I'm sure it's just me, but I have to throw in my "two drachmae" on the endless speculations about Johnny Depp as Barnabas... I personally do not think Depp would be at all good casting for the role.  Depp is a wonderful performer but I have yet to see work from him that would have a certain edge that I think this role (as originally written, at least) calls for.

I would like to see Alec Newman's performance in the role.  From the bit of work I saw in Dune, I do think he might have the gravitas (plus a soupcon of sexuality) to make it work.

For me, the leisurely story-telling of a serial is part of the magic of Dark Shadows.  The characterizations and the way in which the emotions of the people are revealed in the most improbable situations are often central to what I regarded as the best moments of the series.  So, to me, a feature film is a less than ideal way to experience DS.

but then I'm really not all that thrilled about a remake.  At this point, I have an interest in it purely because new product is probably the only thing that will make Warners shell out the money (pocket change to them, folks--let's get real, if they toss away 5 million on a pilot?) for the restoration of Night of Dark Shadows.

G.

How interesting; thanks for sharing this.

I wonder whether what the guy meant is the only project they have the energy to pursue right now is the current pilot.  Perhaps the feeling in the office is that if no network wants that, they don't want to invest another 5 million (or whatever) in putting together something from scratch.

I would certainly understand if that proved to be the case.  On top of that, it may be that John Wells himself has put DS behind him and is working on new projects now.

G.

That's so sweet of you, darling!  Always thinking of others.

You must have heard my muttered-under-the-breath complaint:  "Where the hell are the shirtless Chris photos for this montage???"

xo, G.

Heather! you're ba-ack!  Trust me, sweetheart, we ALL bow before the Serene Throne of the infinitely darling Mysterious One...

And what a GORGEOUS drawing of Grayson as Pepe!  Congratulations!  You certainly do have talent!

sighing over the beauty of the Divine One,

Steve

For those who are fans of Ben Cross, the English actor who portrayed Barnabas Collins in the 1991 Dark Shadows series, I just learned that he has a role in the new movie The Exorcist: The Beginning (which is due to be released this weekend in the US, I believe).

I have no further info, but wanted to let Ben's fans know.

G.

Hi Jean-Claude!  lovely meeting you and spending time with you at the Festival last weekend.  Sorry to hear about the cold, but hardly surprising given the *glacial* temps in that hotel!  I (thank the Gods) don't have a cold but have felt worn out and run down since coming home.

Oh, I well remember the atmospheric effect achieved for that episode.  One of my favorite moments was when the werewolf (played, incidentally, by brilliant stuntman Alex Stevens--I heard him give a talk about his work on the show at, I believe, the '95 Festival) spends a moment hovering over Tom Jennings' tombstone.  I thought that was a neat salute to one of the most popular storylines of the preceding summer.

Best,  Steve

Just a short note to say that of the programming at the Festival, by far the highlight for me was Darren's presentation of the footage he has recovered from the missing half hour (plus) of Night of Dark Shadows.

I must say, I was shocked to learn that one of the suits at MGM informed Sam Hall and Dan Curtis that he hated Grayson and wanted her entirely removed from the finished movie!  They had 24 hours to edit it down from the completed running time of 2 hours 7 minutes to 90 minutes so MGM could program it with Scream, Blacula, Scream in drive-ins.

Due to equipment issues, the footage did not play all that well in the ballroom, but Darren was kind enough to assure me that what he recovered is in pristine condition and, when the restoration is complete, will look as it would have done on premiere day in 1971!

Among the missings scenes, I enjoyed a tender boudoir moment between Quentin and Tracy, and the gloriously catty scene with Angelique at the piano (probably Diana Millay's best scene in the movie).  There was a great, long scene filmed on that railroad bridge between Quentin and Alex, which did a lot to define the strength and substance of the two men's friendship (I'll just say that I was whispering my own "text" to the dialogue to my neighbor during the screening!), and was beautifully photographed with some great close-ups of these two stunningly handsome actors.

He also found another cat-and-mouse scene between Carlotta and Tracy, and, for us Grayson fans, another scene between her and Quentin as well.

To my eye, however, the seance sequence is the most stunning of all.  It is undoubtedly the centerpiece which is what everything in the movie was leading towards, and the images even without soundtrack do a lot to make sense of what was happening throughout the rest of the movie. Cinematographically and dramaturgically, it may be the best piece of film Dan Curtis ever directed.  I can understand the bitter heartache he felt at being forced to remove it from the release print of the movie.

After the screening, Diana, John, David and Lara came onstage and shared some memories about making Night of Dark Shadows.

G.