Plot

Vampire Barnabas Collins is accidentally released from his centuries-long confinement at his family's estate in Maine. He targets his clueless descendants who live there now and pursues Maggie, the incarnation of his lost love.

Young David Collins has gone missing from his home on the Collinwood Estate. While others try to find him - he in reality playing a prank in just hiding - incidents occur not only on the estate but in town, where some have been victimized by some unknown creature who has left a pair of puncture wounds in their neck. Those that have not survived have literally been drained of their blood by the creature. Following the start of these incidents, a long lost relative of the Collins from England, Barnabas Collins, arrives at the estate, the rest of the family knowing he being who he says he is by the uncanny resemblance to his namesake, who lived approximately one century ago and whose portrait hangs in the main house. Barnabas decides to stay in fixing up the old house on the estate with the help of Willie Loomis, who had just been fired by the family patriarch, Roger Collins. Barnabas' decision is strengthened when he finds a reason to stay in being able to complete something he was unable to do when he had been at Collinwood previously with Jacqueline DuPre. With the creature attacks continuing, speculation starts turning to the thought of a vampire being loose, Dr. Julia Hoffman, in examining the victims, believing she having a solution to stop the attacks for good. Her ulterior motive has some effect on what happens.—Huggo

House Of Dark Shadows, based on the very popular TV Gothic soap opera, follows the life (or is that AFTERlife) of Barnabas Collins. Recently unleashed from his coffin by local drunk, Willie Loomis, the vampire (Barnabas) goes on a killing spree, while at the same time charming his present day family members. In the process he meets local girl Maggie Evans and notices that she looks exactly like his deceased fiance Josette. Barnabas assumes that she is the reincarnation of Josette, and plans to make her his unholy bride for eternity.—Nate Gardner <kzegersfan@sugar-river.net>

Barnabas Collins is unleashed from his long captivity by greedy Willie Loomis who had hoped to find the missing Collins family jewels, but instead found the family's darkest secret. Soon, women are being attacked and suffering blood loss. Meanwhile, the Collins family welcomes their newly discovered "cousin from England", not suspecting his terrible secret--he's a vampire. Dr. Julia Hoffman, a blood specialist, learns the truth and offers Barnabas Collins the chance of a cure for his affliction. But as Barnabas begins a relationship with Collinwood governess Maggie Evans, seeking in her his lost love Josette du Prés, complications arise and the stage is set for betrayal and death.—Anonymous

At Collinwood Estate, a gothic mansion on a hill overlooking the small coastal Maine town of Collinsport, the troublesome Collins family handyman Willie Loomis (John Karlen), seeking to steal a long-lost fortune in family jewels, opens a hidden coffin in the Collins family crypt, accidentally releasing 175-year-old vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) from his 150-year confinement. Barnabas makes Willie his slave as his eyes and ears during the daylight hours. Barbabas' first victim is Daphne, the housekeeper, as she is preparing to leave for the night.

The following night, Barnabas presents himself to the modern day Collins family whom include Roger (Louis Edmonds), his older sister Elizabeth (Joan Bennett), her teenage daughter Carolyn (Nancy Barrett), and Roger's 12-year-old son David (David Henesy) as a "cousin from England." Barnabas moves into the "Old House" on the Collins estate, where the "first" Barnabas had lived. To thank his gracious hosts, Barnabas throws an elaborate costume ball.

At the party, Barnabas becomes attracted to the family governess Maggie Evans (Kathryn Leigh Scott), who looks just like his long-lost love, Josette DuPree. When Carolyn, who has become one of the vampire's victims, threatens to reveal his secret out of jealousy, Barnabas kills her. Carolyn rises from the grave as one of the undead, and seeks out her former lover, Todd Jennings (Don Briscoe). Professor T. Eliot Stokes (Thayer David) suspects there's vampirism afoot, who uses the young man Jennings as bait for Carolyn, who is eventually trapped and staked by Stokes, aided by the Collinsport police.

Meanwhile, a doctor, Julia Hoffman (Grayson Hall), also begins to conclude that vampirism is real after studying blood samples from the victims. She considers vampirism to be a "disease" and that it may be a curable. Seeking out the individual in question, she accidentally discovers, while using a compact mirror, that Barnabas is the vampire (he naturally casts no reflection). She makes a pact with Barnabas and develops a serum to cure him of his blood lust.

The cure works for a while, and Barnabas's courtship of Maggie proceeds. For a few weeks, Barbabas is able to walk in daylight for limited periods and does not feed on blood. He gets Maggie's boyfriend, artist Jeff Clark (Rodger Davis), out of the way by arranging a showing of the young man's paintings in Boston. However, Julia, who has fallen in love with Barnabas, discovers his dalliance with Maggie. Insanely jealous, Julia intentionally gives Barnabas an overdose of the serum, with the result that he ages to his true 175 years. Barnabas angrily kills Julia, and restores his youth by biting Maggie, taking Maggie into hiding with him. Stokes and Roger Collins quickly research the family history of Barnabas in 1797, and Stokes is convinced that Barnabas intends to take Maggie as his bride.

The search extends to St. Eustace, an island off the shore of Maine. When arriving at St. Eustace, Jeff discovers the hard way that both Stokes and Roger Collins have become vampires, and he has to destroy them both; Stokes with the silver bullets intended for Barnabas, and an arrow through the heart for Roger.

Jeff tracks the vampire to an abandoned monastery, where Barnabas is planning to make Maggie his bride. Jeff attempts to shoot Barnabas with a crossbow, while Willie, who is also infatuated with Maggie, rushes over to the altar to stop Barnabas. The arrow that Jeff aims at the obsessed vampire hits Willie in the back. Barnabas pulls the crossbow bolt from Willie's back, then Barnabas takes Jeff under his hypnotic control, simultaneously dropping the crossbow bolt to the floor, next to Willie. As Barnabas is about to vampirize Maggie, Willie revives and plunges the wooden bolt into Barnabas's back; the vampire spins to see Willie, and in a rage, strangles the dying Loomis.

Wounded, Barnabas' hypnotic control is broken, allowing Jeff to finish him off with the stake, which bursts through the vampire's chest, finally bringing an end to the undead existence of Barnabas Collins. With Barnabas dead, Maggie is no longer in a trance, and recognizes Jeff, who carries her in his arms, both briefly observing the bodies of Barnabas and Willie, before leaving the monastery.

After the end credits roll, the seemingly dead Barnabas turns into a large bat and flies away, but this death-defying feat (since he was killed in the traditional manner only minutes before) goes unexplained.