Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS Is In Release!!

Midnight showings of the DS film have started all over the Eastern US, so it's time to start a new topic to discuss the reviews, the film itself, and anything else that may come up since the film has been released. And spoilers won't really be necessary because it's going to be assumed that anyone reading/taking part in this topic has already seen the film. So, if you haven't already seen the film, you've been warned. 

And so, with all that in mind, here are four reviews (none of which I've read yet) to discuss. I've been told two are favorable, two not so much:

Entertainment Weekly: Dark Shadows (2012)

Variety: Dark Shadows

The New York Times: A Vampire Thirsty and Bewildered

Hollywood Reporter: Dark Shadows: Film Review

So let the discussions begin...

(And even though it can probably go without saying, just to reiterate, please stay within the forum's guidelines whenever disagreeing with the reviewers - or criticizing those involved with the film - or, of course, disagreeing with your fellow members.  )

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

"wildly original"?lol

Another review out today -

http://cliqueclack.com/flicks/2012/05/10/dark-shadows-movie-review/

Danger Will Robinson!  that particular review is more spoiler-laden than most I've seen to date.

For those who are going out to see it tonight, happy haunting!

G.

Can members start posting their own reviews here now?

ProfStokes

Very odd; this was showing up as "locked" a moment ago.

I will say that as a fan of the show I enjoyed nearly every scene for one reason or another, but the script never gels into much of a movie for me. I'll give it another look in a couple weeks and see if my feelings have shifted with my expectations. Eva Green turned out to be my favorite part.

This review posits the theory that Burton is working out personal issues about his ex, which is more subtext than I was able to find in the film: http://www.slashfilm.com/dark-shadows-review/

Can members start posting their own reviews here now?

Yup. 

0 days 1 hour 16 minutes 34 seconds since the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows has been in release(ET)!!

In that case, my full take (mild spoilers near the end): http://badassdigest.com/2012/05/09/movie-review-dark-shadows-has-burton-and-depp-running-in-place/

If you've seen the trailers, then you've pretty much seen the movie already. The trailers cover the movie from start to finish, and I know that some of our discerning members have parsed the scenes to determine plot details already. I will try not to give away too much information about the plot itself (save for my remarks on the film's conclusion, which I'm putting in a separate spoiler box).

 I would guess that The Powers That Be drew from the original series, the 1991 series, House of Dark Shadows, and The Salem Branch in developing the script. There are a number of inside references that will please the fans (I wonder if somebody on the inside read some of our Magtoria conversations here on this board).  I was quite surprised by what I considered to be some of the more obscure allusions to events from the pre-Barnabas episodes.  I am touched and tickled to see so much DS heritage fitted into the new movie, but at the same time, I can't help thinking some of the references were a bit too much of a stretch, to the point of confusing naive viewers (for example, [spoiler]we would get a kick out of the references to Laura, [/spoiler] but since those hints aren't really developed into the plot of the movie, they just hang in the ether to perplex the newbies).

The look of the film is breathtaking.  The set of Collinsport looks so much like downtown Newport.  The design of the mansion echoes Seaview Terrace with its tower and solarium, and the sets of the house's interior (particularly the statuary) are beautiful. I also enjoyed the use of contemporary music to anchor the story in its setting. (Although, I admit it was a bit of a trip to hear "Crocodile Rock" at the Blue Whale!)   The production values of this film are top-notch.  The rest is another matter.
 
 It's no secret that I resented the idea of another DS remake.  I went to the movie not really wanting to see it, not expecting to like it, and not really wanting to like it.  And yet, when I heard Robert Cobert's music cue (about 5 notes from "The Seance") playing over the opening credits, I started to thaw, and for the next 15 minutes of the movie, I really did find myself enjoying it.  I even sat with a big smile on my face as "Nights in White Satin" soared over the image of Vicki's train chugging to Collinsport against the credits. 
 
The 1700s prologue is delightful, but much too brief for my taste. We get a Reader's Digest run-down of the events that led Barnabas to vampirism.  Some of the staples we're used to, such as little Sarah or the music box, are missing, but we get the basics of what happened to bring about the Collins family's downfall. I thought it was an interesting twist to show that Angelique's fascination for Barnabas began in childhood.  The roots of her obsession go very deep, but I can't really grasp why she is so hung up on Barnabas.  Unless additional material was added after the preview screening, I saw only one scene of Barnabas and Angelique kissing, followed by him telling her, regretfully, that he doesn't love her.  It's enough to establish the idea of her unrequited love for him, but I would have liked just a little more to flesh out their bad romance (e.g., a montage of Barnabas with various different ladies, or a scene of Barnabas and Angelique in a more compromising position to emphasize why she would be put out with him).

 Vicki's arrival at Collinwood and introduction to the family also play very well, with just the right touches of subtle humor here and there, and a great deal of suspense.  How I wish this tone had been maintained for the rest of the picture!

Alas, those were the very best moments of the film.  Once Barnabas is  released from the coffin, the movie becomes a farce filled with silly  fish-out-of-water and uncomfortable sex jokes. There are moments of Tim Burton's patented, stylized cartoon violence to represent "horror," and a handful of dramatic character-driven scenes are scattered throughout the film mainly toward its conclusion), but for the most part, DS is a comedy and an uneven  one at that. Most of the characters (usually Elizabeth or Willie) get at least one snappy line of dialogue and the montage of Barnabas trying to find a place to sleep was semi-cute, but David's line about Carolyn touching herself, and the scene between Barnabas and Julia made me cringe.  Generally, I don't like off-color jokes, and these scenes felt particularly out of place in something called "Dark Shadows."  The shark-jumping moment for me was the sheer ridiculousness of Barnabas and Angelique's wild aerial sex scene; it actually made me feel embarrassed to call myself a DS fan, lest I be associated with the stupidity of this movie. 

I didn't have much of a problem with the pacing of the movie.  I just didn't find the story (cannery wars; an 18th century vampire learns to be hip) very compelling.  The plot seemed to take a backseat to putting Barnabas in as many comical situations as possible.  I could not shake the feeling that I was watching a parody of "Dark Shadows." Depp's performance feels like an imitation of Frid; he's got the look and the speech patterns down, but he acts like such a bufoon.  Honestly, I would rather watch Darryl Schaffer.

The ball sequence featuring Alice Cooper feels out of place and ostentatious.  It's like seeing a celebrity's name and "GUEST STARRING..." in giant letters at the start of your favorite TV show.  The inclusion of a real-life person pulled me out of the sense that I was in a gothic fantasy world (and as we know, one of DS's charms was how it managed to eschew the "real world") and disrupted my interaction with the movie.  True, the party gives us a chance to see the original actors again, but their cameo is bittersweet.  KLS gets the only line. Poor Jonathan Frid appears so frail; David Selby, Lara Parker, and Kathryn look like they're propping him up (at the time I watched the scene, I had no idea Frid would be leaving us within the month).  Still, it was kind of Burton and Depp to honor them by including them in the film and I imagine this will be enough to pull in viewers who are on the fence about the movie.

 The actors, most of whom are very high-profile and pedigreed, were a mixed bag.  I was very impressed with Bella Heathcote and Gulliver McGrath, relative newcomers, but less so with some of the more famous actors whose portrayals I was anticipating. 

 McGrath does a fair job of playing David. He's nowhere near as disturbed as David Henessy, but he intrigued me.  I really would have loved to see more from him in this film, especially since he is ostensibly the cause of Vicki coming to Collinwood.  Also, since he becomes more important toward the end of the film, giving his character a bigger build-up would have given that scene more impact.  Above all, I would have liked to see at least one scene of him and Vicki having a one-on-one conversation, either in the context of a lesson or as a discussion of David's experiences with the supernatural (maybe he could share a message he's had from his mother).  Instead, the movie follows the form of the post-Barnabas episodes where we never see Vicki do any teaching, just wandering the grounds looking for David.

 The character of Vicki was the most interesting aspect of the movie to me because the depiction of her was totally different from what we've seen before.  From her first appearance, she creates a sense of mystery and tension, for the viewer cannot guess what her real intentions are.  This Vicki is very savvy and crafty beneath her schoolgirl looks (and BTW, there is an explanation for her slightly out-moded fashion sense).  Looking forward to the revelation of her backstory was the only thing that kept me invested in the movie.

Jackie Earle Haley's Willie Loomis is also completely different from John Karlen's portrayal, but I didn't mind that. I enjoyed the character for the smart-alecky comic relief he provided.  With his gruff, deadpan delivery and some of the best lines in the movie, Willie was one of my favorite characters in the film.  He doesn't share Barnabas's confidence or friendship, but he's not exactly Barnabas's whipping boy either. 
 
By far, the most well-drawn and well-acted character was Michelle Pfeiffer's Elizabeth.  She is a very strong figure like the Liz who commanded Collinwood in the pre-Barnabas episodes. There's also a mercenary quality about her that I loved: she's not really concerned about having a vampire under her roof so long as he helps pay the bills. Rather than Julia, Elizabeth becomes Barnabas's confidante and protector, making excuses for his eccentricities and anachronistic faux pas and generally trying to help him adjust to his new century.  The partnership makes clear sense, for they are united in their love for the Collins family.

 On the other hand, I took an instant dislike to Helene Bonham Carter's Julia.  The character is blowsy and acerbic from her first appearance. She does have one nice scene with Vicki, but otherwise she completely lacks the grace of Grayson Hall's Julia. As I watched the film, I tried to remind myself that HBC's Julia was her own creation and no refection on the original, but I couldn't help comparing her to "our" Julia and wincing as I pondered how my friends in the Legion might react to her unsympathetic (and at times bawdy) portrayal. Her relationship with Barnabas is radically different from what we're used to seeing, although her motives for working with him make sense for this character.  Julia's arc follows that of the character in HODS, and I'd have to say that is as it should be.  I don't see her and Barnabas becoming a dynamic duo, in spite of the movie's postscript.

Chloe Grace Moretz is hot stuff right now, and I was expecting great things from her Carolyn.  However, I was not blown away.  It's nothing against her; she does exactly what she's supposed to do with the role.  Her Carolyn is a realistic adolescent in the vein of pre-Barnabas Carolyn--moody, hostile, and sarcastic, with a sensuality about her as well.  I simply don't care for moody, bratty teenage characters.

My biggest disappointment was with Eva Green. I had seen her in a couple of other movies prior to DS and heard favorable reviews of her work from others, so I had high hopes for her Angelique.  However, I didn't like the way the character was written, nor the way she was played.  Gothick made a post a couple of months ago that I thought was right on target:

what is it with the evolution of the Angelique character into a psychotic slag with super-powers?  On the series, she was also a character with a lot of shadings and nuances and layers.  Yeah, Barnabas always ranted about how eee-vil she was, but we (the audience) got to see some of her doubts, her questionings, and even her desire for love as opposed to her obsessive need to have Barnabas come crawling to her on his hands and knees.

One of my complaints at the screening was how Angelique lacked nuance or even a clear motivation for her actions.  She's essentially a comic book villain.  All she needs is a mustache she can twirl while she ties Barnabas to the railroad tracks.  Green did not impart to me any sense of sympathy or depth. Furthermore, her voice grated on my nerves: it constantly varies from a gutteral Exorcist-demon rasp to an almost twangy, GCB drawl.  It's a superficial point, but it really raised my hackles.  As one of the pillars of the film and one of the most monolithic figures in the original series, this character required much more. Admittedly, Angelique was one of my least-favorite characters from the TV show because I saw her as an obsessed, sociopathic juggernaut, but that was due to Lara Parker's artful performance. Angelique had her vulnerable side too.  In this case, I despised the character because she seemed pointlessly villainous than because she roused my passions. 

I think the biggest missed opportunity was Jonny Lee Miller's Roger.  On the TV show, Roger was a snob renowned for his cutting dialogue, but in the film, most of the snarky lines go to Carolyn and Willie.  Roger,  unfortunately, is left with very little to do.  He doesn't serve a real  purpose (his characters' traditional functions have been delegated to others) and I got the sense that the PTB really didn't know what to do with him (as evidenced by what ultimately happens to the character) and only put him in the film because he was part of the original canon.  It's unfortunate because Miller is really capable of so much more than he was given. Such is the downside of trying to pack so many characters and so much history into one 2-hour movie!

I don't know how the final cut played out, but the ending of the film felt even more rushed than the prologue.  SGS drops the kitchen sink on the audience by shoe-horning [spoiler]a pitchfork-wielding mob, supernatural combat among a closeted werewolf, a witch, a ghost, and a vampire and a conflagration (and boy, was it sad to see Collinwood and all of its portraits burn) into the last few minutes of the movie. My head was
spinning!
 
I thought the revelation about Carolyn came out of nowhere (although I guess David's lewd comment about hearing her make noises in her room was intended to be a set-up for this) and I didn't catch what Angelique said to Elizabeth about this. Was Carolyn bitten as a child, or was her father a werewolf?

While it was nifty to see Laura make an appearance, I thought she was little more than a deus ex machina.  Exactly what powers does she have that would allow her to defeat Angelique?  Could any old ghost take her on, or is Laura special because she is a phoenix? Again, it would have been really nice to hear David talking to Vicki about what he knows or believes about his mother.[/spoiler]

The very end of the movie was ambiguous in the preview screening, but as I interpreted it, the ending was a dark twist right out of Edgar Allen Poe [spoiler]and "Ligeia" with Josette's spirit taking over Vicki's now-vampiric  body!  If I'm right, this scene adds a layer of poignancy and chill to everything that came before.  To think that rather than acting as a benevolent spirit guide, Josette's ghost spent all these years grooming little Vicki, befriending her, even causing her to be institutionalized, all so that she could take control when the time was right!  It's a dark, gothic conclusion, tragic for poor, used Vicki, and yet so satisfying.[/spoiler] Please, can someone verify if I was right about the way this played out?
 
 As an aside, I had couple of minor nagging thoughts and questions after watching the preview screening.  I'd love to know if any of them were cleared up by the final cut.  First of all, where does the present Collins family come from?  I didn't see that Barnabas had any siblings in the hi-speed prologue.  Did another cousin come over from England to perpetuate the dynasty?

Secondly, I would have loved to see Barnabas adjust to the idea of the United States of America as a separate country.  When he went into the coffin, people who lived in the wilds of Massachussetts (not Maine) served the King of England.  I would think the biggest change he would face in 1972 would be America's independence and status as a world power.  The story of "Rip van Winkle" to which Barnabas's predicament has been compared, is a story about the difference between life in the American colonies and life in the American nation.  That's a big deal to overlook.  Imagine Barnabas coming to grips with the history of the 196 years that he missed: instead of Karen Carpenter, he could have watched a performance of Paul Revere and the Raiders and believed that those were the fellows who drove out the redcoats.

We have talked at length about what motivated Burton & Depp to take the direction they did with the film (and I do place the responsibility on the producer and director. Depp optioned the property and chose Burton to direct, so they must have been on the same page creatively; I believe August and Grahame-Smith were just doing what they were told).  Timing, marketability and profitability were all guiding forces, I'm sure.  Still, I have a hard time understanding how two long-term fans--who presumably are aware of what a multi-facted property DS is--could reduce it to a comedy and choose to present this version to the world as "Dark Shadows."  Given B&D's self-proclaimed love for the show, the high-caliber cast and crew, and the inclusion of original actors, I had expected a respectful treatment of DS, and I don't believe this is it.  As I told another cousin privately, I feel betrayed as a DS fan, but also as a regular movie viewer.  If this were an independent vampire comedy, I still wouldn't like it. Moreover, I resent the movie for making me like it in the beginning and then switching gears on me.

Two-and-a-half stars.

ProfStokes

The iconic "Dark Shadows."  Tim Burton.  Johnny Depp.  A lavishly budgeted production enabling old fans to rekindle the magic of the TV classic they grew up with.  A chance to attract new fans unfamiliar with the original.  Cameo appearances by beloved original cast members.  Pre-release advertising saturation.  How could it possibly miss?

Here's how.

One of the producers admitted in Entertainment Weekly that he had never heard of the original "Dark Shadows" (a TV gothic/supernatural soap phenom that so swept the country that its star vampire was summoned to a Halloween party at the Nixon White House), so he simply "studied up" by watching DVDs.  As if.  The extent of the similarly clueless EW writer's grasp of the original was that it "was notorious for its cheapo production values and campy melodramas."

Such superficiality overlooks the 1225-episode original as an absorbing, magical fantasy.  More than just a television show, "Dark Shadows" was an experience.  Its characters -- whether conventional or other-worldly, good or evil -- had a compelling, often sympathetic, human appeal.  You wanted to step into their world.  You cared for most of them, even the evil ones.  That's why, like thousands of kids across America, I used to run home after school to watch it.  That's why I got hooked again when the Sci-Fi Channel resurrected it in the '90s.

Not having seen the film yet, and after years of discouraging rumors, I wanted to give Burton a chance.  I wanted to love the new film, or at least like it.  After seeing the campy, slapstick trailer, I joked that the film could be renamed, "Edward Scissorhands Guest Stars on The Munsters."  I was resigned to expect a comedy, which at least could be entertaining in its own right.  Maybe playing "Dark Shadows" for laughs would capture a new audience, and we older fans could laugh along with them (just as we howled at the numerous instances of unintentional hilarity in the original).

Not.

"Dark Shadows" 2012 is not a comedy.  Nor is it a well-developed drama.  It's not compelling.  It's not nuanced.  It's not funny.  It's not fun.  It's not even spooky.  It is, in a word, nothing.  Seen in context, the comedy gags in the trailer (like Barnabas discovering a TV picture and ordering a screen-sized Karen Carpenter to "reveal yourself, tiny songstress!") are beyond lame.  None of the characters is likable, not even Elizabeth Stoddard and Dr. Julia Hoffman, whose portrayals in the original series by Joan Bennett and Grayson Hall captivated me.  Here, Julia is reduced to a throwaway, as if Burton needed to give Helena Bonham Carter something to do.

One supporting character does make a worthy impression, for I wanted to rescue Gulliver McGrath, the boy who endearingly portrays the troubled David Collins, from this troubled production.  At times, Johnny Depp ably channels Jonathan Frid's Barnabas Collins -- the quintessential lost soul, tortured by immortality -- although with his Halloween pallor, hat, cape, and shades, he distractingly resembles Michael Jackson on his way to the courthouse.

Some parts seem conceived and written on the way to the studio.  For example, early in the film, the 1795 storyline is condensed into a five-minute narrative with clips of key moments (Think: "Last week, on (insert TV drama title)"), as if this would give new viewers all the context and nuance they need to appreciate the Collins family curse upon which the rest of the film is based.  Then, toward the end, Carolyn Stoddard (here, not the glamourous ingenue but a bratty 14-year-old) morphs inexplicably into a werewolf.  It's as if, late in the production schedule, Producer A suddenly frets: "Hey, shouldn't we have a werewolf?" -- to which Producer B responds, "Hmmmmm . . . oh, yeah -- we'll make, um, Carolyn one."

We see the familiar developments, like Victoria Winters being enamored with things of the past.  But in no time and with little explanation, she and Barnabas develop a mutual romantic attraction so strong that she instantly accepts his vampirism and is willing to leap from Widows' Hill and become a vampire herself to spend eternity with him.  Liz blackmails Roger Collins into abruptly departing Collinsport and abandoning his young son.  And it is revealed that Vicki Winters and Maggie Evans -- the two leading ingenues in the original -- are now one-in-the-same person.  Huh?  Why?  How?

I really didn't care.  In condensing storylines to their skeletons and in reducing characters to caricatures, this two-hour film -- which felt more like three -- wallows in shallowness and boredom.

There are more than a few heavy-handed attempts to make sure we know the film is set in 1972, not the least of which is the onslaught of early '70s and '60s pop hits in the soundtrack.  The Moody Blues' "Nights in White Satin" sets the tone for Victoria Winters' fateful train ride during the opening credits.  This approach destroys the charm of the original, which subtly exuded its other-worldliness through the very absence of pop culture references of the day.  We never saw a TV set turned on in the original, and the wildest jukebox tune was "Back at the Blue Whale."  So when scenes are infected by the music of Barry White, The Carpenters, T. Rex, Iggy Pop, and Donovan, the film loses yet another layer of magical fantasy and becomes exasperatingly ordinary.

And despite the unceasing references to 1972, why does Angelique's wardrobe and hairstyle appear to be right out of any current CW sitcom?  My friend John quipped that "they could have at least given her Phyllis hair" (referring to the Cloris Leachman character's up-do with ringlets on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show").

There are cameos by original stars Kathryn Leigh Scott, Lara Parker, David Selby, and Jonathan Frid as anonymous guests at a mega-bash being thrown by Barnabas in the newly restored Collinwood.  It is lovely to see them (though bittersweet that it would be the final film appearance for Frid, who died last month at 87).  It is also jarring to encounter the party's live entertainment: '70s rocker Alice Cooper (Barnabas unwittingly thought he was hiring a charming female singer with a quaint name, a gag beyond stale).

I'll admit that the flashback depiction of 18th century Collinsport as a fishing town by the sea is pretty cool, albeit a retread of Burton's "Sweeney Todd."  Burton here, however, is not an artist, but a mere craftsman, pulling out the ol' helicopter for his signature sweeping aerial shots.  He should have known that well-crafted special effects will not save a film that is pointless and passionless, insulting to old fans and not entertaining to new audiences.  Nor is it a clever, funny parody, which could well have been, in the hands of talented comedy writers who actually understood and appreciated the original.  What it needs now is to be put out of its misery and into a chained coffin for the next 200 years.

The irony is that the orignal "Dark Shadows," despite its so-called "cheapo production values and campy melodrama," achieved something far more compelling, dramatic, funny, fun, entertaining, spooky, nuanced, memorable, and enduring than this buzillion-dollar dreck.

One star.

Ben, I give your review four stars!  What a lively reading experience!

I do quibble with a couple of your remarks though:

  But in no time and with little explanation, she and Barnabas develop a mutual romantic attraction so strong that she instantly accepts his vampirism and is willing to leap from Widows' Hill and become a vampire herself to spend eternity with him.

I don't believe Vicki did accept Barnabas's vampirism. When she sees him ignite and realizes what he is, she runs away from him.  She is afraid of him.  The only reason she jumps off Widows' Hill is because she's under a spell, like her predecessor.  Becoming a vampire isn't her choice either; it's the only way Barnabas can manage to save her.

Liz blackmails Roger Collins into abruptly departing Collinsport and abandoning his young son.

I had the impression that was more Barnabas's doing than Elizabeth's.  Either way, I felt it was a cop-out.  The writer simply didn't know what to do with Roger, and so he was written out.  I found it a disappointing turn of events.

And it is revealed that Vicki Winters and Maggie Evans -- the two leading ingenues in the original -- are now one-in-the-same person.

Personally, I thought that was a clever touch.  People here have joked so often about how the two women basically became the same imperiled ingenue character over time.  And it does resolve the problem of whether Vicki or Maggie ought to be Barnabas's "Josette."

The irony is that the orignal "Dark Shadows," despite its so-called "cheapo production values and campy melodrama," achieved something far more compelling, dramatic, funny, fun, entertaining, spooky, nuanced, memorable, and enduring than this buzillion-dollar dreck.

Amen!

ProfStokes

I will write a lenthy review; however, I loved it.

I loved Johnny's homage to JF with his the way he pronunced his words much like Jonathan. I loved the fact that Victoria Winters and Maggie Evans are one and the same. So very clever!  I love the fact that Angelique sent "a werewolf" to bite Carolyn.  HMMMM...wonder who that werewolf could be.  I love that it seems the Collins family has a curse on it.  I loved the ending with the vampiric Hoffman. What a great twist for future sequels.  I thought the films was lavish with beautiful sets and surrounding. 

I am sure everyone I now know what people thought was awful with Julia and Barnabas but being a huge JULIA fan I thought it was sort of hysterical! 

I love that they took the line almost word for word about changing Victoria to Vicki.

There were only about four original viewers (judging from age) in my theater. I think we had about 70 in a 150 theater which is good for KY. 

Everyone seemed to love the movie. I thought it struck a perfect tone between funny, campy, dramatic and wonderful.  I think it has great potential for spin off's!

Will Victoria want to be a vampire?  Will Julia seek her revenge? Will Quentin come to Collinwood and help Carolyn through her struggle. The Carolyn thing I totally did not see coming. Now we know why the David said what he said.  It made perfect sense!

I think it would be wise to let Angelique stay gone and bring in a new evil to fight. 

Was it the original. No! But I did not want it to be and I will not compare it to the original of the re-imaginings!

For a movie called Dark Shadows it was perfect to me. I give it an 8 and that is only for not having the original theme. However, it was great having Cobert's music peppered in some of the parts of the music.

I adored the movie and I am happy I liked it. 

I am too tired to see what ever one else says; however, I was pretty much knew I would love the movie because I never compare one version to another.

Johnny Depp honored Frid in such an amazing way.  ANNA clapped when the originals came on the screen and of course the four others joined in with us. The guy behind me said that is the original Barnabas and I told him and Angelique, Quentin, and Maggie. We also got a big kick out of MISS JOHNSON!  SO HYSTERICALLY FUNNY!  I loved her.

It was lush, the sets were amazing, and the ending was WONDERFUL!  I hope that the movie generates much cash and we get more DS in the future!!!

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it! Did I mention I loved it?  For me, there isn't much to complain about. I loved the movie from beginning to end. 

I also loved that Angelique came clean at the end. And I loved the spell she cursed B with. 

I am glad construction workers found him and not Loomis again! 

Good work, Johnny, Tim and Seth!


I am just glad it wasn't like HODS where B was nothing short of a monster!!

More later....

Goodnight cousin!

Thumbs up.

Amanda, just a line to say that I found your review utterly fascinating!  and not just because you quote me, lol. 

Ben and Taeylor and others, I look forward to reading your reviews soon!

Best, G.

New interview with SGS. He says there was like a whole movie that was deleted from the final version. Look forward in seeing that! http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/167375-excl-seth-grahame-smith-on-adapting-dark-shadows