In which Dark Shadows goes full camp

It’s often said that DARK SHADOWS is “camp,” an opinion to which I’ve never subscribed. Yeah, it can sometimes be awkward, frustrating or — god help us — unintentionally funny. But if you were to find a scientific method for measuring camp, I’d bet that STAR TREK would rank much higher. “Camp” implies that the creators of DARK SHADOWS were in on the joke, when there was no joke being made in the first place.

But I’m OK with camp. And this DARK SHADOWS fan film, titled BACK FROM THE GRAVE TO HAUNT ME, is about as campy as a film can get without an appearance by Devine. I usually hate fan films — at least, those made by adults who should know better — but there’s a charm to this one that’s undeniable. It’s a little rough around the edges (the story kind of wanders) but the performances will make it worth your time. Darryl Schaffer is the MVP here … he not only does the best Jonathan Frid impersonation you’re ever going to hear, but a spot-on Grayson Hall, as well. (His Louis Edmonds is a little wobbly, though.)

BACK FROM THE GRAVE TO HAUNT ME was shot during the summer in 2011, mostly at Seaview Terrace — the Rhode Island mansion used for the exterior shots of Collinwood in the original DARK SHADOWS series.

“The owner's daughter, Denise Carey, was kind enough to allow us to film there and she also plays the part of Carolyn Stoddard,” said Kimberlee Arnott-Weidman, who wrote and directed the movie. “It basically was filmed in one weekend.”

Arnott-Weidman said BACK FROM THE GRAVE TO HAUNT ME received a standing ovation after a screening at the 2011 Dark Shadows Festival, and that a sequel — CURSE OF THE FULL MOON — was shot the following year. The sequel features DARK SHADOWS cast members Sharon Smyth Lentz and Kathleen Cody, and spiritual medium Chip Coffey.

Just so you know what you’re getting yourself into, BACK FROM THE GRAVE TO HAUNT ME features a battle of wills between Barnabas Collins and a dog named Rodolfo, as well as an appearance by Pee-wee Herman. It goes to some strange places. You can watch the film below.

DARK SHADOWS: Marathon Wrap Up

I feel like I should be handing out bananas and bottled water to all the people who participated in last weekend's DARK SHADOWS #CollinsTweet event. Marathons can be fun, but they can also be exhausting. And people were starting to get a little ... twitchy as when the sun set yesterday on the second day of the series "binge" on Decades.

About now Bingers be like " My name is Victoria Whatever" 😀 #CollinsTweet

— maureen oberle (@moberle) October 25, 2015

The channel played more than 80 consecutive episodes of DARK SHADOWS over the weekend, beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday.  Fans spent much of the event talking about the show on Twitter, tagging the epic discussion with #CollinsTweet. The final episode of the binge aired shortly before dawn today.

I was hoping people would get involved, but was bracing myself for disappointment. Decades is available in quite a few homes in America (about 45 percent of households, according to its Wikipedia page) but there are many markets left out. The channel isn't available anywhere in my state, so I tried to keep up with DVD and the episodes available on Hulu. Luckily, this overlap in programming availability didn't appear to hinder the discussion at all.

Not gonna lie. This #DarkShadows Binge on @decadesnetwork got me feeling all like... #CollinsTweet #OhYeahThatsGood pic.twitter.com/uxLQBL8rib

— DanThat'sCool! (@DanScontras) October 25, 2015

And we had a few guest appearances, as well. Kathryn Leigh Scott and Kathleen Cody graciously dropped in Saturday to talk about their experiences with DARK SHADOWS. CHS contributors Patrick McCray and Brooke Perrin also took shifts, playing the roles of Collinsport Cheerleader to online fans, who found interesting (and occasionally outrageous) ways of expressing their love of the series.

@decadesnetwork #CollinsTweet pic.twitter.com/45etfswloD

— Judi Walker (@Jisella59) October 25, 2015

And we're going to do it all again next weekend! Decades kicks off a second DARK SHADOWS marathon at 1 p.m. EST on Saturday, beginning with episode 295, the show's first color episode. It will absolutely be a busy weekend for everyone, which will make boosting participation even more challenging. (And we might have exhausted our reserves of DARK SHADOWS cast members on Twitter during last weekend's event.) But you never can tell who might show up.

Stay tuned!

Seaview Terrace returns to television with STRANDED

SEAVIEW TERRACE will return to television in April. The historic landmark, used as the exterior location for the original DARK SHADOWS series, will find itself entertaining the cast on an episode of STRANDED, a new reality show on Syfy. The show debuts Feb. 27, with the Seaview Terrace episode set to air March. 6.

Later this year, DARK SHADOWS stars KATHLEEN CODY and SHARON LENTZ will appear at Seaview as part of a benefit for site. Lentz and Cody will appear May 18 with Jason Hawes (Ghost Hunters,) Dustin Pari (Ghost Hunters International) and psychic/medium, Chip Coffey.

The event benefits SeaviewCARES, a non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration of Seaview Terrace. For more details, visit www.idealeventmanage.com.

Here's the press release about STRANDED:

INNOVATIVE REALITY SERIES DEBUTS WEDNESDAY, FEB. 27 AT 9PM

NEW YORK - If you thought Paranormal Activity was scary - get ready for Stranded. The new Syfy reality series, premiering Wednesday, February 27 at 9PM (ET/PT), uses the same stripped-down first-person method to document an unconventional - and terrifying - paranormal and psychological experiment in which participants are stranded at haunted location for a week and must record the entire experience themselves.

Jason Blum, producer of the Paranormal Activity movie franchise, Insidious and Sinister, serves as an executive producer; as does Josh Gates, the host and co-executive producer of Syfy’s popular series Destination Truth.

Each of the six hour-long episodes features the self-recorded footage of a diverse group of everyday paranormal enthusiasts. The footage from the subjects’ cameras is supplemented by strategically-placed security cameras at each location, creating a suspenseful, completely unscripted first-hand account of each group’s stay.

Over the course of the confinement, the subjects contend with increasingly pervasive feelings of fear and desolation, resulting in an experiment that represents a unique combination of psychology and the paranormal.

Star Island in New Hampshire serves as the haunted locale in the premiere episode of Stranded. Upcoming shows were filmed at sites such as Seaview Terrace in Newport, Rhode Island, and the West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville, West Virginia.

In addition to Blum and Gates, Stranded is executive-produced by Brad Kuhlman and Casey Brumels for Ping Pong Productions, and co-executive-produced by Gerard Bocaccio, who heads up Blumhouse TV.