Dark Shadows

[BlackKnight]

They Put this Movie in The Kiddie Theater out here ....
I guess the Previews shoulda suggested B.J.'s and Rageful Sex Scenes then.

[Figuremod73]

The way it was marketed had made me decide not to see it. I'll probably give a chance based on your critiques.

[emeraldknight47]

MIB41 and I will likely be seeing DS some evening this week, so I'm looking forward to it!

[Goblin19]

Toyroom nailed it pretty well. I expected more of a straight up comedy, but was pleasantly surprised by the actual story. It does go off the rails a bit too much at the emd, though.

[palitoy]

I was too damned tired to go see it this weekend but now more than ever, I'm gonna try and book a sitter.

[Hector]

I will definitely go see Dark Shadows.

[danadoll]

I still have no interest, the humor/bad jokes (from the trailers) killed any interest I had in it.

Dana

[MIB41]

I still have no interest, the humor/bad jokes (from the trailers) killed any interest I had in it.
Dana

The humor in the ads covers about 5 percent of the film. The trailers are just way off. The real story covers a 200 year conflict between Barnabus and a witch. It's quite good and the effects are a nice surprise. And Barnabus is no light weight either. When he kills, he means to and without apology. Sometimes he lures innocent people in with his "humor". It's a far more wicked tale than what is advertised. It should have been advertised more like Sleepy Hallow.

[Dark Shadow]

I give the film about a 5 outta 10. Buffoonabas may be a more appropriate name for this vampire than Barnabas. Johnny Depp is Captain Jack Sparrow performing as Barnabas Collins. Sadly, Cap'n Jack loses himself in this character only sporadically. I'd say, conservatively, that the humorous aspects of this film are more along the lines of about 35-45%.

Angelique is nothing more than a single dimensional cartoon of a witch. Her motive is over simplified and her actions are absurdly wreckless. Roger & Dr. Hoffman are nothing more than toss-away characters, and it seems obvious to me this is due to the fact that the powers that be had no clue what to do with them. Carolyn's portrayal is fresh & enjoyable, yet sadly jumps the shark just before the finale. David & Victoria are made over fairly well in this version and I very much enjoyed their characterizations. Elizabeth is truly the most favorable of the bunch...IMO. I also enjoyed the inclusion of David's mother, Laura, but was confused as to what she's actually supposed to be in this version. She's described as cyclical, but appears as an apparition/banshee.

Loved the visuals...the sets & wardrobe were perfect. The score was awesome, original & fresh with a few seasonal tidbits from Robert Cobert's cues scattered here & there. The prologue had much potential, but was rushed along far too quickly in order for us to promptly arrive at, and immerse ourselves in, all of the wonderful 1972 references. (Just in case we're too thick to grasp that this movie is supposed to be set in 1972, there are 100's of references to constantly remind us). The intro of Victoria to the family was done very well, as was the return of Barnabas Collins. Jossette's ghost is awesome. From the point "Angie" & Buffoonabas reacquaint onward...the movie fades in & out of cohesion and back & forth between comedy & semi-seriousness.

The best part of Alice's performance is when Carolyn provides the opening plea in the The Ballad Of Dwight Frye. Liz's reaction is classic Liz. Not so sure that many will grasp the meaning behind it, I think it's designed to be a clever covert nod to the original series...because nothing is mentioned in this version that would substantiate that particular reference. If the masses were intended to understand it, then something important must have ended up on the cutting room floor. Otherwise...this is clearly an alert & coherent modern day Alice, nothing at all like the alcohol induced deranged performances he delivered back in 1972. (Also would like to point out that it looks like the poster Carolyn has in her room of a skeletal Alice dressed in leather is from his 1978/79 From The Inside Tour...oops!)

Hated the monster soup mess that's created at the end. How many supernaturals are enough for one film? One? Two? Three? Four? Five? Six? It reminds me of the super hero films that feel the need to toss in multiple villains...it becomes nothing more than a convoluted mess.

Also, who is this current family descended from? Naomi & Joshua travelled to America alone and had only one child in this version...Barnabas. (I know, not supposed to question, just blindly follow along.)

What's the point of calling a film Dark Shadows...if nothing actually resides in the shadows? Yep...the monsters in the new DS are "Out" & "Proud", much less 1972 than 2012.

Regarding the previously claimed unapologetic nature of this vampire: he literally apologizes...prior to at least two, perhaps as many as three, of his slaughters. I also disagree that the trailers are "way" off...the first trailer is a dead on representation of this film...IMO.

Don't let some of these glowing reviews mislead those of you who anticipate a gothic thriller, this is not a serious gothic film at all. It is a cross between Death Becomes Her & Beetlejuice. It is NOTHING at all like Sleepy Hollow. Barnabas is the butt of at least 20 more bad jokes, and behaves the buffoon in about 10 more situations which are not represented in any of the trailers.

Honest to God...Angelique projectile vomits roach infested green slime all over Barnabas, after which Mrs. Johnson attempts to wipe his face clean with a household spray cleanser. Which leads to another problem I have with over abundance of 1972 pop culture references...they travel beyond 1972 with references to such things as AC/DC's Big Balls & the Exorcist.

It saddens me to admit that Snow White & The Huntsman appears to be more of a serious dark thriller than Dark Shadows turned out to be. As a matter of fact, Dark Shadows is like expecting SW&TH and getting Mirror Mirror instead. What I thought to be a perfect match, DS & Burton, ended up to be a great disappointment. I do not look forward to any future Depp/Burton collaborations, I think they have become too permissive with each other's whims.

If you're a DS fan and you're on the fence, I'd say go and get it out of your system...just go with lowered expectations. There are glimmers of the great film this could have been, traces of the original story by August, I think, prior to Grahame's comedic tweaks. Those glimmers are well worth seeing...just don't expect a great film, by any stretch.

Also, due to sexual innoendo & overt (although clothed) foreplay, I do not believe this movie is suitable for young children.

[MIB41]

Don't let some of these glowing reviews mislead those of you who anticipate a gothic thriller, this is not a serious gothic film at all. It is a cross between Death Becomes Her & Beetlejuice. It is NOTHING at all like Sleepy Hollow. Barnabas is the butt of at least 20 more bad jokes, and behaves the buffoon in about 10 more situations which are not represented in any of the trailers.

I can appreciate a different point of view, but please don't advertise that people with a different perspective than yours are out to "MISLEAD" this forum simply because it didn't meet with your lofty expectations. Thanks!

[The Toyroom]

I can appreciate a different point of view, but please don't advertise that people with a different perspective than yours are out to "MISLEAD" this forum simply because it didn't meet with your lofty expectations. Thanks!

Yeah that was a little pretenious...

I enjoyed the film, as Dark Shadows fan I thought it did a decent job, all things considered. Could it have been better? Sure. Could it have been worse? Most definitely. Bottom line is even though the trailers portray it as a straight-on comedy it is not. Every joke seen in the trailers was not met with laughter in the theatre. Maybe a couple of under the breath chuckles but the movie moved forward with such a pace that it was more than just stringing the jokes together. There was an actual plot that at least was different from the "House of Dark Shadows" approach that was done in the past.

I watched the '91 revival on Chiller this weekend and the '66 intro of Barnabas on Netflix this weekend and I think I laughed outloud at those more than I did at the 2012 movie...

[Figuremod73]

With much lower expectations i'll probably see it in a week or two. It does seem to be a disappointment based on the trailors alone. I just hope for a DECENT film.

If you're a DS fan and you're on the fence, I'd say go and get it out of your system...just go with lowered expectations. There are glimmers of the great film this could have been, traces of the original story by August, I think, prior to Grahame's comedic tweaks. Those glimmers are well worth seeing...just don't expect a great film, by any stretch.

No matter what, its a waste of a protential great film series.

I watched the '91 revival on Chiller this weekend and the '66 intro of Barnabas on Netflix this weekend and I think I laughed outloud at those more than I did at the 2012 movie...

After a few episodes its easy to get back into the original. Its best to watch it from the beginning or its "What the heck?", for a number of episodes.

Watching the revival is annoying. Once the show really picks up, its ended. I can no longer watch it based on that alone. I liked the cast.

[Dark Shadow]

Yes, MIB41...that's EXACTLY what I meant. I'm clearly accusing you of intentionally misleading people...to what end...I'm sure I'll never know.

This is the third time you have twisted my words into something they were never intended to be. Frankly, I've had enough and would appreciate it if in the future you refrain from addressing me specifically in your postings.

Thank you.


Toyroom - That's the sad part...most of the jokes are really bad and fall completely flat with the audience. I often laugh at the Revival series as well, especially when Ben Cross is snarling in the shadows and the camera is angled up from beneath him...it's hard for me not to think of Al Bundy's infamous scoul. When it comes to the original show, no one more than the fans can truly appreciate its wealth of flaws. I'm saddened by the missed opportunity to shore up those flaws and deliver a more palatable product for this age. I gave it a well deserved midgrade which is essentially what your "could be better, could be worse" summation is. If you wish to jump on MIB's bandwagon and take a personal offense from where none was intended...God love ya!

FigureMod73 - That is the crux of my disappointment, the wasted potential for future installments. If less time were spent on the silly 1972 pop culture references & bad jokes and more time dedicated to the depth of the characters this could have launched a successful series.

[The Toyroom]

I'm not sure the intent ever was a franchise. With the exception of the pirates of the carribean movies, Johnny Depp tends to bounce from one high profile project to another. Same for Burton. I think they just needed to get Dark Shadows out of their system. And let's face it without their names attached to the project it probably never would have been made. So I for one am glad that something came out of there collaboration, even if it couldve been better.

[Dark Shadow]

Actually WB absolutely intended for this to be a franchise...many execs have been on the record stating such. Whether or not Depp or Burton were expected to remain on board for subsequent projects I do not know.

Also, I think you misunderstand. I do not wish this movie had never been made. It's been a fun 5 year journey for me following all the ups & downs, twists & turns, maybe's & definites of this production. Never anticipated a coming attraction this much before...and probably never will again.

I sat through three viewings of this film, so obviously I found something redeeming in it and truly wanted to enjoy it completely. I gave it a 5, which means I enjoyed about half of what I saw. I'm grateful for the 50% that I enjoyed, and disappointed in the 50% of wasted screen time. I just happen to be more vocal about my disappointments than I am about my satisfactions.

One of the little things I enjoyed in this film that I did not mention before were the way they showed the waves crashing against the rocks...awesome effect, totally DS.

One of the little things that annoyed me about this film that I did not mention before was the complete lack of thunder/lightning. Not a single storm at Collinwood! Madness I say! (The only storm I noticed was during the flashback of Maggie's escape from Windcliffe).