Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS Is In Release!!

[The Doctor and K9]

I order virtually all my CDs on Amazon. 

[michael c]

has anyone posted this article from 'new york' magazine?

http://nymag.com/print/?/movies/reviews/dark-shadows-2012-5/index1.html...

it looks back at the series with some fondness, the usual inaccuracies(who knew barnabas and julia hid adam in a closet before he disappeared forever?), and the typical commentary on the show's bloopers, "nonsensical" plotting and "torturous" pacing.

still i think the author likes it.

he speaks of the film(a "camp travesty")not so well.

[jimbo]

Thanks micheael C for the article. Tim Burton was clearly the wrong director for this movie IMO.

It seems the DS movie is a domestic big flop. It only took in an approximate $3.7 million on Friday and is projected to only reach $11.5 million for the weekend. No matter how we try to rationalize this the movie is a flop for WB and they largely share the blame. The reviews overseas aren't that good as well. We shall see. http://www.deadline.com/2012/05/dictator-off-to-slow-domestic-start-international-box-office-begins-stronger/

[michael c]

it's not really striking me as a "flop".

i know lots of people...not people in fandom either...who went to see it. most of them enjoyed it. without the baggage and expectations "we" have for it it's probably two hours of harmless fun.

considering how obscure the source material is...a 45 year old soap opera...it seems to be holding it's own.

[jimbo]

I meant in terms of what the studio paid for and its expectations. There is no doubt in my mind that at the minimum it was hoping for a $300 plus worldwide intake. From what I have read to break even on an 150 million dollar budgeted movie that movie's box office needs to double that production cost. Studios have its own weird financial record keeping. I'm not saying it may be an artistic flop but I don't think WB is going to be happy with a domestic $75 million intake which seems may be the case. But the bottom line is if we are happy with the movie that's what really counts.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

IF the film doesn't make its money back theatrically, it most probably will with DVD/Blu-ray sales/rentals. And if the latter turns out to be the case, it would hardly be the first or last film to become a financial success thanks to DVD/Blu-ray. 

Also, who knows what the budget was? The Hollywood Reporter has said $100 million, Variety has said $125 million, and places like Box Office Mojo have said $150-$175 million. Obviously they can't all be correct...

8 days 10 hours 31 minutes 44 seconds since the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows has been in release(ET)!!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I honestly don't know why Deadline says in that article that DS is on life support because it's estimated to have made $3.7 million yesterday because I went back through all the charts for this year, and if that's being on life support in a film's 8th day in release, then an awful lot of films that have been released this year were on life support in their 8th day. In fact, only a handful of films have made more on their 8th day - and with several of them, their cumulative gross up to the point of their 8th day was less than what DS' was in its 7th day. (I didn't do a head to head 8th day comparison because Friday's figure for DS is still only an estimate. But if I had, then there would be even fewer films this year that have done better than DS as of their 8th day.)

Also, as of yesterday, with only its first 7 days in release, DS was #38 on the 2012 Year To Date chart. And even if it makes the $11.5 million that Deadline is predicting, it should still jump up into the Top 30 by the end of the weekend - and that will only be with its first 10 days of release, with many more to come....

8 days 10 hours 59 minutes 48 seconds since the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows has been in release(ET)!!

[michael c]

i would also anticipate that this film will have a huge afterlife in the DVD market.

especially if it contains deleted material that helps flesh some of it out.

it's the kind of trippy thing that could sustain it's own fanbase. i can see college-age kids getting stoned and watching it.

[Garth Blackwood]

I'm wondering why there appears to be a preoccupation here with commercial success of the movie. There seems to be a lot of defending/rationalizing the fact that the movie hasn't been a wild success to this point. Even if the movie were a ridiculous flop (not saying it is), that doesn't affect whether the original was worthwhile and doesn't reflect negatively on fans of the original show in any way. I like the movie for the most part and intend to watch it many more times but it's no surprise to me, knowing what I know about Tim Burton and recognizing that the promotional campaign was rather ill-advised (I don't know anyone - fan of the original show or not - who, after seeing the trailer, expected the movie to be good), that the movie hasn't been a raging success.

Let's face it, when you tell people your favorite show is Dark Shadows, you're already exposing yourself as somewhat unusual. Now, after the movie, the reason for that perception may be somewhat different, but I don't quite see why being a fan of the original show necessitates being an apologist for the movie or arguing that it is/should be a commercial success.

[Garth Blackwood]

I guess one answer to my post might be that people are hoping for a sequel. If it's Tim Burton, I don't think I'd be crazy about a sequel. I'm more hoping for someone to eventually make a real, better version of the movie. Similar to how the original Batman looks like a big joke when compared to Dark Knight. The original Batman was OK but Burton clearly didn't do it "right".

[michael c]

i suppose at this point nothing should surprise me but there are a couple FB "boycott" and hate groups that have gleefully reproted every negative review and disappointing box office report as some sort of validation or vindication of their position on the film...despite the fact none of them have actually, you know, seen it.

none of them can generate more than 70 or so "members" but it's still gross.

[borgosi]

I like Burton's Batman a lot than the Dark Knight. I'll see The Dark Knight Raises when it comes to cable, maybe.

I hope WB understands how important the fans of the OS have been for the movie. Many of us have seen it many times. One guy on FB says he's seen it 7 times only because he wants more DS movies. I'm going back this afternoon with my neice, her mom and my wife.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

It's also interesting how FB groups like that myopically ignore the good reviews. But then, anything that praises the film wouldn't fit into their agenda, now would it. 

8 days 12 hours 33 minutes 5 seconds since the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows has been in release(ET)!!

[Garth Blackwood]

i suppose at this point nothing should surprise me but there are a couple FB "boycott" and hate groups that have gleefully reproted every negative review and disappointing box office report as some sort of validation or vindication of their position on the film...despite the fact none of them have actually, you know, seen it.

Link?

[michael c]

one of them is literally called "boycott dark shadows movie".

i can't recall the specific titles of the other. sorry.