TCM is the place to be for classic horror film during October (at least, as a TCM-watcher, that's where I look for horror of a certain caliber) ... I found this post too late as a too-infrequent visitor here these days, but coincidentally I turned on TCM last evening about two-thirds through a film that made such an impression on me at about 11 years old that I've never forgotten it - nor seen it again until last night, when I recognized what is was in about 20 seconds: "Two on a Guillotine." I had no idea back in 1970 or so that Connie Stevens was the gorgeous blonde, and I still don't really know who Cesar Romero is ... but this movie had so many elements that struck a chord with me in a way very similar to "Dark Shadows" - an elegant but dark and scary mansion, shocking thrills, magic, illusion, occultic or alchemical symbols (sometimes used interchangeably in pop culture), and I see in reading some reviews of the film that the term "Grand Guignol" is used, a term I learned on this forum through one of Gothick's posts. It was amazing how much detail I remembered so precisely from just one viewing, especially the final scene with the re-enactment of the guillotine illusion. So it wasn't as great as I remembered, but now that I see it is available on a Warner Bros. DVD-R, I'll definitely be getting it.
I've seen "House of Dark Shadows" so many times now that I don't really miss having missed it this time, and I do have the DVD ... and look forward to a future viewing.
What I really wish there was time for was getting back to watching the series on DVD.
- Philippe