Ashley Greene Sees ‘The Apparition’

Ashley Greene

From AceShowBiz.com

One “Twilight Saga” star will go from portraying a vampire in the drama series to be a person haunted by supernatural presence in “The Apparition”. Variety reported that Robert Pattinson’s on-screen sister, Ashley Greene, is in talks to star in the horror movie produced by Joel Silver’s Dark Castle.

It is still unclear what character the 22-year-old will take on, but the story, which reportedly is inspired by true events, centers on a young couple haunted by a supernatural presence unleashed during a college experiment. Should the negotiations go according to plan, she is expected to join the production when it starts on February 1, 2010.

“The Apparition” will have Silver producing with Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman. Todd Lincoln who originally developed the project with Silver Pictures/Dark Castle executives Heineman and Daniel Alter, is penning the script and will serve as director. Alter, Steve Richards and Sue Baden Powell are the executive producers.

Starting her career as guest on many popular TV shows, Ashley Greene made her big break when landing the role of Alice Cullen for 2008′s “Twilight”. Soon to be seen reprising the role in November 20-released “The Twilight Saga’s New Moon”, she has recently finished filming for the third movie, “The Twilight Saga’s Eclipse”.

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The horror, the horror…Why we like to get scared

By Samantha Kramer- Medill News Service

The “Saw” horror movie series solidified its position in the record books by grossing more than $14 million on a recent weekend, according to the film Web site Box Office Mojo, as moviegoers flocked to theaters to see the sixth installment of serial killer Jigsaw’s exploits.

The series is already the 45th most successful franchise in film history, grossing $700 million in its first five films, according to The Numbers Web site, which compiles gross amounts and other statistics on films. The series features Jigsaw and his followers torturing victims to death with riddles and puzzles.

The previous installment, “Saw VI,” had low production costs of $10.8 million and grossed $113.2 million. “Saw VII” is scheduled for release in October 2010, according to Michael Geiser, a spokesman for Lionsgate, which distributes the series.

The success of the critically panned franchise has left many people wondering what’s behind the public’s love affair with horror.

Glenn Walters, a clinical psychologist and author of behavioral psychology books, is a horror fan. In a 2004 paper published in the Journal of Media Psychology, he suggested that horror ensnares viewers by acting as an emotional conduit.

“It deals with our fears in a safe environment,” Walters said. “It often deals with fear of acceptance, identity, and mortality, which makes it so popular amongst adolescents who are going through a very tumultuous period in their lives.”

According to a 2008 Nielsen report on trends in youth consumption of media, 49 percent of U.S. teens ages 12 to 17 were horror fans.

Walters asserted that tension, relevance and unrealism keep audiences coming back for more. The movies are fiction and so viewers know what’s on the screen isn’t real.

Tension, meanwhile, holds their interest.

Cultural relevance is another important element to the popularity of the genre, Walters said.

“We’ve come into an age where everyone is worried about swine flu and contagions, so it’s good fodder for horror because that’s where our fears lie at the moment,” he noted. “Look at the zombie and vampire trend, it all has to do with blood and contamination and disease.”

Dr. Joel Cohen, adjunct professor of anthropology and director for the Center of Consumer Research at the University of Florida-Gainesville, believes that the need for horror movies relates to our need to satisfy an internal stimulation level for enjoyment.

The fascination with the macabre is interesting because it challenges human nature, Cohen said.

“The assumption is that people will willingly expose themselves to things that make them feel good, not things that cause fear and anxiety,” he said.

Cohen studied the reactions of self-described horror movie viewers and non-horror movie viewers to various horror film clips. He and Eduardo Andrade, a marketing professor at the University of California-Berkley, discovered that watchers and non-watchers experienced the same level of fear, but horror fans got a “positive effect” from the clips.

However, Cohen found that non-viewers had a more positive response when handed biographies of the actors, which reminded them that the clips were not real.

“Some people have learned how to put themselves in a ‘protective frame,’ and detach themselves from a threatening aspect, while other people have not learned how to do that,” he said.

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Ian Somerhalder breathes new life into the undead on ‘The Vampire Diaries.’

Ian Somerhalder

Sarah Kuhn – HollywoodReporter.com

In prepping to audition for “The Vampire Diaries,” Ian Somerhalder employed an unusual approach. “I found out about the meeting at 9 o’clock the night before, and I was in Vegas, a five-hour drive away from L.A.,” he recalls. “I taped my sides together in the car and drove across the desert in the morning. That’s how I worked on my script.”

While this may not be the method most recommended by in-the-know acting coaches, it appears to have worked: Somerhalder nabbed the role of nefarious Damon Salvatore, a devilish bloodsucker who spends most of his time tormenting his younger, more earnest sibling (Paul Wesley). Somerhalder brings a wicked sense of fun to the role; with his well-timed smirks and smooth line delivery, he steals nearly every scene he’s in. In a way, he makes it all too easy to root for the bad guy.

“Damon is, by societal standards, bordering on the level of a sociopath,” says Somerhalder with a chuckle. “But here’s an interesting thing: My coach, Ivana Chubbuck, one phrase that she coined about Damon is that Damon has ill intentions but for righteous reasons. People like that are beyond dangerous. On a positive note, what makes that really fun is he truly believes in what he’s doing and he loves it.”

After reeling in a decent chunk of viewers with its moody early episodes, “The Vampire Diaries” was picked up by the CW for a full season. For Somerhalder, this lessens the sting of failing to book a part on that other vampire show, HBO’s runaway hit “True Blood.” The actor auditioned for the role of troublemaking Jason (which eventually went to Ryan Kwanten), but it didn’t go so well.

“I wanted it so badly, and I blew my audition with [show creator] Alan Ball,” Somerhalder says bluntly. “I had rehearsed this stuff so many times and it worked. And then I got in the room and I just blew it. I was bummed about that, and to be honest with you I couldn’t watch ‘True Blood’ until I booked ‘The Vampire Diaries.’ ” He chuckles bemusedly. “Then I realized, ‘Wait a minute. I have my own vampire thing now.’ “

Continue reading Sarah’s article HERE

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Kristin Bauer could play the next lesbian vampire on “True Blood”

by Trish Bendix – AfterEllen.com

Last week, True Blood creator Alan Ball talked with The Advocate about future gay characters on the hit HBO series. The show has already featured a handful of queer characters, including Vampire Queen Sophie-Ann (Evan Rachel Wood, her lover Hadley (Lindsey Haun), the fabulous fry cook/drug dealer Lafayette and season 1′s Eddie.

Ball said:

We’ll be meeting the vampire king of Mississippi and his long, long-term companion — and by long-term I mean really long-term — Talbot. I think Lafayette may meet a love interest, and certainly Pam, who works with Eric, she’s certainly got a lesbian vibe — I don’t know that that’s all she is, but she certainly does seem to appreciate the women.

Pam is played by Kristin Bauer, who serves as Eric’s wingwoman at the vampire bar, Fangtasia. Her interests included fancy pumps, showing no mercy and now, apparently, the bar maid, Ginger.

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Bauer said about Pam going for women. “I think she’s pansexual. … There are so many hot [women on the show], but I’ll pick Ginger. Ginger’s hot. Ginger’s fun. She’s a screamer and she’s a blood donor.”

As for Sophie-Ann, Ball said that there will be something between her and her lover’s cousin Sookie, but it’s most likely platonic:

I think Sophie-Anne is definitely interested in Sookie; I don’t believe it’s for sexual or romantic reasons but she is definitely interested in Sookie and whatever it is about Sookie that is special beyond the realm of what is human, and that’s something that we definitely will learn more about in the upcoming season.

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America is to get its own version of Being Human

From SFX Magazine

America is to get its own version of cult BBC3 smash hit show Being Human. Syfy has ordered 13 episodes of the show about the house-sharing ghost, werewolf and vampire which will be made by RDF Media USA, currently best known for making US versions of reality shows like Secret Millionaire, How To Look Good Naked and Wife Swap. Now it seems Being Human is in for a culture swap.

The British series is produced by RDF subsidiary Touchpaper TV, and is currently filming its second series (though the cast has taken time out to record a Halloween message. A few years back, the BBC showed Syfy (or Sci Fi as it was back then) the script for the pilot of the British series, hoping to get the US network to come aboard as a co-funder, but the deal fell through.

“It turned out great as we can now do an American version,” reckons Syfy president Dave Howe. “We’ve always been keen on vampires and werewolves, and we loved the originality of Being Human, the fact that the fantastical creatures in it are very young, accessible and charming.”

Howe also stresses that Syfy will not “slavishly replicate the British version,” and sees it as a potential companion piece to Sanctuary, with which it shares similar subject matter.

Underworld Vampress To Guest On Stargate Universe

Rhona Mitra

In the continuing theme of adding interesting people with acting chops to Stargate Universe, Rhona Mitra of Underworld and Doomsday fame will join the cast of SGU for an apparent three episode affair. She will be playing a villain that hopefully makes the SGU kids lives miserable.

According to Gateworld, she’ll play an alien bent on saving her people at any cost. The episodes will be called Subversion and the two part season ender Incursion.

Source(s) io9.com, scificool.com

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Coastal Contacts Introduces New Twilight Inspired Special Effects Contact Lenses in Time for Halloween

Coastal Contacts Twilight inspired lens

From PRWeb.com

 Coastal Contacts introduces the new fall lineup of Special Effects contact lenses for Halloween, including a Twilight inspired lens. Adding to their popular Special Effects (SFX) contact lens line, Coastal Contacts now offers over 130 styles, ranging from mildly scary to full out freaky.

Coastal Contacts Twilight inspired lens

“Halloween is one of the busiest times of the year for us,” stated Coastal Contacts Communications Manager, Jennifer Harvey. “Special Effects contact lenses have been growing in popularity for years as they are becoming more prominent in movies. Requests for these lenses have started coming in already for this year.”

Twilight has become the biggest fan phenomenon to hit North America since Lord of the Rings, and people are excited about dressing up as their favorite Twilight character this Halloween. Contact lenses in special designs, and colors help take a costume to the next level and are used frequently by Hollywood blockbusters such as X-Men, Star Wars, Harry Potter and Twilight.

“Twilight is a popular request this year. Everyone wants to be Edward or some type of Vampire and the key costume piece for a vampire is the eyes. People are really having fun with it- blood red eyes, vampire dark purple, or Edward’s amber colored eyes. When you put a pair of these SFX contact lenses in, it really changes the way you look.” added Harvey.

As the vampire theme heats up this year, setting your self apart from the crowd has become easier with Coastal Contacts new Twilight inspired lens, hitting stores just last week. Most of their Special Effects contact lenses are available in prescription powers, for people who need vision correction, and all lenses from Coastal Contacts are FDA approved.

About Coastal Contacts:

Coastal Contacts is one of the world’s fastest growing online vision care suppliers. Providing contact lenses, eyeglasses and other complimentary vision care products to consumers worldwide, Coastal Contacts is proud to provide an affordable, convenient option for high quality vision care products. With its world class operations in North America, Europe and Asia, Coastal Contacts offers a unique blend of private label and branded products to over 150 countries across the globe.    Already #1 in many of its markets, Coastal is rapidly advancing toward its goal of becoming the “World’s Vision Store.”

CW’s ‘Vampire Diaries’ lands in space between ‘Twilight’ and ‘True Blood’

Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert

BY David Hinckley – DAILY NEWS

In its unending quest for new ways to dramatize the thrills and dangers of teen romance, the CW tonight poses this question: What happens if the really hot new guy in school turns out to be a vampire?

It’s a situation where a simple “OMG!” might not seem sufficient.

For the network, though, the larger question may be whether young women, the target audience for the new “Vampire Diaries,” like their romantic drama sprinkled with bloody corpses and near-corpses.

While the producers hope the female audience for the “Twilight” films suggests that’s the case, tonight’s opening “Vampire Diaries” feels more graphic and menacing than “Twilight.”

It’s not as graphic and menacing as Showtime’s “True Blood,” a similar work, but the tension here is lethal, not just romantic.

It also would be a shame if the neck-biting part proves too discomforting because the core teen couple is a winner.

Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) hasn’t been looking forward to the new school year in Mystic Falls, Va. Her parents were killed in a car crash in May, leaving her and her brother in the care of a largely clueless aunt. Despite the pleas of her best friend, Bonnie (Katerina Graham), Elena really isn’t ready to face the world again.

Paul Wesley as Stefan Salvatore

On the first day back, though, Bonnie spots that hot new guy, Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley). He has the dark, brooding, mysterious fascination that’s been quickening teenage girls’ pulses since Elvis Presley and James Dean, and he has eyes for Elena.

For reasons only he and the viewers know.

Seems that when he was 16, in 1864, he was bitten by, and thus turned into, a vampire. At that time, there was a girl named Kathleen who looked exactly like Elena. Now, Stefan is ready to get back in the game.

That’s okay up front, since Stefan is a good vampire who means no harm. But he has a brother, Damon (Ian Somerhalder), who does, and since Damon has followed Stefan to Mystic Falls, Stefan’s quest for love will create complications for some folks there.

In overall tone, “Diaries” tilts more toward menace than humor – which could create either fascinating romantic tension or the bad feeling that someone’s neck is always about to get tapped like a maple tree in syrup season.

By staking turf between “True Blood” and “Twilight,” “Vampire Diaries” hopes it has found the promised land. The danger is it could also be no man’s land.  

The Vampire Diaries

Nina Dobrev as Elena

By Ken Tucker – EntertainmentWeekly.com

You need to look elsewhere if you were hoping that The Vampire Diaries would mark the beginning of the end of the current vampire craze (Twilight, True Blood, Glenn Beck). Fun stuff mixing blood with soap, Diaries signals a welcome return to form for writer-producer Kevin Williamson (Dawson’s Creek, Scream).

Paul Wesley as Stefan

Based on the popular young-adult novels of the same name, Diaries is cleverly cast with faces familiar to the CW demo and beyond. Nina Dobrev from Degrassi: The Next Generation is emotionally open as Elena, who pours her soul into diary entries that we hear in voice-over. Paul Wesley (Everwood, Army Wives) is Stefan, the vampire every TV review is required to describe as ”brooding.” His naughty brother, Damon, is Ian Somerhalder, back from the Lost dead. Or, I guess technically, returning to the dead as a vampire competing for Elena’s attention.

As with any good Kevin Williamson production, there’s a lot of snappy dialogue and quirky pop cult references.

Diaries’ variations on vampire myths include a big, clunky ring Stefan wears that (I think) protects him from daylight, but mostly it’s the stuff you know and love: Stefan’s eyes go red-rimmed with lust when Elena gets a bloody cut, and Damon uses smoke and black crows to make an entrance. ”I promised you an eternity of misery,” Damon tells Stefan. And Diaries promises us a season of sharp-tongued amusement.

Katerina Graham as Bonnie

Hayek to play bearded lady in Vampire film

Salma Hayek as the Bearded Lady

From IndianExpress.com

Mexican beauty Salma Hayek may be known for her feminine curves, but the actress will now be seen sporting a big hairy moustache and beard for her upcoming film ‘Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant’.

The ‘Frida’ star is playing the role of Madame Truska in the new film which follows a young boy who meets a mysterious man at a freak show who turns out to be a vampire, Mirror online reported.

The film will be helmed by Paul Weitz who is famous for works like ‘American Pie’ and Hugh Grant starrer ‘About A Boy’.

‘Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant’ will hit the screens on October 23.

Salma Hayek without the beard