CONTEST! Win a Free Copy of Guillermo Del Toro’s Vampire Book THE STRAIN
Comments(32)
- By drvenkman
Hey everyone! We have another contest for all of you to join in on! We have been reporting on director Guillermo del Toro’s new vampire novel ‘The Strain’ which I am extremely excited to read! If you are a fan of Del Toro’s work and vampires then I am sure you are looking forward to reading it as well.
So check it out! We are giving away 2 copies of this new vampire book ‘The Strain’. For U.S. residents only.
Here are a few details about the book you might be interested in checking out and then I will tell you what you need to do to win your free copy.
Book Description
The visionary creator of the Academy Award-winning Pan’s Labyrinth and a Hammett Award-winning author bring their imaginations to this bold, epic novel about a horrifying battle between man and vampire that threatens all humanity. It is the first installment in a thrilling trilogy and an extraordinary international publishing event.
The Strain
They have always been here. Vampires. In secret and in darkness. Waiting. Now their time has come.
In one week, Manhattan will be gone. In one month, the country.
In two months-the world.
A Boeing 777 arrives at JFK and is on its way across the tarmac, when it suddenly stops dead. All window shades are pulled down. All lights are out. All communication channels have gone quiet. Crews on the ground are lost for answers, but an alert goes out to the CDC. Dr. Eph Goodweather, head of their Canary project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats, gets the call and boards the plane. What he finds makes his blood run cold.
In a pawnshop in Spanish Harlem, a former professor and survivor of the Holocaust named Abraham Setrakian knows something is happening. And he knows the time has come, that a war is brewing…
So begins a battle of mammoth proportions as the vampiric virus that has infected New York begins to spill out into the streets. Eph, who is joined by Setrakian and a motley crew of fighters, must now find a way to stop the contagion and save his city-a city that includes his wife and son-before it is too late.
Here is Guillermo del Toro himself telling you about the book.
The book will be released on June 2nd but if you are really wanting to make sure you get your copy it is currently on pre-sale on Amazon. You can even click Right Here to take a look inside the book and read a few pages.
‘The Strain’ was written buy both Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan.
ENTER TO WIN YOUR FREE COPY!
First of all I have to tell you that this is only open to U.S. Residences and we are only going to give away two copies. That being said let me tell you what you need to do to win.
You just simply have to tell us what your favorite Vampire movie is and why.
We will read through them and pick what we think the 2 best choices are.
Make sure to leave us your e-mail address so we can contact you if you win so we can let you know that you won and get your shipping information.
We will let the winners know that they won on Friday the 29th.
So whats your favorite vampire film?
So many, they all offer something great in their own way. If I can only have one I would say once bitten. Jim carrey is freakin hilarious, and lauren hutton is smokin hot.
I've got to go with Hammer Studios' 1958 film, "Horror of Dracula," starring Christopher Lee as the immortal Dracula and Peter Cushing as Van Helsing. What can I say? It's a great blend of horror, camp humor, eroticism and excitement. Aside from the legendary Bela Lugosi, no one has ever been able to pull off Dracula the way Lee did.
And besides, who would have thought Count Dooku and Grand Moff Tarkin used to be mortal enemies?
Near Dark (1987) directed and written by Kathryn Bigelow and co-written by Eric Red starring Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, Jenette Goldstein, Tim Thomerson, Joshua John Miller, and Marcie Leeds. My all time cult favorite followed closely by Queen Of The Damned.
It's really lame, but my favorite vampire movie is probably Lost Boys. I know there are better ones out there, but I just really love that movie. It's got a decent plot, and it really captures that feel of the mid-80s. And it's really perfect casting – 2 Corey's, Keifer, Jason Patrick, Jamie Gertz all in one movie! It's everything you could want for an 80s movie fan who knows there was more going on in that decade than just Molly Ringwald. There's really nothing bad to say about the movie, in my opinion. It was scary enough when I watched it as a kid, and now it's kinda sexy and just a fun movie to watch. And the soundtrack is actually pretty excellent – I still have it on my mp3 to this day, and some of the songs I can still rock out to, 20-some years later.
Blackula. Because you try and tell me why the hell not.
Dracula. Because Gary Oldman and Winona Ryder on absinthe is just bloody hilarious.
John Carpenter's Vampires. Because no matter how many times I see it, I never get tired of James Woods asking the priest if he got a little wood. A little mahogany? Yeah, that's good stuff.
It’s anime! Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. The main character is half vampire/half human. He is conflicted yet more human than most. The movie is a roller coaster ride full of characters that range from one end of the spectrum to the other. Plus, it’s got romance, intrigue, comedy and its pact full of action and fantasy. It’s one of the greatest Vampire movies out there Anime or otherwise. Cheers! (roman.salvatore@gmail.com)
Even today, Nosferatu is creepy, but Shadow of the Vampire’s “true story”-style of tale that makes you want to go back and wonder “what if?”
have to go with horror of Dracula. First horror movie I ever saw. Actually first movie I can recall watching. Open air theater in Puerto RICO with my grandfather. First time I recall being scared. Loved it. Opened my imagination. That was the begining of my love for fiction. Led me down the road to roll playing and beyond. He’ll it’s why I love horror movies. LOL got me on the movies rated by gallons of fake blood used. Yeah cheesy I know but there it is.
My favorite vampire movie is "Interview with a Vampire." It was a great book and they did a great job translating it into a movie. It is my favorite because it isn't your typical vampire story line, with the vampire as the evil monster, but gives more of a view from the vampire's point of view. Brad Pitt does an amazing job playing the man turned vampire while he tries to deal with the loss of his wife and the challenges of acclimating to the life of a vampire, and the changes of life as he lives immortally for hundreds of years. The acting is great, the script adaptation is great, direction and casting were great. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys looking at a different portrayal of an all too common movie monster, as more of a tragic lifestyle than a horrific one.
Probably the original Vampire Hunter D. I saw it when I was a young geekling and it helped me become the mature geek I am today.
I'm gonna have to say… "Van Helsing" (2004). I know it's not very old and therefore not a classic, but I love how a bunch of the classics are woven into the story. Plus I'm a fan of Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale.
Near Dark…because of the bar scene. (someone already mentioned that one though, so my next choice would be Chronos…because of the bathroom/blood scene.)
I would have to say "Showgirls". That movie sucked the life right outta me.
Seriously though, there are so many, some already mentioned here… if I had to pick one I'd go with "Underworld" – gorgeous, sexy, good legend/ backstory, Kate Beckinsale is incredibly hot.
Let the Right One In. It's deliciously gruesome.
I like the pairing of Nosferatu and Shadow of the Vampire the best. Nosferatu is the Max Schreck classic with tension and suspense without relying on scare tactics or an excessive use of blood. Shadow of the Vampire provides a new angle by providing a behind the scenes story where Max Schreck truly is a vampire. The toils F. W. Murnau goes through are fascinating; which is more important: safety of the actors or integrity of the film.
Interview With the Vampire is my favorite one. I love the way they portray the tale from the vampires perspective and what it has been like to live so conflicted. I find Kirsten Dunst's character very interesting because she is forever a child, although smarter than most adults due to living for so long. She is forced to live with the fact that she will never be a woman for as long as she exists. Brad Pitt does a good job as well as the other actors/actresses involved.
My next favorite is Underworld merely because its an awesome movie. Although there is a major flaw in the story line, I still enjoyed it.
Bah !! U.S. Residents only dammit, whats with that, it only costs a few dollars to post a book to the U.K. I'm gonna throw one of my fav's in anyway.
Abel Ferrara's The Addiction starring Lili Taylor, Annabella Sciorra and Christopher Walken, it probably would'nt be everyone's cup of tea though. Its a great looking film with good performances and an interesting take on the Vampire genre.
My favorite vampire film, and this is going to sound extremely silly, is The Forsaken (2001). Yes, I realize it's a kiddie vamp flick that has a lot of fluff and features two ex-heartthrobs as the heroes. But I love it for all of its flaws and for the *potential* awesomeness. It features two things that have been fairly mutually exclusive in most vampire movies: medical science (or the movie version thereof) and mystical legend. The story behind the eight French soldiers turned into vampires by a demon by betraying their ninth companion and killing him is very original to me. That they couldn't stand the sight of each other and retreated into the darkness so much so that a single ray of sunshine could kill them is even more so. It's a great story and one I wish they could have expanded on. And then the fact that vampirism is considered a virus that can be held off with antibiotics (though for a short time) is also really cool and not something that is mixed in with the magical part of this genre. So, that's a major reason why I love it. The other reason is that, say what you will about the heroes and the vamps in this flick, I do believe that this is one sexy movie. The leader vamp is sadistic and charismatic, fearless and arrogant, exactly as a vampire should be, especially an alpha. The bloodlust is just so much fun to watch and it keeps me coming back. The heroes, though too recognizable as teen drama rejects, played their characters well as two guys who barely know what they're doing. And the desperation in their adventure comes through well. If you're a Supernatural fan, I feel that Sean and Nick were a decent precursor to Sam and Dean, especially at the end of the movie. So, yes, it's cheesy, the plot is fairly thin in places, and the violence and sex is gratuitous, but isn't that what makes these movies so much fun? And if you think about it, The Forsaken could have been awesome, really awesome, so watching the movie, at least to me, helps me explore those possibilities. And, yeah, shutting up now.
I'm torn for favorite Vampire movies. I, as those above, also like the Underworld series and Van Helsing. Underworld is a movie that's adventurous, sensuous and thrilling… a lot of the same reasons why I am drawn to Vampire themed movies, books, etc. Van Helsing, as stated above, is just a great movie that interweaves great classics into one story.
I enjoyed Interview With A Vampire too, but not too happy with the transition of book to movie. Somewhere in between, it lost some of its eroticism and sensuality. Maybe it was Tom Cruise's portryal of Lestat… I don't know, but I did enjoy Brad Pitts' sensitivity and Antonio Banderas' sexuality. At least that movie had tons of eye candy.
Let The Right One In–weird, beautiful, sticks in your mind.
i really dug 30 DAYS of NIGHT just because i love that story line + just the idea its based around, feasting in the Barrow within those 30 days of night. but the best part of the movie is just seeing how fucked up humans are even compared to these monsterous vampires! like Ben Foster playing the Vampires little human errand boy who's a wanabe. or the guy who slays his family, fearing they would just end up as vamp food. yea Hartnett is in it but i will watch anything with a psychotic Ben Foster!
I've never been a huge vampire movie fan, but I've always found the first Underworld movie to be remarkably enjoyable. Sure, it's got Kate Beckingsale running around in tight leather, looking remarkably attractive even in pasty-whiteness, but it's also got an interesting story with werewolves and vampires, lots of action, and Kate Beckingsale in tight black leather…wait, I already said that :S.
The second movie wasn't half bad, but it started going all Blade 3 on us…but the first is certainly a gem. That's my opinion though.
Hands down it would have to be Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) by Werner Herzog. Like many of Herzog's films, it has heavily symbolic cinematography and intense performances. Herzog, known for pushing his actors to their limits (Klaus Klinski did a superb job at creating the silent, but daunting and terrifying Count Dracula) did a masterful job at crafting his actors on this somewhat underrated movie — people don't know it exists! Damn Twilight.
Herzog also delivers a modern feel with a subtle sense of mysticism behind the movie. For those who are either fans of Werner Herzog, have never seen this film, or didn't know it existed, I'd suggest picking it up wherever you can; it's definitely a film to watch and RE-WATCH. It's that good.
Vampire movies don't have to be all about blood, gore, violence and pre-teen/modern day "Romeo and Juliet" rehashes.
My favorite vampire movie is 1989's "Vampire's Kiss," starring Nicholas Cage. He plays an advertising exec who's lured by a beautiful vampire, played by Jennifer Beals. After he's bitten he begins displaying progressively more bizarre behavior, becoming a vampire … or is he? The film balances a good vampire film with great comedic moments with the tragedy of watching the character's decent into madness. Though it isn't the classic portrayal of a Transylvanian vampire, it's an interesting look at how someone might force vampirism into his lifestyle. I enjoy this film on many levels and have enjoyed watching it many times – that's why it's my favorite.
My favorite is Queen of the Damned because Stuart Townsend is HOT!
I have a favorite vampire movie…but the reason why it's my favorite has little to do with the movie itself. Not that I didn't like it, I thought it was quite good. The movie is Near Dark. The reason? I rented it in college with my girlfriend (we were on a vampire movie kick and I'd heard it was good)…who later became (and has been for the last 12 years) my wife. So, fond memories. Cheesy but true.
Close second would be The Lost Boys. Watched numerous times as a kid. Wanted to be a vampire like the ones in the movie…but not necessarily with the whole killing others to feed or being chased and killed by the Frog brothers bits.
My favorite Vampire movie is From Dusk Till Dawn.
I like it because it mixes the Hammer style with Robert Rodriguez's pulp style.
Well my favorite Vampire movie is Salems Lot. It is an oldy and a goody. Who doesnt love Stephen King? The movie was great in the late 70's before being a Vampire was cool.
My favorite vampire movie would have to be the recently realesed " Let the right one in" It puts a new twist in the vampire world. Its Fasinating.