~ Jonathan Frid, of Dark Shadows Passed Away ~

[tinkcollector]

Sad news. Jonathan Frid better known to us "over fifty" fans as Barnabas Collins passed away at 87 today in Canada.
Tim Burton is making a "Dark Shadows" movie, starring Johnny Depp as our beloved Barnabas.
Thank goodness Jonathan Frid got to play a cameo role before his death. Seems fitting.
As a young girl, I would run home from school to catch the last half hour of the soap opera. RIP Mr. Frid.

 

[Gisele]

Well I am under 50, but I know this series very well and love it. I am so saddened to learn of his passing, that really bites and big time.


http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0294847/

~~ I love you Phil and you will forever be with me! Forever my very best and most special friend! I love you to no end. ~~​

 

[PinkBudgie]

That's too bad he didn't live to see the movie released. I saw the poster for this movie at the theater the other day. Being a Tim Burton fan, this caught my eye and mom said said it used to be a soap opera but I didn't really understand. Was it a scary soap opera? What was it about? Sounds interesting! Is it available to watch?

 

[lcasa]

It was a GREAT soap opera set in Maine - Jonathan Frid played a vampire who moves there from Europe and pretends to be a descendant of an ancestor of the Collins family - but of course he's really the ancestor. The young tutor of the family's boy reminds him of his great love Angelique who has a haunting theme which played in a music box - so there was lots of intrigue and romance.

I caught David Selby -- Quentin Collins in the show - in a play in LA not long ago. He's still pretty darn attractive!

 

[rowan1813]

My mom and I heard this last Thursday as we were leaving for DLR and were completely saddened. My mom and my aunt used to watch this show when they were in college and absolutely loved it. I grew up hearing about it but wasn't able to watch the original series until just a while ago when we found the episodes on DVDs and Netflix. Mom and I have been watching the series from the beginning and even though at some parts it can be cheesy (the boom mikes and shadows from other people in the scene) and downright frustrating (Liz can be a doormat where David is concerned), we just love it!!! I was lucky enough to be at Comic-Con last year and got to see the 2 ladies who played Maggie/Josette and Angelique (Kathryn Leigh Scott and Lara Parker). Those ladies told us that they, along with Jonathan Frid and David Selby had a cameo in the new movie which I think is very fitting that it was his last appearance.

It's not a scary soap opera at all PinkBudgie. In fact, during the first few months of episodes, you don't see any ghosts at all. Its only about 3 months in that you get your first hint of a ghost and Barnabas (the vampire!) doesn't come in until the 2nd year. I really recommend watching the old show and even the 1991 revival (sometimes they show it on the Chiller channel). Its set in a small town in Maine, Collinsport, where the founding family, the Collins, have a fishing fleet that basically supports the whole town. The matriarch, Elizabeth (played by veteran actress Joan Bennet) is in charge of the fleet, while her brother Roger is an all around pain in the rear. Liz hires a governess for Roger's (sociopathic) son and its her arrival that starts the whole show. There is attempted murder, murder, intrigue, corporate espionage, ghosts and that's just in the first season. Its the 2nd season that Barnabas is released from his coffin and begins that aspect.

Excellent show, very dramatic (with some funny moments) and definitely worth watching. Now don't ask me what I think of the upcoming movie (you wouldn't like what I have to say based on the previews).

Jonathan Frid has definitely left a legacy behind and won't be forgotten. He will be missed.

 

[PinkBudgie]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to look into it on Netflix if I can talk DH in to it. I'm thinking it must be popular right now with the movie coming out.

Edited to add: I just checked. It's on streaming on Netflix so I don't have to talk DH into getting it on disc.

Edited again! They don't have the start of the show on streaming! Starts with episode 210. Ugh!

 

[rowan1813]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to look into it on Netflix if I can talk DH in to it. I'm thinking it must be popular right now with the movie coming out.

Edited to add: I just checked. It's on streaming on Netflix so I don't have to talk DH into getting it on disc.

Edited again! They don't have the start of the show on streaming! Starts with episode 210. Ugh!

Yeah that's the sucky part. DM and I had to buy the first season collections (Dark Shadows The Beginning Collections 1-6) in order to see the beginning of the series. Episode 210 is when they wake up Barnabas and the start of the 2nd year.

Good news is, you can find some really cheap prices through Amazon. Not just buying from Amazon directly, but from those folks who are selling through the auspices of Amazon. We are on our 3 collection set and realized at the rate we are going, we'll be finished with the ones we own by the middle of May . I checked Amazon last night to see what kind of prices we could get, a couple of the collections people were selling were going for $15 - $20. Thankfully the ones that Netflix has are the ones that cost so much.
Other good news, if you wanted to buy the whole series plus behind the scenes extras, they are releasing it in July for $419.

I hope it gets popular again and some channel (Chiller possibly?) starts showing it. That way another generation gets to experience this cult classic.

 

[PinkBudgie]

Thanks. Yes, certain shows we have found it easier to just buy and watch and then resell on Amazon when we are done. I'll pass on the $400 set!

 

[lcasa]

So has anyone seen the film?
(btw - Josette was Barnabas' love not Angelique. It was a LONG time ago I watched it though)

 

[rowan1813]

So has anyone seen the film?

I just can't bring myself to watch it. I saw a review from a Roseville (Sacramento) newspaper reporter that basically confirmed what I had thought when I saw the first trailer - if you were a fan of the original series, you will be disappointed. If you weren't - you might get some laughs out of it. He also said that the cameos of the original actors (Jonathan Frid, Lara Parker, Kathryn Leigh Scott, and David Selby) were so minute and quick, that you could miss it even if you were purposely looking for them. Maybe once it comes out on Redbox or Starz, then I'll watch it. I feel horrible though. I was so excited about it when I heard it was happening at Comic-Con last year and I got my mom's hopes up too.

I am very interested to hear if anyone from the DIS has seen it and their opinions.