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Amber Benson - "Death Daughter" Novel - Etaiwannews.com Review

Webmaster — 2009-07-24T11:49:34Z

Headstrong Bella is in love with a vampire. Zoey has a crescent moon seared onto her forehead, the mark of a fledgling bloodsucker. Sixteen-year-old Ever can hear people's thoughts. Calliope is, reluctantly, Death's daughter.

All are modern female heroes written by women, read by women and not only obsessed over by teenagers but also their older sisters and mothers. The economy may be deeply troubled, but urban fantasy novels about vampires, werewolves, zombies, supernatural creatures, blood and romance are booming, and women are sinking their teeth into them in ravenous numbers.

"We're living in a frightening time. I don't know if it's an escapism as in there's scary stuff out there so let me control it through the medium of reading," says Amy Clarke, a lecturer at the University of California, Davis who teaches science fiction literature.

"There's dreaming of being with a vampire or werewolf, but there's always the danger of crossing over. I think it's a post-feminist way of taking on power."

The trend gathered steam with Bella Swan and her conflicted romance with gorgeous vampire Edward in Stephenie Meyer's four-book "Twilight" series, which has sold more than 53 million copies worldwide since the first book's release in 2005, according to publisher Little, Brown and Company. Meyer's newest, the more adult-themed "The Host," has 2 million copies in print domestically.

Call it dark escapism with a racy flair. The "Twilight" explosion, including its hit movie version, has deepened the needs of women urban fantasy novel readers.

Other authors are jumping in : P.C. Cast and her daughter Kristin's popular "House of Night" vampire series ; Alyson Noel's "Immortals" books : the "Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mysteries" novels by Charlaine Harris, which inspired the TV series "True Blood" on HBO ; Richelle Mead's "Vampire Academy" trilogy ; and books by more than half a dozen other female writers.

The genre's popularity is bigger than just books, says P.C. Cast.

"With women, this is reflecting a shift in our society," Cast said in an interview from her home in Tulsa, Oklahoma "I've seen a big shift, especially in my classroom, with women standing up and demanding respect. That's in every woman, whether 16, 26, 56."

"Our fiction is also reflecting that because we're writing the fiction. We've given ourselves permission to be successful. We're also giving ourselves permission to have fun," said Cast, a single mother who taught high school English for 15 years before focusing only on writing.

Her five "House of Night" books, starting in 2007 with "Marked," follow the adventures of Zoey Redbird, a high school student marked to be a vamp, who must enter the House of Night. Described as a "vampyre finishing school," it's filled with bratty girls, cute guys and no end of drama.

Cast enlisted the help of daughter Kristin, 22, to ensure that the teen-speak in her stories reflected current vernacular as opposed to the author's "inner '70s teenager saying things that were so not cool."

It paid off.

There are 5.5 million copies of the five "House of Night" books in print in the United States and the series has been on The New York Times list of best sellers for 63 weeks, according to publisher St. Martin's Press. "Tempted," the sixth book, is due out in October. The series has been optioned by Empire Pictures, with a film script in the works.

"Vampires are super sexy. Vampires and teens have a lot in common. Teens have surging hormones, vampires have surging blood lust. Teenagers think they're immortal," Cast said.

And for older women, says UC Davis' Clarke, "hot blooded" has taken on new meaning.

"All of the stuff I've read have some pretty heated sex scenes in them, and that brings people into the world of it," Clarke said. "The teens haven't had sex yet and the mothers have, and it's maybe not as good as it was."

Noel's "Immortals" series focuses on the telepathic teen Ever, who gains her abilities after surviving a car accident that kills her family. Brooding and lonely at a new school in sunny California, she meets handsome immortal Damen. They're drawn to each other like magnets.

"All of us older people reading these books magically survived high school even though we thought we wouldn't," Noel said in an interview from her home in Laguna Beach, California "To be young and beautiful and have power forever is pretty alluring in this society."

More than 700,000 copies of the two "Immortals" books are in print, according to St. Martin's Press. The first book, "Evermore," has been on the Times list for 23 weeks since its release in February. The second book, "Blue Moon," was released this month, with book three scheduled for January 2010.

Mead's "Vampire Academy" series has 1.5 million books in print, according to publisher Penguin Razorbill Books. The fourth book in the series comes out in August.

Amber Benson, who earned a huge fan base as witch Tara on the cult-hit TV show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," which ended in 2003, channeled her love of urban fantasy into a trilogy, with the first book released this year by venerable science fiction and fantasy publisher Ace Books, an imprint of Penguin.

In "Death's Daughter," Calliope Reaper-Jones is a 25-year-old immortal who works in New York City. After her father, the CEO of Death, Inc., is kidnapped, she must run the family business.

"That was the beauty of Buffy, this female protagonist who looked totally harmless but could do all these amazing things and was trying to be a real person at the same time. She definitely influenced Calliope and her journey," says Benson, as she sits in her Los Angeles home beneath a sign reading "Old Friends to Read, Old Friends to Trust."

"We don't just want to be the tough chick who has no feelings, or the super girly girl who can't do anything for herself. We want that middle ground," she says.

"This is where the key demographic for the 'House of Night' lives, these teenage girls that are online most of the time," Matthew Shear, St. Martin's senior vice president of publishing, said.

Shear acknowledged Meyer's effect on Cast's series and other urban fantasy novels.

"We didn't buy the 'House of Night' series because of 'Twilight,' but when we saw sales increasing, we went to everywhere Stephenie Meyer was selling," he said. "Stephenie Meyer started the boom, and 'House of Night' has continued the boom."

He's cheering on sales.

"Is it welcome news to the publishing world ? You bet it is," Shear said. "We're thrilled that people want to buy these books."

Amber Benson - "One-Eyed Monster" Movie - Filmsnobbery.com Review

Webmaster — 2009-05-07T09:11:00Z

Mix the movies “Alien” and “The Thing” with a side of humor geared towards the younger male population and one gets “One Eyed Monster” with Ron Jeremy, Amber Benson, and Charles Napier keeping its viewer on the edge of their seat laughing. “One Eyed Monster” is a pretty good film with an organized storyline, good acting, well played jokes and puns that earn a smile or two, with less nudity and gore than would have been expected. The plot of “One Eyed Monster” was thought out well, which created a movie with no questions of how the characters got to where they are. In “One Eyed Monster” an adult movie is being filmed at the top of the snow covered Look Out Mountain in northern California where an alien takes control of Ron Jeremy's penis and goes on a killing spree…without Ron. The ten people in the cast and crew of this film travel up the mountain, but only 2 will survive.

he acting throughout this movie is actually pretty good. At first, the acting may seem horrible (e.g. cheesy and dumb), but, when looking at who they are supposed to be playing, the acting makes complete sense. When one thinks of a porn star, they do not exactly think of them being smart or normal. They think of them only being about the sex and having never gone to college. Ron Jeremy and Veronica Hart play themselves, so there really is not much of a challenge there. Amber Benson, Caleb Mayo, and Jason Graham play their parts really well. They believably play the crew positions of their characters. Amber Benson's character, Laura, maintains the crush she has on Ron Jeremy from the beginning to the end of the movie. An excellent example of good acting in “One Eyed Monster” would be when the jokes and puns are delivered quite seriously. No one bursts out laughing about a joke, but instead they take it as though it is fact. Timely jokes and puns delivered with a straight face keep the audience smiling and occasionally laughing. When T.J. tells Lance to put his dick in the machine, Lance tells him that he does not want to “fuck with his livelihood” to which Jonah replies, “You do fuck with your livelihood.” This earns a smile and maybe a start of a laugh since he is pointing out the obvious truth of Lance's irony. Later on, Napier's character, Mohtz, talks about the last time he dealt with a homicidal penis without a single smile. It is funny because he is so serious about something that would sound completely ridiculous in any normal conversation. Finally, when asked if it was raining, Jonah replies, “Not rain—Ron.” The comedy aspect of this movie has been covered very well with little humorous parts sprinkled throughout the horror story.

For a horror movie with big name adult film stars, there is a major lack of gore and nudity. A horror movie is usually thought to have buckets of blood used to create many gory scenes, but “One Eyed Monster” has very few scenes that can be seen as gory and there is minimal blood used in these scenes. Just like the lack of gore, there is a lack of nudity. One expects a movie to have plenty of nudity scenes when a major adult film star like Ron Jeremy is involved ; however, there are maybe three of these scenes. Some may be disappointed by this, but it actually makes the movie more tasteful. The lack of nudity and gore leaves the viewer room to come up with their own ideas of how things may be, which can be even better than what the movie could have had in it. This aspect, if anything, gives the movie a more varied audience. “One Eyed Monster” accomplishes the goal it was working towards. It has a cohesive story line with good acting, comedy, and tasteful amounts of gore and nudity. This movie, however, is not for everyone. Its main audience would be young men, but because the movie was done tastefully, it is also good for anyone who likes a mild horror story with bits of comedy and a ludicrous story.

“If you see it coming, you're already dead.”

Amber Benson - "Death's Daughter" Novel - Genregoroundreviews.blogspot.com Review

Webmaster — 2009-01-13T19:55:11Z

Death's Daughter - Amber Benson - Ace, Mar 2009, $7.99 - ISBN : 9780441016945

She works in a dead end job because her boss relies on her so much she refuses to promote Calliope Reaper-Jones. She lives in New York, which is in her blood as a fashionista, but has not had a real date in months. One day on her way to work, Calliope sees a dinosaur-dragon who guards her building's door. At work, she goes to the bathroom where she meets a faun who breaks the forget-me spell leading to Calliope realizing who she is and what her family heritage is.

She is her daddy's daughter so handles well the news from her father's assistant the faun Jarvis that her sire, her sister Thalia and the rest of Death, Inc has been kidnapped. At her mother's request, Calliope returns home to see Sea Verge. She learns her family will be evicted from their home if Callie fails to become the Grim Reaper. To make the conversion to CEO, she must perform three tasks to determine her worthiness. First she must capture one of Cerberus' pups. Second she must find the Sea Foam from Indra a Hindu God who wants to kill the demon Vrita and find the Cup of Lamshid. Challenging her is Daniel who wants to be the next Death and Detective Davenport of the Psychic Bureau of Investigation who believes she was part of the kidnapping plot of her dad. If she succeeds and becomes Death, Callie knows this does not guarantee she will be able to rescue her father.

Leaving Buffy behind, Amber Benson writes an amusing action-packed chick lit urban fantasy loaded with more twists and curves than a twist-a-whirl. The heroine does not want to be the next Death as that might interfere with her nails and what she seeks on Craig's List, but knows her choices are limited to either death or Death. Filled with humor and wit, this is a refreshing original thriller as double, triple, and nth crossings are the norm.

Click on the link to pre-order :

Amber Benson & Adam Busch - "Drones" Movie - 225batonrouge.com Review

Webmaster — 2008-09-29T09:52:12Z

So, you work with an alien

Producer Jordan Kessler walks through a gray graveyard of cubicles and soul-dulling, overhead fluorescent lights inside the Baton Rouge offices of Omni Link. There will be no 9-to-5 today, though. Work is likely to go much longer. That's because Omni Link exists only on removable decals on the glass doors of the office and in Courier type on the pages of a quick-witted screenplay. For the next three weeks this office is a film set. Kessler leans back comfortably in front of a flat-screen monitor to watch this morning's scene take shape.

“You went with the big one, too ?” he asks director Adam Busch, raising his venti iced coffee from Starbucks. “Yeah,” Busch says, sipping from a cup that matches Kessler's in heft. “I moved up to the big one the first day of shooting.”

It is day three of production on Drones, a dry corporate comedy about cube jockeys who may or may not be incognito aliens from other planets. One casting agent describes it as The Office meets Close Encounters of the Third Kind. “Any time you have people in a ‘fish bowl,' like an office, problems are heightened and exacerbated,” Busch says. “So, for instance, whether someone will go out with you becomes a threat like the end of the world.”

Jonathan Woodward stars as the film's awkwardly funny lead, Brian. Woodward comes to the production with experience in two sci-fi TV series from fan favorite Joss Whedon : Angel and Firefly.

Drones is the result of an alliance among three former actors who now captain their own projects. That the film's cast and crew seem like a tight-knit group of friends and collaborators can only help its chances.

Busch and co-director Amber Benson have been a creative couple since working as co-stars on another Whedon hit, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in 2001. Buffy message boards are rife with speculation that the pair is engaged, but neither will comment. Ironically, Busch's character killed Benson's in one episode of the hit series. At Omni Link they are an efficient tag team. Since their seasons on Buffy, Busch has starred in a number of TV shows, including House M.D. and Law & Order, and Benson has been an actress, writer and director for a dozen independent films.

Kessler and Busch were both child actors and met on that circuit as teens in the 1990s. They reconnected a few years ago in L.A. with plans to work together sooner rather than later.

“We kept trying to find something for a year, something we could do cheaply and in one location,” Busch says. “If all this wasn't going on in Louisiana, it may not have worked. You can get so much more done here than in L.A. or New York.”

On one of his regular film-finding trips to L.A., Kessler read the script for Drones, and he called back to Baton Rouge immediately. Everyone loved it. He and Busch had found their project.

“It's always been my goal to work with friends,” Kessler says. “Even though I've done higher-budget films, they haven't been as much fun as this. I felt like those were someone else's movie. Drones is more fulfilling. You want to sort of rise up with your friends, so in our own little way we are calling the small shots.”

Amber Benson - "Race You to the Bottom" Movie - Nytimes.com Review

Webmaster — 2007-05-05T08:37:15Z

In "Race You to the Bottom," Russell Brown's enervated relationship drama, a pair of thoroughly unlikable 20-somethings explore the possibility of becoming more than friends with benefits. First, however, they must decide what to do about their pesky, live-in boyfriends.

Self-consciously edgy and romantically limp, the movie asks us to believe that the gorgeous Maggie (Amber Benson), a searching postgrad, would be besotted with the immature Nathan (Cole Williams), a self-involved, self-loathing travel writer. As they tour the Napa Valley for one of Nathan's puff pieces, the couple communicate in forced, snippy dialogue, much of which centers on Nathan's wavering sexuality. Maggie believes he's 70 percent gay ; judging by his bad hair alone, the opposite is more likely.

While Nathan hits on a waiter and seduces one of Maggie's male college friends, Maggie alternately snipes and sulks. Ms. Benson is a lovely actress with a vulnerability that can be extremely touching, but she enjoyed more chemistry with Alyson Hannigan on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" than she does with Mr. Williams. In this walking, talking, whining movie, she is charged with teaching us that relationships are complicated. Maybe so, but they're a lot easier if you lift your gaze from your navel once in a while.

"Race You to the Bottom" is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). Its characters explore Ecstasy, sexual honesty and one another.

Opens today in Manhattan.

Written and directed by Russell Brown ; director of photography, Marco Farnoli ; edited by Annette Davey ; music by Ryan Beveridge ; art director, Doran Meyers ; produced by Roni Deitz and Mr. Brown ; released by Regent Releasing. At the Quad Cinema, 34 West 13th Street, Greenwich Village. Running time : 75 minutes.

WITH : Amber Benson (Maggie), Cole Williams (Nathan), Jeremy Lelliott (Nicholas), Danielle Harris (Carla) and Justin Hartley (Joe).

Amber Benson - "Attack of the Gryphon" Tv Movie - DVD - Monstersandcritics.com Review

Webmaster — 2007-03-03T11:25:13Z

Sword and sorcery epic Attack of the Gryphon arrives on DVD in April

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment presents Attack of the Gryphon, a fantasy filled sword and sorcery epic in the tradition of Lord of the Rings and Excalibur, on April 3rd with a suggested retail price of $24.96.

Directed by Andrew Prowse (TV's "Farscape"), Attack of the Gryphon stars Amber Benson ("Buffy The Vampire Slayer").

Attack of the Gryphon follows the feud between princely brothers, Delphus and Lock. The feud eventually tears the once great kingdom of Vallon into two. Centuries later, the warring kingdoms of Delphi and Lockland remain embroiled in perpetual battle.

On the eve of Lockland's destruction, the Lockland King orders his Sorcerer to raise the Gryphon against his enemies. The plan is a success until the Sorcerer commands the Gryphon turn on Lockland in an effort to bring both kingdoms under his evil authority.

Attack of the Gryphon is now available for pre-order at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.

Amber Benson - "Race You to the Bottom" Movie - Comingsoon.net Review

Webmaster — 2007-02-20T07:29:39Z

Release Date : March 30, 2007 - Studio : Regent Releasing, Here ! Films
Director : Russell Brown - Screenwriter : Russell Brown
Starring : Amber Benson, Cole Williams, Jeremy Lelliott, Danielle Harris, Justin Zachary

Genre : Drama, Romance - MPAA Rating : R - Official Website : RaceYoutotheBottom-themovie.com

Plot Summary : "Race You to the Bottom" centers around a beautifully complicated and heated love affair between two young 20-somethings : a straight woman and her best friend, a gay man. Starring young actors Cole Williams ("Harry and Max") and Amber Benson ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") in career-making lead roles, "Race You to the Bottom" is a vibrant, sexy artistic achievement and a cultural milestone in reflecting a fast changing new world of fluid sexuality.

Propelled by the exhilaration of their six-month secret affair, gay Nathan and straight Maggie embark on a sun-drenched road trip through Napa Valley wine country, all the while leaving their respective boyfriends behind. The lovers try to define their relationship on their own terms : sensual, liberating and rebellious, but also one fraught with complications that they might not have the maturity to overcome.

The result is an unlikely love story with sharply drawn, intelligent and flawed characters. As these two hedonists tear through Northern California, the film reminds us of the glorious moments when romance seems to have no boundaries.

Amber Benson - "Lovers, Liars and Lunatics" Movie - Sirens of Cinema Magazine Article

Webmaster — 2006-12-14T22:48:57Z

- Reviews

Amber Benson - "Supernatural" Tv Series - 2x03 "Bloodlust" - Ifmagazine.com Review

Webmaster — 2006-10-16T12:29:42Z

TV Review : SUPERNATURAL - SEASON TWO - “Bloodlust”

Amber Benson guest stars as a vampire with a heart of gold, well, black heart of gold. Meanwhile, BLADE the vampire hunter makes an appearance. GRADE :

STARS : Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Amber Benson WRITER : Sera Gamble DIRECTOR : Robert Singer RATING : NR DISTRIBUTOR : Airs on The CW @ 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Published : 10/13/2006

It's not a shock that Amber Benson may become somewhat of a reoccurring character on The CW's SUPERNATURAL. The show needs all the help it can get and tapping into the BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER universe is an excellent way to garner a little momentum.

Benson was really one of the few from the show not to find another television show to fall back on after BUFFY ended (OK, Sarah Michelle Gellar chose not to find a show), so this is a pretty good fit moving laterally from one supernatural show to SUPERNATURAL. However, will it be enough to save the show that barely made it back from the one-season curse already ? The show is getting slaughtered by the deadly combination of GREY'S ANATOMY and CSI on Thursday nights. Given The CW merge was supposed to bring in more viewers not just maintain the status quo will its small increases in certain demographics keep it around ? Time will tell.

But I digress, Benson is a great talent and I always thought she was highly attractive even at the beginning of her run in BUFFY. Seeing her as a vampire gives me a little giddy-up in my step, if you know what I mean, and that's always a good thing. She also isn't the pillowy, innocent, good natured, wheatgrass drinking lesbian anymore but a little more mature and lot more dark - but not your typical vampire who drinks human blood but the good kind who drinks cattle fluid because the found other ways for “survival.” Benson, with new dyed hair, looks great as a pale brunette and I, for one, would love for to keep this look as it brings a whole new level of hotness.

So yeah, she isn't a bad-ass vamp which is too bad as that would be great to see but at least she's getting some decent work and again has a chance to come back in the series if it gets a bump from those checking it out just for her. ALIAS tried to do this with ANGEL's Amy Acker during its last season and while it initially worked, long-term no one was interested in seeing the hot Acker play a mean ole terrorist. Will they take to Benson the same way here ? Again, time will tell.

So Sam (cough, the one with the powers) gets abducted from these same friendly vampires after he and Dean travel to Montana to investigate some crazy happenings involving dead cows and beheadings. Turns out the beheadings are from a local BLADE, the vampire hunter (who obviously moved networks after Spike TV cancelled his series) who has been systematically hunting the undead because God damn he hates bloodsuckers. Oh, and the vamps attacked his family but bygones.

Of course, Samwise, who is let go by the friendly vamps, just can't seem to bring himself to let his brother get rid of the vermin seeing as they didn't harm him. Whatever, never trust someone who enjoys your hot, creamy innards is what I say. As Dean says, “What part of vampire don't you understand ?” Anyway, it appears these vamps don't die in a traditional BUFFY way as the ole stake through the heart and such doesn't work. Decapitation is the way to dispose of them only, which I'm sure will have the Internet forums abuzz over the proper way to slay a vampire.

Interesting that Dean and BLADE seem to have a kinship that Sam and Dean obviously don't have. My theory regarding this is simple. Sam's a big p***y. He's too caring and loving toward all supernaturals, instead of having the “nuke ‘em all” philosophy of his brother. Maybe Sam needs to grow a set, stop making friends among "the other human-like entities" and do his damn job. In the words of FULL METAL JACKET's Sergeant Hartman, “What is your major malfunction, numbnuts ?”

Regardless, after a big tiff between the brothers it turns out BLADE is a bit off his rocker, the elevator doesn't go all the way to the top and all those other phrases for crazy. So Sam and Dean find themselves on the side of the filthy vamps. Which, of course, leads to a lame fist fight between Dean and BLADE, some reflection on why Dean and Sam hunt and some possible plot threads to be continued at a different time.

Amber Benson - "Ghosts of Albion : Accursed" Novel - Davisenterprise.com Review

Webmaster — 2006-01-22T18:05:24Z

Book reviews for Januay 20, 2006 : Fantasy : "Ghosts of Albion : Accursed," Amber Benson and Christopher Golden ; "Dragon Champion," E.E. Knight ; "An Accidental Goddess," Linnea Sinclair ; "Platinum Pohl," Frederick Pohl

It's hard to believe that another year has come and gone ... and so quickly !

But even though we're in a new year, things stay pretty much the same for most people. By way of acknowledging this, our current books look at some old ideas in some very new ways.

‘Ghosts of Albion : Accursed'

Amber Benson and Christopher Golden

Del Rey

The World Wide Web has become a talent showcase. The BBC recently premiered a Web-based animated series titled “Legacy,” which averaged more than 100,000 hits per week. After working on a second Web series, the creators debuted their first full-length novel, “Accursed,” which tells of the Protectors of Albion, and their struggle against evil.

William and Tamara Swift have inherited a special legacy : They're the keepers of the mystical powers that protect England. Sadly, their ascension to power was fraught with tragedy. Their father, the former Protector, has been possessed by a demonic presence. The siblings are burdened with trying to learn more about their power, even as they wield it in their country's defense.

They're aided by the ghosts of Lord Byron, Admiral Nelson and many others.

Nor do our protagonists have much time to settle into their new roles. London's streets are being stalked by an evil that transforms men to monsters, and rapes women, causing them to die while giving birth to foul creatures. This curse is spreading from the lower class to nobility's halls.

Happily, readers needn't spend time with the Web-based material before diving into this book ; it serves quite well as its own introduction. The story is well-crafted and will make readers want to explore the history behind this intriguing concept. The book contains some dark fantasy elements ; the authors don't skimp on the violence and sex, nor on the creeping, filthy feeling inspired by the demons. But the results aren't too blatant, and shouldn't put off readers through sheer brutality. Golden and Benson - quite the Renaissance woman, and well remembered for her role as Tara on television's “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” - allow readers' imaginations to fill in some of the gaps.

Those wishing to find the original material can visit www.bbc.co.uk/ghosts for the animated serials, along with the print tales. All in all, Benson and Golden have created a darkly enthralling story.