Dark Shadows: The Beginning Collection 2 (1966) Review

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(More customer reviews)Following it's landmark premier in 1966, the first-ever gothic soap opera, Dark Shadows, settled into its afternoon timeslot to haunt viewers with is unique blend of romance and terror. Unfortunately, viewership dwindled steadily, despite excellent stories and equally fine acting, which are clearly demonstrated in this latest boxed set of remastered DVD episodes from MPI Home Video.
The Beginning Set 1, reflecting the first 35 episodes of the series, introduced the characters and eerie atmosphere created by innovative sets and unforgettable original music that was the hallmark of the show for its five-year run.
The Beginning Set 2, which collects the next 35 episodes, builds on that foundation by further developing the main characters and adding some new ones.
Burke Devlin, portrayed with animation and realism by Mitchell Ryan, has returned to Collinsport a rich man after being away for 10 years. He spent the first five years in prison after being convicted in Collinsport of manslaugter. He had spent the succeeeding years years abroad amassing his fortune before returning, embittered and angry, to his hometown.
In these episodes, Burke begins to unravel the truth behind the crime for which he was falsely convicted, and strategizes to take over the Collins Family's vast financial holdings, including the family estate of Collinwood.
Victoria Winters, played to perfection by Alexandra Moltke, finds herself drawn to Burke, then embroiled in a bitter feud with Carolyn Stoddard, portrayed by the incredible Nancy Barrett, who inexplicably decides she no longer wants her steady but "boring" boyfriend, Joe Haskell, but would rather try to seduce the volatile Burke.
As a result, Joe, played by the late Joel Crothers, begins to develop romantic feelings for waitress Maggie Evans, played by Kathryn Leigh Scott. (Cast Note: Mark Allen, the actor who originated the role of Maggie's father, Sam Evans, is now replaced by actor David Ford, who brings a depth and likeability to the character as never before.)
David Collins, the young son of Burke's arch enemy, Roger Collins (who testified against Burke at his trial,) is given a crystal ball by Burke and "sees" the disappearance of Bill Malloy, manager of Collins Enterprises and Cannery. Malloy, who has begun to believe that Burke was innocent of the manslaughter charge, had been investigating and had asked to meet with Burke, Roger and Sam that night to discuss what he had found. Instead, Malloy's lifeless body is found washed up on the rocks by Widow's Hill.
Talented actress Clarice Blackburn joins the cast as Malloy's housekeeper Mrs. Sarah Johnson, who eventually becomes the live-in housekeeper for the Collins Family at Collinwood. This set also features the debut of the brilliant actor, Thayer David, who took over the role of Collinwood ground's keeper Matthew Morgan. Mr. David would go on to play some of the show's most memorable characters during the remainder of the series' run.
Special features in this set include: Interviews with Moltke, Ryan and Conrad Fowkes, who portrayed attorney Frank Garner.
These early episodes occur prior to the arrival of the vampire, Barnabas Collins, played by the gifted Jonathan Frid. Series Creator, the late Dan Curtis, decided to "go all the way" into the supernatural in an attempt to save the show from falling ratings. It worked. Once Frid joined the cast, the show skyrocketed to iconic status. Many fans who began watching once Barnabas became a fixture on the show, never saw these early episodes, so it's wonderful to have them finally available on DVD, to see how it all began!! Besides, there's plenty of gothic intrigue in these episodes to satisfy anyone.
Bring on Set 3!!

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Dark Shadows DVD Collection 1 (1966) Review

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(More customer reviews)... Basically, this first DVD set is VHS Volumes 1-4; in other words, 8 actual weeks of the programme, 2 weeks on each disc. The quality is better than the VHS tapes, but not greatly, as Dark Shadows was a very low budget soap opera, and through the years some of the original prints were lost, damaged, etc., and alternative prints were utilised in their stead; but it is a definite improvement over the quality of the VHS tapes. The programmes on this DVD collection begin at the same point in the series as the VHS videos begin: a synopsis of the earlier episodes and characters followed by the introduction of Barnabas Collins the Vampyre. As far as extras, there are three interviews approximately 5 minutes long each: Jonathan Frid (Barnabas), Kathryn Leigh-Scott (Maggie, Josette), and John Karlen (Willie, Kendrick), each interviewed several years ago. What really should be noted about the DVD collection(s) that differs from the VHS tapes is that ALL THE EPISODES ARE COMPLETE AND UNEDITED. The VHS tapes are actually edited. I didn't really notice this at first, until I realised I was seeing episodes and parts of episodes that weren't shown in the VHS volumes. (A clue to this being my former statement that the DVD collection, consisiting of 8 weeks, equals that of the VHS Volumes, 1-4; and as the VHS volumes only consist of approximately one week each, the math is incorrect.) By seeing the complete episodes, the viewer will find (after having watched the VHS tapes) the story to be fleshed out more, focusing more on all the characters and situations.
If you're new to Dark Shadows and are curious about this show and want a good starter sampler, this DVD collection is perhaps the best and least expensive way to start. For to begin with less than these 40 episodes will not give one a good idea of the scope of this programme. Quite frankly, even 40 episodes isn't enough to give anyone the idea of the scope of this show as there were so many changes in events and characters throughout the series. Keep in mind this is/was a five day a week soap opera (even if it is gothic), that it was on for approximately four to five years, that, as with all soap operas, it is mainly dialogue-based and moves at a snail's pace, and that, as such, can be very boring and tedious at times! And do expect low budget effects, bouts of melodramatic acting, and loads and loads of flubs and mistakes that made it onto film (due to the fact that the show was more often than not taped live and editing wasn't an option). However despite the many drawbacks, Dark Shadows is charming, addicting, imaginative, romantic, and eerie. And no matter how much one likes or dislikes a particular episode, one simply MUST see the next episode...and the next...and the next...and so on.
In a nutshell, Dark Shadows, with all its faults (probably more than any other show that ever aired on television), is pleasing because of the suspense and intrigue, and the imagination that propells it; because of the continuing story and the characters involved (who are portrayed by some very talented actors); and because of the romantic, supernatural escapism that draws us in. Watching Dark Shadows is very much like watching a play on a stage; and if one views it that way (no pun intended) all the mistakes, flubs, etc. will simply not matter.
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Item Name: Dark Shadows - DVD; Studio:Mpi Home Video

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Peyton Place: Part One (1966) Review

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(More customer reviews)Love, lust, backstabbing, murder and illicit secrets. Dallas, Dynasty, Knotts Landing - or maybe The Simpsons? Wrong! Those themes and many more touched the lives of those who inhabited Peyton Place, the first-ever TV primetime soap opera.
By today's standards those storielines may seem tame, but in 1964 when the show premiered they were risque and shocking, more so even than the two theatrical movies that had preceded it, because this WAS TV, gosh darn it!
Peyton Place ran on ABC in half-hour episodes from Sept. 15, 1964 to June 2, 1969, racking up a total 514 episodes. In a truly historic five-disc boxed set DVD release, Shout!Factor has collected the first two seasons that were broadcast in black and white. The remainder of the series was aired in color. (Note, this is only the second true TV soap opera to receive a DVD release - the first was the iconic daytime gothic series, `Dark Shadows.' It also ran on ABC for five years.)
Peyton Place boasted an almost unprecedented cast of talented actors, two of whom got their start on the show but ended as movie stars: Mia "Rosemary's Baby" Farrow and Ryan "Love Story" O'Neal. The stellar cast was lead by Academy Award winner Dorothy Malone.
Executive producer Paul Monash rejected the "soap opera" label for Peyton Place, referring to it instead as a "television novel." The series was, in fact, based on the Grace Metalious novel. Interestingly, it ended up as the ONLY primetime series that ran continuously, never repeating a single broadcast in summer reruns.
The series took place in the title town, which was founded by the Peyton family, whose members included the Harringtons. Like any good soap opera, the plots were deliciously complicated. A few early plots involved Rodney Harrington, the oldest son, choosing between the town's bad girl and the respectable girl. His brother took up with the working class girl, while Ms. Malone's character was keeping a very private secret of her own.
Thus, characters married, divorced, loved and lost. Secrets were the staples of the show, but there was also a healthy dose of illicit passion, murder, and insanity.
Episodes began by depicting a church steeple. The title "Peyton Place" overlays the image as the church bells tone. An uncredited voice proclaims: "This is the continuing story of `Peyton Place.'" The scene changes to the town square, a rolling brook, then a panoramic view of the town. It dissolves to photos of cast members, and a brief recap of previous episodes narrated by Warner Anderson, who also played Matthew Swain. (Anderson left the series after the first season, but continued to offer his voice talents until the final episode.) The memorable theme song, "Wonderful Season of Love," was composed by Franz Waxman, the lyrics written by Paul Francis Webster.
When the show premiered in 1964, Peyton Place aired twice a week. Both installments of the show were Top 20 hits in the Nielsen Ratings, inspiring ABC to air it three times a week in the fall of 1965. But, this move caused viewership to dip sharply and its popularity steadily declined. The series was cut back to two weekly episodes the following season, but it continued to lose its audience. In 1969 it was cut back to one weekly installment until it ended in June.
The core cast included: Ms. Malone as Constance MacKenzie Carson (1964-1968); Tim O'Connor as Elliot Carson (1965-1968); Ms. Farrow as Allison Mackenzie (1964-1966); O'Neal as Rodney Harrington; Christopher Connelly as Norman Harrington; Paul Langton as Leslie Harrington (1964-1968); Barbara Parkins as Betty Anderson Harrington Cord Harrington; Patricia Morrow as Rita Jacks Harrington (1965-1969); Evelyn Scott as Ada Jacks (1965-1969); Ed Nelson as Dr. Michael Rossi; George Macready as Martin Peyton (1965-1968); James Douglas as Steven Cord; and Ruth Warrick as Hannah Cord (1965-1967).
In the premiere episode, Dr. Rossi arrives in Peyton Place by train. He is picked up at the station by Rodney Harrington and his girlfriend Betty. When they drive him to the inn, Rossi catches his father kissing his secretary - Betty's mother!
The show was one of the first seen on network television to talk about sex and infidelity in a frank manner. As such, ABC brass would only allow the show to be aired at 9:30 p.m. Eastern/Pacific time, when children and teenagers were expected to be in bed. With the show in a ratings slump in 1968, the show was moved to 8:30 p.m. to draw in a larger audience - courting younger viewers they had once eschewed.
The series was revived briefly as a daytime serial `Return to Peyton Place' from April 3, 1972 to Jan. 4, 1974. Three of the actors from the primetime series reprised their roles - Frank Ferguson as Eli Carson, Patricia Morrow as Rita Harrington, and Evelyn Scott as Ada Jacks.
Peyton Place guest stars included a host of well-known actors: David Canary, who along with Ms. Warrick, is best known for their roles on ABC's popular daytime soap All My Children; James "Star Trek" Doohan; Mickey "The Monkey" Dolenze; Barbara Rush; Susan Oliver; Ruby Dee; Leslie Nielson; Greg "Mission:Impossible" Morris; Joan "Knotts Landing" Van Ark; Joyce Jillson; Diana Hyland; Gena Rowlands; Lana Wood; Erin O'Brien-Moore (who was in the original film,); Mariette Hartley; Frank Ferguson; John Kerr; Joan Blackman; Wilfred-Hyde White; Leigh Taylor-Young; and Dan Duryea.
Let's hope Shout!Factory follows this wonderful release with the remainder of this historic TV series.

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On September 15, 1964, then fledgling television network ABC began airing a twice weekly prime time serial drama based on the scandalous and sexy best selling book Peyton Place. With brilliant acting by Dorothy Malone, Mia Farrow and Ryan O'Neal among others, this superbly written and directed nighttime soap opera stretched the boundaries of what was considered morally acceptable in the pre sexual revolution 1960s. When all was said and done, Peyton Place had won a devoted following over the course of its 514 episodes, and ABC had become a major network.This is the continuing story of Peyton Place the soothing voice of benevolent town elder Matthew Swain would begin every episode. But the stories that followed were anything but soothing. Extramarital affairs, unwed teen pregnancies, family betrayals, mental illness and even murder were all lurking behind the storybook façade of this picture perfect, centuries old New England village and its citizens. From the day Dr. Michael Rossi arrives at Peyton Place to assume his role as town doctor, some of the townspeoples lives begin to unravel, revealing unexpected and intersecting relationships long hidden by secrets and lies. The widow Constance MacKenzie and her innocent daughter Allison; the troubled brothers Norman and Rodney Harrington and their powerful father Leslie; struggling George and Julie Anderson and their love struck daughter Betty; and the mysterious Elliot Carson are all revealed to be much more than they initially appear in these first 31 episodes. This is the beginning of the continuing story of Peyton Place.

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Dark Shadows: The Beginning, Collection 3 - Episodes 71-105 Review

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(More customer reviews)After months of sagging ratings, the fledgling soap opera Dark Shadows did, what in the words of its creator, Dan Curtis, no daytime drama had ever done: it went supernatural.
Following it's landmark premier in 1966, the first-ever gothic soap opera, Dark Shadows, settled into its afternoon time slot to haunt viewers with is unique blend of romance and psychological terror a la Jane Eyre. Unfortunately, viewer ship dwindled steadily, despite excellent stories and equally fine acting, which are clearly demonstrated in each boxed set of remastered DVD episodes from MPI Home Video.
The Beginning Set 1, reflecting the first 35 episodes of the series, introduced the characters and eerie atmosphere created by innovative sets and unforgettable original music that was the hallmark of the show for its five-year run; and The Beginning Set 2, which collected the next 35 episodes, built on that foundation by further developing the main characters and adding some new ones.
But, with The Beginning Set 3 the story gets more intense and leads up to the show's first and second ghosts, both harbingers of bigger and better things to come. Even before those crucial events, the supernatural begins to assert itself when a "real" crystal ball is given to young David Collins. Immediately, he begins to "see" things.
In this boxed set, the drowning death of Collins Plant Manager Bill Malloy is highlighted and becomes darker. In fact, it is his ghost that debut's as the first-ever depicted on the show, when his seaweed drenched corpse warns a terrified Victoria Winters to leave Collinwood or die.
Several episodes later, the young David Collins goes at night to the rundown and ramshackle family mansion, the Old House, where he looks up into the portrait of his great-great-great grandmother Josette Collins, the Lady in White. He implores her spirit to come to him as she frequently does when he needs help. Interrupted by caretaker Matthew Morgan, they leave the darkened drawing room together. Slowly, the portrait begins to shine and the music build. Then, a ghostly white figure appears to step down from the portrait and meander through the house and grounds.
Actress Kathryn Leigh Scott, who portrayed waitress Maggie Evans, was the ghost, saying she was the only actress on set who fit the clothing for Josette and who had a likeness to the portrait.
In addition to all of that, Burke Devlin (played brilliantly by Mitchell Ryan) declares an all-out war against the Collins family, promising to take everything they own, including the fishing fleet, cannery - and the ancestral family home: Collinwood!
Also of great interest in this boxed set are exterior shots, a rarity even today on soap operas. Shots included are of the Great House, the Old House, Widows Hill, Lookout Point and the beach below, Collinsport, the Collins Enterprises and Cannery, the Police Station, the Collinsport Inn, the Blue Whale, and the Evans' Cottage.
Show creators chose Seaview Terrace to represent the exterior of the Collinwood mansion. Located in the picturesque coastal town of Newport, RI, its imposing façade faced out to the edge of the Atlantic, just as writer Art Wallace had described in the original outline for the series. The privately owned house was patterned after a French Chateau, and was converted into student dormitories during the 1950's. It is currently leased by the Salve Reginia University, providing accommodation and classrooms.
Located near the mansion is the Cliff Walk and beach seen in several episodes, including the area where Victoria Winters discovered an incriminating pen that plays a pivotal role in this boxed set.
Also located in Newport, a little further down the coast is the Black Pearl Restaurant, the exterior of which was used as the Blue Whale. It still exists today, though renovations have changed the view commonly seen on the show.
Essex, Connecticut, was used for the town of Collinsport, Maine, including the Collinsport Wharf, Collinsport Enterprises, Main Street and the Evans Cottage. The exteriors of Essex's Griswold Inn was used for the Collinsport Inn and the town Post Office was used for the town Police Station.
Special features in this boxed set include: New Interviews with actors Alexandra Moltke (Victoria Winters), Mitchell Ryan (Burke Devlin), and Conrad Fowkes (Frank Garner.)
These early episodes occurred prior to the arrival of the vampire, Barnabas Collins, played by the gifted Jonathan Frid. Once Frid joined the cast, the show skyrocketed to iconic status. Many fans who began watching once Barnabas became a fixture on the show, never saw these early episodes, so it's wonderful to have them finally available on DVD, to see how it all began!

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