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Messages - Gothick

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1306
Calendar Events / Announcements '16 I / Re: Barna/guin
« on: March 13, 2016, 10:44:16 PM »
Thanks, Mysterioso Darling!  It's a relief to know I'm not losing my mind.

... ... ... Am I???

cheers, G.

1307
Calendar Events / Announcements '16 I / Barna/guin
« on: March 13, 2016, 08:50:22 PM »
Fans,

Today a friend and I took a jaunt to Salem, Mass.  It was a brief trip but we stopped in Harrison's, a huge comic book store which is one of the very few in the area with a good selection of horror film fan mags available.  Anyhow, I was waiting for my friend to pay for his purchases and happened to see what I initially thought was a large Barnabas Collins action figure.  It turned out to be the Penguin from a TV series called Gotham which I think depicts the childhood life of Bruce Wayne.

I haven't seen the series (I think it was canceled sometime ago?), but the figure was tall, in a dark vaguely Edwardian looking suit, with dark pointy bangs and a face whose modeling sort of suggested Jonathan Frid.  In fact, he looked more like Frid than some of the official DS merchandise I have seen does.  He was holding an umbrella with the handle up and at first, I had to do a double-take because I thought I was seeing a wolf's-head cane!

It might have been just my imagination, but it made enough of an impression on me to write about it here.

G.

1308
God, Grayson was fab.  And Carlotta was one of her best performances.  I'm sure anyone following along at home will be absolutely FLOORED to learn that for this viewer, Carlotta WAS the star of the picture.  Though Selby made for some delicious eye candy.

And what a hoot about Grayson's script showing up as a prop!  That happened on the series a few times.

G.

1310
Calendar Events / Announcements '16 I / Re: New Omen Thriller Damien
« on: March 07, 2016, 11:24:26 PM »
Bradley "Bradders" James plays the lead role in DAMIEN and attracted quite the cult following on the MERLIN series (which I think aired on the Sci Fi network in the US?). 

According to the NYT review, the first episode of DAMIEN makes heavy use of clips from the original movie.  Barbara Hershey plays a role that sounds as if it is based on the "Apostate of Satan" character so memorably played by the great Billie Whitelaw in the movie.

The NYT critic wasn't impressed but sounded as if this kind of thing just wasn't what they're used to watching.

G.

1311
Today's photo makes me inclined to think that Quentin is hoping Carlotta will "help" him with more than just "finding a good room."  LOL!

Selby and Grayson always had such great chem together.  I was going through some old files last week and found some notes about how much he adored her IRL.

G.

1312
I think in KLS's very first PomPress book, MY SCRAPBOOK MEMORIES (the original edition, not the revision), she mentioned a kind of pamphlet that some church or religious (Christian) group circulated about how DS was teaching kids Satanism.  They were fighting to get it off the air.

I think that back in the 1960s, this kind of thing was never taken seriously by the mass media.  Times have certainly changed.

G.

1313
Current Talk '16 I / Re: N.N.O.T. - Secret Beyond the Door
« on: March 03, 2016, 10:27:11 PM »
I definitely found THE SECRET BEYOND THE DOOR reminiscent of the first year of DS. Apart from everything else, Joan plays a troubled young woman who comes to a spooky mansion--as a bride rather than a governess--and learns that the head of the house is obsessed with "a secret beyond a door."

The movie also features the delightful Natalie Schafer burbling away from time to time.

G.

1314
Those memories of Humbert's performances are fascinating, Uncle Roger.  I'm one of those who never watched any other soap operas unless you count STRANGE PARADISE which wasn't really very soapy and I was only able to watch it for about four months.  Thankfully they did save that one so I have it all now.

I used to correspond with Ellen.  She changed her name legally to Julia Collins.  I read about the TV photos from ALL MY CHILDREN in a Grayson fan newsletter that came out at the time.  A fan was kind enough to give me photocopies of it years ago.  The photos weren't credited to Ellen, but to another fan, whose name escapes me.  You could order prints of the photos through the club. So maybe they're out there somewhere.  I imagine that nearly all this kind of thing was tossed in a garbage bag years ago.   But I guess some really diligent fan may have kept it.  I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that DS is now officially 50 years old, or at least, will be as of June.

Sometime today Lara Parker posted this lovely tribute to Mr. Astredo on FaceBeast:

It was with a heavy heart that I received the news yesterday of Humbert’s death. He was a fascinating man with a wicked gleam in his eye, vibrant panache, an infectious sense of humor, and his performances with his Errol Flynn good looks, so perfectly reflected and contributed to the mood and magnetism that was Dark Shadows. He was a dear friend and acting partner on the show, wonderful to work with, to joke with, to battle with, and so many people have told me that our scenes were the best ones I did. As the witch and the warlock, we had some mighty clashes. I have been in touch with him over the years, exchanging Christmas cards and emails, but I had no idea that he was in poor health. I still hoped that he would forgo his hermit ways and show up at our 50 year reunion this summer, or that I might talk him into making a Big Finish recording so that we could hear again his mellifluous voice. All of us in the cast mourn him, and will miss him terribly. (end of Lara's tribute)

G.

1315
Calendar Events / Announcements '16 I / Re: festival registration
« on: February 29, 2016, 10:11:51 PM »
They aren't offering online registration? What year is it again?  I get confused easily.

G.

1316
I would crawl through broken glass to see footage of HAA as the interior decorator on ANOTHER WORLD.  The fastidious and relentless piano maestro sounds like another great role for him.

Unfortunately I don't think any of this survives anywhere.  Around the same time Grayson Hall had a brief role on another soap--the details elude me, I think character was named something like Madge.  I heard that a fan took and made copies of some TV photos but even those have never surfaced.

At least it's better than knowing that Grayson's Playtex commercial exists on the original DS tapes, but nobody could be bothered to track it down and have it added to the goodie package for one of the disc releases.

G.

1317
All of the scenes between HHA and Grayson were so fab because they were so evenly matched in terms of talent and training.  I loved it when a horrified Julia, finally learning of Nicholas's master plan, blurted out "That is monstrous!" and he leered evilly and gloated, "it is MEANT TO BE."  A great moment...

Thanks to the kindness of a friend, I just learned that KLS posted this to FaceBeast earlier today:

I am so sad to hear that Humbert Allen Astredo has passed away. He was charming, funny, loving and so very handsome . . . we all adored him. During the time he starred with Elizabeth Taylor in a production of The Little Foxes, he lived in our London Cottage and wrote hilarious letters about his stay in England. Long before I worked with him on Dark Shadows, he was a close friend of my husband Geoff. I'm so very sad we've lost this dear man. I'd hoped we'd see him at the 50th anniversary Dark Shadows Festival. (end of post from KLS)

Best, G.

1318
A sad loss for DS fans.  Humbert created Nicholas Blair, a character specifically invented for him, at the behest of Dan Curtis who was impressed by Humbert when he came to the studio to audition for another role.  Nicholas was and always will be my favorite Warlock. "Get hip to the Warlock!"

Humbert was only interviewed a very few times.  This podcast interview from two years ago was by far the best of all of them.  However, Humbert only speaks about DS during the final minute or so of the interview.

From listening to this, it would appear that one of Humbert's favorite roles was in the stage play, EQUUS.

http://www.collinsporthistoricalsociety.com/2014/03/podcast-humbert-allen-astredo.html

May his spirit know true Peace.

G.

1319
Calendar Events / Announcements '16 I / Re: DS Crew
« on: February 27, 2016, 12:34:52 PM »
No timeline is given for the demolition of the studio, but it sounds as if it will be gone well before the date of the DS event.

G.

1320
Calendar Events / Announcements '16 I / Re: Penny Dreadful
« on: February 27, 2016, 12:08:08 AM »
I'm really ready for Vanessa to do something other than shred the walls in the loony bin. 

After the events of the last season, I would expect to find Malcolm in there, not her. 

But, we'll have to see how it all plays out.

G.

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