"If You Like True Blood…Here Are Over 200 Films, TV Shows, and Other Oddities That You Will Love" by Dave Thompson

 
Author Dave Thompson offers over 200 suggestions of vampire themed fun in the new book If You Like True Blood......(Limelight Editions). True Blood is the focus of the opening chapter and the author is clearly a fan of the HBO series that has just begun its sixth season. From there, Dave Thompson suggests other television shows, films, music and books that fans of the vampire genre may enjoy. I am familiar with many, but not all of the referrals, and was pleasantly surprised at the inclusion of the short lived British television series Demons (a paltry six episodes!) that was far batter than its ratings ever reflected. I also appreciated the nod to the film Let the Right One In, from Sweden, which the author describes as the best vampire film of all time. I am not sure I quite agree with that proclamation, but it sure is an outstanding effort. The American version, Let Me In, is also quite good and manages to perfectly capture the mood of the original.

Some of the blood sucking suggestions are expected (Nosferatu, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), while others and a bit surprising (the aforementioned Demons and the 2004 film Van Helsing, which did not attract very good reviews from most critics), and the author relates interesting and sometimes little known information about each of them. Fans of the genre will undoubtedly appreciate the entire chapter devoted to the Hammer studios films that featured Christopher Lee as Count Dracula and Peter Cushing as Van Helsing. Despite poor reviews, the films made the studio a great deal of money and sustained it for many years.

Two chapters are devoted to music, including the True Blood theme song "Bad Things" by Jace Everett, as well  as many others songs that have provided the soundtrack to the series since its debut in 2008, along with other obscure releases that I was not previously acquainted with. Additional chapters focus on vampires in erotica and the greatest Dracs of all. The author also includes an appendix for movies, novels and music for further exploration. While the timing of this release is clearly hoping to capitalize on the return of True Blood, it may be appropriate to revisit If You Like True Blood......Here Are Over 200 Films, TV Shows, and Other Oddities That You Will Love and its many suggestions around Halloween, when vampires are celebrated all over the world in various ways.