Detroit's True Blood Connection

He's 3000 years old, controls wolves, is the Vampire King of Mississippi, and that's just on the surface! As the prime antagonist of Season 3 of True Blood, Russell Edginton is a more than an equal in power and guile to Eric Northman, Bill Compton or Sophie-Ann. And he is also played by an out actor with Metro Detroit roots.

Dennis O'Hare, who plays Russell Edgington on True Blood, was born in Kansas City, but grew up in Oakland County. After graduating from Brother Rice in High School in 1980, he then went to Northwestern University. He was a noted Chicago stage actor before moving to New York. On Broadway, he has been in Cabaret, won a Tony for Take Me Out, and received a Tony Nomination for his role in Assassins.

On the small screen, he had recurring roles in Brothers & Sisters, Law and Order and CSI: Miami as well as True Blood. On the sometime bigger screen, his film roles have included parts in Duplicity, Milk and Charlie Wilson's War.

O'Hare was interviewed by Between the Lines in November 2008 about his role in Milk, where he played the virulent homophobe and California State Senator John Briggs. Briggs attempted to pass a California Proposition to ban gay teachers from the classroom as a way to advance his visibility in California Politics. Milk and other gay activists led the "charge" against the initiative. Even though the pollsters though it would pass, the measure was defeated.

Let's look forward to Season 4 of True Blood.

Made for Mystery Science Theatre 3000

Some movies are made to go straight to DVD, Dracula 3000 was made to bypass theaters, DVD and just straight to mocking cable. The premise itself is intriguing enough: a derelict ship (the Demeter) is adrift in the Carpathian Solar System and discovered by the salvage ship Mother. the Mother is captained by Van Helsing (Caspar Van Dien) with a crew that includes Vice Captain Aura (Erika Eleniak), Navigator Intern Mina Murray (Alexandra Kamp), Information Specialist Arthur Holmwood (Grant Swanby), Cargo Specialist 187, (Coolio), and Cargo Specialist HMV (Tiny Lister).

Aboard the Demeter, the Crew discovers boxes of sand in the cargo bay, wooden crosses and a long dead body. Whoshing about is a spectral figure, later revealed to be Count Orlock, in search of blood. For those of you familiar with the novel and some film adaptations, you know what happened to the original crew of the Demeter.

It was a vain attempt to have 187 become a quasi-Renfield and the reworking of a few original characters was another half hearted attempt to ground the film, but by the time Orlock is seen in costume....all bets are off. His cape and collar resemble something that was rejected in the story boarding of the Drak Pak or the Monster Squad.

Unless you are in a mood to throw popcorn at the small screen, leave Dracula 3000 out of your Netflix Que.