This popular, long-running series from the 1960s was updated in 1991 and brought to a new audience with remarkable success. The story once again follows the governess Victoria (Joanna Going), who arrives at the Collinwood mansion to take a job, only to find a legacy of ghosts, vampires, and mystery, in a darkly captivating show replete with Gothic themes. Here, Ben Cross plays Barnabas Collins, who is secretly a 175-year-old reformed vampire who must live with the guilt of his past. Dr. Julia Hoffman (Barbara Steele) knows his secret, and soon falls madly in love with him. The numerous parallel stories of the Collins family and their friends, shot through with love, death, séances, and more otherworldly occurrences, unfortunately had the chance to progress for only 12 episodes before Gulf War coverage forced the program off the air. However, it remains an excellent remake of a haunting, classic show.
C**Y
Still not as good as VHS
This is the correct aspect ratio from the previous MGM release that had parts cropped out. The problem with this series in all its DVD forms is that it's not been completely released as it was on VHS. The VHS had extra footage on the pilot and finale as well as a lengthy documentary featuring interviews, behind the scenes footage, rare promos and other goodies. These should come to blu ray and DVD! As well as new interviews and retrospectives.
A**N
At last! This is the version to own!
Since this series first arrived on DVD, it has been presented in a "cropped" widescreen, manufactured for the DVD release. The series was filmed and telecast in full screen format, so anyone seeing this series on DVD has watched episodes that had the tops and bottoms of every shot (except the opening credits) made to appear to be in widescreen by actually covering parts of the picture with black bars on a standard television, and cropping those elements of each frame out to fill the screen of widescreen TV's. This release, the first to place the series on 4, instead of 3, discs, uses the fullscreen, 4:3 aspect ratio of the original telecasts - no cropping or fake widescreen! For those who may be surfing amazon, searching for a way to view this first remake of the classic soap opera series, THIS is the way to see it. For those who have been long-time fans, take the time to collect this edition, released by TGG DIRECT, LLC.
J**E
... of the original series and didn't think I would like it, but I felt lost after I watched ...
I am a fan from way back of the original series and didn't think I would like it, but I felt lost after I watched all the originals and bought this on a whim. Once I got into a couple episodes I enjoyed the slightly different twist on the old stories and really enjoyed it. I was sad there wasn't more.
G**Y
good show this was a good series and picture was ...
good show this was a good series and picture was great good set
B**.
Five Stars
Great set!!!
C**N
Five Stars
I am so happy to own this
K**E
Hopefully my grandparents will like it anyways
I was wrong to assume this was every episode of Dark Shadows, but it's only 12 of the episodes. Hopefully my grandparents will like it anyways.
F**D
Dark Shadows '91 - on DVD in FULL SCREEN - at last!!! :-)
It's been a long wait (10 years!) but at long last, "DARK SHADOWS '91" is available in the proper FULL SCREEN aspect ratio! THIS is the version to buy - AVOID the 2005 MGM edition (which was inexplicably released in cropped / fake Widescreen). This 4 disc DVD released by TGG Direct, LLC and MGM is the real deal - FULL SCREEN! This DVD set is NOT a bootleg - this is NOT a MOD (made-on-demand) - this is a legit DVD release. This set comes in a slightly over-sized Box with two ordinary sized DVD cases inside, labeled "Dark Shadows" Volume 1 and "Dark Shadows" Volume 2. Each Volume features two DVD's. The artwork on each Volume (as well on as the DVD's themselves) is the same as the outer box (pictured in Amazon's product listing).The picture and sound quality of this DVD set is absolutely AMAZING! I have no idea if any restoration work was done, but "DARK SHADOWS '91" has never looked or sounded better!I think this DVD release slipped past almost everyone...just a hunch, but I have a feeling that this will go OOP (out of print) fairly quickly. Don't hesitate to BUY this exceptional DVD release from Amazon today! 5 Stars all the way for TGG Direct and MGM!
D**I
A Classic Re-Telling of a Classic Gothic Soap Opera!
I will honest in that I was quite hesitant about getting this collection, but a good friend of mine named Lisa recommended it to me, so I ended up ordering this and I'm truly glad I did...sadly it was a very short lived series, but what you have is a classic "re-telling" of the Dark Shadows Saga for the new generation at that time!...additionally Robert Cobert wrote the score based on his original concept music and gave it a modern gothic twist!I highly recommend this to all Dark Shadows fans, both new and existing!!!
Trustpilot
5 days ago
2 weeks ago