Best DS DVD Interviews?

 

In my view, the best DVD interviews are not from the main stars.
A lot of those, while well done,  feature comments we've already heard at fests.

To me, the best interviews come from Paula Lawrence, who played Aunt Hannah in seven 1970PT shows, and TV Guide's Michael Logan.

Logan knowledgably discussed the show, putting it in it's historical context, comparing it to other shows then & now,
and discussed it's full circle genesis,.

Lawrence, who worked in theatre most of her life, and who knew the Halls, Thayer David & Louis Edmonds back in the 1950s, talked about the craft of acting.

These wonderful interviews can be seen on volumes 18, 19, and 20.

Also great, is an "interview+, obviously a staged reading, by Lara Parker. In a flowing black gown, with candles around her, she talked seductively about the sensuality
of vampires.
WONDERFUL!
I forgot which volume this is on, but I think it's 14.

David

I like the interview comments made by Michael Stroka, Donna Wandrey, Jim Storm and Marie Wallace on the 'Behind the Scenes' tape made back in 1990 the most.  The best of these 4?  Michael's interview where he tells the story of what HE thought was the funniest thing to ever happen behind the scenes on DS.   

Also great, is an "interview+, obviously a staged reading, by Lara Parker. In a flowing black gown, with candles around her, she talked seductively about the sensuality of vampires.

I think that is undoubtedly the single worst "interview" on any of the DS DVDs. Anyone could've delivered a "lecture" on the sexual nature of vampires. She didn't say anything that any lit major who's barely stuck their toes into the area of horror hasn't heard before.

Personally, I think the point of interviewing the actors is to draw on their experience as actors in the show, whether that involves their perception of their characters, their experiences while the show was in production, or their feelings about the continued popularity of the series.

Parker's ode to the sensual vampire, as I recall, is pretty much devoid of any direct reference to the series. It comes across as rather self-indulgent.

Also great, is an "interview+, obviously a staged reading, by Lara Parker. In a flowing black gown, with candles around her, she talked seductively about the sensuality of vampires.

I think that is undoubtedly the single worst "interview" on any of the DS DVDs. Anyone could've delivered a "lecture" on the sexual nature of vampires. She didn't say anything that any lit major who's barely stuck their toes into the area of horror hasn't heard before.

.

Parker's ode to the sensual vampire, as I recall, is pretty much devoid of any direct reference to the series. It comes across as rather self-indulgent.

You may be right, but the staging/lighting/performance were still great fun to this viewer!

David

Also great, is an "interview+, obviously a staged reading, by Lara Parker. In a flowing black gown, with candles around her, she talked seductively about the sensuality of vampires.

I think that is undoubtedly the single worst "interview" on any of the DS DVDs. Anyone could've delivered a "lecture" on the sexual nature of vampires. She didn't say anything that any lit major who's barely stuck their toes into the area of horror hasn't heard before.  Personally, I think the point of interviewing the actors is to draw on their experience as actors in the show, whether that involves their perception of their characters, their experiences while the show was in production, or their feelings about the continued popularity of the series.  Parker's ode to the sensual vampire, as I recall, is pretty much devoid of any direct reference to the series. It comes across as rather self-indulgent.

I have to agree here, after seeing this interview I remember saying to myself, "Well, she sure shed light on her DS experience!"  

I viewed this at a friend's house.  I was also surprised by the uninspired lecture.  I have two BA degrees - one in Theater and one in English - and in each major some of the very early studies were about sensuality in repressed individuals or supernatural creatures and how they are portrayed. It's pretty basic stuff as Criseyde pointed out.   My guess that maybe Lara had recently finished her MFA in Creative Writing and somehow that was how the lecture came about.  Just a guess.  As I am also going for my MFA in Creative Writing, my hope is that whatever I choose to write or lecture about will provide new material or insight for my audience.

Nancy

I think that is undoubtedly the single worst "interview" on any of the DS DVDs. Anyone could've delivered a "lecture" on the sexual nature of vampires. She didn't say anything that any lit major who's barely stuck their toes into the area of horror hasn't heard before.

I have to amen the comments on Lara's interview being the worst.  Personally, I like the behind-the-scenes tidbits that help to flesh out the actors behind the characters or even the crew.  As I've posted before, it is the people (with all of their individual quirks), and not necessarily the story (of course, people wrote the stories), that made Dark Shadows so memorable and special.  The more I know about these people, the more special they and the show become.

I have to further echo the horribleness that was Lara Parker's lecture. I was like "B-O-R-I-N-G" times a thousand. I could've done that myself.

One of the interviewee's that I LOVE LOVE LOVE is Louis Edmonds. I tell you what, he has me laughing heartily at least once during each interview, and many times more than that! I just wish there were more interviews. I like the interviewees that are those who worked behind the scenes--special effect, camera etc etc.

Actually on DVD Set 16, Disc 3, I thought Dan Curtis' interview is particularly good, because he gave insight to what and where he got the storylines form. And I was kind of suprised, although not really (if THAT makes sense) that he said that back when the show was on, near the end, he kept wishing that it would bomb and go off the air because he was so tired of it and he wanted to move on.

He talked about how they couldn't figure out what to do after Maggie's storyline when Barn first came on, so they went back into the past (which was his idea, or so he says) and that he loved it so much in the past that he would've been content to just have the show stay there forever, which is probably why the flashbacks were soooooo long when they didn't need to be.

I think about the time the Leviathans story was on and he realized that he was losing ratings, he came up with the PT junk, and then after the first trip to PT and then the subsequent trip to 1840 and then 1840PT, that he was beginning to get tired of it. He said he was largely absent from the show for a good long while before the show ended, probably sometime at the beginning of or during the 1840 story is when he left, I'm guessing.

No wonder the show started losing ratings--when the creator looses interest and prays for it to bomb, you can't expect the audience to follow along with it continuously.

One of the interviewee's that I LOVE LOVE LOVE is Louis Edmonds. I tell you what, he has me laughing heartily at least once during each interview, and many times more than that! I just wish there were more interviews. I like the interviewees that are those who worked behind the scenes--special effect, camera etc etc.

I love the behind the scenes information from production personnel and actors.  I buy books on how particular movies, plays and TV shows are/were done even it is about a TV show I didn't watch or care for.  How things get done always amazes me.

Actually on DVD Set 16, Disc 3, I thought Dan Curtis' interview is particularly good, because he gave insight to what and where he got the storylines form. And I was kind of suprised, although not really (if THAT makes sense) that he said that back when the show was on, near the end, he kept wishing that it would bomb and go off the air because he was so tired of it and he wanted to move on.

I can understand his wanting to move on.  A daily show has to be a big grind since you are basically producing a new twenty minute play each day.  So much time and energy goes into that.  There's a good reason it is said that soap opera work is the hardest job an actor or production person can have.

I am curious as to how many people found it difficult to keep up with DS. By that I mean back in the days when we did not have VCRs or DVRs if you missed an episode, you missed it.  It started to get very difficult to give up that block of time each afternoon to watch the show as other things in life started happening too.  It can be a tough decision was to what to do - keep that commitment of watching the show each time during that time of day or doing something else you want to do.  I remember that being a dilemma for me back in the day.  Anyone else have that problem?

Nancy

I also loved Paula Laurence's interview, and she spoke a mouthful when she said that Lara should've become a major star- God knows she had the talent!  Sometimes it's a matter of who you know that makes a difference: if Lara had known say, Peter Bogdanovich or Francis Coppola, she would've emerged as a major 70s star like Ellen Burstyn, Faye Dunaway or Karen Black.

It reminds me of how Grayson worshipped Kim Stanley, who was very much regarded as an "actor's actor" by the showbiz world yet barely made a dent in Tinseltown compared to Geraldine Page and Patricia Neal.  There are really great actors out there who will never become household names, but within the theatrical world are considered liiving legends, like Cherry Jones.  And it's no secret that among the DS actors, they all worship John Karlen's great acting prowess!

 
Methinks folks are taking Lara's vampire speech too seriously.
I don't think it was meant to be anything other than
entertainment.

It didn't "educate" me about vampire legends, but it was fun to watch.
As Ms. Lawrence & Mr Ellis pointed out, Lara's gorgeous & has
STAR quality.

David

The Parker interview in question was noted in a review that was published when the DVD was originally released. I posted a link to it at the time. Click below to access the original post/thread.

Methinks David is alone in his opinion. 

Well, I do know one other person who likes that Lara
"interview".
But really, folks, it's not an interview.
It's just a fun little Gothic interlude that's not meant to be taken seriously.
And I take it seriously....not!

David

But really, folks, it's not an interview.

I certainly can't disagree with that, but one has to question why it is billed as such on the packaging and on the DVD menu if it is not intended to be construed as an interview.

I am curious as to how many people found it difficult to keep up with DS. By that I mean back in the days when we did not have VCRs or DVRs if you missed an episode, you missed it.  It started to get very difficult to give up that block of time each afternoon to watch the show as other things in life started happening too.  It can be a tough decision was to what to do - keep that commitment of watching the show each time during that time of day or doing something else you want to do.  I remember that being a dilemma for me back in the day.  Anyone else have that problem?

I never got involved in extracurricular activities and was pretty much a loner, so keeping up with Dark Shadows was no problem for me - until I got to highschool and was in a carpool.  And golly, the other people in the carpool had actual lives!  After-school activities!  I never could figure that out.  Who needs a life if you've got Dark Shadows?

As for the DVD interviews, John Karlen's are fun, and Marie Wallace's are (or is - the two I've seen are parts of a single interview) very interesting.

I watched the Kathryn Leigh Scott interview on Set 14 Disc 2 within the past 24 hours, and she said something that caught my attention:  Grayson Hall told Dan Curtis, "I know how you cast people: you look for large faces and wonderful voices."  I haven't noticed the large faces, but when I heard that, it occurred to me how many Dark Shadows actors do have beautiful, or at the very least interesting, voices.  My favorite voices (not necessarily my favorite actors) are David Selby and KLS herself.  I still remember being surprised by the beauty of David Selby's voice back in 1969 when I heard it for the first time.