Is there a (ahem) dark side to all this vampire-mania in pop culture today?  Jake Martin, SJ, our prolific TV reviewer, thinks so. In this newest Culture online piece, he turns his attention to HBO’s hit show “True Blood,” and points out what many commentators seem to have missed:

“True Blood” reveals the dissonance brought about by writers and directors who romanticize the vampire narrative while refusing to acknowledge the inherent violence at play. Like countless tales before it, “True Blood” attempts to glamorize the sexual aspect of the mythology, while at the same time diminishing (and dismissing) what is essential to any vampire tale: the violent assault.

Read the rest of his smart review here.

And, to preview next week’s issue, take a look at our first review by an esteemed film and entertainment critic, John Anderson, who contributes regularly to the New York Times “Arts and Leisure” section.  He’s reviewing “A Serious Man.”

The Rev. James Martin, S.J., is a Jesuit priest, author, editor at large at America and founder of Outreach.