Leave a comment

Comments 20

mimimanderly January 29 2012, 19:52:11 UTC
Squeee!!! I can't wait! I used to be a big fan of Dark Shadows when I was growing up. It was before VCRs, so if I had to miss an episode for a school function, I had my mother record it on my tape recorder, so that I could at least HEAR what happened. (Yes, I'm dating myself.) And, of course, Tim Burton makes anything better! I only wish HE had had a chance at Harry Potter!

Reply

clairvoyant January 29 2012, 20:12:59 UTC
Squee, indeed! I can't wait, either. I too am a fan from way back when. My mother used to watch Dark Shadows, and I would simultaneously scream and giggle when Barnabas was onscreen.

Have you seen this cast photo from Entertainment Weekly? Johnny Depp is really channeling Jonathan Frid. And check out HBC -- Tim Burton's other muse -- on the left.

And who's to say that in ten years or so Tim Burton won't get his hands on HP. There's a Spiderman remake being released this year, ten years after Tobey Maguire portrayed the iconic webslinger.

Reply


teddyradiator January 29 2012, 20:39:06 UTC
*wrings hands* I'm just not feeling it, I'm afraid.

I will have to give this one some thought. I actually loved Ben Cross' version in the short-lived revived series in the early 1990's. I sort of like the not-handsome cragginess of Jonathan Frid, as well.

Johnny Depp seems a bit androgynous for me here. And his makeup is too Willy Wonka/Mad Hatter/Edward Scissorhands/Sweeney Todd for me.

I hate to be a killjoy, but I'm just not feeling the love here. Sorry to disagree, and I hate to be the odd one out. I will watch it, though. I adored Sweeney Todd, aside from the obvious reasons, and I admire Tim Burton as a very innovative and creative director, so I'll keep an open mind, for sure.

Reply

clairvoyant January 29 2012, 21:16:55 UTC
Everything you said is true. From his eyes to his lips and down to his fingernails, his look has a touch of androgyny. But in comparison to Edward Cullen's overly pretty vampire, I prefer this look. He's still handsome JD, but with a gloss of Max Schreck's Nosferatu.

Thinking of other recent pop culture vampires, I didn't much care for Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, or any of the pretty vampires in Interview with the Vampire; overall, it was disappointing compared to the book. The movie didn't shy away from gore, but it wasn't all that gritty either.

That movie and the Twilight movies glamorize vampires, making them creatures to be admired rather than feared. Some of the best vampire characters would be repulsed by that admiration, the very ones with a huge streak of self-loathing and who regret the loss of their humanity. But there's a lot of entertainment to be gained from the wholly evil, indulgent vampires, too.

I love TB (and his irreverent films), JD (and his excellent acting), and DS(a throwback to my youth). This movie ( ... )

Reply

droxy January 30 2012, 03:49:34 UTC
Iz old skool... Every cosplayer will be doing -this- barnabas because it's Depp/Burton.

Wondering how Helena is gonna do as Doctor Hoffman. LOL

Reply

clairvoyant January 30 2012, 04:24:37 UTC
It's an improvement over the pretty boys and girls of Twilight.

Check out HBC and her neon orange hair in this cast photo. I'm sure she'll be her normally lovable, yet over the top self. :D

Reply


madeleone January 29 2012, 21:32:49 UTC
Squeees! I've said this before, (and like Mimi, am hopelessly dating myself by admitting this), but I am an original Dark Shadows groupie from the very beginning. I used to rush home from Jr. high to catch every episode. I never thought about it before, but I blame Barnabas Collins for my obsession for dark, snarky, mysterious, older men.

Will Johnny Depp do the character justice? I don't know, I do adore Johnny, so I can't wait to find out. I did read a couple years ago that he has had an eye on this role for years, and he himself was a huge fan of Jonathon Frid in the role of Barnabas. "Depp, who fought for years to make this movie, is one of those fans. “I do remember, very vividly, practically sprinting home from school in the afternoon to see Jonathan Frid play Barnabas Collins,” the actor says." (quote from 'Inside Movies' article) So hopefully that will inspire his performance.

Reply

clairvoyant January 30 2012, 02:21:33 UTC
It's weird to think that daytime soap operas are practically extinct. They were basically all the same, only the settings and character names were different. But a gothic soap opera with a strong historic component? That was different and so cool! I was in elementary school when DS was in its heyday, so I don't remember it all that well. Barnabas was a standout, however.

How will this latest incarnation turn out? Chances are it will be campy with TB at the helm, and that's perfectly fine with me. I loved what he did with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Willy Wonka was a beloved childhood movie for me. He lends such absurdity and fantasy to even the most ordinary of subjects.

Reply


pythia_delphi January 29 2012, 22:48:19 UTC
Give me Spike any day of the week and twice on Sundays. ;-) Or Christopher Lee's incarnations for that creepy attractiveness/revulsion combo.

Reply

clairvoyant January 30 2012, 02:31:40 UTC
I had Spike in mind when I was considering the anti-pretty boy!vampires. His quirky looks -- he's a sexy punk, right? -- were a great combination with his attractive/repulsive personality.

Christopher Lee? He was one of my favorites in the old horror films of the 1970s. That voice!

Reply

pythia_delphi January 30 2012, 17:07:22 UTC
He isn't pretty but he's hot with three 't's! And those cheekbones!

CL is sooo good at playing bad guys.

Reply


beffeysue January 30 2012, 00:45:05 UTC
I am a big fan of the original Dark Shadows, too! I've had this movie on my "to see" list ever since I found out Burton and Depp were making it.

Reply

clairvoyant January 30 2012, 02:33:05 UTC
It might end of being campy, but I don't care. I simply love the TB storytelling and his aesthetic statements, dark and weird.

Reply

droxy January 30 2012, 03:50:05 UTC
Icon win!

Reply

clairvoyant January 30 2012, 04:26:04 UTC
Thanks.

I wonder what the historically displaced vampire would think of the internet?

Reply


Leave a comment

Up