This 12 episode series had a stellar cast, great writing and directing, etc...Ben Cross was the PERFECT lead for this series. One minute he made women want to take care of him and such and the next minute he pushed Barnabas close enough to the cataract that the audience might have wanted to cuff him one upside the head for it! He portrayed his emotional extremes rather well and made that character his own-PERIOD!
The chemistry with Joanna Going was great, but I think if they went on longer with the actual story line, he'd have sunken into an abyss when she departed Collinsport for good--if the original story line was followed. Lysette Anthony made Angelique the diabolical, psychotic bitch she was supposed to be and I was really hoping to get to see someone with a sense of justice really kick her backside when it was said and done!
I was really angry that the end of the original series had Barnabas actually declaring his "love" for her when in real life, she would have been loathed rather than loved for what she did to that man and his family over time, and I think Curtis would have fixed that story line. I loved Jeanne Simmons and Roy Thinnes! They captured their roles perfectly also.
In the short time this series was aired, Ben Cross showed enough of his mettle that he raised the bar too high for anyone to follow-- including Johnny Depp. The best advice Dan Curtis gave to Ben: "Go ahead,Ben. Do your Hamlet." and it bloody well worked, too! I almost got tossed over the cataract watching some of those scenes. That is exactly how an actor should bring out a character--enough to either make and audience love him or her OR enough to make that audience want to kick his or her backside! Believe me that when I say that there are times when I vacillated between both emotions and it doesn't happen with me very often.
Hollywood REALLY needs to use Cross a bit more. HE can still pull this stuff off no matter what he plays!
After reading the Helena Bonham Carter interview regarding the story line, I am convinced that Tim Burton is going to toy with the fan's too much by monkeying with the story line too much. This version will always be the best there was as far as the remakes go.
The chemistry with Joanna Going was great, but I think if they went on longer with the actual story line, he'd have sunken into an abyss when she departed Collinsport for good--if the original story line was followed. Lysette Anthony made Angelique the diabolical, psychotic bitch she was supposed to be and I was really hoping to get to see someone with a sense of justice really kick her backside when it was said and done!
I was really angry that the end of the original series had Barnabas actually declaring his "love" for her when in real life, she would have been loathed rather than loved for what she did to that man and his family over time, and I think Curtis would have fixed that story line. I loved Jeanne Simmons and Roy Thinnes! They captured their roles perfectly also.
In the short time this series was aired, Ben Cross showed enough of his mettle that he raised the bar too high for anyone to follow-- including Johnny Depp. The best advice Dan Curtis gave to Ben: "Go ahead,Ben. Do your Hamlet." and it bloody well worked, too! I almost got tossed over the cataract watching some of those scenes. That is exactly how an actor should bring out a character--enough to either make and audience love him or her OR enough to make that audience want to kick his or her backside! Believe me that when I say that there are times when I vacillated between both emotions and it doesn't happen with me very often.
Hollywood REALLY needs to use Cross a bit more. HE can still pull this stuff off no matter what he plays!
After reading the Helena Bonham Carter interview regarding the story line, I am convinced that Tim Burton is going to toy with the fan's too much by monkeying with the story line too much. This version will always be the best there was as far as the remakes go.