Well, the vol. 136 shows will be aired on Sci Fi in a week or so, so only bother if you don't get the channel.

I believe the first episode on this tape was the longest episode in DS history, guest starring the fabulous Marsha Mason and a gent whose name escapes me, but who appeared on some other show or movie quite recently.

Gothick

References to the 1932 Karloff film The Mummy remind me that I recently screened the commercial Universal VHS of the film released several years ago.  Although I had heard that they had not struck a new print for the home video release, it was a definite improvement over my old video taped off the television.

I was struck while watching it at a certain resonance between how Boris Karloff moved and his facial expressions in this, and Jonathan Frid's performance as Barnabas on Dark Shadows.  Particularly in the original 1967 storyline and in the episodes on view now where Barnabas is evil again.  I'm not at all saying that Jonathan Frid was influenced by Karloff or modeling his performance upon Karloff's work; just that there's a certain resonance between the two.  I think the strength of Frid's work is very much in his non verbal moments, such as the cunning look he gets on his face when Julia rushes into his arms upon his return from 1795 to the Present.  He played those moments so beautifully.  If a remake of the original Mummy tale had been proposed in the early 70s, he would have been a brilliant choice to play Im-Ho-Tep/Ardath Bey, though, of course, he probably would have turned the role down.

Gothick

Julia darling, what good taste your friend Sandor has.  Of course, I already knew YOU had good taste, darling...

In that scene, Chris is wearing a jacket and I think Julia first undoes a couple buttons then does them up again.  I can't remember specifically what happens.  It gave me a chuckle. She actually looks very motherly rather than the opposite as she fusses over him.

I think the scene is one volume 136 of MPI which is one of my FAVORITE tapes (and the Mysterious Benefactor knows why!).  I think that is still a couple weeks off.

Gothick

Does anybody else out there think that Chris is looking hotter than ever these days?

Something about the outfits they gave him to wear and how he's combing his hair, which he's grown out slightly ... He looks good enough to eat!

There's a scene coming up where Julia is playing with Chris' coat buttons.  I always wonder whether Grayson was toying with just ... undressing him right there on the set!  Sam referred to Briscoe somewhere or other as "too handsome" and I'm afraid he may not have appreciated the onscreen chem between his wife and the gorgeous young actor.

Ah, to be back in 1969, taking a moonlit stroll through Central Park and having Don Briscoe glide up on his skateboard, shirttails flying in the breeze.

Gothick the Romantic

Well, I grew up in suburban Maryland, and all the head shops were in Baltimore, and my parents made sure I stayed well away from them back in the day.

I was kind of an odd teenager...

Gothick

Whatever Stokes himself knows, it's clear that he keeps his own counsel (and with friends like Barn and Jules, how could one do otherwise?)

The writers make it clear that Julia STILL acts as if she believes Stokes knows nothing about Barnabas' history, not to speak of Chris, in an unfortunate scene late in the game in the 1840 storyline, a scene I had eagerly looked forward to seeing again as an adult viewer, but turned out to be something of a disappointment (though since it was one of the last good scenes Thayer and Grayson did together on the show, I do get the tape out and play it from time to time).

There is a FABULOUS scene coming up in a week or 2 where Stokes tells Julia she needs to start being more "realistic" (or something along those lines) about Barnabas.

Gothick

Midnite, thanks for sharing that gorgeous photo of Grayson!  Love it!

Those are the wrong bulbs on that electric candlabrum.  I bet that Garth crashed into the thing on a bender and smashed the ones that belonged there, and Sy couldn't locate replacements in time for the return to '69!

xo  Steve