Dark Shadows: The Beginning Disc Problems (1 Viewer)

[Carabimero]

Too bad...it seems like it's always the hardcore fans who get the shaft.

 

[wh5916]

Not really, judging from the postings in this thread. MPI responded very quickly once the issue was brought to their attention, and mailed a corrected DVD out to everyone who had bought the set...fairly simple, since it was on a subscription only basis at the time.

BTW...I didn't get The Beginning series on a subscription basis. An emergency $1500 auto repair in November of 2006 killed any hopes of that happening. I waited for Amazon.com to begin releasing them months later. The missing credits on some of the episodes in volume 1 were totally rectified on the set that I received from Amazon.

Someone at MPI must have very fond memories of Dark Shadows, judging from the way that they have stood by this series for so many years. I'd hate to think of the results had a studio like Paramount gotten their hands onto Dark Shadows instead.

 

[Ockeghem]

Yes, that's correct. I was quite happy to receive the replacement disc. I also wrote to them about the next (also The Beginning) set having an incorrectly labeled disc (i.e., Disc 2(!), Disc 2, Disc 3, Disc 4); they said that they weren't going to correct and replace that one, but I can live with that. The quality control has been quite good since then.

I love owning all of the VHS tapes and the DVDs of this series. I watched two episodes just last night (nos. 31 and 32). My oldest daughter wants to watch them every night.

On somewhat of a related note, I'm still thinking of picking up more of the original kinescopes. (I would think one would have to be quite a collector to want these, which I am. )





Dark Shadows Festival

 

[wh5916]

I would love to own one of the kinescopes as well! I grew up watching Dark Shadows during its ABC run, but the series at the time truly didn't grab/hold my attention until I began watching the 1795 storyline during Christmas vacation in 1967.

I've been collecting the DVD series since 2002, and just started watching them in June of this year, beginning with the first storyline. Dark Shadows has since become a once an evening, five day a week ritual. Volume 6 from amazon.com arrived a week and a half ago...they did a marvelous job restoring episode 211, which I had been anxiously awaiting since reading the comments about it in this thread.

You must be into the bleeder valve episodes. I loved that story, and am sorry that they didn't cling to it a bit longer than they did.

 

[Ockeghem]

Yep, that's the story line. Burke has just brought David home, and has shown Roger, Victoria, and David that he had the valve (which as you know David attempted to 'plant' in Burke's apartment between the couch cushions). Constable Jonas Carter has arrived on the scene, and he's asking some tough questions. Great stuff, for sure.

 

[Carabimero]

I am right at the end of the 1795 series.

wh5916: You mentioned Paramount; it was probably them I was speaking of when I made the comment about hardcore fans getting the shaft (i.e. the fans who buy individual season sets only to miss out on later complete sets with extra features).

 

[DeWilson]

Now if only someone would put out the Canadian "Dark Shadows" rip-off/homage STRANGE PARADISE - they all exist still! 195 shows.

 

[wh5916]

Before finally beginning to watch the discs that I had been collecting since 2002, I decided that I wanted to experience the show on a once a day basis, just one more time. "The Beginning" episodes are new to me, for the most part. Even though I know some of the plotlines, and resolution of some of them, I'm steadfastly not allowing myself to peek into future episodes at this point, especially following Friday cliffhangers.

I'm expecting a good one with tonight's episode, judging from the way they've transpired this week. Ron Sproat was finally brought in as writer, and he was one of my favorite DS writers during its run.

Perhaps you were like me with the series...watching it in bits and pieces before something grabbed your attention and hooked you permanently? I watched some of the pre-Barnabas episodes as a kid, but couldn't get into them. Then, a few months later, my friends Danny and Joan kept telling me things like, "You should see what Barnabas did today!" I remember watching after they told me, and it ***still*** couldn't grab my attention! I turned it on that afternoon and saw what, to me, was this very hateful man who I didn't like at all. Even worse, he was trying to speak his lines while a fly buzzed around his face.

You're at the best part of the bleeder valve story. They ended it much quicker that I thought they would, leaving me to wonder if the plotline was resulting in a lot of negative feedback, calling for a rapid resolution. Whatever the reason, I was so disappointed that they didn't stick with it for longer than they did.

 

[wh5916]

I'll bet you were!

I'm so disappointed with Paramount, and what they've done with so many of their TV releases during the past couple of years. The only recent CBS/Paramount release that I have is the complete series of "I Love Lucy." There are other titles that I would love to buy, but I don't want tampered/altered works.

There were some editing issues with the earliest MPI DVD releases of Dark Shadows--some misguided company who transferred these for MPI took it upon themselves to edit out some technical glitches, including on-camera flubs (including one classic moment, when someone off-camera can clearly be heard speaking the next line to the confused elderly actress who needed a bit of help as to what to say next). Fans complained when the alterations were spotted, and MPI made certain that the practice was halted.

 

[Ockeghem]

It was a very imaginative story line, filled with intrigue and containing IMO some of the very best lighting and camera work that Dark Shadows had to offer that first year. Speaking of which, do you happen to own the Dark Shadows: The First Year book? It is very detailed, and worth every penny.

Another story line that is IMO somewhat underrated (or not discussed all that much) is the Phoenix. I thought that that segment of the series was extremely interesting and that it was handled very well.

 

[MattSav]

I recently took advantage of Deep Discount's sale (25% off this time) and picked up Dark Shadows Beginnings Sets 3-6 and the original DVD collection sets 2-13 (I already had Beginnings 1-2 and Barnabas's first collection). Expensive all in one go, but worth the overall savings (it comes out to about $32 per set). I'll have plenty to watch now and will pick up sets 14-26 during their June 2009 sale.

I'm really enjoying the series and have been watching 2-3 episodes per night. I'm right on episode 70 or so. I love the camera slates and announcer voice-over as well (something similar is included in Doctor Who DVDs, usually as an Easter egg).

I've also been collecting the original run of DS novels by Marylyn (aka Dan) Ross and picked up the Comic Strip collection and Art Wallace's original treatment for the series "Shadows on the Wall". These are all getting harder to find as the years go by.

I'm 28 and have vague memories of the early 90's reboot series and the original series airing on Sci-Fi in the late 90's. I picked up the Barnabas set #1 when it first came out but was disappointed when I realized that it started at episode 210. I decided to wait until the whole series was on DVD proper and here I am. I was also prodded to get back into it by Big Finish releasing new Dark Shadows audio dramas (been a huge fan of their Dr. Who range since 1999).

It would have been great to have watched Dark Shadows as a kid back in the day. I'm still enjoying it all immensely though.

 

[Gregory V]

This is one show I am so glad to have completed. I grew up running home from school to watch it and hadn't seen some of the earlier shows. The first episode I remember seeing was when Laura arrived, but because I was in school it was hit and miss for a long time. Then they finally put it on later so I was just getting home from school when it came on. My sister and I got our mother hooked during the 1795 story and mom and I watched the last episode together (my sister had lost interest by then). It would indeed be interesting to see the DS knock off from Canada, "Strange Paradise," I only saw a few episodes of that...we could only get it if the weather was clear and we could pick up New Orleans stations on our antenna..lol
Now if we could get them to finish Bewitched, Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction I would be extremely an extremely happy man.

 

[Ockeghem]

Gregory,

Coincidentally, my sister and I hooked our mother on the show as well! And I truly did 'run home,' right off of the school bus, to watch the show. It aired twice in our area back when I was a child, once from 3:30-4:00 p.m., and again from 4:00-4:30 p.m. The first half hour of each day was the same as the final episode shown from the previous day. So, if I missed one day, I had an entire hour of new material to watch the following day. At times, the show was magical.

Matt,

Wow, nice purchases there. Enjoy the series. Episode 70 (the one you mentioned you are watching about now) is the wonderfully executed 'ghost of Josette' episode. And how about the music which accompanies her coming out of the painting, and eventually dancing outside, at the Old House? Astonishing writing.

 

[wh5916]

"Dark Shadows: The First Year" is one that I unfortunately don't have. I went to Scribner's Bookstore in Williamsburg, VA to search for "My Scrapbook Memories of Dark Shadows" when it first came out, and was fortunate enough to find a couple of copies there. Later, I purchased "The Dark Shadows Companion" and a friend purchased the original printing of "Dark Shadows Almanac" for me a few years ago.

I'm getting closer and closer to the Phoenix storyline, and am looking forward to watching it unfold for the first time. Currently, the murder of Bill Malloy is still a hot topic in the series, with the episode watched last night (#100) focusing heavily on it.

I've also been very impressed with the lighting in these, as well as the excellent video quality. The clarity/detail of many of these early episodes truly stands out on DVD...it makes me wish, in a way, that the series had never converted to color.

The fly buzzing around his head is truly my first memory of Barnabas!

 

[wh5916]

I'm still waiting and hoping for season four of Green Acres...and season 3 of Leave it to Beaver.

I watched the final episode of Dark Shadows (the final few months, actually) in a very odd fashion. Our ABC affiliate, WVEC in Norfolk VA, dropped the show in favor of Timmy and Lassie reruns in September 1970. In the weeks to follow, according to our local paper, the station was deluged with phone calls, letters (including a couple from me), as well as several petitions.

WVEC finally relented and returned the show to the air in early November...but not at its 4pm time slot. From that point to the end of the series, they ran an entire week of episodes every Friday night, back to back, following the 11:00 news.

 

[Ockeghem]

Count me among the very few that wishes the entire series had never converted to color as well. And for artistic/aesthetic reasons, the kinescoped episodes are also among my favorites. The clearer picture quality of some of them on DVD is actually not something I cherish as much as others might. It kind of takes away from the eerie atmosphere somewhat.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

I've been working through The Beginning and finally am up to Barnabas; these episodes (which are pretty familiar) have an entirely different feel after having gone through the 200+ episodes that preceded them. I had previously tried watching The Beginning on video tape and lost interest about the time of the bleeder valve storyline, but on DVD I've been holding interest much better. I think the series really started to take off with the murder of Bill Malloy, and the early Phoenix episodes are pretty shocking in just how supernatural the writers were willing to get. It lays a great foundation for Barnabas (who has just commissioned his portrait with Sam Evans, who was a much bigger part of the storyline than I had known).

I was interested to see James Hall get replaced so quickly by John Karlen as Willie Loomis. I noticed that his next to last episode was a "Take 3" according to the chalkboard---which I don't think had EVER happened on a previous episode. Did he screw up twice and cost Curtis a lot of money and thus earn the axe? His take on Willie is pretty different from Karlen's, but a good deal more psycho, I think. It would have been interesting to see how he would have worked being Barnabas' slave---though in the long run Karlen's more quiet intensity is preferable.

 

[MattSav]

I just finished the Laura the Phoenix storyline and am up to the part where Jason McGuire is moving in to Collinwood. I also managed to collect all of the Marilyn (aka Dan) Ross novels off eBay and various online booksellers, so that was a pretty good accomplishment (and I'm staying current with collecting the new novels as well.) I can't wait for Barnabas's introduction. I'm impressed with all the DVD extras on the last disc of Collection #6.

 

[Ockeghem]

Mark,

Your "Take 3" comment is intriguing. Maybe that is what happened, although I really don't have any idea. I do know that Curtis talked on occasion about the amount of money it took to do a take over (so did a few of the actors on the special features).

I have noticed that "Take 3" before (as well as couple of "Take 2" slates); however, I had never thought of Willie (Hall) after having seen it--until now. Either way, food for thought.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

Yes, on the Beginning discs I think I've seen 4 or 5 "Take 2" chalkboards total. But that's the only "Take 3." I have to think Curtis was furious. Maybe it's a coincidence with the timing....but I went back and looked at the various Dark Shadows books I have, and while they all mention Karlen replacing Hall, none of them ever gives a hint as to why. They're not shy about mentioning Mitchell Ryan was replaced because he didn't show up for a taping.

Maybe I'll write to Kathryn Leigh Scott and see if she'll shed a little dirt....