Fade in on Sunnydale High School. It's nighttime, so all good students should be home studying. Nevertheless, we see a pair of teens break into the building. He's got amorous intentions and she's nervous. What if they get caught? Or worse, what if he's some kind of monster -- as in, the teen-boy-gone-wild, human kind?

A noise. She startles. Are they alone?

They are, he assures her. She smiles then bares her fangs and chomps down on his neck.

From that moment on, I was hooked.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was unlike anything I'd ever seen on TV before. At first glance, the series looked like a fluffy, teen horror show that wasn't going to last long.  But like Buffy herself, there was so much more going on. It was sharp and witty and the dialogue sparkled with pop culture references that they never bothered to explain. You either got it or you didn't. No apologies, no dumbing down.

The show struggled, but made it through its mid-season start on the also struggling new netlet The WB. Then it began to pick up steam. Critics began singing the praises, Sarah Michelle Gellar and company started doing photo shoots and interviews. I was lucky enough to be one of those early reporters who got in while the show was still finding an audience. I sang their praises to everyone who would listen and even to a couple of people who begged me to stop.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the most creative show on television and I couldn't see why everyone else couldn't see it. Then I realized that it didn't matter. Buffy wasn't created for the whole world to enjoy, it was created for the chosen few - for the Cult of Joss and that made it even more special.

Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion could be the cult's bible. It's 475 pages of essays and insights crafted by a forty different writers, all of whom have sipped the Kool-Aid. And I don't mean that as a snipe, I promise you. I say that with all love and affection for these folks who put their thoughts on paper and for the PopMatters editors who pulled it all together.

You see, this book wasn't written for the masses. It's not a biography of Joss Whedon, it's an academic look at all of his projects including Firefly, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Dollhouse, his comic books and his movie work. Each entry examines a project from a specific angle. "When Buffy Met Biblical Studies," "Destiny and Free Will in Dr. Horrible," "Identity and Memory in Dollhouse."

Every author in the book is a fan, but that doesn't mean they give Joss a pass when things didn't add up. They call him on his failures, praise him on his success and ponder the parts that fell somewhere in between. It's heavy reading and in places, the authors reach for connections that might be more coincidence than a plan. It doesn't matter. What matters is that Joss gets us all thinking about religion and feminism, and power, and morals, and the evil that men do.

As Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion not-so-succinctly points out, Joss is a man of many talents, the greatest of which is his ability to entertain.

What is your favorite Joss Whedon project? Tell us about it in the comments below.

I've seen all kinds of movie tie-in products in my life but this one is to die for. Inspired by the new movie Dark Shadows, it's the Crimson Amulet Make-up Collection by NYX Cosmetics

LIMITED EDITION! Captivate and mesmerize with your beauty using the Crimson Amulet collection. This palette inspired by the film “Dark Shadows” comprises of 24 matte and shimmery lush eye shadows, 5 intoxicating blushers, 1 luminous highlighter, 4 succulent lip colors, 1 HD Studio eye shadow base for a more intense eye shadow hue, and 1 extreme black liquid eye liner. Recreate the enticing female characters’ in Dark Shadows using the collection!

To complete the look, Orly has a collection of nail polishes with names like "Buried Alive" and "Decades of Dysfunction."

Gotta love the sense of humor. You can buy the set online or at a local beauty supply store.

Once you're all made up, pose for a portrait and become part of the Collins family gallery. You can also check out the Collins Family Tree and if you're really in a mood, use Angelique's Curse Generator to put a whammy on that guy who done you wrong.

Finally, to help you get into the mood, you can preview Danny Elfman's mischievous score at AOL Music.

Dark Shadows opens in theaters on May 11.

When I was a child, I dreamed about living at Collinwood. Sure, the place was over run with vampires, ghosts, werewolves and nasty human beings, but it wasn't the stuff of nightmares for me. I loved everything about Dark Shadows. I wanted to explore The Old House with Willie Loomis. Smell the salt air at Widow's Peak with Josette. I wanted to have a drink with Joe Haskell at the Blue Whale and have dinner with Elizabeth and Carolyn at the main house.

A half hour a day of Dark Shadows wasn't enough for me. So I honed my writing skills penning my own fan fiction while listening to the soundtrack album, surrounded by photos torn from Tiger Beat and 16 Magazine.

My family wasn't surprised by my obsession. For many years, my bedroom was decorated in Universal Monsters' style. I had a full collection of Aurora monster models (built by me), monster movie posters on the walls and a bookshelf full of spooky tales. One shelf was nothing but gold spines -- Dark Shadows tie-in novels which I bought at the Berlin Auction as soon as they came out.

I suppose the big question is why? Why was I, and so many others, crazy about Dark Shadows? Maybe because it was unlike anything else on TV at the time. It was spooky and cool and romantic in its own quirky way. Victoria and Maggie were girls I could relate to. They were normal girls who wandered into an extraordinary situation and I wanted to trade places with them in spite of the danger.

And while most people were fascinated with Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid), I had a soft spot for Willie Loomis (John Karlen). Oh, I know. He was a whiny, conniving, ne'er do well who got what he deserved when he tried to rob a Collins' coffin, but I still adored him. And I continued to adore him as he changed characters and personalities through the run of the show and the later movies.

There are more than 1,000 episodes of Dark Shadows. Many of the cast members were there throughout much of the run, often playing different characters in different eras and alternate worlds. We've lost quite a few of them, most recently Jonathan Frid, but also Grayson Hall, the regal Joan Bennett, Louis Edmunds and Dennis Patrick. But still carrying the torch on behalf of the show we have Lara Parker, Kathryn Leigh Scott, and my dear John Karlen just to name a few.

We also have MPI, they've done an amazing job keeping the lights burning at Collinwood. They just released the entire series in one incredible collection. 131 discs in a coffin-shaped case. When lined up, the discs form an image of Barnabas in his coffin, which right at the moment, is a little too disturbing for me, given Mr. Frid's recent passing.

If the full set is a little rich for your blood, pick up one of their greatest hits collections.

Dark Shadows: The Best of Barnabas includes 9 episodes spanning from 1967 to 1970. Each episode has a new introduction by Lara Parker. You'll see the first time Barnabas meets Maggie Evans, a romantic encounter with Josette, a suspicious moment with Quentin and an alternate universe episode with Willie the writer wanting to interview Barnabas for his book.

Dark Shadows: Fan Favorites also features 9 episodes with new introductions. You'll see Angelique put her spell on Barnabas, see his return to Collinwood after being released from his coffin, watch him hunt a werewolf with Julia and save Maggie from a fate worse than death.

If you've read this far, you probably know that Johnny Depp is starring as Barnabas Collins in a big budget movie remake of Dark Shadows. It's a Tim Burton film so it's quirky and funnier than most people had imagined when it was announced. I've no doubt that it will be entertaining, a fun homage to the series. But there will never be anything like the original Dark Shadows. Pick up one of the "Best of" DVDs and experience it for the first time, or the first time in a long time. It's a show everyone should see at least once.

This week's Tecca Digital TV Weekly roundup is all about stars, singers and zombies.

I take a look at the new Celebrity Apprentice play-along game for the iPhone and iPad.

Also, I dive into the two TV apps delivering an American Idol experience.

Finally, we strap on our flame throwers and head into the world of the new Walking Dead Social Game on Facebook and make a monster with Syfy's Monster Man Cleve Hall.

You'll find it all at Tecca.com. Just click these underlined words and you'll be magically transported there in moments.

I've always dreamed of owning an old, spooky house with oddly-shaped rooms and secret cubbies. As long as it didn't come fully equipped with a collection of creatures who call my name in the dark. That's the problem Kim Darby faces, when she moves into her grandmother's old home in the 1973, TV movie Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.

Kim plays Sally, a stay-at-home wife dedicated to her upwardly mobile husband (Jim Hutton). Though he's not sold on the merits of country living, Sally happily dives into the task of turning the quaint building into a showplace where she can have cocktail parties with her granny-gown wearing friends. (Granny-gowns were all the rage in 1973.).

To help her with the job, she hires a temperamental, shi shi, interior designer and Uncle Charlie (Willian Demarest) to do the carpentry work.

Sally discovers a small, dark room off the kitchen that was once her grandfather's study. The two by four room has a fireplace which has been bricked up with great vigor and the ash door has been bolted shut. Uncle Charlie tells Sally that it must stay that way but he won't explain why. He should have told her that building a fire in a room the size of a VW bus would be akin to relaxing in front of a metal smelting furnace, but no, he has to be contrary and make her curious.

As soon as he leaves, Sally pries the bolts off the ash door and peers in. It's a bottomless chute and from this angle she sees that unbricking it would be hard. Never mind the fact that the fireplace has no floor, so no place to actually put the burning logs, but that's apparently not important.

What is important, is that Sally has inadvertently set them free. At first, they're nothing but squeaky, whispered voices who are a little too excited about the possibilities. Then they go on the attack. They grab Sally's dress as she walks down the stairs and steal her napkin at a dinner party. When she finally gets a glimpse of the two-foot beasts, she freaks out in front of her guests who all think she's gone mad.

But I Want To!

The creatures are truly a thing of wonder in this movie. They have fat, furry bodies and heads that look like a moldy pumpkins. They move beautifully because they're real. Diminutive actor, Felix Silla, who played Cousin Itt on The Addams Family fills out one of the three monster suits. The set designers then created large scale objects such as books and phones to make the creatures look even smaller as the crawl around spying on Sally.

The best scene in the movie takes place in the bathroom. Sally is in the shower, when the creatures come out of the closet. They use a coat hanger to turn off the lights, then one grabs a straight razor with intentions of doing some damage. "No, don't hurt her," whispers the leader. "But I want to!" razor boy whispers back. It's truly creepy and so much fun.

As Sally spirals downward, her husband gets more annoyed than concerned. She's jeopardizing his shot at full partner at the agency and he wants her to knock it off. Her solution, sell the house which angers not only the designer but the whispering creatures as well. They up their terror campaign, but they don't count on Sally's best friend, Barbara Anderson, the one person who believes Sally's story.

In the end, its a full-on battle for Sally's soul as the creatures find ways to eliminate everyone around her. Her only weapon against them is light but these sneaky little monsters are out to prove a point. Flashlights and candles won't help you. You should be very afraid of the dark.

Warner Archive has recently released a remastered version of this excellent TV movie. It's scary without being gruesome and full of chilling cat and mouse play between Sally and her not-so-inner demons. The movie is available through Warner Archive's burn-on-demand program. Visit their movie page to see a sample of the remastered film quality which is much better than the clip I've included below.

Spoiler alert: This clip does show the creatures, so don't watch it if you'd rather be surprised!

The Fact or Faked team returns tonight with the first of six new episodes where they try find out the secrets behind some very compelling video footage.

First up is a famous UFO video from White Sands, New Mexico. In the video, which you see below, a saucer-shaped object speeds through the air, bounces off the ground then rises up only to crash completely.

The video was taken in 1996 and though many would like to believe it's an actual UFO, the more likely answer is that it's some kind of missile test from the White Sands military base. Tonight, the Fact or Faked team puts several theories to the test in an attempt to recreate the actual footage.

In one attempt, they use a model flying saucer on a set of guide-wires then force it to bounce using gravity and a spring release. It's quite an elaborate set up and it's unlikely that an amateur could have faked the footage that way. Still, it's fun to watch, because it's similar to the method used to create the Jupiter II landing in Irwin Allen's Lost in Space. FBI agent Ben Hansen, journalist Jael and tech-specialist Devin are like little kids when it comes to rockets and blowing things up, so they have a great time working out the origins of this video, even though they had to be roasting in the desert sun.

The second half of the episode is devoted to a ghostly apparition captured at the Tonopah Cemetery in Nevada. At the turn of the century, Tonopah was a prosperous mining town. They even had a luxury hotel with baths, steam heat and elevators. But in 1911, tragedy struck. A small fire broke out at the bottom of a mine shaft and 17 men were killed from either breathing the toxic fumes or falling to their deaths when they tried to escape. The victims were all buried in a lonely little cemetery which is said to be haunted by the spirit of man who died trying to rescue others.

The video in this case, is a moving figure caught on a full spectrum camera by a ghost hunting crew. The figure pops up from behind a tomb, moves a few yards then vanishes. At the same time, there is a growing glow at the far end of the frame, which corresponds with the site of a nearby highway.

Lead scientist Bill Murphy, joins stunt expert Austin Porter and photographer Lanisha Cole as they attempt to recreate the footage on a dark and spooky night. They start with the most likely scenario, that of another person walking around in the dark, then proceed to a hypothesis that requires a convoy of emergency vehicles with full-on lights and sirens.

Both cases are fascinating both from a historical and paranormal perspective but are the accompanying videos fact or fakes? Find out when you tune in to Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files, tonight at 10:00 on Syfy.

FACT OR FAKED: PARANORMAL FILES -- "Humble, Texas" -- Pictured: (l-r) Devin Marble, Lanisha, Bill Murphy -- Photo by: Kim Christensen/Syfy. © NBCUniversal, Inc.

When I saw this new Supernatural photo, I thought, wow Thelma and Louise and sure enough, they're from the upcoming episode "Slash Fiction."

Season 7: "Slash Fiction"
DOUBLE THE WINCHESTERS, DOUBLE THE FUN — Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are once again on the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list when two Leviathans clone the brothers and go on a killing spree.

The subject of a nationwide manhunt, Sam and Dean need to drop off the grid so Bobby (Jim Beaver) sends them to Frank Deveraux (guest star Kevin R. McNally), a quirky surveillance expert, for help. Meanwhile, Bobby continues to search for a way to kill the Levianthans, or at least slow them down, so the real Winchesters can stop their evil doppelgangers.

John Showalter directed the episode written by Robbie Thompson (#706).

"Slash Fiction" - (L-R): Jared Padalecki as "Sam" and Jensen Ackles as "Dean" in SUPERNATURAL on The CW. Photo: Jack Rowand/The CW©2011 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Here are some wonderful photos of James Marsters (Spike) and Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia) from Buffy, playing a married couple on Supernatural

COMING SOON:

Here's the plot for the upcoming episode "Slash Fiction"

DOUBLE THE WINCHESTERS, DOUBLE THE FUN — Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are once again on the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list when two Leviathans clone the brothers and go on a killing spree. The subject of a nationwide manhunt, Sam and Dean need to drop off the grid so Bobby (Jim Beaver) sends them to Frank Deveraux (guest star Kevin R. McNally), a quirky surveillance expert, for help. Meanwhile, Bobby continues to search for a way to kill the Levianthans, or at least slow them down, so the real Winchesters can stop their evil doppelgangers. John Showalter directed the episode written by Robbie Thompson (#706).

Did you know that Jensen Ackles' dad provided the newscaster voice in the first episode Jensen directed, "Weekend at Bobby's?"

Did you know that the purgatory manual in "Like a Virgin" was made out of real skin - pig, not human.

Did you know that Supernatural: The Official Companion for Season 6 is loaded with trivia, quotes and photos from every episode in the season? Of course, you did but I'm going to tell you more about it anyway.

Season Six began with domesticated Dean and Souless Sam. Grandpa Campbell also returned with a singular goal in mind - do what ever he can to please a demon so he can see his daughter Mary again. It was all about the Alphas, the very first creatures that begat all the rest of the creatures and that meant some terrifying close calls for the Winchester brothers.

The companion book begins with Sera Gamble and Robert Singer talking about a new direction for the series. Then there's a closer look at each of the episodes with trivia, music listings, quotes and black and white photos.

When you hit the center of the book, you'll find gold. Eight full page of glossy color photos including stunning portraits of Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins and a collection of candid, behind-the-scenes shots. There's also a closer look at some of the Sixth Season's best props such as a heavenly blade and the Staff of Moses.

The book rolls into one page bios on the actors who joined the show for the season including Cindy Sampson (Lisa), Nicholas Elia (Ben), Mark Sheppard (Crowley) and Sebastian Roche (Balthazar). That's followed by installments in the Meet the Crew series (Cinematography, Line Producer and Special Effects) and a discussion called "Do you believe?"

Author Nicholas Knight wraps things up with a look at the current tie-in books and past year's conventions.

Oh, but before you close the cover on this companion book, Dean Winchester has a couple of things he wants to say. "11 Clues Your Brother Might Not Have a Soul" and "11 Signs Something Scarier Than the Apocalypse is Coming" will make you laugh while you take a trip down the Season Six memory lane.

Clue 9: You're abducted by aliens and [your brother] puts less effort into getting you back than most people put into choosing their words in a Scrabble game.

I think Dean is very glad that it's a new year full of new promise, new hope and all new monsters.

Season Seven of Supernatural is now airing Friday's at 9:00 on The CW. Season Six is available on Blu-ray and DVD and the Companion Book is also available right now on Amazon. Enjoy.

A giant, man-eating spider? A tree that runs from the scene of the crime? How about a haunted Dodge Charger that's out for blood? Any one of these monsters could end up on an episode of Supernatural, but for author John Passarella, one wasn't enough. He put all of these villains into one book along with a giant gila monster, an escaped ax murderer, a headless horseman and Nazi zombies. Yes, Nazi zombies.

The book is "Supernatural: Night Terror" and it's the newest TV Tie-in release from Titan books.

Sam and Dean Winchester head off to Clayton Fall, Colorado to investigate a series of very strange happenings. A group of drunk teens babbling on about seeing a headless horseman might be written off as fantasy, but when one of them is killed by a phantom car, that's another story.

Actually, it's quite a few stories. The car belongs to the dead boyfriend of Amy Quinn, who happens to be the Sheriff's daughter. But killer tress come from Daniel Barnes' imagination and then there's Olga Kucharski who has a fondness for late night b-horror movies. In other words, everyone's nightmares are coming true. But why? Could it be related to the new sleep research center? Or maybe the horrible factory fire that devastated the company town?

There's plenty for Sam and Dean to investigate and that's the problem with "Supernatural: Night Terror," it's too much. Too many monsters, too many characters, too many paths for the boys to follow and that's a shame. Passarella is an excellent writer. If this were a generic, horror story, it would probably work, but this is Supernatural and Sam and Dean simply don't get enough page time. This is particularly troublesome in the last 300 pages where two whole chapters are devoted to new characters meeting their gruesome ends.

From a character standpoint, Sam and Dean are mostly spot on. Dean gets a couple of heroic moments when he has to save a toddler from the sink hole to hell and throughout the story as he tries to keep Lucy Quinn from becoming the Charger's next victim. Sam picks up on the vital clues that lead them to the answer, all the while battling his own worst nightmare.

Overall, I wish that the author had cut the monster count in half in this book. I understand that the joy of writing a tie-in, is that you can go places they can't go on the show because of time or budget, but Passarella took that thought too much to heart. When the Velociraptors showed up in Chapter Twelve, I nearly put the book down and walked away from this one. Supernatural means you can get away with almost anything, but it doesn't mean you can get away with everything, all in one book.