Dark Shadows - Collection 21 (DVD, 2005)

DARK SHADOWS...I still remember as a ten year old boy rushing home from school as quickly as I could to return to the shadows...DARK SHADOWS. Every afternoon at 4pm the shadows of Collinwood crept into the living rooms of America...and were filled with vampires, ghosts, werewolves, time travel and wonderful mystery. Today, as DARK SHADOWS nears its 40th anniversary, it continues to have a huge cult following.

Now released to DVD with 40 episodes per set, DARK SHADOWS is the most extensive DVD series ever compiled, with over 300,000 box sets sold. Only one set remains to be released, with 24 sets currently available. The incredible popularity of this classic show is a testimony to the vision of its groundbreaking producer, the legendary Dan Curtis.

In addition to DARK SHADOWS, Dan produced two of the most ambitious mini-series ever brought to television: THE WINDS OF WAR and WAR AND REMEMBRANCE. He produced many other highly successful TV and film productions, including the hugely popular KOLCHAK movies, BURNT OFFERINGS, HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS, NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS, DRACULA with Jack Palance, the 1991 DARK SHADOWS REVIVAL SERIES, TRILOGY OF TERROR, and many others. Most recently in 2005, Dan produced SAVING MILLY and OUR FATHERS.

Dan Curtis, lost his battle with brain cancer on March 27th, 2006, at his home in Brentwood California. Only three weeks before, Dan lost his wife of 54 years, Norma, to a heart attack.

We focus the Movie Magic USA spotlight on honoring Dan Curtis by reviewing DARK SHADOWS COLLECTION 21. The series was nearing its completion during this period, and the storylines revolved around Parallel Time. These stories are not my favorites of the series. I am partial to the period in which Barnabas initially travels back in time. I also love the early Black & White shows when Barnabas first appeared on the scene. By the period covered in Collection 21, the stories seemed a bit silly and the show seemed to be starting to run out of steam. This may have been because Dan Curtis had by this time become distracted by other projects, and was not nearly as involved as when the show was at its best. Still, the stories are great fun, and stand up well to most of what is being made today.

As a ten year old, I could not wait for the next episode of DARK SHADOWS each weekday afternoon. As a 48 year old man, I can't wait to put the disc in my DVD player and return to the shadows of Collinwood. I am currently watching Set 17, episode 877. It is because of a hard-charging television pioneer named Dan Curtis that I still look forward, 39 years later, to returning to Collinwood for my daily dose of vampires, werewolves and fog-shrouded mystery. DARK SHADOWS is a one of a kind classic never to be duplicated, and so is its producer. He took us into the shadows of Collinwood, and we will never forget the wonder that awaited us there.

God Bless you Dan and Norma.

Steven Holt

Movie Magic USA