Nights in white satin, never reaching the end...

Quarter to six in the a.m. and I've yet to slumber.

Could have something to do with the migraine meds I took at midnight. Caffeine in it, you know.

Whatever the case, it put me in mind of a Moody Blues tune. You know it, no doubt.

Nights in white satin, never reaching the end...

Thought about it so long that I finally dug out the vinyl. Boy, does it ever sound good, pops and cracks and all.

Actually, if you're careful and clean, vinyl holds up pretty well. And we all know it's the superior sound for any serious audiophile.

Anyhow, the song also brought back memories of the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp "Dark Shadows."

Purists hated it. Audiences went to see some big budget comic book blockbuster that opened in the same cycle. Dime a dozen, they are, and I can't keep track.

I wanted to despise the Burton/Depp "Dark Shadows" but I didn't. The reason I bring it up is because the scene that's stayed with me is the main title sequence. That haunting Moody Blues melody plays as Victoria Winters travels (by train, of course) to Collinsport.

I felt chills during that moment. Not sure why, but I knew then that I would like the movie. And I did. No, it wasn't "Dark Shadows." But it was fine, fun, visually stunning, and threw enough bones to the longtime fan to make one smile.

So now it's almost six and I guess I should get to bed, eh?

Just what I'm going through, they can't understand...

Rest in peace, Barnabas

It was with a heavy heart that I heard today that Jonathan Frid, the man who made Barnabas Collins famous on the '60s ABC-TV classic "Dark Shadows," passed away, ironically on Friday the 13th.

A relative said his health was declining in recent weeks and he died peacefully in his sleep.

"Dark Shadows" was my favorite show when I was a kid. The theme song is my cell phone's ringtone.

I'll write more after I have collected my thoughts. I can't help but wonder if this Tim Burton/Johnny Depp train wreck didn't hasten Mr. Frid's death.

Rest in peace, Barnabas. You'll never know how much this kid liked you and adored Dan Curtis's crazy dream.