I didn't really start to see it until 1970.  After she had been through two other guys, and then wanted to mess things up for Barnabas again...  At that point, I knew something was really wrong.  Then it got progressively worse.  In 1991, it was abundantly clear from the get-go.  And in 2012, our favorite witch was not only mentally deranged, but had deluded herself in a way that was not rationally conceivable.  I can only imagine what future versions will bring.  The newest Angelique will surely come with a free pass to Windcliff from the start. 

I do love Lara Parker's Angelique, and I can definitely see how her performance has been overlooked in recent years.  It seems that she was given more respect in the past, although she did get a whole section in one of the Monster Mags back in May.  But this article didn't really seem to focus on her very much.  There were probably more mentions of the character in Diabolique than in the VW article - proportionately speaking (from what you describe.)  Still, Elizabeth got about two mentions, Willie got a number, Vicki got several, and Julia probably had the most next to Barnabas and Quentin.  (One of the interesting things was that the author describes Barbara Steele's Julia as "more human" than Grayson Hall's.  That didn't really seem like an insult to Grayson, since she got a number of mentions throughout, so I am curious to know from where he derived that!  All in all, there was special attention paid to the family as a unit and the house as a force, which may be why David got more mentions (although still relatively few) than we are used to, especially in this type of write-up.   

The full length article on the history of Dark Shadows is nothing groundbreaking.  And the editor, himself, admits that he hasn't seen all of the episodes of the original (as I recall), but he is definitely a fan who has experienced some isolation as a result of his love, basically because very few people in the UK have even seen any episodes.  So it was an interesting perspective. 

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. 

Absolutely, G!  I hope to read it tonight since it's too hot to do anything else. 

Thank you for the description of VW!  Now I know what I am looking for!  I can't wait to read it.  Everything you have posted about it has tempted me so...  including the HoDS online excerpt.  Thanks for sharing that!

it was a colossal gaffe and, like turning carolyn into a werewolf in the movies last five minutes, pretty unforgivable.

Nothing is on par with the werewolf bit.  That was possibly the worst decision in the history of the "franchise." 

I assumed that she had already been going by the name Victoria Winters, accidentally said her old name, looked up and was reminded of her new identity, and corrected herself.  Is this not a possible inference, or am I forgetting something that happened which would make this implausible?   

I am not sure if this has been mentioned here before, since we have been discussing so many different possibilities for the eventual release of a restored NoDS, but this looks to be one of the best options:

http://www.shoutfactory.com/browse/470/scream_factory.aspx#axzz22qDWeJnx

Scream! Factory, a new division of Shout! Factory, specializes in cult Horror films.  And what's interesting is that they are re-releasing Halloween II on Blu-Ray, despite the fact that Universal released it just last year on BRD!  Universal's release was bare-bones, but Scream! is debuting a version packed with extras.  So, if they could work something out with Warner Bros., this would be a great opportunity for a NoDS restoration.  I wonder if there's any chance...   

Publicly showing major, and I mean major, films before their release on DVD is definitely doable.  I know a group that did it with The Dark Knight and continues to do it with every large release, though they are skipping Depp Shadows for the time being.   

But, for a film to qualify, it usually has to have finished its theatrical run.  Plus, a public exhibition costs a fairly hefty sum.  So showing Depp Shadows at this year's fest had, at least, two things going against it.