Thursday, March 3, 2011

Classic Movies DVD Update

Easily the most frequent question I get from readers is when are the original Dark Shadows movies coming to DVD? With the show riding high in the ratings, the first big screen Dark Shadows spin-off was made in 1970, with the television cast retelling the story of Barnabas Collins' release into the present day. The film was produced while new episodes were still taping, with the actors juggling both assignments. House of Dark Shadows did brisk business at the box office and spawned the sequel Night of Dark Shadows, produced just after the television series ended.

Speaking on their Facebook page in recent weeks, copyright holders Warner Bros have updated the status of the films on DVD: "Both Dark Shadows movies were being being readied for release as far back as 2006, but we've been holding back the releases in order to coincide with the new Dark Shadows movie. The wait will have been worth it, as this will now allow Barnabas to be Blu." So, expect a DVD and BluRay release in 2012. It's not yet known if the films will include bonus features; In the case of Night of Dark Shadows, a director's cut of the film located in 1999 would allow many crucial lost scenes to be restored.

In the meantime, House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows are both available to rent and purchase as digital downloads from Amazon. To order online, click on the hyperlinked titles.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

HODS and NODS on Blu-Ray?! How awesome! (Imagine how those '70s fashions are gonna pop and undulate across our flat-screens...!)

Freder said...

I can't watch HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS. Much too gory and gruesome. What was Dan Curtis thinking when he made this? Just because you have the freedom to do something doesn't mean that you should. Mixing DARK SHADOWS with Hammer's bad-taste approach to horror was a terrible idea.