I definitely missed this thread! Sorry about that, Uncle Roger. But now I have found it, haven't I?
Gothick has asked me to post another review, so here we go...
The July/Aug issue of Horror magazine
Diabolique has two primary focuses: Dark Shadows and Christopher Lee (I guess they are now one in the same?), though it is Dark Shadows which gets most of the attention.
The Art: It is really good. The front cover is pretty spectacular, with the exception of the inclusion of the Barnadepp finger shot. The inside cover and back cover feature foreign HoDS movie posters, while the Table of Contents is topped by a dramatic photo of Lyndhurst. There are a lot of photos throughout, all of which we have seen before, but they are of very good quality and are presented nicely, many times being incorporated right into the page layout/design.
The Articles:
The Letter from the Editor addresses the issue of remakes, and
briefly notes that Depp Shadows has done "okay business" as of late, thus indicating it is not the flop other publications would have you believe.
Article One is a tribute to the late Jonathan Frid, as Uncle Roger mentioned. This was probably the most interesting of all of the pieces. Written by David Del Valle, it recounts personal memories of times spent with Frid, including a lengthy section dedicated to Frid's reunion with Seizure costar Martine Beswick, all of which Uncle Roger mentioned. This article was interesting because it showcases a parallel between Frid and Bela Lugosi, but notes the vast distinctions, as well as some of Frid's own (very briefly mentioned) thoughts on the subject.
Article Two is a
complete history of Dark Shadows with reviews and thoughts on each incarnation from UK viewer, Robert Simpson, the editor of the magazine. What's interesting here is the number of references to David Collins, a character usually overlooked in these types of accounts. The author uses the dreaded "C" word (I rolled my eyes, but then read on). Rather than simply toss it in as a descriptor, he addresses it. Not everyone is going to agree with everything he writes in this extended piece, especially his review of NoDS, but I think a lot of us will agree with his closing thought, that a new TV incarnation is the best route for a future DS, something I have concluded after watching Depp Shadows. He also mentions that if Warners does decide to do a sequel, it's best bet may be to do one without Burton, another notion with which I can't agree more.
Article Three is a very lengthy analysis of soap operas, Dark Shadows' influence on them, and how they all relate back to Gothic Horror. I am going to have to re-read this one, as it was pretty heavy for this time of night.