Review of House of Dark Shadows (1970) by Blake P — 08 Jun 2013

After viewing the disappointing Tim Burton "adaptation" of cult soap opera/supernatural drama "Dark Shadows", I felt that, since I'm not willing to watch the original series as a whole, it made sense to watch "House of Dark Shadows," which has the same cast, the (mostly) same storyline, and the same gothic atmosphere. Although "House" isn't great cinema, it's ultimately a stylish, little blackened treat that also has the ability to boast that it's the only film to be adapted from a soap opera.

Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) is a vampire that has just awoken from a 150-year long slumber, no thanks to his vamp-phobic father who buried him alive rather than just killing him. Barnabas, as it turns out, was a rather wealthy man before his "demise", and his tomb is placed near his childhood home, the spooky Collinswood mansion. He arrives as a supposed long-lost relative of the Collins family, but there are an awful lot of suspicions surrounding his return.

The first to be doubtful is young Carolyn (Nancy Barrett), the high-minded daughter of the family matriarch (Joan Bennett); it doesn't take long before she discovers Barnabas is a vampire, he kills her, and then she's a vampire herself. In the meantime (in soap operas, there always seems to be an "in the meantime), Barnabas is taken by the family governess, Maggie Evans (Kathryn Leigh Scott), who is a dead ringer for his long lost love, Josette. Barnabas yearns for a life with Maggie, and strikes up a deal with the family doctor, Julia Hoffmon (Grayson Hall) so that she can help him achieve mortality. But things don't go as planned ...

"House of Dark Shadows" right off the bat feels a bit uneven. Filmed when "Dark Shadows" was in its fourth year, it moves along as though everybody already knows everyone's name, their motives, and their neuroses'. For casual viewers, "House" doesn't work so well, because more often than not the characters feel a bit shallowly written and the film as a whole just feels like three episodes of "Dark Shadows" stitched together.

With these flaws aside, there are two redeeming qualities in the film, which are Frid, and well, the gothic atmosphere. Frid himself has always been legendary, thanks to his portrayal as Barnabas, and this film is no exception. He isn't as pale as a vampire should be (whether or not that's on purpose, I don't know) and he doesn't have the looks that any vampires in "Twilight" can boast, but he has a sort of "tortured soul" way about him, even though he constantly acts as though he's above everybody else. Most of the characters here are interesting in one way or another, but Barnabas Collins never ceases to be fascinating.

The cinematography is beautiful, with nighttime scenes immersed in shadow and suspense, perfect for a supernatural horror film. Collinswood itself is scary no matter what time of the day it is, and the inside is filmed with a dull lifelessness during the day so that the night brings out the real sumptuousness. The scares or "boos!" are heightened when the sheer darkness swirls around the scene like a cape, and it's almost mysterious.

But other than that, "House of Dark Shadows" is forgettable. It's entertaining while slightly silly, nostalgic but not dated. However, it's best viewed by fans of the original show.