Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS Is In Production!!

There is a contingent of fans, mostly on Facebook, that are really stressing over whether or not this DS movie stinks or not.  I don't get it.  Why wig out over whether or not it will be bad?  We all hope the movie satisfies us.   On our death bed, will any of us really be thinking of our overall DS experience and how the movie impacted us?  The film has the potential to be a great experience for us as well a as a disappointment.  So what?  It takes nothing away from what we already have experienced and enjoyed.

Nancy

I've had it happened twice but it was loud whispering. It stopped once I (and others) said something.  I lived in New York City for 16 years and didn't have problems in movie theaters or plays with cell phones, etc and this in a city many think is rude central!

Nancy

I can honestly say that I've never had a problem with anyone using their cell phone at a movie, at the theater, or at a concert. Maybe I've just been lucky...

Here's a fun fact for you related to Depp supposedly dropping weight to play Barnabas: during the run of the original series, Jonathan Frid stuck to a 2000 calorie diet.  When I was going through some boxes in his basement sorting papers out, I found the notes and some menus from that time period.  I asked him about it and he didn't really remember much about it other than being concerned about looking like a fat vampire in front of the weight-enhancing cameras.

Nancy

A tweet from someone with a connection that one doesn't generally associate with Coillinsport - a surfing school:

jossbaysurfing
Well what a say at Pinewood yesterday! Tim Burton is a pretty interesting guy and as you can imagine Johnny Depp Is super cool......
8 hours ago

Who knows if he's involved with something else at Pinewood or if he's somehow connected to DS? But all in good time, I suppose...

And here's a reply:

HoboRobot
@jossbaysurfing I can only imagine the excitement at Pinewood. Depp and Burton have a fan base, and us older Dark Shadows fans are thrilled
5 hours ago


Also, liilyrosedepp has retweeted old photos of the Collinwood exterior set that we all saw a while back - and while she's not saying it in as many words, the impression being given is that she's sharing photos that she took. Um, not quite! Though people are thanking her for sharing them.  

302 days 11 hours 42 minutes 59 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS is released(ET)!!

There is a contingent of fans, mostly on Facebook, that are really stressing over whether or not this DS movie stinks or not.  I don't get it.  Why wig out over whether or not it will be bad?

Well, it's a different medium but it's really no different than the people who, long before a frame of film or a photo had been seen, stressed out over and even criticized the '91 Series in the fanzines of that day. I don't understand it, either - but it's a phenomenon that exists.  

302 days 11 hours 29 minutes 36 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS is released(ET)!!

Interesting:

abbiemariedyer Abbie Marie Dyer
@lily_melodyDEPP If ur real then why arent pinewood studios (dark shadows set) official Twitter account following u but folow @liilyrosedepp
6 hours ago

I didn't even think to check before, but Pinewood is indeed following liilyrosedepp. However, that doesn't necessarily mean they follow her because she's the real thing - they could simply be following her to see what sorts of stunts she's pulling on Twitter...


And some advice:

Jamhot18 James Selby
@OfficialHelena tell John Bush that Visa was not created till 1976..it's all over set (in the shops)..1972 it was not there! DarkShadows.
2 hours ago

Well, what would DS be if it wasn't a bit anachronistic at times.    (And for those who may not remember, John Bush is handling set decoration for the film.)

He also tweeted Seth Grahame-Smith.

302 days 10 hours 9 minutes 13 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS is released(ET)!!

Missed these yesterday and the day before (because they don't mention DS) and it was a fluke that I stumbled across them today:

mattnation73
Sitting in a room filled with seventies styled extras in pinewood studios...and I get a blue jump suit...typical!
12 Jul


Bookahhookah
First day at Pinewood studios work experience. Pretty good. Saw bellatrix from Harry potter! Johnny depp was there but I didnt see him
11 Jul

(For those who may not know, Bellatrix is Helena Bonham Carter.  )

marzy08
@Bookahhookah no how come you are mixing with the celebs and working at pinewood?
12 Jul

Bookahhookah
@marzy08 got a work placement there
12 Jul

Bookahhookah
@marzy08 yeah in marketing. Only been on the phones so far. Not that interesting
54 minutes ago

302 days 6 hours 48 minutes 4 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS is released(ET)!!

Dark Shadows News has posted two new photos of the Collinwood exterior set: Movie Update and New Set Photos

The one of the house isn't much different than the last two we've seen recently - though the one of the wall/gate is certainly worth a look. 

302 days 6 hours 32 minutes 34 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS is released(ET)!!

Nancy - I wouldn't call gas cheap here, it was $3.49 today, maybe less expessive. I guess it's all in how you want to spend your off time. I used to go to 3 or 4 movies a week. My taste has just changed over the years. IMHO the only reason to go to a theater to see a movie is IMAX 3-D and Dark Shadows. Today's movie just don't do much for me.
For the most part I'd rather send the money on gas and go someplace I've either never been or Rhode Island. I love Newport. I drive there twice a year and it's at least an 18 hour drive.

MB - I can be a bit touchie when it comes to people around me in a theater ( movie or plays ). When my wife and I went to see "Return Of The King" a couple had me mad enough to scream and my wife didn't even notice them. While I'll be the first to say "that's on me" that doesn't change it.

MB - I can be a bit touchie when it comes to people around me in a theater ( movie or plays ). When my wife and I went to see "Return Of The King" a couple had me mad enough to scream and my wife didn't even notice them. While I'll be the first to say "that's on me" that doesn't change it.

I am also touchy in the theater. I hate listening to people chomp and grind on their food and snacks, obnoxiously sip their sodas, and constantly tap-tap-tapping away texting their friends! I am hyper sensitive to this situation, and have been for a few years now. I took a film class in college and we did an entire unit on how background noise completely changes and can even ruin a film experience for someone. Ever since then, I can't help but notice things like this despite constantly trying to ignore them.

I usually find that the best time to go to the movies where I live is early on Sunday mornings. The younger (and mostly ruder) crowds are at home in bed, all the adults are either out shopping/at church/working around the house/or sleeping. I find that I am usually the one only, or one of few audience members in the entire theater room, and that's great!

After reading some more on the IMDB message boards, I came up with an interesting thought.  There was a discussion on Twilight fans think Shadows is ripping off their beloved series.  Perhaps... just perhaps... this is why the film was set in the 1970s, as an attempt to show that Shadows predates any of the Twilight vampire mythos - if you can call it that.  I wonder if, in John August's script, the film wasn't set in the modern day and was then changed after Twilight posed a problem.  It's probably a far out idea, but something I decided to share.  

And now for something completely different, any suggestions for a timeline of official press materials?  The Dark Knight Rises now has a poster.  I'm sure we will probably have a poster by the fall, and am hoping for a teaser trailer in October.  A full trailer probably won't come out until December or later.  

Yes, Rhode Island (and Newport) are great places to visit but not places I would go to over and over again to see the same things.  I like going to places I've never been.

I love Newport. I drive there twice a year and it's at least an 18 hour drive.

I see that Chloe Moretz held another Q&A on Twitter that ended a short while ago. But once again she didn't answer any DS-related questions.    (In fact, some of the questions she answered were asked and answered last time.)

Don't really know why Seth Grahame-Smith bothers to tweet that he's going to London and he'll be on the DS set because he never tweets anything about it once he gets there. Last time it was his producing partner David Katzenberg who tweeted about DS, but he doesn't seem to have traveled to London this time...

But as far as more interesting things on Twitter go:

Landscapeoflies
Wandered onto the set of 'Dark Shadows' by accident, such an amazing set, a harbor built on land, phenomenal!!
15 hours ago

And the only reason I was able to find this one was because it's one of DS' Top tweets today - searching for ALL tweets isn't working well today. But then, Twitter has been experiencing a lot of glitches/overloads lately. Maybe later today will be better...

301 days 12 hours 29 minutes 22 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS is released(ET)!!

I wonder if, in John August's script, the film wasn't set in the modern day and was then changed after Twilight posed a problem.  It's probably a far out idea, but something I decided to share.

It might not be all that far out. We speculated a couple years ago that one of the reasons John August's script was taking so long to complete might have been that they wanted to make it as unlike Twilight as possible - though not because anything about Twilight is bad (as seems to be to be the prevailing opinion on IMDb) - but to simply keep the comparisons of the Depp/DS film to Twilight at as much of a minimum as possible (though, truthfully, given how both deal with a few of the same themes, some comparisons are inevitable and unavoidable.) I wouldn't be at all surprised to eventually learn that the final shooting version of the Depp/DS script is very different from the original concept that was developed back in '07 and that the phenomenal success of Twilight has a lot to do with that.

And now for something completely different, any suggestions for a timeline of official press materials?  The Dark Knight Rises now has a poster.  I'm sure we will probably have a poster by the fall, and am hoping for a teaser trailer in October.  A full trailer probably won't come out until December or later.

I only wish we knew when any of that stuff might be released. But all films are different, so trying to judge based on other films - even other films at the same studio - isn't necessarily a reliable way to judge. One day we'll get online and all sorts of things will finally be available. All we can hope is that that day will be much sooner than later.  

301 days 12 hours 4 minutes 9 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS is released(ET)!!