hoDS/NoDS DVD Release?

It's more than about increasing DVD sales, it's about introducing a new audience to the old series which will hopefully increase interest it, maybe get it broadcast on a cable network and increase the sales of the original series on DVDs too.  I would imagine (and hope) that the movie DVDs will have spots promoting the original series and perhaps clips from it to entice viewers to check it out.  

I believe I am in the minority of fans who intensely dislikes HODS and NODS but I do hope the planned tie-in and promotions will promote new interest in the original.

nancy

I think WB understands that. But as all big corporations do they try to maximize its profits. WB is timing the release of the DVDs with the new movie so that it will draw attention to the old series and that new fans of the new movie and the DS universe will buy the NODS/HODS DVDs. It's a theory for sure and perhaps a no brainer but I am not totally convinced that this timing theory will dramatically increase the DVDs sales but I could be very wrong.

I haven't followed things like ownership of the series closely, so I'm not sure what the references to WB are that other posters have referred to. The only connection I recall is that the WB network was producing the pilot for the series that never came to be, as happens with many TV and film projects.

I don't believe holding off the release of the DVD movies is a plot to drive us off Widows Hill but a way to maximize the marketing for the old series.

It's more than about increasing DVD sales, it's about introducing a new audience to the old series which will hopefully increase interest it

I'm not informed with insider information, but I feel skeptical that a corporate entity like "WB" would really have an interest or concern with promoting the original ABC series from the '60s and '70s. But if I'm wrong, and they really do have this humanistic interest at heart, I'm still skeptical that delaying release of the HODS and NODS on DVD for a 2010 (or whatever) movie is going to either 1) bring about a major resurgeance of interest in the TV series, or, 2) be a marketing coup for selling the 1970s movies.

Personally, I didn't think the movies were great, but they do have a connection with the original series with the cast and general storylines (plus great locations!), so I would buy them up in a snap.

I believe I am in the minority of fans who intensely dislikes HODS and NODS

You're certainly not alone when it come to disliking hoDS. I'm actually fascinated though hardly surprised by how many fans have spoken out against it in recent years. For years I thought I was alone in disliking it. However, that being said, I love NoDS. And for quite a while I thought I was alone in that - but I'm very happy to say that is not the case as in those same recent years fans have increasingly voiced their appreciation of it.

I've mentioned this before, but one of the things I find most interesting when it comes to the reviews of the two films is that almost universally, the horror press likes hoDS and dislikes NoDS, whereas the non-horror press tends to be exactly the opposite. One could say that's possibly because hoDS is a total blood/gore fest and NoDS is character/psychologically driven - and that is probably part of it...

You should consider the fact that DCProductions has a marketing arm and production companies pay to have their products placed for promotion purposes on DVDs and elsewhere.  It's a longstanding marketing tool.  It wouldn't surprise me at all if DCP uses this tool as it as a stake (no pun intended) in anything related to Dark Shadows.

Nancy

Is'm not informed with insider information, but I feel skeptical that a corporate entity like "WB" would really have an interest or concern with promoting the original ABC series from the '60s and '70s. But if I'm wrong, and they really do have this humanistic interest at heart, I'm still skeptical that delaying release of the HODS and NODS on DVD for a 2010 (or whatever) movie is going to either 1) bring about a major resurgeance of interest in the TV series, or, 2) be a marketing coup for selling the 1970s movies.

It's not like HoDS especially is some unknown film; it saved MGM from almost going bankrupt.

Unfortunately, this bit of trivia, repeated ad infinitum throughout the years by KLS, is complete hogwash.  They made 10 times as much money on SHAFT and TICK...TICK...TICK as they did on HODS, during the same year.

I haven't followed things like ownership of the series closely, so I'm not sure what the references to WB are that other posters have referred to. The only connection I recall is that the WB network was producing the pilot for the series that never came to be, as happens with many TV and film projects.

I'm not informed with insider information, but I feel skeptical that a corporate entity like "WB" would really have an interest or concern with promoting the original ABC series from the '60s and '70s. But if I'm wrong, and they really do have this humanistic interest at heart, I'm still skeptical that delaying release of the HODS and NODS on DVD for a 2010 (or whatever) movie is going to either 1) bring about a major resurgeance of interest in the TV series, or, 2) be a marketing coup for selling the 1970s movies.

Personally, I didn't think the movies were great, but they do have a connection with the original series with the cast and general storylines (plus great locations!), so I would buy them up in a snap.

Hi Philippe,

WB owns both the DS movies.  Every MGM-produced film prior to 1986 is owned by them.  The WB has no control whatsoever on the TV series or its reruns.

On the feature film DVD releases, no one at the Fest has any control over when the WB decides to release them.

DVD sales across the board have plummeted, and the massive amount of titles out there makes store shelf space a premium commodity.  People have to pay, especially smaller companies, a per copy amount to get chains like Best Buy to stock their titles on the shelves.  While online sales sites are fine, it can be the equivalent of putting dvds in a carboard box on the floor, as far as visibility is concerned.  The visibility of a title in-stores is of tremendous value.  The impulse buy is king.  If WB were to release the two films now or last year or the year before, you'd very likely have many chain stores that simply would not order it, or would order one, out of both lack of awareness of the titles, AND the amount of other, newer, hotter titles that they could spend their shelf space on.

A big Johnny Depp WB film brings with it a massive marketing budget, to create and make aware new audiences about what this new DS is.  That marketing push creates an awareness of the property, which affects not just the new film but the property itself.  You can be assured that the recent hit Star Trek reboot has had an electric effect on sales of the new movie and TV series box sets.  The same thing for Dark Knight on Batman DVDs, the new Friday the 13th remake on the originals, as well.  That expectation and marketing confidence enables the studio to budget more of a push for the films on DVD, allowing them to place ads, and enabling the sales people to push the title to the retailers, so they put them on shelves.  All this visibility and saturation makes itself known to the consumer, quite clearly, who will read the Johnny Depp DS cover of Ent Weekly, and notice that there's a review of the two DS movies on DVD, newly released.  It's for the 'Wow, I liked that new DS movie, and gosh jinkies, there's a couple older movies that inspired it... I'll check it out!" effect.  The effect of a new movie re-energizes the old franchises.

It's been proven over and over to the studios that this works, which is why they're doing it.  They're considering the 10 or 20X the numbers on possible sales if it's tied in to a feature, vs just dumping it out on the market.  Plus the sales would surge again if a sequel film is made... It's all pretty understandable, if you think about it.

With the above in mind, look at it this way:  if the movie goes poof and doesn't happen, then barely any effort will go into the DVD releases, and you'll be lucky to get trailers on them.  While a movie release doesn't guarantee restoration of NODS, the chances are much greater that the necessary budget might be allocated.  Without it, the restoration will never happen, and it will remain a pipe dream.

Darren, I apologize for responding to this so much later, but I've been away for a while, in my own version of time traveling ...

Your reply explains things very well, and the circumstances you describe now make sense to me.

- Philippe

Cool, Philippe.   

I have a few  questions. I was wondering, in order to restore these movies anyway, you must have the voiceovers in place of all the actors. My first question is, are all the actors accounted for and did they all do their voiceovers yet? My second question is, Has the voiceover for Grayson Hall been done yet, and if not, who is doing her voice? My feeling is, even if this doesnt fly for another couple of years, i would hope that we get all voices recorded now, just incase, god forbid, something should happen to the actors involved, before the release of the movies. Can someone answer this for me? I would be most appreciative. Thanks, JVjr   

Darren can certainly speak to this more specifically than I can, but so far as I know, at least a few of the actors have already recorded their missing dialogue. In fact, I believe all the missing dialogue for the piano scene has been done.

Hw JVjr, please excuse the tardy reply- I just spotted this thread today.

To answer your questions: about 75% of the dialogue has all been re-recorded.  Grayson's voice double has not been cast  or recorded yet.  We're waiting until the project is greenlit for that, to give us a wider range in our casting pool.  All of the other actors have re-recorded their parts, including Kate Jackson.  We need one more day with Ms. Jackson, but that's pretty much it.

What a lot of work is going into this!  Once upon a time I wasn't terribly interested, but having watching the progression of the Night of Dark Shadows slide show this year, I'm really hoping to see the real thing some day.

If the slideshow (and particularly featuring all the NoDS scenes that were cut) can bring more people to the NoDS party, then the decision to feature the film(s) in a slideshow has been well worth it!  

I guess maybe I am in the minority, because I loved HODS and really disliked NODS. But I hadn't realized a lot was cut out from NODS until I read about it on here. Maybe if ever NODS is totally restored on DVD, I'll see it again and feel differently.

Anything or anybody having anything to do with DS is of interest to me.  I'm very interested in seeing NODS fully restored.  Fortunately I have both 'cut scenes' movies on VHS but would love to see both restored but will accept whatever I can get.