I thought Liz's secret macrame cupboard was one hell of a secret.  AND a clear nod to the fact that somebody high up in the production unit reads these boards and knows about our secret Dutch macrame fetish thang...

G.

I know this is beyond the realm of trivia, but can anyone tell me what the food item is suppsed to be that's huddled on Julia's plate?  The only thing that comes to mind is those melon balls that Seventies hostesses used sometimes to soak in champagne or something.

G.

Whatever happened to Barbara Blackburn, anyway?

G.

How cool!  Does Katie play the Queen of Outer Space?  Sounds juicy.

G.

Hi Lydia, well, my take is that "Liz" and "Julia" in Depp Shadows are completely independent characters who just happen to have the same name as characters in the 1960s series "Dark Shadows."

The personalities, traits, aesthetics, etc. are so different from the 1960s versions that I don't even attempt to compare.  The Helena Julia is more like a takeoff on the fabulous Bea Arthur's performance as "Maude" than it is somehow in any way a nod at what Grayson did in the series.  I see zero relationship between Joan's characterization of Elizabeth and the character portrayed by Pfeiffer (who was the best thing in the movie, from this viewer's perspective).

I think this way as well about the characters as portrayed in "house of DS" although since it was the same actresses there was an element of "Parallel Time" about that redaction.

cheers, G.

This whole scene feels as if it's setting up stuff that NEVER comes into play in the finished film as released.  Granted I only saw it once... and I feel as if I missed out a lot of the nuances in this scene... just as was the case with those who saw it more often.

I guess this is the one extended time we spend with the characters where BarnaDepp is absent.  Once BarnaDepp shows up, it's all about him and Angelique, with Liz stepping into Julia's role in the original show as Barn's ally and defender.

G.

The big winner in the Mrs. Johnson sweepstakes, for me, will always be Clarice Blackburn.  Now and forever.

I actually found how the character was handled/portrayed in the Burton/Depp production quite sad, particularly since there was never any explanation or backstory as to why she was even there.  I thought she looked so cute and hilarious in the stills, but then in the actual movie... she was barely there.

But she still was part of the Stupor Bowl sweepstakes.  Or whatever it was.  Superb Owl sweepstakes?

Now off to make some FRESH mayonnaise to take the taste of that slop that was on that sandwich you just handed me out of my mouth, Missy...

G.

Darling Lou.  I do miss him.

Back in the 1990s I saw the original vinyl of the Ernest in Love album on sale at a well known NYC cult record store a couple of times.  They specialized in really obscure items.  I never bought it.  I think it was reissued on CD at some point.

Wonderful photos.  It's lovely that somebody out there is taking the time to share material like this. There is so much of it stashed away in various libraries and archives.

G.