Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS Is In Production!!

[Cousin_Barnabas]

[spoiler] this isn't really a "spoiler" because it's just a guess, and it very much pains me to speculate, but i feel that vicki meets an unfortunate "josette-like" fate. i'm not sure why but i do. the thing here is that this is a stand alone movie as opposed to a daily show. there's no need to maintain a regular cast to carry on the story from day to day. there's really nothing to prevent many or even all of the characters from being killed off.[/spoiler]

i don't know how "official" these track titles are but i can't get over the "vicky" spelling. i've always preferred "vicki". the "i" as opposed to the "y" or "ie" variations suited the character to me. i'll never change it.

I actually have a different approach to the events (again, not really spoilers, but suppositions involving spoilers from the trailer and track listing): 

[spoiler]Because Barnabas is not yet a vampire when Josette is killed in this version, he cannot save her, as he lacks supernatural powers.  However, in 1972, he is a vampire and actually manages to save Vicki from the fall using his powers.  Therefore, in cursing him in 1772, Angelique actually manages to undermine her 1972 plan.[/spoiler]

Just my take on the story. 

And I have no idea how official these track titles are either, because there are a number of misspellings.  So, I am sure that "Vicky" will be changed to "Victoria" by the time the official release comes around.  But I too prefer the "i" spelling. 

Oh, and I picked up FMoFL today...  OMG!  Talk about fantastic!  I really love all of the pictures from TOS, especially the one of Frid and KLS kissing.  That's really cute!

[Cousin_Barnabas]

OMG!  The soundtrack is UNREAL!  I HEAR COBERT!

Again, the titles give away plot stuff, but it's worth it to hear the music...

http://www.watertower-music.com/releases_spotlight.php?search=WTM39283 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

They should a 30 second clip at about 10:10 ET during the basketball game tonight. Nothing new but it went by fast. I don't know if they showed another clip during the game tonight.

Nope. And I was just coming to post that even though that 30 second spot (the original box and peanuts) was the only one that was shown, DS was listed at 10:38 as one of the sponsors of tonight's broadcast - and that didn't even happen on Saturday when 6 DS spots were shown. Odd. But who's complaining. 

One interesting thing, though, is that none of the films that were promoted showed more than one spot. And tonight's list was more diverse than with any of the other nights I'd recorded the games because they showed spots for five different films: The Avengers (the first time I've seen that on TV), Men In Black 3 (the first time I've seen that as well), DS, Rock of Ages (again, the first time), and The Cabin in the Woods. And of those five, DS was the only one to repeat from previous nights.

But now the tournament is over, so who knows where we'll see DS spots show up next...

37 days 23 hours 40 minutes 40 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

[Gothick]

Thanks for that link, Cousin Barnabas.  Interesting. Some of it was exactly what I was expecting, but there were other moments that were a surprise. 

I won't be buying the CD but it was interesting to get a preview of some of the music.

Best, G.

[Cousin_Barnabas]

I'm still trying to listen for the theme...  I hope that it's there... somewhere in the prologue track.  It seems he uses that one HoDS riff over and over...

[Brandon Collins]

Thanks for linking the soundtrack, Cousin Barnabas! I'm listening to it right now. Obviously the track titled "Dark Shadows-Prologue" is VERY evocative of the HODS sound, but I even think I can hear the original theme in there very faintly, and VERY different sounding from what we are used to. Ultimately I love what I'm hearing, which, given Elfman's past scores that I've listened to, isn't a surprise.

I have to say that what he's done with the score fits what we know to be DS very well. If it weren't for the spoiler-ific titles for the tracks, I would encourage everyone to go have a listen. I also have to say, given that the music in a film can tell you so much about the tone of the film, I'm not hearing very many notes that would produce a comical atmosphere. Instead, I'm hearing some romantic sounds, very intense sounds, lots of mystery and intrigue, and some particularly other-worldly and trippy sounds.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I have to say that what he's done with the score fits what we know to be DS very well. If it weren't for the spoiler-ific titles for the tracks, I would encourage everyone to go have a listen. I also have to say, given that the music in a film can tell you so much about the tone of the film, I'm not hearing very many notes that would produce a comical atmosphere. Instead, I'm hearing some romantic sounds, very intense sounds, lots of mystery and intrigue, and some particularly other-worldly and trippy sounds.

Well, that's certainly extremely interesting.

37 days 22 hours 55 minutes 14 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

[Brandon Collins]

Indeed it is, MB! I think this film is going to turn out to be much darker than the trailers and TV spots are making it seem to be, which would not be a surprise given the way that Hollywood execs love to market a film in the opposite category of what it actually is.

There are a lot of nods and callbacks to the HODS soundtrack in Elfman's score, more and more as I listen to each track clip. Its an Elfman score, undoubtedly, with big builds and huge orchestral moments when building tension and leading to a climax. But Cobert is a definitive influence, particularly (I'm hoping) where it counts the most in the film.

On the note of trippy, there are a few instances where Elfman employs the technique (forgive me if it has an actual name, I'm not that savvy in this particular department) of making the same sound jump from ear to ear (if you're listening with headphones) over and over again until you feel as if your eyes are about to roll back in your head and your body will collapse to the floor.

All in all, it's a thrill to listen to in my opinion.

[PennyDreadful]

I'm liking the Danny Elfman music and can definitely hear shades of Cobert in there (particularly that HODS riff).  I can't imagine they'd leave the main theme out though. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I think this film is going to turn out to be much darker than the trailers and TV spots are making it seem to be, which would not be a surprise given the way that Hollywood execs love to market a film in the opposite category of what it actually is.

Well, people associated with the film have been saying all along that it's many different things - from "very funny" to "dark and scary." But a lot of people have been unwilling to believe the latter and have only been willing to accept the former. Of course, the trailers and TV spots have certainly focused on the humor - though as I've said, there are also definitely glimpses of what would certainly be considered Gothic mood/horror. And along those lines some people associated with the film have also said that the trailer was only showing one aspect of the film because that aspect is the one that Warner Brothers has decided to promote. But maybe listening to those clips from the score, which you rightly point out can tell you so much about the tone of a film - particularly because the whole point of the score is actually to set the tone, will get people to thinking that maybe there really is more to the film and they can believe what the people associated with the film have been saying after all...

37 days 22 hours 29 minutes 25 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

[Cousin_Barnabas]

Other than the HoDS riff (basically Carolyn's theme) being a reoccurring piece, Elfman borrows cues from Cobert's work on the Revival ("Vicki's Nightmare" has some of this (the strings are to die for... straight out 1991), as does a "spoiler" track).  The whole work seems to build off of the later music in the series and that of the feature films (the vibes! oh, the vibes!).  In fact, if DEATH OF DARK SHADOWS were made, I'd imagine its score would sound similar to much of this.  Of course there is a heavy Elfman twist in parts (near the end), but, overall, it's rather faithful in style to Cobert.  And I really appreciate that.  (I must also mention that there's definitely a heavy amount of Jerry Goldsmith in here as well.  And if "House of Blood" doesn't invoke modern masters Marco Beltrami and a little Wojciech Kilar, I don't know what could!)  Now...  I just want to hear the original theme song prominently featured somewhere in one of these tracks...  If I don't, I am going to be disappointed. 

But there's also this...
http://www.watertower-music.com/releases_spotlight.php?search=WTM39309

The soundtrack (if it is indeed released in addition to the score) will feature work by other people, not just Elfman.  So, maybe some Cobert will appear on there.  Who know... 

[PennyDreadful]

Well, people associated with the film have been saying all along that it's many different things - from "very funny" to "dark and scary." But a lot of people have been unwilling to believe the latter and have only been willing to accept the former. Of course, the trailers and TV spots have certainly focused on the humor - though as I've said, there are also definitely glimpses of what would certainly be considered Gothic mood/horror. And along those lines some people associated with the film have also said that the trailer was only showing one aspect of the film because that aspect is the one that Warner Brothers has decided to promote. But maybe listening to those clips from the score, which you rightly point out can tell you so much about the tone of a film - particularly because the whole point of the score is actually to set the tone, will get people to thinking that maybe there really is more to the film and they can believe what the people associated with the film have been saying after all...

 IIRC, even the ostensible leaked test screening responses indicate the movie is a comedy with no real mention of serious aspects.  Even a well-respected fan here said she felt betrayed as a fan after watching a test screening of the film, right? 

That said, I believe the film will be an amalgam of comedic and serious/tragic elements.  However, the wacky comedic bits (packing peanuts for Pete's sake?) shouldn't be there at all and just don't belong in something called DS. That type of comedy undermines any serious attempt at creating a palpable and sustained sense of dread.  Save the 'birthing hips" gags and the panties on Barnabas' face for some Mel Brooks horror parody please.  

I do like that Elfman score though and it does give me a glimmer of hope. 

I will watch the picture.  Maybe it'll be a lot different from what the trailers and preview screenings indicate.  We'll see.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

All I'm saying is that the people who have believed that some of the people associated with the film have been lying when they say things other than that the film is very funny may not be lying. 

As for the leaked test screening responses, I didn't read them because I've stayed completely away from spoilers. But when it comes to test screenings in general, I've often heard the same thing that someone here (I believe it was KMR) said, which is that a test screened version of a film will often play very differently with its temp soundtrack than it will with its actual soundtrack in place.

And as for the humorous elements that we've seen so far, well, I've made my peace with them being a part of the film. And quite honestly I'm actually enjoying many of them, particularly, as I've said, the panties scene (which is why it's one of my avatars  ), so I suppose we'll just have to agree to disagree about those. 

37 days 21 hours 30 minutes 46 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

[Taeylor Collins]

I am like everyone else as well. I have made my peace with the new movie.  It will be what it will be. There is nothing I can do to change it.  So I plan on going to the movie, hoping to enjoying, hoping to love and hoping very much that I don't hate it.  I honestly can't see myself hating it; however, if it isn't everything I ever hoped or dreamed for I have made my peace.  I would just love for it to be a huge hit and for us to get at the very least a nice triology (or even more) movies out of it.  I know Tim and Johnny are busy but I can't beleieve that either of them would be opposed to the idea of playing/directing another Dark Shadows movie.  I am looking forward to going to the movie with my best DS friend and all my other friends who have always heard me talk about DS.   Said my peace amen....:0

Thanks MB for everything. Your super fly!

[RachelDrummand]

Elfman's music might be the only good thing to come out of this project. At least it's the only thing I've liked so far.