Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Enter the House of Dark Shadows and Stay for The Night of Dark Shadows: A Double Movie Review

*full disclosure: a Blu-ray copy of each of the titles reviewed here was made available by Warner Home Video for review.

House of Dark Shadows

Director: Dan Curtis.

Writers: Sam Hall and Gordon Russell.

Cast: Jonathan Frid, Grayson Hall and Kathryn Leigh Scott.

Night of Dark Shadows

Director: Dan Curtis.

Writers: Dan Curtis and Sam Hall.

Cast: David Selby, Grayson Hall and Kate Jackson.

The video release of House of Dark Shadows  and its sequel, Night of Dark Shadows, offer fans of the classic series a chance to complete their collection. Both titles showcase a very clean transfer of 35mm print in lieu of the lack of extras that some dated products suffer from. Both products merely offer a grainy theatrical trailer to watch.

The House of Dark Shadows is a theatrical treatment of the television soap and Night of Dark Shadows continues the saga with the next heir to the Collinwood estate being drawn into its darkness. The former gets a little darker in its treatment and nearly the entire cast is featured. Also, the added effects is a welcome add-on when considering the small screen presentation is considered tamer. In the latter product, the creeping darkness of Collinswood lives on!

Quentin Collins (David Selby) and his wife Tracy (Kate Jackson) move in to the dreary estate, and very quickly, after discovering a painting of a beautiful woman, he starts to experience strange visions that are not his. The portrait is of Angelique, the witch that sought to beguile Barnabas Collins. Here, her relationship with the vampire is not explored.

Instead, Quentin learns that he is the reincarnation of Charles Collins, an ancestor. And, Angelique had an affair with him. She was originally married to Gabriel Collins back then. When she was discovered flirting with various men, she was hanged!

A problem with the series continuity does need to be addressed. In the TV series, Angelique was betrothed to Roger once and later to Barnabas. No mention of Charles was ever hinted at. When considering that she died circa 1841, after saving the life of a different Quentin, just where this movie fits in does need to be asked. But as with any storyline that spans generations, to keep track of all the drama that happened in the Collinsverse is as confusing as the Grandfather paradox being explained backwards.

While this movie retains the stylistic feel of the television series, just where it fits in requires a series bible in one hand and a copy of the video in another. Clutched under a fan's shoulder may well be a few more books to outline the complete history of the Collins family.

While Charles is the latest addition, he knows nothing about his family's past. When he arrives at the estate, he does feel the house impress upon him in the same style as Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House. Selby does a great job in showing his character succumbing to the darkness that wells around the estate. But, as for how audiences will react to a Dark Shadows product without its iconic lead, Barnabas, that's an answer that only Dan Curtis' biographer can answer. Sadly, this creator passed on in 2006.

On its own, House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows barely stands the test of time. Fans of late 60's and early 70's television will recognize the style. Medium shots and closeups enhances the personality of the characters on-screen. However, audiences who are not familiar with this world may have to turn to petitioning Netflix to host the complete series or a well stocked DVD rental shop to watch the classic show.

House of the Dark Shadows does a good job in summarizing the key events that led to the success of the television show, but the movie is by no means a classic. A massive box set is available, and that is the only way to look deep into the layers of historic drama that made Dark Shadows great.

Overall: 6.5 out of 10.

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