It happened. Sorta.In 1993, Adam Ant appeared in a movie called "Love Bites," a comedy about a vampire named Zachary Simms who awakens from 100 years of sleep to find himself in a very strange (and inexpensively staged) world. He rousts himself from his coffin, with a costume that includes an inverness cape, black ring and forehead locks.
What, you ask, does this have to do with DARK SHADOWS?
That's right. Malcolm Marmorstein, a writer for the original DARK SHADOWS series who's among the many people to claim credit for creating Barnabas Collins. I've go no intention of wading into THAT dispute here, but Marmorstein wasn't the only talent involved with the show to try to spin off concepts into other programs. Ron Sproat was involved in the "Canadian Dark Shadows," STRANGE PARADISE, while Dan Curtis, Sam Hall and Lela Swift got in on the action with the failed primetime pilot, DEAD OF NIGHT.
Tim Burton and Johnny Depp might have saved themselves the trouble of making an intentionally funny version of DARK SHADOWS had they bothered to watch LOVE BITES, which appears to depend on the same "Rip Van Winkle" jokes of the 2012 film. You can watch some of LOVE BITES in the video below. Don't say I didn't warn you. (Special thanks to the good folks at the WILLIE LOOMIS SAVES COLLINSPORT forum for bringing this to my attention.)
Just as goofy as the Dark Shadow Burton flic but at least this one hasn't stolen the DS name. Ant's acting reminded me of Depp's Barnabas. I'll see if I can find the film and watch rest of it.
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