Tim Burton's Dark Shadows

[BestGirl]

I don't care how bad Burton's recent movies have been; none of them can reach the level of awfulness that GL achieved. That movie seriously seemed like it was put together by amateurs.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Damn... does every thread on this board somehow lead back to Green Lantern giving everyone bowel cancer?

 

[Call Me Darkman]

The marketing is going to go nuts in March.

Let's hope that's true.

 

[ddddeeee]

Going by Burton's recent movies, this will be too.

Sweeney Todd was a whopping four years ago.

Of his four last movies, three have over 80% on RT.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

Burton hasn't made a bad film technically... He just simply chooses the wrong projects at times.

Alice in Wonderland is the only Burton film I have ever walked away from feeling slightly disappointed, but I squarely place the blame at Linda Woolverton's script. He should never have gotten involved.

 

[Sawyer]

Me, everyday I don't get a trailer:[YT]5_2IR454jQg[/YT]

 

[Octoberist]

Burton hasn't made a bad film technically... He just simply chooses the wrong projects at times.

Alice in Wonderland is the only Burton film I have ever walked away from feeling slightly disappointed, but I squarely place the blame at Linda Woolverton's script. He should never have gotten involved.

You're right to a certain degree; he hasn't made an offensively bad film. But he has been going through the motions for too long that it has left me jaded. His Wonka was utterly devoid of life while the original, in it's dated glory, is strangely more timeless and soulful.

 

[Homer J. Fong]

Burton hasn't made a bad film technically... He just simply chooses the wrong projects at times.

Alice in Wonderland is the only Burton film I have ever walked away from feeling slightly disappointed, but I squarely place the blame at Linda Woolverton's script. He should never have gotten involved.

I do think Planet of the Apes is a bad movie, even if it's not a disaster. As so often happens, it's been made out to be much worse than it is; at least it has Rick Baker's make-up and the performances of Tim Roth and Helena Bonham Carter, both very good. That was a case of him choosing the wrong project; if it was more than a "director for hire" gig, if he had anything to bring to it, we didn't see it in the finished product. Beyond that, I actually don't think he has chosen the wrong projects: Big Fish was a surprise because it wasn't the kind of macabre high fantasy we'd expect from him, but it turned out beautifully. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Well, apparently it's sacrilege to attempt another take on that book, but the film itself I really enjoy - Burton's sensibility fit with Doal's well. Corpse Bride was Burton's movie, and I think it's a very good, possibly great, one. Sweeney Todd was somewhat of a surprise, too, but I think that's a masterpiece, one of his very best movies. Alice in Wonderland was a disappointment, but, as with Planet of the Apes but even more, it's been blown up to seem like a terrible atrocity devoid of any positive attributes, which it's not. Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, and Helena Bonham Carter were great (and Alan Rickman too, in what's basically a cameo), and there's plenty of eye candy (I don't really get the knock that it's gaudy or ugly or that sort of thing). I was disappointed because I thought - and still do think - that it missed the subversive wit and energy of the Lewis Carroll stories. Tim Burton doing Alice in Wonderland? That sounded amazing! That sounded like the perfect marriage of director and material. And I still want to see that movie - because I don't think we got it. It feels like a piece of studio product more than a real Tim Burton movie, and I don't really know how that happened. But I kind of want to think that is what happened, because I don't want to think as little as, "Boy, Burton really blew it there." I was disappointed in how conventional and neat it was, how tidily it fit into that framework of "oppressed and bored Victorian girl finds herself and breaks out of societal restrictions." Okay, that's a clearer story, but it didn't have the emotional pull or the overall imagination that the really good Tim Burton movies have. It also didn't have the black comic edge that the really good Tim Burton movies have. The script does deserve some blame, but what I would say to that is it should have been rewritten more (perhaps by John August).

 

[jmc]

Only thing I liked about Burton's Apes was the make up work.

 

[Majik1387]

And the costuming.

 

[mongoose-mania]

I really liked Danny Elfman's score for Planet of the Apes. Other than that, the make-up, and some of the acting, I still think it's one of Burton's weakest movies.

 

[rayc1971]

That's the only thing that will make sense given how they haven't released any trailer yet.

that might not be a bad move! this might be better off in the winter like nov or dec! doesnt have summer blockbuster feel to me. jack the giant killer got pulled to next yr and it already had a trailer!

 

[ross2287]

I've seen the trailer!

I recently signed up for this consumer survey thing and they sent me this survey about movies. In addition to asking me questions about my anticipation of upcoming movies (The Avengers, The Dictator, What to Expect When You're Expecting, Dark Shadows) they showed a temp trailer for this movie.

There were watermarks all over it and it was noted that music in the trailer might not be music used in the final. But it starts with Percy Faith's "Theme from a Summer Place" and ends with "People are Strange" by the Doors.

The first time we see Depp, his mouth is literally soaked with blood but it's definitely being marketed as a kind of comedy--after we see Depp for the first time, we hear a car and Depp shouts to it, "Show yourself Satan!"

Some other funny moments in the trailer are when Depp tells Green "You may strategically place your wonderful lips upon my posterior and kiss it repeatedly". Depp's delivery was great.

Another fantastic delivery by Depp was when he finds out Moretz is 15. He responds, "And no husband? You must put those birthing hips to good use at once lest your womb shrivel up and die." The way he delivers it is hilarious and actually made me laugh out loud.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

That is fantastic news... I'm glad Depp is hitting the right tone.

Any Michelle in the trailer?

 

[CConn]

I liked CATCF myself. I liked they he made Willy Wonka more strange than friendly, and the whole subplot of Wonka's childhood enriched the film quite a bit, IMO.

I never really saw the hate for Planet of the Apes. I really need to watch it again, though. I saw it when I was 12, and I think before I even saw the original, but I don't really recall one offensively bad thing about it. Except for changing the ending.

I was pretty wholly letdown by Alice in Wonderland. All that movie made me want to do was to go back and rewatch the much better Disney version of the story.

Oh, and I hated Mars Attacks! I really didn't find anything about that movie enjoyable.

The one Burton movie

 

[ross2287]

That is fantastic news... I'm glad Depp is hitting the right tone.

Any Michelle in the trailer?

From the trailer, this might be my new favourite Depp character in a Burton movie. And yes, there's a bit of Michelle but definitely not enough! She looks great, though.

 

[ross2287]

Oh gosh guys, I just got to see a completely different cut of footage for a trailer. This one is probably more of a full-length where the previous was a teaser.

I'll give a kind of shot-by-shot description:

Spoiler

It starts with Depp narrating. He explains how he is cursed by a jealous witch (Eva Green) who destroyed all that he loves. Green turns him into a vampire and has him put in a chained coffin and buried by villagers for eternity. Coffin opens, Depp comes out and yawns Depp asks future dweller Jackie Earle Haley what is the year and learns it is 1972. Then Depp sees a McDonald's sign and a toy troll with a shocked face.

Depp goes to the Collins Mansion and meets his family. Helena Bonham Carter's character says "Who the hell is this?" Depp replies "I am a vampire madam" Jonny Lee Miller's character says "Yeah".

Depp cleans his fangs in the bathroom with a toothbrush and we see he has no reflection in the mirror. Chloe Moretz says "He's not staying with us forever, is he?" Her little brother interjects "I like him". Michelle Pfeiffer says "Welcome home Barnabas Collins", then Moretz slams door shut with KEEP OUT sign.

Depp sees television and says "What sorcery is this?" He then goes around and rips open back panel yelling "Reveal yourself tiny songstress!" Moretz says to Depp "Are you stoned or something?" (This bit was hilarious)

Eva Green's character Angelique walks in. Depp says "Her name summons vomit to the recesses of my mouth" (made me laugh out loud again). Green replies "Oooh no one talks like you anymore Barnabas".

Depp explains that Green is the witch who killed the woman he loves and cursed him to be a hideous creature and asks Green "What is it you want?" Green rips off her shirt and Depp stares at her breasts and says "I must admit they have not aged a day". Green slides her bottom on piano, lays back on couch and Depp growls. Green spins her head around while giving an evil smile. Helena Bonham Carter's character asks "Is she for real" and Depp replies "Indeed" and puts his head down on organ keys playing high pitched note.

A train is moving then a ghostly appearance of Bella Heathcote's character appears and says "She's coming". Voice over says "I don't know what it is, there's always been something funny here pulling me to you". The real life Josette walks in. Depp stands up and says "Josette". The little brother character says "That's freaky" Bella Heathcote says to Depp "I feel like I've known you forever".

Green says "If I can't have you, I'll destroy you and your family". Then the disco ball comes crashing down. Michelle Pfeiffer says to Depp "Fight on Barnabas, fight on for us" with scene of ambulance and burning building. Depp replies "And fight I shall" as he puts his open hand out and blows up building.

Green says "Love me" and Depp replies "Never". Green wrestles with Depp as they destroy room while getting it on. Green pins Depp to the ground and licks his chest and face with her abnormally long tongue. Depp, sitting in the destroyed room, says to Green "That was a regrettable turn of events"

Chloe Moretz says "I guess the only thing missing is Alice Cooper". Depp replies that "She [meaning Alice Cooper] should be our guest". Scene showing Alice Cooper singing and Depp says "ugliest woman I've ever seen".

The Alice Cooper jokes were pretty funny.

It's obvious that they're stumped with how to market this. But, I'm extremely excited for this now.

 

[Sawyer]

Would you say the trailer was more humor than horror, or were they pretty evenly matched?

 

[ross2287]

Would you say the trailer was more humor than horror, or were they pretty evenly matched?

Sadly, there's not a lot of horror in either of them. The first one I saw had that shot of a super-bloody Depp and another scene of (I think) Green using her magic to open a curtain that let sunlight hit Depp. He kind of shrieked in horror.

Other than that, there's not much. For what it's worth though, the humour seems somewhat typical of the Burton/Depp humour and that's not a bad thing, in my opinion.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Thanks ross for the info. Sounds great.

 

[Lasirius]

Finally some news about the trailer! This movie does exist after all.

 

[terry78]

Yeah, I can sense kind of a Chocolate Factory/Sweeney Todd thing going on with the humor. Burton knows how to be funny, I will always give him that.

 

[mongoose-mania]

I admit, while those trailer descriptions didn't really sound like the old show, the jokes still gave me a good, actual laugh. My only worry is that the whole "Barnabas in 1972" thing will get old after a while, which I hope won't be the case. But I'm glad to hear they're doing something for this movie. I'm starving for news, here.

 

[ross2287]

Imagine, if you will, the social awkwardness of Depp's Willy Wonka (with none of the Michael Jackson comparisons) and Ichabod Crane mixed with his intensity as Sweeney Todd. That's how Barnabas comes off in the trailers. Now, I've never seen the show so I don't know if that's accurate as far as the television show but for the trailer/this movie, it seems to work.

 

[Crockett]

Hmm, they seem to inserting a lot humor into the movie but it's something I don't mind, it could work having some distinction between the other shows but since they did mentioned there's a lot of elements I wouldn't worried that it'll be a heavily comedic movie. Humor may just be one focused aspect if now WB are going to marketing it somehow.