Dark Shadows (Tim Burton & Johnny Depp)

[jubei208]

I wish they did another film. Tim's own creation at least.

Burton. Depp. It's a collaboration that has yielded some striking results. And, in recent years, some significantly less striking ones. Which will their revisiting of classic television series Dark Shadows be? The first trailer provides a clue.

In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet-or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy...until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles.

Check the trailer below!

[MeineFolks'wagen]

This is probably the first time I've said this about a Depp/Burton movie - it looks absolutely horrible. They turned it into a comedy?? No thanks....

[20DYNAMITE07]

This is probably the first time I've said this about a Depp/Burton movie - it looks absolutely horrible. They turned it into a comedy?? No thanks....

I personally don't have a problem with them going for a comedy. Dark Shadows was pure schmaltz. I can't imagine it as anything more than a few laughs.

[MeineFolks'wagen]

I personally don't have a problem with them going for a comedy. Dark Shadows was pure schmaltz. I can't imagine it as anything more than a few laughs.

And I would agree, if I didn't think it looks like a *bad* comedy - it just looks really bad in my opinion.

[FlashRedGLS1.8T]

Not a Tim Burton fan. And this looks bad.

[NoDubJustYet]

Is it bad that I couldn't even finish the trailer?

99% of the time I enjoy Burton/Depp... but this looks AWFUL.

[FlashRedGLS1.8T]

Is it bad that I couldn't even finish the trailer?

Bad for them, good for you.

[EK20]

I will definitely give it a shot.

[demonmk2]

I'm swet'n some Eva Green in this one

[jubei208]

Just read this over at Twitchfilm.net
http://twitchfilm.com/news/2012/05/h...-the-shark.php

HAVE YOUR SAY: WHEN DID TIM BURTON JUMP THE SHARK?


by Peter Martin, May 8, 2012 8:37 PM

COMEDY, HAVE YOUR SAY, HORROR, USA & CANADA

The arrival of Tim Burton's Dark Shadows in theatres this week fills me with dread -- and not the good kind.

When Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Burton's feature directorial debut, burst on the scene in 1985, it was a blast of fresh air, a kiddie tale cleverly targeted at the demented adolescent yearning of young adults. Burton followed that up with Beetlejuice in 1988, the first full-blown manifestation of what has become his signature style: dark fantasies leavened by childish humor and adorned in sumptuously colorful costumes and production design, accompanied by Danny Elfman, a master of minor-chord musical scoring.

To greater or lesser extent, Burton has been reworking the styles, themes, and jokes from Beetlejuice ever since. He rescued Batman from the memory of the 60s TV show, explored the moody depths of twisted suburbia in Edward Scissorhands, remained deeply unhappy with Batman Returns, produced the exceptional The Nightmare Before Christmas, honored the cinematic work ethic in Ed Wood, desecrated 50s sci-fi classics in Mars Attacks!, and plunged into his deepest approximation of true horror in Sleepy Hollow.

Those were all fine, fascinating, often memorable efforts, all made in the studio system and all worthy of revisits. But the turning point in his career seems to have come with his ill-fated remake of Planet of the Apes in 2001.

For all of his skills as a visual storyteller, Burton could not do much of anything with Planet. Lacking a compelling reason for the remake -- other than the studio's desire to exploit a popular property -- and perhaps affected by a rushed production schedule, this was the first of Burton's pictures that felt like a job for hire.

Throughout the decade following that disappointment, I've found it increasingly difficult to enjoy Burton's work. His visual style remains distinctly his own, but his films lack the sparkle and energy that marked his earlier efforts. The fantasy of Big Fish feels lackadaisical, the whimsy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory comes across in a forced manner, and even Corpse Bride failed to engage completely.

Sweeney Todd and Alice in Wonderland continued this downward trend, and advance word on Dark Shadows has not been encouraging. Circumstances prevented me from attending an advance screening last night, so dim hope still prevails, but I can't say I look forward to his films anymore; they feel increasingly like the work of a creatively exhausted director who keeps making movies because studios like the profits that he makes them.

But maybe that's just me. What do you think? Are you still on board with Tim Burton? Do you think his best work lies ahead? Or do you believe he's run out of tricks? Should he continue working with Johnny Depp? Have your say in the comments below.

[EK20]

I can't say I completely (or even slightly) agree with that. I definitely think that Burton + Depp = Win.

[BlckBadged_SwissChee]

I can't say I completely (or even slightly) agree with that. I definitely think that Burton + Depp = Win.

Though I personally hate the Burton / Depp love affair, for some reason I want to see this movie. Probably because of the set/costume/make up. I love Sleepy Hollow strictly because of those reasons. I don't think watching it I have ever really followed the story/dialog.

[TurboZen]

Eva Green and I'm spent.

[pdoel]

I can't wait to see this movie. I have my tickets for Friday night.

[EK20]

I can't wait for tomorrow!

[Mike!]

Looks like it has the potential to be humorous and dark like Edward Scissorhands. If it turns out more like Sweeney Todd, I don't think I'll enjoy it as much.

Waiting for HBO or maybe on-demand.

[Oliver@triplezoom]

Saw this last night. It was pretty good. Not quite as dark as you might expect from Burton though.

And of course, I could watch Eva Green for hours.

[Lwize]

I saw it this morning.

Depp played Barnabas too straight. Only a few chuckles. Most opportunities for humor were wasted.
Burton & Depp already did creepy fish-out-of-water with Edward Scissorhands -- that was far superior.
Plot holes the size of Montana -- the movie played like a collection of scenes, with no coherent storyline.

[Vamped]

Just came back from watching this.........it was ok, I think Im tired of the whole Depp thing already, seems like every Burton film ends up being the same, Elfman doing the music, Depp as the main character, death everywhere, gloomy everything, just the same old thing film after film......

[mpalmarales]

La formula de pelicula basada en serie de TV, funciona. : Thumbup:

[DarkSideGTI]

I completely agree with that excerpt above. Burton hasn't made anything worth watching since Sleepy Hollow. We'll see if Frankenweenie lives up to the short made years ago, but I kind of doubt it.

[Voodoo.T]

The only movie I'm less excited to watch than this is that one about a bunch of pregnant chicks whining, based on some book. This looked bad and I, too, am over Burton/Depp. Frankenweenie looks to be yet another in the same vein of every other movie he's ever done.

[DarkSideGTI]

The only movie I'm less excited to watch than this is that one about a bunch of pregnant chicks whining, based on some book. This looked bad and I, too, am over Burton/Depp. Frankenweenie looks to be yet another in the same vein of every other movie he's ever done.

If given the choice I'd see the other one. At least Chris Rock is in it.

[ElixXxeR]

Just came back from watching this.........it was ok, I think Im tired of the whole Depp thing already, seems like every Burton film ends up being the same, Elfman doing the music, Depp as the main character, death everywhere, gloomy everything, just the same old thing film after film......

The only bit of this repetitiveness I don't mind - at all - is Elfman. He's consistently awesome.

[Vamped]

The only bit of this repetitiveness I don't mind - at all - is Elfman. He's consistently awesome.

I totally agree, huge fan of Danny, but lets do something different, Dark Shadows was more of an old school soundtrack...........

[EK20]

I finally saw Dark Shadows yesterday. Thoroughly enjoyed it. It really was a great movie. It really was all I was hoping it would be.