So I was watching Dark Shadows...

...the series the other day. Only a few episodes, which was about as much as I could stand. The Dark Shadows series comes before my time, so I can only look at it retroactively without the nostalgia. But after seeing it, I can completely understand why Tim Burton chose to go for a parody of it in the upcoming movie. The stuff was cheesy. The melodramatic music, the close-ups on actors' wide-eyed expression when something finally occurs to them, the cheap sets and microphones sticking out. The acting was plain awful, like someone reciting lines to themselves. Although I have to say, the one redeemable quality was Jonathan Frid's portrayal of Barnabas Collins the cursed vampire. 

I know quite a few of those who remember the show fondly were upset that the movie was a parody--the "ruining my childhood" mantra. But looking at this show now, how could you not make fun of it? It's just bad. However, I'm sure shows like Supernatural and Doctor Who owe a lot to Dark Shadows for breaking new ground and bringing us creepy wonders from the beyond. So yes, even in the bad there's some good.

And speaking of creepy, over at Lovecraft eZine are some tentaclastic wallpapers by Leslie Herzfeld. Check them out!

If you're wondering about the Flush Fiction contest... No, I haven't forgotten, but I'm waiting on my contributor's copies, because it's kind of odd to offer a prize that you haven't seen yourself. Also to gauge how long deliver may take. Hopefully it's not through UPS.