Posted by Vee | September 2, 2010, 11:37 (EST) | 2 Comments
Category: TV Series

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, folks, but it looks like Paul Wesley has had to cancel his previously scheduled appearance at Dragon*Con in Atlanta, which happens this weekend. If you’re still heading to the Con, Rob Pralgo (the late Mayor Lockwood) will be in attendance, and it looks like Vampire Diaries will have a few panels throughout the weekend (thanks, @mrsoshimbo). You can download an event program from the official Dragon*Con website.

We know this made a lot of Bloodlines: Insurgence ticket holders on Twitter nervous this morning, but as far as know and can tell, the Sept. 10-12 con in London is still a go for Paul, Ian Somerhalder, and Michael Trevino. The minute we hear anything different, we will absolutely let you know.

Posted by Lee MacOdrum | September 2, 2010, 10:25 (EST) | 11 Comments
Category: TV Series

Countdown to The Return is a series of guest posts by Vampire Diaries fans on topics they’re pondering as we head into Season 2. Blogger Lee MacOdrum looks at the history of werewolves in folklore and pop culture and ponders how Vampire Diaries will make its mark in lycanthrope legend.

In folklore, we know him as vaukalak, hombre lobo, lupo mannaro, loup-garou, lycanthropos. In pop culture, we know him as Lawrence Talbot, David Kessler, Will Randall, Lucian, Jacob Black, Alcide, George Sands. He is the lukos anthropos: the werewolf. And in a few short days, the names of Mason and Tyler Lockwood will be added to his legend. I can’t wait! Ever since Tyler’s wolf-tastic yellow eye peered up at that perplexed paramedic, this particular arc has had me on the edge of my seat in anticipation for Season Two to begin.

One of the things that initially drew me to The Vampire Diaries was the way in which the show’s writers cleverly combined traditional folklore and pop culture perceptions with a pinch of their own original spin to create the show’s vampire lore. Now they have the same opportunity with werewolves and I am stoked.

To date, we know our Lockwood lycanthropes will shift into “real wolf” forms (nod to folklore) and their change will be dependent on the full moon (nod to pop culture), but if the residents of Mystic Falls are going to make it out of this one alive (well, some of them anyway), two vital questions still need answering: How does one become a werewolf? And how does one kill a werewolf?

While we wait in fevered anticipation for The Vampire Diaries reveal, I thought it might be fun to take a quick look at how folklore and pop culture werewolf mythology has answered these questions before.

CLICK TO CONTINUE READING “LOCKWOODS, LEGENDS & LYCANTHROPES – OH MY!”

Posted by Vee | September 2, 2010, 9:11 (EST) | 15 Comments
Category: TV Series

Carina MacKenzie has posted another tidbit from her series of Vampire Diaries on-set cast interviews, and this time it’s Ian Somerhalder waxing philosophical on what Season 2 holds for Damon Salvatore. READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT ZAP2IT and watch the chat below.

Posted by Vee | September 2, 2010, 0:00 (EST) | 18 Comments
Category: TV Series

…”Katherine?”

And Vampire Diaries fans across the land gave each other hi-fives. Except John, of course. What else can we say about Founder’s Day as it puts the capper on the CW’s Season 1 encore run? How about this: BRING ON THE RETURN! Vampire Diaries Season 2 kicks off next Thursday, Sept. 9th at 8/7c. Now’s time to lend that Vampire Diaries S1 DVD to friends and spread the word that our show is back with a vengeance. Want a goal? See if the Season 2 premiere can’t blow the series premiere ratings outta the water.

Catch up on this past week’s posts!

• Review – The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season DVD
• Entertainment Weekly: B+ for Vampire Diaries’ Season 2 premiere
• Toronto Sun interview with Candice + Maiara Walsh to guest star
• Countdown to The Return: Who’s afraid of the big, bad wolf?
• CW’s Sexy Beast promo for Vampire Diaries’ return on Sept. 9th
• Candice, Michael & Sara featured in NYLON magazine
• Short promo trailers from Malaysia for Stefan, Elena, and Damon
• Happy Vampire Diaries Season 1 DVD release day, North America!
• New interview with Sara + Nina on Emmy red carpet (video)
• Ian, Nina, and Paul thanks Vampire Diaries fans for their support (video)
• Nina Dobrev’s Emmy awards appearance (video)
• Nina Dobrev at the 62nd Emmy Awards (photos + video)
• E!Online interview with Vampire Diaries guest star Courtney Ford
• Win a Vampire Support t-shirt in the Vampire Stalkers essay contest
• Official synopsis of Brave New World (EP202)
• Two stunning new Vampire Diaries Season 2 promo posters
• Ian Somerhalder’s Sexiest Beast feature in Entertainment Weekly
• First episode still from Bad Moon Rising (EP203)

Posted by Red | September 1, 2010, 18:46 (EST) | 10 Comments
Category: TV Series

Now, you guys don’t need me to review the TV series. All you have to do is look around this website to find out all you need to know about the show, and just how fantastic we think it is. If you haven’t seen it, then watch it. Now. That’s an order. Trust me, you’ll thank us for it. So assuming you’re all fans, you’re here to find out about the DVD; what the set looks like, what special features there are, how good they are, and just what Vee wore for her DVD interview (a fetching rust-brown jacket and an amber pendant that puts Bonnie’s to shame, just so you know).

Packaging

When I initially saw the proposed cover for the DVD, I was a little disappointed at the use of an image that had been used in so much advertising already. I’ve had time to get over that, and while it may be overused, it is at least symbolic of the show. The rest of the artwork on this DVD set is pretty fantastic, though, with illustrations of scroll work, vines and crows on the the spine, top and back of the cardboard sleeve. There’s also a movie poster-type image of the main trio on the back of the plastic DVD case.

I have to say that I’m impressed with how economical this packaging is. It’s got five discs packed into a standard DVD case (six in the case of the Target DVDs with the bonus Paley disc). It has everything you need without wasting materials like a lot of DVD box sets have a tendency to do. The Vampire Diaries set is going green, and it’s fantastic to see that the WB have produced a DVD set that fits with that ethos.

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING THE REVIEW

Posted by Vee | September 1, 2010, 13:07 (EST) | 23 Comments
Category: TV Series

Entertainment Weekly’s Ken Tucker has seen The Return – the premiere episode of Vampire Diaries Season 2 – and his score is a solid B+, with a special comment on Taylor Kinney’s Mason Lockwood. WARNING: Vague spoilers, but spoilers just the same! You have been warned.

But the throbbing red heart of The Vampire Diaries remains the tension between Damon and Paul Wesley’s Stefan, and their mutual attraction to whomever Dobrev is embodying at the time. ”She’s Katherine! She loves to play games!” splutters Damon in the season opener. It’s not long after this that she plays a romantic game with him that will doubtless have reverberations throughout the season. As Katherine says: ”Game on.”

READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW OVER AT ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY.

Also, as a side comment: SpikeTV’s Scream Awards 2010 nominees have been announced and not a single nomination for The Vampire Diaries? LAME.

Posted by Vee | September 1, 2010, 11:17 (EST) | 5 Comments
Category: TV Series

The Toronto Sun has a brief chat with Candice Accola in anticipation of Vampire Diaries’ return on Sept. 9. She talks about the growth of Caroline Forbes as a character and what she’s meant to represent within the show, as well as what’s in store for Caroline in Season 2:

“In season two, there are some awesome plot lines, the audience is going to be so excited,” Accola said. “For Caroline, she’s searching to figure out who she is and where she fits, in this town and in everyone’s life. And there are some obstacles thrown in front of her.”

READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW AT THE TORONTO SUN.

TV Guide Magazine’s William Keck has revealed that Desperate Housewives’ Maiara Walsh will guest star in the fifth episode of Vampire Diaries (to air October 7th) as a high schooler who gets her flirt on with Jeremy. READ ALL ABOUT IT AT TV GUIDE.

Posted by Erin Brown | August 31, 2010, 21:22 (EST) | 37 Comments
Category: TV Series

Countdown to The Return is a series of guest posts by Vampire Diaries fans on topics they’re pondering as we head into Season 2. Blogger Erin Brown is having a fangirl crisis and a certain Lockwood’s animal magnetism is to blame.

For the record, I’m a Stefan girl; I’ve always been a Stefan girl.

I’d like to blame David Boreanaz for all of this, of course – Angel/Angelus, aka the Original Captain Brood – for instilling my love of a tortured expression on a handsome face, but in truth, I’ve always loved a good moper with supernatural abilities and chiseled features; one who is ever-searching for his redemption by playing the good guy and being the better man…or at least an undead version of.

Paul Wesley, playing Stefan Salvatore, of course filled all of these expectations. The eyes, the abs, the forehead that has more acting skills than all the Baldwin brothers put together (what are there, like a million? Forgive me, but I lost count at William) and the smouldering, bruised expression? If we were going on stereotypes, it made more sense than chocolate and peanut butter: Stefan Salvatore had me well before hello.

But as the premiere of the next chapter in Mystic Falls history draws nigh, I find myself needing to make a confession.

It’s the eve of a new season and I am being seriously courted by another team.

Yes.

I’m looking at YOU, Tyler Lockwood. With your cougar-loving, bad boy, my-daddy-issues-have-issues ways, and anti-emo-Jeremyness…ness.

CLICK TO CONTINUE READING “WHO’S AFRAID OF THE BIG, BAD WOLF?”