NoDS

[Nicky]

I saw NoDS for the first time in 1991, when TBS ran HoDS and NoDS one Sunday morning to coincide with the Revival series on NBC.  I was completely confused by NoDS:  still developing my DS trivia, I had labored under the impression that Quentin was a werewolf and that Angelique was in love with Barnabas.  I recall being bored silly by the time Tracy finally got hers at the film's finale, and still confused (but mostly bored).  Years later, however, as my appreciation for Lara Parker, Nancy Barrett, and Grayson Hall has grown, I have come to appreciate NoDS as an atmospheric ghost story featuring my favorite actors from the original series.  I love how Lyndhurst feels like an entirely new estate, separate from HoDS, and, as others have mentioned, I also enjoyed the flashbacks and the actors playing different characters. 

I'm one of the people who was incredibly disappointed by the DVD and BluRay releases' entire lack of restoration.  It's beautiful to look at, however (though disconcerting due to missing musical cues and editing SNAFUs, like Angelique's weird, misplaced laughter in the first flashback scene), and that makes me happy.

As a sidenote, as we discuss the plot of NoDS and its similarity to a dozen other haunted house movies in the '70s, the last time I watched "Let's Scare Jessica to Death" was strongly reminded of NoDS:  unstable tenants in a spooky, rural house, the doubling of actors, the creepy/sexy revenant, the intense '70s feel of the piece, the downbeat ending. 

[Gerard]

wow. that's a lot of work to connect the two.

Ain't it though, Michael?  But I learned early on from watching DS from the very first episode that one has to create his/her own workable solutions to plot discrepencies.  But when one does that, it seems to work.  Besides, it's fun.

Gerard

[Cousin_Barnabas]

In the OS, I always attribute historical inconsistencies, like changing dates and relationships, to unreliable family histories.  It's a lot more fun than to say the writers didn't really think everything through, so you're not alone.   

[Willie Loomis]

There was also Angelique, Gerard Stiles and Gabriel Collins and Laura Collins as far as characters, but not in their original status from the show (well, maybe Angelique).  But, my main question is WHY was the reverend called STRACK instead of TRASK?    That boggles my mind.  Was it because Thayer David played him instead of Lacy so changed the name....mind boggeling.

All in all a good movie that would have been 100% better in it's entirety.

[tragic bat]

I agree that mentioning Elizabeth's name is not any indication itself that the movies exist in the same universe, and any extrapolating beyond that is fan fiction.  The films make no attempt to refer to each other or integrate the events into a coherent plotline, and that's that.   According to the dates in each film, hardly any time passed at all since the vampiric mass death and yet not even Alex and Claire with their scooby doo detective work find out about it? 

[Uncle Roger]

In the script that was published in KLS' DS Movie Book, the reverend was named Trask. Apparently it was changed to Strack when Jerry Lacy wasn't available. Also, the named of Charles Collins' wife was originally Samantha, not Laura.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Jerry Lacy was doing a soap (I *think* it was As the World Turns) when NoDS shot, and he couldn't get time away to play Trask. And I *think* Virginia Vestoff was already shooting 1776 when NoDS shot, and that's why she couldn't play Samantha. Though honestly, as much as I love both of them and would have enjoyed seeing them as Trask and Samantha in the film, I really think Thayer David and Diana Millay were wonderful as their replacements Strack and Laura. (Though why do I suspect that in her mind Diana was playing a phoenix even though there's no indication of it in the script/film?  )

[Uncle Roger]

Jerry Lacy was playing Simon Gilby on ATWT. And it looks like Virginia Vestoff was doing 1776 in Burbank during the NODS shoot. Heaven forbid DC adjust his schedule, I suppose.

MB, somehow I think that Diana would have played everything as a phoenix, whether it was in the script or not.

[Gothick]

Nicky might not like it that I am bringing this up, but many years ago he wrote a brilliant fanfic about Carlotta's arrival at Collinwood, after the events of hoDS, when Mrs. Stoddard was still living at the estate.

I won't reveal anymore of what he came up with, but I thought it was really quite brilliant.  After reading his tale, I found myself much more comfortable thinking of NoDS as a somewhat perverse sequel to hoDS.  I'll admit that taken in and of themselves, the two films are for all intents and purposes stand-alone stories.  Of course, the NoDS trailers, which we all saw before the movie played way back when, had a would-be ominous voiceover that began:  "Come back to Collinwood... that HOUSE of Dark Shadows..."  So, regardless of the reality of the release, the second film was *promoted* as a sequel to the first.

Mention of the use of Shadows of the Night was made above. One of the frustrations to me is that in the film as we have it, the scene that actually explains why Quentin keeps hearing that particular snippet of music in his mind has been cut---and it would have been one of the best scenes in the entire movie!  Ah well...

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

and it would have been one of the best scenes in the entire movie!

Yes, I love the way the scene plays in the script. Angelique plays SOTN on the piano and tells Charles how much the tune gives her a feeling of being near him when he's not around. That of course leads to Charles and Angelique making out. And when Laura catches them, they taunt her about staying to watch them and about how they do things openly in front of the family and the servants. And all that prompts Laura to accuse Ang of being a witch and mesmerizing Charles - and after Laura questions whether or not Charles is even aware of what's happening to him, Ang gets to deliver:

NoDS: Scene #67A - Angelique: 'Oh, he knows
what's happening, Laura, my darling, and for the
first time in his life he's really enjoying it.'

[Patti Feinberg]

It sounds as if NODS went into its own past, which is total DS.  While making things even more confusing for casual viewers, or for everyone, all the crazed indiscriminate reality-jumping in dimensions and time is fun in its own way.

I think that's how the younger viewers of today viewed the 'new' Johnny Depp movie.

I was surprised that my 17-year old daughter liked it (JD movie)...she really hasn't watched much of DS (it was being aired on ScyFy when she was about 5 years old).

Patti

[michael c]

as much fun as it was seeing thayer and, even more so, diana in their roles as the film stood they ended up being little more than extras.

perhaps they were intended to be larger parts(particularly laura)and they fell prey to the film's buzz saw editing. but it almost doesn't matter that lacey and vestoff were otherwise engaged. and i certainly can't see curtis changing the shooting schedule to accommodate them given how small the parts were anyways.

still that "the gang's all here" element of the extended DS universe was preserved.


and yes, at least in her imagination, millay appeared to be portraying the same demented pheonix she did in all her various stints on the program.

as far as lacey is concerned any and all respites from his repetitive and obnoxious gallery of "trasks" is welcome in my book. ATWT can keep him.

[Darren Gross]

It's extremely unlikely that the shooting schedule was dictated by Dan Curtis.  Once MGM decided on a second film, they wanted it turned around quickly; ie: HODS was shot in April for a summer release in 1970, so set the same situation in motion for NODS.  If anything, Curtis conceivably would have wanted more time, to prep the script, shoot and edit the film, if it was up to him.  They were really up against near impossible deadlines, especially with a premiere set for a month earlier than HODS had been.

If there had been more time in post-production, Cobert could have scored the film scene-to-scene, instead of creating a cue library for it.  Think of how glorious that would have been.  100+ minutes of specifically written music.

[Nicky]

Oh Gothy, I forgot all about that story!  I don't even have a copy -- if you do, I'd love to read it again!

[Gothick]

Oh No!  I think I do have it, but it's buried in a folder in a box in the basement.  I have been going through those, believe it or not, so if it surfaces, I will send you a copy!  It really was very good... I'm sorry it got lost in the shuffle!

hugs, G.