Today's Robservations Slideshow

[Julia99]

DS fans stay on topic? heresey!

I like the orange outfit as well + her rocking the chain belt as she walks into the room before sitting at the desk to read..Later in the episode a bulky jacket covers up all the chicness going on there--

[Gothick]

Today's slideshow is so cool!  First, we get episode 96 and a superb performance from Louis Edmonds in what really does incarnate the original Art Wallace concept of Roger Collins--the real monster of Collinwood.  That scene in the hut has a nail-biting suspense to it that really stands out.

Then, one of Julia's legendary showdowns with Nicholas Blair.  Every time fans kvetch about the Adam and Eve storyline and how much they hate it, I remember that that storyline gave us such classic, iconic moments as these.

And finally, Judith teaches the good Mr. Gregory Trask that revenge IS a dish best served cold.  Joan is so mind-blowingly fabulous in these scenes!  What class, and what utterly delectable gloating!  I originally wrote evil gloating but it was unquestionably an act on the side of the angels to remove Trask from the scene...

G.

[michael c]

gothick...

of course today's showdown is the "better than heroin" catfight between "miss" hoffman and carolyn in the collinwood foyer. it's this scrumptious little subplot at it's "how dare you!" best. meow!

please, please don't forget that the collins family DRESSES for dinner and the cocktail hour and don't be late.

and by all means control yourself. YOU MUST.

[Gothick]

Ah yes, you're looking at the new show that MB switches in around 7 p.m.  I am saving those pictures for a bedtime treat.

I LOVE the Carolyn/Julia stuff and of course TOTALLY AGREE that it is better than heroin, better even the two sticks of land o'lakes lashed together in a rough-hewn manner.

When Carolyn starts talking about dressing for dinner, that whole scene just takes a detour into some weird zone all its own.  I can't imagine any other performers other than Barrett and Hall pulling that off. 

Solid platinum, just like Miss Carolyn's hair conditioner....

G.

[michael c]

for this storyline nancy barrett got a series of A-line dresses...

combined with the scarves tied around her neck,her platinum halo of hair,her stiffened gait and odd monotone way of speaking she reminds me of some strange doll or android.

i forget if this confrontation was before or after carolyn was told by her mother to be polite to julia but i think the whole "dressing for dinner" line of conversation was supposed to be social niceties disguising the diabolical nature of the relationship during this period.

[Gothick]

In the shot included in the slideshow, Carolyn's attire has a very Addams Family look to it, at least in the big scene in the foyer with Julia.  I'll have to take another look at the episode soon.

Love the shot of Liz grilling Vicki upon the latter's return from Bangor.  And then the whole Betty Hanscomb kabuki.  Grand stuff!

G.

[Lydia]

When Carolyn starts talking about dressing for dinner, that whole scene just takes a detour into some weird zone all its own.  I can't imagine any other performers other than Barrett and Hall pulling that off.

Veering off-topic a bit...I was watching episode 196 recently, in which Jason McGuire worms his way into Collinwood.  He asks Liz if they dress for dinner, and she says no.  All I can figure is that Liz is always so elegantly dressed that she doesn't think about dressing for dinner, whereas Carolyn has to change her clothes to meet her mother's dinnertime standards.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

So much discussion that there's no way I can feature all of the recent captures, but here are several of my favorite moments (sorted by years rather than days):


1966: Ep #96 - While taking refuge from the storm, Roger
tries a bit too eagerly to persuade Vicki not to mention
THE PEN to anyone, which raises her suspicions.

1966: Ep #97 - After Liz and Roger claim to see no
resemblance between Betty and Vicki...

1966: Ep #97 - ...Carolyn enters and says she thinks the
portrait looks exactly like Vicki.

1967: Ep #357 - Carolyn catches Julia with the notebook.

1967: Ep #357 - Julia feels 'almost safe' when Tony agrees
to put her notebook in his safe.

1967: Ep #358 - After Julia confronts Carolyn with the
hypodermic needle Carolyn put in her room, Carolyn
warns Julia that she must control herself.

1969: Ep #880 - ...all Judith will do is ask if he's enjoying his
'retreat.'

And we mustn't neglect from '68:

1968: Ep #620 - Angelique attacks Barnabas with the intent
of leaving him to die.

Veering off-topic a bit...I was watching episode 196 recently, in which Jason McGuire worms his way into Collinwood.  He asks Liz if they dress for dinner, and she says no.  All I can figure is that Liz is always so elegantly dressed that she doesn't think about dressing for dinner, whereas Carolyn has to change her clothes to meet her mother's dinnertime standards.

Given Carolyn's remarks to Julia, I always took Liz denial to Jason to mean that they didn't dress to the nines for dinner, meaning gowns and expensive jewels for the women and tuxedos for the men, which is what one very often sees in films and other TV shows. At Collinwood one was simply expected to wear something more appropriate than their version of daytime casual clothes. Though considering how most of the characters daytime attire consisted of wearing dresses and suits, there really wasn't much need for most of them to change their dress all that much.    (Though something like slacks on women (which wasn't seen that often on DS) would have definitely been frowned upon at the dinner table back then.)

[Gothick]

I really enjoyed tonight's slideshow from episode #99, particularly the shot of Carolyn and Vicki chatting in the drawing room while Mrs Johnson's sharp ears eagerly absorb every word for her report to Burke.  Again, there's something about the composition that marks it as of the first year and how much realness the  production unit put into giving these characters regular, normal lives.

MB, that's a fabulous gallery of shots, and thanks for including Angelique's lustful vamping of Barn--that storyline came up early on in my viewing of the series, and made a big impression on me.  It's almost as if DS was doing a tribute to Hammer horror, and actually ahead of the game in one respect--it wasn't until 1970 that Hammer really introduced the prototype of the lustful, ruthless blonde female vampire, as incarnated by Ingrid Pitt in The Vampire Lovers.

I enjoyed the glimpse of Lorna Bell (aka Mrs. Chris Pennock), too.  I wish Lorna had been allowed to strut her stuff a little while longer--seems as if she would have been a fun character, somewhat in the Suki Forbes vein, although the actress seemed a lot less polished at this point in her career than was the deft and vixenish Jane Draper.

G.

[michael c]

i'll bet we're the only fanbase in the world that could spend days quite enjoyably discussing the minutiae of a fictitious group of people's dinnertime attire.

love it!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I really enjoyed tonight's slideshow from episode #99, particularly the shot of Carolyn and Vicki chatting in the drawing room while Mrs Johnson's sharp ears eagerly absorb every word for her report to Burke.  Again, there's something about the composition that marks it as of the first year and how much realness the  production unit put into giving these characters regular, normal lives.

Mrs. Johnson is always a joy to watch, whether she's clutching her chest and venting her feelings of doom and gloom, or she's simply tidying up the drawing room while lamenting the latest real or imagined problem at Collinwood. But she was really a hoot when she was a spy for Burke.

1966: Ep #99 - While dusting, Mrs. Johnson eavesdrops on
Vicki and Carolyn arguing about Burke, and later...

thanks for including Angelique's lustful vamping of Barn

I love the entire VampAng period. Some amazing stuff.

I enjoyed the glimpse of Lorna Bell (aka Mrs. Chris Pennock), too.

1970: Ep #1142 - Lamar has overheard Lorna Bell tell a
clueless Quentin that she'll see him later.

1970: Ep #1142 - And after Lorna's body is discovered with
the mark of Satan on her forehead...

I wish Lorna had been allowed to strut her stuff a little while longer--seems as if she would have been a fun character, somewhat in the Suki Forbes vein, although the actress seemed a lot less polished at this point in her career than was the deft and vixenish Jane Draper.

Yes, it's a pity Lorna didn't get to hang around a bit more.

(I often say this whenever her name comes up but it really is too bad that Jane Draper was never brought back for another character. But alas...)

i'll bet we're the only fanbase in the world that could spend days quite enjoyably discussing the minutiae of a fictitious group of people's dinnertime attire.

We'll even discuss what they won't wear, like, had DS continued into the mid '70s, how the ever fastidiously dressed Barnabas wouldn't have been caught dead (no pun intended) wearing a leisure suit.    

[Gothick]

Wow, Alexandra's last scene on the show was played opposite Grayson.  Interesting. That never really sank in before.

Love the shot of Barnabas rescuing Julia in 1840.  I have a lovely t-shirt that a dear friend silk-screened with this image on it.  Whenever I wear it, someone is always sure to stop me and exclaim, "Hey, I remember Barnabas Collins!"

G.

[Gothick]

Love the last shot from episode 889 in tonight's show; just a great shot of Julia with Chris.  It has that wonderful Gothic flavor that characterized the early period of the Leviathans storyline.

And purely for its sense of composition I love a shot of Julia with Trask and Randall Drew from the 1840 slideshow tonight.  Again, a Gothic, evocative moment, beautifully shot.

Thanks, MB!

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Wow, Alexandra's last scene on the show was played opposite Grayson.  Interesting. That never really sank in before.

Certainly no slight on GH intended, but AM probably begged the writers to give her something to do in her last ep other than work with RD.  

Love the shot of Barnabas rescuing Julia in 1840.  I have a lovely t-shirt that a dear friend silk-screened with this image on it.  Whenever I wear it, someone is always sure to stop me and exclaim, "Hey, I remember Barnabas Collins!"

That photo was also featured on the October calendar back in '03 when we could feature calendar photos:

I'm hoping the calendar photo feature will return soon after we switch from SMF 1 to SMF 2. (And that switch is probably only a few months away because SMF has already released SMF 2.0 RC4, so SMF 2.0 Final can't be too far away...)

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Love the last shot from episode 889 in tonight's show; just a great shot of Julia with Chris.  It has that wonderful Gothic flavor that characterized the early period of the Leviathans storyline.

Here it is:

Poor Julia and Chris - they had no idea what was going on with Barn...

And purely for its sense of composition I love a shot of Julia with Trask and Randall Drew from the 1840 slideshow tonight.  Again, a Gothic, evocative moment, beautifully shot.

And here it is:

Love the look Julia is giving Lamar.