Dark Shadows

[Dark Shadow]

Where SGS attempts to walk both sides of the line, but admits none-the-less the accuracy of the very first trailer:

http://www.theinsider.com/movies/51365_Seth_Grahame_Smith_Talks_Dark_Shadows_Unholy_Night/index.html

Reviews by fellow fans of the original show who saw the same film that I did and walked away with the same basic impression (however they are both far more eloquent and precise at expressing their experience than I could ever hope to be):

http://pennydreadful13.livejournal.com/10406.html

http://stephenmarkrainey.blogspot.com/2012/05/moments-of-shadow.html

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

I finally saw this one and I gotta say overall I liked it. It's not a great film, but it was entertaining and there were more than a few really good bits.

As a continuance/reinterpretation/redo of the original series it's passable. The orginal Dark Shadows is one of thoe things that is, at it's core quite threadbare. Not that this is neccessarily BAD; but it means that a great deal of what made it what it was happened through the people involved. Notably the actors. Any kind of a redo is gonna feel awkward because you'll either have actors who seem like they're mimicking the characters, or versions so removed they feel like a different character. In this one it's easy to recognize who everyone's SUPPOSED to be, but it never quite feels right.

However, as a general horror film it's fantastic! It's nice to see monsters that ARE monsters. They do bad things, they see the world differently from humans.... even though most of them still feel some connection to humanity, or at the least a need to ape them/blend in. If a vampire had awoken after 200 years in toropr in the 1970's this is EXACTLY how it would have gone. It's weird, there are some funny bits, but it all feels right. (Well.... most of it.) I think that's one of the problems billing it as Dark Shadows, since Barnabas in the show was never flummoxed by things like Barnabas in the movie.

Ultimately I think it was hurt by the connection to the orignal. Had they juggled it a bit and done a brand new character with a new story I think it would have gone over much better.

Don C.

[jwyblejr]

Saw it tonight on HBO. I kinda liked it. I'll take this over any of the Twilight crap any day of the week.

[jwyblejr]

I will admit parts near the end left me scratching my head. The angry mob scene be the biggest one. They're like "Hey! Let's kill everyone!" Then they're like "Hey! Let's all go home!"

[Mikey]

I finally watched Dark Shadows (the Movie)

Strangely I liked it.

I give it 3 out of 4 stars

[Earth 2 Chris]

I will admit parts near the end left me scratching my head. The angry mob scene be the biggest one. They're like "Hey! Let's kill everyone!" Then they're like "Hey! Let's all go home!"

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I have to know, was this guy there?



Chris

[Timothy2251]

I liked it for what it was. Followed it up with House of Dark Shadows to reminisce.

[Nostalgiabuff]

I like the movie. it's a lot of fun. my daughter loves it. I love the 70's retro bits. admittedly not a perfect movie but still a lot of fun. I have never seen the show, it always looked cheesy to me so I never bothered

[jwyblejr]

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I have to know, was this guy there?



Chris

That wouldn't have surprised me if he did.

[isaacbradly]

Dark Shadows was a fun show. I'm kind of disappointed that most people are dumping on it. Maybe it's the fact that my mom is a Dark Shadows fan and Barnabas was all I heard growing up, but I liked it. I appreciate that they kept it more or less within the time period in which it originally aired... let us hope no one ever decides to make a 'Passions' film..