Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS Is In Production!!

The May issue of Empire is going to make more fans upset with HBC, but will make fans love Michelle Pfeiffer even more.  And it's also going to help shed some light on comments by Tim Burton, who I now believe really does love the show.  I'm just going to say that HBC seems to have influenced some of his decisions a little bit more than than I'd care for her to, and this is by his own admission.

CB, could you elaborate?  I read the article online, and didn't pick up on anything that touched on Helena's influence on the project.  Is there more in the print version?  Or maybe there's a page in the online version that I missed?

I think it's damage control. I think the studio has heard what some fans are saying about the trailer and they, the studio, wants to put bodies in seats.

With two vampire movies coming out very close together it would a very bad thing for SGS if they both fail. I think having two movies fail in just a couple of months could also make it a little hard for SGS to get people to work with him.

That said I don't think he's lying. I think he's promoting a movie.

Do any of you think that SGS or anyone else connected with this or any other movies does the interviews out of the goodness of their heart? Could it be that the studio is paying them? If you are getting a paycheck to promote a movie, any movie, are you going to go out a talk bad about it? I don't think so. My guess is that even if you're asked about something that you really don't like about it, you going to answer the question in the most positive way that you can.

What do you think the studio would say to a screen writer if he did any interview and said "this isn't the movie that I wanted to make and in my opinion it sucks and if I were you I keep my money or go see something better." Do you think they would pat him on the back and say "good job, you told the truth and that's all we could ask for. Here's you're next movie."?

What do you think the studio would say to a screen writer if he did any interview and said "this isn't the movie that I wanted to make and in my opinion it sucks

Actually, some have. They've even had their name credits removed from films. It's certainly not unheard of. And while most of them do indeed continue to work in the industry afterward, others have just up and left it behind because they were so disgusted.

As for interviews, in rare occasions some may, but most don't get paid to do them. Usually it's written into contracts that they have to do a certain limited amount of them (and any that they do beyond that is strictly of their own choosing) and the only monetary compensation they get is the salary they agreed upon at the signing of their contract. They're not compensated for interviews above and beyond their upfront salary.

36 days 6 hours 44 minutes 8 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

MB if it's part of their contract they are getting paid for them.

And most screen writers that get their names taken of a movies credits already have a "name". It's very rare that a first time screen writer would have their name removed when they're working for some like a TB.

SGS also kinda put things back on TB & JB.

And one thing I'm sure of, either the studio is being less that truthful with the trailer, because it looks like a comedy, or others are being less than truthful when they say it isn't.

I've read SGS's only book that he wrote on his own and while I didn't like it, it's style was completely different from what we see in these trailers. As much as I don't care SGS I don't think it's his fault that we got the film that we got. What ever that turns out to be.

Truth doesn't really play a part when it comes to the DS trailer - or any film's trailer - or even in marketing in general. In product advertising the marketers pick a campaign that stresses what it is about the product that they think will get the most people to buy it. If they don't stress other aspects of the product that it might have, it's not lying. The same goes for the DS trailer. For whatever reason, Warner Brothers thinks the humor in the film will get the most people in the theaters. And because they're stressing that humor over whatever else the film may be, that's also not lying. 

Also, it's definitely true that Grahame-Smith is a new name when it comes to screenwriting. As such it's not likely he made a huge amount of money working on the DS film's script, or that he's likely to make any more money off it even if the film is a big hit. And to me he comes across in interviews as someone who's more than willing to promote the film because he believes in it, not just because he has a writing credit for it - though, of course, I could be wrong and maybe all he's really doing is protecting his ass. However, whatever the case may be, this whole discussion will soon be moot because soon the film will be out for all the world to see and we'll all know what the truth is. 

36 days 5 hours 54 minutes 37 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

CB, could you elaborate?  I read the article online, and didn't pick up on anything that touched on Helena's influence on the project.  Is there more in the print version?  Or maybe there's a page in the online version that I missed?

I should have phrased that more clearly.  I was referring to his general approach to making the film.  Because of HBC, he decided to not show the original to anyone else.  And I inferred that since Michelle Pfeiffer was the one person who religiously watched the show on set, and he said she was a great example for the other cast members, that he basically went about making the "feel" of the film similar to the original via a roundabout route.  It almost seemed like he thought all of the other castmembers would be like HBC and shun the show, when I am fairly sure most could understand that it was A) a 1960s soap opera and B) done "live."  There is no telling how actually encouraging the cast to watch the show would have changed the final product, but it was upsetting to me to read that he was so turned off by HBC's reaction that he opted to not show it to anyone else.  It would have been interesting had he gone with his initial decision and not had HBC in the cast.  Of course, from what I have seen, she looks brilliant.  But, she is very blunt about her feelings, and I think that affected Burton's approach.  And that was discouraging to read.  But who knows...  The film could turn out better this way.  We shall see. 

And to me he comes across in interviews as someone who's more than willing to promote the film because he believes in it, not just because he has a writing credit for it - though, of course, I could be wrong and maybe all he's really doing is protecting his ass.

Just hearing his voice in that interview, I totally believe him.  I believe that he totally gets what it is that the fans see in DS, and what it is that they're afraid of when they see the trailer.  And I now truly believe that they did not set out to do a send-up, but something in the spirit of the original albeit with (more) humor.  Granted, mixing humor with drama, suspense, and/or horror can be very tricky, and is much more likely to fail than succeed.  But Tim Burton has a very good track record in that area, so I'm still quite positive, after the reassuring interview with Seth.  Hearing that interview, and that absolutely wonderful score, has me just dying to see this movie already!!!

(I'm still not totally sold on the Barnabas makeup, however.  In fact, there's a shot in the German version of the trailer that I don't remember seeing anywhere else, where Barnabas has his shirt open, and his whole chest is that same pasty white as his face.  But without a doubt they tested different makeups to get the exact result they wanted for the overall work, so I won't say they made the wrong choice before watching the whole movie.)

I was referring to his general approach to making the film.  Because of HBC, he decided to not show the original to anyone else.  And I inferred that since Michelle Pfeiffer was the one person who religiously watched the show on set, and he said she was a great example for the other cast members, that he basically went about making the "feel" of the film similar to the original via a roundabout route.

Ah, now I see.  But I think TB is a strong enough director that he will get the performances he wants regardless of how it's done.  Of anything we've seen so far, I think it's actually JD's performance that veers the furthest from the DS tone that we'd expect--in the humorous clips--and yet this whole project was his baby to begin with, born out of his love of DS since childhood.

I'm really looking forward to HBC's performance as Julia.  She looks like she's going to be a real hoot, just as fabulous as Grayson Hall, but in her own way.

MB - We will just have to agree to disagree. It's my opinion that when some one markets a movie or any product in a way that suggest to people that the product is something it isn't, it's a lie. An example would be "The Blair Witch Project", the marketing said it was real "found footage" taken by real people that disappeared. It wasn't. Therefor they lied.

As for the DS movie, some people could find the movie to be very funny and some could be scared so bad they can't sleep after seeing it. That kind of thing is different for everyone. I'm not suggesting that SGS or TB doesn't like the movie. I'm sure they do. That said I no more expect him to say something negative about this movie than I expect the CEO of Coke to come out and say that he drinks Pepsi whenever he gets the chance.

I don't hold that against the man, I just take anything that is said by anyone that works on any film, then talks about that film, with a grain of salt.

MB - We will just have to agree to disagree. It's my opinion that when some one markets a movie or any product in a way that suggest to people that the product is something it isn't, it's a lie. An example would be "The Blair Witch Project", the marketing said it was real "found footage" taken by real people that disappeared. It wasn't. Therefor they lied.

In that case that would be an example of a lie. Though that's a different situation than making a choice to focus on the humor in a film and not to necessarily focus that much on other aspects of it. And no one involved with the film is denying there's humor in it. They're simply saying there's also more to it than what may be very much in evidence in the trailer. Though as you say, we can just agree to disagree.    And as I said, the whole situation with the DS trailer will be moot very soon, anyway. 

there's a shot in the German version of the trailer that I don't remember seeing anywhere else, where Barnabas has his shirt open, and his whole chest is that same pasty white as his face.

There's a shot in one of the US trailers/TV spots of Barnabas with his shirt open as he and Angelique are destroying the room with their lovemaking and I also noticed that his chest is as pale as his face. (Though I suppose that's only natural.) And there's also another shot where his shirt is open while he's in what would seem to be Julia's lab. But I don't know if either is the same as the one you're referring to because I haven't seen any of the German trailers.

36 days 4 hours 39 minutes 23 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

I'm not sure if I'd say "put off", but to me it does sound almost like an insult to Helena.  Although, the way I've heard both of them talk, it sounds like more of a joke (i.e., "Boozing, middle-aged psychiatrist?  Just the role for Helena!")

It does seem as if it's an inside joke, doesn't it? Almost as if it's a couple's shorthand. I'm interested in knowing if HBC had any input on decisions regarding the character and plot points surrounding the character in the film, or if these things were meant to me no matter who played the role. Ultimately I'm shocked by what I have learned through various spoilers, but hopefully the information plays better on screen then it does in reading it on a screen.

I am also questioning the seriousness with which HBC took her role in this film, given some of the flippant comments she and others have made regarding her role and how she played it. To me, Dr. Hoffman as a character should be taken seriously if for nothing else than for her relationship with Barnabas, as she was most certainly his partner in crime, ally, and confidant in so many instances.

Barnabas - I'm completely with you about Dr. Hoffman. It does seem that most of the comedy in this comes from Barnabas so I guess it would be natural for Dr. Hoffman, as his side kick, to be next in line. I hope that's no the case.

To me, Dr. Hoffman as a character should be taken seriously if for nothing else than for her relationship with Barnabas, as she was most certainly his partner in crime, ally, and confidant in so many instances.

Though it remains to be seen if that's the take with this film. It would seem apparent that she does attempt to cure him, but just from what little we've gotten from the trailers, it would seem as if Liz has taken on some of the aspects that we tend to associate with Julia's relationship with Barnabas. And I have to say I'm quite intrigued with that.

36 days 4 hours 23 minutes 1 second until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

There's a shot in one of the US trailers/TV spots of Barnabas with his shirt open as he and Angelique are destroying the room with their lovemaking and I also noticed that his chest is as pale as his face. (Though I suppose that's only natural.) And there's also another shot where his shirt is open while he's in what would seem to be Julia's lab. But I don't know if either is the same as the one you're referring to because I haven't seen any of the German trailers.

Hmm...  I must have missed some of the US trailers!     More hunting to do...

Yes, of course it only makes sense that his chest would be the same color as his face.  Unless it were one of those low-budget zombie movies where the zombies have blue skin everywhere except their hairline, the lower part of their neck, their arms past the wrist when the shirt sleeve rides up, etc.