House of Dark Shadows to air again on TCM

[Gothick]

Dear fans,

This notice was posted on the Collinsport Historical Society site today:

Turner Classic Movies will be airing HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS at 3:30 a.m. EST, Saturday, Oct. 3. The film is part of a late-night horror movie package, and will air immediately 1974's HOUSE OF THE SEVEN CORPSES and the 1963 classic, THE HAUNTING.

Note: TCM's schedule can be a little confusing. HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS falls onto the channels "primetime" schedule, which begins at 8 p.m. and extends to 6 a.m. the following day. While it's slated to be broadcast "Oct. 2," the film technically airs on the morning of Oct. 3.

Best,  G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Crappy time - but considering they've been showing the movie consistently every October for dozens of years, I suppose we should just be grateful that they're still even running it at all...

Thanks for the heads up, Gothick! 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And this month's showing of hoDS is a pick for sfweekly's Schlocktoberfest:

Kill Your TV: Schlocktoberfest

[Philippe Cordier]

TCM is the place to be for classic horror film during October (at least, as a TCM-watcher, that's where I look for horror of a certain caliber) ... I found this post too late as a too-infrequent visitor here these days, but coincidentally I turned on TCM last evening about two-thirds through a film that made such an impression on me at about 11 years old that I've never forgotten it - nor seen it again until last night, when I recognized what is was in about 20 seconds: "Two on a Guillotine." I had no idea back in 1970 or so that Connie Stevens was the gorgeous blonde, and I still don't really know who Cesar Romero is ... but this movie had so many elements that struck a chord with me in a way very similar to "Dark Shadows" - an elegant but dark and scary mansion, shocking thrills, magic, illusion, occultic or alchemical symbols (sometimes used interchangeably in pop culture), and I see in reading some reviews of the film that the term "Grand Guignol" is used, a term I learned on this forum through one of Gothick's posts. It was amazing how much detail I remembered so precisely from just one viewing, especially the final scene with the re-enactment of the guillotine illusion. So it wasn't as great as I remembered, but now that I see it is available on a Warner Bros. DVD-R, I'll definitely be getting it.

I've seen "House of Dark Shadows" so many times now that I don't really miss having missed it this time, and I do have the DVD ... and look forward to a future viewing.

What I really wish there was time for was getting back to watching the series on DVD. 

- Philippe

[Josette]

I recorded it and watched it tonight.  It's been ages since I've seen anything from the series, so it was really fun to see the old gang in their old, familiar roles!!  I had forgotten so many of the others made it into the bit parts.  I noticed Jerry Lacy and Humbert Astredo.  I completely forgot they had been in it.  Then, with the cast at the end, I noticed Paul Michael, Terry Crawford and Michael Stroka listed, so I have to skim back through it and find them!!

[Philippe Cordier]

Some of those roles might be called cameos, but they were little more than extras - you have to watch for them!

The masquerade party in HODS was fun but the one in the original series is so good, too. Would like to watch that again - I believe it was spread across a couple of episodes, or at least talk of it was.

Not to sound like a commercial for Turner Classic Movies, but the night after I posted the above message, I happened to turn the TV on again at about the same time, and "Trade Winds" starring Joan Bennett and Fredric March was about to begin. Joan Bennett was blonde during the first part of the movie. She was very young and attractive. A lighter role than her later mean tough gal in "Scarlet Street."

[DarkLady]

I missed HoDS this time around but have DVRed Trade Winds. It sounds like a hoot!

[Uncle Roger]

Trade Winds is a lot of fun. It sent Joan Bennett's career in a new direction. The darker hair made a huge difference, as she was cast as a femme fatale instead of an ingenue. Plus, Trade Winds has Ralph Bellamy and Ann Sothern in the cast as well.