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« on: October 12, 2011, 04:34:32 PM »
Just a very short note from someone who became a fan in June-July 1968... I LOVE all the campy, crazy, and bloopery moments on DS. I don't jump in my seat every time the series is referred to as a "campy" Gothic soap opera (or whatever). Part of that is because the word "campy" is used so loosely in the US that unless I have first-hand familiarity with the material, I have no idea what, if anything, the writer means by it. The Susan Sontag essay about Camp from the mid 1960s is an excellent summing-up of the ORIGINAL meaning of Camp during the period when DS was in production, and she attributes some magical, positive value to the concept of Camp.
I for one will be delighted if the new film makes some witty allusions to some of the moments in the series where they were going for a camp and/or humorous tone. Contrary to what the stars recall ("we always did it with TOTAL seriousness!!!") it's obvious if you watch carefully that they WERE sometimes having fun, deliberately, with the material. Just think of the scene where Carl first meets Barnabas in 1897. LOVE that kind of thing. Or Julia's response when Barnabas informs her he's had a "talk" with Megan.
I'm actually wondering if the tone will at times be more reminiscent of a Saturday Night Live skit on DS... if so, then I will be disappointed. As others have said, I am holding back judgements or expectations until the movie actually comes out, however.
G.