My day with a Servant, a Madman, and one Blue-Eyed Wolf.

The late Grayson Hall.


I just got back from the second day of the Dark Shadows Festival. It's being held at the Burbank Marriot, right across from the Bob Hope Airport. I just love attending and hearing all the stories from first generation fans (fans who watched the show as it aired in 1966). I left around noon to arrive at the Fest around 1:00. All the stars were going to be there around 3 so I figured to give myself some cushioning and time to get settled. [Plus, since I saw "The Dark Knight" on Thurs. night/Friday morning, I was beat and wanted to sleep in.]

I've been to that Marriot before so I knew my way around. I got my registration and banquet tickets. I picked up a couple of photos from the Vendor room to have ready for the actors to sign. Then I walked into the main room where Bob Cobert, the show's music composer, was holding court. He was telling the story of how he created the haunting theme that no one has matched for any show. The crowd laughed and cheered. Poor Bob had to be cut off when he was speaking because he took up all his time. I was holding a space on the wall, but found a seat once people got up to stretch or walk around.











Robert Cobert.


I sat with a nice couple and a lady who like clock work, asked, "How'd you get into the show? You look a little young." I smiled and explained how my parents, mostly my Pop, introduced me to the show. We chatted about the show, other festivals we've attended, where we were from.

Jim Pierson, the chairman of the Fest, then came out and told us David Selby will be on stage in a couple minutes. Well, he lied. I was speaking to the couple when all of us jumped.

"I'm Quentin Collins, folks! How's every buddy doin'?"

David Selby walked in from the back of the crowd, blue eyes shinning, a very Quentin swagger to his walk. His voice boomed over the crowd. After the initial shock, the crowd was on its feet. He threw confetti and shook hands to people on the edges. He jumped onto the stage (almost literally) and began to speak about his book. He's a very restless guy. He paced back and forth throughout his whole talk and worked the crowd like the pro he is. His energy was just amazing.

Ok, so it is already a half past midnight, so I'm going to continue this later on tonight or tomorrow. Here's my precious pictures though that explain why I'm grinning like a fool.

First picture: Yours truly and David Selby.
2nd: Chris Pennock and I
3rd: It's John Karlen!!

The Dark Knight. Warning: A bit Spoilery.

Wow. Just wow.

This is what I thought when leaving the theater around 3 this morning. Let me start from the beginning...

I arrived at the Irvine Spectrum at 7 o'clock to meet up with my friend Victor. As I drove past the front, a chill ran down my back. Hundreds of people were already lined up. I thought I wasn't going to be able to exchange my passes for midnight tickets. I ran to the box office and breathed a sigh of relief. They had one more midnight showing open. I got tickets and then walked to the evil that is Chipotle. I met up with Victor, ate, walked around a bit, and then went to see how long our line was. It wasn't too terrible and we were able to get people to save our spot while we went out on a supplies run. We finally returned with fuller pockets at 9:30. And waited. Waited. Waited.

I nearly froze out on the grass we were sitting on. I watched as our long line gained at least another hundred people. There were multiple Jokers and Batmen walking around and quite a few Robins (with horribly short shorts; not a pretty sight to gaze upon). One guy was dressed as Two Face. He wore prostectics and spirit gum to enhance the effect. It was awesome. At 11, people jumped to their feet as theater employees tried to organize them. We didn't get into a theater till about 11:30. That wait was relatively short because a group of guys brought, not one, not two, but six beach balls. The crowd, already impatient and rowdy, had a blast. There were two kids who didn't appreciate the balls flying and the girl deflated one that she got a hold of. I didn't want to be her at that moment. Her boyfriend stood up a couple times to make it look like he was defending her because a rowdier group of guys were heckling her. Instead of being a poor sport, just bat the ball down instead of making a show that you're deflating it and flipping people off. Hell, even the theater employees and security were tossing the beach balls and hitting them as high as they could. Time flew by thanks to the rowdy guys.

Previews first.

Watchmen looks fucking epic. If you haven't read that comic yet, you should! The imagery looks beyond compare. "When the world cries for my help, I'll whisper, No." Enough said.

Yes! Another Bond movie with Daniel Craig! Quantum of Solace looks as good, if not better than Casino Royale. I really didn't like the casting of Craig before I had seen Casino Royale (and also that he was afraid of water and was going to be filmed with life jacket on... Bond doesn't wear life jackets so luckily they cut most of those scenes), but after, I loved him. Dame Judy Dench is also back as his uptight, classy boss and she's always a pleasure to see on screen.

Terminator Salvation. I never thought they were going to make another Terminator movie that was good. I think I may be wrong, especially since Christian Bale is playing the future's savior, John Connor. We'll see if it can pass with audiences in 2009.

Disney's new movie Bolt. It has John Travolta. I don't know if I can stand to hear his voice for two hours. I'll probably become sick with the Hanta Virus and have to miss it. Darn.

I was sad for about 2.4 seconds on not being able to see the Half Blood Prince teaser. It's still so long away and I have a ton of stuff I'm obsessing over that its not a dire need. Yet.

Now to the main attraction, ladies and germs.

Again. Wow. The opening scenes established the ruthlessness of the Joker and already had the audience cringing and laughing nervously along with him. Heath Ledger as the Joker was brilliant. Throughout the whole movie, I didn't think once, "Oh, that's Ledger as the Joker." All I thought was, "He is the Joker." The role is radically different from anything he's done before. If he's not even nominated posthumously for an Oscar, the Academy will be labeled as old sacks of shite. I can see an uproar if that happens.

The story moves along seemlessly. The city of Gothman slowly dissipates into chaos and maddness as the Joker preaches the word of Anarchy. Christian Bale as Batman was more composed in this movie than the last. I would say even restrained. He was good though and the audience related to the feelings of desperation and resignation. The last scene made everyone's eyes glossy and the silence in the theater was very pregnant as Comissioner Gordon told his son that Batman was no hero, but a guardian, a dark knight.

Man, that still chokes me up!

Now, if you see the above reasons as not good enough to spend your money, here's the deal sealer. Gary Oldman. Most people still don't know of/ care enough about this man, and it's a bloody shame. He is the Lon Chaney Sr. (Man of a Thousand Faces) of our times. I was so happy that he was in more scenes and played an integral part of the plot. He kicked ass, plain and simple in laymen's terms. His Gordon was the tough, smart cop that worked tirelessly to bring in the bad guys.

Gordon, Batman, Harvey Dent, and even the Joker were very human and I believe that's the key to this film. You see Gordon make mistakes. You see Bruce Wayne in despair and indecision. Dent was trying to be the savior of Gothman but was swallowed by rage. And the Joker... "I'm just ahead of the curve." That line is chilling and has an air of foreboding that will likely travel into the third movie.

I'm not going to go too much into the plot, because I want people to see this film for themselves. I would just ruin it with lenghtly prose that would probably confuse you anyway. Let's just say that the most memorable scenes will stick with you for a while. I'm still picturing the Joker in a red wig and candy striper uniform. The end of that scene I heard was improvised, but I found no evidence online to support that. I did find that the Joker's clapping in the jail cell was improvised.

I only have one small, tiny problem that irked me a little. The cuts were a bit too sharp at times and you can tell Nolan wasn't comfortable with certain sequences. That might have been me trying to focus though. It was in the early hours of the morning and I have been out all hours of the night, the days before. As they say, "It's all good though" and most people will probably not notice it nor care.

Overall, I loved it. I will see again before the weekend is over. I loved it even more than the first film for the simple reason of having the characters established already. It's a bit tedious to see character development. I really like these sequels because they don't have to take a lot of time to get to "know" the characters and develop their backgrounds. When Iron Man 2 comes out, I'll probably love it more than the first, too.

I'll be out in Burbank most of the weekend for the Dark Shadows Fest, folks. I'll have pictures and stories about that soon.

I Want to Believe

Lions, Tigers, and... Demons? Oh my!

I had a lot of time to kill before a "meeting" on Monday so I decided to skip down to the cinema and see "Hellboy II: The Golden Army." I planned it perfectly since the movie ended right at 5:50 and my meeting was at 6. I actually thought everyone was going to be there already, but it was another half an hour before everyone was seated.



I digress though. I have to say I missed the first two minutes of the movie. I was taking my sweet time at my place until I realized I had ten minutes to drive to the theater, get tickets, and sit down. I made it and that's all that counts. The movie itself was very good. The Hellboy franchise isn't my favorite fantasy by far, but it's refreshing newness and imagination just appeal to me. The creatures were done well and the Troll market did remind me of the cantina from the first Stars Wars. The Prince also reminded me of Lucius Malfoy and that annoyed me a bit. I couldn't get Jason Isaacs out of my head (especially after seeing the photo with LM sitting in his manor...). I was also saddened to see that one of the characters didn't get a happy ending though I wanted him to. I guess it was all part of the story. Anyway, it was worth my 9.50.

Tomorrow the Dark Knight opens at midnight but I think I'm going to have to see it late on Friday. I also just realized that this weekend is the Dark Shadows Festival so my Saturday and Sunday are completely booked.

Now I've crossed over into the realm of No Time.

Wall E

I just came back from seeing Wall E. I have to admit, I loved it. The animation is brilliant. The story is very cute. Pixar has hit another home run.

I was more excited than some of the kids in the theater once I heard the opening music, however. I had to strangle down a gasp of surprise. I quickly leaned over to my Mum and asked her if she knew who was singing. She looked at me, eyebrows raised, and waited for my random response.

Michael Crawford.

It was just too wonderful that Wall E was in love with "Hello Dolly!" and listened to it whenever he could. I think I was the only one in the theater who knew it was him and actually know of him.

Here's a good article about Wall E and the creator's choices of music (click here for the video samples).

Musings in a Bar. Complete Version.

I had waited an hour for him at the bar a couple Saturdays ago. The bar was dark, the bartender's only light came from candles in small red bowls that enhanced the atmosphere. It was very warm in the building. Other patrons stood far apart from each other, speaking in low, husky voices. Men and women held their glasses like spectors and their cigarettes like lifelines. Smoke wafted in from the patio outside to combine with the smoke on the inside. It was about eleven when I gave up waiting for him. He never really shows up, you know. I finished the amber liquor in my glass and gently lowered it to the surface of the bar. The ice clinked rather noisily in the room. I looked around once more. The couple next to me were drinking scotch and smoking Marlboro's Gold. Several business men sat in booths, making this deal, canceling that deal, and figuring out if "the boss ever found out about the fence." On the opposite side of the bar, men were enthusiatically going over the highlights of a game. Their laughter sounded harsh to my ears. I was just going to wave for the bartender to close my tab when a man sat next to me. I was sitting on the corner of the bar so I saw him take off his jacket and settle himself in out of the corner of my eye. The bartender saw him and rushed more quickly to him than to anyone I had seen him take an order from that night.

"I think I'm going to go for a... Miller Lite."

The man was adventerous and a big spender. I had to stop myself from snorting. The bartender turned and gave me a dirty look. He reached for my glass.

"She'll have another," the man said before the bartender laid his greasy fingers on it.

I looked at him fully for the first time. His brownish eyes were crinkled back in an almost mocking way. He had thin lips that smirked in my direction.

"No, thank you."

He fished in his jacket for a moment and brought out a small silver tube, a cigar. The bartender stood motionless as he watched the man.

"Why not? You in a hurry?" he asked me, a silver lighter appeared in his hand. He puffed twice and took the stogy from his mouth.

"I was just leaving."

"She'll have another," he said once again to the bartender.

Without hearing my angry protest, the bartender took my old glass and poured me a new drink. I watched the stranger through narrowed eyes. I didn't know what to make of him.

"I got her bill, too, Tom."

The bartender nodded. I sat on the stool, knowing I should bolt from that shallow sanctuary, walk to my car parked a block down the street with my S and W blade ready in my hand, and speed down the freeway towards normalacy and responsibility. I settled myself more comfortably in my seat and took a sip. The stranger's smile widened and he took another hit.

"Thanks," I muttered.

His smile widened a bit more. He blew smoke rings into the air and then tipped the cigar's ash into a tray.

"He didn't show."

It was a statement. My eyebrow rose of its own accord, but I still stared stoicly at him. He continued.

"You'll only see him on stage and silver screen. In too many faces and then in none. Each time he's there, he'll have different eyes, different noses, different smiles. His hair color will flit between black, brown and white. You'll allow a couple reds to amuse you, but you'll always go back to your roots, per se."

I was half way through my drink when I actually laughed. The crow's feet on his face lengthed and the lines around his mouth stood out in sharp relief when he laughed, too. He had a face that had seen more than its share of happy days and nights.

"So what brings you out here then?" I asked.

He took a pull from his bottle before looking me in the eye. They searched my face for something but I didn't know for what.

"Fate."

"Fate? That's all?" I said incredulously.

"That's all."

"I don't believe in Fate."

"Really? Well, now a days I don't think a lot of people do."

"It's too much a concept of dice. Too many variables and choices affect what we do."

"Ah, but there's the catch. Do we really think on those choices? Do we as humans fanthom every probability, every consequence of our actions?"

"That's still not a completely valid arguement for Fate. I do not like the notion that I don't have a choice even when I think I do."

I was half finished with my drink. He had finished his and his cigar was on its last inch. He took it from his mouth and stubbed it out in the tray. His hair had fallen into his eyes and he swatted at it to no avail. I glanced into the mirror behind the bar and saw my hair had become flat and pushed behind my ears. With all the smoke in the air, I hated to think how it and my clothes were going to smell. My skin felt greasy and cold.

Other patrons were slowly trickling out of the doors. It was almost one now. I thought of downing the rest of my drink so my hand moved of its own voilition and grasped the small glass. The ice chinked softly and I saw that half of them had melted. I took a tentative sip and then drank the rest of it in two swallows. It was more watered down than I had previously thought.

"Get her another, Tom."

"So help me, Tom, if you put another glass down..." I growled.

The stranger still had his bangs messy over his forehead. That mocking smile which had made me laugh earlier returned to torment me. Tom glanced between us and then put a glass on the table.

"Water with lots of ice this time, then." I muttered, "Jerk."

I flinched when the stranger burst out with laughter. Tom gave him a quick, hesistant glance and hurried back to the other side of the bar.

"Look, I have no clue why you decided to talk to me, but--."

"Fate."

"What?"

"I just wanted to talk to someone and someone was here by herself."

I was annoyed by his "philosophy." He always looked calm and collected. The smoke didn't seem to touch him and the drinks had no affect. I was fazzeled and bemused. No other character had seemed to tolerate such a rude dismissal but still try to speak with me. Arrogance? More than likely mixed with stupidity.

"I have to go."

"Where will you look for him next? A park, a concert, the street? I don't think he'll ever show."

"I know he won't. That won't stop me from looking."

I met those brown eyes for the last time. He didn't stop me when I put on my coat or call when I turned my back on him. He didn't wait for that last look or good bye. When I was outside, I looked to see if he followed me out. He didn't.

"Good riddance," I thought as I walked down the dimly lit street.

I didn't realize till years later that it had been him.

On Hotels, Meeting a Werewolf, and a single Tear.

First off, I must say, the Hilton is a real bloodsucker. It costs 15 bucks to use the internet for 4 hours... I wanted to explode into a coughing fit of "rip-off's" in the lobby.

Next topic. I've recieved word this morning that David Selby will be at the Dark Shadows Festival coming up in a week! After meeting Jonathan Frid at last year's Fest, I had to meet the so called "other man" of the show. There are two scenarios that can happen:

1st: I proudly walk up to Selby's table, bold as brass, ask for a photo and autograph while casually chatting about upcoming projects.

2nd: I'm lost in blue eyes and am pushed out of the way by other fans who are more coherent.


I have a sneaking suspicion that the second scenario will play out. Come on! Give a girl a break when a guy looks so... male. That's the only word I can use to describe him! I've always been a sucker for period pieces, too. He's aged pretty well and his eyes are still a stunning blue. Now here's a werewolf I'll love forever.

Sorry Lupin and Jacob. It must be the slytherin in me to go after pure breds and blue bloods.

Final Topic: I've been watching my collection of horror movies (I have over 60 films that I need to watch in my posession) and last night watched Hammer Horror Film's Phantom of the Opera staring Herbert Lom. I always have reservations with watching films about the Phantom. I still can hear Michael Crawford's soft, anguish cries of "Christine!" whenever I even think of anything related to Leroux's book and still believe Weber's version is the best. Chaney's version is very good if you can get through it. I've only watched it twice all the way through. (Fun Fact: He was a distant relative of our current VP). The silence makes me antsy. I've seen Claude Rains's version and think its decent. (Fun Fact that they don't even have on IMDB: Rains is "seen" for about ten seconds in an episode called "Detour" of The X-Files. One of the character's is watching "The Invisible Man" in which one can hear Rains laughing manically). Anyway, getting back to Hammer's film, there's one scene that captured my attention. The Phantom, Christine, and Harry (the Raoul wannabe) come to a sort of truce ("No! You're suppose to kill Harry! Idiot!"). The Phantom is in the famous box 5 watching Christine sing to him. The camera zooms into the Phantom's mask and does a close up on his right eye. A single tear perfectly falls from his eye and that is all it takes to capture all the sadness and love in that scene. I have a lump in my throat just thinking about it. The movie overall in true Hammer fashion was really bad horror, but hell, isn't that what Hammer Productions was famous for?