Yet Another New Slideshow

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Dare I horrify you further, MB, and point out that the version that is streaming on Netflix at the moment appears to take the DVD's 16:9 image and lop the left and right sides off in order to get it back to a 4:3 image? In other words, the picture has been cut on all sides.

Oh wonderful!    

Hulu was doing that at one time, too - but the last time I checked (which was months ago) they had gone back to the "normal" aspect ratio of the DVD set.

[Gothick]

Glorioski!  In the unfiltered (DVD) version, poor Rebecca Staab's makeup looks something like Lily Munster after she'd been half-flattened by Herman's runaway hearse.  Can we say LOUD?

On the other hand, the DVD version allows a full clear view of the unbridled yumminess that is Michael Weiss's chest.  Let's be thankful for not so small favors....

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

You might be on to something. Perhaps the whole reason for removing the filtering was because the person handling the transfer wasn't familiar with the entire series and they removed all the filtering from every ep simply because they wanted to see MTW's body better in scenes like the ones outside and inside the stable - and they hoped there would be more of the same. But then they forgot to restore the filtering before the DVD set was burned.    

Glorioski!  In the unfiltered (DVD) version, poor Rebecca Staab's makeup looks something like Lily Munster after she'd been half-flattened by Herman's runaway hearse.  Can we say LOUD?

I suppose they felt they had to make it more pronounced so that it would show up with the filtering.

[Gothick]

Absolutely--Staab's makeup works fine WITH the filtering.  Without, it just looks like neon goop. 

Has anyone ever commented on DC's use of filters generally on the series, and use of what seems to be a lot of ambient mist, or maybe screens in front of the camera lenses--so much of this looks so misty, foggy, or like the result of the old-school vaseline filters used for close-ups of aging divas.

I find the often lurid use of color often works against the general fog in ways that I find very jarring.  Particularly in Ben Cross's 18th century vampire makeup, with that lurid lipstick they gave him and that bad hairpiece... it's very comic-book like.  But perhaps this was intentional?  It seems almost like a tribute to some of the more lurid Italian giallo directors.

Just my totally uninformed thoughts... feel free to delete as needed...

I wonder whether Michael Weiss ever did a Playgirl spread?? *bats eyelashes innocently* Inquiring minds want to know...

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Has anyone ever commented on DC's use of filters generally on the series, and use of what seems to be a lot of ambient mist, or maybe screens in front of the camera lenses--so much of this looks so misty, foggy, or like the result of the old-school vaseline filters used for close-ups of aging divas.

He used smoke machines on the show. So much so that in an interview done during production of the series Barbara Steele remarked that they were all going to end up in iron lungs.

I wonder whether Michael Weiss ever did a Playgirl spread?? *bats eyelashes innocently* Inquiring minds want to know...

I doubt it. Photos like that tend to be plastered all over the Internet, and there aren't any - much to the disappointment of many of his The Pretender fans...

[Gothick]

J'adore today's utterly ravishing image of Barbara Steele as Julia.  She really knows how to work a camera.

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Yes, I loved the expression of her face at that moment while she was delivering the line:

Ep #3 - Julia: 'I am convinced that it's only a matter of time until
he is ready to face the dawn, and I shall be the cause of his
new-found freedom.'

Though we actually have to thank Midnite for picking the line in the first place, else there would have been no need for the capture.

[Gothick]

You know I love today's quote, and the shot of our Babs delivering it!  One of the high points of the series!

cheers, G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Ep #3 - Julia: 'I'm afraid the professor has been acting a bit dotty
recently.'

Truer words were never spoken - or spoken so well.    And again we have Midnite to thank for picking that line from Ep #3. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Before today's capture/quote disappears, it's probably worth noting that it wasn't even supposed to be a part of Ep #4

Ep #4 - Elizabeth: 'I feel as if some dark cloud is descended over
Collinwood.'

- the scene it's taken from was actually scripted as a part of Ep #2 (the first hour of the second night of the miniseries) but not included in that ep. (It was, however, included in the 2 minute trailer (which can be seen here:

Watching Project #2: The 2 Minute Trailer

) that promoted the miniseries.) Thankfully, though, it was saved from the cutting room floor and edited into Ep #4. And it wasn't the only scene that was intended for a different ep to find its way into Ep #4. But more on that later...

[Gothick]

Another gorgeous shot of Julia.  The past month's slideshow has made me resolve to catch episodes 4 and 5 on hulu at some point soon...

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Another gorgeous shot of Julia.

And here it is:

Ep #4 - Barnabas: 'Let us finish what we've started - together.'

[Gothick]

To MB and/or Midnite, I would be interested to hear more about the context for the past two or three days' images in this series.  I keep meaning to set aside time to watch this episode and the following one on hulu but have yet to manage to do that.

Also, is there a reason why it's the second week of May and we're still looking at material from episode 4?  I had thought it was going to be one month per episode for a total of twelve?

Thanks again for working on this series; I have been enjoying it more than I expected to do so. 

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I plan to make a post about today's and yesterday's captures/quotes later on. But to get to your other question, the slideshow features 28 captures/quotes from the 13 "hours" of the series (28X13=364 - maybe there will be a bonus quote/capture on Christmas - maybe not - we haven't decided), which is why its currently featuring Ep #4. However, Ep #4 is actually "hour" #5 because Ep #1, the pilot, was 2 "hours" long. So looking at it that way, its ahead of the actual months because the current 5th "hour" began on April 23rd.  

The upcoming schedule is as follows:

Ep #5: 5/21-6/17
Ep #6: 6/18-7/15
Ep #7: 7/16-8/12
Ep #8: 8/13-9/9
Ep #9: 9/10-10/7
Ep #10: 10/8-11/4
Ep #11: 11/5-12/2
Ep #12: 12/3-12/31 (maybe skipping Christmas, or maybe Christmas as a bonus)

And I'm very glad you're enjoying it. Midnite and I are definitely enjoying putting it together.  

[Gothick]

Thanks MB for the schedule and explanation.

G.