Night of Dark Shadows | |
---|---|
Directed by | Dan Curtis |
Written by | Dan Curtis Sam Hall |
Produced by | Dan Curtis |
Starring | David Selby Grayson Hall John Karlen Nancy Barrett Lara Parker James Storm Thayer David Christopher Pennock Diana Millay Kate Jackson |
Cinematography | Richard Shore |
Edited by | Charles Goldsmith |
Music by | Robert Cobert |
Production company | Dan Curtis Productions |
Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (USA, theatrical) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 94 min, 129 min (unreleased director's cut) [1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $900,000 |
Box office | $1,400,000 |
Night of Dark Shadows is a 1971 horror film by Dan Curtis. It is the sequel to House of Dark Shadows . It centers on the story of Quentin Collins and his bride Tracy at the Collinwood Mansion in Collinsport, Maine.
David Selby, Lara Parker, John Karlen, Kate Jackson, Grayson Hall, and Nancy Barrett star.
Night of Dark Shadows was not as successful as House of Dark Shadows. [2]
This film marked the feature film debut of David Selby and Kate Jackson.
Handsome young artist Quentin Collins arrives at his newly inherited estate of Collinwood with his beautiful wife Tracy. They meet the housekeeper Carlotta Drake and the caretaker Gerard Stiles. Quentin happens upon a 19th-century portrait of a blonde woman with captivating green eyes that seem to mesmerize him. Carlotta informs him that the woman is Angelique, who had lived there over 100 years earlier. The Collins' friends Alex and Claire Jenkins, who have co-written several successful horror novels, move into a cottage on the estate.
Quentin soon begins to be troubled by startling visions and haunting dreams about one of his ancestors, Charles Collins, and his ancestor's mistress Angelique—who had been hanged as a witch in a past century. Carlotta eventually reveals to Quentin that she is the reincarnation of Sarah Castle, a little girl who had lived at Collinwood over 150 years ago, and that Quentin himself is the reincarnation of Charles Collins. Charles had had an affair with Angelique, wife of his brother Gabriel, resulting in her being hanged—and Charles being sealed alive in the family crypt with Angelique's corpse.
On a trip to New York, the Jenkinses discover a painting of Charles Collins, which bears an uncanny resemblance to Quentin. Convinced that their friends are in grave danger, the couple hurry home to Collinwood, where they are attacked by the ghost of Angelique.
Meanwhile, Quentin has become possessed by the spirit of Charles Collins, and attempts to drown Tracy in a disused swimming pool on the estate. Alex and Claire arrive in time to revive her, but Quentin, having no memory of his actions, refuses to believe their wild tale.
Carlotta and Gerard conspire to eliminate Quentin's loved ones. Quentin, seeing the scratches on his wrist where Tracy had tried to fend him off, realizes the truth of Alex's warning and rushes to rescue his friends. Gerard has managed to take Tracy prisoner (despite his having been shot in the face by Claire), and Quentin fights with him high atop a train trestle. As Gerard slashes Quentin's cheek with a knife, creating a gash in his left cheek that looks remarkably like the one Charles Collins had, Tracy rushes to try to save her husband. She strikes Gerard with a nearby plank, knocking him off Quentin and onto the edge of the trestle. He teeters on the edge for a moment, then plunges to his death after Tracy pushes him.
The group rush back to Collinwood to confront Carlotta. As they arrive, she jumps from the top of the house when she sees the ghostly Angelique beckon her from below.
In the end, the two couples prepare to leave Collinwood forever. Alex and Claire leave first, with Quentin and Tracy following. However, instead of driving away, Quentin returns to the house, saying he intends to retrieve some canvases. When he fails to come back, Tracy follows, only to find him now completely possessed by Charles Collins. Angelique enters the room, reborn in the flesh. The camera freezes on Tracy's face as she begins to scream, as Quentin and Angelique advance on her. A UPI news wire shown at the end reveals that Alex and Claire Jenkins have been killed in a car accident. Witnesses reported seeing a ghostly fog filling the car as it veered off the road.
After the success of House of Dark Shadows (the 1970 feature film version of Dan Curtis's gothic soap opera Dark Shadows ), MGM was ready to back a follow-up film in 1971. Curtis originally wanted to do a direct sequel and revive the vampire Barnabas Collins. Actor Jonathan Frid, however, refused to play the role again for fear of being typecast. Realizing it would be a mistake to recast the popular character, Curtis worked with writer Sam Hall to concoct an all-new storyline.
On March 29, 1971, filming began on Curse of Dark Shadows, later retitled Night of Dark Shadows for its release. Without the headaches of producing the television series concurrently, the production crew was able to achieve a far more polished product than that of the previous year. In order to give the production some authenticity, spiritualist Hans Holzer was employed as an advisor to the production, though his actual contribution to the finished product proved minimal.
The story was very loosely based on the "parallel-time" sequence of the TV series and centered on the show's other popular male lead, Quentin Collins, played by David Selby. Night of Dark Shadows was shot in six weeks on a budget of $900,000 and released in 1971, after the show had left the air. It was not unsuccessful but was less successful than its predecessor.
Hall's script, developed in conjunction with Curtis, was a wistful tale of gothic romance and supernatural reincarnation, bolstered by credible performances from David Selby, Kate Jackson, and Grayson Hall. When filming completed without major problems, Curtis set about editing the final film, which proved far denser and more complex than House of Dark Shadows.
One reason often cited for the film's lack of performance is that MGM forced Curtis to cut over 35 minutes from his finished film, and gave him only 24 hours to do the job. Thus, the film went from approximately 129 minutes to about 94 minutes, which, according to some, caused the film to lose its coherence.
Much of the excised footage was recovered in 1999, but was without sound. This material consists of 16 never-before-seen sequences, extending over a dozen existing scenes, reinstating the darker mood and restoring the original structure and continuity. Highlights of the discovery include flashback between the doomed lovers Charles and Angelique, two new scenes featuring menacing groundskeeper Gerard Stiles, several romantic interludes between Quentin and Tracy, a candlelit "exorcism" sequence in the gallery (the film's original climax), and the "hanging" sequence, as well as several other scenes with intensity on par with an R-rated film. [3] [4] [5]
Night of Dark Shadows and House of Dark Shadows were released on VHS on September 1, 1998, and on DVD and Blu-ray on October 30, 2012 by Warner Home Video.
Dark Shadows is an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinsport, Maine, where a number of supernatural occurrences take place.
Grayson Hall was an American television, film and stage actress. She was widely regarded for her avant-garde theatrical performances from the 1960s to the 1980s. Hall was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Golden Globe Award for the John Huston film The Night of the Iguana (1964).
Barnabas Collins is a fictional character, a featured role in the ABC daytime serial Dark Shadows, which aired from 1966 to 1971. Barnabas is a 175-year-old vampire in search of fresh blood and his lost love, Josette. The character, originally played by Canadian actor Jonathan Frid, was introduced in an attempt to resurrect the show's flagging ratings, and was originally to have only a brief 13-week run. He was retained due to his popularity and the program's quick spike in ratings, and virtually became the star of the show.
Victoria "Vicki" Winters is a fictional character from the television Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows and its remakes of the same name. The role was originated by Alexandra Moltke on the ABC series from 1966 to 1968. After Moltke left to raise a family in 1968, actresses Betsy Durkin and Carolyn Groves briefly replaced her for only a handful of episodes, before Victoria was written out completely. Jaclyn Smith, who was married to Dark Shadows actor Roger Davis at the time, was offered the role when Moltke left the show, but she declined.
John Karlen was an American character actor who played multiple roles on the ABC serial Dark Shadows on and off from 1967 to 1971.
Mary Lamar Rickey, better known as Lara Parker, was an American actress known for her role as Angelique on the ABC-TV serial Dark Shadows, which aired from 1966 to 1971.
Josette du Pres is a character played primarily by Kathryn Leigh Scott during the 1795 flashback on the TV serial Dark Shadows.
House of Dark Shadows is a 1970 American feature-length horror film produced and directed by Dan Curtis, based on his Dark Shadows television series. In this film expansion, vampire Barnabas Collins searches for a cure for vampirism so he can marry a woman who resembles his long-lost fiancée Josette.
Quentin Collins is the name of several characters featured in the 1966–1971 ABC cult TV Gothic horror-soap opera Dark Shadows. Variations of the character have been played by actor David Selby.
Collinwood Mansion is a fictional house featured in the Gothic horror soap opera Dark Shadows, built in 1795 by Joshua Collins. Collinwood has been home to the Collins family and sometimes unwelcome supernatural visitors since its inception. The house is located near the town of Collinsport, Maine, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Due to frightening rumors and legends, almost every resident of the town is afraid to drive by the house. The house has more than 40 rooms, most of which are closed off due to the lack of inhabitants and financial reasons. It features numerous secret passageways, including one leading to a parallel timeline, a time-traveling stairway, and a room perceived as a playroom by some and a linen closet by others. Most of the household activity revolves around the drawing room and foyer, and occasionally extends to the kitchen, dining room, and study. Collinwood is notorious for causing unrest and frustration among both the residents and visitors, likely due to its ominous atmosphere and mysterious past. Despite its unsettling reputation, the allure of the grand estate continues to draw intrigue and curiosity from those brave enough to explore its halls. It has been the scene of deaths, random acts of violence, and other misfortunes. In many episodes of the series, most local characters find it easier to just avoid it and the Collins family altogether.
Daniel Collins is a fictional character that appeared on the 1960s ABC daytime soap opera Dark Shadows. Initially the character was portrayed by child actor David Henesy during a storyline that has become informally known as the "1795 Flashback". In 1970, the character returned for the "1840 Flashback" storyline, this time played by stage actor Louis Edmonds.
Dark Shadows: The House of Despair is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running American horror soap opera series Dark Shadows.
Dark Shadows: The Book of Temptation is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running American horror soap opera series Dark Shadows.
Dark Shadows: The Christmas Presence is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running American horror soap opera series Dark Shadows.
Dark Shadows: The Rage Beneath is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running American horror soap opera series Dark Shadows.
Dark Shadows is a one-hour television pilot that was a remake of the 1966–1971 gothic soap opera television series Dark Shadows. The pilot was commissioned by The WB and produced in 2004, but not picked up for a series.
Dark Shadows is a 2012 dark fantasy film based on the gothic television soap opera of the same name. Directed by Tim Burton, the film stars Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Bella Heathcote in a dual role. Christopher Lee has a small role in the film, his 200th film appearance and his fifth and final appearance in a Burton film. Jonathan Frid, star of the original Dark Shadows series, makes a cameo appearance. He died shortly before the film was released. One of the film's producers, Richard D. Zanuck, died two months after its release.
Julia Hoffman is a fictional character played by Grayson Hall in the 1966 ABC soap opera Dark Shadows. A self-serving and conniving doctor in the fields of psychology and rare blood disorders, she is also head of the Windcliff Sanitarium, who moved into Collinwood and discovered the vampire Barnabas Collins. Initially, Julia represented a threat to Barnabas' undead existence, but eventually she became one of his most staunch allies. Together, Julia and Barnabas worked to assist the Collins family in the past, present, future, and in Parallel Time.
Dark Shadows: Kingdom of the Dead is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running American horror soap opera series Dark Shadows.
Dark Shadows is a series of audio dramas continuing the story of the 1966–1971 television soap opera of the same name. There have been two productions of Dark Shadows audio dramas. The first production, released in 2004 by MPI Home Video, was based on a 2003 stage play. Since 2006, Big Finish Productions have produced a number of audio dramas.