DARK SHADOWS FORUMS
General Discussions => Current Talk Archive => Current Talk '24 I => Current Talk '06 II => Topic started by: David on October 24, 2006, 05:44:23 PM
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[candle_in_skull_2]
In my view, the best DVD interviews are not from the main stars.
A lot of those, while well done, feature comments we've already heard at fests.
To me, the best interviews come from Paula Lawrence, who played Aunt Hannah in seven 1970PT shows, and TV Guide's Michael Logan.
Logan knowledgably discussed the show, putting it in it's historical context, comparing it to other shows then & now,
and discussed it's full circle genesis,.
Lawrence, who worked in theatre most of her life, and who knew the Halls, Thayer David & Louis Edmonds back in the 1950s, talked about the craft of acting.
These wonderful interviews can be seen on volumes 18, 19, and 20.
Also great, is an "interview+, obviously a staged reading, by Lara Parker. In a flowing black gown, with candles around her, she talked seductively about the sensuality
of vampires.
WONDERFUL!
I forgot which volume this is on, but I think it's 14.
David
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I like the interview comments made by Michael Stroka, Donna Wandrey, Jim Storm and Marie Wallace on the 'Behind the Scenes' tape made back in 1990 the most. The best of these 4? Michael's interview where he tells the story of what HE thought was the funniest thing to ever happen behind the scenes on DS. [hall2_grin]
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Also great, is an "interview+, obviously a staged reading, by Lara Parker. In a flowing black gown, with candles around her, she talked seductively about the sensuality of vampires.
I think that is undoubtedly the single worst "interview" on any of the DS DVDs. Anyone could've delivered a "lecture" on the sexual nature of vampires. She didn't say anything that any lit major who's barely stuck their toes into the area of horror hasn't heard before.
Personally, I think the point of interviewing the actors is to draw on their experience as actors in the show, whether that involves their perception of their characters, their experiences while the show was in production, or their feelings about the continued popularity of the series.
Parker's ode to the sensual vampire, as I recall, is pretty much devoid of any direct reference to the series. It comes across as rather self-indulgent.
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Also great, is an "interview+, obviously a staged reading, by Lara Parker. In a flowing black gown, with candles around her, she talked seductively about the sensuality of vampires.
I think that is undoubtedly the single worst "interview" on any of the DS DVDs. Anyone could've delivered a "lecture" on the sexual nature of vampires. She didn't say anything that any lit major who's barely stuck their toes into the area of horror hasn't heard before.
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Parker's ode to the sensual vampire, as I recall, is pretty much devoid of any direct reference to the series. It comes across as rather self-indulgent.
You may be right, but the staging/lighting/performance were still great fun to this viewer!
David
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Also great, is an "interview+, obviously a staged reading, by Lara Parker. In a flowing black gown, with candles around her, she talked seductively about the sensuality of vampires.
I think that is undoubtedly the single worst "interview" on any of the DS DVDs. Anyone could've delivered a "lecture" on the sexual nature of vampires. She didn't say anything that any lit major who's barely stuck their toes into the area of horror hasn't heard before. Personally, I think the point of interviewing the actors is to draw on their experience as actors in the show, whether that involves their perception of their characters, their experiences while the show was in production, or their feelings about the continued popularity of the series. Parker's ode to the sensual vampire, as I recall, is pretty much devoid of any direct reference to the series. It comes across as rather self-indulgent.
I have to agree here, after seeing this interview I remember saying to myself, "Well, she sure shed light on her DS experience!" [hall_rolleyes]
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I viewed this at a friend's house. I was also surprised by the uninspired lecture. I have two BA degrees - one in Theater and one in English - and in each major some of the very early studies were about sensuality in repressed individuals or supernatural creatures and how they are portrayed. It's pretty basic stuff as Criseyde pointed out. My guess that maybe Lara had recently finished her MFA in Creative Writing and somehow that was how the lecture came about. Just a guess. As I am also going for my MFA in Creative Writing, my hope is that whatever I choose to write or lecture about will provide new material or insight for my audience.:)
Nancy
I think that is undoubtedly the single worst "interview" on any of the DS DVDs. Anyone could've delivered a "lecture" on the sexual nature of vampires. She didn't say anything that any lit major who's barely stuck their toes into the area of horror hasn't heard before.
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I have to amen the comments on Lara's interview being the worst. Personally, I like the behind-the-scenes tidbits that help to flesh out the actors behind the characters or even the crew. As I've posted before, it is the people (with all of their individual quirks), and not necessarily the story (of course, people wrote the stories), that made Dark Shadows so memorable and special. The more I know about these people, the more special they and the show become.
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I have to further echo the horribleness that was Lara Parker's lecture. I was like "B-O-R-I-N-G" times a thousand. I could've done that myself.
One of the interviewee's that I LOVE LOVE LOVE is Louis Edmonds. I tell you what, he has me laughing heartily at least once during each interview, and many times more than that! I just wish there were more interviews. I like the interviewees that are those who worked behind the scenes--special effect, camera etc etc.
Actually on DVD Set 16, Disc 3, I thought Dan Curtis' interview is particularly good, because he gave insight to what and where he got the storylines form. And I was kind of suprised, although not really (if THAT makes sense) that he said that back when the show was on, near the end, he kept wishing that it would bomb and go off the air because he was so tired of it and he wanted to move on.
He talked about how they couldn't figure out what to do after Maggie's storyline when Barn first came on, so they went back into the past (which was his idea, or so he says) and that he loved it so much in the past that he would've been content to just have the show stay there forever, which is probably why the flashbacks were soooooo long when they didn't need to be.
I think about the time the Leviathans story was on and he realized that he was losing ratings, he came up with the PT junk, and then after the first trip to PT and then the subsequent trip to 1840 and then 1840PT, that he was beginning to get tired of it. He said he was largely absent from the show for a good long while before the show ended, probably sometime at the beginning of or during the 1840 story is when he left, I'm guessing.
No wonder the show started losing ratings--when the creator looses interest and prays for it to bomb, you can't expect the audience to follow along with it continuously. [female_skull]
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One of the interviewee's that I LOVE LOVE LOVE is Louis Edmonds. I tell you what, he has me laughing heartily at least once during each interview, and many times more than that! I just wish there were more interviews. I like the interviewees that are those who worked behind the scenes--special effect, camera etc etc.
I love the behind the scenes information from production personnel and actors. I buy books on how particular movies, plays and TV shows are/were done even it is about a TV show I didn't watch or care for. How things get done always amazes me.
Actually on DVD Set 16, Disc 3, I thought Dan Curtis' interview is particularly good, because he gave insight to what and where he got the storylines form. And I was kind of suprised, although not really (if THAT makes sense) that he said that back when the show was on, near the end, he kept wishing that it would bomb and go off the air because he was so tired of it and he wanted to move on.
I can understand his wanting to move on. A daily show has to be a big grind since you are basically producing a new twenty minute play each day. So much time and energy goes into that. There's a good reason it is said that soap opera work is the hardest job an actor or production person can have.
I am curious as to how many people found it difficult to keep up with DS. By that I mean back in the days when we did not have VCRs or DVRs if you missed an episode, you missed it. It started to get very difficult to give up that block of time each afternoon to watch the show as other things in life started happening too. It can be a tough decision was to what to do - keep that commitment of watching the show each time during that time of day or doing something else you want to do. I remember that being a dilemma for me back in the day. Anyone else have that problem?
Nancy
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I also loved Paula Laurence's interview, and she spoke a mouthful when she said that Lara should've become a major star- God knows she had the talent! Sometimes it's a matter of who you know that makes a difference: if Lara had known say, Peter Bogdanovich or Francis Coppola, she would've emerged as a major 70s star like Ellen Burstyn, Faye Dunaway or Karen Black.
It reminds me of how Grayson worshipped Kim Stanley, who was very much regarded as an "actor's actor" by the showbiz world yet barely made a dent in Tinseltown compared to Geraldine Page and Patricia Neal. There are really great actors out there who will never become household names, but within the theatrical world are considered liiving legends, like Cherry Jones. And it's no secret that among the DS actors, they all worship John Karlen's great acting prowess!
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[female_skull]
Methinks folks are taking Lara's vampire speech too seriously.
I don't think it was meant to be anything other than
entertainment.
It didn't "educate" me about vampire legends, but it was fun to watch.
As Ms. Lawrence & Mr Ellis pointed out, Lara's gorgeous & has
STAR quality.
David
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The Parker interview in question was noted in a review that was published when the DVD was originally released. I posted a link to it at the time. Click below to access the original post/thread.
Methinks David is alone in his opinion. [hall2_grin]
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Well, I do know one other person who likes that Lara
"interview".
But really, folks, it's not an interview.
It's just a fun little Gothic interlude that's not meant to be taken seriously.
And I take it seriously....not!
David
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But really, folks, it's not an interview.
I certainly can't disagree with that, but one has to question why it is billed as such on the packaging and on the DVD menu if it is not intended to be construed as an interview.
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I am curious as to how many people found it difficult to keep up with DS. By that I mean back in the days when we did not have VCRs or DVRs if you missed an episode, you missed it. It started to get very difficult to give up that block of time each afternoon to watch the show as other things in life started happening too. It can be a tough decision was to what to do - keep that commitment of watching the show each time during that time of day or doing something else you want to do. I remember that being a dilemma for me back in the day. Anyone else have that problem?
I never got involved in extracurricular activities and was pretty much a loner, so keeping up with Dark Shadows was no problem for me - until I got to highschool and was in a carpool. And golly, the other people in the carpool had actual lives! After-school activities! I never could figure that out. Who needs a life if you've got Dark Shadows?
As for the DVD interviews, John Karlen's are fun, and Marie Wallace's are (or is - the two I've seen are parts of a single interview) very interesting.
I watched the Kathryn Leigh Scott interview on Set 14 Disc 2 within the past 24 hours, and she said something that caught my attention: Grayson Hall told Dan Curtis, "I know how you cast people: you look for large faces and wonderful voices." I haven't noticed the large faces, but when I heard that, it occurred to me how many Dark Shadows actors do have beautiful, or at the very least interesting, voices. My favorite voices (not necessarily my favorite actors) are David Selby and KLS herself. I still remember being surprised by the beauty of David Selby's voice back in 1969 when I heard it for the first time.
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Methinks folks are taking Lara's vampire speech too seriously.
I don't think it was meant to be anything other than
entertainment.
David, I think the crux of the issue is that it wasn't at all entertaining to watch, at least for some of us. Whatever the intent, some people did not find it worth watching.
It didn't "educate" me about vampire legends, but it was fun to watch.
As Ms. Lawrence & Mr Ellis pointed out, Lara's gorgeous & has
STAR quality.
It was not my idea of fun but I am pleased it was for you and anyone else who enjoyed it. I don't think anyone debates LP's "star quality" but it doesn't mean we have to love everything she does. Her fans aren't going to like her less if she does some things that aren't entertaining or interesting. It's like the JF video at the festival; he has lots of fans but there are fans who don't understand why he picked Shakespeare to do and were not entertained by the video, yet glad to see him active. It doesn't mean they like him any less because of his selection of material or presentation of it in a venue where they might have expected something else.
Nancy
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Methinks David is alone in his opinion. [hall2_grin]
Nope......( I liked it, too.) I also loved the John Karlen and KLS interviews..both were entertaining and informative. [clap] [hall2_smiley] [clap]
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[hall2_cheesy]
Nancy:
I LOVED your latest blog post.
Right on!
David
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I remember seeing LP on a Nightstalker episode as a witch type person. She must have been typecast to some extent. KLS would have been perfect in another soap. I wonder why she didn't go that route?
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KLS would have been perfect in another soap. I wonder why she didn't go that route?
I have to admit I don't know WHAT she did after DS....but I'd guess the most likely reason was to avoid being type-cast as a "Soap Opera" performer. Better to be on Broadway, or in a film, to prove her versatility.
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KLS did tons of guest-starring parts on primetime TV shows. Certain shows seemingly loved her so much that they featured her in more than one guest role over the course of the series. She also had small parts in a few major feature films and bigger parts in some independent films.
Lara Parker had the same basic career after DS, too. Though she did do the cable nighttime soap New Day In Eden as well as the daytime soap Capital
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KLS did tons of guest-starring parts on primetime TV shows. Certain shows seemingly loved her so much that they featured her in more than one guest role over the course of the series. She also had small parts in a few major feature films and bigger parts in some independent films.
KLS has had quite a respectable career. Most professional actors are never known at all to the general public but manage to make a living for themselves through work and many teach acting as well. KLS certainly exhibits drive and knowing how to play the game.
Lara Parker had the same basic career after DS, too. Though she did do the cable nighttime soap New Day In Eden as well as the daytime soap Capital
I feel that the reason Lara Parker didn't work as much as KLS and/or become more visible after DS was not liking or willing to play the game you need to play to network and get work. What you see is what you get with LP. That's not always a plus when you are interviewing with casting people if you happen to be in a lousy mood or think the part you are going up for is beneath you or stupid. She doesn't hide much. The Hollywood game is very artificial and LP is anything but artificial. That's why I believe she didn't get more work though, obviously, I don't know this for sure. It's only an opinion based on things I have heard from more knowledgeable individuals.
Nancy
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Also, let's not forget that Lara was also busy raising her two sons, getting divorced a few years after DS went off the air and then marrying her current husband, and becoming a mother for the third time. In short, she had a life outside showbusiness. As we all know, she didn't let grass grow under her feet if she became dissatisfied with Hollywood, she went back to school and also began a writing career. She has gained a vast knowledge on the subjects of literature and mythtology as a whole, and she has imparted some of what she has learned in her interviews on the DVDs. The lady knows what she's talking about- don't knock her! I have nothing but the deepest respect for Lara, and it's a pity that some people here don't. Ok, I may have stoked the fires of controversy here, but it's something I had to get off my chest.
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Also, let's not forget that Lara was also busy raising her two sons, getting divorced a few years after DS went off the air and then marrying her current husband, and becoming a mother for the third time. In short, she had a life outside showbusiness. As we all know, she didn't let grass grow under her feet if she became dissatisfied with Hollywood, she went back to school and also began a writing career. She has gained a vast knowledge on the subjects of literature and mythtology as a whole, and she has imparted some of what she has learned in her interviews on the DVDs. The lady knows what she's talking about- don't knock her! I have nothing but the deepest respect for Lara, and it's a pity that some people here don't. Ok, I may have stoked the fires of controversy here, but it's something I had to get off my chest.
Agree totally-thanks for saying that, Charles Ellis. [clap] [clap] [clap] [clap]
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There are many people here on the forum who also have a vast knowledge of literature, mythology and know what they are talking about as well. Some have as much as thirty years experience and devotion of study in the arts and literature. One of the posters will have a doctorate in English in the near future. I think that individual has adequate knowledge of English literature and mythology to enter into a discussion on the subject. And then there is the fact that anyone can express displeasure about a performance or product he or she paid for no matter what the academic background.[hall2_grin]
It is not unique for actors to raise families while pursuing a career. That's more the norm than the exception.
Some push harder than others for the work. It's not a failing if a talented actor isn't a household name.
It was pointed out by another poster that Lara's participation on this DVD was billed as an interview and that's not what was provided on the DVD. The lecture was not deemed enlightening by some posters including me. Some disagreed. How this leaps to the perception of a lack of respect for the overall work and talent of Lara Parker is beyond me. Not everyone is too star-struck to accept anything they paid for with blinders on and no fan should be hit with the label of being disrespectful for not being satisfied with a product or performance. These actors are not gods anymore than a criticism of one or two points is a smear of an actor's work and talent. [hall2_wink]
Nancy
She has gained a vast knowledge on the subjects of literature and mythtology as a whole, and she has imparted some of what she has learned in her interviews on the DVDs. The lady knows what she's talking about- don't knock her! I have nothing but the deepest respect for Lara, and it's a pity that some people here don't. Ok, I may have stoked the fires of controversy here, but it's something I had to get off my chest.
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I am curious as to how many people found it difficult to keep up with DS. By that I mean back in the days when we did not have VCRs or DVRs if you missed an episode, you missed it. It started to get very difficult to give up that block of time each afternoon to watch the show as other things in life started happening too. It can be a tough decision was to what to do - keep that commitment of watching the show each time during that time of day or doing something else you want to do. I remember that being a dilemma for me back in the day. Anyone else have that problem?
I didn't find it hard to take 1/2 hour out of my day to watch DS and still do the things I wanted to. My friends were watching DS before I was so that was no problem. I did hate to miss an episode and one day my sister's boyfriend shut the TV off in the middle of one episode. I was SO mad at him and my sister because they wanted me to do something right then and I told them to wait 10 minutes. When I got the TV back on, the episode of over. I was so furious.
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I still think people are taking this whole Lara interview thing way too seriously.
I don't see it as an interview, I see it as staged entertainment.
Some people liked it, some didn't.
No biggie.
David
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I think that is undoubtedly the single worst "interview" on any of the DS DVDs. Anyone could've delivered a "lecture" on the sexual nature of vampires. She didn't say anything that any lit major who's barely stuck their toes into the area of horror hasn't heard before.
Personally, I think the point of interviewing the actors is to draw on their experience as actors in the show, whether that involves their perception of their characters, their experiences while the show was in production, or their feelings about the continued popularity of the series.
Parker's ode to the sensual vampire, as I recall, is pretty much devoid of any direct reference to the series. It comes across as rather self-indulgent.
The content was kind of, uh, peripheral, but hell, I was just glad to see an interview that didn't look like a ransom video. Probably the first one that doesn't look like utter crap. I know most of them were shot in 91 or so, but production value DID exist before then.
And the one right before it with Roger Davis wearing shades and talking about Blade Runner was equally curious.
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And I'll go ahead and say the Jim Pierson interview is one of the least revelatory (and he seems to have given himsself all the edit time - older actors just go on and on; Pierson's interview is a rapid-fire edit in comparison.) His interview is like he's explaining the show to someone who's never heard of it- "DS for beginners" Not sure why it's buried a third of the way into the DVD release. Anyone who's made it to volume 8 surely already knows everything he's saying.
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[hall2_grin]
JIm Pierson is interviewed because he's so boyishly cute.
David
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And I'll go ahead and say the Jim Pierson interview is one of the least revelatory (and he seems to have given himsself all the edit time - older actors just go on and on; Pierson's interview is a rapid-fire edit in comparison.) His interview is like he's explaining the show to someone who's never heard of it- "DS for beginners" Not sure why it's buried a third of the way into the DVD release. Anyone who's made it to volume 8 surely already knows everything he's saying.
After watching Pierson's interview I came to the decision to NEVER watch another Pierson interview again. His was less relevant than Lara's in the black dress talking about the lore of the vampire. [hall2_rolleyes]
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His was less relevant than Lara's in the black dress talking about the lore of the vampire. [hall2_rolleyes]
Do you think it's because he lacks star quality or was it simply that he chose not to wear an empire-waisted velvet dress and conduct his interview in candlelight? >:D
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I guess we can wait and see if Jim does indeed wear that dress at his wedding next year.
nancy
Do you think it's because he lacks star quality or was it simply that he chose not to wear an empire-waisted velvet dress and conduct his interview in candlelight? >:D
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You know who's interview was pretty decent that hasn't been mentioned? Grayson and Sam Hall's son. Forget his name, but I really laughed at his story of how he used his mother's fame to get her to sign a paper.
He said that he needed Grayson to sign some school paper that he didn't want her to see, so he told her it was an autograph for a friend of his when he approached her early one morning, while she was still in bed. She signed it, and he went on and never told her about that paper.
This struck something with me because I did this more than once during the early morning hours before school! lol [female_skull]
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That sounds hysterical.
In truth, it's rare that the major players say anything on the DVDs I haven't read or heard them say before in interviews. I like the lesser known players chiming in - Sy Thomashoff, etc.
What had happened to Louis Edmonds' face before these interviews? Some sort of surgery, obviously, but does anyone know the details?
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Louis suffered from throat cancer, and the combination of surgery and treatment just about wrecked his health in later years. Does anyone know what DVD volume has the Matthew Hall interview? You've gotta hand it to Grayson- she only had one child, but the kid grew up to be very handsome indeed, and became a pubished novelist!
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Louis suffered from throat cancer, and the combination of surgery and treatment just about wrecked his health in later years. Does anyone know what DVD volume has the Matthew Hall interview? You've gotta hand it to Grayson- she only had one child, but the kid grew up to be very handsome indeed, and became a pubished novelist!
Just checked for ya and the interview is on Set 10 of the DVDs.
[female_skull]
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His was less relevant than Lara's in the black dress talking about the lore of the vampire.
Do you think it's because he lacks star quality or was it simply that he chose not to wear an empire-waisted velvet dress and conduct his interview in candlelight?
Hmmm...the dress and candles MAY have improved it! >:D
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I don't know what "empire-waisted" is but I have a feeling it's a good thing.
I think no one should really be saying "methinks" in casual conversation.
I want to see all these interviews now and interesting comments, Nancy in particular.