*MEGA SPOILERS* Learn How True Blood Season 2 Ends!

Once again, our friends over at Ain't It Cool News have landed the scoop on what's to come on everyone's favorite horror-themed soap opera, True Blood. Earlier today, they published episode synopses for the last three remaining installments of the season, including the one airing tonight. So if you have no problem with spoilers, and you really want to know what happens next, read below. And remember this isn't the end, since HBO has officially greenlit a third season for next summer...

Episode #22: “New World in My View”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 23 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Sookie, Bill and Jason return to a Bon Temps turned upside down by Maryann. Lured to Merlotte’s by Arlene (Carrie Preston), Sam and Andy find cold comfort in their refuge from a group of bloodthirsty revelers. Bill discovers that traditional vampire techniques don’t work on Maryann; Hoyt and Jessica try to keep a lid on Maxine’s madness; and Sookie tries to push through the darkness consuming Tara. With all hell breaking loose, Jason takes the bull by the horns to rescue Sam, at least for the moment. Written by Kate Barnow & Elizabeth R. Finch; directed by Adam Davidson.

Episode #23: “Frenzy” Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 30 (9:00-10:00 p.m.) With the crisis in Bon Temps careening out of control, Bill seeks out the advice of Sophie-Anne (Evan Rachel Wood), the Vampire Queen of Louisiana, but must exercise patience before she gives him critical information. Meanwhile, Sookie and Lafayette find that protecting Tara from herself is more difficult than they anticipated; a desperate Sam turns to an unlikely source for assistance; and Jessica tests Hoyt’s allegiance to Maxine. Written by Alan Ball; directed by Dan Minahan.

Episode #24: “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’” Debut: SUNDAY, SEPT. 13 (9:00-10:00 p.m.) Bon Temps reaches a fever pitch as Maryann prepares for her ultimate bestial sacrifice, conscripting Sookie to be Maid of Honor at the bloody nuptials. Meanwhile, Sophie-Anne warns Eric to keep the lid on Bill's inquisitiveness; Jason leads Andy into the heroic abyss; and Hoyt struggles with Maxine's endless stream of insults. Deliberating on what may be his final move to save Sookie and the town, Sam places his trust, and his life, in a most unlikely ally.

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MEGA SPOILERS! Want to Know What the Rest of True Blood Season 2 Has in Store?

Well, if you're reading this, then obviously you do! I just finished up the brand new fifth episode of True Blood, after last holiday weekend's disappointing rerun, and so I'm in a Bon Temps state of mind. Tonight I bring you, courtesy of Ain't It Cool News, the following synopses of the remaining seven episodes of the season. Not saying it gives away everything, but it certainly is seriously spoilerific, so consider yourself warned!

Episode #17: “Never Let Me Go” Debut: SUNDAY, JULY 19 (9:00-10:00 p.m.) In Dallas, Sookie connects with one of her own, then joins Bill and Eric for a strategic summit at the lair of the missing vampire, Godric (Allan Hyde), attended by his lieutenants, Stan (Ed Quinn) and Isabel (Valerie Cruz). Meanwhile, Jason shows his mettle at a Light of Day boot camp, and is rewarded for his hard work with a gift from Sarah (Anna Camp). Rebuffed by Tara in her relocation efforts, Maryann decides to cast her spell on the staff of Merlotte’s, softening Tara up towards her new “family.” Eric shares a little-known secret about his past with Bill, and Sookie makes a decision that might solve the Godric mystery – or get her killed. Written by Nancy Oliver; directed by John Dahl.

Episode #18: “Hard-Hearted Hannah” Debut: SUNDAY, JULY 26 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Accompanied by Isabel’s human boyfriend Hugo (Christopher Gartin), Sookie embarks on a dangerous mission to locate Godric. Meanwhile, Bill is shocked when a vampire from his distant, more violent past resurfaces in Dallas. In Bon Temps, Daphne presses Sam to get comfortable in his own skin(s); Hoyt (Jim Parrack) continues his unlikely courtship of Jessica; Andy (Chris Bauer) interrogates Lafayette about his disappearance; and Tara and Eggs (Mehcad Brooks) take a detour while on a road trip. At the Light of Day camp, Jason faces difficult emotional and physical choices. Written by Brian Buckner; directed by Michael Lehmann.

Episode #19: “Release Me”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 2 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Betrayed by Daphne (Ashley Jones), Sam (Sam Trammell) finds himself in an unenviable predicament at the hands of Maryann (Michelle Forbes) and her wild-eyed minions. Imprisoned with Hugo (Christopher Gartin) in the F.O.T.S. church, Sookie (Anna Paquin) uses her telepathic powers to reach out to Bill (Stephen Moyer), who’s being detained at the hotel by a stubbornly obsessive Lorena (Mariana Kloveno). After crossing a line with the Newlins, a fearful Jason (Ryan Kwanten) tries to sever his ties with the Fellowship of the Sun, but gets plenty of resistance from Steve (Michael McMillian) and his enforcer Gabe (Greg Collins). Written by Raelle Tucker; directed by Michael Ruscio.

Episode #20: “Timebomb”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 9 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Sookie’s captivity takes an unexpected turn when Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) arrives to do his master’s bidding on the eve of the Fellowship’s lockdown. In Bon Temps, Sam finds himself in hot water after making a gruesome discovery at Merlotte’s, and Andy (Chris Bauer) proves no help in coming to his defense. Sent home by Bill, Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and Hoyt (Jim Parrack) learn that when it comes to sex, every time is the first time. Tara (Rutina Wesley) and Eggs (Mehcad Brooks) devour a mysterious meal prepared by Maryann, with unexpected results. After Jason pays off his debt to the vampires, Godric (Allan Hyde) looks to enlighten his more single-minded followers. Written by Alexander Woo; directed by John Dahl.

Episode #21: “I Will Rise Up”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 16 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
A wounded Eric plays Sookie for a sucker, to Bill’s dismay, and ends up getting inside her head. Later, Sookie and Jason bond over their recent adventures. Blaming Eggs for Tara’s bruises and bizarre behavior, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) and Lettie Mae (Adina Porter) try to figure out a way to pry their kin from Maryann’s clutches. Hoyt defends his relationship with Jessica to Maxine (Dale Raoul), to no avail. Jailed by Bud (William Sanderson) along with a group of Bon Temps revelers, Sam looks for a way to escape and avoid capture by an increasingly obsessed Maryann. In Dallas, Eric and the vampires defend their recent actions to Nan Flanagan (Jessica Tuck), and are shocked when Godric decides to take the fall for their PR disaster. Written by Nancy Oliver; directed by Scott Winant.

Episode #22: “ New World in My View”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 23 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Sookie, Bill and Jason return to a Bon Temps turned upside down by Maryann. Lured to Merlotte’s by Arlene (Carrie Preston), Sam and Andy find cold comfort in their refuge from a group of bloodthirsty revelers. Bill discovers that traditional vampire techniques don’t work on Maryann; Hoyt and Jessica try to keep a lid on Maxine’s madness; and Sookie tries to push through the darkness consuming Tara. With all hell breaking loose, Jason takes the bull by the horns to rescue Sam, at least for the moment. Written by Kate Barnow & Elizabeth R. Finch; directed by Adam Davidson.

Episode #23: “Frenzy”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 30 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
With the crisis in Bon Temps careening out of control, Bill seeks out the advice of Sophie-Anne (Evan Rachel Wood), the Vampire Queen of Louisiana, but must exercise patience before she gives him critical information. Meanwhile, Sookie and Lafayette find that protecting Tara from herself is more difficult than they anticipated; a desperate Sam turns to an unlikely source for assistance; and Jessica tests Hoyt’s allegiance to Maxine. Written by Alan Ball; directed by Dan Minahan.

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Nightmare on Elm Street Remake Script Hits the Web! And It Ain't Pretty!

A mysterious spy with the droll pseudonym of "Rod Lane" has gotten his grubby little hands on a copy of the script for Platinum Dunes controversial remake of the 1984 Wes Craven classic, A Nightmare on Elm Street. Mr. "Lane's" review appeared yesterday on the fan site NightmareonElmStreetMovie.com, and I have to say, it isn't very encouraging.

You can check out the spoilerific review in its entirety here. But for the attention span-challenged, here's the essential breakdown:

• The characters are apparently stereotypically shallow teenage movie cliches.
• The movie is filled with lame, forced references to modern technology such as podcasts and blogging, smacking of out-of-touch screenwriters trying to connect with young viewers.
• The Tina/Rod relationship, and their eventual fates, is basically retained, although their names are changed.
• Nancy is now a loner goth chick.
• The story now revolves around Nancy and her boyfriend's quest to find out who Freddy is, and how to stop him.
• Along the way, there is a red herring subplot that suggests that Freddy may not be such a bad guy (a pointless endeavor, since we already know he is!!).
• The script is extremely bleak in tone, lacking not only the infamous wisecracking of the later sequels, but even the dark humor of the original.
• The Springwood parents' killing of Krueger is depicted as an accident.

The reviewer is far from impressed, and I must admit that his concerns give me pause as well. The main issue seems to be that the film is transformed needlessly into a mystery, with a pointless red herring subplot that only wastes time.

Thanks to Vault Dweller and fellow blogger Katiebabs for bringing this tidbit to my attention.

**UPDATE** Not long after posting this news, I received a message from Brad Miska of Bloody-Disgusting informing me that, thankfully, the script reviewed here is NOT the final one. In other words, changes have been made--and hopefully for the better!

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**SPOILER PIC** Michael Myers to Be Maskless for Majority of Halloween Sequel

Ryan Rotten of Shock Till You Drop landed a fascinating little interview with Halloween 2's makeup designer Wayne Toth on this Easter Sunday. The FX guru discusses a range of topics, including his surprisingly positive response to the bogus fan art that hit the web a couple of months back, the extensive use of dream sequences in the film, and most provocatively, the fact that The Shape will apparently be without his iconic mask for roughly "70%" of the sequel!

Here's Toth on the subject:

"I thought the reaction was pretty much going to be, What? No mask on Michael Myers?' But it's like anything else, as long as you're doing something cool, people get it. No one has dared to change the character, they just put him in different situations and that gets old pretty fast. Be daring with Michael Myers and change it, I think that was the appeal with this movie. It wasn't limited to a remake, like last time. We're taking it a step further."

This is bound to create some division in the fan community--which was already divided as to whether or not the remake sucked in the first place. For the rest of the interview, head on over to STYD. As for this "new design", the spoiler-wary among you might want to divert your eyes or jump to another site, 'cause I'm about to share an on-set peek of actor Tyler Mane sporting Michael Myers' maskless look. Here's the infamous shot which has been dropping jaws at STYD:


Well, no one can accuse Rob Zombie of being without balls. Although I'm tempted to say that without the Shatner mask, it kind of becomes less "Halloween" and more "Crazy Homeless Guy in a Jumpsuit Randomly Stabbing People". Stay tuned, true believers.

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MORE TRUE BLOOD SPOILERS! How Will the Season End?

We're only halfway through the first season of HBO's moderately successful True Blood vampire series, but synopses for all the remaining episodes have already leaked to the web. If you want to get a vague idea of the goings-on for the rest of the installments from tonight right up until the November 23 finale, here you go:

Episode #6: "Cold Ground"
SUNDAY, OCT. 12
Numbed by tragedy, Sookie looks for refuge from the cacophony of her friends' and neighbors' inner voices. After lashing out at his sister and decking Andy, Jason wrestles with withdrawal symptoms from his V juice habit. Tara resists the overtures of her mother Lettie Mae (Adina Porter), who's trying to rid herself of a demon and needs her daughter's help. Sam and Tara make a connection in their mutual search for "something real."

Episode #7: "Burning House of Love"
SUNDAY, OCT. 19
Sookie's painful childhood revelation about her Uncle Bartlett spurs Bill into action. Despite her skepticism, Tara agrees to pay for an exorcism to purge Lettie Mae of a demon. In search of V juice, Jason travels to Fangtasia, where he bonds with an adventurous young woman named Amy (Lizzy Kaplan). A trio of rednecks decide to exact vigilante justice on a pack of vampires who crashed Merlotte's in search of their wayward mate Bill.

Episode #8: "The Fourth Man in the Fire"
SUNDAY, OCT. 26
Sookie tries to hold herself together in the wake of another possible tragedy. Tara is amazed by Lettie Mae's turnaround, and considers similar therapy for herself after lashing out at Sookie and Sam. Jason's new squeeze Amy charms the crowd at Merlotte's, but shows a darker side to Jason when their V juice well runs dry. Rene (Michael Raymond James) pops the question to Arlene (Carrie Preston) while Sookie is baby-sitting her kids. Later, at Bill's request, Sookie agrees to use her gifts to help Eric (Alexander Skarsgård), a powerful vampire sheriff, root out a thief at Fangtasia.

Episode #9: "Plaisir d'Amour"
SUNDAY, NOV. 2
Bill (Stephen Moyer) breaks a vampire taboo in protecting Sookie (Anna Paquin) - and must pay a steep price as a result. Jason (Ryan Kwanten) and Amy (Lizzy Kaplan) break their own taboo by kidnapping a vampire named Eddie (Stephen Root) in order to harvest his blood. With Lettie Mae (Adina Porter) apparently cured, a skeptical Tara (Rutina Wesley) consults with Miss Jeanette (Aisha Hinds) about exorcising her own inner demon. Sookie returns home to yet another horrific tragedy, prompting Bill to enlist an unlikely bodyguard - Sam (Sam Trammell) - to protect her while he's away.

Episode #10: "I Don't Wanna Know"
SUNDAY, NOV. 9
Caught in a compromising position, Sam shares a secret with an incredulous Sookie. Thinking she's been purged of her demon, Tara celebrates with Lettie Mae - but goes off the deep end when she uncovers Miss Jeanette's true intentions. Sookie has a disturbing revelation during Arlene (Carrie Preston) and Rene's (Michael Raymond James) engagement party at Merlotte's; Jason and Amy debate what to do with Eddie; and Tara speeds into a bizarre roadside encounter that lands her in jail. At a vampire tribunal to decide his fate, Bill faces a harsh penalty for his offense, but the magister (Zelijko Ivanek) decides on a more creative sentence involving a young human named Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll).

Episode #11: "To Love Is to Bury"
SUNDAY, NOV. 16
Bill fulfills the conditions of the tribunal's sentence, although he and Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) find that Jessica doesn't quite turn (out) as expected. Trying to solve the mystery behind her most recent vision, Sookie heads to a pie shop with Sam and later puts the squeeze on a philandering police officer to get info. Jason helps clean up Amy's mess, worrying about their future, but unable to break away. Tara's anger over Lettie Mae's refusal to bail her out of jail is tempered when Maryann Forrester (Michelle Forbes), a wealthy "social worker," comes to her rescue. Disgusted by the hypocrisy of a vamp-bashing state senator, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) decides to pay him a visit on the campaign trail. In Bill's absence, a vulnerable Sookie finds comfort in Sam. A distraught Jason finds himself in hot water with Bud (William Sanderson) and Andy (Chris Bauer), again.

Episode #12: "You'll Be the Death of Me" (season finale)
SUNDAY, NOV. 23
Sookie finds a link to the string of killings in Bon Temps - and ends up in the murderer's crosshairs. Tara decides to make the most of her second chance with Maryann; Jason finds a new calling after anti-vampire zealot Orry (Michael Bofshever) visits him in jail; Bill tempts fate during his latest attempt to save Sookie; Sam is perturbed by an encounter with an old acquaintance; Lafayette finds himself in the wrong place at the right time.

I'm surprised to see both Jason and Sam surviving to the end of the season! Also, what's up with that secret revelation of Sam's? Could the internet rumors about his being a werewolf be true? I'm betting he's some sort of low-level vampire hunter. We shall see, fellow fangbangers.

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SPOILERS! What's Next for True Blood?

I've been very impressed with HBO's True Blood thus far, and had been reading up about it lately, when what do I come across on TV.com but a whole bunch of episode synopses, going all the way through chapter 8 of the 10-episode first season.

I'm sure these things are probably available a lot of other places on the web by now, but in case you're interested, here are the descriptions for the next five episodes in the vampire series:



Season 1, Ep 4: Escape From Dragon House

When one of Merlotte's barmaids is murdered, all fingers point to Jason. And Sookie goes to new territory to find the truth and prove her brother's innocence.

Airs: 9/28/2008

Season 1, Ep 5: Sparks Fly Out

At the Descendants of the Glorious Dead meeting Bill is invited to talk about his life as a Confederate Soldier. Bill then has a question and answer session when one member of the DGD shows Bill a tintype of the Compton family. Sam, Sookie, Tara and Jason are also present at the Descendants of the Glorious Dead meeting. Sookie deals with a loss of someone close to her. Jason notices Tara while he is high on vampire blood.

Airs: 10/5/2008

Season 1, Ep 6: Cold Ground

Sookie seeks solace from her friends after facing a tragedy. Jason suffers from withrawal symptoms. Sam and Tara share a bond in searching a common goal.

Airs: 10/12/2008

Season 1, Ep 7: Burning House of Love

Bill gets into action after he learns of Sookies painful past. Jason makes a connection with Amy in Fangtasia searching for V juice. A trio of mysterious red necks come for their old friend Bill seeking justice against vampires.

Airs: 10/19/2008

Season 1, Ep 8: The Fourth Man in the Fire

Sookie braces herself for more tragedy. Tara thinks of a new approach with dealing with her anger by adopting a similar therapy to Lettie Mae. Amy charms a crowd showing a darker side to Jason after the V juice runs out. Bill persuades Sookie into helping Eric using her gifts to catch criminals.

Airs: 10/26/2008

Could those "mysterious red necks" be vampire hunters? Will Tara's trials and tribulations ever have anything to do with the rest of the show? These capsules give just a little taste, without revealing any specifics. Plus, the contents of the final two episodes are completely unknown. What is known is the series has already been renewed for a second season. Good news for anyone suffering through Fear Itself for their horror TV fix.

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Will We See More Than Jason's Sack?

The answer to the above question would appear to be "Yes". According to IESB.net, Jason Voorhees will wear both the potato sack and famous hockey mask over the course of the Friday the 13th reboot, set to release on February 13, 2009.

Producer Brad Fuller told IESB that the new film will condense the first three movies of the original series. I'm not sure if this means that Jason's mother Pamela will make an appearance at the beginning, but it does mean that Jason will start out his killing spree wearing the sack (from Part 2), and then transition to the mask (from Part 3) at a key moment in the film.

Rumor has it that the crucial mask-donning scene has been shot both from behind and from the front, and that the decision will be made during the editing process whether to show Jason's face.

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X-Files Set Pix: Hoax...or Cover-Up?

Last month, if you recall, there were some controversial spy shots from the set of X-Files 2 that leaked to the internet showing director Chris Carter and some guy in a werewolf mask. Quickly, the word spread that the highly anticipated sequel would be lycanthropic in theme--harkening back to an obscure season one episode, rather than the alien invasion storyline most fans had hoped to see resolved.
Now, Movieweb is reporting that the pictures were well-orchestrated fakes. According to someone claiming to be a crewmember, Carter intentionally had the photos leaked in order to throw off the fanboys.
Movieweb isn't questioning the new revelation, but Bloody-Disgusting points out that it's also very possible that this latest development is more like damage control. Could it be that the pix were legit, and now Carter and the studio are using some reverse psychology to invalidate what would otherwise be a major spoiler? Or could it be that I've watched too much X-Files myself? The truth is out there, people.

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Mulder and Scully to Tangle with a Werewolf?

That seems to be what would be indicated by the spoilerific spy pic below, snapped by a sure-to-be-in-trouble-soon photographer near the Vancouver set of X-Files 2, and sent in yesterday to JoBlo.com:

That's creator/director Chris Carter on the right surveying the special effects handiwork. I was never that into X-Files, but I do recall there was a lycanthropy-themed episode or two during the show's original 1990s run. If that is the direction in which Carter is going, there are going to be a lot of X-heads plenty upset that there will be no continuation/resolution of the epic alien invasion saga, I can tell you that.

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MEGA-SPOILER! Cloverfield Monster Revealed

With mere days to go, the Cloverfield hype machine is cranking at a fever pitch, and now the mother of all spoilers has dropped. This is something that has been out there for a couple of days now, but owing to my exceptional journalistic integrity, I was sitting on it until it could be reasonably confirmed.

The drawing of the giant beastie that tears up Manhattan in the film that opens this weekend first appeared on /Film a couple of days ago, and now the fanboys over at Unfiction have apparently confirmed that it was made by someone who actually attended an advanced screening of the movie:

(Note to self: If you ever make a giant monster movie, make sure not to invite any professional illustrators to the advanced screening.)

I will say that the extra set of massive claws is a neat touch, but other than that, it seems decidedly run-of-the-mill after all the hype we've been inundated with. Then again, could anything live up to it? I think movie marketers are going to find that is the problem with this new viral craze--it inevitably leads to backlash and disappointment. Of course, all the webgeeks also need to realize that they probably make up 15-20% of the people who will be going to see this movie, tops. Meaning that the vast majority of its sure-to-be-record-setting audience this weekend has probably never been exposed to a single pixel of Cloverfield internet propaganda.

For several more fan illustrations of the monster, go to /Film.

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SPOILER ALERT: Opening Scene of Friday the 13th Remake Revealed!

In case you've been under a rock, Friday the 13th has, in fact, been added to the parade of horror remakes. And yesterday, CHUD.com landed quite a juicy scoop--namely, a description of the opening scene:

The new Friday the 13th is going to open with Jason as a legend in the Crystal Lake area. Five kids out in the woods looking for a bunch of weed they planted and stumble upon the deserted Camp Crystal Lake. Sitting around the fire that night, the dweeby one (there's always a dweeby one) tells the legend of Jason Voorhees. After that the Survivor Girl and her boyfriend wander off into the woods, where they find a shitty old cabin. Inside are some clues, like a bed with the name Jason carved in it. An old picture of a girl who looks just like Survivor Girl. And Mama Voorhees' head. Cue Jason. He murderizes the other four kids, and as he grabs Survivor Girl... slam into the opening credits.

Sounds like this is definitely not a direct continuation, nor a straight-up reboot. You will remember that in the original Friday, Jason isn't even the killer. Rather, it seems to be a streamlined, out-of-continuity take on the franchise. For the comic book fans out there, think of it as "Ultimate Jason".
I have never very much cared for the Friday flicks, nor the '80s slasher genre in general. It will take a little more than this tidbit to get me excited to watch more pot-smoking teens get impaled on garden tools.
Shooting on the New Line/Paramount project begins in February, for a scheduled 2009 release.

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