bobod
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Post by bobod on Mar 21, 2016 1:12:06 GMT
It's The Skin Walkers this week, as we move onto the Quentin stories in our listenthru.
Written by Scottie Handcock. Directed by Darren Gross. Starring David Selby and Lara Parker.
I believe the Skin Walkers also turn up in the Dorian audios...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2016 1:22:20 GMT
It's The Skin Walkers this week, as we move onto the Quentin stories in our listenthru. Written by Scottie Handcock. Directed by Darren Gross. Starring David Selby and Lara Parker. I believe the Skin Walkers also turn up in the Dorian audios… Hi, I was just curious which stories are being covered in this listenthru as I would love to pick them up during the sale and be apart of this. |
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bobod
Chancellery Guard
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Post by bobod on Mar 21, 2016 1:25:27 GMT
It's
The Skin Walkers
Blood Dance
The Creeping Fog
London's Burning
Operation Victor
The Eternal Actress
The Darkest Shadow
The Haunted Refrain
I'd suggest also buying Panic as it's also Quentin-led but we just did that in a post-Bloodlust listenthru and so we're missing it out here.
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bobod
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Post by bobod on Mar 21, 2016 1:27:52 GMT
And good to have you with us!!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2016 1:28:31 GMT
Thank you very much. Also is it in that order that we do the stories in?
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bobod
Chancellery Guard
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Post by bobod on Mar 21, 2016 1:41:47 GMT
I've set up a more general Quentin thread and asked what people think. We'll stick to the individual threads for writing about each play each week though.  |
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Post by barnabaslives on Mar 21, 2016 6:38:45 GMT
This is truly an inspired story on Scottie's part if you ask me. It's pretty amazing both in that it feels like we're starting to make up for lost time with Quentin, and that it introduces new characters and circumstances that in many ways seem so very harmonious with the series as a whole. Given how prone I am to pining over Quentin & Amanda or Quentin & Beth, it's remarkable how little I think the story could have been improved by revisiting a classic pairing - or doing anything different than it did, actually. Really looking forward to giving it another listen shortly.
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Post by kimalysong on Mar 23, 2016 20:52:43 GMT
Really enjoyed this one...David Selby has such a wonderful voice, I was enraptured the whole time. And Quentin really is a great character and of course I loved hearing Angelique. Nice to see Quentin conjured her up out of his loneliness. So he's not home but thinking of those he left behind... Interesting how Quentin is both similar and different to Dorian (besides the whole picture and immortality thing). The younger, devil may care Quentin in the first part of the story was much more similar to Dorian. But I am not sure if the Quentin who went on to gain and feel love for a family. Not that Dorian hasn't grown to care for others and feel major loneliness as he loses those he knows (in fact that's a major theme in Confessions) but I also don't see him as the settling down type who would gain a family and find happiness in that like Quentin had for a brief time here. I actually didn't expect this story to be as tragic as it was. Quentin had a moment of happiness and then lost it. I was really quite moved by this story. Although it is interesting hearing bloodline & Panic before this and realizing that Quentin does gain a family again...it makes me even happier for him considering the events of this story and all he lost. You kind of want to tell him it will be alright. Well until the writers decide Quentin has had enough happiness and put him and us through hell again lol. Anyways terrific story...I really loved it and I guess I have become a Quentin fan. I am definitely very happy knowing it will be another Quentin story next week. Edit: Forgot to add that I really enjoy how close this one felt to a companion chronicle since that is one of my favorite ranges. Love stories that are told in 1st person that are very personal to the character telling the story. |
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Post by omega on Mar 23, 2016 22:17:37 GMT
Edit: Forgot to add that I really enjoy how close this one felt to a companion chronicle since that is one of my favorite ranges. Love stories that are told in 1st person that are very personal to the character telling the story. A few of the early ones are like that, particularly the stories with people at Windcliff. It's a good way to learn about their backstories if you haven't seen the TV episodes, and has more personal detail the TV episodes don't include. It's a good way to use characters like Julia Hoffman and the Jonathan Frid Barnabas whose actors are sadly no longer with us. |
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bobod
Chancellery Guard
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Post by bobod on Mar 24, 2016 19:24:54 GMT
Sorry, I've been off work rotten with the cold this week and so haven't had my commute to do my listening in.
I'm a bad Bobod, I'll listen to it as soon as I can.
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Post by Trace on Mar 25, 2016 3:28:47 GMT
I just had my listen. It's been quite some time since I've heard this one! Wow...these early releases are SO dark, aren't they? Very eerie, melancholy score, and absolutely NO levity at all! It somehow really worked for it.
The way the story is narrated (by whom/what and to whom/what), and the "twist" at the end (no spoilers here) make for a really unique experience. I always loved the Quentin/Angelique dynamic on the tv series so it's fun whenever they're paired in an audio. As for the setting, turn of the century New York, I think the 'visuals' are wonderful. The 'torture' scenes were quite gruesome....I found this one to be an overall creepy experience.
Doesn't an element from this story--either Jackson Lowell or the Brethren--feature in one of the Dorian stories, kimalysong? I can't quite recall for certain, but it seems like I've heard it before. By the way, you made some very interesting observations about the similarities between Quentin and Dorian--and the differences. I think you're right about Quentin, ultimately finding happiness (at least temporarily). In fact, I would say that he has had "bouts" of fulfillment off and on over the years!
Speaking of Dorian, I am all set for THAT group listen thru for tomorrow night! I'm enjoying these two so much along with other fans. I would love a Survivors listen thru too--but maybe not until one of these ends.
Looking forward to more Skin Walkers comments!
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Post by omega on Mar 25, 2016 3:34:45 GMT
Doesn't an element from this story--either Jackson Lowell or the Brethren--feature in one of the Dorian stories, kimalysong? I can't quite recall for certain, but it seems like I've heard it before. By the way, you made some very interesting observations about the similarities between Quentin and Dorian--and the differences. I think you're right about Quentin, ultimately finding happiness (at least temporarily). In fact, I would say that he has had "bouts" of fulfillment off and on over the years! Speaking of Dorian, I am all set for THAT group listen thru for tomorrow night! I'm enjoying these two so much along with other fans. I would love a Survivors listen thru too--but maybe not until one of these ends. {Spoiler}
The character of Victoria Lowell, played by Tracey Childs, in the third series of Dorian Gray is implied to be part of the same organisation. The MO fits, eliminating dangerous supernatural beings while almost hypocritically employing supernatural means to do so. |
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Post by Trace on Mar 25, 2016 3:42:56 GMT
I recalled it almost the moment I set my iPad down, and came back to say so! I think it makes a lot of sense, this being Scott Handcock's story! Great connection!
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Post by silverednickle on Mar 26, 2016 21:25:09 GMT
Somehow I managed to listen to either Tuesday or Monday, but didn't manage to post about it.
The Skin Walkers is one of my favorite of the earlier Dark Shadows audios. With so many new ones I'm getting familiar versus the older ones I've heard several times while running or doing long road trips, it's hard to fully compare.
The twist is certainly important and it marks another way that Dorian and Quentin are different. It's an interesting take on it and explains in some ways the two-actor nature of this one. He is and isn't Quentin, and how even the character struggles getting his figurative head around that issue.
For some reason, I always think of Jackson Lowell as another Thayer David (multiple Stokeses- Ben, Professor Elliot, non-professor parallel time Elliot, Count Petofi, Sandor, and so many more). It just fits in my head, even if rarely I picture DS actors as these new characters versus whoever is on the cover, or making up someone new based on the descriptions given.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2016 1:36:36 GMT
I know that I am a bit late in regards to posting my thoughts, but I thought that I might as well still do that (sorry if it annoys anyone in advance). Anyways, this is my first experience with Quentin and I have to say that he is a great character. I loved this story and the way it explored him dealing with the Werewolf inside of him and the effects it has on the people around him (at least that is what I took away from this production). The sound suited the release very well, as it was able to capture both the setting of a ballroom party as well as the dark underground lair of the Skin Walkers. Angelique (I think that is how you spell it) was a very interesting character who I liked, but as I did not know anything about her, she was just there. Luckily she didn't detract anything from the story. All in all I really enjoyed this release and I think as a new listener, that I would say that it is a good starting point for anyone that hasn't seen the show and want to listen to the audios.
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Post by Trace on Apr 4, 2016 3:15:09 GMT
No worries about posting later than the scheduled listenthru week--better late than never, and that's the good thing about these threads...we can come back to them whenever there's a new post and revisit the audio through another's experience!
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bobod
Chancellery Guard
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Post by bobod on Apr 4, 2016 8:52:27 GMT
I know that I am a bit late in regards to posting my thoughts, but I thought that I might as well still do that (sorry if it annoys anyone in advance). Anyways, this is my first experience with Quentin and I have to say that he is a great character. I loved this story and the way it explored him dealing with the Werewolf inside of him and the effects it has on the people around him (at least that is what I took away from this production). The sound suited the release very well, as it was able to capture both the setting of a ballroom party as well as the dark underground lair of the Skin Walkers. Angelique (I think that is how you spell it) was a very interesting character who I liked, but as I did not know anything about her, she was just there. Luckily she didn't detract anything from the story. All in all I really enjoyed this release and I think as a new listener, that I would say that it is a good starting point for anyone that hasn't seen the show and want to listen to the audios. You tell us what you think of any of the plays whenever you like. The listenthrus are just a bit of fun. No need to only post about this week's play. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2016 9:31:34 GMT
I, too, am typically late for this, but I listened to 'The Skin Walkers' again last night for the first time in a long while. I like Nigel Fairs' sound design - you can always tell it is him, but that is no bad thing. And it suits the doom-laden atmosphere of the writing.
I had forgotten what a small and sympathetic part Angelique played in this. It really is Quentin's story, and again that's no bad thing. David Selby puts in a brilliant performance. The more recent audiobooks are often in the style of small-cast plays, but I always have a lot of time for more 'straight' readings (and hope the range revisits that style more soon), and Selby's style is effortlessly effective. He's very good at other voices too - at one time it sounded very much as if Jerry Lacy had sneaked in amongst the cast list.
In parts, the violence of the story is quite jolting - I don't like it when my heroes get hurt! But ultimately, this is an enjoyably sprawling, compelling story and made even more so by being told from Quentin's point of view. A great early release.
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