The Dossing Times » HBO http://www.thedossingtimes.com/blog Blogging...instead of doing something useful. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:21:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 True Blood; Season 1 http://www.thedossingtimes.com/blog/2009/09/21/true-blood-season-1/ http://www.thedossingtimes.com/blog/2009/09/21/true-blood-season-1/#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:31:22 +0000 ck http://www.thedossingtimes.com/blog/?p=3426 Throughout ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ there was often a suggestion of slaying and hunting evil being an aphrodisiac, an animalistic urge and a source of appetite. Where a parallel was created between fighting and sex, said sex was shot with a teen audience in mind and only bare shoulders exposed. ‘True Blood’, similarly centred on a feisty gifted blonde and a brooding tortured vampire, is far less subtle in its attempts to portray the charisma associated with vampires, with sexual undertones becoming overt overtones, bare shoulders now bare everything and in perhaps the most graphic scene of Season 1, a vampire emerges from beneath the earth to the shock of his love interest and the intensity of the moment has them wordlessly get to it in the middle of the graveyard.

So ‘True Blood’ is trashy, it is also a Gothic Southern tale of a world where vampires are ‘out’, fighting for their rights and interacting with a set of dysfunctional town folk in the deep south of America, along with their attachments to religion, drink and small minds. This HBO show based on a set of novels, takes its own interpretation of vampire mythology and introduces the town of Bon Temps, Louisana, its inhabitants and a murder mystery. Central to the story, though apart for much of the series are brother and sister, Sookie and Jason Stackhouse. Sookie, portrayed by Anna Paquin, in what is a much travelled trip to TV for an established movie actor, is the most notable name amongst the cast of ’seen them somewhere before’ actors. Sookie, unique in her own way, falls for the vampire, who comes with much baggage, while Jason seems primarily concerned with being naked for most of his time on screen and soon develops an addiction to vampire blood, a prime example of the atypical take the show brings to real world events. Surrounding them are a mix of characters, caught up in very real problems each laced with supernatural elements.

The show is dripping in sensuality with the characters southern drawls and not unattractive physiques, and the cast are all excellent, no one coming across as having any reservations and giving a strange weightiness to what could be bizarre storylines, which could alienate a more mainstream audience. Supernatural events occur, are not overly explained and we are asked to take then on board as a matter of fact in these peoples lives as much as the fact their parents may be alcoholics or their bosses may secretly love them. The show shamelessly aims for drama, with each episode ending on a cliff-hanger; there is almost an exploitive approach to how episodes are constructed, but the paceful, humorous and again trashy vibe keeps you gripped. Its a proper calibre of guilty pleasure.

Season 1 is airing on FX at the moment and coming to 3E shortly and Season 2 is receiving high praise, which is against the mould for a TV series normally. There are some bum notes to Season 1, including an anti-climactic season finale, but True Blood is a smart unique take on a conventional drama series, with characters, fang bangers and a who-dunnit to tap into our instinctive watching interests.

]]> http://www.thedossingtimes.com/blog/2009/09/21/true-blood-season-1/feed/ 0 Flight of the Conchords Movie? http://www.thedossingtimes.com/blog/2009/03/26/flight-of-the-conchords-movie/ http://www.thedossingtimes.com/blog/2009/03/26/flight-of-the-conchords-movie/#comments Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:17:37 +0000 ck http://www.thedossingtimes.com/blog/?p=3014 As with so many stories, this is mere speculation generated on a simple comment. News, at least that surrounding movies and dare I say it celebrity, seems to be about what could happen as much as what is happening. So cast your eyes to the post title and note the ‘question mark’ is there for good reason.

The possibility of a movie comes from a comment from Rhys Darby, who plays Murray, manager to the Kiwi band at the centre of ‘Flight of the Conchords’ who has suggested that one of the creators of the series likes the idea of doing a movie based on the show. Sigh! I’d prefer to wait for Jim Carreys Oscar nominations than bank on this becoming a reality. And admittedly, while I do love the show and Season 2 is next on my list of DVD purchases, I dont know how well it lends itself to a movie format. The episodes are absolute oddities, over 2 hours I think they might collapse under the weight of bizareness.

Read my previous praise for the show here.

]]> http://www.thedossingtimes.com/blog/2009/03/26/flight-of-the-conchords-movie/feed/ 0 The One to Watch: ‘In Treatment’ http://www.thedossingtimes.com/blog/2009/02/28/the-one-to-watch-in-treatment/ http://www.thedossingtimes.com/blog/2009/02/28/the-one-to-watch-in-treatment/#comments Sat, 28 Feb 2009 12:18:39 +0000 ck http://www.thedossingtimes.com/blog/?p=2920 Gabriel Byrne won a Golden Globe in the early weeks of 2009 for this HBO show, which is another entry in the output of this cable network that sets it apart from, well, anything else on television. Byrne plays a therapist and each episode focuses on one therapy session. The show will play 5 nights a week, with a night each week centreing on 1 client. The format is inspired by an Israeli show ‘Betipul’ but we won’t hold that against it. Reviews would have you believe the show could be very wordy and angsty, an intellectualised soap opera or it could be compelling.

‘In Treatment’ begins at 11 on Monday on 3e and is followed by the Jimmy Kimmel Show. This could amount to a great hour of television to unwind to at night.

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