I agree that Pfeiffer was the best part of the Burton/Depp film.  I have no interest in seeing the film itself ever again but I would enjoy seeing a reel of Pfeiffer and HBC's outtake scenes, if such were ever released (seems unlikely).

I thought Jean Simmons was utterly wasted in the 1990 redaction.  She's a gifted actress and there could have been some wonderful moments for her, but with DC calling the shots, it became all about how much gore, fanging, and carnage they could get away with in each episode. DC would have loved the current era of HBO and other network serial killer dramas with all the loving slo-mo close-ups of manglings, stabbings, dismemberments, gougings etc.

Just my two drachmae.

G.

Nicky, I started buying 16 magazine in late June or early July of 1968.  I remember the photograph you love so much being prominently featured in the mag.  I was hooked, bigtime.

Roger Davis as Barnabas really would be horrifying.  I think I need to lie down just at the thought...

dom, that's so sweet that you wanted to name your daughter Cassandra.  Whenever I meet someone with the name, I wonder (if she is of the right age) if her Mom was a DS fan.

G.

Another fabulous episode.  I just love it when Barn asks Cass if her college major is Witchcraft.  MEEEOWW. And the scene with Stokes is beyond priceless.

Just another reason why 1968 is my personal favorite of ALL the storylines.

G.

Another Lara Parker novel--now that's horrifying!

Off to pray for what's left of American literature...

G.

LOL!  needless to say, this is one of my favorite episodes. As a diehard Cassandra fan, I can never join in with the torch-bearing mob determined to trash 1968.

G.

The Phibes films are favorites of mine. I first saw them on "CBS Late Movie" airings so there were cuts.  I know a lot of fans diss the sequel (and Vincent Price himself was very angry about it) but there are several elements in it I love, including VP's "mod" styled wig and the high Art Deco Egyptian sets.  Also fun to have such folks as Fiona Lewis and Robert Quarry on hand.  Terry-Thomas and Beryl Reid both have cameos that are amusing.

I really, really hope the Burton/Depp remake just falls through.  But this time around I'm determined simply to ignore its existence if it is released.

The director of the Phibes films was Bob Fuest who died a couple of years ago and has, I believe, an odd connection to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series.  Fuest did a B movie called The Devil's Rain (filmed in Mexico, maybe?) that was really schlocky but was, I think, the first film to use the visual image of people possessed by the Devil/forces of darkness have eyes that turn black all the way through.  When this showed up on BTVS I immediately thought of "The Devil's Rain." 

My personal favorite Fuest film of all is the 1973 offbeat sci fi apocalyptic thriller, The Last Days of Man on Earth, aka The Final Programme.  It's unfortunately practically impossible to find now.

G.

Here's "The Wishing Stone," with Clarice in a starring role opposite William Prince.  Script is by Ian Martin who was the co-creator of "Strange Paradise" (and wrote scripts for the first seven weeks of that series):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD5nt0iYiOU

The tape opens with a news broadcast and has commercials--go to the 6:30 mark to hear the start of the program.

G.

Clarice Blackburn appears in this episode of the CBS Radio Mystery Theater, "A Preview of Death."  I haven't had the chance to listen yet, but she is mentioned in the cast listing.

I always thought Clarice would be wonderful on radio so I am excited to hear this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWXOJMJOi3c

Best,

Gothick