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Thursday, April 18, 2019

MASTER OF DARK SHADOWS (2019) Blu-ray review



Master of Dark Shadows (2019) d. David Gregory (US) (87 min)

In 1966, a phenomenon was launched when Dark Shadows debuted on ABC-TV as a daily Gothic suspense series. Airing in the late afternoon, the show attracted a massive youth audience as it shifted to the supernatural with the introduction of vulnerable vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid). Witches, ghosts, and scary storylines turned Dark Shadows into a TV classic that led to motion pictures, remakes, reunions, and legions of devoted fans who have kept the legend alive for five decades.



This feature-length documentary from genre cinema scholar and aficionado non pareil David Gregory (Ban the Sadist Videos!, Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s The Island of Dr. Moreau) reveals the fascinating, far-reaching impact and appeal of Dark Shadows with a compelling blend of rare footage, historical images and behind-the-scenes stories while also exploring the dramatic talents of creator-producer-director Dan Curtis. Known as the "King of TV Horror," the Emmy-winning filmmaker followed Dark Shadows with other legendary small-screen scares including The Night Stalker, Trilogy of Terror, The Norliss Tapes, and Dead of Night before earning accolades for the epic mini-series The Winds of War and War & Remembrance.


Narrated by Ian McShane (Deadwood), Master of Dark Shadows offers insights from the late Curtis (via archival footage) as well as Oscar-winning writer/producer Alan Ball (True Blood), screenwriter William F. Nolan (Trilogy of Terror, Burnt Offerings), author Herman Wouk (The Winds of War), horror icon Barbara Steele (Black Sunday), actor Ben Cross (star of the ill-fated Dark Shadows '90s reboot), original stars Jonathan Frid, David Selby, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Lara Parker, John Karlen, Nancy Barrett, Jerry Lacy, Roger Davis, Marie Wallace, Chris Pennock, James Storm, and other colleagues and family members.

BONUS FEATURES:

Dark Shadows Studio Visit (2 min)

“The House” from 1950s horror anthology series The Web (26 min)

Vintage TV Spots

The Dick Cavett Show: Jonathan Frid (16 min)

Excerpts of Jonathan Frid solo performances of “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and Richard II (16 min)

"Barnabas visits The White House" (4 min)

Light & Shadows: A Musical Performance by David Selby (6 min)

"Dark Shadows in Print" with Kathryn Leigh Scott and David Selby (8 min)

Excerpts from Dark Shadows Audio Dramas featuring original Dark Shadows stars (3 min)

Trailers and Promos







Master of Dark Shadows is available now from MPI Video and can be ordered HERE:

https://www.mpihomevideo.com/products/master-of-dark-shadows


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