One of my all time favorite moments on Strange Paradise that has a weird relationship to the culture of these boards is this week when a spirit winds up trapped in the body of a black rabbit. 

Cosette Lee is magnificent bellowing to her terrified hubby Quito:  "Quito!  You must find that rabbit!  It is EEE-vil!  And when you find it--you know what you must do!  CRUSH it!  Kill, Quito!  KILL!" 

This snippet of dialogue would make a fabulous voicemail outgoing message, IMNSHO.

G.

I'm enjoying reading this thread. Sweeney Todd from the reviews I've seen has the same gore quotient as The Texas Chain Saw Massacres and although I enjoy classic horror I really can live without the splatter biz, so I'll be giving it a miss.  But it's interesting to see all the comments about it.  I'm just a little disappointed that nobody thought it was a dud--there's usually at least somebody who proves to be the odd man (or woman) out in the group. 

Two very short responses to comments above:  I used to own the Original Cast Recordings for Mame and Dear World, and I saw Lansbury do Everything's coming up Roses (when she was doing her triumphal revival of Gypsy) at a Tony show back several decades ago, and I think that in her way, Lansbury may have had one of those archetypally golden Broadway voices.  I can't really say more about it than that, just my opinion.  Her singing on Dear World (a show that regrettably flopped) is particularly exquisite.  God, I need to get the CD for that show...

As for Johnny Depp, although he seems like a very likeable, wonderful fellow, I have yet to see him do anything that made me raise my eyebrows, much less knock my socks off.  (His stunt cameo as a prison drag queen in that Javier Bardem thing did amuse me, I'll admit.)  The MB advised me to hie myself to the video shop and check out Depp's thesping in From Hell, but I have yet to manage to do that.  I'm afraid all I can conjure up in the notion of Depp as Barnabas is a cartoon rendition of the character, although I do attempt to keep an open mind. 

I'm not sure who I would nominate as the greatest actor of our times.  Different actors show different strengths in different roles.  It would probably be someone like Viggo Mortensen or Ewan MacGregor, though.  I realized all over again today how little I know or comprehend about "the industry" nowadays when I read in an obit for poor Heathie Ledger that Ledger, who I regarded as a major box office draw today, was "not a marquee movie star."  WTF?

cheers, Gothique

MB--it's amazing that you saved that ad!  Very cool.

I remember the original broadcast of Death at Love House fairly clearly.  The set-up for the story was quite promising but as I recall it, the whole thing fizzled out with a rather limp ending.  I do remember some great sets and wardrobe and some fun bits and pieces here and there, and it would be fun to see it again.

I wonder whether another telefilm in which Sylvia Sydney appeared at this time, "Do Not Fold, Spindle or Mutilate," will ever surface again.  I remember taking great delight in the broadcast of that movie and my Mom looking on with furrowed brow saying something like "What's up with all the old biddies?"  I'm afraid that to this day she finds my adulation of old Hollywood dvias rather puzzling.

G.

Hey Ian!  Nice to have you back.  I'm sure all the Quentiniennes adore your new banner!  It's quite luscious.

cheers, G.

I was thinking about this thread again this morning and something I personally feel was a touch of artistic genius in Jonathan Frid's performance:  no matter how many flubs he made with his lines, in his non-verbal moments he would turn those sad, soulful eyes towards the camera with this look of such tragic mournfulness, I think every viewer in the audience felt that she or he could identify with the secret sorrows of Barnabas Collins.

I'm phrasing this very awkwardly, but I do think that this was what made Frid's work in the role so brilliantly memorable.  When he was on with the lines, no question about it, the Voice was a truly magnifcent instrument.  One of the best known scenes is the original 1967 recounting of Josette's death, but there were many other moments throughout his four years in the role.

I just post this because although I do think that Barnabas had a special appeal for gay children and older gay men as well, I can see how the qualities of Frid's performance gave the character an appeal that touched many people across generations, sexualities, etc.

I'll also echo Gerard's thought that I know many gay men who fail to see the fun or fabulosity of Dark Shadows.

G.

Another top "gay" moment in DS is the scene in Parallel Time 1970 where Roger and "Alexis" are having a gossip and Roger smirks that mentioning Maggie Collins in the same breath as Angelique is like comparing a sable to a mouse.

Edmonds' delivery, and Parker's admiring smirk of response, make this one of the cattiest scenes in the entire show.  I've always thought that PT Roger was meant to be a twisted gay character in the vein of the late, great Clifton Webb in the classic 1940s film noir Laura.  Roger didn't just admire Angelique--he wanted to BE her, on at least one level.  Edmonds played PT Roger with an air of ruined grandeur in the scenes where he was alone soliloquizing to Angelique's portrait that definitely had a Forties feel to it.

I realize that today's viewers may vehemently deny that there's anything remotely "gay" about PT Roger--I'm just offering my opinion here.

G.

Hi Nancy!

I do vaguely recall our having discussed "The Secret Room" zine.  If memory serves, when that zine was being launched I had attended all of one DS Festival and had more enthusiasm than discrimination when it came to the world of Fandom.

Thinking of Barnabas spending two centuries trapped in his coffin in the secret room could indeed seem like the ultimate "closet" tale.  I also thought of Julia's story on the show as preparing a gay viewer for experiencing the pangs of unrequited love for an unavailable man.

cheers, G.

Heather, Darling, that snapshot of Our Favorite Brain Surgeon/Psychiatrist/Obstetrician/Haematologist is truly DIVINE!!!!!  You just made my day!  Thanks so much, sweetie!

For the record, I am "the gay guy" who wrote that essay about the appeal of DS to gay men that's 'floating around on the internet."  Unfortunately, the essay was a DRAFT that I sent to a fan I won't bother to name here as a POSSIBLE contrib to his short lived zine The Secret Room which was meant to be a mag for gay fans of DS.  Well, not only did this character use my DRAFT in his publication as a finished piece of work, he failed to respond to any of my letters, and never even sent me a copy of his bloody zine! And then he had the audacity to post my work on the internet without, of course, bothering to ask my permission!  If I ever run into this individual at a Festival, believe me, darlings, the bitch-slap Julia gave Cassandra is going to look like a little love-tap Miss Sally bestowed upon the Do-Bee of the week with her magic wand by comparison.

Anyhow, I'm glad that this very rough piece of work was deemed interesting reading by a student of literature and human character.  Thanks for the kind words.

Another essay I wrote about the Leviathans storyline for yet another zine is also "floating around on the Internet."  That editor also never bothered to ask my permission or inform me that he was posting my work on his website.  Dontcha just FEEL THE LOVE in our wonderful world of DS fandom?

But, I digress.  This is an interesting thread.  I just hope that the straight dudes among the fans don't feel that their masculinity is too "threatened" by the prevalence of gay/bi DS fans in the group. We know from today's mass media that straight masculinity is something of a fragile, delicate little flower, needing much pampering and coddling to manage to achieve even a modicum of vigor.  At least that's the impression I get from some of the tempest in a teapot debates online...  Again, I digress.

One of my favorite "gay, gay, GAY" things about DS are the scenes where it's the middle of the night and the girls are all in bed with their high heels on.  And there's more than one scene where Liz rises from her bed in full street makeup with her hair down but sprayed and lacquered into a solid shiny mass, her nightgown ironed, pressed and starched, and the requisite heels... I'm afraid I can't explain just why this seems so FABULOUS.  I note with distress that the word "gay" has come to be a synonym of "stupid" among schoolchildren. What times we do live in.

cheers, G.