Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS Is In Production!!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

An interesting point about Barnabas' comedic dialogue in the film is that the idea of it may actually be traceable back to DC. I was looking over some stuff from the '04 pilot the other day and I suddenly remembered a remark that DC made that because Willie was going to be closer to the original series' characterization should the pilot go to series, the humorous touches in the WB series (because apparently DC came to believe there had to humor to offset "all the biting and tearing") would be coming mostly from Barnabas coping with the modern world. And if that truly was the plan, well, they've simply picked up on it for the film.

I also remember that back in January '08 Jim Pierson remarked in an article on the MPI Web site about how Barnabas coping with the modern world be featured in the film and it was something they had planned to do had the '04 pilot gone to series. And while he didn't use the word "funny," he did imply that there would be humor to it in the film. But I seem to recall that the first time the word "funny" was used was when Richard Zanuck used it in May '10, which not incidentally was before Seth Grahame-Smith became involved with the film (he wasn't brought on board until July), so that definitely proves that the film was intended to have humor even when the script was being written by John August.

72 days 9 hours 47 minutes 40 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I'm not sure if someone has posted anything about this yet.

Yes, there's been an ongoing discussion in this topic about that. Go back to reply #2215 on page #148 for the start of it and be sure to read through at least reply #2317 on page #155 because there are remarks from ross2287 on superherohype.com that are conveniently not mentioned in any of the reports on the Web sites that picked up on the posts on IMDb.

72 days 9 hours 36 minutes 45 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

[DarkLady]

For me it is a big negative if the entire family is aware of BC's secret. As it is I am trying to cope with alleged things like BC yawning upon his discovery and the comedic dialogue.

For me, too. And anyway, a vampire wouldn't need to yawn because vampires don't need to breathe.

As for the link Philippe provided, it sounds completely horrendous.

[Cousin_Barnabas]

Collinwood.net has an excerpt from the Horror Hound Interview up!  And it addresses the humor issue...

Tim Burton: "The reason I liked Dark Shadows was that it was a weird family story. It just happened to have supernatural qualities to it," he reveals. Responding to reports that the film will feature comic elements, Burton says: "It's news to me... I always start things with the most serious of intentions. I sometimes find humour in things that aren't funny and vice versa."

http://darkshadowsnews.blogspot.com/2012/02/horrorhound-magazine-interviews-tim.html

[ClaudeNorth]

I think that Warners is getting ready to launch the movie website.  When I go to darkshadowsmovie.warnerbros.com, I'm redirected to Warners' main page.  However, the tab in my browser briefly reads "Dark Shadows" before changing to "WarnerBros.com..."

[jimbo]

Thanks CB for the promising article.
Here is not the most flattering article on TB. http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2012/02/gothic_council_stages_interven.php

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Responding to reports that the film will feature comic elements, Burton says: "It's news to me...

Hmmm - if I had to pick what should make the most sense, I'd go with the director's reality because he/she is the one who has complete control of the film and whose vision the film normally ends up being imprinted with. But given what others involved with the film have said, one does have to wonder what Burton means by it's news to him if there are comic elements in the film? Though it is true that different people have different senses of humor, so who knows? And he does also say:

I sometimes find humour in things that aren't funny and vice versa.

On the other hand, this remark -

The reason I liked Dark Shadows was that it was a weird family story. It just happened to have supernatural qualities to it

- is something I totally agree with - and it would seem to corroborate editor/executive producer Chris Lebenzon's remark that DS will be a relationship film.

72 days 3 hours 47 minutes 2 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Here is not the most flattering article on TB.

Wow - words fail me when it comes to that article. But I will say that if someone accuses HBC of being a "sleazy whore," it's not up to the person calling them out on the remark to prove that she isn't - it's actually up to the person who called her that in the first place to prove that she is. 

72 days 3 hours 41 minutes 10 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

[jimbo]

Regarding the HorrorHound article aren't these magazines written almost two months before it is published?  TB couldn't have known about the most recent controversy. It still as far as I know doesn't answer the question if BC in fact tells his family his secret.

MB I agree with your take on that houstonpress piece. Hopefully it won't garner much attention outside of here. Oh I just noticed there are 62 comments already.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

It still as far as I know doesn't answer the question if BC in fact tells his family his secret.

IF they're going to feature the sequence that ross2287 described from the consumer survey trailer in the official trailer, it's not likely that the question will be answered until we actually see the film. The whole idea would be to play with the audience and make them wonder. And of course to get across the fact to those unfamiliar with DS that Barnabas is a vampire.

72 days 3 hours 5 minutes 58 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

[jimbo]

I interpreted that sequence as an over the top joke to the family. I thought there was a voice over in one of the trailers where BC tells the audience he is a vampire.

[michael c]

is it just me or is it somewhat strange that with just two months left until the film's release we do not even know what KIND of movie it is?

thriller? black comedy? parody? over-the-top soap?

weird!

[arashi]

Wow - words fail me when it comes to that article. But I will say that if someone accuses HBC of being a "sleazy whore," it's not up to the person calling them out on the remark to prove that she isn't - it's actually up to the person who called her that in the first place to prove that she is. 

Man there was a whole hell of a lot of butthurt in that interview. Not to get all righteous up in here, but where on earth does that person get off calling HBC a "sleazy whore?" That really raises my hackles and just makes me refuse to take anything else they may have to say seriously. What is it with the people who have negative opinions thinking if they shout loudest that everyone will HAVE to take their side? Is their opinion somehow more valid because it's negative? Most of the time they're just repeating themselves. All right, we get it already, you don't like the movie without even having seen it. I can't wait for a movie trailer or a poster, at least then we'll have something concrete to discuss the pros and cons of.

[michael c]

it very rarely rears it's ugly head at this fine board but there is unfortunately a gruesome underbelly of highly disturbed people in this fandom...

this film, and of course repeating a film that no one has seen so much as five seconds of, has brought that into sharp relief.

there have been many, many times during this process when i have found myself mortified to be part of it.

[Gothick]

I know it seems odd but I think the "article" is meant to be an elaborate joke.  I noticed there were several other "Goth council interventions" on various topics.

They're not really DS fans, although one or two do seem to be fans.  Even what they say is hard to evaluate--I couldn't take any of it seriously.

Again, not to belabor the point, but I know people who would joshingly refer to HBC as a "sleazy whore" just because she married the guy who has directed a number of her star turns lately.  What can I say, I know people who have a sense of humor sometimes lacking in good taste.

Just giving my impressions.  As always, YMMV.

G.