House of Dark Shadows

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House of Dark Shadows

PG

1970

1h 38m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

43%

Tomatometer

7 Reviews

70%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Imprisoned in a coffin for more than a hundred years, the vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) is freed when a local drunk (John Karlen) discovers the Collins crypt and opens the coffin. Now free to roam the earth once more, Barnabas feasts on the blood of the living and obsesses over the family governess, Maggie Evans (Kathryn Leigh Scott), who he believes is his lost love Josette reincarnated. This gothic drama is a theatrical retelling of the classic television show "Dark Shadows."

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

10/23/2004

2/4

Even in these troubled times, the vampire has it worse than most of us.

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Alan Jones

Radio Times

Oct 2

4/5

The poetic finale is a tour-de-force of superb gothic imagery and galvanising horror.

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Brian Holcomb

Kinetofilm

02/01/2010

3/5

The film is well mounted and stylishly produced. In what must've seemed like a luxury, Jonathan Frid had time to learn ALL his lines.

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

10/21/2006

C

It has the unique distinction of being the only motion picture ever based on a daytime soap opera.

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

08/16/2005

2/5

Gerry Shamray

Your Movies (cleveland.com)

04/13/2003

4/5

Genuine chills and surprises. Blows away the TV show.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Nov 19

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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MaryAnn M.

@MWAMD Sep 19

No vampire can compare to Barnabus. Five stars

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Chris F.

@Barnabas Jul 31

Fantastic retelling of the first year of the Barnabas storyline. More blood and violence. Dan Curtis doing Hammer Horror

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Rick H

@RT08552950 06/15/2025

Great movie. How can you not love this movie. Very true to the soap opera.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 06/10/2025

Go ahead and scare me in 1 hour and 38 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Tyler B

@MitchellsChin 01/10/2025

If the goal was to tarnish vampire lore, it almost secedes.

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Dan Curtis

Director

Jonathan Frid

Barnabas Collins

Joan Bennett

Elizabeth Collins Stoddard

Grayson Hall

Dr. Julia Hoffman

Kathryn Leigh Scott

Maggie Evans

Roger Davis

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Synopsis

Imprisoned in a coffin for more than a hundred years, the vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) is freed when a local drunk (John Karlen) discovers the Collins crypt and opens the coffin. Now free to roam the earth once more, Barnabas feasts on the blood of the living and obsesses over the family governess, Maggie Evans (Kathryn Leigh Scott), who he believes is his lost love Josette reincarnated. This gothic drama is a theatrical retelling of the classic television show "Dark Shadows."

Director: Dan Curtis
Producer: Dan Curtis
Screenwriter: Gordon Russell, Sam Hall
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Rating: PG
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 28, 1970, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2008
Runtime: 1h 38m
Sound Mix: Mono