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Summary: As a teen this was the scariest! but where's the movies???
Review: I was born in 1960, and amongst my favorite television shows were H.R Puffinstuff, Josey & the Pussycats, Lost In Space, Time Tunnell and Pix Anne. So how did a good kid like me get hooked on Dark Shadows? Well, blame Angelique. I was smitten by her beauty and magical ways. There was no other actress more beautiful than this witch, not even Elizabeth Montgomery. The stories of vampires, witches and werewolves kept me glued to ABC for years and I was known to play sick so I could get out of after-school Bible classes...we didn't have VCR's back then. I recently watched the whole first season and was impresses on how well it stood up after all these years! I even watched the remake with Ben Cross and had the public and network brass given it half a chance I think they would have had another hit on their hands. Now, although I am pleased that this is now available on DVD, WHAT ABOUT THE TWO MOVIES???? (House of dark Shadows & Night Of Dark Shadows) Will they ever see the transfer to DVD? The collectors addition would be the crown jewel of any serious horror or goth DVD collection and to the legion of fans out there. Dan Curtis Productions, are you listening? Give us our DARK SHADOW movies too, my soul will not rest till I own then on DVD!
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Summary: The best day time soap ever around
Review: I remember seeing Dark Shadows when I was a kid and truly loved it. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Dark Shadows. Jonathan Frid as Barnabas is the best vampire and the acting from all of the cast is outstanding. I watch the show on Sci-Fi every chance I get. I have the entire series on VHS.
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Summary: Dark Shadows
Review: This is Must for anyone who loves Dark Shadows. I could never get enough of this show I just love it. I am a true Dark Shadows fan. I watch it on Sci Fi everyday. As I have said before so I shall repeat it this is truly a must to purchase for anyone who enjoyed Dark Shadows.
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Summary: Gothic Reigns
Review: No one can watch gothic and not enjoy the Dark Shadows series. Yes, it can be hokey in spots, but when you think of the time period it was made you must marvel at the inventivness of the series. Jonathan Frid as Barnabas is so enjoyable you almost want to take him home. He has a suaveness about him that makes you to want to know him better. Lara Parker is at her best as the wicked and evil Angelique. David Selby, well, what can one say,as Quintin Collins he'll definitely catch your attention! Kate Jackson as the adorable and nieve Daffney, makes you feel sorry for her, and you should. John Karlen as Willie Loomis will aboslutely delight you. There are many fine actors that you will surely recognize when you watch this series. Myself, I watched when it first aired and continue to watch, because the lure of the unknown, the hope it will change, and the will to want to help those who need help and nail the evil ones is so great you must know what happens next. Humber Allen Astredo as Satan/Nicholas Blair is a performance you do not want to miss. His acting abilities are limitless. Even today,somewhere, Dark Shadows is running. Even though it didn't have the special effects that series have today (I would love to see what they could do now with the technology we have today) it is as enduring and enjoyable as it was back in 1966. The first episodes were done in black and white, which give them even more of a creepy feel, the later ones were done in color, which is worth the wait, for when they go to the past the gowns are fabulous to see, and the portraits hold your attention for the beautiful artwork that was done. If you like gothic, you will like this series.
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Summary: May Barnabas Never Meet the Wrong End of a Stake
Review: Are creaking coffins, cobweb-filled doorways and flickering candelabras your thing? How about romantic, angst-filled Gothic vampires, in endless conflict with their mortal souls and their immortal longings? Nah, it ain't that overly-slick, too-hip-for-its-own-good "Buffy" show that people talk about. We're talking about Dark Shadows, the FIRST vampire series on tv; the Granddaddy of all Gothic shows.Premiering in 1966, it began as your basic routine, lovey-dovey serial tear-jerker with all those little coffee cups and handy hankies. But low ratings forced the mighty cancellation axe too close for comfort, so producer/creator Dan Curtis said, "Aw, the heck with it. If we're gonna go out, let's go out with a bang. Let's introduce a vampire!" And so, BARNABAS COLLINS was born. At first glance, Barnabas seemed another bastardly knock-off of ol' Drac himself...but this is daytime television. In soaps, you have time to peer beneath the surface of your favorite characters. We got to know him, this Barnabas, and rank imitator, or two-dimensional camp caricature he never was. No, this was a vampire with a soul. With a purpose. With longings far beyond the jugular of the next available neck. Ah, Barnabas. Television's first sex symbol of the undead. An instant American icon. You invited him into your home. You loved him, and you loved for him to scare the...out of you. But wait, there's something else here that's even scarier than Barnabas! Ya see, this was taped back in 1966. It is LIVE on tape, that is, whatever they taped was what you saw. There was very little in the way of editing. This is television at its most raw, and most compelling. Everything is left to chance, or fate. If the candles accidentally fall off their holders, that's okay! Keep rolling! It's too expensive to stop and go back! Did that legendary soap actress really flub her lines? Who cares! We gotta be out of the studio by 5:00! Keep going! Keep going! Watching Dark Shadows is terrifying far beyond its subject matter...because you just...never...know what's going to happen next. It could be a door that won't open. It could be a fly landing on the ingenue's nose. It could be a piece of scenery crashing to the ground. All these things could happen, and all of them did! And it's right there for you to see...forever. This is not that canned, over-rehearsed and edited-to-death, spontaneity-free junk you've been watching the last 30 years. This is REAL television! DARK SHADOWS, brother. See it!
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Summary: Long Overdue!
Review: Finally..."Dark Shadows" in a durable home video format! Best of all, no commercials...no annoying cable channel logos constantly gracing the screen...and, wonder upon wonders, full screen credits at the end of each episode! Video quality is excellent, considering the age of the series, but the biggest surprise is the collection's sole kinescope--a very important one, featuring the first lines spoken by Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins, it looks remarkable, especially compared to the same episode as aired in syndication. Crisp/clean throughout, it's easy to forget at times that you're looking at a film of a videotaped program. This goes beyond DVD "looking better," someone obviously spent some time cleaning up/retransferring that particular episode. MPI only left one thing out...the opening slates, which I had dearly hoped would be included in the DVD release. That's minor, however. If you're a fan of "Dark Shadows," don't hesitate to buy this collection!
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Summary: It Rocks!
Review: I just bought the DVD collection from here, the episodes are great. In this set, Barnabas is free from the coffin thanks to Willie. He kidnaps Maggie Evans and tries to make her be his Josette. Elizabeth has a secret in the basement. Carolyn and Roger want to know what it is because Jason McGuire is blackmailing her into marrying him. This is a must have for Dark Shadows fans. The show gets even better from here.
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Summary: wonderful story
Review: I was pointed in the direction of Dark Shadows by the mention of it on a different tv program I watch. I've seen the first disc of Collection 1 and it's wonderfully "cult" just the right amount of lighting, music, scary sounds. The only thing I do take exception to is the ridiculous packaging. It's like single DVD cases attached to each other. Yuck and I like my DVD collections to look attractive. So I've quickly stored the discs in plastic cases and thrown out the case they came in. I think that we deserve better than what we are given. Again, not attractive. The show is excellent it's campy, suprisingly well acted with the dialogue too. I can't wait to finish the first set.
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Summary: Best T.V. Show EVER! (IMHO)
Review: Dark Shadows has gone down in history as one of the most popular daytime tv dramas ever. Whatwith cheap and sometimes moving sets, visble boom-mikes and a tremendous amount of dialog flubs , this show is still the best!<br />
My only complaint with this DVD release is that they did not start from the beginning. While some consider the first 200 or so episodes as non-essential and rather dull(which they were), I cannot imagine someone coming to Dark Shadows for the first time without seeing them. I consider them essential in the development of the series!!<br />
Lets see those on DVD soon, please!! And the 2 Dark Shadows movies too!! AND the remake seies(all 13 episodes even though it wasn't given a chance by the studios, too)YAY!!!!
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Summary: Nothing Else Like It!
Review: Dark Shadows is quite simply one of the best, if not the best, television series ever created. It is often billed as a "soap opera" because it was a daily program, but it doesn't feel like your typical "soap opera." It has a hint of theatrical feel to it because the actors and actresses were under a lot of pressure to do it right the first time since there was little or no editing. It feels more like a movie that goes on and on. And it has a very heavy and absorbing and gothic feel to it with characters that express a lot of the existential aspects of life.
If you are bored with the same old tired story lines of today's movies, and if you are tired of movies that rely solely on overused special effects, you will be delighted by Dark Shadows originality and absorbing qualities--and delighted that you now have something worthwhile to watch for months and months since there are currently 17 Collections available.
And, don't let the price scare you away. A typical DVD movie costs about 20 dollars and lasts about 90-120 minutes. These sets cost about 54 dollars, and last about 13 hours each--that's equivalent to about 6-8 movies!
Be aware that Collection one starts out in black and white, but it only adds to the effects. As the series progressed, it began to be in color (by about collection 3 or 4). Whatever this series' shortcomings may be, it is WELL WORTH THE MONEY!
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