Luciaphil darling, when you wrote a propos of Mrs J:

she probably only owns three dresses, some girdles, orthopedic shoes, that plaid bathrobe, a wig stand, and a pair of binoculars, so I guess that's about right. Not in the luggage, but very much present is her torch for Bill Malloy.

I had a sudden vision of you as the 21st century's true answer to Dashiell Hammett.  btw, I about bust a gut guffawing over Mrs J's pair of binoculars.  I can just see her using them, too.

I loved episode 98 and your precis makes me want to see it again. DS doesn't get much better than Mrs J's first day at Collinwood!

I adore your writing.  Please do continue.

your fan,

Gothick

Grayson told a story about Ava Gardner being amazed at the realism of her telephone call acting in NOTI.  Ava wanted to know "how do you do that?" "Oh, it's simple," Grayson replied.  "I just imagine someone on the other side of the line saying words and then speak my lines in response accordingly." "Oh, my God!" Gardner is supposed to have shrieked, "that's TECHNIQUE!"  And then, according to the irrepressible redhead, the famous star ran down to the beach and threw herself into the ocean.

Bear in mind that Grayson was known for her faculty of exaggeration in storytelling...

G.

That's funny about the amazombie listing for the 1991 discs.  I was wondering last night at one point whether some people would buy this set thinking that it was the real thing (i. e. the Sixties show), not the remake, especially with that cover... I swear that crazy image looks more like a cartoon version of Jonathan Frid than Ben Cross...

G.

Darren, has Depp gone on record with an interest in the role of Barnabas Collins and Dark Shadows?

I live in a cave, so this could have very easily slipped past me if it happened.

Thanks, Steve

I'll definitely chime in to agree that Dan Curtis has no taste to speak of.  I still twitch every time I see those awful, ridiculous shots of poor Ben Cross doing his rabid-pooch thing, surrounded by dry ice, in the promos for the 91 series that litter my higher-number DS tapes.

I write that even though my beloved Grayson Hall went on record with the immortal remark that "Dan has a real genius when it comes to spook."  Gotta love that line...

So, the suits at MGM or Sony or whatever the hell it is really don't give two red cents about the quality of product on the DS 91 package.  That's what I take away from their evident decision not to go with the longer cuts of the earlier episodes, plus the perceived non-interest in the extras package from that MPI "DS Resurrected" tape (which I haven't seen). 

They must have the same low opinion of the 1991 series that I do!

surprised, Gothick

Thanks again, Darren, for explaining to us about all the work that needs to take place before something like a re-edited film (in the case the VHS release print of those Dark Shadows episodes) can be released on DVD.

At first, the announcement that the firm is releasing the original episodes minus the extra footage that would be expected from a DVD release seemed either stupid or just plain mean--or both!  But now it seems as if they're rushing the episodes out in an effort to make a quick buck and can't afford the many months of time that would be required for the process you describe here.

I hadn't heard about the Sony purchase of MGM.  Isn't everything in LA going to wind up being owned by Disney/Warners??

Steve

I just need to say that I *love* the two Liz-and-Roger shots from the August 9, 1966 episode.  It doesn't get much more classic than the smirk on Roger's face in the first one, or the damn-the-torpedoes look on Liz's in the third one.

Lovely shot of Vampilique's unveiling at the end, too.  I'm tempted to write "Fangs for the memories." Oy.

G.

Fans, I was looking for a list of all the early 1970s "ABC Movie of the Week" films (as I've collected a few in recent months and want to start a checklist) and I found this site which includes the original ABC TV promo for Dan Curtis' film Night Stalker:

http://tvparty.com/vaultmov2.html

In the 1991 Dark Shadows series, the growling-fang thing they had Barnabas do seemed much more reminiscent of the vampire in Night Stalker than Barnabas in either the series or the movie (hoDS).

On the above site, you can also see promos for a great Olivia de Haviland vehicle, The Screaming Woman (play the file labelled "When Michael Calls") and other entertaining films of the period.

Last night I watched a stunning role for the great Barbara Stanwyck, Taste of Evil (1971).  Directed by John Llewelyn Moxey (director of Horror Hotel), the cast included Barbara Parkins and Roddy MacDowell.  Stanwyck really devoured the scenery whole in her tour de force finale for this movie.

Too bad so little of this stuff has been commercially released...

G.