I’m beginning to wonder if it will ever stop. Hopefully it won’t. At least not until every single episode of “Dark Shadows” is available on DVD. MPI Home Video is now up to Volume 7 (“1,2,3,4,5,6,7…7 Volumes… Ha Ha Ha” – hmmm will they get the reference?) in their mission to release the entire 1966 – 1971 run of one of the best (and still most popular) soap operas in television history. What do you mean you’ve never heard of “Dark Shadows?” Of all the…all right… all right. Let me fill you in on a little of the background. “Dark Shadows” was an unusual soap opera in that it dealt with love, romance, death and deceit. Well, that may not seem very unusual, but when you take into account that the main characters were vampires, werewolves, witches, ghosts, disembodied hands and the like, that’s where it parted company with all the other mundane soaps. Even though the series ended in 1971, it spawned two motion pictures.

And still has a fan base strong enough to warrant websites, fan clubs and conventions. If you’ve read any of my earlier reviews, you’ll know that I grew up watching the show every day after school with my Mom. Loved it, loved it.

“Dark Shadows: Volume 7” continues it’s story from 1795, where we learned of how Barnabas became a vampire, and where his hatred of the witch Angelique began. In episodes 453 – 492, Victoria awaits her execution after being convicted of being a witch, and as the sentence is carried out she is returned to 1968 during a séance where she collapses. Now that she has returned to the present, Barnabas fears that she has discovered his secret.

For the first time in 200 years, hope flickers in Barnabas in the form of a doctor who claims he can cure him of his vampirism. The experiments almost work, until Roger Collins shows up with a new bride, Cassandra. Of course, it turns out that Cassandra is none other than the witch Angelique, who of course ruins everything. Now, being that it’s a soap opera, there’s also several other little storylines running, but this is the main plot at this time.

Each of the volumes from MPI delivers some amazingly good quality audio and video, keeping in mind the source material is very old. There are certainly imperfections in the presentation, but I saw none so bad as to make watching the series difficult. They also include several interviews, which are always great for the fans. This time around, we get some really good interview material from Nancy Barrett, who played Carolyn Collins, and later went on to play Dr. Faith Coleridge in “Ryan’s Hope.” We also hear from Kathryn Leigh Scott who played Maggie Evans in the 1968 potion of the show and Josette DuPres in 1795. Hardcore fans will probably remember the name of the music theme written for the latter character. It’s really surprising how long some of these interviews are. I do like the fact that they also get interviews from some of the old crew as they often have a very different perspective of the goings-on.

You really can’t go wrong by watching “Dark Shadows.” Sure, it’s a soap opera and at times it can get a little campy. But most of the actors really chew the scenery, and their earnest performances make for a really good time. Gosh knows it s better than most of today’ soaps!

Starring: Joan Bennett, Jonathon Frid, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Louis Edmonds, Lara Parker, Nancy Barrett, Clarice Blackburn, Joel Crothers, Grayson Hall, Jerry Lacy, David Henesy, and Alexandra Moltke
Extras: Interviews with actors Nancy Barrett, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Director Lela Swift, and Photographer Ben Martin
Specifications: Color and B&W
Studio: MPI
Release Date: 8/26/2003
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Dark Shadows - Volume 7 a B+.