Night Of Dark Shadows (DVD)

Even in its truncated (post-edited) form, it's a great, fun thriller. Damn Jim Aubrey ("the smiling cobra" of CBS in the early 1960s, the man who axed Judy Garland from her 1963 TV variety series after only one season because she refused sleep with him (Judy, separated from her husband, Sid Luft, was at the time romantically involved with David Begelman, one of her managers, whom she loved and hoped to marry---Begelman's own marriage of this period was hardly more blissful than Judy's---even though Begelman, six years after Judy's death, had the whistle blown on him by actor Cliff Robertson for forging Robertson's $50,000 "film location" expense checks; a thorough investigation revealed Begelman had bilked hundreds of thousands of dollars out of not only Judy but virtually every client he represented, for 15 or more years, and he was thereafter treated with contempt within the agency business, and consequently took his life in 1991), and the one who sounded the death knell, as presiding CEO(!)of MGM, in 1970 with the MGM auction, for ordering the film be cut yet another 30 minutes (which producer Dan Curtis had already done to the originally 150-minute film to a reasonable two hours), because Aubrey deemed it a mere "B-movie potboiler" (anyone who would fire Judy Garland in her prime could hardly be complimented with either good judgment or respecting the lady many show biz historians have christened "the world's greatest female entertainer" of the 20th Century (please note: "the world's greatest female ENTERTAINER---not just singer, dancer, and actress, but all three; of what's out there today, arguably, only Barbra Streisand stands alone, and Judy was both one of Barbra's earliest mentors and champions, insisting that Barbra be the sole guest star early in the season of her 1963-64 TV variety series---and Barbra, for all her other sterling qualities, is neither the natural nor trained dancer Garland proved to be throughout her entire profession life; however, Barbra's success as a film director more than makes up for not being a remarkable dancer) much less a judge of a class-A motion picture---but, I understand, a "length restoration" of the cut print is in progress.I went to see the picture (at a drive-in, which I loved) on, if memory for dates serves correctly, on Friday, August 11 or 13th(?),1971(it was my parents' birthday gift to me; on August 13th, I turned 11 years of age, and had literally grown up, along with a million other kids and adults of all ages, on the 5-year series, which had been discontinued four months earlier, in mid-April which, astonishingly, made the film even more of a box-office success). It was on the top of a double bill with "The Fearless Vampire Killers" (1967), starring Roman Polanski and the incandescently lovely (and talented) Sharon Tate (not a success in 1967 but a cult classic today), making for a perfect evening at the movies, compliments of what was left of poor MGM, which distributed both pictures. However, a restoration of the missing 30 minutes is reportedly in progress (I consider "Night of Dark Shadows" the horror/suspense example of what happened to the original, 1954 musical version of "A Star Is Born" which, due to the greed of Warner Bros., caved in to pressure---by equally greedy nationwide theatre owners---to have THAT diamond of a motion picture shortened by almost 30 minutes, six weeks AFTER its premiere and distribution across the country, during which the picture was being hailed by film critics as a musical-film masterpiece and box office triumph; it was the first picture to be restored under the funding, starting in 1983, to restore cut, poorly-marketed and/or "lost" classic motion pictures, starting a tradition that still rescues Hollywood art forms, thanks to the Motion Picture Association of Arts and Sciences, from further damage, obscurity, and/or extinction. Judy would have been so proud, since it has been cited as being her finest three hours on the screen, for which she received the first of two "regulation" Oscar nominations, having been awarded a "special" Oscar for "The Wizard of Oz" in 1940---and a "special Tony Award for her Palace Theatre Concert Engagement in 1952---the award for Best Actress of 1954 that year went to---of all people---Grace Kelly, for "The Country Girl", against other far more deserving nominees that year such as Audrey Hepburn, Jane Wyman, Dorothy Dandridge, and Garland herself. Film historians today Garland lost the award to Kelly because Kelly was under contract to her former nemesis, MGM, and simply, because most Academy voters were denied seeing "A Star Is Born" uncut and in its full glory, at odds with themselves for voting for a performance that, until 1983, was no longer there in its entirety, though it is agreed that, even in its truncated form, Garland acted Kelly off the screen nonetheless (including those who state that Kelly couldn't act at all, by comparison to the four other actresses nominated along with Judy).But now, Aubrey is long dead (let's hope, unlike at Collinwood, reincarnation is not an option for James Aubrey!) and "Night of Dark Shadows" will be restored to its own uncut glory, a classic of its genre, watched, rewatched, and remembered long after James Aubrey, show business assassin, has long been forgotten (which he already has been, in many respects, due to his gross abuses of power and his destructive mismanagement and mistreatment of the Hollywood art form of television, film, and the hugely talented people, in front of and behind the cameras, who made them special).Up yours, Aubrey! Time, wiser and more distinguished heads, unforgettably powerhouse talents and great entertainment will outlive the foul memory of you, forever.

I'm actually quite suprised to see all the criticisms of this movie. I feel obligated to briefly respond in its defense. I've been going through a phase (for reasons unknown) where my wife and I are almost exclusively renting horror videos. We saw this movie last night and I found it very scary and filled with a particular atmospheric that seems to only come from movies from the 60's and early 70's. There's something dated about the style, but it is also classic.In this genre my favorites would be: "The Haunting" (the original); "The Legend of Hell House"; "Burnt Offerings" (starring Karen Black); "Phantasm" (albeit that's from 1978). I supppose the common denominator is that they are all of the haunted house motif. I mention these movies because I thought the "Night of the Dark Shadows" fit in with them quite well. I do agree that the editing was a little rough, but I didn't find it to detract in any major way. The atmosphere, however, was a very seductive and bizarre mix of gothic/mod sexuality and occult mysticism. There wasn't a tremendous amount of explicit violence, but the overall vibe was heavy enough that I didn't want my two year-old daughter in the room while it was playing. The music was effectively corresponding to the developments in the movie--I'd buy the avant-garde soundtrack in a heartbeat. And, I agree that actress Lara Parker was enchanting. I'd like to find that painting of her which so captivated Kate Jackson's husband! The rest of the cast was also excellent; I even overcame my prejudice against Kate Jackson for her later Charlie's Angels contribution as she was sweetness personified in this and very compelling.Overall, I definitely got the "buzz" I was seeking from this and any "horror" movie. It's true supernatural macabre without any innocent explanations. The feeling of the movie has stayed with me since I watched it 20 hours ago. I will follow the recommendations of others and seek out the "House of the Dark Shadows."

Night of Dark Shadows was the second of two feature length movies based on the popular 1960s' TV soap opera, Dark Shadows. However, it is not considered to be a sequel to first film, House of Dark Shadows. Resurrecting Barnabas was scrapped for the second film when Mr. Frid declined to portray the popular vampire. Dan Curtis and writer Sam Hall decided to create a new storyline based on the popular Quentin Collins character. NODS takes place some time after the tragic events in HODS. Elizabeth Collins Stoddard had passed, thus making Quentin the legal heir to the vast estate. He arrives with his young wife, the beautiful Kate Jackson. Soon after their arrival, Quentin his haunted by the ghost of his ancestor, Charles Collins, a talented painter, who found himself in an extramarital affair with his brother's beautiful wife, Angelique Collins. In 1810, Angelique is hanged for witchcraft, and her lover, Charles, is likewise sealed alive in her tomb. Quentin is tormented by these flashbacks. Stranger still, he is slowly becoming possessed by Charles Collins, and manipulated by his gorgeous lover, Angelique, the witch.Night of Dark Shadows is my favorite of the two feature length movies. I was pleased when it finally went to DVD. The movie had been digitally remastered 1.65:1 widescreen format, with Dolby sound. The one drawback is the original film was 129 minutes. Dan Curtis stated MGM forced him to edit 35 minutes from the final cut which is 94 minutes. These lost scenes created ambiguity in the film. However, it is still a pretty good movie. The gothic setting and spooky soundtrack is classic Dark Shadows. Selby, Grayson Hall, John Karlen, Chris Pennock, and James Storm are excellent. The beautiful women of DS, Lara Parker, Nancy Barrett, and Kate Jackson are equally talented. I recommend this DVD to all fans of Dark Shadows.

The second Dark Shadows movie is a genuinely creepy Gothic Horror. If you dig the series and Gothic Horror...buy it!❤️❤️❤️

Excellent

Mal hecha y anticuada. De terrorífica no tiene nada. Más bien al contrario. De lo mal hecha que está te hace reir. No la recomiendo. Parece de otro siglo.

new blood comes home to Collinwood house. it stars David Selby as Quentin Collins and Kate Jackson as his bride Tracy.in her first staring role. When Quentin and his bride move into his ancestral home he begins to have strange and violent visions of the past in his dreams he sees one of his family member being hanged for being a witch. The witch comes to him in his dreams because Quentin looks like her lost long love. more of supernatural tale .than full blooded horror

Bellissimo, consigliato per gli appassionati del genere.