The Dark Muse Sings

There are moods that come and go for me as a writer. While most of my stories tend to be romantically inspired, I write in several different subgenres. One of my favorites has always been fantasy. You can do anything in fantasy, and yet the more realistic the worlds you create are, the better the fantasy. I've also enjoyed writing dark fantasy for as long as I can remember. Vampires, werewolves, zombies, even mummies.

The very first novel length story I wrote back in high school was about a ballet instructor who fell in love with a vampire. It turned out that the vampire had a twin brother, who was seducing her behind his brother's back, in an attempt to create a new race of half-human/half-vampires that would one day take over the world... I still have that story somewhere. It turned out very badly, but I was so passionate about it at the time that I could wait to grow up and write dozens upon dozens of vampire novels.

It was Anne Rice who pushed me over the edge. Of course, I'd been dabbling in the macabre as long as I'd been reading. As a kid I'd dig out every ghost story in the library and bring it home. This was long before the Goosebumps series was ever created, so there weren't as many stories to choose from then as there are now. My mom was a big Stephen King fan, so I read all of her books after she finished them, discovering my immense fear of clowns just around the time I turned 13, as that was the year I read IT. That same summer, I also read Salem's Lot. Needless to say, it was one of the most terrifying novels I ever read, and I spent two weeks sleeping with the blankets up tight against my neck. Anne Rice made the vampires beautiful though. The fear factor was still there, but it was a tempting fear, and during those early years, while following Lestat from adventure to misadventure, I fell in love with everything vampires stood for.

After we got home from the movies yesterday, I had the strongest pull to write about vampires again, possibly with a werewolf twist. I haven't written a vampire story in so long, that I almost forgot how to do it, but an idea came to me in full form and before the end of the evening I started my introductory chapter. At this point, I'd love to find a way to keep the idea I have as a short story, but the complexity may not allow for it. We shall see. Either way, I'm pleased with how much I've already gotten done on it. The three main characters have all been introduced, two of them named even, and the protagonist has already been clearly established.

I got a lot of writing done today, and for that I am incredibly grateful. I knew all it would take was a bit of action, and then inspiration and motivation would both follow in full force. Now, it's half an hour before bed time, and I'm thinking I need to see if I can get in another 500 words before hitting the hay.

'Night all.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, A Review

Ever since that fated scene in Underworld when Michael Corvin sees the truth of Lucian's history in his blood, I have been fascinated with Lucian's past and the story of Sonja and Lucian, a forbidden love affair between Vampire and Lycan. There was an inkling of hope in me at the time that one day a great movie would rise out of the ashes of Lucian's story, but I never dreamed it would actually take place.

I saw the first preview for Underworld: Rise of the Lycans while watching the Battlestar Galactica series four webisodes in December. I was so excited by the prospect of seeing a fantasy movie come to life that I immediately paused the webisode and started googling for more details about Rise of the Lycans. It was true. Michael Sheen returned to the big screen as Lucian, and the history of the great war between Lycan ad Vampire would be revealed.

From what I gathered from a few online groups, interest level in this movie was pretty low. There was no way that a third Underworld film could possibly be any good. Many seemed to feel that the first film should have been enough. I even had one person tell me that everything was ripping off Lord of the Rings, and now Vampires and Werewolves were doing it to.

The story takes place during a darker time in the world. The Lycans created by William Corvinas are no better than wild animals, never able to resume their human form again. But then one day, a Lycan gives birth to a child, and everything changes. The Vampires see this as their opportunity to change their position, and using this child, whom is named Lucian, they create their own race of lycans and enslave them.

It's a classic theme that has been seen in stories throughout the ages. One race enslaving another, pushing them over the edge, treating them like animals. It's only a matter of time before that enslaved start to see that there is possibility for a better life, and then comes the revolution. Lucian's revelation comes in the face of his beloved. To spend the rest of their lives as they are, him enslaved and her unable to express the love between them is not an option, and he already knows he can ever live without her... A plot hell bent on tragedy, and you can guarantee that tragedy ensues.

The action in this movie was coupled with a gritty darkness, the type of darkness that should haunt all Vampire films. It was a very cold world the Vampires lived in, their aristocratic nature far outweighing the type of warmth that comes from relationships built on love. It becomes evident at once that this is what Sonja sought from Lucian. The love her father bequeathed her came with expectations. The love Lucian offered her was free. This sets her apart from her father and the coven in a way that the vampires find shocking. Her own father tells her that the loyalty between them is the only thing that separates them from the animals at their door, and Sonja breaks that loyalty.

I have to confess that I have not a single complaint about the movie. Well, I do have one complaint. It could have been longer. My new secret wish (which is obviously NOT a secret since I'm sharing it here with you, dear blog friends,) is that they write another prequel that goes into the War, introduces Kraven and Selene to the picture, and shows the secret pact between Lucian and Kraven. Hear my secret wish, Underworld writers and producers, and know that as a writer, I would LOVE to have my hands in the writing of that script.

The cast was fantastic. Bill Nighy is Viktor, as he so often becomes the roles he portrays. It becomes impossible to even see Nighy beyond Viktor, and there are some really incredible screen shots of him all throughout the film that would make fantastic artwork. One of the great things about Michael Sheen's character, Lucian, is that when we are first introduced to him in Underworld, there is something distinguished about him. He scolds the other Lycans in his command for acting like a pack of rabid dogs. As he was raised by Viktor, almost pampered like a favorite pet for most of his life, Lucian appreciates his humanity and knows first hand that the Lycans are not animals anymore than the Vampires are. Seeing him fight for their freedom in this prequel, it becomes understandable why he wants them to act civilized.

Rhona Mitra, who portrayed Sonja, was striking in the film. It is apparent why Viktor chose Selene and kept her close as well, based on the characteristics she shares with Viktor's traitorous daughter. While they share a similar look, both women are also fierce warriors, headstrong and determined. Taking this into consideration, Selene actually becomes Sonja's vengeance in the end, as well as her own, and that is one of the great things about this prequel bringing the original story full circle.

It was also fascinating to see Steven Mackintosh as Tannis again. His character in the second film simply begged for more backstory, and I would have been disappointed had he not been in the film.

Whether you're a fan of the previously released Underworld films, or not, Rise of the Lycans is definitely a world apart from the others. Taking place in the past, it sets a completely different tone. I can't wait to see this movie again (and again...) and though I hope it has a long run in theaters, I can't wait for it come out on DVD so I can watch it again (and again and again.)

The Vampire Appeal: An Essay for Susan

After my last post about the beautiful, but deadly vampires that had been forgotten in the lists of hottest vampires of all time, Susan broached the question: What makes vampires so appealing. Of course, being the lifelong vampire lover that I am, I could not let this question go unanswered.

For many of us, the first brush with death comes early in life. Be it the loss of a beloved family pet or even more tragically, a friend or family member. I was seven years old when the reality of my own mortality sunk in. While I had been through the funerals of a couple of great-aunts by this point, it hadn't quite made sense to me what was going on at that time. It wasn't until my grandfather died that the truth started to sink in. Everyone dies, and there's nothing we can do about it. Quite a revelation for someone so young. Like many other children who attended church, my questions at that time were steeped in religion. Some said upon dying our souls went to heaven, my Roman Catholic neighbors said purgatory. Either way, it meant leaving Earth, a prospect that didn't seem appealing to me at the time.

Being only seven, I didn't struggle with it very much, but it had sparked something inside of me that would drive a lifelong search for answers about the truth. Now before I diverge from my intended path, let's just say that when at least three teenagers I had known on some level wound up dead during my time in high school, it really opened up a can of fear. Teenagers tend to be self-destructive simply because they are laughing in the face of their own mortality. It's a "you can't touch me, Death" sort of game that nearly all teens play on some level. This began my obsession with vampires.

Many of the myths surrounding vampires made them seem dull and listless, but the novel and film industry found sex appeal. Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee lured the lovelies in with hypnotic powers, but in the 1970's Anne Rice gave literary birth to Lestat de Lioncourt. A tragic, Byronic rock star of a hero, Lestat made clear the agony and ecstasy entwined around both life and death. Lestat's suffering made the ability to live forever seem exciting and dreamy, while many of the fledgling vampires he created seemed loathe that life went on and on for ages.

In the face of eternity, many believe impulsively that they would want to live forever. The young who are in their prime believe that eternity will always feel so fresh and exciting, but then there are those who have lived past that wonder who might not be so quick to choose eternity. Eternity to someone who has lived a full life might seem like too much. One of the greatest appeals of the vampire is the opportunity to continue. Knowing that one had an eternity to live would make it easier to relax. "No need to climb Mount Everest today, I have all eternity for that..." There's no hurry. Since many people spend their days thinking about how there isn't enough time to get it all done, it can take away from the quality of life and make you long for more time.

Sure, they make vampires beautiful in fiction. We need only look at the lists that have been popping up all over the net with the release of Twilight to see the sex appeal is definitely there, but what about the story? Bella Swan tells us that the entire Cullen family is indescribably beautiful. It practically makes one ache just to look at them, but Bella's real reaction and attraction to Edward does not begin until after he saves her life the first time and she discovers what he really is. Again, there it is. The potential for more time.

In a nutshell, the physical appeal of the vampire is only a small fraction of what draws us to them. In essence, they are freedom from death, the opportunity for more time in a world that is absolutely governed by time.

Hottest Vampires of All Time

In response to Nikole's post Hottest Vampire of All Time, and the moviefone poll on the hottest vampires of all time (check out the results here Hollyscoop,) I thought of a few smoking hot vampires that the polls left out.

Here's my sexy vampire top five:

How on earth could we forget Shane Brolly as Kraven in Underworld:

Then there was Angus Young as extreme sports vampire, Shane Brooks in Lost Boys: The Tribe. Yeah, the movie itself was not so hot, and he may not be the bets actor, but let's face it: Angus was sizzling:



In 1992 an almost unheard of independent Vampire flick called Tale of a Vampire starred sexy Englishman, Julian Sands:


Another horribly obscure 1990's vampire film, Son of Darkness: To Die for II starred the dashing English actor, Michael Praed as Vlad Tepish. My best friend and I walked around quoting the lines from t his movie until yesterday because they were so sexy... that's over 15 years of line quoting.

I could go on for days and days, but I will end this vampire sexiness with one of the sexiest vampires of all time: Gary Oldman as Dracula.