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Messages - Gothick

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991
Current Talk '17 I / Re: Laura: Out of Time...or TOO Much??
« on: March 05, 2017, 07:40:51 PM »
William Mann, who was once a DS fanfic writer and went on to become a professional author of books about film actors of the past, wrote a Laura backstory tale that I think was published in Dale Clark's INSIDE THE OLD HOUSE sometime in the 1990s. 

Mann's speculation, which cleverly attempts to make sense of the confused material presented in Laura's two storylines, posits that Laura at one time--in her original mortal life--made a pact with the ancient Egypt sun-god Ra.  (Laura might have had a father who was involved, a Dr. Murdoch maybe?  I can't recall now and I have no idea where my copy of that zine is.)  Laura's pact was that she would die by fire and be allowed to live again and go on, lifetime after lifetime, but her part of the bargain was that she had to offer up her own child or children in the flames of her own second hecatomb.

The Laura and David painting in 1967 does imply that David would have become immortal as well had Laura's plan succeeded.  But the spirit of David Collins who speaks at Dr Guthrie's 1967 seance fairly conclusively--and horribly--refutes that idea.

Both the 1967 and 1897 storylines pretty much revolve around the premise that Laura's return has a time expiration date.  It's possible that she expects to rise yet again from her own ashes once she has been successful in coaxing her own progeny into the flames.  In the 1967 scenario, her life energy is supported by what must have been a sacred fire that was kept burning in the fireplace in the cottage.  In 1897, they revisit this idea in a different and interesting form.  In 1897, they particularly wrote it so that Laura's lifeforce began to wane once her "time" approached.   The whole thing about Ra wasn't part of the original 1967 story at all, as far as I could see.  But you could say it is implied by Laura's "soliloquy" (which Actress Diana Millay felt should be memorized and recited by every schoolchild--I really don't understand why, but she seems to have felt it was the most beautiful piece of writing she ever had the fortunate to communicate).

The original 1966-67 Laura storyline is perhaps the most chilling DS ever filmed.  Really exceptional work on the part of everyone involved.

G.

992
Fans, this Tuesday, March 7. TCM will broadcast the 1964 film NIGHT OF THE IGUANA starring our very own Grayson Hall, at 8 p.m.

This was Grayson's favorite of the few films she made.  Amazingly, in an all-star cast involving Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, and Deborah Kerr, she was the only participant nominated for an Academy Award.  (She lost to Lila Kedrova in ZORBA THE GREEK.)

Grayson is in the first post-title credits scene!!

Best,  G.


993
Current Talk '17 I / Re: "Filthy" DS Topic
« on: February 26, 2017, 06:48:47 AM »
Hi Gerard, I don't remember any of the dialogue in the 1795 episode you mention (unlike most other fans, 1795 isn't one of my favorite storylines and I've probably only seen that particular episode once).  But I do remember with crystalline clarity Nicholas Blair exulting over Maggie Evans when she was offered upon the Black Altar:  "Let the legions of the Damned... salute you!"  I'm guessing that line was allowed because the sense in which the word was used was somehow... theological?

Censorship is fascinating.  It's also worth noting that it wasn't until 1970 and Leviathan that a couple was shown in bed together--Carolyn and Jeb's doomed night in that motel.  And it wasn't until 1971 and the PT 1841 storyline that an unmarried couple were shown, if only by implication, sharing a bed with the scene where Bramwell has his way with Catherine. 

Also worth noting that DS may have pioneered the 1980s and 1990s phenomenon of the shirtless soap hunks with Don Briscoe, Joel Crothers, and I need hardly add, David Selby.

Best,  G.

994
Current Talk '17 I / Re: HAPPY HOLIDAYS + DSFMS
« on: February 23, 2017, 03:49:58 PM »
Xmas is mentioned, at least indirectly, during an early Leviathan episode, from December of '69.  I think it was the last time any mundane holiday was mentioned on the show.

G.

996
Also, I noted one of those little moments that puzzles me whenever I watch hoDS (last time was several years ago now)--when Barnabas and Jeff meet at the party and Maggie asks if they know one another and there's a tense moment before Jeff acknowledges that they have met.  I can't recall if that happened as part of the Nancy Hodiak episode or something else.  I think it is explained in the Ross book but it was the 70s back when I last laid eyes on that... no doubt this will all be cleared up in the current thread MB is doing on the film.

G.

997
I wonder if this means the DVDs are being discontinued?  I had better grab them...

I did watch some of hoDS and the color is so gorgeous.  It was lovely to see Grayson.

My ISP just doesn't do streaming well.  Stop and go, stop and go.  It did allow me to study various details.  I got to the bal masque sequence and wondered again who played "John," who is asked to meet Jeff in the scene where Barn makes his first move with Maggette.

G.

998
Current Talk '17 I / Re: Exteriors
« on: February 11, 2017, 04:07:51 AM »
I'd personally call Seaview Terrace Queen Anne with some French features, but let's face it, the house is a complete hodgepodge architecturally.  Of course that just makes me love it all the more.

I'd forgotten Stokes's remarks about the Old House.  Maybe an excuse to revisit the early Stokes episodes...

Best, G.

999
Current Talk '17 I / Re: Exteriors
« on: February 10, 2017, 02:01:14 PM »
Also, it is worth noting that Dan Curtis started planning a flashback storyline that would reveal how Barnabas became a vampire as early as August of 1967.  It is documented in some letters that Jonathan Frid sent to his mother that somehow wound up being owned and distributed by a fan.  I don't know at what point DC decided that the flashback story would be set in the 1790s.  I've always wondered if the backdating happened simply because a costume rental company had stuff available for the 18th century, but nothing on hand for the 1830s era. An odd thing is that the last big flashback story they did was set in 1840 which was pretty close to the original period for Barnabas, Josette and the others.  As you'll have noticed, Josette originally had a different name--not du Pres.

G.

1000
Current Talk '17 I / Re: Exteriors
« on: February 10, 2017, 01:41:27 PM »
Hi Patti,

This is a cool article on the history of Seaview Terrace. The existing structure combines two houses.  One house was originally built in Washington DC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seaview_Terrace

I think there is a web article somewhere on the Spratt House as well.  Ruins reportedly are still visible on the site.  It is somewhere away from the main grounds I think.

Yeah, here's one page for that house:

http://www.hudsonvalleyruins.org/yasinsac/spratt/spratt.html

In the original DS backstory, Barnabas, Josette and Jeremiah were all living at Collinwood in the 1830s.  For some reason the date 1837 sticks in my head for when Barnabas originally became a vampire.  I don't know why.  It might have been mentioned in an episode.  The style of Collinwood does not fit at all the period of the 1830s, but I think the style of the Old House does.

Best, G.

1001
Calendar Events / Announcements '17 I / OT: Shades of STRANGE PARADISE
« on: February 10, 2017, 12:30:28 AM »
In my time on Youtube, recently I have noticed that a lot of films we used to see on Creature Feature type programs when I was growing up in the 1960s are suddenly available on this venue in their entirety.  I wonder if this has to do with a lot of these films going into public domain.

A friend mentioned CASTLE OF EVIL (1966).  The end credits imply it was made for TV, but it may have had a brief theatrical distribution--don't know.  This one had a couple of elements that reminded me of STRANGE PARADISE, notably sinister housekeeper Lupe (played by Shelley Morrison, who is best known now for her role as Rosario on WILL & GRACE) watching the other guests at the titular castle on a closed circuit TV system.  I think most DS fans would enjoy this kind of thing, even though it's probably at best a 2 star movie; I know I had fun with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxubi5RAm98

Best, G.

1002
Current Talk '17 I / Re: Late 1970s DS Comeback?
« on: February 08, 2017, 06:05:00 PM »
Thanks for those notes MB.  I know I would enjoy watching it again, especially because I have near total amnesia of anything in the plot.  No spoilers but if you do watch to the end, you'll see that had the show gone into production, it would most likely have shared even more plot points and setpieces with DS... I can't recall specifics, just that there were a couple of surprises.

G.

1003
Current Talk '17 I / Re: Late 1970s DS Comeback?
« on: February 08, 2017, 03:45:08 PM »
I enjoyed DARK MANSIONS but I barely remember it even though it was only a couple of years ago that I watched the movie.  It's nice that it's on Youtube if I want to revisit.

Interesting that it was publicized in the early DS fandom, too.

G.

1004
Current Talk '17 I / Re: T. David Questions: Could Contain Spoilers
« on: February 07, 2017, 05:18:27 PM »
Stanley Adams was fabulous.  He was also in STAR TREK as the guy who got the whole "Trouble with Tribbles" started...

G.

1005
Current Talk '17 I / Re: Late 1970s DS Comeback?
« on: February 07, 2017, 05:04:41 PM »
This isn't related to the BITTER HILL thread (I had never heard of this attempt), but my buddy Curt turned me on to a 1980s pilot called DARK MANSIONS which seems as if it must have been done by people who were fans of our show.  If you watch to the end there are a couple of plot motifs that might seem familiar. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cXNghQR3h8

It lasts around 90 minutes--he sent it to me on disc but I think I sent the disc to another fan after I watched.

Best,  G.

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