Dark Shadows Discussion Thread

[quartermainefan]

http://www.bigfinish.com/13-Dark-Shadows-The-Night-Whispers-Audiobook

[DRW50]

Barnabas and Willie together again

I almost wish they'd just have Barbara Steele play Julia. She was very good in the primetime version, and while I love Grayson Hall, she's obviously not going to be able to do the voice here.

[Quent]

I watched the original series way back. Like many, I ran home from school to catch it. I started watching in the middle of Victoria Winters journey into the past, and I LOVED that story. Barnabas/Josette, Vicky/Peter Bradford, Nathan Forbes conning Millicent, loyal Ben Stokes, and the luminous addition of Angelique who had great screen presence. I was a DS fan from that day forward.

My sister saw the show from the beginning, and she says that pre-Barnabas DS was quite good, but not as over-the-top as post-Barnabas. I know it involves someone named Laura who was a Phoenix. My question to you guys is this: would it be worth looking at those old episodes, or would it be a disappointment?

On a totally unrelated note, I remember a child actress who played a character named Sarah. As I recall it (from 40 years later!) , she was constantly forgetting her lines, almost to the point where it became hysterical. Am I remembering this correctly, or is my mind playing tricks on me?

[Bright Eyes]

Quent, I have ONLY seen the Beginning episodes and I quite enjoyed them. I think you should definitely take a look see.

[Drew]

I've seen the first set of beginning episodes, they were quite good. Sadly zip.ca hasnt added the rest. I enjoyed the Matthew Morgan arc when I saw that ages ago in low res downloads.

You guys may enjoy Strange Paradise, the CBC attempt at a Dark Shadows that aired in 1969. 20 full episodes are now online. http://www.youtube.com/strangeparadise69

[DRW50]

Wow, thanks. This is the one that Harding Lemay wrote for, and someone who was once at DS, right?

[Ryan Chamberlain]

You know. I've tried to watch this so many times. But, it's one of the few soaps I really cannot get into. It's too fast paced and jumpy with all the different 'chapters' If you want to call them that. I like the stories and all. And, the acting is great. But, changing everything so quickly. It just got too confusing.

I do want to see the remake though. The movie seems like it would be fun.

Edited May 15, 2010 by weareclouds

[All My Shadows]

The remake as in the supposed upcoming remake or the 1991 series? The entire revival series is (legally) posted on YouTube if you want to check it out.

[quartermainefan]

Netflx users, Dark Shadows is now available for streaming right to your computer. They have already converted the first two collections with Barnabas and to stream you start with Willie Loomis opening the coffin.

Edited May 15, 2010 by quartermainefan

[Ryan Chamberlain]

The upcoming movie. I've seen the 91 remake. it was alright.

I just remembered that I have a few eppies of the original on my DVR. They played it on a HD mystery channel a while back. I might try to watch an eppy before bed tonight.

[EricMontreal22]

Yep. It aired recently here in Canada on Drive Inn Classics (a digital station I never got)

Nice to see you back here, Drew!

[drasticmeasures]

I was hoping that myself when I first saw Barbara Steele's name listed in the cast for the audio drama. I wasn't a big fan of the 1991 revival overall, but I would like to see the character of Julia continued. She was my favorite of the original DS ladies.

[quartermainefan]

I started to rewatch DS on netflix and after six or seven episodes I have to say it still holds up. It is slow, amateurish, and all the rest, but it is true to its world. I can honestly recommend this for anyone looking for a soap to watch at night. It's sort of fun.

[Drew]

Yes, Harding Lemay came in at the end and wrecked nearly everything. And Robert Costello and Ron Sproat both came on from Dark Shadows.

[DRW50]

What did he do?

The episodes I watched were a bit of an adjustment, although that may have been down to the low budget, and the unfortunate blonde wig on one of the main female cast members. I did laugh at all the Home Alone style scenes (people with their hands to their faces).

With Dark Shadows, not long ago I watched the episodes where Laura kills poor Dr. Guthrie. It's very cleverly written, because earlier in the episode, she nearly burns him alive in the Collinwood drawing room, but he manages to fight that off. Then he gets in his car to get some papers from his hotel room, and she gets him then. It's a very chilling scene, actually -- they even have stock footage to show his car in ruins.

And poor Victoria's so desolate and barely able to react to his death. I think he would have been a very important part of her life if he'd lived. She had many more brain cells around him than she ever did around Burke or Barnabas or Jeff.

Edited May 24, 2010 by CarlD2