Happy 50th Anniversary, Night of Dark Shadows

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Believe it or not, when it comes to the subtitles and the closed captioning for Scenes 31 & 32, both get everything exactly right. Though there is one instance where there's a glitch because once again there's a place where the entire closed captioning doesn't always appear -

- but unlike how adjusting settings to hopefully get the glitch with Scene 23 to work didn't work (back in Reply #1169), adjusting things did work in this instance -

- just as they had with the giltch in the closed captioning for Scene 170 (back in Reply #950).

Also, I checked to see if the TV's closed captioning decoder worked correctly and it actually came up with a totally different glitch -

- who knows? - but as I've said before, ours is not to try to figure out these things because trying is pretty much a losing battle. Maybe the decoders were trying to come up with a short way to say "this way" - if so, I prefer "tway" over "thiy". 

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting how Scene 33 is scripted:

...

33     INT - GALLERY - DAY                               33        QUENTIN - TRACY - CARLOTTA        as Quentin examines the various portraits.

and that's when today's quote -

Page 11/Scene 33 - Quentin: 'I have a terrible feeling my ancestors would never have bought my work.'

comes up.

...

And there are still no differences between the way DC's and Grayson Hall's scripts are written up to this point.

...

Page 11/Scene 33 - Tracy (at the window): 'His paintings are very abstract.'

...

And it's still the case that there aren't any differences between the way DC's and Grayson Hall's scripts are written up to this point.

...

Page 11/Scene 33 - Carlotta: 'How interesting.'

...

And it's still the case that there aren't any differences between the way DC's and Grayson Hall's scripts are written up to this point. ...

...

He is at the portrait of Angelique.

And that's when yesterday's quote -

Page 11/Scene 33 - Quentin: 'Is this one of the family?'

- comes up, followed by today's quote -

Page 11/Scene 33 - Carlotta: 'That's Angelique Collins. She died in 1810.'

- coming up, followed by the script continuing with:

TRACY            She's beautiful.  Quentin stares at it.  ...

And it's still the case that there aren't any differences between the way DC's and Grayson Hall's scripts are written up to this point. However, both DC's and Grayson's scripts have some notations that we'll get into below.

And as for any differences in the dialogue, the first notation in DC's script has the word "this" crossed out in Quentin's dialogue and replaces it with "that", but neither word is used in the film because what Quentin actually asks is "Is she one of the family?" - and another dialogue notation in DC's as well as in Grayson's script is adding "Yes, it is" to Carlotta's dialogue, though what Carlotta actually says is "Yes, she is. She's Angelique Collins", and I love how she spells the year out completely by saying "She died in Eighteen Hundred and Ten" - ...

... Quentin isn't actually at the portrait of Angelique before he asks if she's one of the family because he smiles, nods toward it, and begins walking toward it just before he asks - and DC's script has a notation that Quentin is next to it when he asks, but in the film we don't actually see Quentin when he asks because he's off screen with, as can be seen in yesterday's capture -

- a shot of only the portrait on screen - and similarly, even though DC has a notation that Carlotta will be shot in close-up while she explains about the portrait, as can be seen in today's capture -

- what's on screen is a tight shot of Angelique's face in the portrait - and DC's script also has a notation that after Carlotta indicates the woman in the portrait is a member of the family, Carlotta will hold the rest of her lines until Quentin gets to the portrait - but while there is a slight pause in the way Carlotta delivers her lines, given that it's only the portrait that's seen on screen, we obviously have no idea if Quentin is at the portrait or not - and Grayson's script has a notation about the locket Carlotta is wearing, and as can be seen in the following capture (which is cropped and enlarged from the actual moment on screen) -

- Carlotta is indeed toying with it (though no one has yet to know the significance of that act) - and Grayson's script also has a notation that Carlotta is "enjoying" Quentin and Tracy's reactions to the portrait, and as can also be seen in the above capture, that's certainly the case (but again, with no one yet knowing the significance of that (nor the significance of the vase of yellow daffodils under the portrait)) - and DC's last notation on this bit of the script says that Tracy crosses to the portrait, however, she doesn't actually because, as can also be seen in the above capture, she's simply turned to look at it while standing in the same spot in the room that she's been in since Scene 33 started.

...

Quentin stares at it.  Tracy moves to the window.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 11/Scene 33 - Tracy: 'Every room I've been in, I've kept thinking - oh, this is where I'll spend most of my time. But this is it! The view's incredible.'

- comes up, followed by the script continuing with:

CARLOTTA                  I've prepared a salad for supper.                  Shall I serve it here? 33     CONTD                                     CONTD   33                              TRACY                  Oh, yes - would you?  Quentin stares at it.  ...

And yes, while it's still the case that there aren't any differences between the way DC's and Grayson Hall's scripts are written up to this point, both DC's and Grayson's scripts have some notations that we'll get into below.

... - and the notation in Grayson's script is that she crosses out the word "supper" in Carlotta's dialogue and replaces it with "dinner," as in "I've prepared a salad for dinner" - ...

And so far as any differences in the directions and descriptions go, DC's script has a notation that Tracy's lines about the Gallery being her favorite room begin "on the cross," and while that's technically true, in the film she doesn't actually cross to any window because what she does do, as can be seen in today's capture -

- is cross to a nearby table, pick up a book ..., and delivers her lines - however, the "The view is really incredible" part of it is delivered off screen because, as we can see in the following capture, what we actually see on screen is that the camera trucks in on -

- an extreme close-up of Quentin as he stares at Angelique's portrait as if mesmerized by it (the view that's captured him is obviously not the one outside  ) - and what's interesting about the shot of Quentin remaining on screen for the duration of everything else that follows in the parts of the Scene 33 that are covered in this post, DC's script actually contains a notation that Tracy is supposed to turn from the window to Carlotta and then cross to the table as she answers Carlotta regarding serving the salad, but obviously none of that is seen on screen, plus the last we see Tracy before Quentin's close-up, she's already standing at the table (and as we'll see from a capture for the next post, she'll still be standing there).

...

Carlotta smiles and nods.  She EXITS as Quentin        crosses to the window where he stands for a moment        looking out at the sunset.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 12/Scene 33 - Quentin: 'You know...I have a felling that I'll do better work here than I've ever done before...look at the color of that sunset!'

- comes up...

...

And yes, while it's still the case that there aren't any differences between the way DC's and Grayson Hall's scripts are written up to this point, once again DC's script has a notation that we'll get into below.

...

- Carlotta does give a look in Quentin's direction before she leaves (because, after all, for Carlotta the scene is all about Quentin) and she gives a little smile to herself as she turns to leave, no doubt because as she leaves the camera pans back to Quentin to show that he's still looking at Angelique's portrait - and even though DC's script has a notation that indicates that as Quentin is starting to look out the window at the sunset, Tracy is supposed to reach the table and to start to leaf through a book, that is never seen here because 1) the camera remains on Quentin throughout that portion of Scene 33, and 2) and more importantly, last time we got into that she already did much of that as she told Carlotta how much she liked the Gallery ...

...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting a very rare still associated with Scene 33:

...

(Click here for a 1670742 version)

 - and last time around I didn't share it because I completely forgot I have it. To my knowledge it was only officially published once and that was in TV Star Parade.

And once again we get a still that is different from how the scene is shot in the film:

• As can be seen in the following screen caps, at no point in the film do Kate Jackson, David Selby and Grayson Hall appear lined up in the order that they do in the still.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Quentin wears his jacket in the still yet, quite obviously, he throws it over his shoulder in the actual scene.
• Carlotta caresses the locket in the still, yet she never does so in this section of the actual scene.
• And Carlotta raises her right, not her left arm.

...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

When it comes to the subtitles and the closed captioning for Scene 33:

Soon after things switch to the Gallery, Quentin remarks an unscripted "Quite a collection" - and the subtitles reflect that perfectly -

- though the closed captioning has -

- adding "It's," which Quentin doesn't actually say - and after Quentin has taken a better look at the art and before he observes, "I've got a feeling my ancestors wouldn't have bought my work," he gives a small chortle - and while the reworked scripted line is acknowledged perfectly by both the subtitles and the closed captioning, that sound isn't - and before Tracy informs Carlotta, "Quentin's paintings are very abstract," she gives a slight laugh - and while her somewhat reworked scripted line is acknowledged perfectly by both the subtitles and the closed captioning, her slight laugh isn't (though interestingly enough that won't completely be the case in an upcoming moment - but more on that then) - and as the closed captioning shows, Carlotta responds to Tracy's info with an unscripted

- as does the subtitles -

- though at the same time they also include Carlotta's scripted line.

...

... And I still find this interesting -

...

... Though it's interesting that rather than add, "You're a painter," to her script, Grayson added Carlotta's remark as "Oh you paint?". ...

More to come...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I want to get into something regarding the Blu-ray/DVD and VHS/Laser versions of the film that may only be an issue that I not only find interesting but also puzzling. Specifically, it's something about the transfers. Over the course of working to get screen captures and videos of the film I've noticed that whereas, unless there's an actual crossfade transition from one scene to another, as there is from Scene 28 to Scene 29, that's supposed to be apparent because it's seen by the audience, when it comes to the Blu-ray/DVD transfers most scenes lead directly from one scene to the next without any sort of transition effect, but that's not quite the case with the VHS/Laser transfers. When it comes to the VHS/Laser, regardless of whether there's a transition effect between scenes, there's seemingly always at least one frame that contains aspects of each scene.

A transitional frame between scenes is one thing, but as I was working on getting the next batch of subtitles/closed captioning screen captures for Scene 33, I discovered a transitional frame within the scene between camera angles and it's the only transitional frame in the scene that occurs between camera angles, which seems to make it even more puzzling than the ones that occur between scenes:

Blu-ray:

Laser:

Although, when it comes to this instance, there may be some sort of an explanation because the shot of Angelique's portrait would be considered an insert shot, whereas there are no other transitions from insert shots to regular shots within Scene 33. Though why no transitional frame was created when things went from a regular shot to the insert shot, but only from the insert shot back to a regular shot, is anyone's guess.

Yet more puzzling questions...


But switching to another subject, in the above videos you may have noticed another example of how off the color is when it comes to the VHS/Laser version of the film compared to the Blu-ray/DVD version. Previously I'd shared this -

And one final thing while we're still on the subject of Scene 85 and before I get back to posting about Scene 185, I've often lamented about how I can barely stand to look at the VHS now that I've seen the color corrected Blu-ray version of the film, but perhaps no scene shows how off the VHS is than Scene 85. I mean, just look:

VHS:


Blu-ray:

- and now we have this -

Laser:


Blu-ray:

- the lamp shade is practically white on the VHS/Laser rather than the vibrant pink that it should be - and the daffodils are an odd orange on the VHS/Laser rather than the yellow that they should be...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Continuing with the subtitles and the closed captioning for Scene 33:

After Quentin walks over to the portrait of a woman and asks if she's one of the family and Carlotta has informed him that she is, her name is Angelique Collins and she died in eighteen hundred and ten, Tracy's scripted response is added to as "Well, she's beautiful, isn't she?" - but the subtitles and the closed captioning both have it as -

More to come...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Continuing with the subtitles and the closed captioning for Scene 33:

After Tracy tells Carlotta that the Gallery is her favorite room and that the view is incredible, and after Quentin stares at the portrait as Carlotta informs that she's prepared a salad and asks if she should serve it in the Gallery, Tracy's scripted response is added to as "Uh, well, yes, would you." - but neither the subtitles nor the closed captioning acknowledge the "Uh" - and then after Carlotta exits and Quentin begins to turn away from the portrait, Tracy gives a slight unscripted laugh, which the closed captioning acknowledges -

- but the subtitles do not - and as Quentin begins to look toward the window, both the subtitles and the closed captioning acknowledge that Tracy begins a remark with an unscripted -

- and then both the subtitles and the closed captioning acknowledges that Tracy adds an unscripted -

End of scene - but more to come with regard to the sequence...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting how Scenes 34 & 35 are scripted:

...

34     EXT - COLLINWOOD GROUNDS - QUENTIN'S P.O.V. -     34        EVENING        The sky is a magnificent canvas of colors, in        the F.G. is a large tree with huge spreading        limbs.  HOLD on this for a moment and then                                              CUT TO: 35     EXT - COLLINWOOD GROUNDS - 1810 - QUENTIN'S       35        P.O.V.        SUBCONSCIOUS MEMORY CUT        For an instant the view from the window suddenly        takes on a completely different look.  The picture        is now almost devoid of color with a kind of milky        look that makes it seem unreal.  It is almost dark        and a heavy ground fog swirls and eddies about.        Suddenly, we notice that a figure of some kind        seems to be hanging from a branch high up in a        tree.  FAST ZOOM IN.  It is the figure of a woman        in a long dress, a rope around her neck,  The        figure is no more that a bleak silhouette so        that it is impossible to tell what she looks like.                              TRACY (O.S.)                  It's almost like living in a                  museum.  Isn't it?

End of scene. Though there's more to the sequence...

... it's still the case that there aren't any differences between the way DC's and Grayson Hall's scripts are written up to this point ...

...

...and while it could possibly be late enough in the day to be close to sunset, the sunset as described in the script is not what Quentin sees when he looks out the window because what he actually sees, as can be seen in the next capture -

- is an overcast view (remember, it was raining when they arrived) with some spring-flowing trees in bloom and other trees getting their green leaves - and when things change over to the 1810 memory, things may not be in as sharp a contrast as they would be had Quentin seen the sunset as described, but as can be seen in this next capture -

- the 1810 memory is certainly of a decidedly bleak scene and as the script indicates, "almost devoid of color" - and it's interesting that after the camera does zoom in on the figure in the tree -

- one can tell that it's a woman (thanks mostly to the hair and style of shoes), but what's more interesting is that there are a few publicity stills for the film that depict a much more discernible figure of a woman hanging in the tree (one of which was obviously used as a basis for the A version of the NoDS poster ... - and a final point is that the dialogue that is scripted for Tracy at the end of Scene 35 is actually delivered off screen over a shot of Quentin at the end of Scene 34 just before the cut to the 1810 memory.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Moving on to the subtitles and the closed captioning for Scenes 34 & 35:

As scripted, Scene 34 doesn't include any dialogue, however, it does so in the actual film - to start off with, a line of dialogue scripted for Tracy as part of upcoming Scene 38 and possibly even shot as part of that scene is reworked a bit and inserted into Scene 34 - and both the subtitles and the closed captioning reflect that correctly -

- and following that a reworking of lines scripted for Quentin for Scene 33 come up - and the subtitles acknowledge them correctly -

- but the closed captioning has things as -

- dropping "I've got a feeling," of course changing "I'm gonna do" to" I'm going to do" (), and also dropping "in my life."

More to come...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And wrapping up the subtitles and the closed captioning for Scenes 34 & 35:

In a continuation of taking lines from other scenes and sticking them in Scene 34, a line scripted for Tracy for Scene 35 comes up next before the switch to the 1810 Subconscious Memory Cut - and the subtitles reflect that correctly -

- but the closed captioning has -

- with the "almost" and "isn't it?" parts missing.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting how Scenes 36 through 39 are scripted:

...

36     QUENTIN - CLOSE-UP (NORMAL COLOR) - 1971          36        Oblivious to Tracy, he stares out the window.                              TRACY (O.S.)                  Quentin? 37     EXT - GROUNDS - 1971 - QUENTIN'S P.O.V. -         37        NORMAL COLOR        It is back to normal again - no fog, no body in        the tree. 38     TRACY - MEDIUM ANGLE                              38        PAN WITH HER as she crosses to Quentin.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 13/Scene 38 - Tracy: 'Darling, what's wrong? What are you thinking about?'

- comes up.

And it's still the case that there aren't any differences between the way DC's and Grayson Hall's scripts are written up to this point - and there also aren't any notations in either script for what's covered in this post.

...

And so far as the directions and descriptions go, the only things that are different in the film is that Quentin actually does some unscripted blinking of his eyes in Scene 36 before we see in Scene 37 that things are back to normal - and ... we don't pan with Tracy after she asks Quentin what's the matter because after that we immediately see Quentin and Tracy actually comes to him from behind him.

...

Suddenly, Quentin realizes she is next to him.

And that's when yesterday's quote -

Page 13/Scene 38 - Quentin: 'What? (turns to her) Oh, I don't know. Just ... daydreaming I guess.'

- comes up, followed by the script continuing with:

He frowns as they both look out the window.                              TRACY                  It's so beautiful. 39     HIGH ANGLE                                        39        as Carlotta ENTERS with the tray.  Tracy crosses        to the table, Quentin still stands at the window.        QUENTIN - CLOSE-UP        He is still trying to understand what it was he        saw.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 13/Scene 39 - Tracy (O.S.): 'Come on, darling ... it looks delicious.'

- comes up.

End of scene and sequence.

And it's still the case that there aren't any differences between the way DC's and Grayson Hall's scripts are written up to this point, however, there are notations in both scripts that we'll get into below...

And so far any differences in the dialogue go, ... - and while Carlotta's return to the room doesn't actually take place in the film as it currently stands, Grayson Hall has a notation in her script that when Carlotta returns she says "I brought some white wine. I hope you like it", and what's very interesting about that is that unlike in any other version of NoDS, in the one that's available on Amazon, during Quentin's final close-up we actually do hear Carlotta say "I brought some" before she gets cut off by the effect of the film moving to Scene 40 - and ... Tracy's quoted off screen line also does not appear in the film as it currently stands (however, all of this missing stuff is part of the recovered footage).

And so far as the directions and descriptions go, as I've already pretty much noted, we don't see Carlotta enter with the tray or Tracy cross to the table because all that remains in the film from Scene 39 is Quentin's close-up. And speaking of that close-up, DC has a notation in his script that Quentin's close-up is "full face", which I suppose is the way it appears to be. And getting back to Grayson's script, she has a notation that Carlotta should start to serve, and the notation does go on a bit from there, but, unfortunately, it's hard to decipher all of her handwriting, so we'll leave it at that.

Actually, what Grayson wrote is "I should start to serve - I stop her with a look that she's useless" - whoa, already from day one could Carlotta be less impressed with Tracy or what?!

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Moving on to the subtitles and the closed captioning for Scene 36 and into 38, or lack thereof:

Tracy's dialogue for, Scene 36 is actually moved to Scene 37, as is reflected by both the subtitles and the closed captioning -

- and Scene 38 begins with a shot of Tracy where she delivers an unscripted piece of dialogue that's again reflected by both the subtitles and the closed captioning -

- after which the shot switches to Quentin and Tracy comes up behind him and delivers her scripted line exactly.

More to come...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Finishing off Scene 38 and moving on to Scene 39 to complete the sequence:

After Tracy asks Quentin what's wrong and what he's thinking about, as the script indicates Quentin suddenly realizes Tracy is next to him and he really only mouths the "What?" part of his scripted lines and what he actually does say is "Nothing ... I was just daydreaming, I guess." - and both the subtitles and the closed captioning reflect that perfectly - and near the end of Quentin's delivery Tracy sighs at his explanation - however, neither the subtitles nor the closed captioning acknowledges that - and Tracy's scripted line about how the view is so beautiful isn't delivered because, as I've already mentioned, it was moved to Scene 33 - and while Carlotta's return to the room doesn't actually take place in the film as it currently stands and while we do not hear the entirety of her unscripted line, "I brought some white wine. I hope you like it," in any other than the 129 minute version, part of it is heard in the version of the film available on Amazon Prime Video and iTunes - and the subtitles for the Amazon version do indeed acknowledge that -

- and while we're on the subject of the Amazon Prime Video version, let's revisit a clip I'd made featuring what we do hear of Carlotta's line -

...

...

- and as is obvious given today's graphic for today's quote, Tracy's quoted off screen line encouraging Quentin to come over because everything looks delicious doesn't appear in any version of the film as it currently stands, however, it also does appear in the recovered footage...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

While still catching up on entertainment news, I just came across this surprising article:

TV Subtitles Are Used Most Often by Adults Age 18-29 — What Are Your ‘Must-Read’ Shows?

Truthfully, I never used subtitles or closed captioning (which is one of the reasons I find so much of what I'm discovering while exploring them for NoDS to be fascinating). But apparently I fall into the age group that seems to use them the least when one might think it would be the group that would use them most. To learn that 18-29-year-olds are actually the ones who use them most is quite shocking, at least to me...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Another post worth revisiting:

Before things move on to today's Scene 40 in the slideshow, I want to share one last thing associated with the Gallery sequence, and that's this still -

(Click here for a 700X1028 version)

 - which I'd forgotten I have - though a somewhat cropped version appears on page 184 of The DS Movie Book and a greatly cropped version is the inside back cover image for the Movie Soundtracks' CD case -

- and for some reason the details of the window are blown out of both print versions, which is unfortunate because the details of that Gallery window are stunning.

And it's interesting that in this still, unlike in the one I shared in Reply #779, Quentin isn't wearing his jacket and instead has it thrown over his shoulder similarly to how he has it in the film.

And additionally, seeing this still makes me question just where does Carlotta serve that salad? I suppose it's on that round table behind Quentin and Tracy (the same table on which the seance is held). But with that lamp on it, it doesn't seem like there would be all that much room for food and wine - though I suppose the angle from which the still is taken could be deceiving...

...