Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS Is In Release!!

The DS actuals are in on boxoffice.com

http://www.boxoffice.com/statistics/bo_numbers/actual_extended_estimate/2012-05-28

  It makes it look like DS is in 4th place for the 4 day weekend, but that is because The Dictator is not yet on the list- once it's added, I'm sure that it will cut ahead and DS will be in 5th.  But it did beat Chernobyl Diaries!  The actual for the 4 day was a bit better than the estimate, at $9,439,246 (the estimate was $9,405,000), bringing the domestic total to $64,922,142.

Very interesting. And yes, DS ranked 5th for the 4 day weekend:

4-Day Weekend
(Don't be fooled because it says estimates because the actuals are really listed on the chart but they forgot to change the name.)

It's also interesting that DS' rank jumped around a bit throughout the 4 days because on Friday it was #7 (with both Chernobyl Diaries and What to Expect When You're Expecting bringing in more), on both Saturday and Sunday it was #5 (with both Chernobyl Diaries and What to Expect When You're Expecting falling below it), and on Monday it was #6 (with The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel bringing it just $42,681 more). So, it will be very interesting to see where it places on Tuesday.

And as far as how successful DS has been so far, I like to keep an eye on how it's performing relative to the other films released this year. As of Monday DS was in its 18th day of release, and relative to all the other films' first 18 days of release, DS places at #11 when it comes to its domestic gross as of its 18th day - and that's 11th out of the 46 films that have so far played in wide release this year. So, even if some places want to point out that DS may not be doing as well as it might have, still, any way one looks it, DS is doing quite well by comparison to dozens of this year's other films. And considering how hard it's been this year for many films to bring in the amounts of money that many may have made in years past, perhaps the so called pundits should reevaluate their thinking in light of what a huge factor the economy has had on the box office this year so far. 

And for anyone who really is interested in seeing just how this year's films stack up when compared head-to-head as of their 18th day*, I've attached a list. (The first column is obviously the name of the film, the second column is the film's gross as of its 18th day, the third column in the date it hit its 18th day, and the final column is what the film brought in at the box office on its 18th day.)

(* MIB III is the only film that wouldn't otherwise be on the list that prior to its 18th day in release has grossed more than DS, so that's why it's included on the list.)

I think DS only falling 25% from last week is a good sign in light of the fact that Battleship and The Dictator had more of a decline from the previous week.

Mojo has the DS International gross at $106,600,000. But if you look at the breakdown it only has France's 1st week and not its second, it doesn't include Japan, Mexico and other markets. The UK box office seems to be correct. It is possible then that the DS international box office intake is over $150 million bring the worldwide DS gross to be over $200 million as of today?

Thanks MB for the detailed analysis.

Went back for my third time this afternoon. There was a somewhat larger crowd than last week but that may have been influenced by the $5 admission on Tuesdays. This audience was into the movie. They laughed at all the right places and seemed to enjoy being there.

A couple of observations here. The scene where Vicki follows the ghost of Josette down the hall to the foyer reminded me very much of the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disney World. Did anyone else pick up on that?

Who drove Vicki to Widows Hill at the end? I don't think it was Angelique because uniting Barnabas with Josette would have been the last thing she would do. But what if Josette had led Vicki there? She had led Vicki places before. The jump from the hill may have been what was needed to motivate Barnabas to save Vicki the only way he can.

Who drove Vicki to Widows Hill at the end? I don't think it was Angelique because uniting Barnabas with Josette would have been the last thing she would do. But what if Josette had led Vicki there? She had led Vicki places before. The jump from the hill may have been what was needed to motivate Barnabas to save Vicki the only way he can.

I don't think that Angelique drove her there.  If she had, I think that Vicki would've jumped long before.  Vicki ran off (in fear?) when she saw Barnabas burning, but then a LOT of time passed after that.  Barnabas went to Angelique to give an ultimatum to make him human again, and she trapped him in the coffin.  20 minutes passed, and Laura instructed David to find the coffin.  Meanwhile, the cannery was burning to a crisp.  They all eventually went back to the house, along with half the town, and had a huge knock-down, drag-out with Angelique.  And THEN Barnabas went off to find Vicki heading toward Widow's Hill.  The timing just doesn't fit, and if Angelique was destroyed by then, then I wouldn't think that any control over Vicki would still hold true.

But I don't really think that Josette was possessing her, either.  On my second viewing, I noticed that Vicki was very lucid at the end.  She was looking over Widow's Hill, but I don't think that she was preparing to jump just yet.  Barnabas came up to her and they embraced.  But then Barnabas says something like he thought he'd lost her, and she told him that he already had, because she lives in the light and she will grow old and die, and he will not.  She sounded very sane, calm, and logical.  I don't remember the exact exchange but I think she was challenging him, because he said something like he'd never do that (make her like him).  I think that Vicki knew full well what she was doing when she jumped, and I don't think she was under anyone's spell.  I think that sometime between seeing Barnabas burning and that point, she had come to understand what Barnabas was, and that there was only one way to be with him, and the only way he would change her was if her death were the only other choice. 

Now, how does Josette fit into all of this?  Well, I think that Josette may have guided her, and I think that in her heart she realized that she essentially *was* Josette.  But I don't think that it was possession in the sense that she was losing her own self, but just that she was just realizing that Josette was a part of her all along, and that made all the ghostly visits she had since childhood and her feeling that she belonged in Collinsport all make sense to her.  So maybe I'm just an optimist, but that was kinda how I saw it on my first viewing, and that feeling was only enforced seeing it again.  Now, I'm not entirely sure that the film conveyed this perfectly-- I do feel as if some scenes were missing, and that there are gaps we have to fill in.  How does she realize that he's immortal/a vampire, really??  All she knows is that he starts to burn in the sunlight.  What is she doing during the time when the rest of the family is battling Angelique (and by the way, this is when he's displaying his powers, but she doesn't witness any of that)?  If Josette speaking and explaining things to her offscreen, just as Laura speaks to David offscreen?  (On the second viewing, I realized that Laura does a lot more than I first thought- she tells David where Barnabas is in the Collins mausoleum, and she tells David to tell Barnabas where to find Vicki).  So I do feel like I have to just roll with it a little bit.  But I kind of like the way I see the story playing out.

Your mileage may vary, of course

I've been operating under the impression that it was Josette who led Vicky (I HATE spelling it like that) to Widow's Hill in the end.  I know some people aren't really digging that idea, but I think it's fantastically creepy, and gives the film -- and Victoria's role in it -- an entirely new resonance. 

Also -- I meant to pay attention when I was watching it yesterday and forgot -- but did anyone notice if Vicky's fingers and fingernails got all extra knuckle-y and yellow pointy like Barnabas'?  They made such a big deal about his finger transformation when he was originally vamped that I was really interested to see if the same thing happened to Vicky.

Honestly, so much happened at the end that I don't even ask for logical explanations.  This film seems to have been cut to pieces.  The much edited NoDS has a more coherent story, imo.  It's like they were afraid that they'd never be able to make a sequel so they threw everything they could into the last 10 minutes. 

The fact that Laura just appears out of nowhere and saves the day is the most jarring and upsetting plot point.  (As an aside, has anyone really taken a look at her clothing?  Does it look like something from the 1960s?  Because it looks to be from a much earlier period imo.  Wish that was explored more than just the fleeting reference to reincarnation.)  Why does she care about Barnabas or Maggie? (I too refuse to use the "y" spelling of Vicki, so I shall call her by her given name.)  Is it just because they were two of the only people (along with Liz) who actually did anything for her son? 

And speaking of David... In order for the film's ending to make any sense, we would have needed to have heard David talking to Laura at some other point (preferably multiple points) during the movie.  David is clearly the most important character in this story, as he links everything together.  But he has so little screentime.  The fact that we are missing out on so much of his interactions makes the whole story discombobulated and almost senseless.  It's like you just have to sit there and accept it all.  I don't know what Tim Burton was thinking here, but he didn't do the screenplay any favors by cutting David's scenes.  And even if there were no scenes with him communicating with his mother, we would have at least been clued into the fact that she wanted to help him and the Collins family at some earlier point. 

As for why Maggie headed for the cliffs...  I have no idea.  It sort of had a Romeo and Juliet element to it.  (I can't be with you, so I shall kill myself.)  But there was no build-up to that either.  And I think it would have been a much more powerful scene had we actually had a reason for it.  (I was able to be moved by it, because I knew the history of these characters from the show.  But how is this meaningful to new viewers?)

I don't know what happened, but the last bit of the film is just an absolute disaster from a story-perspective.  It's like 1968, but with no rhyme or reason.  And I don't want it to be that way.  I honestly feel that with all of the scenes in-tact, this ending would have been perfect (sans the nonsensical Carolyn subplot, which was A) stupid and B) irrelevant).  But we needed to know more about Laura's story and Maggie's motivations.  Because, as it is, an otherwise enjoyable popcorn flick is very lacking in the story department.  And the only reason I accepted the ending at all was because of the great scenes between Barnabas and Angelique (the moral message made it worth it) and the Barnabas and Maggie climax (because who didn't want that to happen?).

On my second viewing, I noticed that Vicki was very lucid at the end.  She was looking over Widow's Hill, but I don't think that she was preparing to jump just yet.  Barnabas came up to her and they embraced.  But then Barnabas says something like he thought he'd lost her, and she told him that he already had, because she lives in the light and she will grow old and die, and he will not.  She sounded very sane, calm, and logical.  I don't remember the exact exchange but I think she was challenging him, because he said something like he'd never do that (make her like him).  I think that Vicki knew full well what she was doing when she jumped, and I don't think she was under anyone's spell.  I think that sometime between seeing Barnabas burning and that point, she had come to understand what Barnabas was, and that there was only one way to be with him, and the only way he would change her was if her death were the only other choice.

Like you, I didn't completely pick up on it the first time around either. It wasn't until the second time I saw the film that I realized that Vicki specifically says to Barnabas that there's only one way they can be together and then she deliberately falls, thereby forcing Barnabas to "save" her the only way he can. But I also think the entire idea of doing what she does is connected to Josette and Josette's appearances to her, begging Vicki to help her, and then falling. It's all as if Josette is begging Vicki to help reunite her with Barnabas. And I think that all ties in when Vicki declares herself to be Josette once she awakens as a vampire.

It's a very interesting twist. And it completely explains why plotwise, unlike in previous versions, Barnabas is not already a vampire when Josette falls from the cliff. If he had been, he could have "saved" Josette in the same way he saves Vicki - and, of course, that would have been the last thing Angelique would have wanted.

19 days 0 hours 9 minutes 0 seconds since the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows has been in release(ET)!!

Laura is such a key character during the climax and yet we aren't given very much information about her. Is she merely a ghost or something more? Phoenix? Banshee? Or did she just appropriate that scream from Black Canary?

If her motivation was to protect David and avenge herself, could she have done it earlier? Or was Angelique more vulnerable during the finale?

I would love to know more about Laura as well. It would just be so delightful to get a sequel because there is so much more story to tell.  I am not for sure that will ever happen. 

I loved the new movie. I think it's amazing. I loved everything about it for the most part.  However, truly it would be great to see DS resurrected as a series.  There is SO SO much to story to tell and if the used all the twists and really shook it up like they did with the movie it could be such an amazing show. If the CW would do Dark Shadows and pair it with The Vampire Diaries I can see it being a huge hit. I don't foresee this happening anytime soon. I am hoping though in my lifetime we get to see it brought to the small screen again with it becoming the hit it has the power to be  DS (Unless there are sequels) just lends itself better to the small screen, especially if you are wanting to honor so much that came before and mine those five years worth of story.

I had no idea Laura was going to be in the movie; however, it was one of my FAVORITE suprises because Laura is such an overlooked character. She essentially got the ratings up enough to get Barnabas on the air.  I thought it was an amazing insight on the writers part and a huge nod to the Dark Shadows legacy to include her in the movie. I only wish Miss Millay were healthy enough to know that her character was remembered in the movie.

I really really wish that Tim would do a directors cut.  It would be the best gift in the world.  Delted scenes are nice. Yet when they are put back into a movie it just makes the piece so much more cohesive and wonderful. Oh to dream....

These days, it seems that most "event" movies are planned with the idea of making a sequel or sequels. It's almost an anomaly when it doesn't happen such as Superman Returns.

Burton seems indifferent to the idea of a sequel. But he did do a second Batman movie earlier in his career. And a Beetlejuice followup has been discussed.

Could there be a second film? Sure. If Warner Brothers thinks it would be profitable, then yeah.

just lends itself better to the small screen, especially if you are wanting to honor so much that came before and mine those five years worth of story.

I completely agree.  There are so many characters that it becomes impossible to flesh all of them out in a single film.  This one definitely did a better job than House of Dark Shadows; but because it added a whole additional set of characters, the eventual edits just seemed to undermine the development and the film overall. 

While half of HoDS is dedicated to the gory Carolyn plot and could have been given to the characters of Julia, Elizabeth, and/or Stokes, this new film really only lets us get to know Barnabas (still a definite improvement over HoDS, which didn't really allow us to understand him at all).  Angelique is fleshed out a bit, but even her character is rather one dimensional.  Her motivation is somewhat lacking.  The audience is left to assume she is just crazy and unbalanced.  Maggie and Elizabeth are slightly better characters, but only because of their exchange at the beginning of the movie.  Carolyn, Willie, Roger, Silas, Laura, David, and Julia (I feel one of the biggest mistakes) are virtually ignored.  I honestly even questioned what Julia's purpose was in this whole story.  Yeah, it was a nice twist, but we didn't see enough of her to be bothered to care about her as a character.  She herself is rather one-dimensional.  And because she plays such a pivotal role in the story, I couldn't help but feel disappointed that we saw so little of her.  I really had to pay attention to know that Julia was "treating" Barnabas, because we only have one scene that shows that, which is undermined by something else, again with little relevance to the plot.  How does she even have the knowledge to treat him?  All of this was left unexplained.  In all honesty, I feel she could have been left out.  (She didn't really do anything for Barnabas anyway.)  Since the original characters of Liz and Julia were combined into the new Liz, I felt that having Julia and Angelique in this thing was a bit too much.  Too many villains spoils the plot.

So, yes, a TV series would definitely help with story and character development.  And I might actually be able to care about these characters like I do the originals if I have the chance to see them every week.     Because, in this film, the only reason I cared for these characters was because of my previous attachment to them. 

The reality is that there is not going to be a sequel. I also wish for a new DS project on the small screen. WB was probably expecting a box office of $300-500 million or more. I am trying to be objective here and not just being negative. The box office intake does not warrant a sequel. I think WB was taken back by a lot of the negativity to the movie and its marketing campaign and probably doesn't want to go through how do we market this movie again. I also think WB was not happy with the finished film delivered to them although the studio has some blame for sure. I do agree that the DVDs sales will be good and eventually the movie will show a profit but not enough to warrant a sequel. Plus it will take another 4 years before we would see a sequel. Just my opinion. I do hope there will be new DS projects in the very near future.

I really had to pay attention to know that Julia was "treating" Barnabas, because we only have one scene that shows that

Actually, there are two scenes: the first where Julia brings up the subject of treating Barnabas, and then a later scene in which she's seen supposedly giving Barnabas a "treatment" and he remarks that he doesn't feel himself becoming human.

And speaking of remarks, I absolutely love when he muses that if it's possible for a man to become a monster maybe it's possible for a monster to become a man.

How does she even have the knowledge to treat him?  All of this was left unexplained.

Julia actually tells him that she has no idea if what she's doing will work. Unlike in previous versions where Julia discovers a cell in Barnabas' blood and creates a serum/vaccine to eliminate it, in the film all she says she's attempting to do is to try to cleanse Barnabas' blood through "transfusions". Though of course we soon discover that she wasn't really even attempting that because what she was doing with each "treatment" was stealing some of Barnabas' blood and merely replacing it - and then transfusing herself with his blood. There's no need to explain how she may have knowledge to treat him because apparently she has none - she only put on a pretense.

19 days 10 hours 55 minutes 59 seconds since the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows has been in release(ET)!!

WB was probably expecting a box office of $300-500 million or more.

Their initial worldwide box office estimate was $325 million, and it's not likely to make anything like that. But -

The box office intake does not warrant a sequel.

 - films that have made less than what DS has already made worldwide have had sequels. In fact, the Underworld franchise has had multiple sequels. However, when it comes to the sequels, they've had smaller budgets than the DS film had, so if there ever is a sequel to the DS film, it would probably be a film with a smaller budget.

Though at the same time, there have also been films that have had sequels mostly because they were very successful on DVD/Blu-ray.

The truth is there is still a great deal to be played out when it comes to both the DS film's box office and its DVD/Blu-ray release, so it's still a bit premature to ponder with any certainty what the future may bring...

19 days 11 hours 9 minutes 32 seconds since the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows has been in release(ET)!!