Out of the Dark Shadows - Part 3

Out of the Dark Shadows - Part 3

In the third part of my"appreciation" of all things Dark Shadows on Downright Creepy, I discuss my feelings toward the 1991 primetime revival:

…it seems more dated than even the original series from 25 years earlier.  I think it's because of the big hair; the hairspray budget must have been astronomical.  And I must admit that the pleasure I get from watching it comes from seeing familiar story lines reinterpreted in a "modern" age rather than from any particularly unique style or substance.

I have analyzed the first six episodes of Dark Shadows (1991) and compared it to the original series (episodes 210-365, first broadcast between 4-17-67 and 11-17-67) and the theatrical version, House of Dark Shadows (1970).  For the qualities I like most about Dark Shadows, the revival series lies somewhere between its previous two incarnations.  I discuss its atmosphere in the Downright Creepy article, so here I'll expand on its characters and stories.

The Characters
Victoria Winters is similar in both the revival (Joanna Going) and the original series (Alexandra Moltke).  Both are innocent and somewhat gullible, but 1991 Victoria seems to more eagerly embrace her relationship with Barnabas Collins.  Perhaps this is because she is not caught in a love triangle with another man like she is in 1966.  (Remember, the character is not present in House of Dark Shadows.)  1991 David Collins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) seems more precocious than 1966 David and less sinister than 1970 David (David Henesy in both).  These two characters are used to advance the story in 1991 much the same way they are in previous versions.  However, Victoria's role as the possible reincarnation of Josette DuPres, begins immediately in 1991 without Maggie Evans first being a candidate, as she was in both 1966 and 1970.

Instead, Maggie (Ely Pouget), who now works at the Blue Whale with its owner/her father, Sam Evans (Eddie Jones), is the resident psychic and secret lover of Roger Collins.  Maggie is much more a free spirit than her predecessor (Kathryn Leigh Scott).  She's a "modern" woman with a healthy sexual appetite.  Sam is pretty much reduced to a background character.  While he did not appear in House of Dark Shadows, Sam (David Ford) is a relatively major player in the original series, teaming with various characters to investigate his daughter's condition.

Roger (Roy Thinnes) doesn't have a lot to do in Dark Shadows (1991); however, he has more to do than he did in Dark Shadows (1966) and House of Dark Shadows.  He doesn't appear in every episode, but he does have the secret-romance-with-Maggie subplot.  He portrays Roger less arrogantly/flamboyantly than Louis Edmonds.  It seems he's more accepting of potential supernatural threats than his predecessor.  His sister Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Jean Simmons), has absolutely no other role in 1991 (or in 1970) than to be the family's matriarch and occasionally dispense her wisdom.  In 1966, Elizabeth (Joan Bennett) has an ongoing subplot most of the time, especially the one where she is self-confined to the Collinwood estate.

In 1991, Carolyn Stoddard (Barbara Blackburn) plays a modern vixen to the hilt.  I suppose she's no worse than the 1966 and 1970 versions portrayed by Nancy Barrett, but seems far less innocent.  I don't find not much difference between her behaviors before and after she becomes Barnabas's vampire slave.  In 1991, Joe Haskell (Michael T. Weiss) is more a combination of previous love interests for the young women of Dark Shadows.  Joel Crothers played him in 1966, but the characters "responsibilities" were split in 1970 by Roger Davis as Jeff Clark and Don Briscoe as Todd Blake.  Weiss really amps up the sex appeal for the women and gay men in the primetime viewing audience.

Ben Cross's interpretation of Barnabas Collins in primetime is more intense than Jonathan Frid's in daytime, yet closer to how Frid played him in the movie.  In early episodes, Cross seems to be more of a bad guy and less sympathetic than Frid.  However, in his moments of regret and self-loathing, he makes his tortured feelings more clear.  The difference is more stark.  Cross grows on me as the series continues; however, my favorite version of Barnabas is Frid's in House of Dark Shadows.  Willie Loomis (Jim Fyfe) is still largely a sounding board for Barnabas's thoughts and plans.  When he first appears in the story, John Karlen plays him in 1966 as a greedy drifter and in 1970 as a greedy caretaker.  In 1991, he's the greedy nephew of housekeeper, Mrs. Johnson.  But in 1991, he's apparently mentally challenged, and that makes him more sympathetic to me.  Plus, his relationship with Barnabas seems to make him a better person, less damaged than his predecessors.

As played by Barbara Steele, Dr. Julia Hoffman's motives are more selfish and vindictive in primetime than as played by Grayson Hall in daytime and in the movie.  However, this is demonstrated more by her actions than her reactions; she's really quite sedate most of the time.  Grayson Hall is more obvious with her feelings externally, with exaggerated expressions.  I mean, just look at her eyes in the picture below.  While in all versions Julia experiences unrequited love with Barnabas, I don't really feel it in Dark Shadows (1991).  We'll never know if Julia would have eventually become close friend and confidant of Barnabas in the primetime series like she did in the original.

The Stories

The pilot episode of Dark Shadows (1991) begins with narration from Victoria Winters that is nearly word-for-word the same as that from the first episode of Dark Shadows (1966), but in a distinctly different visual style:  colorful and cinematic.  The Victoria of both eras arrives in Collinsport for the same purpose: she has been hired to be the governess of troubled young David Collins.  In both versions, Vickie is an orphan hoping to find answers about her past; in neither version does she ever find them.

Click here to watch a comparison of the arrival of Victoria Winters at Collinsport.

Both Dark Shadows (1991) and House of Dark Shadows (1970) use the character of Daphne as Barnabas's first victim when he arrives at Collinwood.  Dark Shadows (1966) has no such character; early vampire attacks are only referenced or shown with anonymous women walking the foggy streets of Collinsport.  A character like Daphne allows a tangible representation of what is happening around town and provides a means for the characters to learn about vampires.  More importantly, in the primetime series, having Daphne be part of the Collins family adds some emotional purpose for the peril she's in.

In 1991, as news of the attacks spread, Sheriff George Patterson consults local professor, Michael Woodard.  In 1966, Patterson and Woodard, often with Sam Evans and/or Joe Haskell, were the primary people investigating the strange goings-on.  In 1991, though, Woodard meets an untimely fate, Evans is a background character and Haskell is involved more as a victim himself.  Instead, Dr. Julia Hoffman arrives on the scene to help investigate with Patterson and Woodard (before his demise).  In 1966, she masqueraded as an historian to insinuate herself into Collinwood, and in 1970, she is already living at Collinwood as an acknowledged historian.

In all versions, Barnabas "hires" Willie after he springs him from his chained coffin.  At some point, Willies tries to warn Vicki (or Maggie), which results in a beating from Barnabas. In the 1991 version, this happens earlier than in the other two.  In fact, it is after Vickie's first visit to the Old House, when Barnabas shows her Josette's room.  When Barnabas later stands outside Vickie's window, hissing and gnashing his fangs, the ghost of his sister, Sarah Collins, appears and leaves Barnabas crying, "I cannot help myself."  Sarah has no part in House of Dark Shadows; however, she is prominent in Dark Shadows (1966), even though Barnabas sees her only after several other characters have already done so.

Click here to watch a comparison of the three depictions of thebrutality of Barnabas Collins.

The extended-length pilot introduces all the characters and sets-up the storylines for the next five one-hour episodes.  Beginning with the second episode, though, each one seems to focus primarily on one storyline, making them more stand-alone than most primetime soap operas.  For example, episode two deals mostly with the fate of Daphne Collins as she eventually becomes a vampire, attacks Joe Haskell, then is hunted down and staked at the Collinwood stables.  (By the way, this is almost exactly the same arc for Carolyn in House of Dark Shadows, sometimes shot-for-shot.)

At the end of episode two, Julia has discovered Barnabas's secret and, after talking herself out of his threats, promises that she can help him.  This unfolds through episode five pretty much the same way in the original series and the movie.  For some reason, it's interesting to me that in both of the originals, Julia learns what she does because she cannot see his reflection in her makeup compact, but in the revival, it's because she doesn't see it in a large wall-hanging mirror.  This could be because in a later episode, he destroys a wall-hanging mirror (I don't remember if it is the same one) in a moment of rage.

In episode three, there is a development unique to Dark Shadows.  Professor Woodard discovers Barnabas’s (and now Julia’s) secret and takes photos of Julia’s notebook.  He tries to alert Sheriff Patterson, but is attacked by Barnabas before he can do it, which results in him being staked when he tries to attack the sheriff in episode four.

Also in episode four, a fleeting subplot about David’s mother, Laura, comes and goes.  Not much is gained by this subplot, where David uses a voodoo doll to attack his father, except that we see a demonstration of Maggie’s psychic abilities as she tells Vickie that Laura is a witch.  Vickie also meets Sarah for the first time and now believes David about her existence.

The cure storyline resolves in episode five as Barnabas grows closer to Vicki.  When she learns about their relationship, a jealous Julia sabotages his treatments just as he becomes more eager to complete them.  As in the other versions, Barnabas transforms into a withered version of himself, only to return to his youth when he attacks Carolyn (in 1966 and 1991; in House of Dark Shadows, he attacks Maggie Evans).  As far as I’m concerned, she gets what she deserves, throwing herself at Joe the way she does while he’s still grieving for Daphne.

Click here to watch a compilation of scenes summarizing the cure storyline.

Episode six sets-up the second half of the series, after the ghost of Sarah Collins prevents her brother, Barnabas, from killing Dr. Julia Hoffman.  By now, the entire family is aware of Sarah’s presence and decides to hold a séance to learn more.  House of Dark Shadows has spun to its own conclusion by now, but at this point Dark Shadows (1966) is Dark Shadows (1991) are pretty much at the same point.

I consider the 1991 primetime revival to be more a remake of House of Dark Shadows, although it is certainly infused with elements of the original daytime soap opera that could have led to a lengthier run.  In fact, both House of Dark Shadows and the pilot episode of Dark Shadows (1991) were directed by Dan Curtis.  In several spots, he uses nearly the same camera angles, lighting and shots.

Click here to watch a comparison of scenes depicting the arrival of Barnabas Collins at Collinwood.

That does it for now.  I’m going to a screening of Tim Burton’s take on Dark Shadows tomorrow night.  Hopefully, I’ll be energized by it and will continue future analyses of both the original series and it’s primetime revival.

Out of the Dark Shadows - Part 2

In the second part of my "appreciation" of all things Dark Shadows on DownrightCreepy, I discuss how much I love the 1970 movie version, House of Dark Shadows:

In order to successfully consolidate what occurred over the course of 154 TV episodes into a 97-minute movie, Curtis and screenwriters Sam Hall and Gordon Russell, also Dark Shadows veterans, had to take some liberties with the story. They did a remarkable job of honoring the original series while at the same time producing a stand-alone movie experience. In essence, they eliminated the character of Victoria Winters (actress Alexandra Moltke had left the series by then) and turned the character Maggie Evans into both the Collins family governess and the possible reincarnation of Josette DuPres.

I have dissected House of Dark Shadows scene-by-scene while comparing it to the source material, the story arc first broadcast between 4-17-67 and 10-27-67.  Without getting too detailed, I'm going to attempt to summarize the comparison below.

House of Dark Shadows begins running right out of the gate, not letting opening credits delay the action.  They are superimposed over the first few minutes of the movie.  As it starts, Maggie Evans is looking for David Collins.  In only two to three minutes, this scene accomplishes several things:

·         Establishes that David is a troubled young lad

·         Introduces a new character to the story, Daphne Budd, a secretary working for Elizabeth Collins Stoddard

·         Introduces Willie Loomis, his uncomfortable relationship with Maggie and the clues and motivation he has for treasure-hunting on the Collins estate

·         Introduces Roger Collins and his questionable parenting skills

In the movie, Willie is an employee of the Collins family, not the drifter friend of Jason Maguire, who is not a character in the movie.  However, this does not change Willie's motivations for finding the buried jewels.  He still removes the chains from the coffin and opens it.  At approximately eight minutes into House of Dark Shadows, a hand with a black ring on its index finger reaches up from the coffin and grab's Willie's neck, much like it did in Dark Shadows, the original series.

We soon learn the real reason for the character of Daphne: victim.  On the way to her car, which seems very far away, dogs howl and crows crow.  A first-person shot from the woods tells us that someone is watching her.  She drops her purse and runs to her car.  As she gets in, the passenger door opens and a hand with a black ring on its index finger grabs her neck.  Later, at The Blue Whale, Todd Blake (erroneously listed as Todd Jennings in the credits) hears from a policeman that another woman was found dead and that she was bitten, just like Daphne.  On the TV show, there were no vampire attacks before Barnabas arrived at Collinwood.

The family core is introduced in House of Dark Shadows with similar dynamics as those on Dark Shadows.  However, several characters are introduced in the movie that did not appear until later on TV.  Jeff Clark first appears by discovering Daphne lying bloodless on the road and Professor Elliott Stokes first appears with the family when they meet Barnabas.

Besides the character of Daphne Budd, Todd Blake never appeared on the TV show.  (He most likely takes the place of Joe Haskell.)

In the movie, Julia Hoffman appears earlier than she did in the TV show, as caregiver for Daphne at Collinwood rather than Maggie at Windcliff sanitarium.  She's also acknowledged to be both a doctor and an historian, whereas on TV she masqueraded as an historian to investigate Maggie's condition.

At just over 17 minutes into House of Dark Shadows, a man approaches the Great House.  In a first-person shot that will continue for about two minutes, a hand with a black ring on its index finger pushes the doorbell.  Mrs. Johnson answers the door and lets him in.  While she leaves to tell Elizabeth that he's there, he looks around the drawing room.  His hand presses a key on the organ.  Roger approaches, seen through the curve of a cane handle, "If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it."

"It's an extraordinary likeness," says Elizabeth, "like a portrait come to life."  The camera pans from the painting of Barnabas Collins to the man standing before it: Barnabas Collins.

Click here to watch a compilation of scenes showing the introduction of Barnabas Collins.

Then click here to watch the same introduction as depicted on the original daytime drama.

As told by Barnabas Collins, his backstory is similar in both versions of Dark Shadows:

·         The family has no idea they still had relatives living in England

·         They do know that the original Barnabas Collins went to England in the late-1700s

·         Naomi Collins was the original Barnabas' mother

In House of Dark Shadows, Carolyn becomes Barnabas first vampire “slave” due to her curiosity and skepticism about Barnabas’ arrival.  In Dark Shadows, she is not bitten until after Julia’s cure for Barnabas fails.  Using Carolyn as a jealous “lover” provides an expeditious way to introduce Maggie as the reincarnation of Josette and Barnabas’ infatuation with her.  While this is ultimately bad news for Carolyn because Barnabas must eventually turn her, it is good news for the movie because it provides a vampire that can scare David, bite Todd and then be destroyed in a gruesome staking scene.

The story of Josette DuPres is similar in both versions of Dark Shadows.  Barnabas tells Willie:

I gave her this music box 180 years ago.  This was her room, exactly as it was the night we were to be married.  This was her wedding gown; she never got to wear it.  When we fell in love, Josette and I, I was as you are.  When they put this curse upon me, there was only one way I could have her.  I went to her that night and offered her eternal life, eternal love.  Then she found out what our marriage was to be.  She went to the cliff at Widow’s Hill.  I couldn’t stop her.  I found her body on the rocks below.  And they found me.  My father couldn’t bring himself to destroy me, so he chained me in that coffin for what he thought would be eternity.  Willie, I never thought I’d see her again.  But now I’ve been given a second chance, because tonight I have found her again, Willie.  I have found my Josette and this time there will be that wedding.

Click here to watch a compilation of scenes telling the story of Josette DuPres.

Then click here to watch the same story as depicted on the original daytime drama.

After Carolyn is killed, about 55 minutes into the movie, Julia discovers Barnabas’ secret and convinces him that she can cure him.  As in the series, when Barnabas get impatient about completing his treatment and Julia becomes jealous over his feelings for another woman, the cure backfires and Barnabas is transformed into a withering old man.  To reverse the effect, Barnabas feeds on Maggie.  (Remember, in the TV show, he fed on Carolyn.)  In House of Dark Shadows, the cure sequence is wrapped up in about 25 minutes; in Dark Shadows, it occurred over the course of 61 episodes (288-349).

Click here to watch a compilation of scenes summarizing the cure storyline.

Then click here to watch the same storyline as depicted on the original daytime drama.

In both versions of the cure storyline, Willie at some point warns Maggie to stay away from Barnabas.  This results in Barnabas beating him with his cane.  It is interesting to compare the two examples of Barnabas’ brutality.  Besides the flexibility a movie allows, its sequence demonstrates how Barnabas is portrayed less sympathetically and more as a being of true evil.

It is at this point that comparisons between House of Dark Shadows and its predecessor must end.  That is primarily because in a movie, there must be a conclusion with everything wrapped up tidily.  On the TV show, the characters and stories would continue for years.  The last 15 minutes of House of Dark Shadows is thrilling.  I won’t spoil the ending for those who take my recommendation to watch it; however, I will reiterate how well it brings multiple characters and stories from the television series to a satisfying theatrical conclusion.

Out of the Dark Shadows - Part 1

Leading to the release of the new Dark Shadows movie on May 11, I am writing a series of “appreciations” for Downright Creepy.  The first one discusses the original series, which ran on ABC for approximately five years beginning on June 27, 1966.  While those essays are general overviews of the show with a lot of personal opinions, I’d like to use this forum to dig into the details of its characters and stories in a more factual way.

Pre-Barnabas Collins (Episodes 1-210)

I imagine most people believe the character of vampire Barnabas Collins is synonymous with Dark Shadows.  However, he was not even mentioned until episode 202 and did not physically appear until episode 211.  What happened for almost a year before he appeared?

During the summer of 1966, young Victoria Winters travels by train to the small fishing village of Collinsport, Maine.  She has been hired by the wealthy Collins family to be governess to troubled 9-year old, David Collins.  He and his father, Roger Collins, and 18-year old cousin, Carolyn Stoddard, live in the Great House at Collinwood with Roger’s sister, Elizabeth Collins-Stoddard, the matriarch of the Collins family.  Elizabeth has not left the estate since the disappearance of her husband, Paul Stoddard, 18-years ago. 

Victoria grew up in a New York foundling home and hopes in Collinsport to find some clues to her real identity.  Handsome mystery man Burke Devlin and waitress Maggie Evans warn her to stay away from the Collins family.  It’s no wonder:

·       David, resentful of Roger’s plans to send him away, attempts to kill him by sabotaging his car.

·       Matthew Morgan kidnaps Victoria when she learns that he killed Bill Malloy, the manager of the Collins fishing fleet.  Locked in the Old House at Collinwood, the ghost of Josette DuPres protects her from harm and Morgan ultimately dies from fright after seeing the ghost of Bill Malloy.

·       David’s mother, Laura, unexpectedly arrives at Collinwood.  She is a Phoenix who has returned to claim her son and lure him into the flames.

·       Burke Devlin finds evidence from Sam Evans (Maggie’s father) that Roger was responsible for the car accident that sent him to prison for five years.  Roger had paid Sam to keep quiet about it.

·       Jason Maguire, the unscrupulous friend of Elizabeth’s missing husband, appears at Collinwood and blackmails Elizabeth into letting him stay at Collinwood.  He apparently knows something about Paul Stoddard’s disappearance.

·       Willie Loomis, the drifter friend of Jason Maguire, arrives in Collinsport, causing trouble at every turn.  Joining Maguire as another unwelcome guest at Collinwood, he becomes obsessed with the jewelry in a portrait of Barnabas Collins.  Believing that Collins ancestors were buried with their treasures, he goes to the Collins mausoleum at Eagle’s Hill cemetery to rob their graves…

The Introduction of Barnabas Collins (Episodes 211-220)

Willie Loomis discovers a hidden room in the Collins mausoleum.  When he removes the chains from a coffin inside the room, a hand reaches out and grabs him by the neck.

Barnabas Collins arrives at Collinwood, introducing himself as a cousin from England.  The family notices a striking resemblance to the portrait of the original Barnabas Collins and gives him permission to move into the Old House with Willie as his servant.  Speaking to the portrait of Josette in the Old House, Barnabas declares that he has come home to stay.

Click here to watch a compilation of scenes showing the introduction of Barnabas Collins.

The Story of Josette DuPres  (Episodes 221-261)

Barnabas Collins meets Maggie Evans at the Collinsport Inn and believes she is the reincarnation of his long-lost love, Josette DuPres.  After drinking her blood on several occasions, he takes her to the Old House and tells her that she will become Josette.  This continues for several episodes, with Maggie escaping, being found by Barnabas and then being locked in a cell in the basement of the Old House.  At one point, she pretends to be Josette in an attempt to save her life, but ends up at Windcliff Sanitarium with only her father and Dr. Woodard knowing that she’s alive.

Click here to watch a compilation of scenes telling the story of Josette DuPres, including Barnabas’ stormy night tale of her fate nearly 200 years ago.

If at once you don’t succeed… (Episodes 277-365)

Believing Maggie Evans to be dead, Barnabas Collins now turns his attention to governess Victoria Winters and becomes the romantic rival of Burke Devlin.  At a costume party, Burke dresses as Jeremiah Collins, who was Barnabas’ rival for Josette DuPres nearly 200 years ago.  Barnabas makes various attempts to woo Vicky and transform her into Josette.

The Arrival of Dr. Julia Hoffman (Episodes 265-287)

Dr. Julia Hoffman is introduced at Windcliff Sanitarium where she is caring for Maggie Evans after her ordeal with vampire Barnabas Collins.  Posing as a family historian, she insinuates herself into Collinwood to search for clues about what happened to Maggie.  Over the course of the series, she will become close friend and confidant of Barnabas Collins.  However, in her early episodes, she is forced to spend most of her time doing the dirty work required to protect his secret.  There’s a LOT of hypnosis involved.

The Cure (Episodes 288-350)

At the Old House, Julia Hoffman discovers that Barnabas Collins casts no reflection.  When he finds out that she has learned his secret, he tries to kill her; however, she convinces him that she can cure him.  At some point, she becomes extremely jealous of Victoria Winters and frequently tries to sabotage her relationship with Barnabas.  When Barnabas pressures her to give him a massive treatment to cure his vampirism, she does so, but it backfires and he is transformed into a withering old man.  It lasts only for a couple episodes, however, as he soon drinks from Carolyn Stoddard and his condition is reversed.

Click here to watch acompilation of scenes depicting the cure storyline.

The Ghost of Sarah Collins (Episodes 255-365)

While imprisoned in a cell in the basement of the Old House, Maggie is frequently visited by the ghost of Sarah Collins.  She eventually helps Maggie escape her prison, and, later, from Windcliff Sanitarium.  Young David Collins’ repeated attempts to find Sarah result in him being trapped in the secret room of the Collins mausoleum.  But she saves his life when Barnabas, believing David knows his secret, tries to kill him.

The entire arc of Dark Shadows that began with the introduction of Barnabas Collins ends 154 episodes later with a séance in episode 365.  The ghost of Sarah Collins has become such a mystery for many members of the Collins family, that they attempt to contact her spirit.  During the séance, there is a blackout and Victoria Winters disappears…

And that, dear friends, is only the beginning.  Over time, I hope to gradually share more of the saga and make more compilation videos for you to enjoy.

What about everyone else?!?

While the adventures of Barnabas Collins were the focus of much of Dark Shadows, he was not present in every episode.  There were concurrent storylines affecting other characters:

Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Episodes 210-273).  Maintaining his hold over her, Jason Maguire informs Elizabeth that they will be married.  This drives a wedge between her and her daughter, Carolyn.  Elizabeth confesses to governess Victoria Winters that she killed her husband, Paul Stoddard, and is twice driven to commit suicide by jumping from Widow’s Hill.  It turns out that Elizabeth did not kill her husband; instead, Jason helped him escape.  Elizabeth ultimately insists that Jason be allowed to leave Collinwood without prosecution, never to return???

Carolyn Stoddard (210-273).  Spends many episodes trying to learn what hold Jason Maguire has over her mother, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard.  When a marriage is announced, she threatens to marry a hippie motorcyclist and then plans to shoot Jason at the wedding.  When that storyline is resolved (see above), she spends the rest of the overall arc as slave to vampire Barnabas Collins.

Burke Devlin (293-345).  The romance between Burke Devlin and governess Victoria Winters heats up as they discuss marriage and Burke participates in a public competition with Barnabas Collins.  Burke eventually suspects Barnabas and becomes young David Collins’ confidant.  In episode 345, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard receives word that Burke’s plane has crashed, but Victoria refuses to believe he is dead.

2011: A Few Favorites from a Mediocre Year

2011 was a weak year for entertainment.  Sure, I enjoyed my fair share of movies, television, music and books/comic books, but I find myself hard-pressed to choose favorites in some of these formats.  Nevertheless, it's the end of the year, so I'm compelled to try.

 

Either I have become too critical to enjoy most theatrical releases, or it was a horrible year at the movies. Using my long-established rating system on the Internet Movie Database, I gave no movies a perfect 10 in 2011, and I gave only six movies a near-perfect 9.  I'd award each of these a "Favorite" designation in one of six different categories:

 

• Favorite Comedy – Bridesmaids
• Favorite Movie I Really Wanted to Hate – The Help
• Favorite Horror Movie – Scream 4
• Favorite Guilty Pleasure – Sucker Punch
• Favorite Superhero Movie – Thor
• Favorite Movie (Period) – Moneyball

 

By the way, the movie I absolutely hated in 2011 was In Time.  I couldn't tell you why now; I've blessedly blocked it from my memory.  But I remember that sitting through it made me very, very angry.

 

 

If it was a horrible year at the box office, all those responsible can be grateful that television had it worse. The networks' fall seasons were some of the worst I've ever seen. My two favorite new series were on cable: American Horror Story and Homeland. But my favorite drama episode of 2011 was the mid-season finale of The Walking Dead: Pretty Much Dead Already. There were a lot of complaints about the second season, but if you stuck with it, you were rewarded at the end with a brilliant convergence of everything that previously happened.

 

 

And while I watch many (too many) sitcoms, all it takes is watching one episode of Modern Family to realize it continues to belong in a different league altogether. Even so, my favorite sitcom episode of 2011 was from the new season of Community: Remedial Chaos Theory. When Troy and Abed throw a party in their apartment, several alternative timelines evolve from different decisions the characters make. It was not only clever, but also hilarious.

  

 

In 2011, I got the most entertainment bang for my buck in the print format. I've already written about the brilliant Flashpoint miniseries from DC Comics, but I also discovered a new favorite ongoing comic book series, Morning Glories. (If Lost were a comic book, it would be Morning Glories.) However, my favorite single comic book issue was Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #160, featuring the death of Peter Parker (Spider-Man). For real. I think that was the first time I have ever cried reading a comic book. It read like a relentless action movie that built to an emotionally cathartic climax.

 

 

I don't read too many novels these days, but I read anything Stephen King writes. And I cannot express how much I enjoyed his new book, 11-22-63. I sped through its 849 pages in only six days! It's something different for King, a non-stop, time-travel thriller with a heart-breaking twist. 11-22-63 is amazingly compelling and infinitely entertaining.

 

 

I don't write much about music, but I noticed one week when I was driving the car everyday that many of today's "hits" offer great dance beats. I didn't mind the frequently repetitive playlists that the local stations broadcast with songs like Without You by David Guetta, We Found Love by Rihanna and Good Feeling by Flo Rida. I'd love to be spilling a little blood on the dance floor right now, if I was ever awake late enough to do so.

 

 

Now that I've written this, I guess 2011 wasn't so bad. At least there were a handful of things I really liked. It just seems that selecting my favorites is normally more difficult. As I continue to embrace the Nerdist Way, allow me to use this metaphor: if 2011 was a swamp of mediocrity, let's hope that 2012 can triumphantly rise from it like Luke Skywalker's X-Wing...

 

The most-respected name in news? David Letterman!

My relationship with David Letterman began in college when he hosted his first late-night show on NBC.  I immediately fell in love with his sense of humor.  I will never forget favorite moments, such as:

• Christmas with the Letterman family
• Catch-phrase tryouts (“They pelted me with rocks and garbage.”)
• Dave telling Billy Idol that his parents must be awfully proud of him
• Anything with Larry “Bud” Melman

After graduation, I recorded his show every night and watched it the next morning as I got ready for work.  Cincy and I got tickets during a trip to New York in 1991.  Before the show, when Dave came out to greet the studio audience, my hand shot up in response to his soliciation for questions about the show.  I knew what I wanted to ask, but fumbled it badly.  Pregnant with Kate, I meant to ask if everything would be OK for Cincy during the show.  Dave turned it into a joke during the monologue.  “I’m no medical man, but it generally takes 9 months (to have a baby),” he said, as the camera focused on Cincy.

In 1993, I championed Dave’s move to CBS and developed a hatred for Jay Leno that has grown exponentially since then.  Michael and I got tickets for January of 2000, just as Dave was rushed to surgery for his famous quintuple bypass.  Thinking there wouldn’t be a show, I received a telephone call from a Late Show intern while we were in New York asking if we would at the last minute be able to attend the taping of his return show.  Absolutely!  It was a historic show for a long-time fan like myself and I have a treasured souvenir t-shirt from the event.

I still record Dave every night, on DVR now, though, instead of VHS (or Beta).  But I seem to have less time to watch complete episodes.  I now fast-forward to the Top Ten List, a feature I used to despise (because I thought he was losing his edge) but now find comfortable, and any guests that I find interesting.  I can “watch” an episode in less than five minutes, or when I get behind, as I did recently, 11 episodes in under an hour.

While I will always consider Dave to be the King of “Late Night TV”, I must admit he hasn't outgrown his propensity for hammering a joke into the ground.  It’s never turned me off because with my sense of humor, I also tend to beat a dead horse or two.  But it’s much easier these days to catch only a few minutes and know exactly what Dave is going to say.

There’s something going on with Dave lately, though.  Part cranky old man, part “just doesn’t seem to care anymore”, Dave is absolutely fascinating to watch when his guests are from the news media.  I’ve always gotten my news from Dave instead of watching an acutal newscast or reading it from a “respectable” source, so I always watch guests like Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw.  And I’ve seen an evolution in Dave in recent years.

I first noticed it when his son, Harry, was born.  Dave suddenly seemed very interested in environmental issues, expressing what seemed to be a genuine concern for the future of the planet.  He frequently hosted “no-name” guests to talk about global warming and other concerns.

Then, somewhere along the way, he started asking the tough questions; the ones everybody thinks, but won’t really speak.  He has grown increasingly persistent, refusing to let anyone off the hook, rephrasing his questions until he either gets a response or is interrupted by a commercial break.  The thing is, they are mostly rhetorical questions for which there are no concrete answers, yet by asking them so passionately, he highlights the nonsense and hypocrisy.  Dave may appear left-wing in his rants, but he doesn’t retreat from being critical of the current administration and really speaks common sense for all of us.

Here’s one recent example, where Dave discusses the whereabouts of Moammar Gaddafi with Anderson Cooper.  This is a perfect example of how he’s not willing to accept the standard “line” from Washington; watch how he uses Bin Laden as a comparison:

And here’s a longer clip with Brian Williams where they discuss the folly of the Republican primary debates.  Notice how he’s not being personal; he doesn’t blame any one person for what happened.  Instead, he cries out, was there not ANYBODY on that stage who had the balls to defend the gay soldier who was booed?  It gets really good at about 4:30:

I will admit that David Letterman too often relies on “Chris Christie is so fat” jokes (although who cannot laugh at a supposed clip of him speaking when the character appearing onscreen is really Jabba the Hutt), but you’re not likely to find a better common sense analysis of the futility of politics than in his grilling of news media (and political) guests.  If you haven’t watched Dave lately, you’ve got to give him another try!

And, just so you don't think he's gone all-serious, here's a terrific clip that makes me laugh every time I see it:

I love you, Dave.  Long live the King!

Everything you know has changed in a flash!

The media blitz from DC Comics has been so intense the last few weeks that you don't have to be a comic book fan to know something big is happening.  However, if you have been living in a Bat-cave, I will tell you that on Wednesday, August 31, with the release of Justice League #1, every one of DC's current titles will be cancelled and 52 new titles with #1 issues will begin rolling out.

This is significant for several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that for the first time in its history, DC will at the same time release digital versions of every one of these comics.  Readers will now have a choice every Wednesday: make the regular trip to their favorite comic shop to pick up their comics or download them to their computers or mobile devices.  I am declaring this event the advent of the "Digital Age of Comics".

And I'm using this event to launch the Comic Books tab on my blog.  I'm starting out with a history of comic book publishing as seen through my eyes as a lifelong reader of DC comics.  In this history, you will read about the eras of comic book publishing from the Golden Age of Comics through the Modern Age of Comics… and beyond.  I'm also providing a link to the public inventory of my comic book collection, courtesy of Stash My Comics (so you'll always know what's in my long box) as well as my Wish List.  I don' t know the practical purpose of doing this right now, but perhaps in the future it will become a forum for buying, selling and/or trading.

As potentially exciting as all this may be, the hype for the "New 52" has overshadowed what is going on right now, and that's some terrific storytelling within the pages of DC's current miniseries event, Flashpoint.  This is one of those "alternative timeline" tales that are tremendously entertaining, while simultaneously head-scratching.  Barry Allen (aka The Flash) awakens to find the world has changed… and he is the only one who remembers how things are supposed to be.

This is a world where the lives of our favorite superheroes have been dramatically altered:

·         When Superman crashed to Earth as a baby, he was taken to a research facility where he grew up without exposure to the yellow sunlight to gave him powers.  Therefore, he is currently a scrawny specimen, locked up and unknown to the rest of the world.

·         When the Wayne family was held-up in a back alley of Gotham City, it was not Thomas and Martha who were killed; rather, it was their child, Bruce.  The parents reacted in two different, extreme ways: Thomas became Batman and Martha became… I can't spoil it; it's too delicious!

·         When Abin Sur crashed to Earth, he did not die and remained Green Lantern.  Therefore, Hal Jordan never inherited his ring.  Can an ordinary man still become a hero?

·         Aquaman and Wonder Woman were to be married in a political maneuver to unite their kingdoms of Atlantis and Themyscaria.  However, traitors on both sides sabotaged the proceedings and started a war, the results of which have the world in chaos and ruin.

It's not clear yet if the conclusion of Flashpoint will specifically set up DCs "New 52", but it has nevertheless provided a rollicking ride and acted as the last hurrah at the end of an era.  Writer Geoff Johns is a genius, taking familiar characters and not just showing them in a different light, but completely turning inside-out the entire concept of "superhero".

Flashpoint, and its obligatory spin-off miniseries, have been both thought-provoking and exciting to read.  It concludes on August 31, the same day as the new Justice League begins.

DC warned us about Flashpoint, and it wasn't just talk:

Everything you know has changed in a flash.  The history of the DC Universe was altered due to the events of Flashpoint, and nothing is exactly the same.

Therefore, I have no reason to doubt DC now when its co-publishers, Jim Lee and Dan DiDio say:

This September, DC Comics explodes with 52 new #1 issues!  The entire line of comic books is being renumbered, with new, innovative storylines featuring our most iconic characters helmed by some of the most creative minds in the industry.

Not only will this initiative be compelling for existing readers, it will give new readers a precise entry point into our universe.

I must admit that one person's entry point might be considered another's exit.  I've always claimed I can't stop collecting comic books because I'm too invested in the ongoing storylines with characters for whom I care.  So, is this the perfect opportunity to quit comics?  I bet you know the answer to that one!  No way; I've got to see what happens next.