The Show
Every few years, popular culture seems to rediscover the romantic allure of vampires. And while Twilight has the teeny boppers wrapped up, the decidedly adult novels of Charlaine Harris have provided ample fodder for HBO's weekly series True Blood, entering its second season next month. In this world, bloodsuckers are acknowledged to exist yet many still remain underground while some are getting downright uppity since they "came out of the coffin," trying to figure out where they belong. Oscar-winner Anna Paquin stars as the complex heroine Sookie Stackhouse, a Louisiana waitress with a curiously strong sympathy for--and attraction to--the fanged ones, particularly the charismatic Civil War veteran, Bill (Stephen Moyer). There's a murder mystery and a few other supernatural twists along the way, but it's ultimately about the vampires, and it's a fun, often kinky ride.
The Picture
Created for cable/satellite broadcast in high-definition and 5.1-channel sound, the production values are quite high for True Blood. Maintaining its full HD aspect ratio of 1.78:1, the image boasts strong colors and a remarkably flaw-free look. A few shots can be a little soft or a little grainy here and there, particularly in shadowy scenes. But the precision and subtlety of the digitally rendered special effects is outstanding. The choice to spread the show across five discs surely helped banish unwanted compression.
The accompanying DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is simply terrific. Much of the music has a wonderfully rendered, realistic presence, as if we've wandered into some local roadhouse where the band just took the stage. The mix is not stingy with hard surrounds, be it incidental effects (a random dog, a door opening/closing) or great environmental touches like the myriad sounds of the living bayou or a game of pool in the background of a bar. Moments of the supernatural are well-represented too, such as the voices inside Sookie's head (did I mention that she can read minds?) phasing around the room like a whirlwind. Bass is not thunderous but it is definitely enough to tell the story.
The Extras
An extraordinarily deep Enhanced Viewing mode with picture-in-picture is offered for every episode. It appears to incorporate all of the DVD's value-added materials and then some, all of it set within the True Blood universe, such as the “In Focus: Vampires in America” mockumentary exploring the uneasy integration of vampires into the human world. There are also faux ads for the synthetic bottled Tru Blood beverage, dating services and more that target out-of-the-coffin vampires, plus public service announcements for both species. There's also onscreen text proffering everything from character biographies to helpful hints for living in a blended society, as well as maps showing where the action is unfolding. For the show's many fans, this feature really does make a good experience even better.
Director commentaries are supplied for half of the season's dozen episodes, some solo and others pairing them with actors and others. Tune in for series creator/executive producer Alan Ball, star Anna Paquin and director Scott Winant, co-star Stephen Moyer and director Dan Minahan, director Marcos Siega, director Nancy Oliver, and director Michael Lehmann joined by writer Brian Buckner.
Final Thoughts
Clever, engrossing and unabashedly sexy, True Blood is one of the most enjoyable vampire tales ever. HBO made it a hit, and now HBO Home Entertainment has packaged it as a technically proficient, creatively rich special edition set worth sinking our teeth into.
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