Customer Reviews

Dark Shadows: Return to Collinwood/O.S.T.

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

 

 

I recently bought Dark Shadows Return to Collinwood after seeing it listed in Amazon.com for a couple years.

I must say I enjoyed every minute of this Audio drama, Hearing the surviving original actors again replaying their well know characters was a great feel.

I saw the original show on the SCI-Fi channel in the early 90's and enjoyed the show I later learned it orginally came out in the late 60's about a year before I was born (I was born in 1967).

I've allways have been interested in ghosts and mysteries and horror movies in general so when a Friend introduced me to the show. I became a big fan of it and even bought the entire series on DVD.

I all so started buying the new Audio dramas from "Big Finish" and have enjoyed each of them so far.

for any Fan of Dark Shadows I highly recommend this Audio Drama.

Dark Shadows was cancelled without returning to the original characters that were so popular with fan, but in a paralell time story instead. I think the mistake that Dan Curtis made in trying to bring back the show over the years was to try to retell the original story, instead of continuing it. This audio drama rectifies him mistake by reuniting the surviving members of the cast in current time. The story was well done and Angelique is at it again. The only weakness I have found in the presentation is it leaves the story open ended with the hopes that it would kick off a new series of audio drama. There was,however, enough closure though to provide a wonderful 2 hours of entertainment. This is a must for any and all Dark Shadows fans.

Great product....bad price. It's no cheaper elsewhere. MPI needs to quit charging the prices that PBS charges for pledge premium gifts. Good Lord! The video sets are also overpriced. You have a great product but you guys are ridiculous!

Being a writer for 10 years, I know how tough it is to turn a television production into an audio drama, especially if it's a reunion or revival. All of the characters have to bring the listener up to speed on past events and at the same time recreate the same magic they had on the previous production. For me, the great deliveries come from Nancy Barrett and John Karlen. From the limited script, they really tried to recreate the essence of the characters. David Selby portrayed more of a mature Quentin Collins which was a disappointment to me since he was always remembered as an extrovert with a leading demeanor. The dialogue itself was rushed in some parts and the suspense never had time to build. Less was always more on Dark Shadows and many of the most suspenseful events in the script played on the viewers intelligence. This method could have been used more here but instead the writer added too much description for certain key scenes. For example, when Carolyn was painting, Angelique's whimsical voice could have been left out allowing Carolyn's actions of painting her in the first place to be the lead into the arrival of Angelique, herself. Listeners would have figured on their own that she had some sort of hold.

I agree with some of the other comments that the dialogue was weak at times when establishing the setting of Collinsport in modern day(i.e. Willie's Ebay comment and hot tub installation). Dark Shadows always represented the time period it was in but still remained detached from reality. As soon as you start to incorporate modern day events and technology into the storyline, it loses it's flavor.

Overall I loved hearing the actors together again but I wish that they would have been given a stronger script.

Several friends of mine cautioned me this would be bad but I went ahead and had a listen anyway. Yes, it was terrible! I've said this before and I'll say it again. Dark Shadows in OUR present day does NOT work! I screamed and cringed when Karlan started reading this dreck about putting a jacuzzi in the Old House. Um what? And a TV? What in God's name happened to Barnabas? The storyline was a mess. I felt sorry for the actors who were clearly trying to give it their all but it was a disaster nonetheless. I didn't care about any of the characters, who appeared a pale 'shadow' of what they once were.

If you want to hear an improvement, you can check out Big Finish's Dark Shadows range. I would stick with the full cast recordings and not the dramatic readings though.

I can't believe that Elizabeth would give the Old House to Willy. Even though he was forced by Barnabus to restore much of it. The only problem with this 2CD set is that it whets the listener's appetite for future adventures and it's the only one so far. Angelique now living at Collinwood. I didn't see that coming at all. Real fun.

I agree with the previous reviewer. $30.00 for 2 CD's is RIDICULOUS !!!!!!!!!