The twenty-first annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards are upon us! A special category in the Rondos is the write-in for Monster Kid Hall of Fame, which honors those who’ve made a permanent mark on the world of classic horror appreciation. Many of the inductees are/were fans of the genre themselves. This award is a rare distinction indeed, and there are several notable recipients. Missing from the list, however, is Dark Shadows creator Dan Curtis! This episode of Terror at Collinwood includes a series of interview clips featuring Dan Curtis himself, along with writer Sam Hall and actress Lara Parker. The clips help illustrate why Curtis should be considered for Monster Kid Hall of Fame status. A known enthusiast of classic terror tales and motion pictures, Curtis certainly made prominent puncture marks on the genre with Dark Shadows. He also unleashed the iconic The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler, and he helmed adaptations of Dracula, Frankenstein, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Turn of the Screw, and The Picture of Dorian Gray. He directed both Dark Shadows MGM feature films, the horror cult classics Burnt Offerings, Trilogy of Terror, Dead of Night, and many more! After his epic miniseries Winds of War and War and Remembrance, he returned to the world of the gothic with the 1991 Dark Shadows revival series, which featured horror legend Barbara Steele (who is also long past due for induction into the Monster Kid Hall of Fame). See the full ballot at https://rondoaward.com/ and email your votes to taraco@aol.com. Voting is open until Sunday at midnight, April 23, 2023. PS - And thanks to those who nominated Terror at Collinwood for Best Podcast and Penny Dreadful for Favorite Horror Host. It's an honor to be on the ballot, twice!

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A claustrophobic sense of doom pervades the Summer of 1970, the final present-day storyline on Dark Shadows. In it, Barnabas Collins and Dr. Julia Hoffman try to unravel the mystery behind the insidious and increasingly malignant hauntings at the great house in an effort to prevent the destruction of Collinwood and its inhabitants. Meanwhile, they must also deal with a mysterious new vampire who prowls the estate. Professor and writer David M. Wingrove and writer Stephen R. Shutt visit the Terror at Collinwood podcast to dissect and explore this oft-ignored and/or scorned storyline, examining its various literary inspirations along the way. Often seen as DS’ attempt to recapture the success of the 'Turn of the Screw'-inspired “ghosts of Quentin and Beth” storyline, Summer of 1970 pulls inspiration from several classic sources, including tales by Oliver Onions and M.R. James, with a nod to Sheridan Le Fanu.

In June of 1967 Grayson Hall joined the Dark Shadows cast as Dr. Julia Hoffman, a character who went on to play a pivotal role throughout the remainder of the series. In total, Grayson played six memorable characters on the show, including Magda Rakosi and Countess Natalie DuPres. This episode of Terror at Collinwood celebrates the 55th anniversary of Julia’s first appearance and features guests R.J. Jamison, who wrote the popular biography ‘Grayson Hall: A Hard Act to Follow’, and writer & longtime fan Steve Shutt. This fun and spirited discussion explores several favorite Grayson Hall scenes featuring each of her DS characters.

The deeply fascinating but oft-maligned Leviathans arc is the focus of this episode. Acclaimed authors Stephen Mark Rainey and Rick Lai visit the podcast to discuss and analyze this Dark Shadows storyline, while also looking at its inspirations. Other topics include Mark’s official work on the Dark Shadows Big Finish audio plays and the DS novel ‘Dreams of the Dark’, and Rick’s intriguing essay on the Leviathans as well as some of his fictional tales that incorporate nods to DS.

Note: Apologies for the audio issues near the end of this episode.