Before there was a Twilight saga or the Underworld franchise; before there was a True Blood or Vampire Diaries or Moonlight or Forever Knight; there was the classic late 1960s TV soap opera that started the rage of having a romance with a “vampire”.  The name of that show is called Dark Shadows.  From 1966 to 1971 this 30 minute ABC serial captivated the TV viewing audience in the afternoon. 

 With all the classic vampire and Dracula movies starring Christopher Lee (one of the best to play the count) series creator Dan Curtis struck out on the ideal that what if they produce a series that focuses on the torment of a man who only wants to find love and rejoin his family …. now add to that the man is cursed by a woman he once loved who happens to be a witch … well she gets P.O.ed turns him into a vampire.  And one last twist …. this all happens in the year 1795.  Now you fast forward to the 20th Century and the late 1960s.  A young lady named Victoria Winters rides on a train to come to work for the Collins family who reside on top of Widows’ Hill in a house called Collinwood in Collinsport, Maine.  Soon she would find the man known as Barnabas Collins, played excellently by the late great Jonathan Frid, and thus began the love affair that has become cult favorite here in the U.S. and around the world that is known as Dark Shadows.

Now, in the year 2012, one such fan of the series has embark on revisiting & reimagining the mystic that is Dark Shadows.  That fan’s name is director Tim Burton.  That’s Right!  Tim Burton is at his old tricks again … but as always … That’s Good.  You have remember he was the one that brought Batman back to the Big Screen which led Christopher Nolan to relaunch it into The Dark Knight trilogy which will wrap up this July.  And of course when you have Tim Burton to direct …. he gets Johnny Depp to be the star.  Johnny is now the new Barnabas Collins.  A fan of the TV series himself, Johnny Depp is putting his own spin on the character and it’s been getting some really good reviews.  We will see how good it will do at the Box Office when it opens Friday, May 11th.  Going up against Marvel’s The Avengers if it can’t be No#1 in theaters this weekend to be a strong No# 2 will not be a bad thing this Summer Blockbuster Movie Season this year.

Now if you are a fan of the original TV soap opera series there are some DVD sets that are out in stores now.  And Die Hard Cult Fans you can own the Entire Series – all 1225 episodes – in a special DVD collection ( the package the DVDs come in is a coffin – Way Cool! ).  So if you have the $599.00 to spend on this treat Go For It!

My good friend, co-worker, and fellow Movie expert Joe Emer – Host of Studio 10, had an interview with to of the castmates of the original TV series talking about the show and the new movie in which they make cameo appearances.  Here’s a link to that interview with  Lara Parker & Kathryn Leigh Scott here on our web page ( and you can always go to the Studio 10 tab here on this site) ……

http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/more_studio10/celebrities/dark-shadows-past-and-present?ref=scroller&categoryId=10032&status=true”>Dark Shadows, past and present: fox10tv.com</a></p>

The Summer Blockbuster Movie Season is now going to the bats …. we’ve already had Underworld: Awakening, now on Blu-Ray and DVD, and soon Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter will come into play later this year.  And let’s not forget our favorite bat … man … The Dark Knight Rises is coming soon (July 20th).

If you like vampires or you like Tim Burton movies or Johnny Depp in a Tim Burton movie. or all of the above; go check out Dark Shadows.