I had wanted to write some horror movie recommendations this October, but haven’t yet, so why don’t you start the month by getting hooked on Dark Shadows? The 1960s gothic soap opera is streaming on Tubi. Here’s what I wrote about it a couple years ago. 

In its time, Dark Shadows was a bona fide pop culture phenomenon and with good reason. It has everything from vampires and werewolves to witches and demon spawn to mad scientists and Frankenstein’s monster.

A single character arc could easily encompass an entire semester’s reading list for a lit class. Take Quentin Collins, who first appears as a ghost, then as a Byronic hero who is cursed to be a werewolf until his lycanthropy is transferred to a painting that also prevents him from aging, bringing Dark Shadows’ Dorian Gray all the way up to the cusp of the 1960s and 1970s, when he falls into an Orphean quest to rescue his true love-of-the-moment from death. I know, it’s a lot. 

But, there’s more, like, Angelique, the witch responsible for the original vampire curse. She’s truly one of daytime television’s top villains ever. Mess with her and she’ll fuck with your family for generations. Still, it’s also hard not to feel a little sorry for her because you’re never quite sure if she intended to do something so awful, or if she just let her powers get a little out of control. If Angelique’s antics in the main timeline weren’t enough, in the Rebecca-meets-Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde storyline that takes place in a parallel version of 1970, she is quite possibly the evilest evil twin in soap opera history. Lara Parker, who played Angelique and sadly died this year, did a phenomenal job of playing a character that was simultaneously awful and awesome. 

And then there’s my favorite character in the series, Julia Hoffman, a woman of science and magic who, depending on the situation, might prescribe an experimental blood treatment or a seance. She’s really the brains of the series, but she’s also a lady doctor in 1960s America, so she has to deal with her undead patient spouting things like, “stop thinking like woman and start thinking like a doctor.” Julia and Barnabas’ relationship is essentially the precursor to Mulder and Scully. They solve one supernatural mystery after the next, repeatedly saving the Collins family, particularly young David, who has a habit of getting possessed.

Read the rest in “Lost in Time Watching Dark Shadows”

Want something less time-consuming? Check out the Dark Shadows movie from 1970.

New Music

There’s plenty of good music out right now, including albums from Club 8, Arab Strap and Murex, which I’ve reviewed on Beatique, and a new EP from San Gabriel, who I had the chance to interview recently. Plus, the final Soft Cell album came out last Friday. You can read about Danceteria on the blog as well.

DJ Gigs

Mark your calendars for Friday, October 16. Fontaines D.C. will be releasing their new album, Dopamine Chamber, and we’re doing a listening party at Club Underground. Doors are at 9:30 p.m. and album play starts at 9:45 p.m. sharp. After the album, stick around for dancing because both floors of the Grand Star Jazz Club will be open and Larry G. and I will have plenty of Fontaines D.C. on us. Tickets are available online now.  

As for this weekend, head to Club Underground on Friday, October 2 for indie, Britpop, post-punk, synthpop, etc. Advance tickets are available.   If you’re going to see Marlon Magnée at Pacific Electric on Friday night, stop by Underground after the show. The venues are close to each other.

On Saturday, October 3, I’ll be DJing at Harvard and Stone from 10 p.m. until close. No cover! If you’re going to Corpse Bride at Hollywood Forever, Perfume Genius at Barnsdall Gallery, Poison Girlfriend at The Vermont or The Growlers at The Greek, Harvard & Stone is pretty close, so stop by afterwards and say hi. 

That’s all for now. Hope to see you on the dance floor.

Liz O.