Dark Shadows: Interrupted Voyage, Continued

That Barnabas Collins is so clever! I was afraid he was doomed to burn at the stake, mistaken for a demon from hell by the blood thirsty residents of Salem, but he not only saved himself, but the soul of an innocent man trapped under an evil witch's spell.

 As I mentioned in a previous post,  I received Interrupted Voyage for Christmas which is a 2012 reprint of the original Dark Shadows Digest book published by Hermes Press, written by D. J. Arneson and illustrated by Joe Certa. The original was published in 1970 by Gold Key Comics.

Calandra, a witch who is extremely expert in the practice of black magic has taken the fiance of Annabella, a distant cousin of Barnabas' as her slave in Salem, Massachusetts, while poor Annabella's ghost haunts Collinwood waiting for her fiance to die and join her. Her sad story lures Barnabas into volunteering to help her find her fiance, Michael, and free his soul from the evil witch.

The display of powers Calandra uses during the story are pretty cool, yet evil. She casts spells that enslaves Michael, that show her Barnabas' past as a vampire and even brings Angelique back to Salem as a weapon to kill Barnabas. Of course, Barnabas outwits Calandra and barely escapes Angelique to bring the story to a happy ending.

Dark Shadows: Interrupted Voyage

http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Shadows-Original-Series-Digest/dp/1613450192

For Christmas I received this book which is a 2012 reprint of the original Dark Shadows Digest book published by Hermes Press, written by D. J. Arneson and illustrated by Joe Certa. The original was published in 1970 by Gold Key Comics. I've just finished Chapter Eighteen of the twenty four chapter book and it's a really good story starring Barnabus Collins. He's not a vampire at the time of the story, but he's in constant fear of Angelique popping back into his life and reimposing the dreaded curse.

I'm hoping she eventually turns up in the story which takes place in Salem, Massachusetts. Being Salem, there is an evil witch in the story who already has plans to destroy Barnabus in self-defense as he tries to help his distant ghost of a cousin, Annabella free her fiance's soul from the witch's possession so they can be together in the afterlife.

Although it's not looking very promising for Barnabus as the suspicious and superstitious townspeople don't like his looks and are planning to burn him at the stake as an unwelcome stranger who they assume must be Satan! Talk about jumping to conclusions. Apparently, the people of Salem weren't as welcoming to tourists and strangers as they are now!

Dracula Double Feature!

TCM Presents: Dracula Double Feature at select locations. I went to one of those select locations this afternoon and enjoyed this double feature. 1931 movies were made so long ago with such limited technology, but so darn good! Movies made before my parents were born seem so old!

The main thing that rang loudly in my head was the lack of sound effects and blasting music to announce or emphasize every tiny action, reaction or emotion already being visually displayed on the screen. On one hand, it was kind of lame not hearing the creaking hinges on Dracula's coffin as he rose in the evening determined to make someone his victim or his step scraping the dusty steps as he climbed the castle stairs. On the other hand, the silence added to the eerie feel and suspense. There wasn't any surround sound assault to tell me what to feel or expect. 

There was some unexpected cheesiness to make me giggle, for example, when Dracula was making someone his slave by using his telekinetic powers to have someone do his bidding, they just used the same clip of Lugosi with his intent stare for every scene. The fake bats bobbing at the end of fishing line (or whatever they used) outside the windows was low budget, but also made me realize that this same effect was used almost 40 years later on Dark Shadows when Barnabus Collins would be stalking Victoria Winters. You'd think they could have made some improvements in 40 years, but then Dark Shadows was working on a shoestring budget and had to keep costs down.

There was a ten minute intermission before the second feature started, which was the Spanish version filmed using the same sets but a different cast and crew. The Spanish version was almost identical with a little more sex appeal thrown in. I liked the end scene of the Spanish version better as John and Mina (Eva in the Spanish version) ascended the stairs on their way out of Dracula's lair. It had more of an atmosphere of closure than the English version somehow. Must have been the camera angle from the top of the stairs rather than the English angle with the camera down in the lair. 

The Dracula Double Feature is showing again on Wednesday if you'd like to catch it.

Dark Shadows: Episode 456

I like this episode where Naomi and Vicky discuss Vicky's killing Gifford as he tried to strangle Daniel in the graveyard. First, Vicky accidentally calls him David, but quickly corrects herself, then Naomi does the same thing. 

I love the hair and costumes used during the 1795 story line. Naomi's dresses are so beautiful. She looks like she's dressed for a ball every day. She's so brave in her confrontations and power struggle with the greedy, scheming Nathan Forbes and in opening Barnabus' coffin that she finds in the tower room, thanks to the cruel Nathan. What mysteries await in the tower!

I can't wait to see karma take care of Forbes!

Dark Shadows on Hulu: Have More Episodes Been Added?

I was disappointed a while back when I streamed the last Dark Shadows episode available for streaming on Hulu. The last episode available left Victoria Winters trapped in 1795 locked in a jail cell waiting to be hanged as a witch. I thought Hulu should have at least offered enough episodes to get Vicky back to her own time and wrap up the story line. 

Then while searching through my favorites for a different show, I happened past Dark Shadows and the "watch next episode" was displayed. Sure enough, when I clicked on the next episode Vicky was on the run after Peter helped her escape her unjust sentence. What a treat!

There can never be enough Dark Shadows!

Dark Shadows: Victoria Winters Grabs A Shovel

Everyone who lives in the Collins house in 1795 is curious about Victoria's mysterious introduction to the family in her strange (1960s) clothes and apparent amnesia, but when inexplicable things start to happen in the house, she figuratively grabs a shovel and starts to dig her own grave. 

In Episode 379 the countess is convinced there is evil at work in the house after Joshua Collins vanishes and who more convenient to suspect as the practicing witch than Victoria Winters? Victoria, in her attempt to put the family's needs before her own, emphatically tells Barnabus that his father will return. Unfortunately, she says this when the countess is in the room, further convincing her that Victoria is the source of evil in the house. How else could she sound so certain? 

Earlier the countess questions Miss Winters about her background and remarks at Miss Winters' nervousness. Even with Nathan Forbes' warning of the countess's suspicions, Victoria moves the countess's tarot cards into a position to warn her about Josette and Jeremiah's impending elopement. In her desperate attempt to change the family's tragic future, she ensures her own doom.

Dark Shadows: Angelique Transforms Joshua into a Cat!

Ben and Angelique have a lot of fun in Episode 378 as they put their heads together to keep Jeremiah from leaving town and spoiling Angelique's scheme of having him fall in love with Josette and prevent Josette and Barnabus from marrying.

Ben hates doing Angelique's dirty work because he wants to be loyal to Barnabus and Jeremiah, but when Angelique decides to turn her black magic toward the cruel patriarch, Joshua Collins, Ben is all for it. 

It's funny when they sit in Angelique's room deciding what she will transform Joshua into that will make the family believe he is missing and cause Jeremiah to cancel his travels and stay home to fill in for Joshua at work.Ben wants Joshua to become a jackass so he can force him to clear rocks from the property and whip him to move faster. He'd love to have revenge for all the harsh working conditions Joshua has forced on him in the past. 

Ben laughs and laughs (I love his laugh!) while Angelique admires her handiwork as they look at the clay cat Angelique shaped. At the same time Jeremiah turns from the window while speaking to Joshua to find Joshua has disappeared and there's a strange cat in his place!

If Joshua Collins was my domineering and dictator older brother, I'd be glad to be rid of him myself. Does anyone in the house actually like him?

Dark Shadows: Naomi Collins Gets a Big Surprise

Tarot cards are really cool and mysterious, but I soon gave up trying to read them after a few failed attempts. I'm sure it takes more than a few tries to get it right, but my interpretations didn't pan out at all. In Episode 376 The Countess (Grayson Hall) reads the cards for Naomi Collins, (Joan Bennett) but the cards show nothing but betrayal and disaster for the Collins family. 

Later that night as Naomi slumbers, she has a dream about the cards and the voice of The Countess lures her out of bed to learn who in the family will be betrayed. Out in the hallway she finds Jeremiah (Anthony George) in a trance-like state and follows him downstairs to find him in the arms of a mysterious woman with a pitchfork tattooed on her hand. The voice of The Countess exclaims that the woman has the mark on the devil on her hand. As Naomi confronts Jeremiah and demands to know who the woman is, Jeremiah protects his lover's identity and insists that Naomi return to her bedroom. 

When Naomi refuses and grabs the woman's arm, it comes off in her hand! Obviously, it's a manikin arm, but I think it's supposed to be real as the shoulder end is painted red as though Naomi ripped the arm from the woman's shoulder. Naomi calls out in shock as she stares at the disembodied arm in her hand. How nasty!

 I'm a big believer in the importance of dreams and spent quite some time studying my own and researching how to interpret dreams. I've had some really elaborate, intense and detailed dreams myself over the years; particularly in the years right after my father died and then my grandmother. They were very meaningful and helpful dreams that truly improved my life and my understanding of life in general. Somehow I can tell when a dream is just a rehash for my brain to reset itself for the new day ahead and when a dream is a communication from my inner self or from The Universe or perhaps someone who is no longer with me in the flesh here in the material world.

I wonder who it really was that brought that dream to Naomi. Was it a helpful spirit using the voice of The Countess or an enemy of the evil Angelique, the witch responsible for bringing disaster to the Collins family?

Dark Shadows: The Vampire's Curse, Part 2

This compilation of original Dark Shadows episodes that highlight the tragic love story of Barnabus (Jonathan Frid) and Josette (Kathryn Leigh Scott) and the history of Angelique's (Lara Parker) curse that transformed Barnabus into a vampire is so well done! It is so cool how just the episodes from Victoria Winters' (Alexandra Moltke) nightmarish trip back to 1795 that concentrate on Barnabus, Josette and Angelique were chosen to tell the story. Then the story jumps forward to 1967 with the shocked and terrified Willie Loomis (John Karlan) freeing Barnabus from his 172 year imprisonment.

The ill-fated love story of Barnabus and Josette is one of my favorites love stories. It's so haunting and heartbreaking. It's got to be one of the best love stories ever written and performed along with Heathcliff and Catherine of Wuthering Heights and Romeo and Juliet. 

What makes Barnabus and Josettte's story different than the others is the fact that they were kept apart by the powerful black magic of Angelique. That major difference is also what makes it so cool! Lovers eventually separated by death, by a jealous witch who won't allow them to be together even in death as Barnabus is cursed with eternal life. Now that's a powerful witch!

Dark Shadows: The Vampire Curse, Part 1

Can we still be friends? This is what Barnabus asks Angelique THREE TIMES after she tries to reignite the steamy affair that they carried on in Martinique before his engagement to Josette. He asks her that the first time after explaining that he loves Josette and doesn't love her. He admits to uttering some words of love to Angelique when they were in the throes of passion and still has difficulty keeping his hands off of her when he visits her in her room to confirm that she understands that it's over between them. His lust for her is still so strong that he tells her that from now on they will make sure they never find themselves alone together anywhere. Then he again makes his offer of friendship. 

Once the engagement between Josette and Barnabus is off and Barnabus is single again, Angelique again tries to arrange a romantic rendezvous in her room, but Barnabus blows her off. When she asks him why later, he explains that he still loves Josette and once again, for the third time, asks Angelique if they can still be friends. 

No wonder she wants to make him suffer!

It's bad enough that he dumps her for her boss and then plays kissy-face with Josette while Angelique is in the room. He has total disregard for Angelique's feelings and tosses her away like an old toy. Then to add salt to Angelique's wound asks if they can still be friends. Barnabus is going to be sorry he messed with the help!

Dark Shadows: David is Dead!

Included in the Special Features of the DVD Dark Shadows: Dark Shadows: The Haunting of Collinwood is a bonus episode that continues the storyline of Quentin (David Selby) and Beth's (Terry Crawford) haunting of Collinwood in 1969. In this episode we learn the circumstances and cause of Quentin's death in 1897. We also learn why he is so attached to David Collins (David Henesy). I know I've seen these episodes several years ago, but I don't remember the story at all! Isn't that great? Now I can watch them all over again as though for the first time!

Middle-aged forgetfulness can be frustrating and even embarrassing while trying to accomplish daily chores at home and at work, but when it comes to movies and TV shows, it can be an asset as you watch the shows and movies you loved in the past as though for the first time and fall in love with them all over again. This can be a lot of fun!

Because of this particular storyline in Dark Shadows I have hope for myself when I get to the spirit world and, apparently, regain my sharp-as-a-tack mind from my youth since Quentin and Beth's memories are as clear as if all the tragedy in their lives occurred just yesterday instead of seventy-two years earlier. I can't remember where I parked my car when I leave work in the evening, never mind something I did decades ago.

At the end of the episode Dr. Hoffman (Grayson Hall)  tells Professor Stokes (Thayer David) that she must go to the past and right the wrongs to save David even though the ghost of Quentin has announced that it's too late to save David from his evil clutches. As she lifts David's limp arm from the couch and feels his pulse, Dr. Hoffman exclaims to Professor Stokes, "David is dead!" 

Now I have to see the remaining episodes!

Dark Shadows: The Haunting of Collinwood, Part 2

Hats off to Maggie! She's a brave woman as she is terrified repeatedly and almost killed by the ghost of Quentin Collins, yet she remains at Collinwood determined to help the Collins free themselves of the evil spirit and protect the possessed children, David and Amy. 

At the end of the three hour long movie, the family has taken the advice of Professor Stokes and fled the house until they can find a super potent exorcist to cleanse the house of the evil and dangerous Quentin Collins. As he leaves, Roger turns and declares into the empty space that they will return. Quentin stands at the top of the stairs laughing his evil laugh with his music playing throughout the house. 

Quentin is now certain that he's master of Collinwood and will remain so forever!

After the credits roll, stick around and learn about all the cool Dark Shadows websites and the books available by the cast members, Kathryn Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans), Lara Parker (Angelique) and David Selby (Quentin Collins). I've read The Salem Branch by Lara Parker and it's a very good novel. In fact, I may read it again now that I've mentioned it!

Dark Shadows: The Haunting of Collinwood, Part 1

I know I've watched these episodes before, when SciFi Channel was broadcasting the original Dark Shadows series several years ago, but I don't remember the details. The biggest detail was just how darn scary it is! Having the episodes run concurrently with no breaks concentrating on one storyline makes it even more scary and absolutely riveting.

The DVD is a compilation of a sequence of episodes focusing on Quentin Collins (David Selby) as a ghost in the closed off west wing of Collinwood. He's a dark evil spirit (wearing cool guyliner like Barnabus) who gains the trust of David Collins (David Henesy) and Amy Jennings (Denise Nickerson) in order to have them do his dark bidding. When they finally realize their ghost friend is really an evil spirit after he has them try to kill Roger Collins (Louis Edmonds), it's too late for them to escape his control for fear of Quentin's promise of revenge by either hurting them or their loved ones. Quentin has already caused the death of the medium, Mrs. Findlay, whom Professor Stokes (Thayer David) brought into the house to investigate what Mrs.Stoddard (Joan Bennett) has told him are strange occurrences since a recent seance was held in the house. So they already know that Quentin will stop at nothing to remain undiscovered.

In an attempt to try to reason with Quentin, David has escaped from restriction to his room and gone to Quentin's room in the west wing. Maggie (Kathryn Leigh Scott) has secretly followed David and, before I hit pause, has found the storage room and is calling for David who has made his way into Quentin's room. I fear that nothing good is going to happen to Maggie!

I hope it doesn't give me nightmares!

Dark Shadows: Angelique As A Role Model

In Episode 374, Ben Stokes becomes mute as he attempts to warn Barnabus and Josette of Angelique's plan to prevent their upcoming wedding by using her powers of black magic. He rushes from the room and goes to Angelique ready to tear her apart with his bare hands in anger and frustration. She freezes his hands and smugly tells him that he can never hurt her because she has "too many powers."

Wouldn't it be great to have the power to prevent anyone from hurting you? Wouldn't it be even better if you could control other people like a puppeteer? That's what I thought when I watched Dark Shadows as a kid. I was also a fan of Samantha Stevens from Bewitched and Jeannie from I Dream of Jeannie for more materialistic reasons. As a kid I would try to cast my own spells like Angelique, not for evil, just for control. I'd try them on my next door neighbors who I could watch to see if I really had magical powers like Angelique. 

Needless to say, my neighbors were totally oblivious to my "magical" powers, or simply immune. However, I had to sadly admit that I had no supernatural power at all.

Dark Shadows: Josette Loves Jeremiah

This cobweb is occupied!

"The cobweb of love will trap Josette."  This is part of the evil love spell that Angelique (Lara Parker) uses to set the love affair between Josette (Kathryn Leigh Scott) and Jeremiah (Anthony George) into motion. How deliciously dark that a love initialized with black magic should include a cobweb. Since cobwebs are usually something you need to clear away for purity and clarity, it's so fitting that the false love between Josette and Jeremiah should involve one.

Episode 373 which aired on November 29, 1967. Times and TV sure have changed! I'm thinking Jonathan Frid must have been on vacation for a few days as he's noticeably absent from these episodes. Barnabus is recuperating from his mysterious Angelique-induced illness where he can remain out of the storyline for a while. However, it's now Angelique's time to shine as we learn the extent of her powers as a witch and she puts her new slave, Ben Stokes, to work gathering everything she needs to cast the evil spell that causes Josette and Jeremiah  to become reluctantly irresistible to each other, so much so, that they trample all over their love and respect for Barnabus and helplessly fall together, unable to stay apart no matter how hard they try to resist.  

After Angelique recites "Josette Loves Jeremiah" three times, the spell is cast. Josette and Jeremiah can't stay apart any more than Ben can resist doing Angelique's dirty work.

Dark Shadows: You Shall Be My Slave!

After watching all the Dark Shadows episodes available on Hulu, I resorted to my painfully small personal collection hoping for more. Wouldn't you know the two DVD collections that I own contain episodes already offered on Hulu? I started the collection back when SciFi Channel was showing the series every day and then it was suddenly, without warning, dropped before the entire series was shown. After buying the two collections I never finished collecting as life happened, things got weird and I was distracted with other pressing matters.

After all these decades, Dark Shadows is still one of my favorite shows, probably my all-time favorite. My mother used to watch it on TV and she would let me watch it if the storyline wasn't too gruesome or graphic. I was banned from the show for quite a while as she wielded her parental discretion before that was an official TV/movie thing. Several years ago she did take me to a Dark Shadows Festival in New York which more than made up for, what I believed at the time, her over protective behavior. It was great and even Jonathan Frid attended, and if I'm not mistaken, for the first time.

Anyway, I figured you can't get too much Dark Shadows and decided to watch my collection as a study to determine which episodes I still need to acquire. The first episode in Collection 5 from MPI Home Video is Episode 372 when Victoria Winters is trapped in 1795 and meets Ben Stokes. Ben Stokes is also introduced to Angelique, Josette's humble maid, in this episode, who hints that she might be interested in his body. Confused, yet hopeful, he trusts her when she offers him a drink that might lead to some fun between the sheets. Instead, after enthusiastically guzzling it in one gulp so they can get on with the good stuff, he needs to sit down as the evil potion causes him to feel strange. Angelique smugly explains the cause of his strange sensation: "Your will is my will. You shall do whatever I tell you to do. You shall be my slave!"

Yes, Angelique did want Ben's strong useful body, but not for sex!