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“Master of Dark Shadows” (2019) / Z-View

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Master of Dark Shadows (2019)

Director:  David Gregory

Stars: Dan Curtis, Nancy Barrett, Ben Cross, Roger Davis, Jonathan Frid, Ian McShane, William F. Nolan, Lara Parker, David Selby, Barbara Steele and Whoopi Goldberg.

Tagline:  The Gothic World of Dan Curtis

The Plot…

Dan Curtis’ soap opera, Dark Shadows, was scheduled for cancellation in six weeks.  When Curtis was told this, he decided to take his traditional daytime melodrama in a new direction,  He added a vampire!  Surprisingly the show soared to the top of the ratings.  Kids and young adults made it must-see tv and the show was saved.  Dark Shadows ended up running for six seasons.  Spin-offs included two feature films, comic books, trading cards, board games and more.

Although Dan Curtis became best known for films in the horror genre he wanted to break out into other genres.  Master of Dark Shadows is his story.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Dan Curtis produced and directed the two Dark Shadows feature films.  He also wrote the second.  Then when the series ended, Dan Curtis was considered the go-to guy for horror.  He produced The Night Stalker. It became the highest rated tv movie of its time.  Curtis followed that up by producing and directing The Night Strangler, The Norliss Tapes, Scream of the Wolf, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The Turn of the Screw, Trilogy of Terror, Burnt Offerings, Dead of Night and Curse of the Black Widow.  Although Dan Curtis did produce and direct other films, he was still best known for horror.

That all changed when Curtis produced and directed the television adaptation of Herman Wouk’s Winds of War.  The seven episode mini-series became the highest rated television event of its time.  The series was nominated for eleven Emmy Awards, winning three (Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or a Special; Outstanding Individual Achievement – Costumers; Outstanding Individual Achievement – Special Visual Effects).

Dan Curtis followed with War and Remembrance, a continuation of Winds of War. War and Remembrance received 15 Emmy Award nominations.  It won for best miniseries, special effects, and single-camera production editing.

I’m happy that Dan Curtis was able to break out from the horror genre and make big budget, award winning projects.  But the truth of the matter is, I will always remember the thrill of running home from school to catch the latest adventures of Barnabus and Quentin Collins.  Five days a week on Dark Shadows we got vampires, werewolves, and a taste of horror.  I read the novelizations, comic books, collected the cards and saw the feature films.  The excitement we had as kids talking about Dark Shadows is a highlight of this kid’s elementary years.

If you’re of the right age, Master of Shadows will take you back to that time.  If you’re too young, then you’ll get a taste of something that will never be replicated.

Master of Dark Shadows (2019) earns 5 of 5 stars.

“Dark Shadows” (1944) / Z-View

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Dark Shadows (1944)

Director:  Walter Hart, Paul Burnford (uncredited)

Screenplay: Edward Bock, Richard H. Landau

Stars: Henry O’Neill, Morris Ankrum and Paul Guilfoyle

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

A police psychiatrist is enlisted to catch a homicidal killer.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Dark Shadows is part of a series of Crime Doesn’t Pay shorts.  The plot makes it sound good, right?  It’s not.  At least it didn’t resonate with me.  It’s very talky with dull scenes.  Although it has a run time of just 21 minutes, I’d like to have every one of ’em back.

Dark Shadows earns 1 of 5 stars.

The “Master of Dark Shadows” Trailer is Here!

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If you’re of a certain age, then the photo above of Jonathan Frid as Barnabus Collins will bring back a lot of great memories.  Frid became a cult hero playing a vampire on a soap opera called Dark Shadows.

What’s interesting is that Dark Shadows started out as a typical soap opera.  Because the series was facing cancellation, Curtis decided he had nothing to lose and brought in a vampire! Ratings soared and the series spawned two movies, comic books, novelizations, trading cards and more.

14 “Dark Shadows” Facts with Bite

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Jake Rosen and Mental_Floss present 14 Dark Shadows Facts with Bite.  Here are three of my favorites…

1. BARNABAS COLLINS WAS AN AFTERTHOUGHT.
Creator Dan Curtis—who would later conceive of The X-Files predecessor Kolchak: The Night Stalker and the classic TV movie Trilogy of Terror—originally had in mind a dramatic series about the strange residents of Collinsport, Maine, as viewed from the perspective of newly-arrived governess Victoria Winters. Though mystical elements—like ghosts—were present, they were subtle and slow to materialize. When the show premiered June 27, 1966, viewers found its characters as impenetrable as Winters did; Variety called it a “yawn.”

Hoping to improve ratings with a classic horror movie trope—a vampire—Curtis introduced Collins, a brooding bloodsucker tortured by his condition. Originally intended to be a fleeting character who would be staked in the heart after a three-week run, he became so popular with viewers (ratings saw a 62 percent increase) that the show was saved from the guillotine.

6. BARNABAS DIDN’T TALK MUCH WHILE FANGED.
Dampened vocally by the fangs he had to wear, Frid also told the Gazette of some production trickery: Collins was rarely filmed talking in them. “My words come out slushy when I wear them, so they have to cut away from me when I talk,” he said. Frid would spit out the fangs, deliver the dialogue, then stuff them back in when the camera returned to him.

10. IT’S THE ONLY SOAP TO SPAWN THREE FEATURE FILMS.
It’s a testament to Dark Shadows‘ rabid following that the series birthed two feature films with the original cast—virtually unheard of for a soap opera of any era. Curtis directed 1970’sHouse of Dark Shadows, which covered much of the same ground as the series but morphedCollins into more of an antagonist. While a feature budget meant actors actually had the privilege of doing more than one take, reviews were mixed.

After the series ended in 1971, Curtis wanted to continue the story with another film. Night of Dark Shadows was released that same year, but Frid declined to participate. Curtis opted for more of a haunted house theme instead, with the show’s cast popping up in different roles. It’s been alleged MGM cut 30 minutes from the finished film, obliterating some plot and character details. In its released form, reviewers found it “dull,” “monotonous,” and “a bore.” (Tim Burton’s 2012 feature, starring Johnny Depp as Collins, didn’t fare much better.)

Dark Shadows Rises Again

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No matter how many times you think you’ve killed a vampire, odds are he’ll be back when you least expect it.  Such is the case with Barnabas Collins [as well as the rest of the cast of Dark Shadows].  Then again, maybe the return of Barnabas should be expected now that filming is underway for a new Dark Shadows movie starring Johnny Depp and directed by Tim Burton.

The new Dark Shadows comic will be written by Stuart Manning with art by Aaron Campbell. Francesco Fraccavilla and Aaron Campbell will provide the cover art.

[Via CBR.com]

Dark Shadows Filming Set to Start…

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Way back in July of 2007, it was announced that Johnny Depp was going to team with Tim Burton for a big screen adaptation of the cult tv classic Dark Shadows.  Although over the last 3 1/2 years there’s been some movement, it was pretty much just talk.

That may have changed today, since Slashfilm has posted that filming will begin in April 2011.   An April start date sounds good to me… especially since they didn’t specify it would be on the 1st.

Dark Shadows Memories

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It’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 years since the addition of Barnabas Collins made “Dark Shadows” THE show for horror fans. I was only 8 years old, but I remember the thrill of tuning in each weekday to see vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and more.The popularity of “Dark Shadows” carried over to comics, novelizations and even a couple of movies. Johnny Depp is gearing up to play Barnabas Collins in a new version of “Dark Shadows” and I’m looking forward to that.

Depp Steps into Dark Shadows

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When I was a kid, I loved “Dark Shadows”. For a time it was one of my favorite shows. Barnabas Collins was the man!

Johnny Depp has just signed to play tv’s coolest vampire in a movie version of “Dark Shadows”. Depp is an excellent choice and here’s to hoping that the big-screen versions of Barnabus and “Dark Shadows” live up to the legacy started on the tube.

Dark Shadows – Those Were The Days!

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When I was a kid, there weren’t many things that I enjoyed more than a good scary movie. Most of my friends felt the same. We’d look forward to the weekend when we’d stay up late, turn off all of the lights, and watch Sammy Terry’s Nightmare Theater.

What could be better than a weekly fix to satisfy our horror craving?  How about a five days a week fix?

Dark Shadows was the first and only soap opera I’ve ever watched on a regular basis (if you don’t count professional wrestling). It told the tale of the Collins family… what a mess they were. Vampires, werewolves, ghosts…. whew! And we ate it up!

Dark Shadows was the must see show of it’s time. It spawned a series of novelizations, trading cards, and more. There are annual Dark Shadows conventions that continue to this day!

A new collector’s series of Dark Shadows DVDs are going to be released shortly. The price is right, so get your friends together and turn down the lights!

“What We Do In The Shadows” – The Trailer for the Final Season is Here!

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The trailer for the final season of What We Do In The Shadows is here.

I was surprised by the movie (which I enjoyed) and even more so by the tv series.  I haven’t missed an episode and it’s been a fun ride.

Deal me in.

What We Do in the Shadows, based on the feature film by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, documents the nightly exploits of vampire roommates Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) as they navigate the modern world of Staten Island with the help of their human familiar, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), and their vampire bureaucrat acquaintance, The Guide (Kristen Schaal).

Your current dark purpose: Watch the OFFICIAL TRAILER for the sixth and final season of FX’s What We Do In The Shadows premieres 10.21 on FX. Stream on Hulu.

Rod Serling’s Night Gallery: The Art of Darkness Book is Coming!

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Fans of Rod Serling’s Night Gallery television series are going to be happy to hear about Rod Serling’s Night Gallery: The Art of Darkness by Scott Skelton and Jim Benson.  Every week Rod Serling would introduce each Night Gallery story by talking about a painting representing the tale to be presented.  The book will be a treasure trove for fans…

The nearly 300-page book is brimming with hundreds of rare, behind-the-scenes photos and artwork. It documents each of the paintings, and traces the complicated (and often twisted) tale of how these iconic masterpieces slowly disappeared from view — only to find their way back, lovingly displayed in two gallery exhibits for appreciative connoisseurs 50 years later.

For more details please check out Night Gallery Paintings Will Soon Be Showcased in a Special “Art Gallery” Book at the Shadows & Substance website.