Category Archives: Film

Short Story Sunday: First to 100 (or Once Upon a Time… at the Billiards Table)

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For Today’s Short Story Sunday: A New Award Winning Short Film

First to 100 (or Once Upon a Time… at the Billiards Table)

A New Must See Film – WATCH IT

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I have been up to my ears in alligators, vampire bats, and just stuff. Unfortunately that means I haven’t been here.

But I’m back with a wonderful new film written. It is less than two minutes. This was produced by a group of students at California State University Long Beach. WOW. I love this. WATCH IT. You will thank me for it later. When you look at the credits remember the names. You’ll see these names later – maybe at some future Oscar night.

I love this. I laughed at the end. Seriously.

Let me know what you think in the comments below.

I’ll be back with more new stuff soon. Vlad also said he has something to share in his Vampire Diaries. I can’t wait.

xoxox

~  Juliette aka Vampire Maman

Short Film Fest

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I love short films. I really really really love short films.

Are you looking for something different to start off the weekend? How about some Friday night movie shorts. My cat is afraid of the popcorn maker but that doesn’t keep you from making a bowl and sitting down to this fun mixed bag of films – a short list of some of my favorite short films. There is something for everyone including horror, comedy, and something to make you think, and smile. Enjoy.

~ Juliette aka Vampire Maman

Juliette’s Monday Book Club: Don’t Mess With The Original – Dracula

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This is both a book review and kind of a rant. Fair warning.

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In 1897 something extraordinary in both popular fiction and popular culture happened. Irish author Bram Stoker’s book Dracula was published.

Dracula introduced the iconic vampire Count Dracula.

The book is written brilliantly in the form of letters and diary entries.

This is the plot in less than three hundred words: Young attorney Jonathan Harker goes to Count Dracula’s castle to help facilitate a move from Transylvania to England. Harker finds himself in a strange and scary situation but makes it home. Dracula also makes it to England. The rest of the story is about Harker, Professor Abraham Van Helsing, and various friends trying to stop Dracula from stealing their women, and doing other horrible things. There is also a wonderful story of Renfield a bat shit crazy patient of Dr. Stewart. Renfield is controlled in a weird twisted fandom sort of way by Dracula. Of course there at the very Victorian main squeezes Mina and Lucy. Some people get bitten. Some don’t. Some make it. Some don’t. It is a fantastic brilliant book and oh so interesting to read. Stoker did an outstanding job making it all real. And I have an appointment to get to so I’m making this really fast today.

READ THE BOOK.

I bring this up because, in my opinion, nobody has ever done a screen version of this story that really follows the spirit of the book or does justice to the story.

Then there are those fans who obsess with every little detail of the book. Seriously folks, it was written as popular fiction by an author who managed a successful theater, hobnobbed with royalty and other popular authors of the time (Oscar Wilde among them) and wrote many other stories and books. This story is fun but nobody is expected to write their dissertation on what the “blue light” means.

Anyway, back to film and TV…

I recently attempted to watch the new Netflix version of Dracula. OMG it was bad. I couldn’t get through the first episode. It was painful to watch. You’d be better off checking out some of the old Hammer films with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. At least those had some entertainment and production value. The Netflix version is the WORST version of Dracula I have ever witnessed or imagined.

With the Netflix series they had to include weird nuns, bad special effects, juvenile and unnecessary references to sex (gotta get in all of the sex), and horrible casting choices.

If you’re going to make a TV series or movie about Vampires make it NEW. Make a NEW STORY with NEW VAMPIRES. Don’t take a classic and mangle it.

Too few people have had the pleasure of reading the original Dracula. If you haven’t read it PLEASE read it. If you have read it, read it again.

~ Juliette aka Vampire Maman

More Vampire Art From Jason Kemp (I absolutely LOVE these)

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If you’re visiting Vampiremaman.com, and especially if you like Halloween and Vampires, you’ll love the art of J. Harrison Kemp aka my friend Jason Kemp of Tenkara Studios.

I posted the first batch of Vampire Art of Jason Kemp earlier this month. Here is the second group. SQUEEEEEEEEE. OMG I love these SO MUCH. Thank you Jason. xoxoxox.

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I have to stop for a second and admit in my cold Vampire heart that the top four images have my heart (especially the top two). Oh my goodness. Ask any Vampire. That said, the rest are utterly fabulous too.

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Tenkara Studios are presently the sole domain of author and illustrator J Harrison Kemp, or Jason as the dust bunnies call him. Within the halls of his labyrinthine workspace, a sprawling Wunderkammer, or wonder-room if you will, we find the artist surrounded and overly influenced by the many intricate objet d’art of a bygone age, a multifarious miscellany of complex curiosities that only the foolhardy would call toys. Brimful but charming, the antiquated atelier is commingled with an athenaeum housing only the greatest of literary treasures and books about things from outer space. Yes, it is here that the self-taught artist and writer draws from his surroundings that little bit more everyday and applies that inspiration to new and ever evolving graphic and fictitious projects.

Jay is currently the sole inhabitant of Tenkara Studios, a.k.a. the office and is busy with a variety of commissions, short stories, incidental projects and a soon to be realized anthology of horror fiction.

Contact: tenkarastudios@outlook.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tenkarastudios
http://tenkarastudios.weebly.com/

Jason has also designed the covers of several of our themed anthologies for WPaD (Writers, Poets, and Deviants.) Yes, and I have to add I am SO HONORED to have worked with Jason. Wow. I love these covers. AND as a writer Jason tells a damned good story too.

~ Juliette aka Vampire Maman

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Juliette’s Short Film Selection

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I recently posted about some short films that left an entire theater full of people saying, “WTF?.” (Click here to read that post)

I’ve never seen so many depressed, sad, and shocked people in one room in my life. We all thought we’d be entertained for at least a few of the films but no such luck.

To make up for it I’ve posted five other short films that I thought were entertaining, interesting, scary, funny, cute, surprising, and maybe just silly.

My favorite is “Bugaboo and Graham.” It was nominated for an Oscar. It didn’t win but it won my heart. “The Crush” is also just wonderful.

Have fun,

~ Juliette aka Vampire Maman