Customer Reviews

Dark Shadows Collection 18

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

DARK SHADOWS' maligned LEVIATHAN sequence is subtle, suspenseful and genuinely creepy. The sober tone is a relief coming after the campiness of the otherwise excellent "1897 Flashback". LEVIATHAN is DARK SHADOWS for the thinking person.

The segment is rich in film and literary influences. The general storyline, loosely based on the science-horror fiction of H. P. Lovecraft ("The Dunwich Horror", "The Shadow Out of Time", "The Thing on the Doorstep", "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward", THE HAUNTED PALACE), involves alien creatures from earth's prehistory which absorb the minds and wills of humans in their quest to regain supremacy through the generation of a Leviathan messiah.

The segment also draws on the 1940's films of Alfred Hitchcock (SUSPICION, SPELLBOUND); film noir (Val Lewton's THE SEVENTH VICTIM); science fiction (INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED); and shivery paranoid thrillers like THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE and ROSEMARY'S BABY. The subplot based on Oscar Wilde's THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GREY is carried over from the "1897 Flashback".

The underworld journey of Quentin and Amanda is a variant on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, while their survival into the twentieth century is borrowed from THE MAN IN HALF MOON STREET and its Hammer remake THE MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH. Elements of PORTRAIT OF JENNIE and ALL THAT MONEY CAN BUY/THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER are included for good measure.

LEVIATHAN represents a return to the mysterious early months of DARK SHADOWS and provides good dramatic material for the actors, notably series star Joan Bennett whose role had been greatly diminished since the advent of Barnabas (Jonathan Frid) and Quentin (David Selby).

The segment is deliberately paced, relying on intrigue and suggestion, and may seem dull to viewers conditioned by the wildness and blatancy of the vampires and werewolves which take a back seat for a refreshing change.

Rating: 8/10 **** OUTSTANDING.

There are those who say that the Levithan storyline is what, in the end, did Dark Shadows in. Many have labeled it "the beginning of the end."

I would beg to differ.

While the Leviathan storyline did seem to take it's own sweet time in getting where it wanted to be, there were many fun and exciting twists along the way. Was it the best storyline to ever unfold during the course of Dark Shadows? Not by a long shot. But it was also not the worst. For those who bailed before reaching this saga, based on an H.P. Lovecraft story, go back for a second look. Those enjoying the supernatural sudser for the first time - and it is a testament to the power of this show that there are people, all these years later, doing so - may occasionally find their fingers on the fast-forward button, but will, I believe, eventually find that the story is (for the most part) satisfying.

More importantly, this disc continues the saga of my beloved Angelique, whom I would watch read the phone book. This particular storyline - in which she tried, but failed, to keep her identity a secret and was put in the odd position of having Barnabas, of all people, come looking for her help, is filled with classic moments for the wicked witch of Collinwood.

Collection 18 is amazing! For those of you who adore Joan Bennett, she gets quite a bit of screen time in this set, playing both the angles of angry Elizabeth and a brainwashed Leviathan victim. Barnabas, who seemed to have lost his morals in the last collection, finally questions the orders of his Leviathan oppressors and shows that the strong character we all love is still inside him. Quentin returns and quickly becomes the amnesia-stricken Grant Douglas, searching for his identity. This collection, on the whole, however, really belongs to Grayson Hall as Dr. Julia Hoffman. Grayson's amazing acting ability is showcased as Julia deals with four storylines: trying to figure out what has happened to Barnabas since 1897, piecing together the clues of the "three" children that have lived at the antique shop, struggling to aid Chris Jennings in his battle with the werewolf curse, and finally working to restore Quentin's memory. Julia gets some great episodes as the definite hero of the first two discs in Collection 18. Angelique returns later on in the set, and Christopher Pennock debuts as Jeb Hawkes even later. Add this to your collection of Dark Shadows DVD's!

What an amazing blast from the past this was -- for many years (decades!) the bit with Quentin and Amanda, when he tried to rescue her from the underworld but lost her at the last minute because she touched him, haunted my mind and I wished to see it again! What a beautiful woman Donna McKechnie was (still is, I'm sure). The ending may be much sadder than the mythical legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, but it works as a dramatic tragedy. Awesome! If only they made shows like this now...

It's amazing I'm the only one that seems to be displeased with MPI's shoddy packaging of the Dark Shadows series. I have had to send for replacements of my DVD sets countless times throughout the past couple of months. I don't like the way they cram the DVDs in frail holders which constantly has resulted in the tabs coming loose & falling in the case. The tabs which contain the DVDs are NOT secure & I've been discovering more & more that there are usually a couple of tabs missing.

I LOVE Dark Shadows & have been very pleased with the packaging & care put into collections 1-14. Unfortunately MPI seems to have laxed since then & have shown little regard for how they package & market these sets. The trouble had began with volume 15 onwards & I've been having trouble ever since. DVDs become dislodged & slide back & forth within the case due to their ever-broken holder tabs. I can't tell you how many discs have been badly scratched on account of this! This is NOT a result of the DVDs journey to me, it's most certainly due to MPI.

I read that Amazon had discontinued their line of volumes 1-8 from (Dark Shadows) *The Beginning* series for awhile (they've since started issuing them again) as customers complaints were very similar to mine of the inferior care put in to their DVD sets.

I'm very upset that MPI is cheap in their care of marketing these sets & felt compelled to pass my experience with this matter along to others who may be experiencing the same trouble.

I HAVE SEEN THE ORIGINAL IN THE 60'S AND ALSO BOUGHT ALL OF THE VHS TAPES. NOW I AM UPGRADING TO DVD AND CAN NOT WAIT TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE AND OR QUALITY OF THIS ON DVD.

I LOVED this story and, contrary to popular belief, it was NOT the Leviathan story that killed "DS" but the AWFUL story that followed--the 'parallel time 1970' story. Look at the old ratings and one will see that the absolutely boring 'PT 1970" plots plus the absence of the main actors-Frid, Bennett, Barrett, etc... who were off making the first movie-is when the ratings slid downhill. "DS" ratings actually jumped back up during the '1841 PT', enough to save the show but Bennett and Frid both wanted to quit and ABC didn't like the 'cult' audience that the show attracted. It is ironic that ABC didn't like the young audience being the source of the huge ratings figuring they did not control the household purchasing thus meaning they only wanted the 25--45 age range watching their shows. In this day and age that teen-age to 25 year old viewing audience is what EVERY network wants. "DS' was ahead of its time in many ways.

I love how Dan Curtis would keep actors he liked playing the roles we liked seeing them perform. I love Dark Shadows and I love David Selby and his character Quentin Collins. I think all Dark Shadows fans love Barnabas Collins.

This set begins the story arc involving The People of the Leviathan, an ancient cult of the underworld (or something like that). Barnabas is blackmailed to bring a box containing the *seed* of their future leader to 1970 and watch over the child as he grows to adulthood where he'll be mated to Caroline Stoddard and begin a new master race. Of course lots of the characters are unwillingly taken into the cult's power to watch over and protect this child. The child itself grows very quickly, from infant to several terribly annoying young boys (Alex and Michael) to the amoral adult Jebez (Jeb) Hawkes. I won't say more so as not to spoil, but Jonathan Frid is top rate as always as he fights a battle between his conscience over the fate of the Collins and the threats the Leviathans hold over his head - the fate of his beloved Josette as well as being turned into a vampire again.

A smaller part of this set includes the return of Quentin Collins with amnesia and the search for his long-lost portrait - which is found in a most unusual place. I did like the story line between him and Amanda, although I really didn't get the chemistry between the two and glad it was resolved as it was. In the latter part, Quentin is drawn into the Leviathan story with Julia and Barnabas, and it looks like there might be some future story brewing between him and Caroline? I sure hope so...

Being a Dark Shadows fan from day 1, All I can say is great classic. Thanks Amazon for making so many classic tv shows available on dvd. Keep them coming!