The death of Jonathan Frid...a fell omen?

Now, I recognise that there are people for whom Johnny Depp hangs the moon. I do not deny that he is a very talented thespian, one who made mincing manly in those Disney movies based on a thrill ride. No, my issue is with this role, this...franchise, as the producers say. "Dark Shadows" was a quirky soap opera on occult themes...vampires, witches, revived dead people, like that. Time travel, too. It was produced live, so it was a real WYSIWIG experience. It was often (unintentionally) amusing, which was much of the charm of the show.  Sometimes a background flat tree would fall over, or a script would be left on a bed. "Dark Shadows" drinking game: every time you see the mike dip into the scene, drink up!

On the other hand, judging by the trailer, the movie is a comedy, a dark one, but comedy nonetheless, which the series definitely was not. Hollywood's incessant need to re-tool, to knock the edges off the perfectly-tooled wheel, is beyond my ken. We will not discuss my Barbie....I can only assume that Government schools accomplished their intent.

As to the demise of the inimitable Mr. Frid, well, perhaps there is a mercy in it. He will not see his well-known persona lampooned. If he did seen it pre-release, it may raise other questions. The undead can only take so much.