Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS Is In Release!!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Another "must" quote:

1972 - Barnabas: 'You must have faith, doctor - for if a man
can become a monster, than a monster can become a man.'

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Here’s what’s leaving HBO Max in September:
SEPTEMBER 30:
Dark Shadows, 2012 (HBO)

[The Doctor and K9]

Seth Graham-Smith's revision of John August's script for Dark Shadows can be downloaded at the link below. This version of the script is significantly different from the final shooting script.

https://archive.org/details/dark-shadows-2012-script

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Can't wait to read it, especially to see if it's close to bits that have leaked online...
Thanks so much for sharing, The Doctor and K9. 

Between this and the Mark B. Perry interview, today has turned out to be a great day...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I only got the chance to read the first 10 pages before I had to do something else. But even just those pages confirmed something we'd suspected, and that is that the artwork on page 102 of the Dark Shadows Visual Companion depicts a scene from the prologue that featured Thomas McDonell's version of Barnabas (it's on pages 2 & 3 of the script). And even though that scene isn't in the film, because of tweets made to twitter in September of 2011, we know McDonell did indeed shoot his material for the film. So, chances are that scene or some version of it remained in the shooting script.

Another thing that's interesting is that originally Victoria did the voiceover. We knew that as late as April of 2012 a new voiceover had been written by Grahame-Smith and recorded by Depp. But we had no idea that Victoria had once done the voiceover, or at least that it was planned for her to do it...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I just read up through page 36 as I was having my lunch. So far it's quite close to the finished film, though it's impossible to tell what are John August's and what are Seth Grahame-Smith's contributions. I suspect up to this point, most things are John August's - though what's missing from this script makes clear certain things that Grahame-Smith changed and/or added later...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Today I had the chance to get up to page 68, a little past halfway in the script, and more and more I'm surprised by how closely this earlier version of the script resembles the finished film. Maybe I'm going to find major differences as I get through the second half, but not so far. Sure, there are some differences (I actually like how this version deals with the "tiny songstress) instance more than what they did in the final film, though I don't dislike what they ultimately ended up doing - but this version is more subtle). And it's interesting to come across scenes that were alluded to either in the film or publicity - scenes that help to flesh things out a bit more. So, I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the script. But as I said before, it seems to me like most of what I've read so far is John August's work, so it doesn't appear that at the point this version was done Seth Grahame-Smith had made very many changes. But as I said, maybe they're going to show up more in the second half...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I haven't had a chance to read any more of the script because I've been busy doing other things. But when it comes to the portion I've already read, I forgot to mention that the favorite thing I've learned so far from the cut scenes is just why Barnabas doesn't restore the Old House as he does in every other version of DS. To say the least, there's an excellent reason and I won't spoil it for those who haven't read the script...

[KMR]

Seth Graham-Smith's revision of John August's script for Dark Shadows can be downloaded at the link below. This version of the script is significantly different from the final shooting script.

https://archive.org/details/dark-shadows-2012-script

OMG. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Can't wait to read it. (But of course what I am REALLY itching to read is August's original version before Grahame-Smith got involved...)

[B.Collins]

did anyone here like the film at all? i went in knowing it was a comedy and enjoyed it more that way than had i went in looking for a serious film.

[dom]

I loved it. Especially the Barnabas' life recap, which I thought that was brilliantly (and beautifully) done. Loved Eva Green as Angelique and I loved what they did with the character all the way through. I'd rather have seen different actors in the parts of Barnabas (I couldn't see past Depp) and Julia (WTF?). But overall I thought it was a fabulous movie - not Dark Shadows as we knew it - but shit, that would be impossible. No one should have expected that.

[B.Collins]

i loved it too after hearing how bad it was from various people i went in with low expectations and i was surprised to enjoy it as much as i did. i think Depp should have played it more Serious than he did the film would have worked a tad better i think. but by the time i saw it i knew it was a comedy, now  than you have the buffy film where you have fans of the show hate the film thinking it's gonna be a Serious film like the show. 

well that was promoted back in (1992) as a comedy and it was a comedy and that's also  a favorite film of mine as well. i do think the DS film the tone is all over the place. it can't make up if it wants to be serious or a comedy, i'd love to see a Sequel but not with Burton doing it. 

[Uncle Roger]

I enjoyed the film. I saw it eight times in the theater. But I knew what I was getting from the beginning. It's far less a Dark Shadows movie than it is a Tim Burton movie. By that, I mean that it looks gorgeous and is largely well cast but there isn't much of a story. After Barnabas is released from his coffin, the scenes just go from one to another until the big special effects finale. There's a lot of wasted screen time. It's established early on that Barnabas is a fish out of water in 1972 but by the time we get to the "tiny songstress" bit, the point has been made. It was very nice of Burton to give Christopher Lee a part but that bit could easily have been removed without hurting the film.
I never quite understood why so many people seem to hate the movie so much. Because it wasn't like the series? Well, it was never going to be like the series. It was not made for hard-core fans. DS fans are undeniably loyal but are not particularly well organized. The movie was targeted at an audience that was not overly familiar with DS. That audience seemed to enjoy it.
A lot of fans make a big deal about the small parts for the original series actors. I thought that it was great that he used them at all. After all, Burton didn't want Adam West anywhere near his Batman movies. Did Burton make significant changes to DS lore? Sure. But that's not unusual for him. He is not noted for being faithful to source material.  Again, see Batman. Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a far more respected piece than Dark Shadows and look at the changes that Burton made to that

[B.Collins]

1stly i love Burton's batman films with Returns (1992) being my all time favorite Batman film of all time.  Jack is my Joker cause he is true the original Joker from the 40's which is what he was going for i think? sure some of Jack's Personality was put into his performance but it was needed for that type of role i think.
anyways, as for the DS film. i don't think anyone expected it to be 100%  faithful like the show regardless who made it. they did not expect it to be a f... comedy either they expected it i think to be a serious film like the show and that i do get,  had i not known ahead of time that it was a comedy and went in with that mindset too i think i would have hated it. 

i like the idea that they made it in (1972) a year after the show went off the air.  the culture of the times the hippie movement and such was very well done. it was a really damn good looking film too. i wish the Original cast did have far bigger parts than they did, part of what hurts the film is that while i didn't mind Depp as Barnabas what hurts it is he's in on the joke. if he would as i said played it straight and it would have felt more natural i think, the tone is also all over the place as well. Depp in recent years is known for doing really weird Characters unlike back in the day when he would be really creative, part of the reason that hurts his performance is he shows his characters that he wants to do on the way he wants to do them rather to his young kids.

i read an interview he said that a few years back,  i do think that the film should have been more serious than having it be a comedy that would i think have gained more fans and it wouldn't be considered one of Burton's worst films if he would have made a serious film. i actually do want to see a sequel to it but have it be a serious film this time around but with a different writer though. i think someone told me that Burton on purpose pissed the hardcore fans off with his fans i dunno if that is true or not. but if he did why even make the film at all? Burton and Depp did it cause they were kids when it was on the air back in the day and they watched it back than too. yet Burton went in a direction i did not expect to see him go in that's why i think his film is hated so much

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I received an e-mail from Netflix today that DS 2012 will become available on the service tomorrow, January 1st:

(Click here for a 852X609 version)

When I first accessed the link it played the scene in which Liz introduces Barnabas to Julia, who wonders if he's for real. Then it switches to the graphic above.