HAPPY HALLOWEEN...slightly late!!

I'm a little late getting this posted because I spent the day getting over a cold, watching a stage version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and then taking Darth Vader trick-or-treating (all while dressed as Coraline). Hope everyone had a frightfully good Halloween. I'll announce the winners of my current contest for Vampires by Joules Taylor and Werewolves by Jon Izzard tomorrow morning, so this is your last chance to enter to win the brand-new handbooks published by Octopus Press USA.

If you're desperate to cling to the Halloween mood even as November rolls around, be sure to also check out my recent interview with filmmaker Annalee Autumn.

Interview with filmmaker Annalee Autumn

Writer/director/actor/musician Annalee Autumn's short film "Blood Bound" was a part of this past weekend's Vampire Film Festival in New Orleans. Here's a chance to get to know the woman behind the film.

Catherine Karp: Thanks so much for joining me, Annalee. Tell us a little about "Blood Bound."

Annalee Autumn: I started looking into the life of Elizabeth Bathory, the Hungarian countess that apparently drank and bathed in the blood of virgins to prolong her life. She's also one of the first female serial killers – another subject I'm obsessed with. That was the jumping-off point for "Blood Bound." The main character is the daughter of Elizabeth Bathory, the idea being that Elizabeth Bathory was able to cast spells on herself with the blood and achieve immortality. My main character, Eliza, is a born "vampire" with no need to drink blood. I made the short film because I was in New Orleans, working on another director’s film, so I fleshed out the idea that had just started forming in my head. It was intended to be a novel or at least a feature-length film.

CK: Is it an outright horror film, or does it cross other genres?

AA: It crosses genres. There aren't any fangs in this vampire film. I think of Eliza as a witch who understands the power of blood. I'm not a huge fan of true "horror" with the blood and guts and stuff. I love erotic thrillers, which some vampire films definitely are. I'm currently writing a novel about witches, where blood is an important part of their world.

CK: Were you interested in vampires and vampire lore before making this film?

AA: Yes. My parent's best friends handed me Interview with the Vampire when I was 16 and I've been enthralled ever since. But, even before Anne Rice, I was enamored with vampire films like The Lost Boys. But for me, the sensuality and outright sexuality of Anne Rice's books thrilled me in a way the teen vampire movies didn't.

CK: Any favorite vampires from movies, TV, or books?

AA: Although not a vampire, Elvira was one of my early loves – her sexuality plus her wicked sense of humor were such a fascinating mix. Jason Patrick's character in Lost Boys was so dreamy to me when I was eleven. I was prepared to hate Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise as vampires, but I think they both pulled it off. Lost Boys was pivotal for me because I remember sitting in the theater and thinking, "I can do that." I wrote my first screenplay that summer at age eleven. On DOS. Before Windows. Before people had computers in their houses. I went to my step dad's office on the weekends to write. It was about two twelve-year-old witches.

CK: You wrote, directed, and starred in "Blood Bound." What was the most challenging aspect of making the film?

AA: A few things were challenging: shooting a ten-minute film in two days and sitting my butt in a chair and editing it in my spare time. I was also influenced by Tony Kaye's style of shooting, so I was trying new things during the filming, such as using two different kinds of DV cameras, with different frame rates, as well as using color sometimes and black and white other times. It was a challenge to edit those together in a way that made sense visually. I was in New Orleans working on Tony Kaye's film Black Water Transit. I was the assistant to the lead actress, so I got to sit at the monitors and watch Tony's brilliant camera work and see through his eyes for two months. It was amazing. The other challenge of being the actor and director is that you can't watch the shot as it's happening, so you have to trust your DP (director of photography) and make the footage you get work for you.

CK: You're also the "Blood Bound" composer. How would you describe the music?

AA: A disturbing low grumbling that you don't notice is even there until the sound disappears. The heartbeats are also an important part of the soundtrack.

CK: Any words of wisdom for female filmmakers who are considering tackling the horror genre?

AA: I think it's a great genre for women to dive into because it's somewhat of a "boys club." I think women have a different perspective on what is scary than men, and that should be explored. I say try to find a twist that makes your idea unique. That can seem challenging because it can feel like everything has been "done." I try to let my mind wander into the realm where the original ideas are. That takes time and faith in my creativity.

CK: Do you have any parting thoughts for vampire fans?

AA: The interesting thing about vampires in media is that they are always popular; it's just a question of how popular. Right now vampires are obviously very en vogue. My feeling after three days at the Vampire Film Festival is that vampires are eternally loved and will never really go out of style.

CK: Where can we learn more about you and your work?

AA: www.AnnaleeAutumn.com. All my short films are there. writerdirectorannalee.wordpress.com is my blog.

CK: Thanks so much for joining me, Annalee. Congratulations on the inclusion of "Blood Bound" in the Vampire Film Festival.

Here's a peek at Annalee Autumn's work:

Kill Hannah CD winners!

The five winners of Kill Hannah's CD, Wake Up the Sleepers, are RKCharron, Dawn M., ParaJunkee, nc_vampire_goth, and jmp4z7. Winners: Please send your snail mail address to catkarp (at) gmail (dot) com, and I'll forward your info to Original Signal Recordings, who so graciously offered this contest.

Thanks to everyone who entered and listed his or her favorite Halloween song(s). If you're looking for music for October 31, check out Kill Hannah's picks, as well as all the recommendations in the comments section of the original post. I also have my Music Monday featured songs cataloged together in one place these days.

Kill Hannah's MySpace Site

New Vampire.com look...featuring Suburban Vampire & Vampire Coffee!

The folks who brought us Vampire Wine and Vampire Chocolate have a brand-new look to their website, Vampire.com, and I'm thrilled to say that Suburban Vampire posts are a part of both their homepage and their Breaking Vampire News page. Thank you Vampire.com, for making Suburban Vampire a part of your gorgeous site redesign!

I also noticed they've added Vampire Gourmet Coffee to their ever-growing list of products, and their goodies are now available in the UK and EU in addition to the US and Canada. It's not too early to start thinking about stocking stuffers...

Vampire.com

Kill Hannah contest deadline appraoching

You have less than 24 hours to enter my contest for a chance to win a copy of Kill Hannah's CD, Wake Up the Sleepers. The entry rules are easy...check them out here.

I'll draw the winning names tomorrow morning after 8:00 AM Pacific Time (Thursday, October 29).

Gothic fashion for last-minute Halloween ideas

If you're leaning toward a Gothic look this Halloween, it may be too late to order a fabulous costume online without paying for express shipping, but here are a few places you can visit for inspiration.

I found the first sample over at Simply Burton, which reports, "Tim Burton is bringing his quirky, gothic touch to the pages of Harper's Bazaar. In a new fashion spread, he is pictured along with models posing in fashions inspired by his films like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, and Corpse Bride. In the new spread, which was shot in anticipation of his upcoming retrospective at New York's Musem of Modern Art, Burton reimagines fall fashions with a dark twist." View the complete Simply Burton post.

(Click the photo for a slide show.)

If I received a bountiful amount of money for a Halloween costume, another place I'd probably head to is the Victorian Trading Company. In the Burton-esque spirit, they have a Mrs. Lovett costume, as well as ornate Gibson girl attire, an authentic Wicked Witch of the West outfit, and so forth. They're not cheap, but I've bought some of their historical clothing and hats for booksignings, and I've been impressed with their quality. Victorian Trading Company's Costumes

Lastly, I'm working on an interview right now for steampunk/vampire novelist Gail Carriger, and I found this fantastic link on her site: ClockworkCouture.com. The steampunk designer offers everything from underbust corsets featuring a glimpse inside a lady's midsection (pictured) to pirate wear. Clockwork Coutoure's Steampunk Halloween Costumes

If you know of any similar links to help inspire Gothic costumes, feel free to share the URL in the comments section.

Music Monday: VAMPIRE by Michael Smith

A quick reminder before I launch into today's Music Monday: the deadline for entering the chance to win Kill Hannah's CD, Wake Up the Sleepers, is this Thursday, October 29.

Today's featured song, "Vampire" by folk legend Michael Smith, came recommended by a Suburban Vampire visitor. "Vampire" was recorded on Smith's self-titled 1986 album, but his sound will undoubtedly appeal to today's fans of emotionally fueled vampire-related music. I couldn't find a video for the song, but I'm including a snippet below, and you can hear the full recording at last.fm.

Let the Halloween events begin

First of all, I need to send out a big hello to everyone at the Vampire Film Festival, which kicks off in New Orleans this afternoon at 3:00 PM Eastern Time. I was honored to have been invited to the team assembling the festival, and while I can't make it to New Orleans myself, I'm with everyone in spirit. To my literary panelists, Erin McCarthy, Van Jensen, Sue Dent, and Nicole Peeler: good luck! Wish I could be there. A full schedule of Vampire Film Festival events are located at http://vampirefilmfestival.com. USA Today just ran a story about the fest.

Here's a list of other vampire-related events running this weekend though Halloween. As always, if you know of another event, please post the URL in the comments section.

Festival of the Dead: October - Salem, MA
The Vampires' Masquerade Ball: October 23 - Salem, MA
Vampire Film Series and Festival: October 23-26 - New Orleans, LA
The Transylvanian Ball: October 24 - Portland, OR
Vampire Ball: October 24 - Flint, MI
Vampire-Werewolf Summit of 2009: October 27 - New York City
Dracula: The Undead, A Dramatic Reading with Original Music: October 28 - Ontario, Canada
Queen of the Damned Ball: October 30 - New Orleans, LA
Hallowhedon: October 30-November 1 - Heathrow, UK

Suburban Vampire Late-October Events:

CONTEST: Enter to win Kill Hannah's Wake Up the Sleepers CD.

CONTEST: Enter to win Joules Taylor's Vampires and Jon Izzard's Werewolves.

Contest: Kill Hannah CD

Alternative rock band Kill Hannah has released a Halloween playlist in celebration of their new album, Wake Up the Sleepers, and their upcoming Halloween concert at Small Planet in Lansing, Michigan.

Also in celebration, Original Signal Recordings has offered five copies of Wake Up the Sleepers for me to give away.

CONTEST RULES:

1. Winners must be from the U.S. and Canada only, due to shipping costs.
2. To enter, in the comments section below, state your own favorite Halloween song. I'll pull five winning names raffle style after the deadline.

The deadline: Thursday, October 29, 8:00 AM Pacific Time.

Here's Kill Hannah's picks for the best Halloween music. You can download this playlist at http://www.shockhound.com/artists/22062-kill-hannah-mp3/playlists/13192.

1. Bela Lugosi's Dead (Live @ The Old Vic, London)- Bauhaus

2. Lullaby- The Cure

3. Strangelove- Depeche Mode

4. If I Had A Heart- Fever Ray

5. Vampire Heart- HIM

6. Nightlife- IAMX

7. Die Tonight Live Forever- Innerpartysystem

8. Evil- Interpol

9. Devil Inside- INXS

10. Reverence- The Jesus and Mary Chain

11. Dead Souls- Joy Division

12. Car Chase Terror !- M83

13. Inertia Creeps- Massive Attack

14. Help I’m Alive- Metric

15. Every Day Is Halloween- Ministry

16. The Ghost Of You- My Chemical Romance

17. Sin- Nine Inch Nails

18. Dead Man’s Party- Oingo Boingo

19. Menofearthereaper- Pop Will Eat Itself

20. Miss Lucifer- Primal Scream

21. Voodoo People- The Prodigy

22. Written In Blood- She Wants Revenge

23. Lucretia My Reflection- Sisters of Mercy

24. Cities in Dust- Siouxsie And The Banshees

25. Prom Zombie- Stellastarr

26. Wolf Like Me- TV On The Radio

27. Gun- Voyager One

28. Death- White Lies

29. Skeletons- Yeah Yeah Yeahs



Note: Some comments below refer to the CD as being signed, but that's not the case.

Vampire-Werewolf Summit update, Vampire Fest passes, spirit photography, etc.

A few quick vamp news items for the day:

1. The first person to reply to this post with the comment "Take me to the Vampire Film Festival" will receive a free pair of movie passes to this weekend's Vampire Fest in New Orleans. www.vampirefilmfestival.com

2. A week or two ago, I announced that Suburban Vampire visitors would receive a discount to the Vampire-Werewolf Summit of 2009, Tuesday, October 27th, at 7:30 PM, at Comix in New York City. Here's an update I received from Comix:

The Vampire/Werewolf Summit has been made a FREE show (with a one-drink minimum) in our downstairs showroom! It's still going to be just as big and exciting, but it just got less expensive. Same date, same time. www.comixny.com

3. I'm sharing some ghostly photos I took in 1997, along with spirit photography links, over at my other blog, The Fictional Worlds of Catherine Karp.

4. My contest to receive VAMPIRES by Joules Taylor and WEREWOLVES by Jon Izzard is going strong. Make sure you enter before Halloween. ENTER HERE.

5. Tomorrow I'll be running a contest for fans of vampire music. Be sure to check back.

New contest: VAMPIRES and WEREWOLVES

Media Masters Publicity kindly offered three sets of the brand-new handbooks Vampires by Joules Taylor and Werewolves by Jon Izzard, both published by Octopus Press USA.

From the publisher: Those obsessed with fangs – the vampire AND werewolf kind – will DROOL over VAMPIRES by Joules Taylor and WEREWOLVES by Jon Izzard – both published by Octopus Press USA. VAMPIRES explores the ancient and modern myths from around the world, details accounts of real-life vampires both mental and physical, and profiles the popularity and fascination with vampires in pop culture. WEREWOLVES is a riveting volume about the transformations, inner rage, extra human strength, mysterious curses and modern cures of these complex creatures.

CONTEST RULES:

1. Winners must be from the U.S. and Canada only, due to shipping costs.
2. To enter, in the comments section below, simply state which creature you think has it easier in the world: a vampire or a werewolf.

The deadline: Midnight on Halloween, October 31, 2009.

Good luck!

Guest blogging at Reading with a Bite

Lindsay at Reading with a Bite graciously invited me to guest blog today over at her 31 Days of Halloween celebrations. Be sure to check out all her guests and contests throughout the month.

Reading with a Bite

Music Monday: I Kissed a Vampire

Last week I briefly mentioned the new web series I Kissed A Vampire, a musical take on what it's like falling in love when you're in the middle of becoming a vampire. The makers of the series sent me additional info, so today I'm including their synopsis, the trailer, and a link to the iTunes store where you can download the series.

High School Musical alum Lucas Grabeel and Drew Seeley along with newcomer Adrian Slade star in this first-ever vampire musical web series! Dylan (Grabeel) is terrified when a nasty bat bite transforms him into one of the living dead. His world is turned upside down, and he has to figure out how to balance his budding romance with Sara (Slade), the girl next door, and the bloodthirsty desires his magnetic vampire mentor Trey (Seeley) is constantly urging him to give in to.

The first episode is available now on the iTunes store. The second one is available on October 20th. Be sure to check out the I Kissed A Vampire page on Facebook!



DOWNLOAD ON iTUNES

Official website: http://ikissedavampire.com

Blood Ties: Season 2 winners!

The winners of my contest for the Blood Ties: Season 2 DVD are joder and My Blog 2.0 (Dottie). Winners: please send your snail mail address to catkarp (at) gmail (dot) com. Congratulations!

THE VAMPIRE'S ASSISTANT Ticket Giveaway

Once again, it pays to be in the New Orleans area during the weekend of October 23: the Vampire Film Festival is offering a chance to win a pair of tickets to an exclusive sneak preview screening of The Vampire's Assistant in New Orleans. Thirty passes will be awarded! Plus get an additional pair of tix to any Vampire Film Festival screening. Contest ends midnight 10/21/09.

ENTER CONTEST HERE

Interview with Bestselling Novelist Erin McCarthy

We're thrilled to have bestselling author Erin McCarthy on board for this year's Vampire Film Series and Festival in New Orleans. Erin sold her first book in 2002 and has gone on to pen more than 31 novels and novellas in the paranormal, contemporary romance, and young adult genres. She graciously took time out of her writing schedule to talk with me about how she's managed to pen an astounding number of bestselling books...and to describe her fictional paranormal worlds.

Catherine Karp: You've published a prodigious amount of novels and novellas in the past seven years, which is typically a sign of a highly disciplined writer. What is your average writing day like?

Erin McCarthy: I’m not sure how disciplined I really am… amazingly enough, I’m much more disciplined when a deadline is looming. I think for the most part, I just enjoy what I do, so it’s easy to sit down and write. I write Monday through Friday, sometimes on the weekends. In an average day, I’m shooting for 5-10 pages and I’m a fairly clean and linear writer. I don’t have a massive editing process at the end of a book.

CK: Do you have a favorite novel and/or character out of all those books?

EM: That’s always a tough question. For heroines, I like the ones who weren’t traditional in the sense that you don’t always like them every minute, like Amanda from HEIRESS FOR HIRE and Reese from SMART MOUTH. For heroes, I love the wounded alpha males, like Damien from MY IMMORTAL and Gabriel from FALLEN. As for secondary characters, I have a bizarre fondness for Ringo, the heroin addict vampire assassin from my Vegas Vampire series. He’s very morally ambiguous, and is beyond redemption, but I could be hoping the good will outshine the bad.

CK: Your VEGAS VAMPIRE SERIES debuted in August 2006. How did you first decide to write a vampire novel?

EM: Well, that was my editor and my agent’s idea. I toyed with doing it or not, then when I hit on the idea of setting it in Vegas, I decided to go for it. It was originally supposed to be one book, but I fell in love with the characters and it morphed into a four book series.

CK: Please tell us about your vampires and your decision to use humor and wit in portraying the undead.

EM: I was writing humorous contemporary romance, and I knew if I shifted into the realm of paranormal, I had to continue giving readers what they were used to seeing. None of my books are straight-up humor--there are plenty of serious and darker moments--but I think if you’re going to live to eternity, you might as well be able to laugh at life, right?

CK: Do you have any favorite vampires from fiction, film, or TV?

EM: I love Anne Rice’s Louis, who I know a lot of people find annoying, but it’s that wounded hero thing again. I just want to save poor Louis.

CK: One of your other major series is DEADLY SINS, which involves demons and angels. Please tell us a little about that series. Are there any tidbits you can tell fans about the upcoming installment, THE TAKING?

EM: This series follows protagonists who must live with the curse of their mortal sin through eternity. Some are fallen angels, some are demon servants, but all are damned to suffer their sins forever. THE TAKING features a former voodoo charlatan, Felix, who sold his soul for his greed. The 19th-century heiress he was having an affair with and who died a brutal death, has now come back to possess the woman currently living in her house. For those of you who know the LaLaurie mansion on Royal Street in the Quarter, I pictured that house in writing this story.

CK: You also write paranormal young adult novels under the name Erin Lynn. Are there some aspects of writing YA fiction you enjoy more than writing adult fiction?

EM: I love writing in first person and really tapping the angst of sarcasm of teens. I don’t think I entirely outgrew the attitude and in YA fiction I get to indulge it.

CK: What type of books do you most enjoy reading in your spare time (if you have any)?

EM: I read a lot of non-fiction books for research (always intriguing!), historical romance, mysteries, thrillers, YA fiction, and classic literature. It’s been a goal this year to read more just for pleasure, because I miss it!

CK: Are there specific authors who inspired you to become a writer?

EM: Every book I ever encountered, honestly. I was a voracious reader as a child. I had read every book in the children’s and teen section of the public library by the time I was ten, and moved on to adult fiction, so each and every one of them fueled my love of storytelling.

CK: Your novel HEIRESS FOR HIRE is set in "Ohio's most haunted town," and you have a section on your website devoted to paranormal Ohio locations. Are you one to visit potentially haunted sites? Do you have a favorite eerie Ohio destination?

EM: Yes, I love visiting so-called haunted sites. I’ve been to various sites around the U.S. and hope to hit more soon. In Ohio I did a ghost hunt at the Mansfield Reformatory, which was on the TV show GHOSTHUNTERS. I went at night, and there’s no electricity, and it’s quite intimidating in the dark. I laid on the cot in solitary confinement hoping something would happen, but nothing. ;-)

CK: You created a fictional vampire band called The Impalers with author Kathy Love, which you've both incorporated into your books. How did that project get started?

EM: That was us strolling down Bourbon Street planning our next vampire books together, and somehow the next thing you know we had decided to write a fictional band of vampires on stage in our books pretending to be vampires so no one would know they’re vampires. Then we decided to make them "real" by having some of our musician friends pose for pics and play a live gig for us. We’ve had a ton of fun playing with our vampire band, and the guys were good sports about pretending to be undead while playing Poison and Cheap Trick.

CK: Where can readers learn more about you and your books?

EM: I have three websites, www.erinmccarthy.net, www.erinlynnbooks.com, and www.vampireband.com. There are excerpts, contests, videos, up on all the sites. Thanks for allowing me to be a part of the Vampire Film Series and Festival!

VF: You're more than welcome. Thanks so much for joining us, Erin!

Erin McCarthy will be a part of the Vampire Fest Novelist Panel, Sunday, October 25, 2:00 PM, at The Zeitgeist in New Orleans. For more information and tickets, please visit VampireFilmFestival.com.

BUY VAMPIRE NOVELIST PANEL TICKETS - $6/Ticket (advance price)

Free pair of Vampire Film Festival movie tickets!

All this week, I'll be giving away pairs of movie tickets for the Vampire Film Festival (aka Vampire Fest) in New Orleans, October 23-26. For today's giveaway, simply leave the name of your favorite vampire movie in the comments section, and I'll pull a winning name tomorrow night (October 14). Good luck!

Here's a trailer for both Lisa Starry's A Vampire Tale ballet and the feature film Shadowland, both a part of Vampire's Fest's lineup.

PINOCCHIO: VAMPIRE SLAYER contest winners!

The winners of my contest for a copy of the upcoming graphic novel Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer, signed by author Van Jensen, are Kate, Shooting Stars Mag, and Tracey. Winners: please send your snail mail address to catkarp (at) gmail (dot) com, and I'll forward your info to the author.

If you didn't win, Van Jensen said Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer should be available in stores October 21. You can pre-order at http://www.slgcomic.com and Amazon.

In other vampire news on lucky October 13, you can catch the following new releases today:

Dracula: The Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt - A Dracula sequel so highly anticipated that it even has its own affiliated credit card.

I Kissed a Vampire: A Rock Musical - A vampire musical spoof premiering on iTunes.

Music Monday: Halloween Carols

I have some more unique Halloween music for you to sample: Kristen Lawrence's Halloween Carols. On her website, HalloweenCarols.com, Kristen explains,

Like many people, I am thoroughly enchanted by the Halloween season and month of October. And since the organ is the instrument blood-related to Halloween, writing Halloween music came as a big, “Well, of course you need to write Halloween music"... In December we pull out our Christmas CDs, but what do we pull out in October? Cheap, “spooky” sound effects and “The Monster Mash”? It makes me sad. I think Danny Elfman gave us some great stuff with his music for “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Corpse Bride,” and I love what he creates. But we need more! And I have my own style to give you.

Here's a video sample of one of Kristen Lawrence's hauntingly entertaining carols, "Vampire Empire":



BUY A BROOM WITH A VIEW AT CDBABY

Kristen Lawrence's other Halloween Carols:


iTunes:

Poe's funeral and Vampire Film Festival discounts (two totally unrelated items)

I was originally signing in to mention some upcoming Vampire Film Festival discounts, but I also wanted to share a news article I just came across: "Edgar Allan Poe Finally Getting Proper Funeral." How very Edgar Allan Poe-ish.

On to the Vampire Film Festival discount news. Yes, I'll be giving away tickets this week, but if the Vampire Fest Facebook Page reaches 1897 fans by midnight New Orleans time Sunday, October 11th, a code for DISCOUNTED ADMISSION will be released! You can also RSVP at the Vampire Film Festival Event Page.

More October contests

Nicole Hadaway is offering a contest for copies of Timothy C. Hobbs's The Pumpkin Seed, available from Vamplit Publishing. Hurry over to nicole-hadaway.blogspot.com; she's taking the first ten people who respond.

There's still time to enter to win copies of Van Jensen's graphic novel Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer and the Blood Ties: Season Two DVD, right here on Suburban Vampire. Don't miss my interview with Van Jensen here, and you can catch a new Blood Ties review at Night-Tinted Glasses.

Next week I'll be giving away tickets to the Vampire Film Festival in New Orleans, and I've got at least one more book contest stored up for the end of the month. More details on those opportunities to follow.

There are gobs of other great vampire-related contests all over the web right now as we count down to Halloween. Be sure to scroll down to my "More Blogs with Bite" section of the sidebar.

Discounted Vampire-Werewolf Summit tickets!

Comix in New York City is hosting the Vampire-Werewolf Summit of 2009, Tuesday, October 27th, at 7:30 PM, and they're giving Suburban Vampire visitors a $5 discount for tickets! Use the promotional code KCVS when you're buying your tickets online at www.comixny.com. Advance tickets cost $15 without the discount.

From the Comix website:

Vampires and Werewolves have been at war for centuries. Their problems with each other are, quite literally, deadly serious. So what better place to address them than a comedy club? This October 27th at the nightclub Comix, The Vampire-Werewolf Summit of 2009 will bring lycanthrope activists and vampire slaves together under the same roof for a (hopefully) peaceful, insightful discussion of their respective realms of experience. There might be blood.

Moderated by Christian Finnegan (Best Week Ever, Chappelle’s Show) issues will include:
- coexisting with an easily startled 21st century populace,
- dealing with a pitchfork-wielding mobs,
- addressing the use of the term "monster," and of course,
- who would win in a fight.

Don't miss this historic evening. Your very life could depend on it.

www.comixny.com

Vampire Film Festival full schedule

The schedule for the Vampire Film Series and Festival in New Orleans is now available. I'm posting the latest press release below; feel free to copy and paste the info into your own blog.

The 4-day Vampire Film Series and Festival (aka Vampire Fest), slated for Oct. 23- 26, will showcase films, a vampire ballet, a New Orleans jazz-style funeral, a vampire literary panel, and a French Quarter scavenger hunt.

Over 50 films will screen from over 11 countries this month in New Orleans. Vampire Fest has declared 2009 the Year of the International Vampire and will screen films from Japan, Spain, France, Italy, Norway, Austria, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. We will screen films that could be classified in the context of vampire, supernatural, the bizarre, the grotesque, the mysterious or the desolate. The legend of the werewolf is interconnected with that of vampire and Vampire Fest is open to films of the Gothic, zombie, werewolf or ghost genre.

The lineup screening at the Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center is as follows (tickets are now on sale at www.vampirefilmfestival.com):

Oct. 23rd, the Australian short, "1271," opens the festival with a 3:00 p.m. screening.

"1271" is followed by the feature film, The Kiss, the story of a high school outcast who heeds the pleas of Santa Maria, the queen of the Snake Clan of Vampires, who has been left for dead under a neighborhood house by her arch rival. Unfortunately, after our hero brings Santa Maria back to life with the blood of neighborhood pets, she begins feeding on his high school friends.

At 5 p.m., Vampire Fest presents a series of Gothic shorts, including "Rakthavira," "Dreams," "The Music of Eric Zahn," "Electra Zen Suite from Italy," and The Ward.

The opening night films at 7:30 p.m. include Sucker and Shadowland, the story of a young woman left for dead who encounters a young man who might be her savior or her killer.

At 10 p.m. Vampire Fest will screen the Kathryn Bigelow classic, Near Dark, the tale of a mid-western farm boy reluctantly becomes a member of the undead when a girl he meets turns out to be part of a band of southern vampires who roam the highways in stolen cars.

The Midnight Screening will begin with a costume contest with prizes followed by a program of selected shorts includes Canadian Anime, "The Urge," "CannibAlien" from Japan, "Childhood Fears," "Exposure," "Bloodrayne," and "Nosferajew." The evening concludes with "Blood Bound." All midnight screenings during the festival will include surprises, and some live entertainment.

Oct. 24th, the program commences at 2:00 p.m. with a series of international vampire shorts including "Forgotten Sunrise" from Norway, "Here Lies Lucy: A Vampire," from the United Kingdom, "Killer" from Australia, "D’Entre Les Morts" from France, "Blood Sisters" from Austria, and "Bad Reception" from Australia.

At 4:30 p.m., Vampire Fest presents the award-winning feature, The Revenant, a story about an ancient pestilence recurring in modern society that turns the infected into moldy, putrefying, living corpses.

The screening is followed at 7:00 p.m. by the Canadian feature The Death of Alice Blue, the story of Alice, the creative young intern at Raven Advertising, a firm run by vampires, and the Canadian short "Initiation."

At 9:30 p.m. Vampire Fest will present a series of mythic-themed short films including "College Video #13," "Hellcat & Tala," "Trojans," and the mythic feature Mangal Sutra.

Wear your costumes to the Midnight Screening! Vampire Fest is hosting a costume contest complete with prizes then screening an eclectic mix of short films including the Gothic-themed "The Blind Date of Coffin Jose," vampire-themed Spanish short "Sweet Blood," and mythic-themed short films "Nights Moves" and "Shrove Tuesday" from the United Kingdom. The program ends with a musical short from Samoa, "Vauville Dead."

Oct. 25th, the screenings begin at 5:30 p.m. with the Gothic Shorts series, "Morella," "X-Mess Detritus," "A Hammer Fell In Jerusalem," "One Dark Night," "Café" and "The Fine Art of Poisoning," a music video by chanteuse, Jill Tracy.

The program begins again at 9:30 p.m. with more vampire short films including "Vampire Killers," "The Union," "Third Shift Mr. Moonlight," and "Diaries of a Teenage Vampire." The short series ends with a musical short by Gothic chanteuse Jill Tracy, "Haunted by the Thought of You."

Vampire Fest presents a cult favorite at the midnight show, the feature Nadja, filmmaker Michael Almereyda’s take on the Dracula myth set in urban New York.

Oct. 26th, at 2:00 p.m., Vampire Fest screens the vampire short, "Now That You’re Dead" followed by the British vampire feature Strigoi, a unique feature set in a post-communist Romanian village that introduces us to an ancient myth, the Strigoi, souls that rise again after death to seek justice if they have been wronged, their appetites intensified by a hunger for blood.

4:30 p.m., Vampire Fest presents a Gothic double header, Grotesque followed by the feature film, Let Me Die Quietly, a neo-noir thriller in which a brilliant psychiatrist, a beautiful seductress, and a jaded detective unexpectedly crash into the disturbed world of a death-obsessed loner.

The winning entries from the Hunted Contest will be screened at 7:00 pm and audience favorites.

Since vampire literature is interconnected with the movie genre, stretch your mind with best-selling writers at Vamp Lit. Vampire Fest will present a literary panel on Sunday, October 25th starting at 2 pm at the Zeitgeist. Writer Sue Dent will be moderating the event that will feature best-selling writer Erin McCarthy, graphic novelist Van Jensen and Louisiana’s own Nicole Peeler. These established and debut novelists will be happy to detail what it's like to be a part of the astoundingly popular world of vampire and shape-shifter fiction.

This panel will be followed by a Shoot Louisiana Panel in conjunction with the New Orleans Film Commission. With filmmakers invited from around the world this would be a perfect time to introduce them to the great filmmaker incentive programs in Louisiana.

Both panels end with the Film/Lit Mixer where new and established writers and filmmakers can mingle in the Absinthe Den presented by Le Tourment Vert and craft films for next years festival!

Pull out your cape, slip on your fangs and join the Big Easy’s undead film fanatics at the Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center on October 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th. Zeitgeist has long been the hub of alternative arts scene in New Orleans and is located on 1618 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, New Orleans.

For more information, call Vampire Fest New Orleans at (504) 298-VAMP or visit our official site, www.vampirefilmfestival.com, an intriguing and provocative door to supernatural based media.

Purchase your tickets now at www.vampirefilmfestival.com! $6.00 in advance, $8.00 at the door.

Music Monday: Polka Haunt Us

I was alerted to a highly unique take on Halloween music: the songs of Veronique Chevalier. According to her website, WeirdVal.com, "Veronique is known as The "Weird Val" of Dark Cabaret, for her hilarious parodies and side-splitting covers. (Imagine if Jim Morrison and Elvira had a twisted, Edith Piaf-like love child.)"

Below is the video for her song "Vampire Surprise" from her Halloween compilation album, Polka Haunt Us. Journey below the video, and you can preview other Polka Haunt Us songs on an MP3 sampler.





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