Night of Dark Shadows

[Nicky]

Because I am enjoying my recent DS video fests (I rewatched most of the Angelique/Barnabas/Josette triangle from 1795 on dvd for the first time in years), and because a friend of mine recently made an interesting acquisition with regards to the second DS film, I decided to pop in "Night of Dark Shadows" and watch it after many years.

I was struck by how some of the scenes were genuinely eerie, and evoked that shuddery feeling of creeping horror that I don't feel very often while watching so-called "scary" movies.  I think part of the charm of the film (despite its horrendous cuts) lies in the acting of the principals, namely Kate Jackson (who is really very good, and manages to rise above the ingenue status in a way that I never felt KLS or Alexandra Moltke did) and David Selby (sexy as hell; love the mop-top hair, and those eyes ...!)  John Karlen does a particularly good turn as Alex, and I love how he hisses on and on about that "son of a bitch" Gerard.  (James Storm, meanwhile, irritates me ceaselessly.)  Chris Pennock enjoys his little screen time, and seems more comfortable on the big screen than he ever did on the afternoon DS; his chewing of the scenery seems slightly more honed.

I am also enamored with the music of this film, particularly Quentin and Tracy's love theme.  Played on the piano, it's both lovely and haunting at the same time.

I'm going to have to pull out my old DS movie book and re-read the script of NODS just so I can get a proper feel of it, and mourn the passing of those cut scenes, which, if poor Darren is correct in his recent posting, may never see the light of day.  (Darren, I've been following your crusade for this film since Video Watchdog published your article about the DS films in the fall of 1997, and I hope that someday your valor and your more-than-strenuous heroics will pay off.)

My roomate, who has now watched the entire '91 series with me and a few eps from Leviathan and 1968, can't wait, he says, to watch HODS, if only to watch the majority of the cast bite it in various ways (if you'll pardon the expression.)

Nicky

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I couldn't agree with you more about NoDS. But...

I'm going to have to pull out my old DS movie book and re-read the script of NODS just so I can get a proper feel of it, and mourn the passing of those cut scenes, which, if poor Darren is correct in his recent posting, may never see the light of day.

...don't even think such a thing, much less write it. Obviously this situation needs all the positive energy directed at it that it can get.

[Philippe Cordier]

Nicky,

I wrote a very similar commentary about NODS on the forum a few years ago ... in fact I would almost swear you had lifted my review (just kidding  ) were it not for the fact that I do note two areas of disagreement -- namely, I didn't and, truthfully still don't, appreciate the music which seems to date the movie to its era; and I thought James Storm was very good.

I surprised myself by admiring both Kate Jackson and Chris Pennock, as well as finding the movie interesting and original (while still "influenced" by a number of other sources).

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I didn't and, truthfully still don't, appreciate the music which seems to date the movie to its era

To each his own, Vlad , but I have to agree with Nicky. In fact, whenever I play the movies soundtrack CD, I always end up playing the NoDS tracks (and the ones from HoDS that are also included in NoDS) more than I do the cuts that are strictly used in HoDS. I love all the different versions of the Main Title and how they can evoke a feeling of romance or melancholy depending on the instruments used, but I absolutely love Nightmare In The Past, Gerard's Attack, Carlotta's Revelation, Angelique's Assault, and Searching For Carlotta. I think the string arrangements in all the pieces that employ them really ratchet up the tension, but I particularly like what Cobert did with the string arrangements in the pieces I've cited and how he often juxtaposed the strings with a xylophone arrangement, sometimes also using echo and reverb. I honestly feel that the NoDS music greatly enhances the film and I can't even begin to imagine any other music playing over any of the scenes. IMOA

I thought James Storm was very good.

If the script is any indication, what's unfortunate is that Storm's best scenes all seem to have ended up on the cutting room floor after the marathon hachet job MGM imposed on Curtis. But hopefully one day...

[Mark Rainey]

To each his own, Vlad , but I have to agree with Nicky. In fact, whenever I play the movies soundtrack CD, I always end up playing the NoDS tracks (and the ones from HoDS that are also included in NoDS) more than I do the cuts that are strictly used in HoDS.

I agree completely. When I first saw NIGHT as a kid, I remember being somewhat disappointed that they didn't use the main DS theme, as in HOUSE. But as I watched the movie, the use of the movie theme was so varied, with each orchestration very effective for its purpose, I got to liking it very much. To this day, I still love the atmosphere it creates just listening to the CD.

--Mark

[Darren Gross]

The mood of the opening theme combined with the visuals and the misty, rainy day give the film such an effective romantic yet somber opening. It's one of those nice moments where visuals and music are perfectly married together. Pure cinema.

SEARCHING FOR CARLOTTA is one of my favorite DS tracks...Wonderfully creepy and gloomy and sends shivers up the spine.

And of course the deleted seance music which those of you that have attended some of the NODS fest presentations have heard...

The interesting thing about Cobert's music is how easily they can be extended by looping and repeating various sections in editing, They're kind of circular in structure and feature a theme and variant repeats in each piece...

[Stuart]

That "Searching for Carlotta" track is amazing - so eerie and evocative, yet there's something wistful and careworn about the woodwinds... incredible stuff

The seance track heard at the Festival was fantastic too - it's very similar to the "Carlotta" track, as far as I remember, but with a rumbling, foreboding sort of sound underscoring it all.  Cobert really never bettered his NODS tracks in my opinion.  On a sidenote, it might have been interesting had DS continued past 1971 to have seen if the show might have adopted the NODS music, and how it might have altered the daytime incarnation's tone and pace.