The Daily Times

Nothing compares to watching a film in theatres. You lose that indescribable movie magic when you watch something on TV, despite the fact that screens are getting flatter and bigger.

As January rolls along, some are thinking about their last year on Earth — if the Mayans are right about the end of the world, that is. I prefer to ignore that possibility and focus on lighter things, like planning my 2012 movie viewing schedule.

BFG has become my ultimate movie buddy and guide. He’s managed to talk me into movies that I never would have believed I would watch. There are a couple I still wish I hadn’t, but for the most part it’s been a good experience.

Last week, he gave me his list of potential big-screen ventures. Not surprisingly, there are a few which I didn’t know even existed. But mixed in with the blockbusters, such as “Prometheus” and “The Amazing Spider-Man,” I noticed: “Dark Shadows.”

The story started out as a gothic soap opera in the 1960s and was reincarnated in the ’90s but only lasted 12 episodes. I had watched the original a little, thanks to my mom, but I refused to watch the updated version.

You see, at the heart of the “Dark Shadows” saga was something that had always terrified me: vampires. As I explained to BFG over lunch one day, vampires are scary and rightfully so. After all, they could be anywhere and anyone.

I had to clarify a few things, though. I’m not talking about the ones that sparkle in the sunlight, a la “Twilight.” Sparkling automatically makes fright null and void.

And the guys from “The Vampire Diaries” have to be omitted from my scary list. Sure, they’re capable of ripping heads off — and have done it in a few episodes — but they’re just so darn cute when they do it! Seriously, they spend half the show shirtless sometimes. It’s great.

When I was growing up, I refused to watch vampire shows and/or movies. You can keep your Draculas and Lestats ­­— from “Interview With the Vampire.”

I’m not a big fan of scary movies, anyway. “Nightmare on Elm Street” made me worry about sleeping for weeks. But at least with beasties like Wolfman, Michael Myers, Chucky or inbred rednecks, I can see them coming and run my butt in the other direction. With vampires, they could be sitting right next to you, and you wouldn’t know it until it was too late. Folks, it won’t just be your ear that mysterious stranger nibbles on.

As he always does, BFG brought me down to earth saying that I did have a valid point in the fact that a vampire could indeed be anyone ... if they were real. Of course, I already knew that.

Vampires are characters in a book or on a screen. There isn’t one that lives next door, such as in “Fright Night.” (I actually saw that one, although I did warn BFG that he might get grabbed if I got scared. I resisted the urge, however.)

So no, vampires don’t exist, but that’s the beauty of movies, at least for me. In the movies, the guy always gets the girl, everyone lives happily ever after and fantastical things that could never exist in reality come to life on the screen. Besides, fears are supposed to be irrational. Isn’t that why we have them in the first place?

So I’ll go see “Dark Shadows” and several other new releases with him this year. But I can’t promise I won’t jump, grab or cover my eyes.

Sounds like a good compromise to me.

Amanda Greever is assistant managing editor for print at The Daily Times. She writes a weekly column in the Sunday Life section. She can be reached at 981-1161 or (amanda.greever@thedailytimes.com) Follow her on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com _editor.

You must be logged in to Facebook to comment. If you're not logged in to Facebook, a login window will open when you click "comment". Or you can log in now. You may need to refresh your page after logging in via that link.