A Disappointing Continuation

How wonderful it is to see this fine actress carry a film and carry it so beautifully.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Film adaptations of TV shows rarely work. And vice versa. It's just two different worlds of mainstream entertainment which have their own separate formulas. But to attempt a big screen version of a soap opera, in my humble opinion, is usually a lost cause. Dan Curtis, creator of the popular Gothic horror soap, Dark Shadows, attempted a film adaptation a year earlier, with House Of Dark Shadows. A retelling of the original storyline of Vampire, Barnabas Collins. The show's most popular character. A good movie. A great movie, some may say. But does it really do the show, and more specifically, that storyline, justice? Not really. It's too many episodes to cover, and to anyone who is familiar with the show, the movie should seem very rushed in comparison. Like I said. A good movie. But it's flaws are there, and they're obvious, but a lot of them couldn't be helped. Fast forward a year later. Dark Shadows has been cancelled. But the movie was a hit. And I think we all know by now what happens any time a Horror film gains even a glimmer of popularity. With the constant stress of the show no longer holding him back, Dan Curtis gathers up as many DS cast members he can and makes plans for yet another movie. Since the first one centered on Barnabas, it's only common sense that this new movie would revolve around the second most popular character, Quentin Collins. Although, Quentin's story would not be a recreation of anything. Merely a Dark Shadowsy story that might remind one of several of the show's story lines. I tend to think this was the right decision as it eliminates the possibility of the movie having to be molded after a series of events it couldn't possibly live up to. Filmed in the same eerie old mansion as House. This was a fine choice for location, but it ain't Collinwood, but whatever. It isn't clear as to whether or not the events of the first movie actually happened from this movie's point-of-view, or if this is a stand alone story, but Collinwood is currently abandoned, which makes me think it is acknowledged. Quentin Collins, and his wife, Tracy, have inherited Collinwood and are on their way to Collinsport, Maine to collect and to live a life of luxury. And Quentin, being the painter, is looking forward to much inspiration amongst the beautifully dreary scenery. Before the couple is even settled in, the first glimpse of weirdness comes from the housekeeper. Or whatever she is. Just some person who takes care of stuff, I guess. Grayson Hall plays Carlotta Drake, who seems to know a bit much about this house, and is slightly too invested in how things go. Also, Quentin is being plagued by nightmares. Reliving memories that aren't his own. Or are they? Quentin is remembering things that happened to a man named Charles Collins, who lived at Collinwood over 150 years ago. Charles was married to Laura Collins, but fooled around with his brother Gabriel's wife, Angelique. A witch. We witness the events which led to Angelique's hanging by a witch hunting Reverend, as well as Charles' own demise at the hands of his brother. The more Quentin has these dreams, the less he seems like Quentin. He becomes cold, distant and temperamental. He attacks and berates Tracy without provocation. We find out the ghost of Angelique is involved. She wants Quentin to be Charles, and she wants Tracy gone. This may not be the same Angelique from the show, but anyone familiar knows what Angelique wants, Angelique gets. While Night Of Dark Shadows may not have the same problems as the first movie, that doesn't mean it doesn't have its own problems. One big problem that not only killed this movie, but the chances for a third one, is the fact that a whopping 45 minutes was ordered to be cut. Still an hour an a half long even with the missing scenes, the film was stripped of many conversations and situations which gave the film much more of a point. as well as the characters depth. Still eerie, haunting, atmosphereic and creepy, but something is clearly missing from this movie. Something about it is so empty, so lonely. As if it's in need of an extra main character. No. It's merely missing 45 minutes of story. That's all. Still very much worthwhile for a Dark Shadows fan or a fan of stuff like Burnt Offerings. An absolutely gorgeous score by Robert Cobert, which is what really saves this one for me. As I said, there was to be a third Dark Shadows movie, but after dealing with the frustration of this one, and probably a growing boredom with the world of Dark Shadows in general, Dan Curtis decided to move on to non- Dark Shadowsy projects. As with the show, fans will always be forced ask the "what if" questions about this movie. That is, as long as the film in its entirety is without release. It's not perfect by any means, but for the time being, Dan Curtis' final chapter in the Dark Shadows story will have to do. 7/10

This follow-up to House of Dark Shadows (both adapted from stories from the TV series) is about a painter who moves into the family estate with his new wife. He's soon troubled by dreams of the past that seem all too real. This was heavily edited before release with at least 30 minutes cut out. No doubt the unedited movie is superior to this mess. I haven't seen that one, however, so my review is for the edited version. It does have some things going for it: moody atmosphere and good camera-work. But the tension is limp and the plot is borderline incoherent. The movie just lacks excitement. As other reviewers have noted, the story bears a passing similarity to stories from better movies, which does it no favors by comparison. I did enjoy seeing a young Kate Jackson in her film debut. It's not a movie I would recommend unless you're a curious Dark Shadows fan who hasn't seen it yet.

Okay, I enjoy most things Dark Shadows, I enjoyed the version starring Ben Cross, I love the original 1966 version, I love House Of Dark Shadows, I even found it in me to like the 2012 version. Now, if I were to say it, this is probably the second weakest of the Dark Shadows titles. This isn't actually the movie's problem because MGM wanted a shorter running time so they edited around 40 minutes out of it and sloppily I might add, for their big picture. Now was there a good story behind it, lets dive in.So this was originally meant to be a direct sequel to House Of Dark Shadows, however when Frid turned down the role of Barnabus Dan Curtis decided to make a film based on an alternate reality. The only cast members I recognize are John Karlen, Nancy Barrett, David Selby and Grayson Hall.Now unlike the other one this actually had a good story behind it. The problem was that MGM edited out 40 minutes of it and, for the most part, it just doesn't make f*cking sense. There is an entire sequence where Grayson Hall talks about how what Quentin sees is a past life and she tells him the death of Angelique from her past life perspective. Now, I wouldn't mind this if they actually had some explanation as to why they can see past lives where others can't. More importantly, even though she was an okay child actress, Hall's past life looked nothing like her. Quentin's was an exact copy.I also would've liked this a bit more if they spent more time developing Angelique as a character, if they spent some more time on John Karlen and Nancy Barret's characters (I genuinely forgot they were in this film at one point). I mean yeah, she wanted Charles Collins and she was a witch but, using this film alone, do you really know anything else about her? Every single problem with this film all comes round to the 40 minutes the studio cut out. If they left it as is, I do believe that we would be left with a good film. Story wise, for what it was, it was superior to House Of Dark Shadows but thanks to the execution, House was the better film.In terms of acting, this film is actually pretty good. David Selby is okay but oddly enough the best performers are John Karlen and Grayson Hall. Karlen is one of those roles on the show where I stare and say "DO SOMETHING ELSE?!" and he was able to do something else with this role besides worry. He played a Gothic writer wanting inspiration from inside Collinwood.I also liked the costume/scenery of the flashbacks to Sarah. I mean this girl is able to act while only saying one word on screen "No!" They actually also looked like their parts. The only exception is Thayer David who looks a lot more like a mutation of Highlander and the Hulk.So overall, yes this film has its problems but write down the concept on a piece of paper, does it sound that bad? Look at the acting, is it all that bad? Look at the production design, the special effects, etc. Were they all that bad? I mean besides the editing (which was so sloppy, I think even I could do a better job!). Anyway, for true fans of the show, check it out. In spite of its flaws, I still managed to like it.

It's well known that Night Of Dark Shadows suffered extensively from pre-release cutting, and those cuts severely compromised the film. The storyline became confusing, and the editing looked choppy in places. However in spite of these drawbacks, this follow on from House Of Dark Shadows - it's not really a sequel in the conventional sense - remains worthwhile, both for fans of director Dan Curtis' original Dark Shadows TV series, and casual viewers.One obvious aspect that causes disappointment is the absence of Barnabas Collins. Actor Jonathan Frid had refused to play the vampire again through fears of typecasting, so Curtis was forced to take a different tack. Night focuses on Quentin Collins and his wife Tracy as they inherit the Collinwood estate. Slowly, the couple become aware of the malevolent spirit of Angelique, a witch hanged 200 years ago, and Quentin is possessed by the spirit of his own ancestor, Angelique's lover. The films lacks the blood and thunder of it's predecessor, opting instead for a slow, brooding build up of menace and a surprisingly dark tone of sexual violence in some scenes.Hopefully, one day the cut footage will be restored, but in the meantime the new Warner DVD of this flawed gem is more deserving of it's place on your shelf next to House Of Dark Shadows than Tim Burton's new movie.