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You gotta love the storyline for Vampire Doll.  A powerful vampire prince, Guilt-na-Zan, was sealed into a cross necklace by an exorcist. Years later, the exorcist’s descendant, Kyoji, releases him but there’s a catch. You see, instead of letting the vampire free to hunt, feed, and generally be his good old evil self, he awoke in the body of a wax doll. Not only has the exorcist handicapped Guilt-na-Zan by placing him in a cute blonde-haired girl with ruffles, he also expects him to be his maid.

Such a concept probably has you wondering if it’s a horrible joke. Nothing like this could ever be good, right? Wrong. Though I was skeptical at first, I found Vampire Doll funny and entertaining. Example? There are many.

First, when Guilt-na-Zan first awoke, he tries to summon tempest and beasts, but with his new found doll body, all that comes is flowers and teddy bears.

Next, when he is given an apron by Kyoji, he asks what it is. Kyoji says,

“A special battle apron. Now your maid skills are at level two and your cuteness level is at five!”

Something about a powerful vampire prince being treated like a dress up doll is just too funny for words.

Other characters include Guilt-na-Zan’s faithful bat servant, Vince, who is now in a man’s body. Although he has his own room with a bed, he insists on sleeping hanging from his feet in the closet.  He is cute, but very dumb.

Kyoichi is Kyoji’s brother and they have a bitter rivalry in which they try to kill each other regularly. Kyoji’s sister Tonae seems to be the only sane one. She adores Guilt-na-Zan’s doll form and every time she lets him drink a drop of her blood, he is able to transform into his male vampire form. These rare occurrences conveniently coincide with an event where they need his vampire skills to survive. Though Guilt-na-Zan’s male form is like a 1980’s hair band reject, he’s still rather intimidating as the vampire prince.

In volume two, a master doll maker and his doll arrive to mix things up. The doll has scissor hands and a soul!

The Extras

• Glossy color pictures of the characters
• Bonus comic strips which put the characters into silly positions or to tell jokes.
• Author notes.
• Trivia and Japanese word/concept definitions.
• A funny manga about how the book is made.
• A one page manga called “Sweets and Me” where the author explores why strawberries on cakes look so arrogant.
  “Nothing is done to them. They are naturally born with that shape. Yet, they have the attitude of a main ingredient!”
• Cross over comics with the characters of Strange Plus.

Entertainment for hours awaits you in the pages of Vampire Doll.  If you’d like to purchase them, they are available at Amazon.com.

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Daybreakers so far has not really impressed me.  I want to like it because it is a vampire flick but sometimes that is not enough.  At least this promotional video has helped to bolster my faith in the movie’s ability to tell an interesting vampire story.  Plus it appeals to my Supernatural Horror / H.P. Lovecraft nature in it’s structure as a well played hoax.

Watch the video above.  Daybreakers is in theaters January 8.

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Mass Effect 2’s new voice talent, Vlad the Impaler not a vampire? and Clash of the Titans poster.

Mass Effect 2:

Image via Wikipedia

Michael Dorn is added to the voice cast for Mass Effect 2.  I love Michael Dorn’s voice.  Best known for his role as Worf in Star Trek, he has lent his voice talent to many projects.  I espically enjoy hearing Dorn’s voice on the Discovery specials and other science shows.  He will be a great addition to mass effect 2.   Mass Effect one is so good, I’m really looking forward to the second game.  (via TrekToday)

Vlad the Impaler:

Vlad the Impaler is better known as Dracula was thought to be another vampire move turns out to be about the historical figure instead.  I would be interested in seeing a movie based on the Historical Vlad. Those comparing it to the likeness of 300 concerns me, I definitely don’t need another homophobic movie.  (via /film)

Clash of the Titans:

The movie poster is out.  How can a movie with a fairly cool and exciting trailer have such a bland movie poster? I would expect this quality for the box art on the DVD but a movie poster! Honestly? (via /film)

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Image via Wikipedia

With the success of recent films like the Transformers movies and District 9 (and to a lesser extent, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which is the 26th highest grossing film worldwide), it seems like Hollywood is going alien crazy, giving the green light and putting a lot of alien-based stories in development — more than ever before. In a couple years, will aliens be the new vampires?  -(via /Film)

Will Aliens be the New Vampires?

No, the rise in interest in alien movies is just part of the Hollywood system.  The very same system that will also decide people aren’t interested in Aliens as much as Vampire’s.

Hollywood has a past track record for starting many projects to hedge their bet on what the next big fad will be.  Many of these projects get dumped or shelved after the sales numbers come in.

Image via Wikipedia

The sales numbers are not so good for alien movies.  Transformers and Indiana Jones are franchises in their own right and won’t be thought of by the studios as alien movies.

There are also a lot of superhero movie projects in the works.  Could the superhero movie be the next thing?  With such a diverse story and setting potential there is a lot more that could be explored in this area on the big screen.

Vampire movies are still bringing in a lot for the studios.  Do you think they will continue doing more of them?  I hope not, it pains me to say that but with so many bad ones out there I would like for it to be given a rest.

What would you like to see as the next movie phase?

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Daybreakers trailer # 2 is out, it doesn’t look bad.  They took a fairly worn out premise and are trying to pitch it as new.  I would like to believe them but so far nothing in the trailer has peaked my interest beyond that it is a vampire movie.  Watch the Trailer above.

Story:  The year is 2019. A mysterious plague has swept over the earth, transforming the majority of the world’s population into vampires. Humans are now an endangered, second-class species forced into hiding as they are hunted and farmed for vampire consumption to the brink of extinction.

Its all up to Edward Dalton, a vampire researcher who refuses to feed on human blood, to perfect a blood substitute that might sustain vampires and spare the few remaining humans. But time and hope are running out until Ed meets Audrey, a human survivor who leads him to a startling medical breakthrough. Armed with knowledge that both humans and vampires will kill for, Ed must battle his own kind in a deadly struggle that will decide the fate of the human race.

Something New

A better spin on this that would at least make it newer.  Take the futuristic setting with different Vampire clans controlling certain major corporations in which they secretly traffic human blood.  The vampires are not the dominant species and probably hidden from most.  Blend in some of Shakespeare’s tale Romeo and Juliet for tension and romantic plot line.

What new twist would you want to see in a vampire film?

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The rumors have stirred about a fourth Underworld film.  John Hlavin a writer for the Shield is tapped to write the next movie.  I have no strong feelings one way or the other about Halvin.  The question is, What Would Underworld Four Be About?

As a Prequel to Underworld

If Underworld four takes place before the events in the first two movies then I would love to see Selene’s embrace story.  We could see the height of the Lycan war as they are hunted by Vicktor and the supposed defeat of Lucian.  This would mean more Bill Nighy as Vicktor and Kate Beckinsale as Selene, a huge plus for me.

Image via Wikipedia

After Underworld: Evolution

Some are saying that Kate might not return, sad if true but then I would like to see a story taking place after Underworld: Evolution.  The remaining Lycan’s and Vampires have to work together to protect themselves against hunters.  The hunters could either be church backed or a secret government division either would be sufficiently threatened by vampires and werewolves.  The hunting could be due to the attention brought about from the war in Underworld 1 and Underworld 2 resulting in more people finding out about the existence of and having evidence for the existence of both vampires and werewolves.

What would you like the fourth Underworld to be about?

• More on Underworld and reviews here.

(via /Film)

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Owner

• Star Trek:This is a good Star Trek movie living up to Gene Roddenberry’s standards and taking the classic setting in a new direction.  Definitely an owner.
  • Buy it / Rent it
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• Margaret Cho: Beautiful:She is an amazing, insightful, inspiring artist and comedian.  A must own!
  • Buy it / Rent it

Renter

• Thirst: A Korean horror movie about a priest who accidentally turns himself into a vampire in a failed experiment to cure a disease.  Thirst has received some interesting reviews and promises to be a good film for fans of horror.
  • Buy it / Rent it

Don’t Care

• Vampire Party: A Vampire spoof.  It looks like another bad Vampire movie, if only it had added a musical element to the horror comedy mix.  On the other hand it could be so bad it’s good.
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Out this week we have three DVDs to feature:  Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Blood: The Last Vampire, Blood+: Part Two.  Do we Love It, Rent it, or Avoid Like Plague? 

Owner

• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is everything I expected it to be… A giant robot action film and a rip roaring wild ride.  I particularly enjoyed how the story focused on the robots while Sam Witwicky’s story takes on the role of supporting story line.  It’s an owner for me.
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Renter

• Blood: The Last Vampire:  The trailer for this movie looks awesome!  There is a kind of Blade feel to it.  Vampires and martial arts in one movie… this looks like a must see for fans of vampires and wuxia films.  Definitely a renter.
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• Blood+: Part Two is a series based on the 2000 anime film Blood: The Last Vampire about a little girl vampire hunter.  The 2000 animated film of Blood didn’t spark my interest but the new movie that came out this year looked interesting and is a renter.  My interest in the movie is why this is a renter.  It will sit low on my rental list though I’m still unsure about it and will wait to watch the movie first.  If you have any comments on the Blood movie’s or this series please let me know.
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Season two of Sanctuary brings a return of many of the cast and crew we know and have fallen in love with plus some new faces and guest appearances.

Helen Magnus

Played by Amanda Tapping.  Head of the Sanctuary in Old City Helen is 157 years old doctor.  She and John Druitt have a relationship which produces Ashley Magnus though her embryo is frozen in stasis for many years before being born.  I love hos Amanda portrays her character Helen.  She comes across as genuinely caring, inquisitive, and open minded about the weird world she lives in.  She is the third from the left in the picture.

Will Zimmerman

Played by Robin Dunne.  He works for the Sanctuary now after serving as a police forensic psychiatrist.  Will possesses a creative and open mind looking beyond the surface of a situation.  He also has natural empathic abilities.  His talents serves him well in the world of the Abnormals where nothing is.  In season two we will get to look into the darkness that is in Will’s past.  Will is a fun character.  If comparing Sanctuary to Stargate he kind of fills the role of Daniel Jackson when looking at the model but he is different enough to not be a carbon copy.  What they share in common are an endearing quality, a curiosity, and a boldness to fight for what is right regardless of weather that might buck the chain of command.  Will though has adapted to his new environment much faster then Daniel by the end of season one he is fully adjusted to the Sanctuary.  I expect to see more of Will in his own right in season 2.  He is second from the left in the picture above.

Henry Foss

Played by Ryan Robbins.  He is the Sanctuary’s weaponsmith and tech guy.  He started going through a transformation in season one revealing that Henry is an abnormal who can change into a werewolf.  I’m glad that his character has been promoted to main character status for season two.  This means that we will get to see more of Henry and where the show will go with his werewolf condition.  I expect that they will go in a fun creative direction with it giving a twist on the classic monsters.  He is on the right in the picture above.

Clara Griffin

played by Christine Chatelain.  Granddaughter of Nigel Griffin, one of “The Five” who had the power of invisibility which Clara inherited.  She joined up with the Sanctuary late in season one helping them in their struggle with the Cabal.  We expect to see her and will have a growingrelationship this season.

Kate Freelander

Played by Agam Darshi.  One of the new faces to season two, Kate is a witty and sarcastic swindler with a gift for persuasion.

She finds herself in an uneasy alliance with Dr. Magnus after her business relationship with the Cabal goes sour.

Kate should be a fun character this year.  Her comments in the trailer have been witty and sarcastic.  She should also adds some needed info on the Cabal along with being, I have enjoyed her comments in the trailers.

John Druitt

Played by Christopher Heyerdahl.  A member of “The Five” during the Victorian era and Helen’s former lover.  John has the ability to teleport through time and space but at a cost.  Each time he does so it furthers his brain damage which drives him to homicidal tendencies.  This is what drove him to become Jack the Ripper for a period of time murdering prostitutes in London.

After being tortured by electric shock at the hands of Nikola Tesla John was cured of his murderous urges.  He has now joined up with the Sanctuary helping them in their fight against the Cabal.

Christopher Heyerdahl is brilliant in his role as John Druitt.  I love how this character gives a fun spin to the Jack the Ripper story yet it still takes time to explain why Jack murdered and why he vanished suddenly.  The most memorable and slightly chilling part about John is Christopher’s laugh.  He plays his character so well that in the minds of the fans he becomes Jack the Ripper a figure to be feared and John a caring troubled person who just wants to bring his family back together.

At a convention this past summer, in a crowded hall Christopher was deep in conversation and broke out in laughter.  A Sanctuary fan jumped, letting out an instinctual shriek because somewhere in the crowded hallway was Jack the Ripper.  After being openly amused and proud to meet another Sanctuary fan I admitted that my skin also crawled instinctually, just brilliant.

Nikola Tesla

Played by Jonathan Young.  Tesla is half human and half vampire.  A member of “The Five” who despises humanity for killing off the pure-blood vampires centuries ago.  He has an on again off again relationship with Helen, John and the Sanctuary.  He is definitely for himself no matter who’s side he is currently fighting for making him a dangerous character.

Ashley Magnus

Played by Emilie Ullerup.  She is the daughter of Helen Magnus and John Druitt after Helen kept the frozen embryo for over a century.  She was working for her mother at the Sanctuary but after her abduction by the Cabal she has become unstable and her loyalties have been brought into question by the end of season one.

There is a part of me that still believes that this is her attempt to gain the confidence of the Cabal to help bring them down from the inside.  Though with her inheriting her fathers ability there is the possibility that she too has suffered brain damage and is currently in a psycocitic killer state.  When John became Jack the Ripper he killed hookers to clean up the streets of a corrupting immoral influence.  Having Ashley become Amber the Abnormal Slayer on a puritanical crusade to purge the their corrupting influence on humanity would poetically parallel her fathers plight.  If that is the case then we can have hope that she will overcome her derangement but we can only hope that she does so before she does things that will leave her with a century of regrets.

Special Appearance From

• Paul McGillion bringing Wexford back from the original web series but re-imagined.
• Michael Shanks who will play Jimmy who shares similar backgrounds with Kate.

For more read Sanctuary Season 2 Cast

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