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Post by newt5996 on Apr 26, 2018 16:55:58 GMT
Many people complain about the long Dream Curse plot thread that emerges once Vicki returns from 1795 because it isn't a very interesting plot. I would, however, like to provide a defense for at least the first three victims of the curse. I am only up to 484 where Dr. Lang has the curse and it is revealed that Julia will be the next victim so this could entirely fall flat.
First, Angelique's reasons for casting the curse are great. Barnabas is cured of his vampirism and it makes sense that Angelique, as she did in 1795, wants to strike fear into those around Barnabas. This creates a threat that maybe our present day characters may die as the Collins Family of 1795 did, and she targets Maggie Evans first because of her connection to Barnabas as the doppelganger of Josette.
Second, for me stories that try to do something new are always more engaging and this storyline is one that doesn't really take inspiration from classic literature. Don't get me wrong, I love the classic literature homages Dark Shadows have done so far, but there is the worry that they will just be doing the story without putting their own spin on it.
Third, the visions of the dream are affecting the characters in spots where they are vulnerable which is extremely effective to the audience. Maggie sees a skull, a recurring image in her nightmares when Barnabas was chasing her. Jeff Clark sees a guillotine mere episodes after Lang tried cutting his head off for his creature and also representative of his less than stable mental state. Jeff may have been a murderer and he has amnesia, his head is symbolically cut off from the rest of his body. Dr. Lang sees a headless creature laughing at him on the night before his experiment is to go forward and he is beckoned by Julia who has been telling him this entire time that it's going to fail. I can imagine that Julia may see something related to Barnabas dying or something happening to turn him back into a monster. And because Barnabas will be the last victim of the curse and thus become a vampire again, he's going to see something like himself in his coffin or a bat or something.
I know of course that the dream curse goes on for a while and this thread may become void when more people have the dream and if the writers have problems with finding good dreams to represent the characters it probably will go downhill, but now it's a good story.
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Post by Trace on Apr 27, 2018 1:58:59 GMT
I actually have to add my voice to support the dream curse storyline! It was never really scary to me, but the visuals are SO fun, some actually laugh out loud funny—unintentionally of course—and I love seeing the pure horror that some of these images bring out in the dreamers! John Karlen has a beautiful moment of overacting that we haven’t seen since Barnabas’s hand came out of the coffin and grabbed him by the throat! I love every repetition of the verse, every door opening, and every scream! Never gets old for me—from the first to the last!
Plus, we’ve all heard how much everyone dislikes it—ad nauseum. Much like 1841PT or Depp Shadows. So, that opinion isn’t very interesting anymore. 😜
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Post by barnabaslives on Apr 27, 2018 7:20:09 GMT
Plus, we’ve all heard how much everyone dislikes it—ad nauseum. Much like 1841PT or Depp Shadows. So, that opinion isn’t very interesting anymore. 😜 Are you sure? There are some new developments in that area - now I think I'm actually starting to resent Depp Shadows taking us back to old familiar territory before taking us for a long walk off a short pier. Why not just start from scratch if you intend to RUIN IT?!?  Kidding aside, I'm very glad to see this thread - I agree the Dream Curse arc has some really strong points. I think the drawn-out torture of it plays well to the strengths of daily dramas. If it can just keep from coming across as tedious I've had these episodes build an incredible amount of suspense, and I think the show managed to live up to that challenge remarkably well. It also really brings out the air of evil surrounding Angelique to have her seemingly milk her curse for every moment of human misery she can get out of it - I can easily come away from the 1795 arc with some sympathies for the spurned sorceress, but in the Dream Curse arc she can come across as a chilling combination of insanely sadistic and extremely powerful. It's still good for putting me on the very edge of my seat. |
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Post by Rob Morris on Apr 27, 2018 9:06:54 GMT
I never assumed it was the dream curse itself that was the problem. I must say I do feel it goes on way too long - the early days of it are fine but it does get padded out - but of itself that's not an issue. It's an interesting idea with, as you say, some arresting visuals.
I always assumed the real problem is because it sits alongside the similarly protracted and padded out Adam storyline. Both together can cause a definite sense of the show stringing things out.
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Post by Trace on Apr 27, 2018 22:42:56 GMT
Ah yes!! Poor Adam! Another storyline that gets old for people pretty fast—but, it too has moments I love. Every scene that Robert Rodan shares with Nancy Barrett or John Karlen is magical for me. And then of course there’s delicious Eve and her disdain for Adam and salacious lip-smacking over Nicholas Blair—himself, a brilliant piece of scenery-chewing, moustache-twirling fun!
But I know what you both mean. Good points!
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Post by silverednickle on Jun 25, 2018 18:24:55 GMT
I agree that it's an enjoyable piece, though the two less direct more character-based plots did have it's meandering moments.
Maybe it's me, but if Dark Shadows were to come back as a revival, I think it could be interesting to have the dream curse as one of the larger plots of the first season. Yes, we need to explain the Barnabas, Angelique, Josette triangle (personally I might save the 1795 for season two or three). Done with maybe a more direct and fast paced plot, it could provide some very interesting character study and relationships moments. Plus the parts where Angelique is having to maintain the curse I found rather interesting, though somewhat contrived, though maybe an explanation that her powers are weak while the curse is about might help explain some of her more human tricks for a magical curse. Plus with contemporary special effects and multiple take acting might help some of the wonderfully ambitious variants to really flourish.
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Post by omega on Jun 26, 2018 0:13:41 GMT
I agree that it's an enjoyable piece, though the two less direct more character-based plots did have it's meandering moments. Maybe it's me, but if Dark Shadows were to come back as a revival, I think it could be interesting to have the dream curse as one of the larger plots of the first season. Yes, we need to explain the Barnabas, Angelique, Josette triangle (personally I might save the 1795 for season two or three). Done with maybe a more direct and fast paced plot, it could provide some very interesting character study and relationships moments. Plus the parts where Angelique is having to maintain the curse I found rather interesting, though somewhat contrived, though maybe an explanation that her powers are weak while the curse is about might help explain some of her more human tricks for a magical curse. Plus with contemporary special effects and multiple take acting might help some of the wonderfully ambitious variants to really flourish. And if it's circulated around a tighter group of characters as opposed to those who are superfluous to the plot otherwise like Mrs Johnson. If it's targeted at people who Barnabas will anguish over, it adds more threat. |
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Post by silverednickle on Jun 29, 2018 16:21:57 GMT
Maybe because I've seen the show too many times, but I liked how characters like Sarah Johnson had a bit to work with. As the Collinwood spy, she's not been given too much to do since she greeted Barnabas at the door for the first time in the 1960s.
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Post by Rob Morris on Jun 29, 2018 16:56:06 GMT
Maybe because I've seen the show too many times, but I liked how characters like Sarah Johnson had a bit to work with. As the Collinwood spy, she's not been given too much to do since she greeted Barnabas at the door for the first time in the 1960s. Hasn't she boiled the occasional roast dinner? I'd say that was grounds for the Collins family reducing her hours quite considerably. |
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Post by silverednickle on Jun 29, 2018 17:27:17 GMT
Maybe because I've seen the show too many times, but I liked how characters like Sarah Johnson had a bit to work with. As the Collinwood spy, she's not been given too much to do since she greeted Barnabas at the door for the first time in the 1960s. Hasn't she boiled the occasional roast dinner? I'd say that was grounds for the Collins family reducing her hours quite considerably. I'd say she was busy dusting the abandoned wings. Someone needs to install the many cobwebs. Plus she was more into sandwiches with fresh mayonnaise and handwritten menus. |
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Post by omega on Jun 29, 2018 22:01:09 GMT
Would she also need to restock the brandy supply? It seems some people can't enter the drawing room without having a glass or three.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2018 15:30:59 GMT
Would she also need to restock the brandy supply? It seems some people can't enter the drawing room without having a glass or three. If you lived in Collinsport....alcoholism is understandable |
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