Dark Shadows Trailer

[Dark Shadow]

I'm concerned that the expectations this trailer is generating might just explode in WB Studios "face". On one hand, the masses are favoring the trailer and expecting a comedy or light-hearted adventure; on the other, the fans are/were expecting a gothic thriller and have become disheartened by the comedic flavor of the trailer.

Burton, Depp, Graham-Smith, stars of the film, as well as stars of the original series (who have cameos in the film) have all been on the record stating that the movie has an overall serious tone along with a few laughs thrown in for good measure.

This would not be the first time that WB misled the general public with the tone of a Burton/Depp trailer. Sweeny Todd was marketed as a horror film (sans the musical aspects) and there was a subsequential backlash.

I, for one, would be AOK with a light-hearted or comedy version of DS...as long as that is what I was expecting. Young Frankenstein is one of my all time favorite movies even though I was a huge fan of the Universal classics prior to seeing it. (Even though, to this day, it's difficult for me to watch the original Frankenstein films and not think of the now classic gags portrayed in YF. Every time the Monster growls, I can't help thinking "yummy sound". )

.........

As for pigeon holing the "fans" of Dark Shadows as boomers...big mistake! The original viewers of the original series did include boomers (kids & college students at the time) as well as a significant adult demographic of non-boomers (housewives & other "at home" adults). However, most of the original viewers have long forgotten Dark Shadows, or have very vague recollections of what it is that they had seen so many years ago.

The "fans" are made up of a fraction of the original viewers as well as viewers who came aboard: in the mid 70's when the show first went into broadcast syndication; in the mid 80's when the show went into it's 2nd and much more successful syndication venture; in the early 90's when the remake series hit network TV; throughout the 90's and early 00's when SciFi ran the entire series (for the first time reaching audiences overseas); the mid 00's after discovering the MPI DVD releases at video stores & rental outlets; up through the late 00's & early 10's after discovering them on Netflix & other streaming sources. The "fans" range in age from 20ish through 60-something.

[danadoll]

I'm a minor fan of the series and I really liked the 90s revival...Unfortunately, this version looks terrible (Dark Shadows is supposed to be about romance, family secrets and horror)...I'll pass.

Dana

[MIB41]

I think the trailer offers a nice balance of action and humor that made sense to me. A two hour movie needs to speaks in a manner that is entirely different from a television show which spends years flushing characters out. Two entirely different translations. We have seen the formula of Vampires interacting with humanity through the ages and have mostly recently been subjected to some of the dumbest treatments ever with Twilight. I think it is definitely time to inject a fresh perspective that offers both horror and irony. If everyone is just walking around with a sullen expression speaking poetically about the meaning of eternal life as the undead, I'm bored. That concept has been beaten to death. If Burton has shown anything through the years as a director, it's that he is a great idea man. His characters are always misfits that contain a pathos to them which allows people to connect. He injects humor, which often serves as insight into the awkwardness from which these characters have to move through life. I think this film has loads of potential to be entertaining while still offering a respectful nod to the series.

[Brazoo]

I think John Carter proves that - for the most part - movies need to be marketed for what they are. Obviously if the movie is crappy you need to make it look good - but otherwise I think trying to fool the audience doesn't work.

It's strange, because I remember reading articles about movie marketing years ago where they were addressing complaints from movie fans that trailers were revealing too much about the plot. Off-hand I remember movies like "The Sum of All Fears", "Cast Away" and "The Forgotten" were being criticized for revealing major plot points in the ads. The marketing people seemed convinced that all the data showed that audiences paid to see movies they knew more about.

There was also a recent study that claimed that people actually enjoyed stories more if they knew the ending before they started:

Spoiling the Ending Makes for a Better Story: Scientific American Podcast

I understand that secrecy and deceit is part of viral marketing - an attempt at building buzz - but I think at the end of the day the ads should match the tone of the movie.

[ctc]

>There was also a recent study that claimed that people actually enjoyed stories more if they knew the ending before they started:

I've had friends tell me that for years. It's why so many ads ARE the movie, in 45 second form. I kinda get the impression that despite all the bluster folks don't REALLY like surprises. Hence the remakes, redos and re-edits: people complain, and they still get made. (And often make a lot of money.)

....maybe there's a global dopamine shortage? (See #7):

7 Scientific Reasons You'll Turn Out Just Like Your Parents | Cracked.com

Don C.

[johnmiic]

While the original show certainly lacked the budget and technological advances necessary in order to wrap the complexity of characters & depth of storylines into a sophisticated presentation that would satisfy today's audience, that does not mean that the only option left for the new version is an outright parody...does it?

That is certainly a mouthful.

[HumanWolfman]

Saddly, this is one I wont be seeing. Looks like a parody to me. What a waste.

[Dark Shadow]

Injecting humor is one thing, saturating the palette is another. As a fan, I am all for a new take, and a fresh perspective. Twilight, Moonlight, Vampire Diaries, Being Human, Bill Compton, Forever Knight, and countless other copycats aside...Dan Curtis did enough on his own to beat his very own original concept to death (House Of Dark Shadows, Bram Stoker's Dracula & the primetime version of Dark Shadows).

That said, is turning Barnabas (and/or vampires in general) into nothing more than a punchline (or as suggested earlier, a buffoon) the best remedy for the problem?

The first half of the trailer does look promising...and then the words 1972 are uttered and we have what appears to be an outright parody.

The panties on the face scene is crass, and brings Madonna to mind (which is an entirely different type of horror altogether).

The over the top foreplay scene is (hopefully) a nightmare or a daydream of Carolyn's and not a genuine scene from the story itself (the long forked tongue...really? When I think of Angelique, I prefer the image of someone who is beautiful yet horrifyingly dangerous over, say, having the unfortunate image of Fred's pet "Dino" pop into my mind).

The toothbrush scene...hopefully part of David's vivid imagination, too ridiculous to be otherwise (Dracula: Dead & Loving It anyone?)

The Grandpa Munster sleeping tribute, once again...hopefully David's vivid imagination.

Alice Cooper...big fan, yet I scratched my head when I heard he was originally cast...now I think I understand. Nothing more than a punchline, and not a very funny one either (ugliest woman ever...yeah...my Dad used to say that all throughout the 70's...and he didn't get a dime for it or even a laugh for that matter).

Ripping off the back of a TV set to see the little people inside...how about a flapping dickie just to accentuate the rip roaring fresh humor in that one.

I'm willing to bet that blouse ripping bust shtick was a deleted scene from one of the Pirate sequels...call it a hunch.

Dark Shadows (Strange Is Relative); Addams Family (Weird Is Relative). Fresh yet coincidental?

Don't misunderstand, I don't hate Burton or Depp. I have seen every Burton film released, and most of Depp's work. I like most of Burton's films, and many of Depp's roles...but I don't believe they always hit the mark...not for me anyway...sometimes they fall way too short. I hope this isn't one of those times.

[danadoll]

I don't know, DS...This movie just looks bad (IMHO).

Dana

[MIB41]

I hear what your saying DS. But I think where you and I may differ is on that original treatment. I often felt the original carried a tremendous degree of camp to it. Jonathan Frid himself used to have a hard time keeping a straight face when he and the cast laughed at the cheese laced, sardonic undertones. So to make a straight drama out of that, I think, would have carried it's own camp which would not translate well to modern audiences. Kind of in the same vein that Flash Gordon did in 1980. In my mind, a modern interpretation has to wink at the audience in the same manner in which a new crowd would view the old treatment. But I understand what your saying here. You can appreciate the winks, as long as they respect the intent of the original material. I bet Burton & Depp will do that. They're both big fans of that original series. So I have to believe they will give it the respect it deserves in all the right places. I have never seen them take a license and do it injustice just to make a buck (Seth Rogen style). Neither of those two, especially Depp, are hurting in the finance department. I think Burton and Depp compliment one another extremely well. They've made seven films together that have grossed nearly two billion dollars worldwide. I get excited every time they team up, because there is no one like them. Have faith my friend. I bet they will serve the classic well.

[The Toyroom]

^ I agree Tom

[spacecaps]

I hope the trailer is misleading and this is a dark movie with only bits of humor mixed in. It wouldn't be the first time I was fooled by a Burton/Depp movies either. I went into Sweeny Todd having no idea it was a musical. The second they started singing I was ready to leave.

[MIB41]

I hope the trailer is misleading and this is a dark movie with only bits of humor mixed in. It wouldn't be the first time I was fooled by a Burton/Depp movies either. I went into Sweeny Todd having no idea it was a musical. The second they started singing I was ready to leave.

But it was based on one of the longest running musicals on Broadway. That was the premise from which they worked.

[Brazoo]

But it was based on one of the longest running musicals on Broadway. That was the premise from which they worked.

Well, Sweeney Todd was also a story before the Sondheim Broadway musical too... I knew what it was, so it's hard for me to know what I would have thought if I didn't know, but the ads didn't overtly sell it as a musical. I can see how people were confused to some degree, and I really don't get why the marketing did that.

Here's the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_hgrfZVlJA

There's some singing - but that could also come across as Depp's character's madness in that one scene - it's not really advertised as a musical.

I think people might have accepted it more going in knowing what it was - instead of feeling tricked. Some people (for reasons I don't understand) really dislike musicals.

In any case - A LOT of people responded negatively to being 'fooled' into paying to see a musical. There was a fair amount of press on that negative reaction. In the U.K. consumers made official complaints to the advertising Standards Authority and the Trading Standards Agency. Here's one quick article, for an example:

Steve Rose: What the Sweeney Todd trailer failed to tell us about the film | Film | The Guardian

[kingdom warrior]

Burton and Depp never disappointed me....as a Huge fan of DS I'm so there......