A Halloween Treat

A glimpse of the unseen 2004 Dark Shadows pilot episode has surfaced online, as part of the demo reel of VFX artist Dave Rinder. The mute clip features an impressive computer-generated opening shot of Victoria Winters on the train to Collinsport. To view the sequence, click here; The Dark Shadows portion begins at 5:43. Thanks to site reader David Ciminello for the tip.

News Bites

• The 1991 Dark Shadows Revival Series DVD has been re-packaged a third time, this time with a more romantic cover of Barnabas and Josette, to capitalise on the appeal of Twilight; The discs themselves remain unchanged. New stock should begin trickling through to various retailers.
• Barbara Steele (1991 Julia) was interviewed as part of BBC Four's documentary series A History of Horror. Barbara spoke about her work with Roger Corman and Mario Bava in the show's second episode.
• The Greystone mansion, which was the filming location for Collinwood in 1991, is set to appear in this week's episode of CBS' The Mentalist. The episode airs on October 28.
• Horror magazine Fangoria has devoted some coverage to Dark Shadows in recent months. Their August issue featured an interview with Jerry Lacy (Trask) and a chat with Chris Pennock (Jeb Hawkes) is slated for publication soon.
• Sotheby's are to auction a rare piece of furniture once owned by Grayson Hall (Julia), as part of their Impressionist and Modern Art Day Sale. The piece is a decorative table by Diego Giacometti, valued at $80,000; to read the sales listing, click here.

Classic Model Kit Reissues

Model kit company Round 2 have announced that they are to re-issue three classic 1960s plastic Dark Shadows model kits, originally produced by MPC. The prototypes for the new editions were displayed at the recent IHobby Expo. Round 2 specialise in retro and cult-themed models, and have made many classic kits available to new audiences in recent years.

The original kits faithfully reproduced Barnabas Collins and a Werewolf, complete with glow-in-the-dark parts, and somewhat less faithfully presented young hobbyists with the Barnabas Collins Vampire Van, a dragster-style hearse for Barnabas to zip around Collinsport in. All three models will be reissued in deluxe collector's editions, available from Spring 2011.

Halloween DVD Sale

Halloween is just around the corner, and Amazon are celebrating with some great discounts on the Dark Shadows DVD series. For a limited time, each four-disc volume is available for only $19.49, a saving of nearly 70% on the retail price. Here are ordering links:

Dark Shadows: The Beginning (pre-Barnabas episodes): Collection 1, Collection 2, Collection 3, Collection 4, Collection 5, Collection 6

Dark Shadows DVD Collections (episodes from Barnabas' arrival onwards): Collection 1, Collection 2, Collection 3, Collection 4, Collection 5, Collection 6, Collection 7, Collection 8, Collection 9, Collection 10, Collection 11, Collection 12, Collection 13, Collection 14, Collection 15, Collection 16, Collection 17, Collection 18, Collection 19, Collection 20, Collection 21, Collection 22, Collection 23, Collection 24, Collection 25, Collection 26

People News

• David Selby (Quentin) can currently be seen in the chart-topping new film The Social Network, which chronicles the rise of Facebook. The film is playing across the United States and opens in the UK this weekend.
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt (1991 David) has reported the death of his brother via his Twitter account; Dan Gordon-Levitt died on October 3 aged 36. Our condolences go out to Joseph and his family.
• Donna Wandrey (Roxanne) is to appear in a new production of The Glass Menagerie at the Vermont Stage Lake Regional Theatre. The production runs until October 24. For more details and to book tickets online, click here.
• The Sag Harbor Express recently featured a column by Harvey Jacobs discussing Dark Shadows. Jacobs was working for ABC-TV when he was drafted in to work on the show during a technician's strike in 1967. To read the piece, click here.

February Start Date for Dark Shadows Movie?

News on the development of the new Dark Shadows movie has been thin on the ground recently, but Collider reports that the project is on track to begin filming in February 2011. The same website reports that actor Johnny Depp's commitment to the project may scupper plans for him to appear in the upcoming Tom Hanks film Triple Frontier.

Dark Shadows is set to star Johnny Depp as Barnabas, with Tim Burton directing a script by Seth Grahame-Smith. The film is currently slated for release in 2012.

Win Barnabas!

Jonathan Frid made a special return to the role of Barnabas earlier this year in The Night Whispers, an original audio drama featuring John Karlen and Barbara Steele. Courtesy of Big Finish Productions, we have two copies of the CD to give away. To be in with a chance of winning, just answer this simple question:

Which character did Jonathan Frid play on Dark Shadows other than Barnabas?

Send your answer, along with your name and postal address to webmaster@collinwood.net before October 31. For more information on Big Finish's range of Dark Shadows audio productions, click here.