In keeping with my love of all most things vampiric, I recently backed Blood Kiss, a film project seeking funding on Kickstarter®. The film is written by acclaimed screenwriter Michael Reaves and will include my pals Neil Gaiman and Amber Benson in featured roles.

I caught up with Michael today and got to put some penetrating questions to him:

LSK: So, Michael, tell us–do your vampires sparkle?

MR: The only thing that sparkles about them (or so I like to think ) is their wit.

LSK: What’s the origin of vampires in your story?

MR: It’s not supernatural, which is usually the case. Instead there’s a pseudoscientific explanation (which makes just about as much sense as a Gypsy curse.)

LSK: The plot summary involves the murder of a vampire, to be investigated by the hero.

MR: Actually (you heard it here first!) that’s a bit of a red herring. It’s about a private eye who’s hired by a mysterious chanteuse as a bodyguard. By the time he’s sussed out that she’s a vampire and he’s been hired to protect her from a vampire killer, he’s fallen in love with her. Trouble, as they say, follows.

LSK: Does that mean that your vampires are sympathetic figures?

MR: They’re just people … People who live for centuries, drink blood, and are allergic to silver …

LSK: What are your literary inspirations for your vampires? It doesn’t sound like Dracula was your “bible”!

MR: I think it’s more like Dracula meets Sam Spade in a back alley. “Somewhere a roscoe barked.”

LSK: Did you research other vampire literature? Or just make it up?

MR: Hey, it’s all made up. It’s fiction (sic).

LSK: Why vampires?

MR: Because zombies don’t dress for success.

The film is about halfway to its modest goal of $50,000. Let’s make this happen! You can pledge here:

www.pledgebloodkiss.com.

For a good deal more about this subject, including copies of the Court filings, please check the website at www.free-sherlock.com.

* An hour-long “conversation” between legendary film directors John Landis and Nicholas Meyer on art, the medium, adaptations, and period films generally
* A presentation by Ron Clements and John Musker, co-creators of Disney’s “The Great Mouse Detective,” including rare footage of Clement’s first Sherlockian cartoon
* Deborah Nadoolman Landis, Oscar-nominated costume designer, showing period costuming and comparisons to period photographs and Strand Magazine illustrations
* Rob Doherty, exec. producer/head writer for CBS-TV’s new series “Elementary,” doing Q&A after screening the pilot
* Screening of numerous Sherlockian cartoon clips by the master archivist Jennie Paton
* Screening of the 1923 “Sign of the Four” starring Eille Norwood, with live piano accompaniment by Philip Carli (the film has only been screened twice before in the U.S.)
* A presentation on Japanese anime starring Sherlock Hound (by Miyazaki, no less!)
* Several views of the role(s) of women in Sherlockian film

And of course there was socialiizing! A cocktail reception Friday night, a buffet dinner Saturday night, and a grand finale–a banquet Sunday night at which we presented ‘Canonical Academy Awards” to the best (and worst) in various categories, with all-star presenters!

It was grand fun, and in another hundred years, Kean and I will be happy to do this again!

I was very fortunate to get to the “Elementary!” panel and having a visit in the “green room” with actors Johnnie Lee Miller and Lucy Liu and producer/head writer Rob Doherty. The pilot was far better than I’d been led to expect from all the carpings of the producers of the BBC’s “Sherlock,” and Doherty’s vision is wholly original. The series promises great things, and I hope to become actively involved!

I was also pleased to get a text message from my daughter midday on Saturday–”rdj is at marvel booth.” I raced over to the “Iron Man 3″ booth, where in fact Robert Downey, Jr., was making an unannounced visit to judge childrens’ “Iron Man” costumes. After a brief appearance, he was led away by a phalanx of security people through the nether halls of the Convention Center. I followed and after some discussions with security, I managed to get close enough to shout out “Robert, it’s Les Klinger!” At that point he stopped to have a short conversation with me. We spoke of the new baby and his excitement at that and the crowds. “We’ll be talking soon,” he promised, referring, I’m sure, to “Sherlock Holmes III,” which is likely to commence production in the next 12 months.

I came back exhausted from San Diego, only to drive back to Irvine on the next day for a joint Mystery Writers of America/Sisters in Crime program featuring James White, son of the late William White (also known as Anthony Boucher), in conversation with me about The Baker Street Irregulars, genre writing, and the importance of his father’s work in making mystery and science-fiction writing respectable.

Whew! It took me several weeks to recuperate!