Lamar Trask's motivation?

[MagnusTrask]

Sometimes subtlety is the wrong choice.   It's a bit of a miracle for me that Trask(s) could be such an extreme villain, yet totally credible at the same time.   I wouldn't be at all surprised if there have been many such people in real life who have ranted like that.   These are unbalanced people, who have found their way into positions of authority.   

The Trasks sometimes spoke quietly, by the way.  We fixate on the booming voice because that's when Trask is the most Trask-like.

[Philippe Cordier]

... lacey himself said on one of the dvd interviews trask was pure melodrama and "mustache twirling at it's best"(his words not mine). it's almost like that classic villain from the silent movie era

LOL - I used "Snidely Whiplash" in a post some years ago in describing one of DS's villains (not sure if it was Trask), as well as the silent movie characterization. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snidely_Whiplash

and not all DS villians behaved in such a ham-handed fashion...certainly not frid even at his worst. not parker. not selby. and as someone mentioned not james storm either.

That was why I had difficulty accepting for a long time MB's comments that it was the direction/producers, and not the actor, who wanted the "broad" style of acting.

Magnus Trask wrote:

It's a bit of a miracle for me that Trask(s) could be such an extreme villain, yet totally credible at the same time.

The problem for me is that I don't find the character credible -- because of the manner of presentation. He seemed like a villain with a capital "V" -- and just using that term implies that the character is one step removed from reality. I guess we all have our individual responses to these things. I'll try to keep an open mind on my next viewing, though. I think Gothick has talked in the past about "realism" not necessarily being the aim of "Dark Shadows."

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if there have been many such people in real life who have ranted like that.   These are unbalanced people, who have found their way into positions of authority.

In reference to that I'll mention that I've never really found any of the Trasks to be camp or over-the-top and wouldn't even blame the directors for going overboard with any them. And the reason for that is most probably because back in the days when DS originally ran on ABC, one of my aunts religiously watched the televangelists who were quite prevalent on TV, particularly on Sunday mornings. Trust me, compared to some of their histrionics, 1795 Trask was positively restrained and understated.    

[Mysterious Benefactor]

comments that it was the direction/producers, and not the actor, who wanted the "broad" style of acting.

The 1986 Fest video linked from YouTube in this topic says it all and leaves little doubt that it wasn't the actors.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaN32QTuK2Y

Lara Parker explains the DS acting style

[Gothick]

In reference to mscbryk's comment...

Next time a fly tries to make a landing right on your nose when you're in the middle of a heated exorcism, *you* try blowing it away in a nonchalant, understated manner!  *wink*

cheers, G.

[IluvBarnabas]

As others have said, I believe that Trask had become hostile to the rest of the Collins at this point, especially Quentin, even more so after learning about what transpired between Barnabas and his father back in 1795. He didn't want to believe he could have been wrong about Quentin.

I mean, his dad, the originial Trask was pretty much the same way. Nothing convinced him that anyone other than Vicki could have been the witch until Barnabas showed him up on it.