Dark Shadows, a TV show about vampires, is a perfect distillation of both television and vampires: It won't stay dead, it's constantly revived, and it has legions of fans that spread the rerun curse to countless others. The late '60s ABC gothic soap opera about the Collins clan and their deep, dark secret of family vampire Barnabas is the focus of this weekend's 27th Dark Shadows Resurrected Convention. And who better to see you through the weekend than Jonathan Frid — Barnabas Collins himself! You'll banquet at the Marriott with Frid and other series cast and crew; discuss the pros and cons of the coming Tim Burton-Johnny Depp film adaptation; and voyage with Frid to a screening of the 1970 film House of Dark Shadows at the Vista Theatre in Hollywood. True Blood is the true heir to the Dark Shadows throne, while pale imitators like The Vampire Diaries come off more like an episode of Laff-A-Lympics. And kids 6 to 12 are half-off — or half-offed, considering the event.

Fri., July 16, 10 a.m.; Sat., July 17, 10 a.m.; Sun., July 18, 10 a.m., 2010

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