Welcome to Sucker Punch, the only blog post that ranks the gaudiest moments on this week’s episode of True Blood.

(Warning: Spoilers Ahead)

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Before we dive into “It Hurts Me Too,” I need to talk about a recent review of True Blood by Entertainment Weekly‘s Ken Tucker.  In his conclusion, he wrote:

What show creator Alan Ball has brought to True Blood‘s pulp-horror trappings is a unifying theme of power versus helplessness: an insistence that victims are capable of toughening, of overcoming their powerlessness to become smarter and stronger. It’s a positive message that Ball and his writers and directors smuggle into a show that only seems to revel in decadence, gore, and duplicity. True Blood‘s dirtiest little secret is that it may be among the most ethical, even righteous, shows on television.

Meanwhile, in his recap of the season premiere, Tucker said, “I like True Blood best when it’s fast, dirty, and funny.”

These statements clarify my own relationship to the show: Yes, it’s full of metaphor, and I certainly enjoy it on that level. However, I mostly like True Blood because it’s trashy, bloody, sexy, and funny. It’s more valuable to me as candy than as vitamins.
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Despicable Me, the upcoming animated film starring Steve Carell (or really, Steve Carell’s voice) has had one of the most instructively terrible ad campaigns in recent memory. Let’s take a look, shall we?

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Howdy everyone. Tonight, I’ll be appearing on “Talk Blood Radio,” immediately following the East Coast airing of this evening’s True Blood episode. I’ll be doing some on-the-spot analysis with hosts “Dallas” and “Sookie,” and I’m sure it’ll be a hoot and a scream.

Listen for me at about 10:10 PM EST. And if you’d like to interact with me, tweet me at @CritCondition with your thoughts on the show. I’ll try to read some of your responses on air.

And here’s the best part: If you add #talkblood to your tweets, join the chatroom for the live show, or call in to the live show with an on-air comment, then you will be eligible to win a True Blood goodie bag. Dallas has connections to the show and the books, so I’m sure the prizes will be fantastic.

Here’s the link to the show. I’ll look forward to seeing/hearing/tweeting with you tonight!

By DOUG STRASSLER

I know we’ve talked about Lady Gaga several times recently on this site, but I’ve never weighed in, so I figure that gives me a right to do so now. Here’s where I stand: I’m a fan. Not an unadulterated one, but a strong one nonetheless. Mark and I have actually previously discussed that her combination of art and celebrity, shock and depth, persona and confession, make her the first true heir to Madonna out of the myriad wannabes that have sprouted up in the last quarter century. She can be polarizing, she can be calculating, she may very well be insane, but I’m down with that. I love her for all of those reasons.

Until now. Gaga has now officially crossed a line.

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Welcome to Sucker Punch, the only blog post that ranks the gaudiest moments on this week’s episode of True Blood.

(Warning: Spoilers Ahead)

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Howdy y’all! I didn’t get around to watching “Beautifully Broken,” this week’s installment of True Blood, until Wednesday night (!), but it was the cap to an excellent day. I signed a lease for a new apartment and made it through every audition round for a popular game show… and then I enjoyed a tasty stew of fangs, fur, and freaks.

But I dig into that, let’s be real for a minute… This season will keep our core characters apart from each other and that makes me nervous. Remember last year, when the “half in Louisiana, half in Texas” stuff made made True Blood feel like two disconnected shows? I don’t want to deal with that again.

That said: This season’s storylines have all been really engaging so far.

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As you know, I can’t get enough of recommending songs. Today, I’m throwing love to the rock-, pop-, and dance-happy ladies of Europe. Some of these songs came my way when Andrew and I were in Europe. Some of them came from my friend Tray, who actually lives in Europe. And some of them are by Robyn.

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As the estimable Doug Strassler pointed out on Friday, Toy Story 3 is this summer’s first mainstream movie that has seemed worthwhile… which is why I went to see it on Saturday. It was my first trip to the movies since early January (!!!), but what was I going to do? Surrender my money and time to Prince of Persia? I’d rather spend those two hours in quiet contemplation… or watching Nurse Jackie.

Anyway… Toy Story 3. It moved in me a pre-conscious, Theatre of Cruelty way, so that I felt powerful emotions before I was aware of feeling them. This is partially, I think, because the movie embodies situations that are universally meaningful, and partially because it addresses things that are specifically important to me. Here’s my take on both sides of that coin…

(Major spoilers ahead)

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By DOUG STRASSLER

I don’t know about you guys, but is anyone loving this year’s summer movies? I used to look forward so to the endless array of escapist fun, from Jurassic Park to There’s Something About Mary to Independence Day and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. And there were also quality dramas (The Bridges of Madison County, Saving Private Ryan), thrillers (The Fugitive, Crimson Tide), and romances (When Harry Met Sally). Now all the blockbusters feel bloated but rote (I’m looking at the unholy trinity of Robin Hood, The Prince of Persia and Sex and the City 2). Where are the fun surprises, like Babe and Clueless?

And yet there is hope! Below I write about a few lesser known films currently out there that are worthy of some summer movie lovin’. (Too far? Sorry.) Check them out!

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Welcome to Sucker Punch, the only blog post that ranks the gaudiest moments on this week’s episode of True Blood.

(Warning: Spoilers Ahead)

—

Hello everyone! I’m excited to be recapping another season of True Blood, and I’m even more excited to see you again. You look great! Did you change your hair? And thanks for sending me that postcard. That trip sounded like a lot of fun.

As for me? Last fall, I got a full-time job running a theatre magazine. I love what I’m doing, but that means that unlike last year, when I had the flexible schedule of a freelancer, I won’t be able to stay up until 2 AM on Sunday nights and get my recaps posted the next day. I’ll get them written as fast as I can, however, and they’ll always be up before the next new episode airs.

And now… let’s do this thing!

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Sometimes, a pop song is more than just a delicious sound nugget. Sometimes, its’ a learning tool. I mean, I think anyone who was sentient in 1989 had his or her knowledge of 20th-century history tripled by “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” and if you want to know about Belgian painters or the gases of the sun, then you’d better get some They Might Be Giants in your ears.

And then there are songs that teach us to spell. Here are my five favorite spelling moments in pop music. What are yours?

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