Q&A with Kathryn Leigh Scott discussion
Return to Collinwood
>
modern vs classic vampire
message 1:
by
Belinda
(new)
May 27, 2012 08:08AM
Not speaking for Kathryn, of course, but I can't help but think it will lead us full circle from the teeny-bopper's sparkly vampire back to the sensitive EMO vamp as portrayed by Mr. Frid. With Depp's blending of the Nosferatu and Frid's mannerisms AND the maturing of Twilight's audiences I feel that it is inevitable. There will always be the Twilight sparklers now that they are out there because there is a audience for them. It is not my cup of tea, but the younger audiences, the gentler fan may eventually look past the glitter and evolve to find the more sensitive, angst driven monster palatable and further my evolve into a classical vampire fan as they soak in the genre. I can't help but think droves of new fans will find classic DS and the 1991 series (which was visually stunning, by the way.) In a way, without the renewed interest of those maturing Twilight fans, DS may not be enjoying a resurgence. Long live Dark Shadows and the sensitive, sexy vampire as portrayed by Jonathan Frid.
reply
|
flag
One of my room-mates mentioned Depp's shadow resembling Nosferatu in one scene of the DS movie. My first vampire book to read was Bram Stoker's Dracula, btw.
Mod
That's exciting news, Kathryn! I will certainly be on the lookout - I would love to see the series again (and this time I have DVR!).
Kathryn, I really hope that with Johnny Depp's nod to Nosferatu (those long long nails) and having Hammer Films Dracula legend Christopher Lee in a cameo, audiences will be ready for a return to a "real" vampire. (It just shows you how much thought Depp and Burton put into the movie...I am so sick of critics and original DS fans not giving the movie a chance...it was full of sly references to our beloved original!!) Barnabas' influence will never go away; he was full of angst and conflicted about his curse BUT he did have to feed and he could be quite ruthless! I love that combination!! Not ALL monster, still quite human in many respects! I really think we are done with glittering vampires (good grief!) and I think if the studios have any sense at all, they will produce a true vampire movie, incorporating the Hammer Film Dracula with the Barnabas vampire...what a movie that would make!! My son and his friends (in college) are SOOO ready for something like that!! (I am too!) Anne
Denise wrote: "That's exciting news, Kathryn! I will certainly be on the lookout - I would love to see the series again (and this time I have DVR!)."Denise, do you have DS on DVD?? I do and it's so wonderful to be able to sit down and watch it whenever I have some free time. One of the DS groups up in New Jersey invited me to be a long distance member; they are going to start watching DS again in June, on the original airdate, and have asked me to watch along with them and then email my comments!! I think that will be alot of fun!! Of course, it's going to take several years....LOL!! Anne
Kathryn wrote: "Such a fascinating discussion! After 46 years it's quite remarkable that the original Dark Shadows series still has such impact, and no doubt will continue to influence the genre. The original seri..."THAT IS SO AWESOME!!! Wait until I tell my son Chance! I have the complete Dark Shadows on DVD and REFUSED to let him cart those off to college with him! Barbara has the entire series on DVD too (she also has it on VHS)and is going to start watching it with me in June so I can email HER comments along with mine to the DS group in New Jersey (they are great fun, by the way!)... Anne
Kathryn wrote: "Such a fascinating discussion! After 46 years it's quite remarkable that the original Dark Shadows series still has such impact, and no doubt will continue to influence the genre. The original seri..."Kathryn, I read somewhere (maybe your blog) that Warner Bros. is going to restore Night of Dark Shadows before they release it; they actually have the original director's cut....I know Dan Curtis would be so pleased!! And alot of the scenes they cut were Grayson Hall's!! Oh, I just love her!! But you and Quentin were ALWAYS my two favs!!! I do have both movies on VHS but no longer have a VCR....I got to see both movies at the theater when they came out (YAY!!)...Turner Classic Movies ran House of Dark Shadows not too long ago and I still have it saved on my DVR!! Anne
Kathryn wrote: "Such a fascinating discussion! After 46 years it's quite remarkable that the original Dark Shadows series still has such impact, and no doubt will continue to influence the genre. The original seri..."Kathryn, my son Chance has ALREADY put both DS movies on his wish list for Christmas!!! What does that tell you about a new generation of fans?? Anne
Lalita wrote: "One of my room-mates mentioned Depp's shadow resembling Nosferatu in one scene of the DS movie. My first vampire book to read was Bram Stoker's Dracula, btw."
Lalita, I have a first edition Dracula!! And have you ever read the short story Carmilla?? It predated Dracula by several years....creepy vampire story!! Anne
Belinda wrote: "Not speaking for Kathryn, of course, but I can't help but think it will lead us full circle from the teeny-bopper's sparkly vampire back to the sensitive EMO vamp as portrayed by Mr. Frid. With Dep..."Belinda, one can only hope...read my comment up there somewhere! Anne
Anne wrote: "Belinda wrote: "Not speaking for Kathryn, of course, but I can't help but think it will lead us full circle from the teeny-bopper's sparkly vampire back to the sensitive EMO vamp as portrayed by Mr..."Belinda, what does EMO stand for?? Sorry, tired right now...Anne
Fushigifox wrote: "One thought crossed my mind and was just wondering from others in the groups and as well as from Kathryn what they think of this thought as well. When Barnabas first came into our lives, Frid crea..."Did you know that Anne Rice admitted she got her idea for Interview with a Vampire from the Dark Shadows storyline where Willie has Barnabas chained in his coffin and is writing his life story?? (side note: they chained him up in his coffin so he would be free to film House of Dark Shadows.) But I hope we return to the classic vampire with Barnabas' influence on it!! Anne
Anne wrote: "Denise wrote: "That's exciting news, Kathryn! I will certainly be on the lookout - I would love to see the series again (and this time I have DVR!)."Denise, do you have DS on DVD?? I do and it's..."
I would love to have a complete set, but it is such a massive amount of material! I just haven't been able to justify to myself spending that much on a single series, even one that I love so much. Especially now, since I have been unemployed for almost a year now, and am trying to watch my expenses (not always so successfully, though).
Kathryn wrote: "Such a fascinating discussion! After 46 years it's quite remarkable that the original Dark Shadows series still has such impact, and no doubt will continue to influence the genre. The original seri..."This is one thing I found so interesting in reading your book Dark Shadows Return to Collinwood; the 1991 revival series was fraught with scheduling difficulties, and the series which was in production in 2004 was troubled from the start. But there has always been a desire and an effort to resurrect the stories, and I don't believe, over forty years later, it's just a matter of nostalgia! The story of Barnabas, the reluctant vampire, is an enduring story (and a lot of fun) in any medium (TV, film, literature).
I just ordered Dark Passages (about another reluctant vampire?) and look forward to diving in!
Take care,
Chris
Mod
Kathryn, I really feel like that after Dark Shadows they can never go back to the vampire as a strictly "monster" type creature...I feel like it would be a combination of the Hammer Films Dracula with the Barnabas conflict....what do you think???
Kathryn, and if I haven't said it before, your new book is wonderful!!! And I LOVE Dark Passages!!! (Still waiting for that sequel but now that I know you will be working on it, I can wait...)
Fushigifox wrote: "Denise wrote: "That's exciting news, Kathryn! I will certainly be on the lookout - I would love to see the series again (and this time I have DVR!)."I have to agree entirely that the film was fu..."
Fushigifox: I agree with you on the new movie!! It was jam-packed with sly references to the original DS and I did catch Sarah's name in the mausoleum...What did you think when Carolyn got up there and sang (when Alice Cooper was in strait jacket) "Mommy, where's Daddy??" Elizabeth looked like she wanted to kill her....Anne
Fushigifox wrote: "Anne wrote: What did you think when Carolyn got up there and sang (when Alice Cooper was in strait jacket) "Mommy, where's Daddy??" Elizabeth looked like she wanted to kill her...I kept thinking,..."
So true!! Isn't Kathryn's book great?? She is truly our voice, our DS historian and a wonderful kind person!!! Anne
Mod
I kept thinking,..."
Thanks Fushigifox! That's a great testimonial.
Denise wrote: "Anne wrote: "Denise wrote: "That's exciting news, Kathryn! I will certainly be on the lookout - I would love to see the series again (and this time I have DVR!)."Denise, do you have DS on DVD?? ..."
Denise, ooo! I feel your pain!! This economy is dreadful!! We have been lucky; my husband still has his job and I substitute teach quite a bit...Hope you start buying the DVDs a few sets at a time..Anne
Anne, I saw a complete set of the DVDs on B&N, and there were 131 discs! OMG!!!
Denise wrote: "Anne, I saw a complete set of the DVDs on B&N, and there were 131 discs! OMG!!!"Denise, LOL!! It is a little overwhelming!! But the show WAS on for 5 years, five days a week!!! Trust me, it's worth it!! Start buying them a few sets at a time!! Anne
Anne wrote: "Denise wrote: "Anne, I saw a complete set of the DVDs on B&N, and there were 131 discs! OMG!!!"Denise, LOL!! It is a little overwhelming!! But the show WAS on for 5 years, five days a week!!! Tr..."
Denise, did you see that price for the entire set?? OUCH!!! You can search other websites like MySell(I think that was the name... it was where I got my entire set..will have to look it up for you.) and you can get really good deals on the Dark Shadows dvds... Sometimes on Amazon or ebay, you can buy separate dvds instead of forking over all the money at once for the entire set. Anne
Fushigifox wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Fushigifox wrote: "Anne wrote: What did you think when Carolyn got up there and sang (when Alice Cooper was in strait jacket) "Mommy, where's Daddy??" Elizabeth looked like she want..."Fushigifox: Kathryn's Dark Shadows: Return to Collinwood was meant (I think) to take readers through the original series, introduce everyone (including all of us nervous nellies from the original) to the new movie and include never-before-seen-photos and a history of the two reboots..Her book is like a bridge from one generation to the next! I must admit I was relieved when I read it, as much as I like Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, the thought of ANYONE re-doing OUR original Dark Shadows was scary!! But Kathryn's book made me realize (and then I was comfortable with it) that it was time for Dark Shadows to move forward...respect for the original with a new twist on it... Anne
Anne wrote: "Anne wrote: "Denise wrote: "Anne, I saw a complete set of the DVDs on B&N, and there were 131 discs! OMG!!!"Denise, LOL!! It is a little overwhelming!! But the show WAS on for 5 years, five days..."
Take my advice and skip the Leviathans. (I didn't buy them myself once i started my seond viewing of the series.) That will save you having to buy about 3 sets. It was the worst storyline in the DS line, and was responsible for driving away a number of viewers. Denise M.
Denise wrote: "Anne wrote: "Anne wrote: "Denise wrote: "Anne, I saw a complete set of the DVDs on B&N, and there were 131 discs! OMG!!!"Denise, LOL!! It is a little overwhelming!! But the show WAS on for 5 yea..."
Denise, I totally agree with you about the Leviathan storyline!! OUCH!! It was painful to watch! The only good thing to come out of it was that hilarious story about Dennis Patrick's now infamous death scene...they had a few extra seconds before the end credits rolled so Lela Swift told him to stretch it out and then she was screaming at him from the control room, "Die Dennie!! Just DIE!!!" because time was up! Kathryn told that story in one of her books..
LOL Anne
Actually, comparing Paul Stoddard and Jason McGuire as characters...quite frankly, Jason, though he was a crook, was much more charming, and it wouldn't surprise me if he had been Carolyn's father! She always was attracted to bad boys...never sweet good guys, though surprisingly, she was never attracted to the baddest boy of them all, those sinister devils played by Humbert Alan Astredo. Denise M.
Anne wrote: "Denise wrote: "Anne wrote: "Anne wrote: "Denise wrote: "Anne, I saw a complete set of the DVDs on B&N, and there were 131 discs! OMG!!!"Denise, LOL!! It is a little overwhelming!! But the show W..."
I agree that the Leviathan storyline was pretty bad (other than having Chris Pennock in the cast!). That was close to the end of the series, and perhaps could be considered Dark Shadows' version of 'jumping the shark'.
I happened to have liked Leviathans, but I realize I'm obviously in the minority.
Fushigifox wrote: "One thought crossed my mind and was just wondering from others in the groups and as well as from Kathryn what they think of this thought as well. When Barnabas first came into our lives, Frid crea..."I thoroughly enjoyed Depp’s portrayal of Barnabas. While he incorporates aspects of classical and modern, I saw it as a wink and a nod to the punk/goth scene. Granted he recreates Frid’s mannerisms and personality, but I think the more “gothed-up” look was obvious. Tim Burton made a good call with this; it may help capture a new generation.
Jill wrote: "I happened to have liked Leviathans, but I realize I'm obviously in the minority."Well good grief Jill!! You are certainly entitled to your opinion!! I'm sure I liked things that other people hated!! LOL Anne
Salvatore wrote: "Fushigifox wrote: "One thought crossed my mind and was just wondering from others in the groups and as well as from Kathryn what they think of this thought as well. When Barnabas first came into o..."Salvatore: totally totally agree with you!!! My son and his friends (college kids) LOVED the movie! I did too!! Need to see it again because I am sure I missed alot of the sly references to original DS!! Anne
Jill wrote: "I happened to have liked Leviathans, but I realize I'm obviously in the minority."So did I. I really enjoyed the infusion of Lovecraft to the horror/suspense sources that DS drew from.
David wrote: "Jill wrote: "I happened to have liked Leviathans, but I realize I'm obviously in the minority."So did I. I really enjoyed the infusion of Lovecraft to the horror/suspense sources that DS drew from."
David/Jill: David, I had forgotten that was one of Lovecraft's stories!! I really like his stuff - talk about some creepy ideas!! I think I will go back and watch the "Leviathan" storyline again; it was different from the other classic sources they normally used. Remembering I'm watching Lovecraft will probably give me a whole new spin on it! Anne
I thought that the rapid growth of the baby/boy/man was reminiscent of Lovecraft's story The Dunwich Horror.
Denise wrote: "I thought that the rapid growth of the baby/boy/man was reminiscent of Lovecraft's story The Dunwich Horror."Denise, I did too...I think I didn't enjoy the Leviathan storyline as much because the classic sources they normally used were more Gothic "romance" style and several good morality or ghost stories, like Wuthering Heights, Rebecca, The Portrait of Dorian Gray, Turn of the Screw, even Frankenstein (but didn't you get tired of Adam??)...Lovecraft definitely wrote in the Poe tradition; did you ever read "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" by Lovecraft?? And did you know that Poe invented the modern detective story?? The writers DID use Poe - when Barnabas bricks up Rev. Trask it just screams Cask of Amantillado!! Anne
Anne wrote: "Jill wrote: "I happened to have liked Leviathans, but I realize I'm obviously in the minority."Well good grief Jill!! You are certainly entitled to your opinion!! I'm sure I liked things that oth..."
Oh that's ok, I realize my tastes tend to veer off the beaten path (for example, Barnabas is not my favourite DS character! In fact, he's not even my 2nd favourite! LOL) Yeah, I'm quirky & I know it. :) Just wondering: I'm guessing a lot of people disliked Leviathans because our heroes became villains & no one was acting like themselves(eg Barnabas was bad, even Elizabeth was evil, Julia & Barn are fighting with each other, etc.), is that right?
Admittedly, part of the reason I liked Leviathans is because I am a HUGE Dennis Patrick fan & that storyline marked his return to the show, but there are other reasons too. I loved the feeling of paranoia & the idea of an evil conspiracy running through the town. Generally I prefer "present day" stories over the historical time periods (yup, another unpopular choice of mine!) Leviathans marked the return of Nicholas Blair (another character I really like). The aforementioned Lovecraft aspect lends it a certain pedigree, the whole look & feel of the show got very dark with lots of extreme close-ups on the actor's faces made it very suspenseful, etc. It was just different from what they'd done before. Yes, the story ended awkwardly, but I think it's better than many give it credit for being. (And I think most of us here would agree: even "bad" DS is better than what most other shows could accomplish!) That's my 2 cents. No worries, Anne -- I wasn't offended or anything. ;)
Jill wrote: "Anne wrote: "Jill wrote: "I happened to have liked Leviathans, but I realize I'm obviously in the minority."Well good grief Jill!! You are certainly entitled to your opinion!! I'm sure I liked th..."
Jill, I love Dennis Patrick too!! And I DID really enjoy the paranoia that ran through the entire story arc!! I love Poe and Lovecraft; I love horror but I also love SciFi so like I said, I am going to rewatch the Leviathan storyline; with the Lovecraft spin in my mind I think I will enjoy it much more this time...and I have to confess - Barnabas was never my favorite or second favorite character either!!! LOL!! OOO, that's like Dark Shadows blasphemy, isn't it?? Anne
I saw Jonathan in 2 of his One Man Shows and he did "Cask of Amantillado" in one of them. Also got to see him in "Arsenic and Old Lace". Such a talented man!
Well, Quentin was my favorite character, and I guess my second favorite would have been Angelique.Anne, yes, I wasn't crazy about Adam. I love Poe, and I like Lovecraft a lot. I'm not sure I see a lot of similarity between them, though, although I think there are one or two Poe stories that remind a bit of Lovecraft (don't remember which, though). I have a hard time keeping track of which Lovecraft stories I've read, so I'm not sure about the one you mentioned. Yes, I know that Poe invented the detective story with his three stories featuring Dupin. In fact, the Victorians group here are probably going to read them in July. They chose a mystery theme, and Poe was the winner in a poll, with Conan Doyle a close second, so I think we may end up reading the Dupin stories, and then follow them with some Holmes stories, to see the strong influence Poe had on Doyle. Nominations are still going on, though, so who knows how it will end up, but it looks like most people like that idea (that I suggested!).
Lisa wrote: "I saw Jonathan in 2 of his One Man Shows and he did "Cask of Amantillado" in one of them. Also got to see him in "Arsenic and Old Lace". Such a talented man!"Lisa, I wish I could have seen Jonathan Frid on stage! He was a classically trained actor and so talented!! You were so lucky!! Anne
Denise wrote: "Well, Quentin was my favorite character, and I guess my second favorite would have been Angelique.Anne, yes, I wasn't crazy about Adam. I love Poe, and I like Lovecraft a lot. I'm not sure I se..."
Denise, my two favs were always Maggie/Josette and Quentin!! And I wasn't comparing Poe TO Lovecraft; I just rambled in about how the writers used Poe AND some Lovecraft in DS....I think that's a great suggestion of yours to discuss Poe. Few people realize how much influence he had on the up and coming great detective writers of the time, especially Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.....Poe wrote fantastic stories but I really really love his poetry; in the 10th grade I got caught passing a note and my english teacher made me memorize The Raven (overnight) and recite it in front of the class the next day...now I love that raven but on that day I really despised him - LOL!! And I especially enjoy Annabel Lee - I am named for an Annabelle; that is actually my legal name. Anne
Wow! Sounds like a book out of the bible! Leviathans! I was listening to a radio show last night, and found out that Barnabas was one of the books not included in the bible we now have. Cool, huh? I also saw his name last week on the "Vicar of Dibley", a British comedy show. There was this sign that said, "Save St. Barnabas from the flood!" I was watching that very episode when this book discussion was going on in full force! It was a neat coincidence! So weird!
Anne, in fourth grade, each of us had to memorize a stanza from The Raven, and then we took turns reciting, to recite the full poem. I love that poem, my favorite by Poe! I like Annabel Lee a lot, but I think The Bells is my second favorite.
Stephanie, didn't get your friend request on Facebook. Why don't you just email me?? My email is ivahengl@gmail.com...I know, I know, IVAH?? It's Russian for Jane and here's the kicker: my younger sister's name IS JANE!! GAK!!!! I am Scottish (hence the extreme stubborness), Russian, Greek and English (i.e., extrodinarily pale, like I have never seen the light of day...I NEVER go outside w/o sunscreen!!!) Anne P.S. Hope you have started with Episode 1..it's slow going at first but you really really need that background!!!!
Denise wrote: "Anne, in fourth grade, each of us had to memorize a stanza from The Raven, and then we took turns reciting, to recite the full poem. I love that poem, my favorite by Poe! I like Annabel Lee a lot..."Denise, would you believe I can still recite all 66 stanzas of that poem?? They told me in school I have a 97% photographic memory or something like that....but I really do love that poem...and the English language has changed so much just since Poe wrote that poem that for many readers it is hard to pick up on what he is actually saying...You being a fan I am certain you know what I mean...For example, in Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet,in the balcony scene (except for an Eng major - me- is there any other scene?? LOL) when Juliet says, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo...when Shakespeare wrote that, it meant in today's English, Romeo, why must you be a Montague?? Not where the hell are you..LOL Anne
Jill wrote: "I happened to have liked Leviathans, but I realize I'm obviously in the minority."Jill, I have started watching the Leviathan storyline again and I am glad I did!! I am picking up on so many things because I am keeping Lovecraft in the back of my mind...I love the growing paranoia sweeping the town...Stephen King certainly likes to use alot of DS ideas and makes them his own..have you noticed that?? Anne
Hi Anne, I just wrote your e-mail down a couple of days ago. I really had to do some searching on here to find it! I'd been meaning to write, but was taking some time off & trying to get some work done after chatting so much on this fun, but addictive book discussion forum. Let's try and get Alan from the UK to keep writing us too, and anyone else interested in a possible DS party someday. Some of us may even want to visit and look at each other's DS collections, or at least share pictures of the neat DS items we have.
I think I'm the only one without a DS collection though. I only just found out DS was still going on strong. I thought it was all over and done with after it stopped airing in 71. Not quite so! What I really want to collect though are good memories, good friends, and fun adventures. I'm a converted pack rat.
I'm glad you explained your e-mail address. I wondered if you were Russian.
So living way down there in the bayou, with all that heat and sun, you manage to stay pale? That must be kind of hard to do. Your skin will thank you though! Up here living by the beach, I loved to get tans when I was young. I stopped years ago luckily, so I spared my skin somewhat. I still love the beach, but not getting fried!
I do want to see all the beginning episodes, but was taking a break. I'm so glad they're on DVD though. I can't wait to see them. I've only got about 1100 episodes to go! That'll keep me entertained for a good, long time.
It's so nice they're letting us keep this forum open. I wonder how long this will last? Well, I'll be resting my head for a moment. A little sinus headache. Best to rest before it really sets in.
