With the Sunday premiere of the new HBO vampire series True Blood approaching, HBO will air two specials focusing on vampire mythology and the role vampires have played in popular culture on September 6.
According to Fangoria, who spoke with the co-producer for both documentaries, Vampire Legends and A New Type will focus on vampire myths from a historical perspective and discuss vampire-themed literature and films from Bram Stoker’s Dracula to The Lost Boys.
“Of the two shows, VAMPIRE LEGENDS is more historical in scope—Vlad, Bram Stoker, 1931’s DRACULA, etc.—whereas A NEW TYPE picks up where the first show leaves off and deals mostly with certain movies, the vamp lifestyle and myths,” says Riccardo DiLoreto, who produced both documentaries with Brenda A. Elam and serves as a senior writer for HBO Creative Services. VAMPIRE LEGENDS, he notes, examines “the real and mythical aspects of vampirism,” plus looks at the undead fiends from book to screen.
Bela Lugosi Jr., directors Joel Schumacher (The Lost Boys) and Len Wiseman (Underworld), as well as several notable authors and historians, will appear in the documentaries.
Whether or not documentary is the best way to describe the two half-hour specials remains to be seen. With all of the excellent documentaries that HBO airs, viewers might be disappointed if they tune in to discover something that feels a little more promotional in tone like those HBO First Look specials. The viral marketing for True Blood and the behind-the-scenes special that has been airing have been mediocre at best but it is hard to hold that against the actual show, which is created by Six Feet Under mastermind Alan Ball.
Those with HBO onDemand can catch the two docs beginning September 1 while the rest can catch them September 6 at 7 p.m. on HBO and again on Sunday prior to the 9 p.m. premiere of True Blood.