DARK SHADOWS FORUMS

General Discussions => Current Talk Archive => Current Talk '24 I => Current Talk '03 I => Topic started by: Cassandra Blair on May 27, 2003, 05:12:46 PM

Title: A Serious Laugh
Post by: Cassandra Blair on May 27, 2003, 05:12:46 PM
Okay, last night I finally sat down after a long holiday weekend to watch my tape of last Friday's episodes.   When I got to the end of the second of those eps, I about jumped out of my chair (not to mention my skin) when Jeb opened Paul Stoddard's coffin to find that dumbass picture of Dennis Patrick inside. [eek]

WHAT was up with THAT?  Surely even when this show first aired, they HAD to realise how utterly STUPID that looked!!!  Were they HIGH [smokn] when they filmed that?

Of course, once the shock of first seeing that scene wore off, I rewound the tape to watch again, and was that time overtaken by a fit of laughter from which I'm not sure I've yet recovered.   [lol3] [roll3]

Any other thoughts on this, which has to be one of the weirdest things ever seen on this show?
Title: Re:A Serious Laugh
Post by: Gerard on May 27, 2003, 06:16:01 PM
That photo of the sardonican Paul Stoddard had to have been one of the cheesiest things they did.  Imagine the impact if they had done it right.  What I can't figure out is why they didn't film his staring, glaring, smiling face before he left the show to use for that scene?  I mean, it worked with Quentin having to endure seeing Grandmamamama Edith giving him the same look from her coffin.

Gerard
Title: Re:A Serious Laugh
Post by: Gothick on May 27, 2003, 10:14:39 PM
Hi Cassandra, I agree with you; in fact, in my opinion THIS is the single worst "special" effect in the entire history of DS.  It makes you wonder whether they were thinking of "special" effects in the same sense as "special" education.

The convolutions that resulted from Dennis Patrick's abrupt departure to make a movie halfway through this storyline have a lot to do with the serious flopping of the later Leviathan storyline.  I believe that Paul's ghost was intended to play a big part in Jeb's problems.  Neither of the spectral solutions for which they opted succeeded; in fact, the second one gives that "Mr. Sardoniplatypus" photo a run for its money in the sublime awfulness department.

Let's face it, there were times when DS got SERIOUSLY cheesy.  I guess I love it all the more for those moments when they just went OUT there, come hell or high water.

Gothick
Title: Re:A Serious Laugh
Post by: Raineypark on May 27, 2003, 10:49:20 PM
Perhaps the use of that idiotic photo of Dennis Patrick was nothing more or less than a practical joke.  Who knows how it really went down.....I'm betting it was a late-Friday-afternoon, we-drank-lunch, let's-see-what-happens prank cooked up in the control room, that took even the director by surprise.

Remember.....none of this was ever supposed to be seen more than once!  ::)
Title: Re:A Serious Laugh
Post by: Patti Feinberg on May 28, 2003, 01:32:50 AM
Cassandra Blair wrote:
Any other thoughts on this, which has to be one of the weirdest things ever seen on this show?

Umm...maybe dear Mrs. Johnson [spoiler]dead, eyes wide open, by the tree?[/spoiler]


PAUL STODDARD PIC...LOLOLOLOLOL

WHOOOP!!!!

Patt
Title: Re:A Serious Laugh
Post by: Birdie on May 28, 2003, 02:52:57 AM
I finally watched it tonight also.  My husband walked in the room just as the face of Paul Stoddard appeared.  We are both still laughing.  I keep thinking it looks like he is saying "Cha-cha-cha.


Birdie
Title: Re:A Serious Laugh
Post by: jennifer on May 28, 2003, 05:59:40 AM
Okay, last night I finally sat down after a long holiday weekend to watch my tape of last Friday's episodes.   When I got to the end of the second of those eps, I about jumped out of my chair (not to mention my skin) when Jeb opened Paul Stoddard's coffin to find that dumbass picture of Dennis Patrick inside. [eek]

agree pretty lame!
Quote
WHAT was up with THAT?  Surely even when this show first aired, they HAD to realise how utterly STUPID that looked!!!  Were they HIGH [smokn] when they filmed that?
it was the end of the 60's after all![liteye]
Quote
Of course, once the shock of first seeing that scene wore off, I rewound the tape to watch again, and was that time overtaken by a fit of laughter from which I'm not sure I've yet recovered.   [lol3] [roll3]
Bruno's coat always does that to me HEEHEE[pimp]
Quote
Any other thoughts on this, which has to be one of the weirdest things ever seen on this show?
[spoiler]the shadow that gets Jeb is pretty bad[eek][/spoiler]


jennifer
Title: Re:A Serious Laugh
Post by: Cassandra on May 28, 2003, 07:34:54 AM
  What I can't figure out is why they didn't film his staring, glaring, smiling face before he left the show to use for that scene.

That's so true Gerard.  I never saw that man look so happy the way he did in the coffin!  He certainly never looked that happy in life!  [lghb]

Another chessy effect had to be the fire over at Trask's Worthington school. Come to think of it all the fires on the show looked cheesy!


Cassandra
Title: Re:A Serious Laugh
Post by: Cassandra Blair on May 28, 2003, 01:54:04 PM
Let's face it, there were times when DS got SERIOUSLY cheesy.  I guess I love it all the more for those moments when they just went OUT there, come hell or high water.

Yes, the fact that they laid on the cheese sauce rather heavily at times plays no small part in my admiration for the show!  Where else can you get comedy (albeit sometimes unintentional), melodrama, horror and high flown fantasy all at once?  ;)
Title: Re:A Serious Laugh
Post by: Midnite on May 28, 2003, 07:17:41 PM
Another comedic special effect is the specter that's haunting Jeb.  I mean, how scary is...

[spoiler]a ghost in a sombrero?![/spoiler]

I haven't laughed that hard at a tv ghost since I watched the original "Thirteen Ghosts" and the lion tamer reduced my sibs and me to hysterics.
Title: Re:A Serious Laugh
Post by: Debra on May 28, 2003, 08:46:33 PM
[That's so true Gerard.  I never saw that man look so happy the way he did in the coffin!  He certainly never looked that happy in life!  [lghb]

Cassandra, aint' that the truth!  He was a little happy in the beginning when he and Carolyn started talking to one another,  but he still didnt have that cheesy smile on his face!

Cassandra wrote:
Quote
Another chessy effect had to be the fire over at Trask's Worthington school. Come to think of it all the fires on the show looked cheesy!

I forgot all about the school fire. Thei didn't show it on screen too long which is good because they probably realized themselves how cheesy it looked.  :D

Deb