Dark Shadows – Reunion (35th Anniversary)
Picture: C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Program: C+
There are two types of
people who watch the TV classic Dark
Shadows. The first group consists of
folks who watched the show when they were growing up and remembers it
fondly. Even watching it in reruns
brings back great memories of their earlier days. The second group watches the show simply
because they can’t believe that what is considered a “cult classic” can be so
overacted, poorly directed, shoddily produced and completely miscast. The only thing that keeps them glued to the
set is the fact that as they continue to watch, the production only gets worse.
This DVD is for those of you in the first group.
The Dark Shadows Reunion takes place during the William S. Paley festival. A yearly event produced by the Museum of TV
& Radio, which features a nightly examination of particular television
shows both new and old. I have been to a
number of these evenings including Freaks
& Geeks, M*A*S*H, West Wing, Survivor and The Rutles,
just to name a few. Most of these
evenings consist of a moderator asking the cast and crew of their show to share
their experiences with the audience. Throw in some clips from the show and short
Q&A session with the audience and you have the gist.
The main reason why this disc would only appeal to the true fan is because only
they will recognize actors like Christopher Pennock (Jeb Hawkes, et. al.) and
Lara Parker (Angelique Bouchard Collins, et. al.). The stage also includes bigger names like Kate
Jackson (Daphne Harridge) and John Karlen (Willie Loomis) but since their
Shadows experience is only a small part of their career, they have less to say.
Some of the cast, like David Selby
(Quentin Collins) recount their times on the set fondly, but with the right
amount of whimsy that let’s everyone know they realize it was just a TV show
and not a very good one. Then there are
those who speak of Shadows as if it were not only the crowning moment in their
career, but also the defining moment in soap opera history. Sadly, Jonathan Frid (Barnabus Collins) does
not attend the reunion and there is no explanation why, although the bonus
features include a remarkably “groovy” interview with Frid from The Merv Griffin Show (along with Rocky
Marciano in 1970).
The picture is as varied
as a documentary, with a mix of old and new footage, both monochrome and
color. Virtually all of this is on
analog videotape of one form or another.
The Dolby Digital 2.0 sound is usually monophonic, with patches of
stereo here and there. This is typical
of such a presentation. Other bonus
features include a delightful montage of photos and video clips of the
backstage reception. Sadly, the montage
is set to music, so we are unable to hear the participants talk about how old
they all have gotten. An interview with
Joan Bennett (Elizabeth Collins Stoddard) from The Mike Douglas Show (1969) is also included and is as retro as it
gets (Mike’s other guest is Dody Goodman). There’s also a collection of promotional TV
spots and a PSA featuring Kathryn Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans, et. al.) that are
worth a look.
If there is a bright spot
for non-fans it would be hearing from the crew of Dark Shadows. Particularly,
Bob Cobert, who reveals that his job composing music for the drama was one of
the greatest jobs of his career (clearly because he never spent any time on the
set or even had to watch the show).
The bottom line is if you
weren’t a fan of the show then, naturally, this DVD isn’t even worth thinking
about. However, if you are a part of
that select group that considers Dark
Shadows a “classic” then you will eat it up. The anecdotes, the insights and most
importantly the aging of the cast are all reasons why any true DS fan will want
this for their collection, right between their copy of House of Dark Shadows and their Quentin’s
Theme 45.
- Paul Goebel
Paul
Goebel was recently seen as the resident TV geek on Comedy Central's gameshow,
"Beat the Geeks". He has appeared on numerous television shows
and is recognized as the leading expert in TV trivia. He doesn't know everything about TV, he just
knows more than you. Paul can be reached
through his website:
www.TheKingofTV.com
