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