The May L.A. Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention

by Armand Vaquer

The Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention mailer arrived today. Their next show is set for May 6 at the Shrine Auditorium Expo Center and the special guest list is quite impressive.

Lara Parker (left), who played Angelique in ABC-TV's Dark Shadows.

Photo by Armand Vaquer.












Kathryn Leigh Scott (below right), who played Maggie Evans and Josette on ABC-TV's Dark Shadows.

Photo by Armand Vaquer.




















Barbara Leigh, the original Vampirella cover model for the classic run of Warren's Vampirella magazine.

Ian Ogilvy, who starred as The Saint in the 1978-79 television series The Return of The Saint.

Audrey Dalton, who starred in Boris Karloff's Thriller and The Monster That Challenged The World.

Ann Robinson, who starred in the George Pal (and still the best) version of War of the Worlds.

Georges Jeanty, Dark Horse comics artist on Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

Last January, I had a table for The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. I may just do it again at this show. I've a couple of weeks to decide.

It is timely that the show will feature two of the original Dark Shadows cast members as the Tim Burton movie version will be released the same month. Both actresses appear in a cameo.

Tim Burton's "Dark Shadows" A Comedy?

by Armand Vaquer



The trailer (above) for the new Tim Burton Dark Shadows movie, with Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins, has people talking.

The trailer indicates to some that the movie would be played as a comedy or spoof.

Over on Twitter, I asked original series cast member David (Quentin Collins) Selby, "Is the DS movie "comedic" or not?"

His webmaster responded:

Production was all very hush hush. Not sure even the original series actors with cameos know. (I'm David's webmaster.)

Wonder why details are so hush-hush? It will be interesting to see how this plays out.



UPDATE: Here is my gut reaction after watching the trailer several times:

I enjoyed Ed Wood. It was a very entertaining movie. It could have been a depressing movie given its subject matter.

I watched both Dan Curtis television series (1967-71 & 1991) and the two feature films.

From what I can tell from the trailer, this is definitely a movie whose approach is from the comedic side. Is that bad? I don't think so. It looks to me that this will be entertaining. Maybe hardcore Dark Shadows devotees won't particularly like it, but I think this may be a fun movie.

New "Dark Shadows" Complete Series DVD Set

by Armand Vaquer


Back during my junior high (called "middle school" these days) and high school years, there was a Gothic soap opera (or "spook opera") that played on ABC-TV at 4:00 PM.

The show was Dark Shadows and it starred Joan Bennett as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, the matriarch of the Collins Family of Collinsport, Maine and Jonathan Frid, as 175-year-old vampire Barnabas Collins.

It was a real treat to unwind after school to a show that featured vampires, witches, warlocks, a Frankenstein-type monster, ghosts, werewolves and all kinds of creatures of the occult.

The show ended in April 1971, but it never died. It was syndicated over the years and VHS and DVD sets were issued of the series. In 1991, it was revived as a prime-time show with a new cast. There have also been audio plays based on the series produced. Currently, it is now in production as a feature film starring Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins. This isn't the first feature film based on the series. House of Dark Shadows was released by MGM in 1970 and Night of Dark Shadows a year later.

Now, Dark Shadows fans can shell out $599.98 (SRP) to buy the over 1,200 episodes of the original series in a big, new DVD set. It comes in a fancy coffin package (photo at top).

For more information on the new Dark Shadows DVD, set go here.

"Dark Shadows" Movie Cast Photo

by Armand Vaquer



Above, is a cast photo of the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp "Dark Shadows" movie from Entertainment Weekly. It is based on the 1967-71 soap-opera that was produced by Dan Curtis.

Depp steps into the role of vampire Barnabas Collins, originally played by Jonathan Frid.

Directed by Tim Burton. Starring Johnny Depp, Chloë Grace Moretz, Helena Bonham Carter.

Above, the original "Dark Shadows" cast.

DARK SHADOWS To Return To Comics Just In Time For Halloween

Source: Dynamite Entertainment

Television's original reluctant vampire is back! Barnabas Collins is re-adjusting to life under his vampiric curse. Haunted by terrifying dreams of his age-old lover and nemesis, Angelique, and fighting his bloodlust, Barnabas fears that danger lies ahead for all who live at Collinwood. Meanwhile, Barnabas's ally and trusted friend Dr. Julia Hoffman is harboring secrets of her own. Written by Stuart Manning and drawn by Aaron Campbell, with covers by Campbell and superstar artist Francesco (Black: Panther: Man Without Fear, Swamp Thing) make sure to get the horrifying Dark Shadows #1!

Collinwood, an ancestral mansion on the remote Maine coastline, is home to the Collins family, a dynasty haunted by secrets and a supernatural curse spanning two centuries. Barnabas Collins is facing an uncertain future and new threats. Cursed in 1795 by the witch Angelique, Barnabas has lived as a vampire for almost two centuries. Out of his own time and now a self-appointed protector for the Collins family, accompanied by his loyal confidante Dr. Julia Hoffman, Barnabas lives in fear that Angelique might return as he seeks a cure from his vampiric affliction. Picking up directly where the original daytime episodes of Dark Shadows left off, the new comic book will bring the familiar residents of Collinwood further into the 1970s, facing threats both old and new.

Jim Pierson of Dan Curtis Productions, the show's creator, declares "Dark Shadows still casts its imaginative spell on so many devoted fans who have discovered the series over the past four decades, captivated by its unique blend of Gothic romance, mystery, horror and a touch of science fiction."

Says writer Stuart Manning, "With stunning artwork capturing the likenesses of the classic actors and exciting new serialized stories, the Dark Shadows comic will appeal to both the original generation of fans who ran home from school and new audience of fans ushered in by Tim Burton's forthcoming big screen remake, starring Johnny Depp."

"I am so happy to work with someone of Stuart's expertise and caliber," states Dynamite Entertainment President and Publisher Nick Barrucci. "Aaron's fantastic work on Sherlock Holmes and Green Hornet: Year One and Francesco Francavilla's covers are truly a sight to behold!"

"We've really put together a great team," adds Editor Joe Rybandt. "Stuart is crafting a tale for fans old and new, and Aaron's incredible detail will find a perfect home with this title, capturing the mood and atmosphere of Dark Shadows perfectly. It's gonna be a truly Gothic affair."

Filming Begins On Tim Burton's Dark Shadows

Source: Warner Bros

Filming begins this week on Warner Bros. Pictures' and Village Roadshow Pictures' "Dark Shadows," which brings the cult classic television series to the big screen under the direction of Tim Burton. The film's all-star ensemble cast includes Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Bella Heathcote, Chloe Moretz, and newcomer Gulliver McGrath.

In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy...until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive.

Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles.

Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth's ne'er-do-well brother, Roger Collins, (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger's precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David's new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote.

Burton is directing and producing "Dark Shadows" from a screenplay by Seth Grahame-Smith, story by John August and Grahame-Smith, based on the television series created by Dan Curtis. Also producing are Oscar® winner Richard D. Zanuck ("Alice in Wonderland," "Driving Miss Daisy"), continuing his long association with Burton; Oscar® winner Graham King, ("Rango," "The Departed"), continuing his collaboration with Depp; Johnny Depp, Christi Dembrowski, and David Kennedy. The executive producers are Chris Lebenzon, Nigel Gostelow, Tim Headington, and Bruce Berman.

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, Oscar(R)-winning production designer Rick Heinrichs ("Sleepy Hollow"), Oscar(R)-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood ("Alice in Wonderland") and editor Chris Lebenzon ("Alice in Wonderland"). The score will be composed by Danny Elfman.

"Dark Shadows" is being filmed entirely in England, both at Pinewood Studios and on location.

"Dark Shadows" will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

See Also: Dark Shadows Festival News! / Retrospective: Original Music From Dark Shadows Volume 2 / Happy Birthday Jonathan Frid!