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Post by omega on Oct 7, 2015 4:35:20 GMT
Self explanatory, mention what your favorite releases from the range are and, if you feel like it, say why.
Full Cast:
1.2 The Book of Temptation
An interesting story relatively low on continuity (compared to The House of Despair) and lovely music. I love Joseph Fox's music for the range in general, so atmospheric
Kingdom of the Dead
Bloodlust
An excellent introduction to the world of Dark Shadows but it also works really well if you know the returning characters already.
Audiobooks:
15 The Blind Painter
A rather nice stand-alone story well written by Jonathan Morris and well performed by Roger Davis and Nicola Bryant. The music is also standout.
17 The Creeping Fog
I understand Matthew Waterhouse kept recommending this at the most recent Big Finish Day, and I can see why he would. It's a creepy ghost story that highlights Quentin and there's a great easter egg with Matthew's character...
23 The House by the Sea
Great jumping on point exploring Collinsport and one of its many dark secrets through the eyes of a newcomer played marvelously by Colin Baker.
25 The Eternal Actress
It's written by Nev Fountain, enough said.
37 The Flip Side
An excellent character study of Carolyn, perfect for those who have seen her in the TV episodes and those who only know her through the audios (like me, YouTube only has up to when Barnabas enters the picture, Hulu needs you to be in America and the DVDs are still expensive even when they are great value for the complete collection coffin). The original song is lovely.
38 Beyond the Grave
A scary Halloween story that you don't want to listen to in the dark, nicely tying together the 2013 releases on a note of dread.
40 The Harvest of Souls
Exploring the fallout of Beyond the Grave on Maggie Evans and features a return by Colin Baker's character from House by the Sea. Gripping from beginning to end.
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Post by david on Oct 7, 2015 12:41:56 GMT
Bloodlust is just perfect drama. It really takes the soap-ish origins and runs with it. I'm so glad that's the format the follow up series is taking. I love the ramping tension in it. It takes time to introduce a new status quo bfore adding Barnabas, Quentin and Angelique. It's a real perfect storm of new characters too - how many BF releases in any range introduce as many characters as memorable as Tom, Harry, Andrew and - of course - Sherrif Rhonda all in one series?
I wish I could share the love many have for Beyond The Grave but it's not just an homage to Ghostwatch, it takes whole chunks from the story so I can't consider it a classic as almost all the truly scary bits are lifetd wholesale. That said, the scene with Maggie and the Sheriff are wonderful - if it wre all lik that, I'd be much more enamoured.
I'v still got many, many releases to check out but as someone who's now on Ep 50 of the TV series on an epic marathon I am so hyped to hear the upcoming Burke Devlin story. He's just fantastic.
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Rob Morris
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Avoiding this place for a while as it's become somewhat toxic.
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Post by Rob Morris on Oct 8, 2015 21:12:32 GMT
I so disagree about Beyond the Grave - I think it's amazing - but Bloodlust is I think, perfect.
I was sitting on the edge of my seat each time an episode was released.
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Post by david on Oct 8, 2015 21:59:46 GMT
Yes, I was the same with the episodes. The team really figured out how to do serialised drama well. You can really feel Joe's love of soaps in the setups, the builds and the characters slowly revealing themselves.
I'm really glad it looks like we're getting another series in the Bloodlust style.
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Post by elkawho on Oct 9, 2015 4:06:24 GMT
My favorites so far:
The Blind Painter, The Creeping Fog, The House By The Sea. Beyond the Grave
And of course, Bloodlust. It was just superb. I loved waiting for the next episode.
I also really liked Arthur Darvill in Speak No Evil.
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Post by omega on Oct 9, 2015 8:56:53 GMT
Yes, I was the same with the episodes. The team really figured out how to do serialised drama well. You can really feel Joe's love of soaps in the setups, the builds and the characters slowly revealing themselves. I'm really glad it looks like we're getting another series in the Bloodlust style. It's not the people and creatures of Collinsport that kill you, it's the wait between episodes being released! |
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Post by barnabaslives on Oct 9, 2015 19:51:34 GMT
05. The Skin Walkers
Has Quentin up to his neck in things even OS fans knew nothing about, making things seem sparkingly fresh and especially suspenseful.
13. London's Burning
Great spooky story and Louise Jameson is so good in it I was probably doomed to be a Who fan sooner or later because of it, she effortlessly gets me to take another one like Pansy Faye straight to heart.
17. The Creeping Fog
Fog seems to work really well on audio, this is always very spooky to listen to and strangely like being there - and of course Matthew Waterhouse is great as is the pairing opposite David Selby.
21. The Crimson Pearl
Anniversary release with fantastic cast and tie-ins. Uses Parallel Time which is a brilliant concept full of endless possibilities and one which was heavily used on the OS, that I wish were used more in the audio series. (I suppose it's really just your average sci-fi Parallel Universe concept, but nothing on the show was as striking to me as a kid. Visually you couldn't help but notice that something incredible had just happened even if you reduced it to mere stage design and bluescreen effects).
32. A Collinwood Christmas
In spite of it being a Christmas story, I really liked it - I hope that says plenty. Lizzie Hopley is fantastic (and I completely believe her portrayal of Ivanka in spite of her other memorable appearances as other characters).
37. The Flip Side
An amazing affirmation of Carolyn's character. Like the Crimson Pearl it touches on Parallel Time, only The Flip Side makes especially skillful use of it (including the optional Grand Unification of canon that takes place therein). Very scary even on repeated listens because the baddie is just so single-mindedly determined.
38. Beyond the Grave
Still the scariest thing by Big Finish I've ever heard. Even after the found footage motif has probably been done ad nauseum, it's nonetheless used here with enough thought and skill to come off fresh and incredibly unsettling, even on later listens.
40. The Harvest of Souls
Has Colin interacting with other Dark Shadows cast which is brilliant by itself, but I love that it makes an attempt at even what may only be fabricated Leviathan mythos. The Leviathans are serious, mysterious villains and what the OS Leviathan story arc might have lacked in popularity, it makes up in sheer spookiness including the Leviathans' ability to get people to do the unthinkable. I'm always glad to see any sort of follow-up to their story. Also, it's awesome what Maggie achieves here even with what I think is really just ordinary human character.
42. Carriage of the Damned
This is just great, there's just so much that's completely off the wall in a wonderfully quirky original series sort of way. Also plenty of intense human stuff, this is still the first and only BF audio to actually make water come pouring out of my eyes. Lisa Richards and Alan Flanagan both deserve some sort of prestigious award for that.
44. The Darkest Shadow
Quentin and Amanda together again is worth the price of admission, but another one full of amazing quirky stuff and gives Charles Tate (The Blind Painter) an even more formidable reputation than he already had, which I approve of highly.
47. The Curse of Shurafa
Rob Morris is a genius. This ought to be a lightening rod for criticism being the very sensitive return of the almighty Barnabas and Julia team and their dynamic, but I cannot find a single fault with it.
48. Deliver Us From Evil
I'm not even sure why I like this so much but it produced very vivid memories, both the audios and induced visuals. I almost actually felt like I was watching it all unfold in episodes of the original TV series somehow, which is brilliant. It's also very edgy, with very high-stakes events unfolding.
Bloodlust
About goes without saying that Bloodlust is a very strong contender for The Best Thing Ever.
Figures, I go to make a Top Ten and there are thirteen items in it. In that case why not add another?
Kingdom of the Damned
David Warner is brilliant enough (along with everyone else), but as soon as his character is cagey about his objectives on top of his eerie determination, I could have about tore hair out wondering what Seraph is up to. Incredibly edgy, but as one of the longer dramas I think it's also particularly able to take time to establish a particular sort of welcome-back feel about Collinsport, which is a neat contrast that while the town is busily trying to do in everyone who ever arrives there, it's also the setting of the townfolk's daily lives.
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Rob Morris
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Avoiding this place for a while as it's become somewhat toxic.
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Post by Rob Morris on Oct 9, 2015 21:51:42 GMT
47. The Curse of Shurafa Rob Morris is a genius. This ought to be a lightening rod for criticism being the very sensitive return of the almighty Barnabas and Julia team and their dynamic, but I cannot find a single fault with it. Oh. Wow. That's very nice of you. I'm a bit thrown by that if I'm honest, and don't quite know to respond. But I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you! |
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Post by Trace on Oct 10, 2015 2:20:27 GMT
Some wonderful choices here...and great reasons for why those audios are your favorites--they are all so very true!
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Post by elkawho on Oct 10, 2015 3:20:16 GMT
47. The Curse of Shurafa Rob Morris is a genius. This ought to be a lightening rod for criticism being the very sensitive return of the almighty Barnabas and Julia team and their dynamic, but I cannot find a single fault with it. Oh. Wow. That's very nice of you. I'm a bit thrown by that if I'm honest, and don't quite know to respond. But I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you! I'll be listening to this tomorrow. Now I can't wait. |
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Post by chris606 on Jan 23, 2016 16:05:50 GMT
My favourites are:
The Crimson Pearl
Collingwood Christmas
London's Burning and The Creeping Fog
The Death Mask, The Voodoo Amulet, The Last Stop, The Phantom Bride, The Devil Cat
The House by the Sea, Beneath the Veil, Beyond the Grave, Harvest of Souls
BloodLust
I enjoy all the above equally.
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Post by coldlazarou on Jan 23, 2016 17:26:21 GMT
The Ghost Watcher - Brilliantly performed by KLS and Alec Newman, with haunting and evocative music and That Scene In The Graveyard that always makes me well up a bit. Brilliant. The Blind Painter - Wonderful stuff. I always quite liked Charles Delaware Tate as a character, and Davis gives a really good performance in this. And Nicola Bryant is as reliably great as always. Kingdom of the Dead - I love the first season of full-casts, especially the music and artful atmos, but this takes the ending of 'The Rage Beneath' and propels the series into the stratosphere. Genius. And Sir David of Warner is sepulchral as Seraph. Operation Victor - I love the entire Quentin 1897 - 1969 arc, containing as it does some great stories, but this one really tickled me. An immortal ex-werewolf fighting a Nazi mad scientist named Dr Moloch? Right up my street. The Doll House - Marie Wallace is a legend. I listened to this right before embarking upon the 1897 storyline TV wise, and it added so much depth and pathos to poor Crazy Jenny. The Crimson Pearl - Loved the expansion upon past characters and stories and how brilliantly the Pearl and its journey was interwoven throughout DS history. The 50th Anniversary story has a lot to live up to. Bloodlust - Well, obviously.  |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2016 19:21:25 GMT
Loads to love in the Dark Shadows range. I know it's not strictly a Big Finish product, but Lara's reading of Angelique's Descent is mesmerising and quite hypnotic. Her readins of Salem's Branch and Wolf Mon Rising (available on Audible) are pretty lovely too.
From BF, I love all the full casts, cannot fault a single one. One of the many highlights of 'Kingdom of Dead' is Doctor Rankine (Lysette Anthony) - I wonder if there is anyway character or actress can return to the range?
As for the audiobooks - where to begin? Ghost Watcher, Clothes of Sand, Ehoes of Insanity, Blood Dance, The Night Whispers, London's Burning, Blind Painter, The Creeping Fog, House by the Sea, Dress me in Dark Dreams, Fall of the House of Trask, Speak no Evil, The Last Stop, The Haunted Refrain, Curtain Call, The Happier Dead, The Curse of Shurafa, And Red All Over ... incredible stories.
Dark Shadows is my favourite Big Finish range and I hope it continues ... well, forever.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2016 22:13:22 GMT
Loads to love in the Dark Shadows range. I know it's not strictly a Big Finish product, but Lara's reading of Angelique's Descent is mesmerising and quite hypnotic. Her readins of Salem's Branch and Wolf Mon Rising (available on Audible) are pretty lovely too. From BF, I love all the full casts, cannot fault a single one. One of the many highlights of 'Kingdom of Dead' is Doctor Rankine (Lysette Anthony) - I wonder if there is anyway character or actress can return to the range? As for the audiobooks - where to begin? Ghost Watcher, Clothes of Sand, Ehoes of Insanity, Blood Dance, The Night Whispers, London's Burning, Blind Painter, The Creeping Fog, House by the Sea, Dress me in Dark Dreams, Fall of the House of Trask, Speak no Evil, The Last Stop, The Haunted Refrain, Curtain Call, The Happier Dead, The Curse of Shurafa, And Red All Over ... incredible stories. Dark Shadows is my favourite Big Finish range and I hope it continues ... well, forever. Yes, that's kind of the problem when I see "Recommend something.." posts - I feel very unhelpful when it's Dark Shadows or Dorian and the only real answer is "Well, for starters - get everything. And then? Wait for more and buy that too" |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2016 18:32:06 GMT
Loads to love in the Dark Shadows range. I know it's not strictly a Big Finish product, but Lara's reading of Angelique's Descent is mesmerising and quite hypnotic. Her readins of Salem's Branch and Wolf Mon Rising (available on Audible) are pretty lovely too. From BF, I love all the full casts, cannot fault a single one. One of the many highlights of 'Kingdom of Dead' is Doctor Rankine (Lysette Anthony) - I wonder if there is anyway character or actress can return to the range? As for the audiobooks - where to begin? Ghost Watcher, Clothes of Sand, Ehoes of Insanity, Blood Dance, The Night Whispers, London's Burning, Blind Painter, The Creeping Fog, House by the Sea, Dress me in Dark Dreams, Fall of the House of Trask, Speak no Evil, The Last Stop, The Haunted Refrain, Curtain Call, The Happier Dead, The Curse of Shurafa, And Red All Over ... incredible stories. Dark Shadows is my favourite Big Finish range and I hope it continues ... well, forever. Yes, that's kind of the problem when I see "Recommend something.." posts - I feel very unhelpful when it's Dark Shadows or Dorian and the only real answer is "Well, for starters - get everything. And then? Wait for more and buy that too" Haha! I should have said that. Some are worried about being drowned in continuity when considering embarking on BF's Dark Shadows. But the stories are so good by themselves, that any continuity questions only leave you wanting to hear more. Dark Shadows ... you'll never leave |
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Post by chapwithwings on Jan 27, 2016 7:35:26 GMT
Just added The Creeping Fog & The Crimson Pearl to my ever expanding wish list. Thanks for the recommendations.
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Post by omega on Jan 27, 2016 21:51:55 GMT
Just added The Creeping Fog & The Crimson Pearl to my ever expanding wish list. Thanks for the recommendations. Crimson Pearl is an anniversary release. It's perfectly understandable with only a small knowledge of Dark Shadows, but you get a better appreciation with a more comprehensive background. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2016 22:47:45 GMT
Just added The Creeping Fog & The Crimson Pearl to my ever expanding wish list. Thanks for the recommendations. Crimson Pearl is an anniversary release. It's perfectly understandable with only a small knowledge of Dark Shadows, but you get a better appreciation with a more comprehensive background. Yes, I'd not start there but when I heard it I'd only listened to - at best - a third of BF's DS audios and anyone I didn't know just made me either want to wiki them or kept me intrigued to hear their stories elsewhere. On a related note, I'm finding that after the best part of 1,000 episodes of the TV show I'm getting SO much out of it that enhances my pleasure of the audios. There are so many small nods, references and outright massive pieces of continuity that mean so much after spending hundreds and hours of hours with the gang. Like Burke Devlin being back. If you've not seen the first 250-ish eps, ...And Red All Over is a really good Maggie story anyway but if you've seen his story? Having Mitch back is one of the coolest things EVER. |
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Post by silverednickle on Feb 1, 2016 17:58:08 GMT
Hopefully Mitch is back for a while. Perhaps he'll turn up in Bloodline for the wedding.
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2016 9:55:08 GMT
I re-listened to The Flip Side over the weekend and I really do think it's super-strong. Like some of the best "horror" like The Exorcist or The Babadook it really uses the genre not just to scare but to explore the character. Carolyn here has to be completely and utterly broken to be in a position to say either "I give up" or "I'm fighting on". It's really something that anyone who has experienced grief can relate to. There is that point, that flip-side decision, where you either go on living or give up.
Just wonderful stuff. Anyone who knows the relationship between Liz and Carolyn from TV will be a wreck during the phonecall section. Anyone who isn't will probably imagine their own mother and their own moment like that.
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