Dark Shadows: The Beginning Disc Problems (1 Viewer)

[Ockeghem]

Jack,

You're welcome.

************************

I just received this yesterday from the ShadowGram Newsletter. It has an estimated arrival time for the replacement disc 4 from the first Dark Shadows: The Beginning DVD Collection.

************************

*** MPI DS DVD CLUB & "DS - THE BEGINNING" DVD SET 1

"The first of 6 sets of the first year of DS (Episodes #1-209), prior to the introduction of Barnabas, are being released exclusively to members of the MPI DS DVD Club. These sets will be issued every other month through November of this year." For more information about these pre-Barnabas DVDs, see SG Update 164 (January 23, 2007).

"They are not available in stores and can only be obtained directly from MPI through their website - www.darkshadowsdvd.com - or via phone, weekdays at 1-800-323-0442. (In Illinois, call 708-460-0555.)"

"The just-released 'DS: The Beginning DVD Collection 1' has been discovered to have a slightly defective disc 4, where a few episodes are missing closing credits and stop abruptly near the end of the episode. This problem has been fixed and all persons who purchased the DVD are being sent free replacements in the next 2-3 weeks. All future shipments of the DVD will include the corrected disc 4."

"These DVDs features complete, unedited episodes, including the original production slates prior to each episode. Bonus material includes new, never-before-seen interviews and commentaries with DS actors and production personnel, plus other surprises."

 

[Jack Cleveland]

Scott-

I have mailed my check for the First Year book and also took the plunge and joined the DVD club starting w/ Volume 3. I think I'm going to burn my VHS episodes onto disc rather than repeating what I already have. I have bought up to the first episode on Volume 3, including all the original first year episodes.

I teach a Drama class at a local high school, and we were working this week on changing a scene from a comedy to horror background. To help them, I got the idea to let them watch Episodes 209 and 210 to study how suspense is built through pacing and acting. When the hand came out of the coffin and wrapped around Willie's throat, 24 new fans were born!! The kids are insisting we watch an episode every day, and are hoping to watch 2 or 3 if I'll let them. It's amazing how quickly they got hooked. I'm going to have to find a way to work these into my curriculum!!

I thought you would enjoy the story.

I emailed Katharine Reisch about purchasing some of the concordance volumes she has written. Is that the only way to purchase these?

Jack

 

[Ockeghem]

Hmmm. I don't own these yet. They may be available elsewhere, but since the Dark Shadows: The First Year book is not, you may need to go directly through her for the concordance volumes. I will look into this a bit.

Thanks again for that neat story.

Scott

 

[Ockeghem]

Jack,

I Emailed a contact person today about the Katharine Reisch concordance materials. I will let you know what I find out as soon as I hear back from them.

Scott

 

[Charles Ellis]

Er, Ock- it's Kathleen Resch! She's the one who puts out the concordances for the different DS storylines.

 

[Jack Cleveland]

Yeah- That's my fault- I misread my info and called her Katharine instead of Kathleen. My apologies-

Jack

PS- Actually received an email from Kathleen and will be sending a PayPal payment directly to her later this week!

Jack

 

[Ockeghem]

Charles (and Jack),

Okay, thanks for letting me know. I'm sure my contact person would have corrected that one too.

Thanks for the info.

Scott

 

[Ockeghem]

Has anyone received their replacement disc yet? It's been one month. Just curious.

 

[Ockeghem]

I received this today from MPI Home Video.

Dark Shadows The Beginning DVD Collection 1 Replacement Disc Shipping
Dear Dark Shadows DVD Club Member,

We have begun shipping the replacement for Disc 4 to club members this week who have received Dark Shadows The Beginning DVD Collection 1. The disc has just completed manufacturing & has been quality tested to make sure that the issues with the previous version have been corrected.

Club members do not need to contact MPI to receive the corrected disc. We will be sending the corrected disc to all club members who have received Dark Shadows The Beginning Collection 1 through the DVD Club.

Club members who have yet to have this collection shipped through the club will receive the corrected version in the set when they are on this installment.

Thank you for your understanding and your interest in Dark Shadows.

Dark Shadows The Beginning DVD Collection 2 To Begin Shipping Week of March 26th

Those club members who are scheduled to receive Dark Shadows The Beginning DVD Collection 2 for their next club shipment will have their installments begin shipping during the week of March 26th.

Dark Shadows The Beginning DVD Collection 2 contains episodes 35-70 in their complete, uncut versions.

Collection Description:
Collinwood's surly caretaker Matthew Morgan informs Victoria Winters the he believes the ghost of Josette Collins and other spirits inhabit the estate. In an attempt to settle the controversy surrounding the manslaughter case that sent Burke Devlin to prison, Collins Fishing Fleet Manager Bill Malloy sets up a private meeting for himself, Roger Collins, Sam Evans and Burke.

Bonuses include a Collinsport History by Kathryn Leigh Scott, new interviews with actress Alexandra Moltke and series unit production manager Michael Brockman.

Thank you for your membership in the Dark Shadows DVD Club. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] .

Sincerely,
MPI Home Video

 

[Ockeghem]

I just received my replacement disc in the mail today (3/2/07).

 

[Brian Himes]

I got my replacement disc on Saturday. Kind of a bummer since I sent the entire set back and was told I get a replacement set and not just disc 4. Oh well. I called MPI and they got it all straightened out. So, I might end up with two replacemenet discs. Frisbee anyone?

 

[Ockeghem]

Brian,

I checked my replacement disc just to be safe. It looked fine (I checked the endings of six episodes, beginning with no. 29).

I also gave the defective disc to my daughter. I was going to throw it away, but she really wanted it. But frisbee is also a good use for it, I think.

 

[Ockeghem]

Here we go again....

I just received my Dark Shadows: The Beginning (DVD Collection 2) set. I received four discs, except that the first disc was labeled Disc 2. So in effect I have Disc 2, Disc 2, Disc 3, and Disc 4. I thought I had two disc 2s as far as content is concerned, but apparently I do not.

I contacted MPI a few minutes a go. They told me that they were labeled incorrectly, but that the first disc is correct (content = Disc 1). I don't think they have plans to correct it, unless enough of us care to write to them to let them know we are not pleased. Maybe I am the only one who is not pleased.

Sheesh. I hope this doesn't continue.

 

[Brian Himes]

I didn't even notice this on Disc 1. Hmm. I'll have to check it out.

On Disc 3, one episode has a couple of original commercials included. Looks like someone made a boo-boo but at least they didn't cut anything. The commercials are a Palmolive had soap commercial and a Colgate commercial. I was rather surprised to be treated to commercials from 1966. Too funny.

 

[Ockeghem]

Yes, those commercials are neat. I have them on a couple of the VHS tapes, and of course on the first episode of Dark Shadows on DVD (the bonus episode on Disc 4 that includes the commercials).

 

[Brian Himes]

I'm not too worried about this. I'll just stick a little #1 on it and call it a day.

 

[Ockeghem]

I was watching Dark Shadows: The Beginning (DVD Collection 2) over the weekend. At the conclusion of the credits for episode no. 70 (this is the one where Josette comes out of the painting--it is the final episode on the collection), there is a silhouette of a person looking toward the camera. It looks like Dan Curtis, although I cannot be sure. It's probably on the VHS copy as well, but on the DVD one is able to freeze-frame and see the picture more clearly. It was kind of eerie, but fun. It's neat that it occurred at the conclusion of this particular episode.

 

[Ockeghem]

I just received this news from ShadowGram, in case anyone is interested.

Hello, Dark Shadows Fan,

ShadowGram (SG), The Official Newsletter & News Source for Dark Shadows (DS), announces the following just-breaking news.

**** JOHNNY DEPP'S PRODUCTION COMPANY & GK FILMS PLAN TO DEVELOP NEW DARK SHADOWS MOVIE FOR WARNER BROTHERS

Daily Variety will publish the following article in tomorrow's (July 27) edition:

Depp lights up 'Dark Shadows'
Graham King to produce Warner feature
By Michael Fleming

Johnny Depp is getting in touch with his inner vampire.

Warner Bros. is teaming with Depp's Infinitum-Nihil and Graham King's GK Films to develop a feature based on the '60s daytime supernatural sudser "Dark Shadows."

Depp has said in interviews that he has always been obsessed with "Dark Shadows" and had, as a child, wanted to be Barnabas Collins, the vampire patriarch of the series. The role was originated by Jonathan Frid.

A rights deal just closed with the estate of Dan Curtis, the producer/director who created the soap that aired weekdays on ABC, from 1966 to 1971. Depp and King will produce with David Kennedy, who ran Dan Curtis Prods. until Curtis died last year of a brain tumor. Infinitum-Nihil's Christi Dembrowski served as the point person on the deal.

Over 1,225 episodes, "Dark Shadows" was a highly atmospheric, spooky soap that featured gothic horror staples like vampires, monsters, witches, werewolves, ghosts and zombies. The show has a continuing rabid fan base that populates Dark Shadows Festival conventions.

Numerous TV revivals of the series and pic adaptations have been attempted over the years but none with as high-wattage a star as Depp.

Depp, who is coming off "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" and who just wrapped the Tim Burton-directed "Sweeney Todd," is next expected to star in "Shantaram," a Mira Nair-directed adaptation of the Gregory David Roberts novel that Depp, King and Plan B are producing for Warner Bros. Depp, King and WB are also mobilizing to make a film about the life of Alexander Litvinenko, with Depp poised to play the former KGB agent, who was fatally poisoned.

**** SHADOWGRAM NOTE:

Johnny Depp's company and Dan Curtis Productions have been in discussion for several years about the possibility of teaming for a Dark Shadows film. The development of a script, which will now begin, can take months and sometimes years. But hopefully, the process will run smoothly with the possibility that filming could begin as early as 2008, though even in a best-case scenario a finished film may not appear before 2009. It is also much too early to speculate on any further casting ideas, though there is a hope that some original DS actors may be utilized in some capacity.

ShadowGram will follow-up with further developments in coming print and online editions.

 

[DrzSF]

The restoration of episode 211 looks GREAT except it looks like they forgot to restore the final scene-including Barnabas' first on camera appearance. That whole scene still looks like Kinescope and even still has the dirt smudges. Was this the reason for the delayed release? Did I get an uncorrected disc?

 

[Charles Ellis]

I saw the restored episode at the 2007 DS Festival, and that last scene WAS restored to video-like quality via the Live Feed process. Compare the scene from vol. 6 of the "Beginning" series against the kinescope from Vol. 1 of the regular DS DVDs. Believe me, there IS an improvement!