The Sleepy Hollow Cemetery , final resting place of Washington Irving, Andrew Carnegie and many others, is having 2 special "House of Dark Shadows" evening walking tours in honor of this weekend's Dark Shadows events in Tarrytown. The times are Friday and Saturday evenings. Reservations suggested. Here's the link to the info> I suspect they are still available as I was able to reserve two today. See you scare...there.

http://www.showclix.com/event/3646595

Michael 

In memory of the late Davy Jones, MeTV , which is what TVLand used to be like, will be running an episode of "Love American Style" in which Davy co-stars with DS's Kathy Cody. This airs at 1:30 pm ET. Davy and Kathy play newlyweds I believe. This follow a Love American Style with Davy and Karen Valentine, and the classic Davy Jones episode of The Brady Bunch at 12:30 pm ET. For more Davy Jones, Antenna TV is running a Monkees marathon concurrently.

The upcoming documentary film, "Virginia Creepers" now has a trailer on U-Tube. Here's a link :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYEy6a5WLIM

The film will trace the old local Horror Hosts of Virginia and nearby from the mid 1950s through the present. I am happy to have been one of the fan interviewees and contributors who will be in the film.  The website is lots of fun too, so have a look there as well.
http://www.virginiacreepersmovie.com/index.htm  If you haven't been there before, you can see a bit I wrote on my boyhood hero and pal, The Bowman Body there under his spot.

Michael

Hi, I''m sorry I've been in place where I haven't been able to post lately, but I do want to mention I will be among the speakers again this year at Monster Fest in Chesapeake Va Sat Oct the 13th. I will be hosting a talk on, and showing vintage spooky cartoons.

Here is the Press Release: Monster Fest is Thee annual classic monster convention held at the Chesapeake Central Library at 298 Ceder Road in Chesapeke Va.This years event :Monster Fest 4: Ghost of Monster Fest will be held on Sat. Oct. 13 th 2007 from 9 am to 4 pm With dealers/venders , panels ,and special guests, followed by an All Night Horror Movie-thon from 8 pm till dawn with prizes and surprises!...

WXEX TV 8's Bowman Body (Shock Theater Va 1970-1976)  and Dr. Madblood 30+ years and going strong will be among our guests. (and we hope Penny Dreadful and Garou too!) Its a spooky but family friendly event. Free admission.

You are all invited
Michael 

    I found this book at the Monster Bash film show in Pittsburgh in June and don't recall ever seeing it before. Obviously, the cover image of our Carolyn Stoddard from "House of Dark Shadows" caught my eye. I haven't read all the text, but it seems there mostly to serve as an excuse for a collection of stills from vampire films, most especially as they became increasingly lurid through the 1970s.  Not many actual references to Dark Shadows in the book, although the Dan Curtis/Jack Palance Dracula gets a fair coverage as does John Karlen's Euro-opus, Daughters of Darkness . A curio, not worth going out of your way for. Interestingly, like the festival guest, German Robles, star of many Mexican vampire films, images of Nancy as Carolyn from the House film show up in a lot of vampire books with little reference to the source. As the book isn't too common, so I thought some of you might like to see the cover. The book was published in 1975.

Michael

                                     

ShadowGram Online Dark Shadows News Updates List
Marcy Robin's Cyberspace "Dark Shadows" News Update List
An Internet Publication of SHADOWGRAM
< ShadowGram@aol.com >

Number 168. April 21, 2007.

*********************************************
Hello, Dark Shadows Fan,

ShadowGram (SG), The Official Newsletter & News Source for Dark Shadows (DS), announces the following breaking news.


*** JONATHAN FRID GUESTS AT THE 2007 DS FESTIVAL CONVENTION

THE DARK SHADOWS FESTIVAL presents a special convention on August 17-18, 2007, at the Westchester Marriott Hotel in Tarrytown, NY, celebrating Jonathan Frid's 40th Anniversary of his first appearance as Barnabas Collins.

Jonathan Frid will appear in person at the event, presenting a dramatic program on stage as well as hosting a selection of his favorite moments from DS and a question-and-answer session with the audience.

Jonathan also will attend a Saturday night, August 18, banquet at the hotel, at which he will personalize a unique, commemorative autographed photograph of Barnabas for each banquet attendee.

The celebration marks Jonathan Frid's first appearance at a Dark Shadows event in over a decade!

The Festival also will host a Friday, August 17, day trip to the nearby Lyndhurst Estate, site of Collinwood from the 1970 and 1971 MGM motion pictures "House Of Dark Shadows" and "Night Of Dark Shadows."

Friday evening at the hotel will welcome several other DS stars in person.

Full and ongoing details will be announced shortly on this SG Online Updates List and in the upcoming SG #110 and subsequent SG print issues. (Subscription information for the published SG Newsletters is later in this Update.)

A U.S. postal mailing will be sent soon to all fans who send a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) to: Dark Shadows, P.O. Box 92, Maplewood, NJ 07040. Information also will be posted soon at www.darkshadowsfestival.com. Fans also are invited to visit Jonathan's official website now at www.jonathanfrid.com

Please do not send any payments to the Festival until the schedule and prices are announced by SG and the Fest.

It is highly recommended that all fans who plan to intend this convention make hotel room reservations immediately, by calling the direct Westchester Marriott Hotel Reservations Line at 1-800-882-1042. Be certain to mention "Dark Shadows" to receive the special discounted sleeping room rate of only $129.00 (+ tax) per night. This rate is only available for three nights starting Thursday, August 15 and ending Sunday, August 18.

The Westchester Marriott Hotel is at 670 White Plains Rd., Tarrytown, NY 10591. 914-631-2200. It is approximately 25 miles (45 minutes) north of Manhattan on the eastern shore of the Hudson River at the Tappan-Zee Bridge. The hotel is accessible by air, train, and driving. Closest major airports: JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark. Main highways: US-87, US-95, US 287, Route 9, and Route 119.


*** All fans attending the Fest event are invited and encouraged to share their photos and reports with SG. Your sharing helps each SG published issue be as complete as possible. Please send all materials to SG's e- or postal- mail addresses below. A Contributor's Copy issue is given in thanks for major input.

*** Subscription information for the SG print issues follows.
Subscriptions & Renewals:

US & Canada First Class Mail: $12.00 for 4 issues or $24.00 for 8 issues
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Please send check/money order to:

Marcy Robin
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Temple City, CA 91780-7766

You can pay online for your subscription/renewal using PayPal and ShadowGram@aol.com


Thank you.

Marcy Robin
ShadowGram Editor / Publisher
Marcy Robin, P.O. Box 1766, Temple City, CA 91780-7766
E-mail: ShadowGram@aol.com

*****************************************************************

SHADOWGRAM (SG) is the * Official * "Dark Shadows" Newsletter. Much of its news is provided by the show's personnel and those involved in the 1966-71 TV series, 1991 TV series, and 2004 WB pilot. Established in 1979, SG works directly with individuals, companies, and others involved in DS' creation, distribution, promotion, merchandise, etc.

Regular SG print issues are published throughout the year, with free bonus complimentary breaking-news published updates as needed.

Brief Update bulletins are posted on this ShadowGram Online "Dark Shadows" News Updates List / Marcy Robin's ShadowGram "Dark Shadows" Cyberspace News Updates List. These posts are sent via e-mail between regularly-published issues to quickly notify fans of time-sensitive developments. Each e-mail Update is expanded and detailed in the subscription postal-mail print issues. You also can receive this identical SG Online Update by joining the ShadowGram Group at yahoogroups

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Please send print issue subscription payment to:

Marcy Robin, P.O. Box 1766, Temple City, CA 91780-7766.

Online subscription payment can be made via Paypal to: ShadowGram@aol.com

For more information on the newsletter, please write with a SASE (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope) to the above postal-address or e-mail ShadowGram@aol.com

Whenever your e-mail address changes, please notify me immediately. Please include your old and new e-mail addresses. If you do not wish to remain on the Online "ShadowGram / Marcy Robin's Cyberspace Dark Shadows News Update List," please notify me directly via return e-mail. Thank you.

A Dark Shadows Festival  doesn't get any better than this! Awesome! What a great gift from Jonathan to us. Waiting until August is gonna be tough!  

Michael     

In his (very funny) comic books, Chris Pennock makes an allusion that Christopher Walken was among many actors working in New York who interviewed with Dan Curtis for Dark Shadows. While it can't be certain what part he tried out for, or if the story is simply well, apocryphal, but for fun, chose a part Chris may have been suited for. You may chose one listed or make a case for a different one. When making your choice, for the purpose of this poll, please try to focus on what would have suited his "style" moreso than Chris as a preference over the person actually cast. (Unless you want to have a compare and contrast post.) Keep in mind also that Walken was 25 in 1968. Now...imagine....

Michael 

Which of these films that influenced Dark Shadows storylines do you enjoy the most?

My qualification for this list was for films other than those horror standards, most especially literary adaptions. Instead, I wanted to look at those where a particular unique plot point was "borrowed" or otherwise had a big influence on Dark Shadows. Therefore, no straightforward adaptions of Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Turn of the Screw etc. For similar reasons, I did not include films made from short stories, such as by Poe or Lovecraft. I did chose films where a significant plot twist was introduced, not in the original story. (This on the two Dracula movies) I also eliminated The Wolfman, because while it had a big influence on Dark Shadows, it was harder to pin the specific plot point, unlike Werewolf of London . Feel free of course to discuss any films I may have missed. I was rather inspired by the recent discussion of Lugosi's Return of the Vampire of late, and how the mausoleum used was so similar to the Collins mausoleum.

Most of all, HAVE FUN!        

For those unfamiliar with any of these films, here's some briefs on how they influenced DS:

House of Dracula (1945) : Count Dracula seeks out a scientist who can treat vampirism as a blood disease.

Return of Dracula (1958) : A vampire arrives from  and insinuates himself on the family as a lost relative from Europe.

The Mummy (1932) : Risen from the grave, a walking corpse of a man obsesses on a woman who is the reincarnation of his great lost love.

The Thing That Could Not Die (1958):  A powerful warlock's head is found in a box and it takes possession of the living to help him find his lost body.

The Undead (1957) : A woman makes a mysterious journey into the past where she is framed for black magic by a jealous witch. After returning to the present, no one believes her.

The Uninvited (1944) : A brother and sister live in a great mansion on a cliffside by the sea. They are haunted by  mysterious and sad female ghost who's presence is felt by the scent of lilacs.

Werewolf of London (1935) : A werewolf hopes to find a cure by seeking the mysterious moon poppy.


Happy Halloween!!!!   

Michael