Arts, Culture & Media  Hollywood's crush on British vampires
Robert Pattinson as vampire Edward in "Twilight" (Image:
Player utilities  Story by Alex Gallafent, PRI's "The World"
The British Ambassador to the United States, Sir Nigel
Sheinwald, recently wrote a blog post entitled, "A Bloody Good
Show," extolling the virtue of British (on screen) vampires.
Sheinwald has noticed something unusual in Hollywood.
Admittedly, this doesn't give much away. To explain, he notes
that British on-screen bad guys are commonplace; but, he points
out, there is "a less remarked-upon British contribution to
American life."  Ambassador Sheinwald writes not of mummies
rising from the grave, nor of zombies roaming Sunset Boulevard;
but of vampires. British actors playing vampires that is.
"Could it be the British climate that creates the pale and pasty
complexion necessary to portray authentically Bram Stoker's
monster?" Wrote Sheinwald. "Or is it our 'deadpan' humour,
putting the grave into graveyard, that makes us Brits