Dragoness Eclectic's Journal

Watching the original Dark Shadows on NetFlix #darkshadows
— Dragoness Eclectic (@Dragoness_E) May 29, 2013

Fortunately, NetFlix skips the early season 1 crap when the show was still figuring itself out & starts with the 1st Barnabas Collins ep.

Ep 3. Creepy handyman hasn't been seen since he opened the wrong coffin. However, 'Cousin' Barnabas has just shown up.

Gotta wonder where he found the modern suit & tie if he's been stuck in a coffin for the last 180 years or so.

Barnabas, for someone who supposedly grew up in England, you're missing the accent.

Barnabas, did you get a crash course in 'how not to sound like an antiquated dork' from Willie? You are far too smooth here.

Victoria, did you just send the kid out to play? Barnabas is in the study. That means it's dark out. You hate the kid, right?

Oops, he still sounds antiquated to the kid. Needs to work on those modern English lessons.

Time for #darkshadows ep. 4...
— Dragoness Eclectic (@Dragoness_E) June 18, 2013

Victoria, you sound stoned whenever you're narrating.

Caroline, if you need to take a taxi to get home from the pub, how did you get there? Teleport?

Meh. Thought we were going to find out why Blackmailing Git is blackmailing Elizabeth. Nope. Just hints and relationship angst.

On to ep 5

'That door was shut tight! How did you open it?'
'With a little technique & practice'.
Yes, Barnabas knows about doorknobs.

Context: 'the wind' blew the double door shut. Victoria tugs hard on the doorknobs, can't open the door. Barnabas steps up to the door, turns the doorknob, and the 'stuck' door opens.

Old Collins House should be on the Historic Register. And ought to be restored, if everything Barnabas says is correct.

Enter Uncle Roger. Egads, that suit is hideous!

Barnabas, you've noticed the rest of the Collins household is oblivious, so you're making these sly hints to us, aren't you?

"Dear viewers: I am undead. Thus my quips about 'the house not being INTENDED as a tomb' & how living the other Collins are.

Victoria is still boggling over Barnabas's skill at turning doorknobs.

Apparently, Barnabas does drink... wine.

Imagine you were a character in a fantasy or horror novel or RPG and you found this mysterious stone:



..engraved with ancient script, strange monsters, altars, and mysterious symbols. You would suspect that the ancient text might be dark rituals to summon the monsters, or a cryptic warning against some demonic horror.

In actuality, the stone is a kudurru or boundary stone from ancient Mesopotamia. It's a real estate charter, detailing surveyed farm land granted to someone, with all the witnesses and officials involved. The monsters and altars? They represent the gods and demons who are invoked to curse anyone who moves or hides the boundary stone, tries to appropriate the land, or deny the rights of the legal owners.

1. Legal contracts in those days were a lot more interesting.
2. Most ancient writings are pretty mundane.

Last night, I watched some of the classic Sunbow GI Joe episodes for the first time. "Arise, Serpentor, Arise!" and the following episode. I tried watching the movie, but the YouTube versions were over-compressed and too poor a quality to enjoy.

( Cut for Cobra Commander ranting )

Last night, conversation in chat touched on Transformer zombies and the wonderful "City of Fear" arc in the old Marvel Transformer comics.

( Cut for comics discussion )