A friend of mine who has more patience for current pop culture trends than do I saw the movie on Friday.  She praised the performance of the actor who played Lincoln (Ben Walker, I think, was his name? she said he was Meryl Streep's son-in-law) but particularly mentioned the ever-luscious Rufus Sewell, who plays the head vampire.  On a whim, she decided to buy the novel on her way to see the movie.  She started reading it on her way, I think.  Anyhow she thinks that the movie is a bit of fun but the novel is much, much better.  Just letting folks know one fan's opinion.  She is also a diehard DS fan (she gave the Depp movie a lukewarm review--for anyone who's counting heads, I still haven't seen the Deep creature).

G.

Fans,

looking through the Collinsport Historical Society site, I found this clipping from what is clearly a late Summer or Early Fall 1966 newspaper article interviewing Joan Bennett about her work on DS.  If this clipping was passed around by fans in the early years, it may account for why the story spread for awhile that Joan "hated" being on DS:

http://www.collinsporthistoricalsociety.com/2012/01/joan-bennett-talks-dark-shadows.html

Note that in the interview, she refers to already having a contract to do a play in February 1967--Liz's first "breakdown" as a result of a certain plot incident coincided with this.

G.

Yay!  congrats, cousin Taeylor!

G.

Calling all devotees of the Divine One:

Check out this exciting link!

http://www.collinsporthistoricalsociety.com/2012/06/grayson-hall-blog-thon-set-for-june-22.html

Grayson's son, author Matt Hall, as well as the author of the definitive Grayson Hall biography, R. J. Jamison, are set to participate, along with a bevy of other fan sites, including a podcast.

Best,

G.

I realize the repetition is wearisome, but I feel called upon to point out again that while 1968 boasts the dreary Adam storyline, it also features some of the series' best moments, such as the plotline MB mentioned, but also pretty much ALL of the Nicholas Blair scenes (I really think 1968 Blair was head and shoulders above all of HAA's divine characterizations), Cassandra Collins which is one of my personal favorite characters in the series, some great Prof. Stokes stuff (Stokes was one of the characters who first got me watching the show), and the original Chris Jennings werewolf storyline.  Some of Eve's scenes were really quite juicy as well, I thought--Marie played her with such understated venom--and then there was Danielle Roget, "the most evil woman of the 18th century."

The parts of it that frustrate me the most are the endless winding-down of Vicki's trial storyline in the final part of 1795, and every scene involving Peter/Jeff; nearly all of Adam's scenes, although before Adam learned to talk Robert Rodan brought great heart to the role; and the interminable storyline involving Liz's curse to live in fear of death and being buried alive, a terrible betrayal of what was once a great character.  The reduction of Vicki to a simpering idiot who just "doesn't understand" is a very, very disappointing end to another character who was the fascinating centerpoint of the entire story, originally.  And finally, the unimaginative, dull scenario by which Joe Haskell was written out of the show, although Joe's final episode boasts one of the series' most compellingly bizarre and creepy dream sequences.

G.

Amen to that, Cousin Barnabas.  ALL of it.

G.

Kelly Hu barely registered as Julia in my one viewing of the pilot because the character really had very little to do.  As it was, they crammed far too much story (IMO) into a 40 minute snippet--to me, one of the downfalls of the pilot.  That, and the ending, but I'll save the rant because I know there are some who I respect and am very fond of here who thought the ending was the bees' knees.

Julia is on hand for a couple of scenes and had, if I'm recalling correctly, maybe three or four lines?  Kelly really may not recall much about it.  Presumably she would have been told about the plans for Julia to become a major character and at least some of what was planned for Julia in this iteration.  It would be been interesting to see her take on the character.  But, alas...

G.

btw, the new series is to be called 1313 Mockingbird Lane (the Munsters' address in the old show).

I really wish they would leave these things alone...

G.