For best male vampire, Tom Jennings gets my vote.  You know I loved that tongue.  I was interested to see an interview Jonathan Frid did for a Baltimore paper (yes, in your home town, Byron!) where he complained about the "almost pornographic" tongue-rolling by a certain actor (Mr. Frid was too gracious to name dear Don).  I personally felt the tongue action emphasized Tom's animality.

This brings up just how different various vampires have been on DS.  Some retained more of their personality than did others.

For best FEMALE vampire, I vote for Angelique.  I just loved watching her work her way through the male cast members.  I guess Lara Parker still recalls that period fondly as well, since she has shown some of those episodes to classrooms when she's worked as a substitute teacher.  (Incidentally, I think the Cassandra period rates as her least favorite--she bluntly told a friend of mine that she doesn't even remember playing Cassandra!  How on Earth could she have forgotten those wigs, and those clothes!  Especially the CLASSIC purple butterfly robe!  What a thing to be wearing while being exorcised!)

I think KLS and Terry Crawford deserve special awards for super-duper honorary vamps.  Both only appeared as members of the Undead in dreams or visions, but both ladies did a wonderful job chewing up the scenery with their "fang cameos"!  Another one who got a lot of bang for fang (oooh you saw that one coming didn't you) was dear Marsha Mason as Audrey the Leviathan Vampire Chick.

That's enough natter for one day.

Steve

A third film was planned and announced, I think in the Fall of '71, but it never got off the ground.

For more info on the movies, go here:

http://www.ultranet.com/~mfmiozza/

Here is a clipping Michael found about the casting of Denise Nickerson in the 3rd movie, tentatively titled "Death of Dark Shadows":

http://www.ultranet.com/~mfmiozza/dods.html

Darren Gross also has a website devoted to the DS movies, but I don't have the URL handy--check one of his columns here for it.

Best,

Steve

Hi Cassandra,

haven't mentioned yet how much I love your handle.  Cassandra is my favorite Lara Parker character on the show, and one of my all time favorite DS characters, period.  I love her clothes, her wigs, her look, the way she swings wildly between smug complacency and rampant hysteria. She's such fun.

The 'five point medallion" Magda and Beth used to protect themselves from the werewolf attack is called a Pentagram.  It is very ancient.  Members of an ancient Greek society called the Pythagoreans (after the philosopher Pythagoras) first used it.  The standard explanation is that the five points of the star represent the 4 elements harmoniously interacting with human beings to produce a dynamic balance in the Universe.  There are several esoteric explanations behind the use of the five pointed star by modern day Pagans and Witches.  Unfortunately, a lot of people think of Satanism when they see the Pentagram.  

Sorry for nattering on,

Steve

To Chris, re Joel Crothers,

Back in the archives of the old Board, someone had posted this very interesting magazine interview that was done with Joel in 1969.  In the interview he gave several reasons for why he had left Dark Shadows.  I honestly think it was a combination of things, plus maybe he wanted a little more money and he got that with his next job.  I'm not sure about that.  Anyhow, it is a very interesting interview; among other things, he discusses the scripts he wrote while he was on the show.  I think this interview may be the only print source where that is documented.

If you email the Mysterious Benefactor, he may be able to locate the old scan of that article.  He's a busy man and I can't guarantee that he will have the tiime to look, but, if anybody could find, he could!  Alas, I failed to keep a copy of the original post.  You could also post a topic to the Current Chat board headlined Joel Crothers Interview (or similar) and see if any of the fans currently registered might have a copy they could share.

FWIW, I do think the character of Joe got more interesting towards the end, until he turned totally loony-tunes, I mean.  Some of his scenes with KLS after Joe's breakup with Maggie were among the best work both of them did in the series, IMNSHO.

Best,

Steve

April 2, 1971.  A date... that will live ... in INFAMY!

I still remember being shattered by the loss of DS.  It was my secret garden and I HATED being locked out.  It was a big thrill, though, when they brought it back when I was a senior in High School.  I still remember being fascinated and bewildered by those 1967 episodes.  The night of Julia's debut I vividly recall being mesmerized just as much as Maggie was!

Steve

Welcome aboard, Allen!  What was your handle when you were on the Dominion?

I live for music, but am afraid I don't know Lynyrd Skynyrd.  I'm sure Ringo knows all about them, though, he seems VERY informed about all the current bands.

Interesting that you're from Balto.  I'm from Havre de Grace myself, although I have lived in Boston since 1994 (and lived in Connecticut before that--and overseas before THAT).  Havre de Grace is a bizarre little town.  One of the librarians I used to work with always called it Kooksville.  You could really imagine the kind of strangeness that used to take place in Collinsport happening there.  When I lived there, it was a mouldering old port on the Chesapeake Bay with such timeworn establishments as the Chat 'n' Chew Lounge, Tim's Bar, This 'n' That (from Here 'n' There), Shocket's Bargains, etc.  There was an "eccentric" doctor who lived in a Victorian mansion on Union Ave. and wound up being strangled by his chauffeur one stormy night.  I could go on, but you get the picture.  In recent years it's gotten a lot more touristy and pricey, which seems strange.  Perhaps one of these years a pack of manitoux will hit town and massacre everyone whose bloodline doesn't bear a certain "taint."  

Sorry, I've been reading too many creepy stories by a certain young gent of my acquaintance ... Didn't you say that you and your wife are Avengers fans, too?  Ever watch Strange Paradise?

Best,

Steve

I can't believe you guys could forget one of her most important items of equipment:  the MEDALLION!  There's probably a little crib note too to help remind her how to go through the "find the center of the light" speech.

Besides the Medallion, I'm sure she had:

a packet of Marlboros (Julia's too butch for Virginia Slims)
a matchbook from the High Hat Lounge
a hankie plus some tissue
a tiny bottle of Chanel No. 5
Dr's choice of prophylactics (you KNOW Jules was always prepared)
a fold-up rain bonnet
a .45 revolver (she almost used it during the Cassandra storyline, remember?)

Showing yet again that I spend WAY too much time thinking about my Favorite Redhead,

Steve

Vicki is the only one of all of them who ever behaved like a governess, so she gets my vote.  I do feel sorry for Rachel whenever I watch those episodes.  I think she was a nice enough girl, but to describe her as uninformed would be a charitable act.  I know I would have packed my bags the first time Judith had that "little talk" about how "all hell breaks loose here every night, but we DON'T say anything about it!"

Vam, you're a librarian too??? We should start a club!

Best,

Steve