Ockeghem's All Things DARK SHADOWS (w/Spoilers) (1 Viewer)

[Harry-N]

A bit of slowing for the holidays, but I'm up in the mid-170s, deep into the Phoenix storyline. One thing I meant to mention as I've watched the series develop quickly like this, is how the Robert Cobert music has finally "gelled" into what I was familiar with. Early on, the music cues seemed loose and sloppy, with them coming in too soon, or not at all, or way too late - even some "wrong" cues used here and there.

The series had a familiar usage pattern of these cues that was well in place for the Barnabas-forward episodes, and I wonder if we can give credit for the way the music was handled to the hiring of Sybil Weinberger. It seems that about the time Sybil Weinberger's name appears in the credits as the Music Supervisor is when thing began to improve dramatically.

Harry

 

[Harry-N]

I mentioned something before in this thread about doing this with the two Blu-ray (or DVD) movies, but it also sort-of works with the kinescope episodes of the TV series: Turn your modern HDTV into its strongest "Soap Opera Effect" video processing mode and it will make these episodes look a little more like the smooth motion of videotape.

Harry

 

[Mark Collins]

This weekend I resume more of Laura Collins as I do every Winter. I love to review that storyline when I watched it back in the Winter of 1967. Here in Chicago this week we need some of that heat that only Laura can give.

Harry where are you in the series. I am sure both Scott and I who have been fans most of our lives would love to hear what you have to say as you rediscover the show. I also do not want to leave out Radio Man.

 

[Harry-N]

We're currently just into the color episodes. Julia's giving Barnabas injections, Vicki's been proposed to by Burke, who's nosing around to find dirt on Barnabas. Sarah is appearing to everyone except Barnabas.

I like that when the show went to color, they added a set or two, notably the outdoor garden set with the fountain.

Harry

 

[Roy Wall]

Yeah Mark...that piece of the Polar Vortex that broke off and trekked south has made much of the nation a frigid place to live. It's 40 degrees F today here in the NC mountains and it feels like summer..compared to the previous three days..

 

[Roy Wall]

How in the world did Collinwood dodge these Polar Vortex outbreaks anyhow??

It mighta made for some interesting story....one of Collinwood's finest trying to stay thawwed while he/she tries to drive a -30 degrees F icicle through some vampire of the week's heart.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

Loved the 1991 remake series. The show was done very, very well. It certainlly captured the spirit of the original series very well. I too was disappointed when it got cancelled. I was really into it.

Yes, the DVD release is cropped to give it a false widescreen look. The original release VHS had an additional 15 (I believe) minutes added to the pilot episode and around 2 minutes added to the final episode. The extended pilot has a more seemless editing and scene transitions than the boradcast version which seems a bit choppy in places. Also the added scenes do tie a few things together better. I reallly don't like what was done to the DVD of the 1991 series. I'm glad I held onto my VHS set of the series.

Yeah, the cropping of the picture, along with the picture grading mistakes on the footage that was shot "day for night" (making it appear that the vampire is walking around in the daytime) were enough to put me off of buying the DVD, no matter how cheap the price. I hope this goes OOP and MGM decided to licence it back to MPI. They, at least, would treat it properly.

I had recorded the show off-air during the original broadcasts, but when I found out how terrible the DVDs were, I got a HECK of a sweet deal on the complete set of MPI tapes of the revival.

 

[Roy Wall]

Collinwood missed out on the Noreasters like Dodge City missed out on rotating Supercell Thunderstorms.

 

[Roy Wall]

Collinwood missed out on the Noreasters like Dodge City missed out on rotating Supercell Thunderstorms.

You guys are right...my wife thinks I'm a smartypants, too.

 

[Mark Collins]

I recorded the prime time series too. Andy I have a very different memory of it. Barnabas was walking with Vicky on the beach in the daytime before Julia's injections. I was shocked they showed him in the sun much like the Burton film did. I too have some VHS and the entire dvd set which I do not as a fan have a problem with. I know many fans did have a problem though. I like the upgrade on my Blu-ray player and sorry fans that is what I pop in if I want to watch that series. I would tell all fans to get the making of the series on VHS if you can pick it up cheap at Amazon. Great things are on that tape. Some of the vhs tapes have 90 seconds of scenes that were not broadcast on NBC.Enjoyed the weather comments too from Mr Shatner.

 

[Radioman970]

I'm in the 160s now and that para-psychologist doctor has showed up. Dr. Guthrie? He looks like game show host Bill Cullen (the glasses) and that guy from Mad Men (the hair and suit) wrapped up in one. He has a very good exchange with Roger about his presence in the house. Great stuff!

 

[Ockeghem]

Radioman,I love the character of Dr. Guthrie. And I particularly like that entire story line. Enjoy!

 

[Radioman970]

Hey Scott.

Of the 3 main stories so far it has become the most intense. I'm still wondering what the deal is with this weird woman. And truthfully, my mother always told me NOT to play in the fire, dadgumit! lol

 

[Harry-N]

We're up in the mid 300s as Julia ramps up her experiments, Carolyn gets too nosy for her own good, David is still a wreck, and Vicki is awaiting news.

There was a rash of black & white kinescopes in this region of episodes, but having my TV set to maximum "Soap Opera Effect" really smoothes them out to a not-too-bad status.

As for the color episodes, man!, ABC had some crappy equipment back then, didn't they? There are scenes where one camera looks to be adjusted too red, and another view of the same set with a different camera will look too green. And occasionally the mis-adjusted cameras will give a blurry appearance. I guess the network relegated the crappiest, oldest color cameras to the daytime division.

Still, it's a total miracle that all of these episodes survived in any form, and I'm thankful for whatever decisions were made back then to hold onto them. It's really been a blast visiting these again.

Harry

 

[Harry-N]

THE CHANGING FURNITURE AT COLLINWOOD

I'm constantly amused at seeing the furniture at Collinwood having been moved around for the purpose of getting a camera angle. The obvious change was the portrait of Barnabas just appearing in the foyer just as the Willi Loomis story was heating up. But that's not what I'm talking about.

More specifically, I'm referring to the furniture in the main drawing room, particularly the grand piano, the desk, and Roger's liquor cabinet. They all seem to fight for the same space in the room at times. Today, we watched #361, which is the Julia Hoffman tour de force as she spends the evening alone at Collinwood, terrified by the ghost of Dr. Woodard.

She sits at Liz Stoddard's desk, which has been placed just inside the double doors in the spot usually occupied by Roger's liquor cabinet, and angled such that the camera could shoot directly at her playing Solitaire with a shot over her shoulder at the drawing room window.

There were also a few episodes recently where the statue on the foyer table disappeared for an episode so that Vicki and David could sit on the bench that no one's ever used before. And Julia's room has changed configuration, as did Carolyn's early on in the beginnings episodes.

Poor Mrs. Johnson must be exhausted from moving all of that stuff around.

...and why does the foyer grandfather clock only tick when someone's looking at it?

Harry
...having some fun with DARK SHADOWS, online...

 

[Roy Wall]

I've been trying to solve the mystery as too why and what circumstances prompt Barnabas to dye his hair. Some days there's some gray and other days not. Some days his eyes has black circles and some days not. The bangs vary too. Never any snow storms but the thunderstorms are consistent for very dramatic and horrifying moments. I am thankful though for consistent things like Grayson Hall's false eyelashes and Barnabas' ability to ramble and fumble, humble, mumble, stumble and crumble lines like grains of sand at the beach.

 

[Mark Collins]

Harry the furniture changes were fun to watch. The foyer table in season 1 is moved way out into the foyer. Pushed back and forth. They then decide to leave it where it always was. The seat in the foyer does get used from time to time but not much. I remember a scene with Liz and the child Alex seated in it from 1969. What I love in the later seasons are when the show would have to show both the past such as 1897 and 1969 in the same episode. They would keep the 1897 portrait over the fireplace instead of what should be there in 1969. Vickys lamp would be used switched to the drawing room small table when the show returned from 1995. They would return it to her room if they were going to use that set.1841 was to switch to 1971 and they did a good job except they had a lamp for 1971 hid behind the buffet in 1841 ready for 1971. The bedrooms were never the same and Rogers Study gets a whole new fireplace in 1897 and stays there. The door to the study was the old one used for the kitchen in season 1.I loved a scene from 1969 when the family leaves the house to Quentin. The show plays his theme and shows most of all the sets of Collinwood ending with Quentin laughing on the main stairs. The show really did try to get it right though in set design. Laura's cottage had a complete transformation after she moved in. Laura leaves it in 1967 and the cottage is never used again until Chris moves to the place in 1969. The cottage is used from then on right to the end of the show.I also loved Julia's notebook hid in the clock. Funny they never opened that clock door again after that episode. The old house received a new desk for some reason after Barnabas returned from PT 1970. The furniture changed too in the last seasons except for the two main chairs by the fireplace. Barnabas portrait at Collinwood is a different portrait after the movie was made in 1970The drapes would also stay the same from the main time period they were in and were not taken down for a flash forward. Barnabas received different drapes after PT 1970The gray hair on Barnabas was used when he became a Vampire again in 1970. The actors commented to him that he looked different. I believe they were trying to make a statement. The hair later on was switched to his color with some gray in the last 2 seasons. I loved Grayson Halls look. I thought the make up jobs done on that show were great!!The over hanging lights in the foyer were hung lower after 1995. I always liked them higher. We also received during 1897 hanging lights for the drawing room which stayed there for the rest of the run of the show. I believe these lights were used in Blair House in 1968.

 

[Ockeghem]

Mark,That scene with Quentin alone (and laughing) in the house is a treasure of mine. The camera work showing off several rooms as "Quentin's Theme" is being heard is remarkable and one of my favorite segments from the entire series.

 

[Mark Collins]

Scott mine too!!! People will find this strange but as a kid I never once saw a single blooper in the whole show. Remember I would see some episodes twice and still did not see. I even had the audio recordings and did not hear. Sure as an adult I saw things later but with Jonathans acting I thought he was great!Here is a fun fact he stated on his hair back in 1970 on the Dick Cavett Show. He said after a hair cut they would throw his hair to the kids standing outside the studio and they would go crazy. He was a Rock Star to those kids.The Collins Tomb I noticed in later years would not have the plates in the same place which was something else I saw as an adult. The Barnabas Collins painting at Collinwood which changed in 1970 could have been from the movie I do not know. I just know it was different.I will be watching Laura in 1967 tonight as I always do on Saturday nights. Like Mr Shatners stated I will be needing her warmth badly this week as we go to 20 below LOL. Mr Shatner also mentioned the thunder and I saw how they left the thunder on twice during credits. 1968 and 1966 Vicky and Roger held up in a shack 66 and Eagle Hill with Jeff and Roger in 68. Thanks Harry Scott and Mr Shatner and Radioman for bringing back some good memories. Now on to viewing the show.

 

[Mark Collins]

Harry in the plot you are very close to what the fans asked for. " where did Barnabas come from" which is what he said on the Dick Cavett show in the spring of 1968. TV Giude had written about Jonathan and Cavett asked him about it. Jonathan and Dick were old friends from Yale.Harry you will get to see PT1680 1692 1795-96 1840-41 PT1841 1897 1995 PT1970 1966-1971. I envy you. The sets created and the music which was always created for a new story.Have fun to all who have purchased this show!