Dark Shadows Collection 03

Dark Shadows: collection 3At this stage of the series the characters seem to dwell in a kind of innocence. They’re unsure of themselves. Everyone is hemmed in by hesitations, including Barnabas the vampire, who is repeatedly dissuaded, by the efforts of Willie and Dr. Julia Hoffman, from killing off his perceived rivals and those who might expose his true identity. Accepting that he is new to this modern world, his would-be hasty excursions of death are thus replaced by more reflective options. There are exceptions though, as one or two characters are just too much for Barnabas to tolerate. This aura of innocence seems absent in the later episodes of the series, where everyone is emboldened to do their own thing. Too many cast members later on.And it’s strange to say, that despite the constant intermingling of the characters, each one seems relegated to his or her own isolation. They’re trapped in separate personal dilemmas from which the vast shadowy depths of the great mansion Collinwood offers no relief. Hence, there are many subplots at work. The cast repeatedly joins up, they converse with each other, drink brandy before the flames of the fireplace, then one by one they leave. Alone. Past the big grandfather clock and through that ever-present front door. And nothing is ever really resolved; their problems just disperse into cobwebs after a time.The sound of wind and thunder from without works so wonderfully with all the ongoing tensions within the house.Stage Sets provide the perfect atmosphere. The settings are fitting…the dark, windy, foreboding atmosphere is everywhere. The fog enshrouded cemetery, which everyone seems to explore only at night, is notable, as is The Blue Whale, a quaint little tavern where all the characters meet and hobnob in varying combinations. More brandy.Observations:Almost everyone smokes cigarettes, including Dr. Hoffman.Everyone keeps drinking the brandy, except Barnabas; he fakes it, holds the glass but never drinks.Some episodes are in black and white, some are in color, then it‘s back to black and white. For some reason I like this shuffling of old and new.The candles throughout the Old House where Barnabas lives are blue. Their bright color seemed ill fitted with the gloomy rooms of the house…at first, but after awhile they seemed most fitting.The seasons are never alluded to, and yet the characters are always attired for Autumn…I like to think the storyline is forever trapped in the month of September, never summer, never winter. The weather is just right to require the glow of fireplaces on the New England coastline.Roger Collins is funny because he is so serious.Glimpses of artificial trees and blurry horizons when the front door is opened.Each of the four discs ends with an interview of an original cast member or crew member. Very informative talks are given. The collection comes with a fold out summary of each episode including the original airdate. Also a picture card is included with each set. Makes a nice bookmarker.The last episode of collection 3, disc 4 ends with a cliffhanger. A bat flies through an open window. I had no choice but to order collection 4 to seewhat happened.

(And I might just do it in Living Color). This collection includes much more of the quirky and intense character, Dr. Julia Hoffman, played fabulously by Grayson Hall. With much snooping, she's been able to glean certain things about the Collins family as she searches for answers in her quest to discover why Maggie is such a tormented soul. Victoria, in the meantime, has become enamored with the past, especially with the long lost Josette whom Barnabus is equally mesmerized with, but somewhat reluctant to discuss. He is also greatly interested in the revealing things that Dr. Julian has found out about the Collins as she posed as an historian, while in reality is a psychologist to a patient who is of great importance to the vampire. Maggie gets some unexpected assistance.I think the chemistry between Barnabus and Dr. Hoffman is great as they seem to act very well together. It seems to me they take less ganders at the monitor compared to many others in the cast. Each disc contains 10 episodes and interesting interviews from the cast. The little bloopers and flubs you'll have to catch for yourself which makes the show that much more interesting and lively.In this collection also begins a colorized Dark Shadows so we can see the cool houses, sets, and all the funky clothes in color!! We get to see that Barnabus's cape is...well, it's black, of course, but everything else looks great in color too. That's a huge plus of this collection. All of a sudden while watching, the episodes turn from black and white to color, it's pretty incredible to see. Maggie is a ginger.These collections have been greatly restored and remastered. With the restored clarity and details they are much more fun to watch compared to episodes on TV or Netflix. The actors who played in the original production make this DVD collection so endearing to many people who grew up watching Dark Shadows. People young and old can rewatch the series though the different collections of the entire set.I've also by chance, seen collections 1-4 at Costco, so if you go to Costco, remember to check the DVDs-you might get lucky and pick some up there.