an obsession with interest in vampires. With a tagline like “friends don’t let friends drink friends”, I had to get a closer look. Upon further inspection, I saw that the ad was actually part of a marketing campaign for the new HBO show, True Blood.
Alan Ball, “Six Feet Under” creator, returns to HBO with True Blood, a series based on the Southern Vampire Mysteries books by Charlaine Harris. The show details the fictional co-existence of vampires and humans in a small Louisiana town after Japanese-made synthetic blood – “TruBlood” – becomes available for purchase. Anna Paquin stars as Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress at a diner who falls in love with one of the vampires, Bill Compton, who is played by Stephen Moyer-yeah, I don’t know who that is either. But hey-check out this giant piece of man. He plays Liam. Not that I know who that is, but apparently he’s a tattooed, sex-addicted vampire, so consider me interested.
The show’s premiere on September 7th has been prefaced with a viral marketing campaign, based at BloodCopy.com. This has included setting up multiple websites, encoding web addresses into unmarked envelopes mailed to high profile blog writers (I’ll assume my unmarked envelope got lost in the mail), a wikipedia entry collating info, and even a MySpace account (username: “Blood”) complete with video postings.
Author Harris admits that her vampire is a metaphor for minorities, and how they are perceived in society. In the show, vampires have decided to ‘come out of the coffin’ (their terminology, not mine), upon the advent of TruBlood. This is where the show seems be different from other vampire shows and movies-the focus is not on becoming a vampire, but the integration of vampires into everyday society, and the distrust and racism (mortalism?) that inevitably follows.
So…I’m pretty sure the marketing campaign is going to end up being more interesting than the actual show. Although I did learn a new word researching the show: Fangbangers–women who sleep with vampires. Loves it!
Eh, I’ll still watch it, I’m sure. But if it’s super lame, I’m gonna be pissed that it got picked up, and a second season of Moonlight didn’t.
[intr0vert’s Additional images: L.A. - click to enlarge]
Because so many summer movies suck, I’ve been watching them for free on watch-movies.net. I am so glad I didn’t fork over real monies to see turd sandwiches like Zohan, The Love Guru and the Happening… all of which I watched today.
Midway through Zohan I noticed an actor playing a redneck and said to myself, “Is that Dave Fucking Matthews?” I actually said this aloud because I haven’t talked to a real human being in a couple days and I’m a little crazy. But then I checked his IMDB and noticed that he has 2 more upcoming acting gigs. Are there no more actors? I see out of work douchebags all the time here, surely they could use a job.
One of those films is in pre-production right now called The Other Side and among the co-stars of what could be an amazing rock-opera is Maynard James Keenan (of Tool, listed with 6 roles), Alanis Morissette (mentioned on this site last week), Jason Lee, Eddie Izzard and Woody Harrelson. And a couple more douchey scientologists not worth mentioning. Everyone has weird character names that sound like they came out of Harmony Korine films so hopefully next year when it comes out I’ll have something that I can actually see in a theatre. Well I guess I don’t mind if they get rid of these “superstars”. Their movies are shit.
But please, don’t go making films based on YouTube clips just yet.
On my way home from the gym tonight I noticed some new ads in HBO’s brilliant subversive Marketing campaign for True Blood. Two days ago these posters were pristine and I didn’t even read them. Today I’d noticed that another layer of posters had been added to mimic vandalism by anti-vampire integration types. Brilliant. (CLICK ON IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE ADS)
You need more? Needy bastard…sheesh. Well here is an AMAZING write-up from 
Sunday’s show was nearly a who’s-who (pun accidentally intended) of Hotel Cafe Singer/Songwriter regulars, headlined by the always amazing elder statesman Butch Walker (long ago of The Marvelous 3). Also playing sets were Greg Laswell (who had an album release show the night previous) and Cary Brothers (not siblings, one guy). Honestly I felt a bit aglazed (fuck you spellcheck i made the word up) Sunday and didn’t show up until the last 6 (of 14) performers took the stage. The 
