MASTER OF DARK SHADOWS (2019)

Studio:      MPI Media Group
Director:    David Gregory
Writer:      David Gregory, Maximillian Meehan
Producer:  David Gregory, Jim Pierson
Stars:     Dan Curtis, Jonathan Frid, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Lara Parker, David Selby, Ben Cross, Barbara Steele, Whoopi Goldberg, Alan Ball, Ian McShane

Review Score:

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Summary:

Actors, collaborators, and archival interviews recount the popularity of the TV series “Dark Shadows” and the influence of its creator Dan Curtis.

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Synopsis:     Show/Hide Spoilers

After an introduction in which collaborators characterize filmmaker Dan Curtis, daughters Tracy and Cathy Curtis offer biographical bits about their father’s background. Having started as a salesman with NBC in Chicago, Curtis decided to launch his own production company in New York City.

Curtis eventually sold “The CBS Golf Classic” as his first show, which sparked a creative fire. However, personal secretary Rita Fein recalls that Curtis’ insistent personality led to him being banned from the set.

Paley Center curators David Bushman and Ron Simon broadly discuss the 1960s soap opera boom. Dan Curtis had a dream that inspired the initial premise for “Dark Shadows,” and his wife Norma encouraged him to develop it. Former ABC-TV executive Michael Brockman and former ABC-TV VP Leonard Goldberg recount how the project originated before debuting in 1966.

Actors Roger Davis, Kathryn Leigh Scott, John Karlen, Lara Parker, Jerry Lacy, Nancy Barrett, and James Storm recall their early days performing on the series. With the show headed for cancellation due to poor ratings, Curtis’ daughters encouraged their father to make the show scarier. “Dark Shadows” earned a reprieve as Curtis convinced ABC to let him make the show more supernatural, which renewed the program’s popularity.

“Dark Shadows” writers Malcolm Marmorstein and Joseph Caldwell recall Curtis wanting to introduce a vampire character. Jonathan Frid was cast to play reluctant vampire Barnabas Collins as a tragic hero instead of a monster, creating a cultural shift regarding how vampires were portrayed in fiction.

Its 4:00pm timeslot made the show popular with children coming home from school. Famous fans Whoopi Goldberg and Alan Ball recall the program’s meteoric rise in popular culture. Former 16 Magazine associate editor Nola Leone talks about the actors’ status as teen idols. As its popularity continued to peak, “Dark Shadows” became a merchandisable property while actors were regularly besieged by fans. Jonathan Frid in particular did numerous talk shows and public appearances.

Actor David Selby recalls the introduction of his werewolf character Quentin Collins. Composer Bob Cobert reveals that “Quentin’s Theme,” which spawned a hit record, was actually a reworked composition from “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”

Stretched for ideas, “Dark Shadows” writers mined classic horror literature for storylines. Actors recall how the series became notorious for cheap special effects and live-taping bloopers.

Dan Curtis made the leap into feature films by making the “House of Dark Shadows” spinoff movie. The film’s success led to the sequel “Night of Dark Shadows.” However, unhappy with the change in characterization that made Barnabas a bloodier, more horrific villain, Jonathan Frid declined to participate. The sequel was less successful than its predecessor.

With Jonathan Frid losing interest in his role and Dan Curtis unhappy with the storylines, “Dark Shadows” went off the air in 1971. Frid became typecast as a horror actor, prompting him to take a break from the business. Curtis encountered a similar frustration as he was pegged to produce horror movies such as “Trilogy of Terror,” “Burnt Offerings,” and an adaptation of “Bram Stoker’s Dracula.”

Curtis’ creativity was reignited outside of the genre through his ambitious adaptation of Herman Wouk’s “The Winds of War.” The miniseries’ worldwide success led to the equally ambitious follow-up “War and Remembrance,” which won several awards despite garnering lower ratings.

NBC proposed a “Dark Shadows” revival series for 1991. Curtis agreed to return on the condition that he could reuse the same stories as before. Actor Ben Cross recounts his portrayal of Barnabas Collins while director Armand Mastroianni talks about working with Curtis. Barbara Steele recalls becoming so furious with Curtis that she temporarily quit the revival, although she ultimately returned and came to appreciate Curtis. Low ratings attributed to Gulf War coverage led to the show’s cancellation.

“Dark Shadows” found new life through fan gatherings and conventions. Jonathan Frid returned to regularly meet fans until his death in 2012. Dan Curtis continued working until his death in 2006, less than three weeks after his wife Norma died.

Additional interviewees include writer William F. Nolan, producer Mary O’Leary, actress Marie Wallace, and actor Christopher Pennock.

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Review:

“Master of Dark Shadows” probably won’t make many new fans out of people who have no preexisting affinity for the venerable gothic horror property. At 85 minutes, the documentary can’t burrow deep enough into “Dark Shadows,” or its creator Dan Curtis, to have that sort of sway.

For the franchise faithful however, director David Gregory’s quick skip down Memory Lane features all the nostalgia necessary to pull out plenty of fang-baring smiles. The doc steers heavily into the latter half of its title, and more cursorily on covering the “Master.” Still, copious clips, archival footage, and interviews with every important figure a fan can think of present an entertaining primer on the cultural phenomenon that “Dark Shadows” became.

“Master of Dark Shadows” begins with collaborators characterizing filmmaker Dan Curtis in single words. Affectionate terms identify Curtis as brilliantly creative, intuitive, and dedicated. More than one person calls Curtis “tough,” with less flattering words describing him as stubborn, impatient, and definitely demanding.

Later in the film, veteran actress Barbara Steele details the day she stormed off the set of the 1991 “Dark Shadows” revival with a vehement “I quit!” Commiserative crewmembers gave Steele an ovation for daring to defy Dan Curtis’ taskmaster tone, although her rebellion lasted less than 24 hours. She now laughs about the incident as an illustration of her admiration for the complicated creator. Steele’s testament provides fitting punctuation for the notion that Curtis could be difficult to deal with professionally, yet remained personable to those who saw the vulnerability in his ferocity.

Following the sound bite montage serving as his introduction, “Master of Dark Shadows” touches on Curtis’ early life. Dan’s two daughters Tracy and Cathy Curtis bullet point background bits about their father. Dan’s wife Norma receives the first of her three swift mentions. Essentially, the movie doesn’t spend any more time than required on a basic biography, maybe five minutes, before hurriedly getting to the goods most viewers came for.

Wistful recollections and colorful anecdotes from two-dozen talking heads discuss all things “Dark Shadows” for the better part of a consecutive hour. Unlike similar documentaries that go thick on superficial gushing, famous fans such as Whoopi Goldberg and Alan Ball only appear long enough to make their points about the program’s popularity. “Master of Dark Shadows” otherwise maintains its focus with David Selby reminiscing about his role, Kathryn Leigh Scott and Lara Parker covering theirs, writers Malcolm Marmorstein and Joseph Caldwell recalling the creative chaos of story sessions, and too many other actors, academics, and ABC executives to mention. Even memories from Curtis’ personal secretary Rita Fein provide a peek behind the creator’s curtain.

Dan Curtis died in 2006. Series star Jonathan Frid died in 2012. “Master of Dark Shadows” doesn’t let their unavailability prevent the show’s two biggest heavyweights from weighing in. Although scanlines date Curtis’ inclusion, previously recorded footage featuring both he and Frid almost seamlessly slots in alongside other interviewees.

“Dark Shadows” goes off the air not long after the film passes its one-hour mark. The remainder of the movie briefly covers Dan Curtis’ work afterward, including the 1991 NBC revival with Ben Cross, but mostly spotlights Curtis’ passion projects “The Winds of War” and “War and Remembrance.” If he had it his way, Curtis concludes in an amused summation, he would be remembered for those miniseries and not for “Dark Shadows.”

But the supernatural soap opera’s fans collectively will it differently. You’ll need a supplement for context on what made the show’s content so richly compelling. Based solely on “Master of Dark Shadows,” you might think the hype is a lot of hullaballoo for a camp classic with a strange song for a chart topper, goofy special effects, and more live-taping blunders than a blooper reel of Judd Apatow outtakes. You’ll certainly need something else if you expect to become learned about the complete career of Dan Curtis.

I wouldn’t want to argue with a harrumphing naysayer over dubbing the documentary as a feature-length home video extra. Nevertheless, I confess I’m whistling the main title theme as I type this and have a sudden urge to indulge in a double bill of “Burnt Offerings” and “Trilogy of Terror” before taking a TV trip to Collinwood. That’s the mark of a movie that’s done its job, solidifying “Master of Dark Shadows” as a delightful dip into the immense ocean of “Dark Shadows” fascination.

Review Score: 75

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