FYI: Fans of anthology horror will be happy to know that NBC.com has added all 7 episodes from the spooky fun, early 80's Darkroom TV series to their free online streaming service. Hosted by James Coburn and featuring tales of vampires, voodoo, killer toys, and the supernatural, this was an unfortunately short-lived series that many of us fondly remember watching as kids. Highlights include stories and scripts by the likes of Robert Bloch, Brian Clemens, Cornell Woolrich, and more! Check it out by CLICKING HERE!
10 comments:
While the previous vampire gal story is a dark and steamy noir in tone--this one is short and silly.
For lack of a better word, Wanda is one diva of a bitch.
The way her costars respond to her are hilarious, I especially love the line about Wanda and the vampire being a perfect couple while the other costar retorts "Why wish her on a poor vampire?" Also, that splash with the vampire is awesome.
I love how no one really care much about Wanda's disappearance either.
That last panel is hilarious.
This one is really great, and the shot up the director's megaphone to his mouth is something I have never seen before. I thought it was a clue that he would turn out to be the vampire. Unfortunately Chekhov's Megaphone Mouth didn't get used.
The only problem I had was that Wanda and her female co star looked so similar, except for their clothes, that it was hard to tell who was speaking sometimes. I much prefer these deliberately funny ones to what passed as "horror" back in the 50s, most of which is very tame by today's standards (and often has other problems to boot).
"Chekhov's Megaphone Mouth" had me chuckling!
Speaking of the two actresses looking alike, maybe I'm "shallow," but I think it should take more than Wanda being a "diva" for the male co-star to have a problem with her.
I adore the splash. What's between the vampire's legs (yes, yes, calm down.). A tail? A long beard? I love the three fingers, the shading on the wings, and the cartoon-is face. It's a great splash!
Like the others, I got confused at the top of page 2, but that's going to be hard to fix in a story with only three pages. Page 2, panel 2, the artist is going to draw breasts even if it makes no sense for the clothes!
Atlas could really pull of this silly tales well, especially as the opening pages (what the bickering) reflect the final joke (with the bickering.)
I just wish the vampire man was smoking a cigarette in a louche kind of way at the end there: "Was is as good for you as it was for me?" The devilish and rainbow nosferatus here are totally groovy, and I kind of wish the diva had come out blue or yellow in the last panel. But I guess one contracts green vampirism from green vampires; I can't argue with science. But check it: Wanda is already mint green at the top of page two. It's pretty gutsy to blatantly foreshadow something that's going to happen only five panels later.
"Sorry, this video is not available from your location." Story of my life. -_- I'll bet if I wanted a vampire husband, he also wouldn't be available in Canada, lol.
I wonder how often, even in a comedy, a vampire is given fangs at the bottom (even for a punch line)?
This story is like a horror answer to a "Millie the Model" story. Even if you only see her in a few panels, the other actress is the "Millie" character you're supposed to prefer, and of course Wanda is the "Chili" character with her "anything to get to the top attitude" that backfires.
The vampire in the splash- all he needed was a pair of horns on his head and he could have passed for ol' scratch himself.
Now Wanda can put the bite on all of her critics and she can make vampire movies all night long, even if she hates being type cast.
I wasn't expecting such a short one, but this is funny!
I never understood why vampires used to be depicted as green.
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