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Post by davidxbrunt on Jul 4, 2017 2:07:07 GMT
Bloody autocorrect...
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Post by gregm on Jul 20, 2017 7:26:58 GMT
It's not on the main page yet, but I'm downloading Love Lives On right now!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2017 8:34:43 GMT
It's not on the main page yet, but I'm downloading Love Lives On right now! Same here. I find myself filled with a level of anticipation for these Dark Shadows releases that, if I'm honest, I don't often get with other audios, no matter how wonderful they are (and they are)! Highlight of my week, this
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Post by omega on Jul 20, 2017 8:35:21 GMT
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Post by omega on Jul 20, 2017 9:05:19 GMT
cschell does it again! Tuesdays and Thursdays is a sweet story, and a wonderful window into the character of Professor Timothy Elliot Stokes. Matthew Waterhouse does a great greasy spoon waitress.
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Post by omega on Jul 20, 2017 9:07:33 GMT
Is that actual footage from the show at the start of The Velvet Room?
I like the continuity between the first two stories, with Prof. Stokes's brother.
Hallie, always read the fine print when it comes to mysterious contacts.
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bobod
Chancellery Guard
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Post by bobod on Jul 20, 2017 9:20:07 GMT
Matthew Waterhouse does a great greasy spoon waitress. So she says.
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Post by omega on Jul 20, 2017 10:39:06 GMT
I just picked up on another reference in Tuesdays and Thursdays, to The Happier Dead.
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Post by Zagreus on Jul 20, 2017 15:22:01 GMT
Torn over whether I should listen to this at work or wait until I can do my normal write-ups w/notes.... hrm.... may just do two listen throughs in the row
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Post by chapwithwings on Jul 20, 2017 18:49:26 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2017 20:38:31 GMT
Tuesdays and Thursdays.
I was going to save these for the weekend but ... that was never likely to happen, was it? I loved this. Perhaps that's a given. It's a fine story, featuring the established Stokes, and the less well known Madame Janet Findley - both terrifically played by Matthew Waterhouse, who is an excellent reader here. Matthew brings a humour to the characters on occasion, especially the waitress at Linda's Diner. I loved this. A great, strange story and a terrific introduction for the fondly remembered, and far too quickly despatched Findley. The ending, in particular, puts a wide smile on my face.
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Post by davidxbrunt on Jul 20, 2017 22:13:59 GMT
Tuesdays and Thursdays - Oh that was fun. Lightly written and played it had a little of the screwball comedy about it, with a headstrong man and a maddening woman circling each other and driving each other to distraction. It's a story with little plot but abundant detail, character, humour and heart. Stokes, a figure we've not heard much of in the audios for one reason or another despite his appearance in the third audio release, is portrayed with affection and insight. We learn as much about him here as we ever did in the series, if not more and all the new layers of character chime perfectly with the man we know. His ingratiating himself with the farming community by casually chatting away to a small child and making her smile speaks of his avuncular nature, the moment he puts a hat down to reserve a seat for a friend who never comes hints at pathos and melancholy that fleshes him out. There's a lovely moment in the story when Stokes decides to take action against something which is so much fun, setting things up for a little comic moment that would have been a fan favourite moment if performed on screen by the redoubtable Thayer David. The plot, such as it is, is slight but just enough to get the characters together and give them something to do but it's quickly resolved and all the better for that. Janet Findley, as presented here, is someone who you quickly warm to and should there be future stories about her and Stokes, well, if they're half as good as this we're in for a treat. Matthew Waterhouse reads with a palpable sense of fun, he's quickly becoming bona fide Dark Shadows royalty writing and reading stories for this range and incarnating the various branches of the Cunningham family. He's a superlative reader, seemingly easily differentiating the characters, playing up the humour of the piece without mugging it up and knowing when to give it weight. Cody Schell is in danger of getting such a reputation for quality writing for Dark Shadows that I'll run out of words of praise but once again he's delivered a script that is steeped in the history of the show, clever, witty, and well worth hearing more than once to pick up the subtleties that aren't obvious on first listen. A cracking start to the collection.
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Post by davidxbrunt on Jul 20, 2017 22:48:49 GMT
The Velvet Room (not to be mixed up with The Creeping Fog otherwise we'll end up thinking of Melody Devereux's father) is a very different beast to T&T but just as Dark Shadowsy. Where the first story is light on overtly supernatural incident the second is full of strange characters not limited to demons and vampires and common or garden horrors but also a particularly strange figure of a former circus entertainer of whom it would be unfair to talk too much about as it would spoil the moment of discovery in the story and writer Antonio Rastelli and performer James Storm tell it so well that you deserve to be unspoiled. The story is the culmination of the series of adventures that kicked off for the characters of Hallie Stokes and Gerald Stiles that began in the earlier release 'Carriage of the Damned' (though this being DS on audio you needn't have heard that to follow this) and there are plenty of hints as to what they have got up to in between the stories. I'd love to hear some of those tales told some times. The leads are unusual even for Dark Shadows and while a man and a woman travelling and fighting supernatural entities has some similarities to the Cassandra and Tony stories the broken, darker nature of the characters would make them feel completely different. These are people who have suffered as a result of their experiences and are nursing wounds that will never heal. The ideas at the heart of The Velvet Room are compelling and strong enough to keep the interest and there's a mystery to be slowly explored, characters to get to know and a reading by James Storm to savour. He's not one of the most regular of actors in this range and that's a testament to how strong the ensemble is that a performer this good is sometimes missing for stretches. When the problem faced is having so many great actors that they have to queue for their turn in the spotlight it's a problem only in name. I'd love to hear him reprise his role of Sheriff Haggerty in a story for this range. His characters acknowldgement of what is going on in Collinsport combined with his refusal to face it would make an interesting lead for a short story. As it is here he's on terrific form sympathetic, tragic even, as he continues his life through horror after horror and the first person nature of the prose gives it an intimate form. The somewhat baroque, even for Dark Shadows, nature of the setting and the characters make me want to hear more from the new writer, to see what else he's capable of. As the story ends it feels like an important piece of the jigsaw of Dark Shadow's ongoing story has fallen into place and we know a little bit more about the motives and background of a character who is almost certain to have a large role to play in Bloodline. If the intent was to build interest in that forthcoming release then job done. The fact that it was done with style and a dash of drama and devilry is all to the good. Honestly, I keep expecting this range to disappoint but so far there's been no let up in quality. I'm not complaining...
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Post by omega on Jul 20, 2017 23:03:50 GMT
The Velvet Room (not to be mixed up with The Creeping Fog otherwise we'll end up thinking of Melody Devereux's father) is a very different beast to T&T but just as Dark Shadowsy. Where the first story is light on overtly supernatural incident the second is full of strange characters not limited to demons and vampires and common or garden horrors but also a particularly strange figure of a former circus entertainer of whom it would be unfair to talk too much about as it would spoil the moment of discovery in the story and writer Antonio Rastelli and performer James Storm tell it so well that you deserve to be unspoiled. The story is the culmination of the series of adventures that kicked off for the characters of Hallie Stokes and Gerald Stiles that began in the earlier release 'Carriage of the Damned' (though this being DS on audio you needn't have heard that to follow this) and there are plenty of hints as to what they have got up to in between the stories. I'd love to hear some of those tales told some times. The leads are unusual even for Dark Shadows and while a man and a woman travelling and fighting supernatural entities has some similarities to the Cassandra and Tony stories the broken, darker nature of the characters would make them feel completely different. These are people who have suffered as a result of their experiences and are nursing wounds that will never heal. The ideas at the heart of The Velvet Room are compelling and strong enough to keep the interest and there's a mystery to be slowly explored, characters to get to know and a reading by James Storm to savour. He's not one of the most regular of actors in this range and that's a testament to how strong the ensemble is that a performer this good is sometimes missing for stretches. When the problem faced is having so many great actors that they have to queue for their turn in the spotlight it's a problem only in name. I'd love to hear him reprise his role of Sheriff Haggerty in a story for this range. His characters acknowldgement of what is going on in Collinsport combined with his refusal to face it would make an interesting lead for a short story. As it is here he's on terrific form sympathetic, tragic even, as he continues his life through horror after horror and the first person nature of the prose gives it an intimate form. The somewhat baroque, even for Dark Shadows, nature of the setting and the characters make me want to hear more from the new writer, to see what else he's capable of. As the story ends it feels like an important piece of the jigsaw of Dark Shadow's ongoing story has fallen into place and we know a little bit more about the motives and background of a character who is almost certain to have a large role to play in Bloodline. If the intent was to build interest in that forthcoming release then job done. The fact that it was done with style and a dash of drama and devilry is all to the good. Honestly, I keep expecting this range to disappoint but so far there's been no let up in quality. I'm not complaining... It was quite the subversion for the ventriloquist doll to be completely innocent. I was practically screaming at Hallie to read the contract before signing it. When you're given a contract of a magical nature always go through it with a fine-toothed comb and understand the the terms completely. If the person tries to weasel out of giving you direct and full answers then it's a case of it quite literally being too good to be true.
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Jul 21, 2017 4:12:53 GMT
I would really like to see, listen to, Cody Schell write for some other BF ranges. Survivors or Torchwood.
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Post by omega on Jul 21, 2017 4:45:23 GMT
I would really like to see, listen to, Cody Schell write for some other BF ranges. Survivors or Torchwood. His greatest strength, at least for me, is how he's able to get so many references to the show while making his stories completely accessible to people who won't know the references. As I'm going through the show I'm picking up new things on each relisten as I've seen the elements he's referencing.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2017 10:45:31 GMT
I would really like to see, listen to, Cody Schell write for some other BF ranges. Survivors or Torchwood. Dark Shadows continues to be a bit of a leader in featuring new writers for BF. I'd like to see many of them crossover into other ranges. There are some terrific story-tellers out there
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Post by omega on Jul 21, 2017 10:54:27 GMT
I would really like to see, listen to, Cody Schell write for some other BF ranges. Survivors or Torchwood. Dark Shadows continues to be a bit of a leader in featuring new writers for BF. I'd like to see many of them crossover into other ranges. There are some terrific story-tellers out there And these are people who know Dark Shadows, telling stories uniquely situated in that world. The characters are completely consistent and true to how they have been previously portrayed.
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Post by omega on Jul 21, 2017 10:57:52 GMT
I'd love to hear Kathleen Cody read a story with Hallie and Gerard, see her side of the partnership and why she's driven to drink.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2017 15:45:36 GMT
The Velvet Room.
Firstly, it is great to hear James Storm reading this - such a great voice. His appearances feel a little few and far between on these audios. If I'm honest, his characters on the television series are pretty hazy to me - I've (still!) yet to reach the episodes in which he features. Anyway, apart from his character Seamus sounding a little Trask-like (not a complaint, just an observation) he really sold this story to me (I'm really pleased he's on the next one as well).
And again, this story is wonderful. I hope we hear more from Antonio Rastelli. One of the things I love about Dark Shadows is that the undead, vampires and werewolves are just commonplace; no explanation or justification is neccessary. And so, Garard Stiles' plight is stated in the opening words. Another Stokes - Hallie Stokes - is his travelling companion. And that demonstrates another love I have for these audios - there are splinters everywhere. Quentin Collins' journeys, Tony and Cassandra, Elliot Stokes and Janet Findley and now Gerard and Hallie. I would be happy to hear much more form any and more of these pairings. The ventriloquists doll motif, references to other stories (that in no way get in the way of the tale being told), the atmosphere ... I love it all: the only problem is, finding a new way of saying it about these anthologies!
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