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Post by barnabasbytes on Jul 22, 2017 4:02:34 GMT
"Tuesdays & Thursdays" was fantastic. Vividly brings Stokes & Mme Findley to life. I listened to it twice before moving on to "The Velvet Room" and now will listen to them both several times before going to the third and fourth stories. It's great to hear a story of Gerard & Hallie. (More, please!) I'd like to hear a two-hander with James Storm & Kathleen Cody. Both stories are entertaining, scripts intricately layered, acting fascinating, the sound rich, and the music chosen fit perfectly -- my only regret is that we can't get a new dose of DS every month.
p.s. Is it odd that I now remember these stories having been performed by James Storm, Kathleen Cody, Thayer David, and Cavada Humphrey as Madam Janet Findley
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2017 8:55:09 GMT
"Tuesdays & Thursdays" was fantastic. Vividly brings Stokes & Mme Findley to life. I listened to it twice before moving on to "The Velvet Room" and now will listen to them both several times before going to the third and fourth stories. It's great to hear a story of Gerard & Hallie. (More, please!) I'd like to hear a two-hander with James Storm & Kathleen Cody. Both stories are entertaining, scripts intricately layered, acting fascinating, the sound rich, and the music chosen fit perfectly -- my only regret is that we can't get a new dose of DS every month. I'd quite like a new dose every week!
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Post by barnabasbytes on Jul 22, 2017 16:12:27 GMT
Hallie's dialog sounded exactly like her: "I get it."
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2017 19:30:13 GMT
Behind Closed Doors
'Even in summertime, the nights are darker than elsewhere...' Well, that's the truth! Never during DS's 1225 episodes do I remember the sun ever shining! Jessica Griffn finds it harder to shake off her ex husband than she had hoped in a series of genuinely chilling occurances. Her current beau, Willie Loomis's inclusion here reminds me how sad it is that John Karlen is limited in his availability at BF - Willie is such a great character, and John such a terrific performer, it is easy to miss him. Marie Wallace is great here though, as she always is (although I think there might be a glitch early on in the story where a paragraph is repeated. I can't work out if it is a mistake or a result of Jessica's momentary instability!) and makes the most of the story's chilling moments, of which there are several.
Another enjoyably spooky bite-size story from the stable of Dark Shadows. Sadly for me, only one more to go - but the beauty is, these always reward repeated listenings.
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Post by misterphipps on Jul 24, 2017 16:04:09 GMT
Behind Closed Doors
'Marie Wallace is great here though, as she always is (although I think there might be a glitch early on in the story where a paragraph is repeated. I can't work out if it is a mistake or a result of Jessica's momentary instability!) 'Ello. You got me worried there, so I've just done that awkward thing of reading the script alongside Marie reading it out. I couldn't pick up any (unintentional) glitches or paragraphs being repeated so probably a double exposure on the tape. Bloody ghosts, spoiling the audiobook. I'll hide back in my box now. Paul
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2017 22:26:19 GMT
Behind Closed Doors
'Marie Wallace is great here though, as she always is (although I think there might be a glitch early on in the story where a paragraph is repeated. I can't work out if it is a mistake or a result of Jessica's momentary instability!) 'Ello. You got me worried there, so I've just done that awkward thing of reading the script alongside Marie reading it out. I couldn't pick up any (unintentional) glitches or paragraphs being repeated so probably a double exposure on the tape. Bloody ghosts, spoiling the audiobook. I'll hide back in my box now. Paul Please feel free to emerge from your box any time - and thank you for a such a fine story. I hope you will write more!
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Post by barnabaslives on Jul 25, 2017 18:19:42 GMT
I was wanting to give more thoughtful comments on this fantastic collection because it certainly deserves that, but I still haven't had the opportunity to sit down and think of some. I'm saving the last story in the set for some other time (after having ripped through the last amazing Lisa Richards story so fast that it's still sinking in that we had a story with Chris Jennings!) but I have to say that all of the first three stories from Love Lives On have been extremely engrossing stories and all with delightfully dynamic narration. Great storytelling all around with interesting angles and lots of nice touches (details about Stokes' family I don't remember ever hearing before, and what I presume is the other half of the mysterious Mrs. Grayson, for example). I don't think these short story collections are letting up one bit on being most worthwhile.
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Post by chapwithwings on Jul 26, 2017 17:43:35 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2017 20:21:40 GMT
The Suitcase
It's always a bit sad when you get the end of another DS anthology, but that is outweighed by the melancholy tone in Sabrina's story. A creepy house-guest who may or may not spell the answer to peoples' problems is a good, nicely told, creepy tale supported by poor Sabrina's personal longing. Interspersed with David Darlington's music, sometimes culled from the TV show (c/o Robert Cobert) and sometimes not, this completes another dark collection of highly enjoyable, bite-size stories - this time, laced with affairs of the heart. Lisa Richards poerforms this very nice, not over-playing Sabrina's quiet heartache, but pitching it with a perfect sense of balance. Lovely.
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Post by Zagreus on Jul 28, 2017 16:30:29 GMT
A bit late to the party, but better late than never Dark Shadows: Love Lives On: Tuesdays and Thursdays( Professor Stokes & Janet Findley - prior to the beginning of the show) First off, Waterhouse is, as ever, a spectacular reader. Top marks. To, as well, the sound design. I swear it gets better every release. Now, onwards, to the story itself. I feel Stokes and Findley are presented well here, and it’s nice to see them outside of the usual Dark Shadows framework. It’s amusing to imagine this intense psychometry session, with the tension-building music, going on in a greasy diner with an annoyed waitress trying to serve them and patrons getting spooked as they talk about poisoned coffee and such heheh. The beginning of a beautiful friendship Hard to peg down a timeframe, other than “before the show”, as BF’s site states.
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Post by Zagreus on Jul 28, 2017 17:44:59 GMT
Dark Shadows: Love Lives On: The Velvet Room
(Gerard Stiles & Hallie Stokes - 1983, not too long before Tainted Love)
Oh man, are those clips from the show playing in the background? I haven’t gotten that far yet. Nice recap of events, getting up to speed for listeners not familiar with the intricacies of the convoluted plotlines. Would love to hear some of that ten year span, with Stiles & Stokes battling evil across the world…
Nice little connection to the previous story, which had Prof Stokes comment on his brother’s family.
I can just imagine them reusing the Collinwood sets for the Velvet Room Club, it’s written write into the script! Heh, nice touch that.
I feel like there are some references flying over my head to some things as Mr Price mentions other patrons of the club.
Side note: People should really read contracts before signing them.
The concept of a retiring club for the cursed is an intriguing concept. I can just about imagine Barnabas and Quentin sipping decanters in the foyer.
It’s interesting seeing Hallie descending into madness here. While we’re not really seeing her side of things, I do still feel somewhat sorry for her.
And of course, as with all things, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. I feel so sorry for them :/
I hope this gets followed up on.
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Post by Zagreus on Jul 28, 2017 18:36:44 GMT
Dark Shadows: Love Lives On: Behind Closed Doors
(Jessica Griffin - 1986(?), some time after Bloodline)
I wonder if the date Jackie is on is a follow-up to something in Bloodline. I must admit I’m a little irked that we keep getting follow-ups to Bloodline, without Bloodline even being out yet. Bothered me with the last set, too.
This… was a hard one to listen to, really. Made me a bit uncomfortable. The sound design and Marie Wallace’s astounding performance go a long way towards bringing the unsettling tale to life, and evoking the sense of offness that Jessica herself must be experiencing.
I don’t really have a whole lot to say about this one. I sort of don’t want to dwell on it too much.
Glad the late Mr Griffin is, indeed, the late Mr Griffin. And I’m glad it was apparently Jessica that caved the bastard’s skull in in the first place.
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Post by Zagreus on Jul 28, 2017 20:58:57 GMT
Dark Shadows: Love Lives On: The Suitcase( Sabrina & Cyrus Longworth - 1986(?), some time after Bloodline) Once again, the sound design really helps bring this to life, they really do a spectacular job of it of at BF towers. They’ve made really good use of background snippets of voices and fx. I thought it was good in the last release, but it’s been even better this go ‘round. Awww Sabrina’s a school teacher. And her and Cyrus run the Inn. That makes me happy And lol they still have John in the basement. She says she’s the wrong side of forty, so this would be in the late 80s/early 90s at best guess. Nice to see some more stories in that timeframe. I suppose it could be in late 1986, the year I’m tentatively placing other post-Bloodline stories, based on the given year for A Face From the Past, back in Haunting Memories. Assuming the character was the same age as the actress playing her, she was born in ’44, meaning ’86 would put her past 40… It’s interesting to hear a bit about life in Collinsport in this time period from a perspective we really haven’t explored yet. The writing does a good job of bringing it to life, and Sabrina’s angle as a school teacher helps give us a view of life in more innocent terms. The creepy houseguest, who doesn’t activate until spoken to, with her creepy luggage, is a nice conceit for the story. Are there supernatural shenanigans afoot, or is it all just coincidence and paranoia? Hmm… All in all, another good anthology, even better than the last. Just makes me look forward to the next one even more
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Jul 29, 2017 20:31:26 GMT
May I just say how much I loved Tuesdays and Thursdays? I may? Good, because I did.
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Jul 29, 2017 23:31:04 GMT
And one can never truly replace Thayer David BUT that doesn't mean I'd be opposed to a recast Stokes aka Toby Longworth in a series of supernatural adventures.
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Post by omega on Jul 30, 2017 2:23:28 GMT
And one can never truly replace Thayer David BUT that doesn't mean I'd be opposed to a recast Stokes aka Toby Longworth in a series of supernatural adventures. There is a complete blank with him after The Christmas Presence, where all we know is that he spoke to David over the phone about Hallie in Tainted Love and that he and Hallie are estranged through unspecified circumstances (the TV show never showed Hallie after Carrie possesses her). Maybe he solves supernatural mysteries with Adam.
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Jul 30, 2017 3:22:59 GMT
And one can never truly replace Thayer David BUT that doesn't mean I'd be opposed to a recast Stokes aka Toby Longworth in a series of supernatural adventures. There is a complete blank with him after The Christmas Presence, where all we know is that he spoke to David over the phone about Hallie in Tainted Love and that he and Hallie are estranged through unspecified circumstances (the TV show never showed Hallie after Carrie possesses her). Maybe he solves supernatural mysteries with Adam. Stokes is easily in my favorite top five Dark Shadows characters. I would be totally down to have his character as a full time member running around Collingwood.
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Post by Trace on Jul 30, 2017 7:04:01 GMT
And one can never truly replace Thayer David BUT that doesn't mean I'd be opposed to a recast Stokes aka Toby Longworth in a series of supernatural adventures. There is a complete blank with him after The Christmas Presence, where all we know is that he spoke to David over the phone about Hallie in Tainted Love and that he and Hallie are estranged through unspecified circumstances (the TV show never showed Hallie after Carrie possesses her). Maybe he solves supernatural mysteries with Adam. He is in The Curse of Shurafa. I also feel like he made a few appearances over the years with Amy and Carolyn on the phone whenever they needed occult guidance...and with Carolyn in the Blue Whale for drinks when Gerald Conway goes there...or am I recalling someone else? And didn't he come into possession of the crimson pearl at one point?
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Post by omega on Jul 30, 2017 7:33:55 GMT
There is a complete blank with him after The Christmas Presence, where all we know is that he spoke to David over the phone about Hallie in Tainted Love and that he and Hallie are estranged through unspecified circumstances (the TV show never showed Hallie after Carrie possesses her). Maybe he solves supernatural mysteries with Adam. He is in The Curse of Shurafa. I also feel like he made a few appearances over the years with Amy and Carolyn on the phone whenever they needed occult guidance...and with Carolyn in the Blue Whale for drinks when Gerald Conway goes there...or am I recalling someone else? And didn't he come into possession of the crimson pearl at one point? I specified after The Christmas Presence, which takes place Christmas of 1982. Curse of Shurafa, the flashback with Frid!Barnabas, Julia and Stokes in Cairo, takes place in 1973. He's just had an adventure with Amy Jennings fighting zombies. Also in the 1973 story arc, in The Lucifer Gambit, Dominic Randall intends to get in touch with Stokes but gets Amy instead. Amy goes to Stokes' cottage to get Dominic's address but doesn't mention seeing him there. The House by the Sea was Julia at the Whale with Carolyn. The segment of The Crimson Pearl in question is set shortly after Curse of the Pharaoh (Carolyn is still recovering from the experience with Gretchen Warwick), which makes it 1973 at the latest (Gretchen's name is among a list of people who have died in Collinsport in Beneath the Veil). Stokes did indeed learn of the pearl in Carolyn's possession and contacted Quentin about it (Quentin receives a telegram from him). This prompted Quentin's brief return to Collinsport at the end of The Crimson Pearl.
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Post by Trace on Jul 31, 2017 0:55:07 GMT
Got it! I always forget how many of you like your timeline chronologically!
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