to say nothing of that cheap(cheap!!!)fur coat he wore across these episodes...


michael stroka said in one of the DVD interviews said hairdo required a full roller-set to rival any of the actresses on the show.

yeah laura's second appearance wasn't as good...


1897 was so cacophonous laura got lost in the din. and one thing i liked about her 1966 storyline was that it was a great mix of the supernatural and "normal" soap opera storytelling. obviously 1897 was anything but normal.

still it was fun to see diana again. for me she's a relatively small but very distinctive presence in the whole thing.

alexandra and joan, alexandra and nancy, alexandra and kathryn, alexandra and jonathan, alexandra and david hennesy, joan and louis, louis and diana millay, joan and diana, nancy and grayson(especially in 67) jonathan and nancy(again, 67), jonathan and grayson, jonathan and lara, louis and lara, humbert allen astredo and lara, humbert and grayson, humbert and marie wallace, jonathan and karlen, dennis patrick and karlen, joan and grayson, kathryn and joel, nancy and mitch ryan...

i'm sure i'll think of more.


and clarice blackburn and just about anybody. i'm recalling a 1795 scene in particular with thoroughbreds clarice, joan and grayson that was electric.

indeed collinsport seemed to have it's own unique microclimate...


no one ever spoke of it being hot or humid or even warm, even during the height of summer, the fires at collinwood blazed 365 and heavy woolen coats were worn year round. the general atmosphere was cold and dark and stormy.


and yet for a new england town it never snowed, the foliage never turned or fell and was in fact bright green no matter what season.

so perhaps the writers thought it prudent to mention the actual time of year with minimal frequency. actually given the context of the series a halloween story certainly would have been fitting but i don't believe that particular holiday was mentioned once.

interesting observation lydia...

while fans viewing the film have either liked it or disliked it or, in many cases, despised it completely what almost nobody seems to have is any emotional investment in it.


there is something almost emotionally void, or dare i say, bloodless about much of the reaction to it. not counting of course the blood lust of those who wanted burton's head on a pike.


for all of the hype and money spent in the end it might end up being a minor, peripheral, part of the whole thing.

@nelson collins...


i first saw the film so many months ago it's still interesting to read a fresh review.


while much has been made of the vicki/maggie character merging(of which i'm not a fan)not much has been said(at this board at least)about the fact that the character(whoever she was)wasn't really in the film much at all for it's putative "heroine".

after her strong opening scenes she didn't get much screentime. it's funny because they took the trouble to create this very convoluted backstory for her, with ghosts and institutionalizations and elaborate escapes and pseudonyms, and then promptly wrote her into the background of the main plot. it's almost like they knew that the "josette" angle, a governess and the business with the train were critical parts of series lore but otherwise they had no intention of fleshing it out. or was it supposed to be a bigger part that fell victim in the cutting room?

while "we" understand the importance of the josette figure the viewer new to the story probably didn't get what the big deal with her was.


then bella heathcote was underplayed in most of the promotional material. even on the DVD box the other four actresses appear but not her. it's a strange element of this variation of the tale.

charles dear...


relax. there is a difference between "venom" and a bit of good natured jabbing between friends. i'm sure ms. scott is a lovely person but even you must admit she is an operator of the highest order. in my ten years as a fan i don't think i've attended a single event with her where she didn't practically vault across the table to sell me something. and judging by her homes in new york and beverly hills her salesmanship has been richly rewarded.


incidentally this offer is called in the retail world "gift with purchase". she's not just sending out greetings from the goodness of her heart. it's an enticement to buy a book. there's nothing wrong with poking a bit of fun at that.

and this is a two way relationship. yes we're "lucky" that the DS actors are so "engaged" compared to other fandoms. they however are also "lucky" that considering their primary fame derives from appearing on a chromekey soap opera nearly half a century ago they still have an active fanbase. very lucky.

ms.scott is an actress and publisher. not mother theresa. she's not above and beyond a bit of ribbing. i don't feel the need to defer to her.


stop carring on like the collinsport scold. you tried to "shame" a bunch of us last summer who didn't want to attend the scaled back fest. it's really not your place.

decidedly un-guilty and un-ashamed, m.