Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS Is In Release!!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Hope you'll get yours on time, MB!

The package is already in my state - so at least that's a good sign. 

So, of those who've received it already, what do you think of it?

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows played in US theaters for at least 161 days/23 weeks!!

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is now out on DVD/Blu-ray!!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

My copy arrived late yesterday. I've only had the chance to glance through about half of it, but to say I love what I've seen so far would be an understatement. And even though there are many photos that we've seen, there seem to be many more that we haven't (including the original concept drawing of the outside of Collinwood, which I almost prefer to the design that we did get). And there are also some photos from the original show and NoDS (none from hoDS - at least not yet - though that's just as well as far I'm concerned). 

I definitely look forward to glancing through the rest once I get the chance. And then, of course, actually sitting down to read the book. (But none of that will happen today because I need to find an SMF 2.0 Christmas Theme for the forum - and once I do I'll probably need to tweak it.)

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows played in US theaters for at least 161 days/23 weeks!!

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is now out on DVD/Blu-ray!!

[retzev]

We can live another day without a christmas theme, MB. Take a break already, read the book!

[Cousin_Barnabas]

I am definitely going to look into getting a copy of this at some point, as I really want to see the original concepts, etc.

As an aside, I'd urge everyone to listen to the Prologue track at a slower speed and see if you hear anything familiar.  I came to the realization today that another piece of DS music may have influenced part of this track.  Give it a listen on "slow" and see if you pick up on anything that sounds familiar.  I can hear influence from two famous DS musical compositions, and I want to see if anybody picks up on them... or else find out that I am crazier than I thought.   

[michael c]

i just picked up the book yesterday and really haven't had the chance to go through it yet but it looks very well done.


i still have very ambivalent feelings about the film but this seems like a nice thing to have. interesting in it's own right.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

In more DVD(Blu-ray) news, I see where the weekend entertainment shows Kickin' It and Star Watch featured their DS film in the DVD release segments.

Kickin' It ran that segment with Michelle Pfeiffer again this weekend. Though as I said the other day, if shows like ES.TV and now Kickin' It want to continue to promote the film, especially during the holiday shopping season, who are we to complain? 

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows played in US theaters for at least 161 days/23 weeks!!

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is now out on DVD/Blu-ray!!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Take a break already, read the book!

I probably would be now that the Christmas theme is in place - but I took it to a friend's house over the weekend just to show him how nice it is but ended up leaving it there so he could read it. I'll probably get it back at the weekend.

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows played in US theaters for at least 161 days/23 weeks!!

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is now out on DVD/Blu-ray!!

[Nelson Collins]

I missed DS in the theater.  I'd planned to see it but got cold feet at the last minute.  After the DVD release, I found it at a very reasonable price on Amazon, so I decided to complete my DS collection:

Things I liked:
[spoiler]The telescoping of Barn’s curse story.

Michelle Pfeiffer – IMO easily the best thing about the film.

Coming right out with Barn as a vampire and Elizabeth’s reaction/acceptance to it.  I found myself imagining Frid and Bennett having this scene.

I actually really liked the idea of Vickie actually being Maggie Evans taking an assumed name, since orphan looking for her parents story was abandoned. It worked for me.

Loved Collinwood (before and after its restoration).

Wasn’t sure about the ending (and it’s always a bit lame to throw in the creaky  “instant vampire just drain victim dry” plot (I mean really, if that was all it took, there would be a couple dozen construction worker and hippie vamps running around) but I did feel happy that Barn was finally reunited with Josette.

Christopher Lee!

Nice twist on the cure plot.

I liked that Angelique owned a competing cannery in the present.

Johnny Lee Miller as a really nasty piece of work Roger.

Windcliff!!!

The TV Cast Cameo!!!! Squee![/spoiler]

Things I didn’t like:
[spoiler]The story focused on Barn and Ang to the near total exclusion of all the other characters in the story.  The writer seemed to assume no one would be interested in anyone else.  This disappointed me.

Carolyn as a werewolf – huh??

HBC as Julia (OMG, did she really give Barn a blow job?!?!).  She was okay with what she was given, but unfortunately was rather poorly served with her part in the script.

Despite liking what they did with the concept Vickie/Maggie, she, like Julia got lost in a script too top heavy with Barn and Ang.

The sex scene – ew. Just … ew.

Eva Green as Angelique – badly miscast and poorly acted.

And while on the subject of Angelique – what was the deal with her cracking and literally falling to pieces?  I didn’t get that at all.

Depp’s make up, esp. the fingernails.

Most of Barn’s dialogue – the joke got very old, very quickly.

Maggie’s parents sent her off to a sanitarium because she has an imaginary friend?  Don’t many kids have imaginary friends at some point in their lives?  Didn’t buy that at all.

The final scene, telegraphed by Julia’s fangs during her death scene much earlier in the film, was rather limp.  I had actually kept expecting vamp Julia to show up.
[/spoiler]

[Mysterious Benefactor]

It's been a while but finally more new screen caps and set ups have been posted to the film's Complete This Phrase / Fill In The Blank(s) board. Just be careful of spoilers if you haven't already seen the film. 

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows played in US theaters for at least 161 days/23 weeks!!

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is now out on DVD/Blu-ray!!

[michael c]

@nelson collins...


i first saw the film so many months ago it's still interesting to read a fresh review.


while much has been made of the vicki/maggie character merging(of which i'm not a fan)not much has been said(at this board at least)about the fact that the character(whoever she was)wasn't really in the film much at all for it's putative "heroine".

after her strong opening scenes she didn't get much screentime. it's funny because they took the trouble to create this very convoluted backstory for her, with ghosts and institutionalizations and elaborate escapes and pseudonyms, and then promptly wrote her into the background of the main plot. it's almost like they knew that the "josette" angle, a governess and the business with the train were critical parts of series lore but otherwise they had no intention of fleshing it out. or was it supposed to be a bigger part that fell victim in the cutting room?

while "we" understand the importance of the josette figure the viewer new to the story probably didn't get what the big deal with her was.


then bella heathcote was underplayed in most of the promotional material. even on the DVD box the other four actresses appear but not her. it's a strange element of this variation of the tale.

[michael c]

i'll also add that after watching the film a few times on DVD that of the three OS characters merged...victoria, maggie and josette...heathcote's performance was not really evocative of any of them...

she created her own characterization. it's not a bad thing just different.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Kickin' It did a totally different segment this weekend for the DS DVD/Blu-ray. This latest one featured clips from the film and behind the scenes along with an interview with Johnny Depp.

The repeat promotions continue because this past weekend Kickin' It repeated that October installment with Depp.

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows played in US theaters for at least 161 days/23 weeks!!

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is now out on DVD/Blu-ray!!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Another batch of new screen caps and set ups have been posted to the film's Complete This Phrase / Fill In The Blank(s) board. And as always, if you haven't already seen the film, be careful of spoilers. 

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows played in US theaters for at least 161 days/23 weeks!!

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is now out on DVD/Blu-ray!!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I haven't been checking out the store flyers lately because I've finished all my Christmas shopping, including more than enough "gifts" from myself to myself - and I don't need to be tempted to buy anything else.    But I was in Target this morning picking up a few normal things and noticed that the Depp/DS film's DVD (not the Blu-ray or DVD/Blu-ray Combo) is on sale this week for $9, so I thought I'd pass it along. 

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows played in US theaters for at least 161 days/23 weeks!!

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is now out on DVD/Blu-ray!!

[KMR]

more than enough "gifts" from myself to myself

HA!  That was me on Black Friday!  I blame it all on the retailers, because they were practically giving away Blu-rays!