Fans, this afternoon (because our office is closed for Veteran's Day), I was finally able to attend a screening in Boston of the new Gullermo del Toro film CRIMSON PEAK.

I think fans of DEPP SHADOWS should definitely check this out.  It avoids the kind of humor that ruined the Burton film IMO but with an equally loving (and at times, frankly insane) attention to Gothic detail and Gothic texture that are very appealing to fans of DS.

Jessica Chastain really steals the film, and her performance here would be so very worthy of an update of DS.  I think in part the performance and the character were intended as an homage to Barbara Steele's 1960s Italian horror roles, so there's another DS echo there.

Another thing is that the costumes in the movie are simply stunning, for those who enjoy Victorian fashion.  The movie seems to be set around 1905 or so although some details are inconsistent.  hmmm, that's not something we're used to seeing much is it?  Inconsistency in costuming and design? LOL.

G.

Fans, last weekend I viewed the 1963 classic BLACK SABBATH.  This was the US release edit of the film directed by Mario Bava (released in Italy under a title that translates to something like THREE FACES OF TERROR). 

The movie presents three stories, each presented by Boris Karloff, who takes an important role in the final tale, "The Wurdalak," based on a story by Count Alexei Tolstoy.

"The Wurdalak" is based on old Slavic vampire lore and includes the idea that the vampire is driven to take the blood of those he loved best in life.  Ring a bell?

The second tale in the set, "The Telephone," seemed as if it might have been the springboard for the infamous "Grayson solo" episode in 1967 in which a terrorized Julia struggles to get through a night alone at Collinwood.  A memorable clip from that episode is available here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRvqLoXYRC0

A little known fact that was mentioned at one of the festivals, by Jonathan Frid himself if I recall correctly, is that Frid did the voice for "Dave" on the phone in this show.

G.

Fans,

I was re-visiting the 1970 film BOYS IN THE BAND, which already has two DS connections that are known to me--via actor Keith Prentice and cinematographer Arthur Ornitz.

I was quite surprised in a short kitchen scene in which flaming queen Emory (Cliff Gorman) mixes a vodka tonic drink in a blender for the butch Keith Prentice character.  The vodka is a lurid blue (looks more like gin to me, but I don't drink) and Keith asks, "What the hell is that--Windex?" Without missing a beat, Emory camps, "It's a blue whale! Oh Mary, don't ask!"

The play is set in 1968 which I believe was the year it debuted Off-Broadway. DS actors Don Briscoe and Chris Bernau were cast members at one point.

G.

Sept. 18 was the late Grayson Hall's birthday.  She would have been 93 or 94, most likely (she practically made a separate career out of keeping her age a secret).

Besides her fab work on our show, Grayson is remembered for her Academy Award (tm) nominated role in NIGHT OF THE IGUANA.  Fans also fondly cherish her work in SATAN IN HIGH HEELS, the TV movie GARGOYLES, a recurring role as Euphemia Ralston on ONE LIFE TO LIVE, and roles in the two DS feature films.

Quiet please, there's a lady onstage.

G.

Hi Fans,

The new MPI BEST OF QUENTIN and BEST OF ANGELIQUE sets have hit various online and retail outlets.  The Amazon pricing has the Quentin disc at half price, while the Ange disc is priced at 11.99.

There's a note from a fan dated the middle of last month stating that the episode of Ange's debut (involving the arrival of herself and the Countess at the Old House in 1795) has been restored for the disc.

Has anybody seen it, and can they comment on the restoration?  In the UK, the BBC has been restoring color and image quality on episodes of DR WHO that exist only in old videorecordings where the master reels had been destroyed.  Wondering if a comparable degree of quality was achieved for this.

Thanks, G.

I was looking for some pictures of Magda just now and I found this fab little conversation between my most talented niece, Penny Dreadful, and somebody named Dr. Destruction:

http://terrordaves.com/2012/06/11/he-saidshe-said-penny-dreadful-dr-destruction-dish-on-dark-shadows/

It's a great discussion, but what impressed me is that Penny SPEAKS OUT on behalf of Leviathan, and Nicholas Blair's return in the storyline!

FINALLY, another fan who "gets it"!

Big hearty cheers to Penny Dreadful!

G.

Fans,

In my continuing exploration of Old Time Radio (OTR) horror series, I stumbled upon THE STRANGE DR WEIRD (great title), which ran in 1944-45 and was sponsored by Adam Hats on the Mutual network.

This story, "The Summoning of Chandor," features a plot very similar to a certain moment in the 1795 storyline.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7neBtOraPhQ

The show runs for 15 minutes.

Best,  G.

There's a series of compilations of obscure, neglected and rare pop tracks, mostly from the 1966-71 period, called FADING YELLOW.  Listening through one of the discs today, I came across, this A side from 1967, "Seance Day," by Gaitley and Fitzgerald (otherwise unknown):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFIW-JSMzJI

The lyrics and general feel definitely made me think of DS, although as we all know, the selection on the Blue Whale jukebox was limited and, by the standards of the day, distinctly dated.

G.