DARK SHADOWS FORUMS

General Discussions => Current Talk Archive => Current Talk '26 I => Current Talk '12 I => Topic started by: Lydia on March 17, 2012, 07:06:24 PM

Title: Discuss - Ep #0170
Post by: Lydia on March 17, 2012, 07:06:24 PM

Quote from: ROBINV on September 18, 2001, 06:46:08 PM

Robservations #170

Title: Re: Discuss - Ep #0170
Post by: Lydia on March 17, 2012, 07:11:11 PM

I've put my attempt at a transcript and translation of the French at the séance into the Robservations topic for this episode.

I believe today's playing of the film of Josette descending from her portrait was the fourth time we've seen it.  Today I looked at it as not a replaying, but rather the fourth actual occurrence that we have seen of Josette descending, and thought about how she always turns around to look at her portrait before continuing - as if it represents a secure place that she's leaving.

Strange how Josette referred to David as "a little boy" rather than calling him by name.  Does she know his name?  I wondered if maybe names are not something that concern Josette's ghost - but one particular name was certainly concerning her at the end of the séance.  It seemed as though Laura kept Josette from saying that name - but maybe Josette would have been unable to do so even if Laura hadn't been there.  I don't believe that, but my mind is still caught by the idea that Josette didn't know David's name - David who calls her "great-great-grandmother".

And then Vicky screamed, and I wondered if Josette was able to make it back to her portrait.

Title: Re: Discuss - Ep #0170
Post by: DarkLady on March 17, 2012, 07:44:05 PM

Awesome, Lydia! Thanks! *bows low*

I don't think individual people are important to Josette. She may not care for David for his own sake but as the hope of future generations and the continuation of the Collins, um, bloodline.

When Laura first appears, she is wearing a long cloak, but later she wears a knee-length one.

When Dr. Guthrie arrives, he tells Mrs. Johnson, "I just escaped the rain," but his coat is perfectly dry. Mrs. J looks at his teeny reel-to-reel tape recorder as if she's never seen a tape recorder before.

As the séance begins, we get an unusual overhead shot of the table with everyone sitting around it (boy-girl-boy-girl). I don't remember ever seeing another overhead shot in the rest of the series, but I would be delighted to be wrong.

After all that build-up, the séance actually was pretty thrilling!

Josette has already displayed some interesting powers, so I'm sure she made it back to her portrait.

Title: Re: Discuss - Ep #0170
Post by: Watching Project on March 17, 2012, 10:31:01 PM

The Robservations caps for this ep have been posted.  [snow_smiley]

Title: Re: Discuss - Ep #0170
Post by: Mysterious Benefactor on March 17, 2012, 10:37:45 PM

This is one of my all-time favorite DS eps. Even beyond the fact that there's the milestone of the very first seance, I love how it's directed and shot. And though it's such a simple moment, this is one of my favorites in the ep:

(http://www.dsboards.com/images/ds_0170-887.jpg)

Very atmospheric.

Title: Re: Discuss - Ep #0170
Post by: DarkLady on March 17, 2012, 10:58:38 PM

Yes, indeed! Beautiful frame grab!

Title: Re: Discuss - Ep #0170
Post by: alwaysdavid on March 18, 2012, 06:54:59 AM

Vickie's fears something will happen to her during the seance. Mrs. J states cryptically that the dead should rest. I remember the reer to reel tape recorders were getting cheap enough at that time so that normal pe pole could afford them. I bet Mrs J had never seen one. And everyone used to say that it didn't sound like them.  The Seance was just spooky. Thanks Lydia for the French.

Title: Re: Discuss - Ep #0170
Post by: MagnusTrask on March 18, 2012, 07:19:23 AM

Quote from: alwaysdavid on March 18, 2012, 06:54:59 AM

Mrs. J states cryptically that the dead should rest.

Well, they should.   They've been overdoing it lately.   I mean, all that dancing around in the Old House front yard....

Title: Re: Discuss - Ep #0170
Post by: tragic bat on March 18, 2012, 09:04:57 PM

Yes, thank you for the translation, Lydia!  I was impressed by AM's delivery in the language and by the comparative complexity of the French here as opposed to what we are given in later francophonic moments in the series.  The atmosphere of the sceance was incredible, and I love that screengrab.  Of course, this is also the first time that a mysterious cloaked person appears to interrupt a ceremony of some sort; the motif was used often later in the series. 

It may be that Josette is focussing on Laura and what she knows about her; David isn't so important except that he's her intended victim.  Yet, since I don't think the characters on the show know any other little boys, if they understood French they could probably figure out what and who Josette was referring to.

Title: Re: Discuss - Ep #0170
Post by: MagnusTrask on March 22, 2012, 07:16:39 AM

I hate that I never got to understand French well enough to understand anyone speaking it at normal speed.   

Mrs. J: "What is that?"   Dr. G: "A tape recorder."   Mrs. J is so worldly.   ***  I'm tired of Dr. G's vague hyperbole for the audience about how scary things will get.   ***  I like Vicki's ghost moans.   Josette has to walk all the way from the Old House to the seance?   (Twice?)   That was some look on Laura, as Josette's about to name her.