The original Gojira is terrific, but the original version runs 97mins not three hours. Even so, it's 20-30 mins longer than the US release, if you subtract the newly shot Raymond Burr footage.

Ever seen the Japanese cut of GODZILLA 98 (Gojira, 1984)? That one is much, much better as well with all of the stupid comic relief and Raymond Burr stuff gone. Though Burr does a sincere job, the intent of the rest of the scenes is idiotic.

Yah, I have copies of the original Japanese versions of all the Toho films. The original GOJIRA is an incredibly powerful film. Last year at the Godzilla fest in Chicago, the con rented out the nearby cinema, and showed it, as well as a couple of other G films, on the big screen, which was a major treat.

The one film that Americanization killed more than any other was KING KONG VS GODZILLA. The original is absolutely hysterical, with lots of tongue-in-cheek humor and obviously superb acting. All of this is lost in the dubbing and needless editing of scenes. Plus, the original score by Akira Ifukube, which was mostly deleted for U.S. release, is one of his best.

[shadow=red,left,300]--Mark[/shadow]

MB, you know, in this light you have marked resemblance to Nicholas Blair.

MB tends to be a WEE bit more benevolent than NB, at least when circumstances are right....



[shadow=navy,left,300]--Mark[/shadow]

'Tis here: DARK SHADOWS: THE LABYRINTH OF SOULS Chapter 11. A few RL issues interfered with the writing this week, so it's a little later being posted than I hoped. And I haven't had a chance to do much proofreading, so if you find boo-boos, don't hesitate to bring them up and I will correct them (unless, of course, your name is BooBoo and you're trying to steal my pickanick basket).

NEW! Chapter 11:
http://home.triad.rr.com/smrainey/labyrinth11.htm

Chapter 10:
http://home.triad.rr.com/smrainey/labyrinth10.htm

Chapter 9:
http://home.triad.rr.com/smrainey/labyrinth09.htm

Again, since some people have emailed me wondering how to access earlier chapters: just go to one of the links, rubout the two-digit number after /labyrinth, and place the chapter number you want; i.e., /labyrinth01, /labyrinth02, etc.

Enjoy. And please feel free to post your comments.

[shadow=brown,left,300]--Mark[/shadow]

Yup, I'm able to access stuff now. Thanks, MB. This just goes to prove that there's nothing wrong with you that expensive surgery can't prolong.

[shadow=navy,left,300]--Mark[/shadow]

How else in day to day activity is Barnabas very much part of the 20th Century?

That's easy. Just look at all the women around him giving him the eye and wondering "Boxers or briefs?"

[shadow=red,left,300]--Mark[/shadow]

I wonder if the different reactions to the bites by different characters were part of the script or just the actors interpretations.

Possibly a bit of both going on here.


POSSIBLE SPOILER


Although I doubt the writers ever took it into consideration during this part of the series, DARK SHADOWS established by precedent an organic catalyst, if not cause, for vampirism, i.e., the cell that Julia found in Barnabas's (and his victims') blood. Therefore, just as bacteria and viruses have different strains -- and individuals have various reactions to them based on their physical constitutions -- it is logical to assume that victims of a vampire might exhibit different characteristics as well.

Not only that, one could also make the case that the vampires themselves have different powers and vulnerabilities for the same reason. I addressed this issue directly in DREAMS OF THE DARK by having our new vampire, Thomas Rathburn, be subject to a whole different set of criteria than Barnabas Collins. Given his origin, Rathburn could walk in daylight and withstand the crucifix unless the bearer had sincere faith in it. (Rathburn's characteristics were drawn more directly from DRACULA and other vampire myths than from DS itself; to account for this, I included the explanation to the effect that the characteristics of vampires were as varied as their number, i.e., no two were necessarily 100% alike.) Furthermore, Rathburn's victim (in this case, Victoria Winters), once beyond the initial narcotic effect of the vampire bite, became expressly uninhibited and aggressive in her behavior -- mainly because we absolutely refused to have Victoria wandering through the book with one hand over her neck whining "I don't understand."

Well, she didn't understand, but at least she didn't whine.

Anyway, one could infer that, within the DS universe itself, the different characteristics of vampires (even down to there being the occasional reflection in the mirror) are the result of different strains of the previously established "vampire cell." Anyway, I prefer exploring the possibilities this postulate opens over merely attributing a lapse of consistency to "just another blooper" (although they almost certainly were!).  

[shadow=maroon,left,300]--Mark[/shadow]

HARPY
BARFDAY
to Gothick![/color][/glow]

[shadow=brown,left,300]--Mark[/shadow]