'Dark Shadows!' Vampires, Werewolves and Zombies Invade Brooklyn This Weekend

*if* Depp Shadows takes off (which is a big *if* given how royally Conan and Fright Night just flopped at the box office)

Actually, most industry insiders and columnists whose jobs it is to follow box office and its trends blame the lower than hoped for numbers for both those films this past weekend on the fact that both were mostly shown on 3D screens and the other fact that the increasing trend in this economy is that people are no longer as willing to pay extra for 3D. Thank heavens the idea to shoot the Depp/DS film in 3D was dropped! Plus another interesting, though certainly not unexpected, thing about both of those films is that over 60% of the audience who went to see them was male - but that isn't likely to be the case with the Depp/DS film. If anything, Warners Brothers is going to be trying very hard to attract a male audience on a par with what is expected to be a large female audience rather than presuming males are going to show up automatically. But of course, all of this is a discussion more suited for the Depp/DS film's topic, so I'll leave it at that here.

If anyone wants to continue this discussion, please quote this post and paste it at the top of your reply in the Depp/DS film's production topic.  

That's too bad about Nancy not being able to appear.  I hope she is OK.

G, this was posted following a recent ShadowGram:

Nancy Barrett has canceled her appearance at the Fest due to her husband's illness.

I was quite disappointed that Jonathan did not join the cast reunion, his presentation on the evolution of Barnabas as a character was quite interesting, but it was over a good 90 minutes before the cast reunion, and to me he could have caught his breath and been able to join in the cast reunion, but that is just MY opinion.  Still, I am looking forward to Jonathan and David Selby's performance tomorrow, that should be something to see!!

Miranda, I completely understand your disappointment that he didn't participate in the panel, but it wasn't a matter of catching his breath-- he really was not up to it.  (I looked for you but didn't find you! )

b.t.w. roger davis' son is incendiary. imagine davis in 68 but way cuter.

My god, yes.

roger himself not great.

The sunglasses were ridiculous.  No medical reason... he just liked wearing them.

A few tidbits from the weekend that I haven't seen mentioned:

Bobubas and Guy Haines were hilarious as Barnabas and Dan Curtis in Saturday night's Collinsport Players skit.  I hope the recording of it makes it onto YouTube, hint hint.

Roger Davis said he was paid $130 per episode on DS. (!)  He also mentioned that his appearance on Twilight Zone (a clip from "Spur of the Moment" was screened during his Outside the Shadows segment) was as a replacement for the ailing Michael Parks.  Roger is terrific in that.

Donna Wandrey commented that Marie Wallace and she had played, respectively, "a chiseler and a murderer."  Okay, so I thought that was cute.

Kathy Cody announced that she'll be performing Love Letters in Florida with Nicholas Hammond (The Sound of Music).  They'd previously appeared together in her double Gunsmoke ep and Superdad.

It's a good thing that Frid again contributed personal memorabilia for the auctions in the main room, because otherwise the assortment of items would be incredibly sad.  BTW, did anyone here acquire the Festival drawing room set?

Selby was amazing as the deacon in the scene from Mass Appeal.  Frid, as the aging priest, just did the best he could.

Lara Parker read an excerpt from her soon to be released novel "Portrait of the Werewolf," which involved Antoinette (you may recall that the character is identical in appearance [only] to Angelique), the spurned Barnabas who is once again a vampire, and Quentin, whose portrait has been swiped from Antoinette's basement.

Every year, there's a show of hands by fans attending their first convention, but this year the response was unbelievable!  SO MANY HANDS!!

i also thought it was tacky that davis was selling personal photos of himself and his ex-wife jaclyn smith.

will i get pelted with rotton tomatoes if i say that the selby/frid reading was boring?

No rotten tomatoes - I agree that the reading itself was boring, but I was fascinated to see the two of them onstage together.

Arhylda Linda Reilly Blowney
Dark Shadows Festival was WONDERFUL and silly and fun!! Jonathan Frid winked at us in the restaurant - my life is complete! :-)
45 minutes ago

i also thought it was tacky that davis was selling personal photos of himself and his ex-wife jaclyn smith.

Really?! Wow. And given she's made no secret of what she thinks about him, I'm guessing she would have a heart attack if she knew that.

Midnite darling,

Many thanks for that wonderful report.  Love the photo of Davis pater et fils.  Davis fils looks sort of like Don Briscoe. I'm sure that's just an accident of the lighting and the angle.

I would have loved to have been there--to see your glamorous self and others near and dear to my heart!  I am alas unable to leave town right now due to an unpleasant situation that just seems to be never-ending.  Happily Mercury is going Direct on Friday... *that* may end it!

Again, thanks.  Would love to hear more of your thoughts.

G.

Jonathan Frid Speaking At The Dark Shadows Festival 8-20-11
(After seeing this video I now realize that apparently the photos I commented on in reply #6 of "Dark Shadows Festival 2011 Photos" were deceiving... But those are great photos of Frid.)

BIGDSFAN at The 2011 Dark Shadows Festival
(Another video made up of photos.)

Dark Shadows Cast Reunion at The Dark Shadows Festival 8-20-11

(After seeing this video I now realize that apparently the photos I commented on in reply #6 of "Dark Shadows Festival 2011 Photos" were deceiving... But those are great photos of Frid.)

It's not your fault.  The lighting on the actors was terrible!  I understand that it was handled by Marriott employees, so perhaps that explains why they kept the lights bright over Pierson but didn't seem to mind putting the actors on stage in the dark, even when those actors weren't introducing video clips the whole time as in Frid's case (such as Smyth & Cody, Wandrey & Wallace).  Couldn't they light the actors while they spoke to the audience and dim the overhead lights when they got around to showing clips instead of leaving them in the dark the whole time and making it difficult for fans to take photos?

But when Brian Kellow stood at the same podium as Pierson, the lights got dimmed there too.  Fortunately, he spoke about the Bennetts without referring to notes.

Hire personnel to handle lighting.  Geez.

There must be a DS fan out there with some lighting tech experience who could volunteer to do it at a future Fest.

By the way, any mention of the next Fest?

That's a great video of Mr. Frid.  Thanks for sharing the link.

G.

A Freaky Friday @ Dark Shadows Fest 2011
(Really nice photos.)

Another article and photos from the Fest
http://broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Coverage-Dark-Shadows-45th-Anniversary-Reunion-in-Brooklyn-20110825

Fantastic photos. Thanks so much for posting the link, jimbo.  

It's amazing how many places have covered this year's Fest! Last year there was practically nothing. But maybe this year it's because of the 45th Anniversary - or because the Depp/DS film is in production. It's probably some of both - and I'd bet a lot of these places sent people because they were thinking they were going to get some actual news regarding the Depp/DS film. Hahahaha.  

Excerpt from:

A Freaky Friday @ Dark Shadows Fest 2011

"Lara has a third Dark Shadows novel coming out, and her first, 'Angelique’s Descent,' is going to be re-released with a new 35-page chapter."

Yes, she said that Tor (not Harper Collins) will be releasing an updated AD with an added final chapter dealing with Josette's death in order to "make it more appealing."  This is good news for fans who have been unable get their hands on the paperback at a reasonable price as well as new fans that the movie will no doubt attract, but will the new chapter really add to the story's appeal?  Or is it merely a tact to get fans who already have the book, download or CD to purchase yet another copy of the story?