The much-anticipated Japanese live-action version of the hit anime movie “BLOOD: The Last Vampire” will begin a limited engagement at the Landmark Century Theater on July 10th.

On the surface, Saya is a stunning 16-year old girl, but that youthful exterior hides the tormented soul of a 400 year-old “halfling”.

Born to a human father and a vampire mother, she has for centuries been a loner, obsessed with using her samurai skills to rid the world of vampires, all the while knowing that she herself can survive only on blood like those she hunts. When she is sent to an American military base in Tokyo by the clandestine organization for whom she works, Saya immediately senses that this may be her opportunity to finally destroy Onigen, the evil patriarch of all vampires. Using her superhuman strength and her sword, she begins to rid the base of its evil infestation in a series of spectacular and elaborate showdowns. However, it is not until she forms her first human friendship in centuries with the young daughter of the base’s general that Saya learns her greatest power over Onigen may well be her ability to make a human connection…

Renowned producers Bill Kong (CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON; HERO) and Abel Nahmias (11 COMMANDMENTS, LA BEUZE) team up with director Chris Nahon (KISS OF THE DRAGON) on this English language vampire slaying adventure, where the hope of the world rests in the hands of a beautiful young woman.

Written and directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig (the Australian brothers behind UNDEAD), DAYBREAKERS stars Ethan Hawke, Michael Dorman, Willem Dafoe, and Sam Neill. Click here to visit the official site.

Chicago RedEye reporter Kyra Kyles examines the current surge in vampire popularity (and fan reaction to it) in today’s RedEye Chicago. Grab a copy at a newstand near you or READ IT HERE.

On a lighter note, Kyles is also looking for your vote for Hottest Vamp in her Undead Beauty Contest – let her know your choice HERE.

Earlier today, the LA Times posted their interview with Matt Reeves, director of the upcoming Let The Right One In remake, Let Me In. In it, he shed some light on the new setting and updates everyone on when the film will be hitting theatres.

Reeves recently finished his second draft of the script, which is now set in Reagan-era Colorado, and is currently scouting locations that will maintain the film and book's snowy landscapes. Although he didn't mention when shooting is planned to start (from the sounds of it, it'll probably be this winter if he plans to take advantage of the necessary weather conditions on his location shoots), he stated that the release date is now Fall 2010, as opposed to January 15.

Also, Reeves is working with casting director Avy Kaufman to find the two leads for the film and "vows [the children] will not be aged-up to make the film more of a smoldering 'Twilight'-style romance," so everyone can rest easy tonight.

In case you haven’t noticed, pop culture is sucking more than ever. This month alone, Anna Paquin reunited with her 173-year-old, bite-prone beau in season 2 of HBO’s True Blood. Director Guillermo del Toro scored a hit with his first novel, The Strain, in which bloodthirsty predators roam New York. Scream scribe Kevin Williamson is overseeing The Vampire Diaries, a CW series set to debut in the fall, based on L.J. Smith’s novels about high school vamps. Charlaine Harris released the ninth novel in her best-selling Sookie Stackhouse series, upon which True Blood is based. And movie execs announced plans for a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot. (That’s all in the midst of the ubiquitous paparazzi shots from the set of Twilight sequel New Moon.)…

Read the full article at EntertainmentWeekly.com

A disappointing piece of news that has been circulating around the web was that Warner Bros. Pictures' adaptation of Dark Shadows was hitting some rough waters. Some good news comes out of the recent junket for Public Enemies as Johnny Depp is telling reporters the project could be Tim Burton's next, read on for the full story.

“ ‘Dark Shadows’ is happening," Depp tells Collider. "Tim is working on ‘Alice in Wonderland’ which is obviously quite a large piece of work there. So when Tim is done with ‘Alice’ and we get the script, which is very, very close, in order we’ll probably attack it next year. It’s exciting, very exciting. It’s like a lifelong dream for me. I loved the show when I was a kid. I was obsessed with Barnabas Collins. I have photographs of me holding Barnabas Collins posters when I was five or six. I’m very excited to do it.”

Over 1,225 episodes, "Dark Shadows" was a highly atmospheric, spooky soap that featured gothic horror staples like vampires, monsters, witches, werewolves, ghosts and zombies. The show has a continuing rabid fan base that populates Dark Shadows Festival conventions. Numerous TV revivals of the series and pic adaptations have been attempted over the years but none with as high-wattage a star as Depp.

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