Four decades after its heyday, the horror-themed soap opera Dark Shadows retains a strong cult following. Many of those fans are gay men who ran home from school to watch the time-traveling adventures of Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid), the lonely, reluctant vampire. Barnabas' isolated existence, and his having to remain closeted about his undead status, may have been what appealed to young, closeted gays in the 1960s.
Times have changed. We've come out and changed the world. And now, our living-dead friends are following in our footsteps. This month, as its witchcraft-themed series Dante's Cove shoots its third season, Here!TV unveils The Lair, a new soap about gay, sexually active vampires. What would the prim and proper Barnabas have thought?
Since its inception, Here!TV has been functioning as the world's first LGBT movie studio. Here! has chosen to eschew what we usually get, films about coming out, HIV and politics. Instead, Here! has opted to entertain us with an impressive line-up of genre features and series. The network has offered spy thrillers, film noir, and action flicks, all with a queer twist.
Until now, Here!TV has been available mainly as a pay-per-view service in most markets. But come August 1, Here! debuts as a full-time premium channel on Comcast Cable. The network is currently negotiating similar deals with satellite carriers. DVD releases of its product have made the network accessible to all.
The Lair is the brainchild of Fred Olen Ray, a lifelong fan of classic horror films. Ray has been producing and directing B horror movies for decades. Much of his output has been for the home-entertainment market, where he has a solid fan-base.
Ray, who worked as a supervising producer on Dante's Cove, is excited about his latest venture. "The Lair is a chance to express myself in subjects that I find interesting," he said in an e-mail. "I love the gothic, dark side of fiction, and have a lot to draw on after years of immersing myself in the classic Universal and more explicit Hammer monster films.
"Dark Shadows was definitely an influence on me and in the soap opera plotting that goes into a show like The Lair," Ray wrote. "Obviously, we owe a lot to Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allan Poe, and HP Lovecraft. It's hard not to be influenced by the past. I feel there's also a nod to Boris Karloff's The Mummy and Shakespeare's Julius Caesar — all intentional, of course!"
Prominently featured in The Lair 's cast is a fully-clothed Colton Ford. Ford came to the project after Here! distributed Naked Fame, a documentary that followed Ford's journey from gay porn-star to dance-music diva/entrepreneur. Ford speaks openly and comfortably about his X-rated past, which he does not view as a hindrance to pursuing other avenues in the entertainment industry.
Ford is quite effective as The Lair 's Sheriff Trout, proving that he's a man of many talents. The muscular Ford is undeniably sexy in his tight-fitting policeman's uniform. "I've acted in the past, but it's been a long while," muses Ford. "It was great to get back in the saddle. I really enjoyed the process of making The Lair and the people associated with it.
"I think for viewers, The Lair is meant to be a fun ride. Sexy, campy and just plain fun."
There's much in The Lair for classic horror and Dark Shadows fans to enjoy. There are also elements of Queer as Folk and Buffy, though Ray says that Buffy wasn't meant to be an influence.
In the first episode, Ford's Sheriff and journalist Thom (cute David Maretti) are investigating a series of murders in a small seaside town. The victims, all gay men, have strange wounds on their neck and have been drained of blood.
It isn't too long before we find the source of the trouble: The Lair is a popular gay dance/sex club, and it's run by vampires! As Thom begins to unravel the mystery, his jealous boyfriend Jonathan (Jesse Cutlip) begins tailing him. Jonathan soon finds himself in The Lair, where sexy Damian (Peter Stickles) and Kiefer Sutherland look-alike Colin (Dylan Vox) are waiting to feast upon his neck and other body parts! Tune in tomorrow.
The show is exactly what Ford & Ray claim: dark, sexy and fun. Perhaps a bit silly, but a thoroughly enjoyable guilty pleasure. In horror films of the past, the vampire's bite was meant to be a metaphor for the sex act. No such metaphors here: these Creatures of the Night aren't just thirsty, they're horny!
The Lair, episodes one and two, are currently available at Comcast on Demand's pay-per-view service, at a charge of $3.99 per viewing. Both will remain up through July. More episodes will be added in coming weeks. Look for Comcast to launch Here!TV as a full-time premium channel this summer. The network will cost $7.99 per month.