Someone
once said the best things come in small packages. MPI Home
Video's Dark Shadows 30th Anniversary Tribute underscores
the statement. The jacket has a picture of Barnabas in a stunning
pose hovering over Collinwood, his eyes beckoning us to be
victimized with a purchase. This 60 minute compilation is
a treasure trove, offering rare audio and visual contributions
of the late Joan Bennett, Louis Edmonds, Grayson Hall, Dennis
Patrick, and Michael Stroka.
In
some ways, the tape opens like a gothic version of The
Wizard of Oz in reverse, cutting from the contemporary
colour trademark overture to the first black and white scene
of the series, showing Victoria Winters embarking on June
27, 1966 for that
magical journey. Immediately following are about 20 minutes
of random interviews with some of the production personnel
such as Malcolm Marmorstein, who shares the casual conception
of the Phoenix plot, and stars of the series such as Kate
Jackson.
There
is a lively cast reunion on stage at the 1996 Festival in
Los Angeles, with gracious greetings from Diana Millay, Denise
Nickerson, Lara Parker, Dennis Patrick, Kathryn Leigh Scott,
David Selby, Michael Stroka, Marie Wallace and Donna Wandry.
The highlight of the gathering is infrequent guest Conrad
Bain and his clever comments including the recall of his role
for closure by the werewolf. This is followed by a promo package
for the annual Festivals showing stars signing, memorabilia
tables and the inevitable x-factor fan fever.
There
is a trio of takes from talk shows, including some 25th anniversary
live appearance of Jonathan Frid, Lara Parker, and Kathryn
Leigh Scott on AM Los Angeles; Frid with an earlier
solo spot on The Merv Griffin Show (March 27, 1969);
and the late Joan Bennett as a guest on The Mike Douglas
Show (August 5, 1970). Miss
Bennett's segment leads into two Dark Shadows movie
trailers.
There's
an ultra-rare glimpse of Grayson Hall in her 1960s Manhattan
appartment, complete with brief audio commentary from her,
and a new interview with her husband, writer Sam Hall.
Elsewhere
is the amusing admission from Jonathan Frid that this vampire
"drinks coffee" during a November 1984 New Jersey
Network Pledge stint. More commentary from actors about the
success of the series are forthcoming, as the late Louis Edmonds
suggests the performers "bonded together" and Kathryn
Leigh Scott secures the comment with a "chemistry of
casting" statement.
Concluding
with a musical montage of the entire series (originally featured
on volume 200 of the original series), the 30th Anniversary
Tribute offers a wealth of classic content for the special
collector!
Order
this videotape from Amazon.com
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