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Summary: GRRRRREAT!
Review: I agree with the other reviewers. This set of eight weeks is nice and much better produced than the Dark Shadows compilation DVD that was released last year. I can hardly wait for Parallel Time! The two nice things about the DVDs are not having to wait to rewind a video tape and smaller storage space for them!I have only one small gripe about this set. I wish that they had actually started a few weeks back, where the Laura storyline had ended and Jason and Willie had just arrived. This would give a little more history to their presence at Collinwood, especially with the tension that Jason creates for Elizabeth, Carolyn and Vicky.
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Summary: Dark shadows DVD collection 1
Review: I loved this box set .i like the interview with jonathan frid barnabas collins and maggie evans kathryn leigh scott and wille loomes john karlen you get an idea how the show was done . cant wait till the next box set comes out . if you are a die hard fan of this show you wont be disspointed .
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Summary: Complete, low budget, melodramatic, gothic, and addicting!
Review: ... Basically, this first DVD set is VHS Volumes 1-4; in other words, 8 actual weeks of the programme, 2 weeks on each disc. The quality is better than the VHS tapes, but not greatly, as Dark Shadows was a very low budget soap opera, and through the years some of the original prints were lost, damaged, etc., and alternative prints were utilised in their stead; but it is a definite improvement over the quality of the VHS tapes. The programmes on this DVD collection begin at the same point in the series as the VHS videos begin: a synopsis of the earlier episodes and characters followed by the introduction of Barnabas Collins the Vampyre. As far as extras, there are three interviews approximately 5 minutes long each: Jonathan Frid (Barnabas), Kathryn Leigh-Scott (Maggie, Josette), and John Karlen (Willie, Kendrick), each interviewed several years ago. What really should be noted about the DVD collection(s) that differs from the VHS tapes is that ALL THE EPISODES ARE COMPLETE AND UNEDITED. The VHS tapes are actually edited. I didn't really notice this at first, until I realised I was seeing episodes and parts of episodes that weren't shown in the VHS volumes. (A clue to this being my former statement that the DVD collection, consisiting of 8 weeks, equals that of the VHS Volumes, 1-4; and as the VHS volumes only consist of approximately one week each, the math is incorrect.) By seeing the complete episodes, the viewer will find (after having watched the VHS tapes) the story to be fleshed out more, focusing more on all the characters and situations. If you're new to Dark Shadows and are curious about this show and want a good starter sampler, this DVD collection is perhaps the best and least expensive way to start. For to begin with less than these 40 episodes will not give one a good idea of the scope of this programme. Quite frankly, even 40 episodes isn't enough to give anyone the idea of the scope of this show as there were so many changes in events and characters throughout the series. Keep in mind this is/was a five day a week soap opera (even if it is gothic), that it was on for approximately four to five years, that, as with all soap operas, it is mainly dialogue-based and moves at a snail's pace, and that, as such, can be very boring and tedious at times! And do expect low budget effects, bouts of melodramatic acting, and loads and loads of flubs and mistakes that made it onto film (due to the fact that the show was more often than not taped live and editing wasn't an option). However despite the many drawbacks, Dark Shadows is charming, addicting, imaginative, romantic, and eerie. And no matter how much one likes or dislikes a particular episode, one simply MUST see the next episode...and the next...and the next...and so on. In a nutshell, Dark Shadows, with all its faults (probably more than any other show that ever aired on television), is pleasing because of the suspense and intrigue, and the imagination that propells it; because of the continuing story and the characters involved (who are portrayed by some very talented actors); and because of the romantic, supernatural escapism that draws us in. Watching Dark Shadows is very much like watching a play on a stage; and if one views it that way (no pun intended) all the mistakes, flubs, etc. will simply not matter. ...
Rating: 
Summary: Dark Shadows DVD disappointments
Review: As much as I like Dark Shadows (and I am a BIG fan), I am disappointed in the DVD releases. Having viewed the VHS video releases, I was eagerly awaiting the DVDs. Sadly, after watching two different sets of DVD release number one, I found bad discs in both. Player lock-up and picture skips spoil the fun. I can't recommend Dark Shadows DVD purchases based on the first release. Too many technology "glitches" are present. MPI could do much better, and loyal fans deserve more reliability for their repeat business.
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Summary: re: Spanish Dubbing & Episode Tags
Review: Okay first things first, I just got my DVD's today and the sound distribution is great, the video quality surpasses the video tapes, my only qualm with it is that they picked up with episode 210, rather than taking the chance to go all the way back to episode 1, there were some interesting storylines and some real fine moments in the first season, but I can only assume that they'll follow suit with the video release of the series on DVD. But right now I want to comment on a few other comments made by other viewers. True, there are no episode tags on the episodes, but I guess the guys who released the episodes figured that telling which episode # you're clicking on at the title screen, and the handy little insert was enough, they were wrong I guess. As for spanish dubbing of the series . . . do you realize what it would take to get enough guys to do spanish voiceovers for all 1245 episodes? Okay, maybe somewhere along the line for your local tv station someone did go through the episodes and did Spanish voiceovers, but since that wasn't an MPI or Dan Curtis related project, it wasn't something that they had the liberty to use.
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Summary: Dark Shadows on DVD is a dream (a spooky one)
Review: Face it: you wouldn't be looking at this collection if you weren't already a fan of the show or buying it for someone who is, so there's little point in me waxing eloquent about the appeal of the gothic melodrama, the intriguing characters, and the sheer hilarity of watching props fall or the actors struggle valiantly to come up with a forgotten line... Dark Shadows is just fun, and the DVD presentation is a treat. Set 1 includes four discs, each with ten black & white episodes. Disc 1 (episodes 210-219) features a brief narrative of the show's history prior to the arrival of Barnabas Collins, touching briefly on the first "supernatural" storyline with David's Phoenix-like mother. Discs 2 through 4 (ep. 220-250) include five minute interviews with Jonathan Frid, Kathryn Leigh Scott, and John Karlen. The transfer of the episodes to DVD is sharp and clear, even on episode 211 (Barnabas Collins' first appearance) where the original videotape master has been lost and a filmed copy used instead. The DVD menus are snazzy and easy to navigate, and the packaging includes a postcard featuring a scene from the show. The only problem with the collection is that by the time you watch episode 250, you'll want the next DVD set immediately!
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Summary: Where is the spanish dubbing???
Review: This series is fabulous. Dark Shadows and specially the acting by Barnabas Collins is supreme. However, I am terribly dissapointed that it does not have the spanish version (dubbing). Specially because the spanish voice of Barnabas Collins added so much creppiness to the show. There is no need of english subtitles as the english pronunciation of all actors is superb, it is like listening to an english lesson. It is a pitty that DVD technology is not used to its full extend when you have the possibility of doing so much more for the show ...
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Summary: Frid is one of the all-time great screen vampires!
Review: I watched this show after I got home from school back in the mid-late 60's and bought this collection with that nostalgia in mind...but after viewing it for the first time in over 30 years, I can see why I watched it back then: Jonathan Frid is absolutely mesmerizing as vampire Barnabas Collins! He has such a captivating screen presence that he makes even the dullest of scenes interesting. Any scene without him is inferior! Watch his eyes...his lips curl with that half-evil grin while charming the others...his face muscles twitch...his hollow cheeks add even more dark shadows to each scene. The man is truly amazing even when he doesn't speak a word. I'm 1000% glad I purchased this collection. It's creepy, gothic, cheap, cheesy, sexy, nostalgic, funny and a pure joy watching Barnabas dupe the Collins family...plus there are interviews with cast members that include Frid; still a marvel to watch after all these years. If you remember the show at all, you'll be totally content with this product and the other volumes to follow...I can't say enough good things about it!
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Summary: We now return to "Dark Shadows"
Review: Okay, let's just say that dispite the fact that these episodes are over 30 years old, they still seem to have an appeal today, thanks to the timeless gothic pace that was put into the series with the introduction of Barnabas Collins.With effects done with fishing line, paste and glue make-up and the scenes done sometimes in one take, in effect with some actors forgetting their lines, or stumbling across the room, these episodes are in effect as funny as they are scarry.Now that they are on DVD (at a considerablly lower price than the VHS for the same amount of episodes) you can enjoy having mini marathons of episodes. And whether you're watching them because you're a serious fan who has watched the show from the beginning, a fan of one of the actors/actress' in the show (for me it was Alexandra Moltke) a curious newcomer, or whatever, this package is for you.
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Summary: Can't get enough of Dark Shadows
Review: I have the collection on video and when this came out I still brought it. I love the interviews with the stars. With video tapes you have to rewind or forward and with dvd's you just push the button. The only thing you don't have with the dvd's are the jackets that the video tapes come in and that are artistically great. If you love dark shadows buy them I can't wait for the others to come out.
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