Search - Dark Shadows DVD Collection 26 on DVD

The end of the curse...or the beginning?

Sean Robins | Philadelphia, PA | 08/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, Set No. 25 is the final set of the series - that is, starting with the arrival in the first set of Barnabas Collins - but don't forget that that Barnabas arrived in Episode 207, so there are the 206 before that. MPI has confirmed that they will follow the initial 26 sets (just as they did with the VHS series). So sfter No. 26, we can look forward to another five sets of the pre-Barnabas ... some great stuff.

For now, the end of the series brings an end to the cursed room, and the (latest) curse on the Collins Family. Or does it? When Thayer David tells us in the series' final closing monologue that a girl is found in the driveway, with two puncture marks on her neck...it's just from an animal bite. Right? Isn't it? . . .

No?"

Finally,..after jumping the shark

S. Wetzel | 02/27/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"It is, as several other reviewers have noted, sad to see the end of Dark Shadows in its original incarnation, but I for one, bought Set 26 simply to be a "completist." I never really enjoyed the final plotline set in 1841 parallel time, and I really consider this storyline to be the final nail in the coffin. Yes, the writers were running out of ideas and one could argue the show "jumped the shark" several times before, but I think this is where the shark bit back. Jonathan Frid said in interviews he welcomed a different character to play but he appears tired and listless, only Nancy Barrett and Lara Parker seem to enjoy the new characters. Joan Bennett is professional as always despite not having much to do. Many of the special features have been available on single DVD's. MPI really could be accused of a ripoff by selling at the same price as the sets with 40 eps.

I too look forward to the DVD release of the pre-Barnabas episodes. I have them on VHS and the visual appearance (in stunning B&W) and more traditional soap opera dialogue are far superior to what now looks garish and grotesque in color as the series ended. I don't know exactly what happened in terms of budgeting, but the older eps had actual outdoor location shots, car chases, and some surprisingly funny one-liners from characters who became so SERIOUS once the show went completely supernatural. Roger is especially a hoot. And the flubs and bloopers everyone enjoys watching in the color eps are few and far between in the old shows too. I hate to sound disenchanted but it seems like the cast and crew got sloppy as the show went on.

Still an important part of TV history and it is cool to say one owns every episode."

The begining of the end of the show...

Time Traveler | 01/18/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Like most reviewers here, I used to watch this show after school in the 60's. I'd run home from school to get to see it twice in the afternoon, once at 3:30 on a Chattanooga station and then at 4:00 pm on my Atlanta channel. Even as a primary school student, the combination of vampires, witches and werewolves didn't scare me one bit. I was fascinated! And just as an aside, the question asked of the boys of my generation was always, "Ginger or Mary Ann?" Incomplete. It should have been "Ginger, Mary Ann or Angelique?" Angelique wins hands down!! Even at 6 years old I knew she was The Bomb!!

This DVD set still has the actors playing many different roles, some of which had no bearing on their earlier ones. It doesn't matter, the show was wonderful and was one of the most fun of any I watched during those years.

I actually rediscovered the series again in 1997 on Sci Fi and taped it religiously to watch after work. I remembered most of the story lines and enjoyed it once again.

Series purists will love this collection and wish there had been more."

The Last Shadows

Tom E | Methuen, Ma United States | 01/11/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was sad when I was a kid watching Dark Shadows end ,I always thought there are more monsters to do .Now that the DVD's are coming to an end I'm saddened again .The show was a late night favorite of mine ,the charachters were never to over the top for me .I enjoyed the use of the actors in "family" roles ,playing someone from a different generation in the same family .This DVD set wraps up the last Parallel Time story and the series .The extras on this set are outstanding and really flesh out how much this meant to so many people .Having done some interactive acting at a Haunted Castle for Halloween I appreciate what the cast had to do when things don't go exactly as planned .There'll never be another show that will capture the spirit and feel of Dark Shadows .I'll go and get the Pre-Barnabas sets that are coming out ,I have only seen the 1st episode once .This is a fine ending set to a great series ."