Dark Shadows (2012)

[RCMerchant]

On the plus side-Johnathan Frid has a bit part-as does Chritopher Lee and Alice Cooper.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1077368/fullcredits#cast

But-geez-Depp looks like a poof as Barnabas.

[HappyGilmore]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKbAEmvZyKQ

Tim Burton says, and I quote: "Anybody who knows me knows that I would never read a comic book."  Which, to most, explains Batman.

[Allhallowsday]

I'm looking forward to it, but don't have much in the way of expectations (I think ED WOOD might be the only TIM BURTON film I genuinely like, though I've not seen BIG FISH).  Contrary to what Indy wrote, I love HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS (just watched it again recently on TCM and started a thread about it.)  I, too, grew up watching the original series, and watched reruns in two different decades and each time the series got creakier and creakier... and not in any kind of good way.  It was not aired live, but shot "live" and it's cringeworthy watching the actors forget their lines, stammering, the camera slipping off shot to show behind the sets (even crew members walking around) and being a daily soap, prolonged and really corny.  Still love it.  I even watched the early '90s revival (z'okay). 

[HappyGilmore]

I'm looking forward to it, but don't have much in the way of expectations (I think ED WOOD might be the only TIM BURTON film I genuinely like, though I've not seen BIG FISH).  Contrary to what Indy wrote, I love HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS (just watched it again recently on TCM and started a thread about it.)  I, too, grew up watching the original series, and watched reruns in two different decades and each time the series got creakier and creakier... and not in any kind of good way.  It was not aired live, but shot "live" and it's cringeworthy watching the actors forget their lines, stammering, the camera slipping off shot to show behind the sets (even crew members walking around) and being a daily soap, prolonged and really corny.  Still love it.  I even watched the early '90s revival (z'okay). 

Big Fish is a pretty great movie, regardless of the director.  If you have an opportunity to catch it by any means, take it.  Will not be disappointed.

[RCMerchant]

I'm with Hallows on this regarding Tim Burton-Ed Wood is the only filn of his I enjoyed-with the exception of PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE.
It seems to me he always had style over substance.
I throughly enjoyed the film HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS-and even the non-Barnabus filn NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS.

Trivia time-
The facial appliances used by John Chambers on Jonathan Frid as Old Barnabus in HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS (1974) were actually created for Dustin Hoffman in LITTLE BIG MAN (1970)!

Johnathan Frid as Old Barnabus.....


...and Dustin Hoffman  as Jack Crabb in LITTLE BIG MAN (1970)!

[Mofo Rising]

Mofo,

While your feelings are a bit stronger than mine, we seem to be on similar wavelengths. I've always thought as you do, that he is a waste not because he is talentless, but because he IS talented. And yes, I agree that Big Fish shows what he is capable of. I have similar feelings about Ed Wood, but not to the extent of Big Fish.

I may have been a bit harsher than I meant to be, but I still think my criticisms are still valid.

To be fair, I still enjoy most Tim Burton films, even the lazy ones (although I had to turn off his Willy Wonka adaptation).

I think he's a victim of auteur-worship. I do like his own personal style, but it seems all he does these day is style over substance films. The people around him eat it up.

Compare him to Neil Gaiman. Gaiman explores much of the same territory that Burton treads, but Gaiman comes across as a singularly level-headed human being. Not that I think everything Gaiman does is great, but I respect him as a person.

I like "artistes" when they have the talent to back up their pretensions. But the people I like are the "artisans," the people who get right down into the nitty-gritty of artistic creation. Not for "Art" but just "art." The people in Henry Selick's studio all fit this mold, a man I respect more than Burton.

[Jack]

I throughly enjoyed the film HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS-and even the non-Barnabus filn NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS.

I enjoyed House of Dark Shadows quite a bit too, but still haven't seen Night of Dark Shadows.  I see it's available for download from Amazon now, so maybe I'll check it out.

If there's one good thing that comes of this remake, hopefully it's that those two movies will finally get a DVD release.

[Flick James]

Mofo,

While your feelings are a bit stronger than mine, we seem to be on similar wavelengths. I've always thought as you do, that he is a waste not because he is talentless, but because he IS talented. And yes, I agree that Big Fish shows what he is capable of. I have similar feelings about Ed Wood, but not to the extent of Big Fish.

I may have been a bit harsher than I meant to be, but I still think my criticisms are still valid.

To be fair, I still enjoy most Tim Burton films, even the lazy ones (although I had to turn off his Willy Wonka adaptation).

I think he's a victim of auteur-worship. I do like his own personal style, but it seems all he does these day is style over substance films. The people around him eat it up.

Compare him to Neil Gaiman. Gaiman explores much of the same territory that Burton treads, but Gaiman comes across as a singularly level-headed human being. Not that I think everything Gaiman does is great, but I respect him as a person.

I like "artistes" when they have the talent to back up their pretensions. But the people I like are the "artisans," the people who get right down into the nitty-gritty of artistic creation. Not for "Art" but just "art." The people in Henry Selick's studio all fit this mold, a man I respect more than Burton.

Good observation. I went to high school with Jerome Ranft, who has since gone on to work on a lot of Tim Burton and Pixar movies as a sculptor. Watch any Tim Burton movie from about The Nightmare Before Christmas on, or any Pixar movie from about A Bug's Life on and you're likely to see his name in the credits. Incidentally, his older brother Joe Ranft was heavily involved with Pixar and was killed in a car crash before Cars was released, and if you watch the credits you'll see that the movie was dedicated to him.

Anyway, I talked to Jerome when he was first getting involved with Tim Burton and he kind of indicated that he was a very cool guy, but that he is essentially surrounded by people who endlessely placate his style. Everybody, major A-list actors even, when they are around him become almost sychophantic. That kind of environment would do that to almost anybody.

[Allhallowsday]

...Trivia time-
The facial appliances used by John Chambers on Jonathan Frid as Old Barnabus in HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS (1974) were actually created for Dustin Hoffman in LITTLE BIG MAN (1970)...!

HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS is the same year as LITTLE BIG MAN: 1970

[RCMerchant]

...Trivia time-
The facial appliances used by John Chambers on Jonathan Frid as Old Barnabus in HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS (1974) were actually created for Dustin Hoffman in LITTLE BIG MAN (1970)...!

HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS is the same year as LITTLE BIG MAN: 1970

DOH! Of course! As I has sed be'fo-I is an idiot. 

[Allhallowsday]

...Trivia time-
The facial appliances used by John Chambers on Jonathan Frid as Old Barnabus in HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS (1974) were actually created for Dustin Hoffman in LITTLE BIG MAN (1970)...!

HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS is the same year as LITTLE BIG MAN: 1970

DOH! Of course! As I has sed be'fo-I is an idiot. 

Well, you're my favorite idiot then.  Raffine had recently pointed out the mask re-use on my HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS thread. 

[RCMerchant]

...Trivia time-
The facial appliances used by John Chambers on Jonathan Frid as Old Barnabus in HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS (1974) were actually created for Dustin Hoffman in LITTLE BIG MAN (1970)...!

HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS is the same year as LITTLE BIG MAN: 1970

DOH! Of course! As I has sed be'fo-I is an idiot. 

Well, you're my favorite idiot then.  Raffine had recently pointed out the mask re-use on my HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS thread. 

Well-I'm proud to know Raffine knew it too! 

[claws]

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upSANQs12p0&feature=youtu.be

[Silverlady]

I loved the Dark Shadows series when it ran on tv and watched it faithfully.  Looking back on it now, even with it's falling apart sets, flubbed lines, forgotten lines, and sometimes hysterically funny overacting,  it was still so much fun.

When I first heard it was going to made into a feature film, I thought ... cool.  But after having recently seen the trailer, I don't know.  Johnny Depp's "Barnabas Collins" looks like a Goth style version of Willy Wonka with a little bit of Uncle Fester thrown in.  And he still sounds like "Jack Sparrow" to me, only with a more refined accent.

On one hand I would like to see the film, but I have a strong feeling I'm going to be very disappointed.   

[Jack]

...brain broke...