I'm afraid the real answer to this question is sloppy writing.  The only character allowed to call Barn and Jules on their constant use of "I'll explain later" was Prof. Stokes.  His lines were so distinctive at times, I've often wondered whether Thayer rewrote some of his own dialogue.

I'm quite sure that after awhile, Stokes DID know about Barnabas.  After all, even before his venture into the world of The Dream, he already had a very sharp suspicion that it was Cassandra who was the Witch.  Witchcraft is a lot easier to hide than Vampirism, ergo I presume the Professor must have figured it all out.

I'm surprised to hear that MPI is out of stock on the Collectors Series tapes. I just ordered three of them two months ago and received them without any problem.

Best, G.

Well, in the novel, Valmont was an active, predatory bisexual... I seem to recall a scene at an inn, though I may be confusing this with one of Smollett's novels--it's been a long time.

Maybe I should consider going to see this...

G.

Jean-Claude baby, what a rockin' dream!  I wonder whether the "toast points platter" comes with a tweed garnish.

Only scene I remember where Julia went to the Blue Whale was the one Bette mentioned.  There's a hilarious scene where Darryl Schaffer as Julia visits the BW in one of the Cheep Productions fan videos that have been shown at the Festivals.  The producers cleverly intercut Darryl-as-Julia with actual footage from a 1967 episode of DS set in the bar.

G.

Ah, Penny dear, great minds truly think alike!

G.

Midnite, many thanks for posting that link.  I hadn't heard they had found him.  How sad.  I was shocked to learn that Mom Cowsill died at such a young age--the same year as Grayson, too!

For those who do not know, The Cowsills were the inspiration for the TV series, The Partridge Family.  I thought one of their early hits from 1967, some complicated title about the rain, the park and you, was really quite a decent record--tuneful and beautifully produced.  And who can forget their chart-topping cover of "Hair" from '69?  Those were the days...

G.

Re bootlegs:  I only buy them when there's no available legit release.  IF there's a legit release, then I want that, because the quality is USUALLY so much head and shoulders above a boot (the commercial release of the 1990 DS shows that this is not always the case).

Films I have bought on boot recently include DEVILS OF DARKNESS, a 1965 British horror B-movie (great role for Carole Gray) that I doubt even had a US release back in the day, and DIONYSUS IN '69, a film of a unique living theatre production of the tragedy by Euripides that had a limited art house release way back when.  The disc I purchased came from Athens Greece and I think it was actually a region 0 DVD release, but I am not sure.

I'm currently looking for something called SIMON, KING OF THE WITCHES, which was filmed in L. A. circa 1970, and stars Andrew Prine.  It came out on commercial VHS in the 1980s and is long OP.  If I buy a used copy of the tape (the cheaper ones are priced at around $49.95) the only guy making money on the transaction is the dealer; nobody associated with the movie sees that money.  So I'm hoping I can find a bootleg DVD transfer. It's possible that a legit DVD is in the works for this film.  Andrew Prine did an interview about it in the current issue of SHOCK magazine (which I strongly recommend to fans of genre filmmaking) which makes me wonder whether something might be brewing on this front.

G.

Patti dear, Madeleine L'Engle wrote A Wrinkle in Time--one of the great children's books of the Sixties, which I've never forgotten.  There were several sequels, too, and she also wrote a memoir about her marriage to Hugh Franklin.  In the memoir she reveals that a good friend and sometime roomie of hers was none other than Cavada Humphrey, who played Madam Findlay, the medium who tried to rid Collinwood of Quentin's ghost in 1969.  According to Madeleine, Cavada Humphrey was just as flamboyant in life as she was on the screen!

cheers, Steve

Just for the record:

I don't "disapprove" of writing fanfic, putting on new skits, etc.  Hell, when I had more time, I used to churn out the fic with the best of them (albeit my production speed leaves MUCH to be desired).  I just think there needs to be a differentiation between fic/pastiche/whatever and the original, aired shows.  The latter are canon.  These are established terms widely used in media fandoms, and I think they are used because they are helpful in charting the complicated terrain of shows that have attracted as much activity on the fic front as Dark Shadows (or Star Trek/Wars).

I have to admit I'll never be able to get very excited about the concept of a remake of the series.  Too bad the WB version vanished without a trace.  It did sound like something different enough from the original to be judged on its own merits.  I'm afraid I find that very difficult to do with the edition DC produced in 1990.

G.