Dark Shadows (2012)

Having been a huge fan of the original Dark Shadows from the late 60s, it was with very real trepidation that I watched the Tim Burton, Johnny Depp remake.  I am not a fan of Tim Burton… most of his work is too comical for me.  I was very concerned that he would make this film silly and not respect the darkness of the original.  Another problem is that Johnny Depp is so one-dimensional.  He has the same mannerisms in almost every movie I have watched him in.  Don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed MANY of Depp’s films.  However, I didn’t like the idea that he would bring the same old thing to this remake.

I have to say, after watching the remake a few nights ago, I felt it was an OK remake.  Nothing great by any stretch of the imagination, but it was entertaining.  It was actually a little “darker” than I thought it would be.  I was also glad to see the cameo (although much too quick) of Jonathan Frid, David Shelby, Lara Parker, and Kathryn Leigh Scott!  I have seen over 120 hours of the original Dark Shadows thanks to Netflix, so I was wondering if the remake would be close too or follow the original.  In a few areas it did, but all in all it was very different and was its own story.  Barnabas Collins is freed from his 200-year-old coffin prison to try to bring the Collin’s name back to its original glory.  Several of the characters in this film are similar to the original characters, but without the substance of the original actors.  I can’t imagine that Louis Edmonds, the original Roger Collins would be impressed with what Burton did to that character.

Pure and simple, MOST of the characters in the remake were nothing like the original characters.  Having said that, I would still give the remake 3 stars.  Entertainment-wise it was OK.  There is a difference between a dark drama and a dark comedy… Burton’s version is more of a dark comedy.  The storyline of the remake is original and had a few things that are not traditional to a vampire story like the Depp-Barnabas walking around in the daylight.  The premiss is that Angelique (witch who cursed Barnabas to the dark life of a vampire) is now after 200 years the largest fishing merchant in Collinsport and nearly puts the Collins family out of business.  Barnabas must fight Angelique to restore the Collins to their proper spot at the top of the Collinsport food chain.  Give the trailer a watch and see if this is a film you might be interested in.  If you are a fan of the original, you will have to come to the party with a very open and forgiving mind.

Synopsis:

2012 (PG-13) 113 minutes

Tim Burton’s take on the cult gothic soap follows a centuries-old vampire as he returns to his now-crumbling estate to meet his modern descendants. But what he finds is a house full of secrets and shadows.

DarkMedia contributing writer Frank Godbey loves the feeling of being scared to death and has the utmost respect for the old actors of the past who made an impact on the genre: Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney, Jr., Bela Lugosi, and Vincent Price, to name a few. He also enjoys writing… whether it’s a post about a great horror movie or one of the many actors, directors, or horror genre authors. He has been writing a weekly post for The Horror Show Radio Blog for several months, and had his own horror blog for many years.  He looks forward to bringing you a true love of the horror genre in each and every post!  Check out his novel “Jonathan Hale: The First American Vampire“.