Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS Is In Production!!

[michael c]

i think the problem here can be traced back to one name...frank langella.

before langella the history of cinematic vampires was filled with white-faced ghouls. suddenly the count is an open-shirted, blow-dried, disco-era lothario. i still remember when i was a kid my mother and her friends swooning over langella. he changed the game completely.

fast-forward and now we've got the tween 'twilight' twinks. i believe they sort of sparkle, is that correct?

anyways what depp seems to be channelling is the vampire in the classical sense. what's ironic is that much of this discord is coming from people who fancy themselves DS and horror "purists". one would think that they'd be pleased with this return to vampire tradition but people like to complain and here this is what they've chosen to take umbrage with.

[arashi]

Funny you should mention the Langella Dracula flick, I was just capping that last night for my horror movie theme tumblr. Parts of it are extremely goofy for this day and age, but man, does it have awesome atmosphere.

Sorry about not providing a link to the pic before, I thought I had!

[Gothick]

Depp in the costume ball still looks really ... Byronic.  Which could be a tacit nod to where it all began, with Dr Polidori's fantasy scenario about Lord "Ruthven" (aka Byron) and swooning over the prospect of having the life sucked out of him by this dark haired vampire beauty (male). 

It's not clear to me from the material that has been released whether Barnabas gets encoffined in the 1770s, or in the more usual 1790s.  The look in that still doesn't really work for the 1770s but could just work for 1795 or thereabouts.  At least that is how I see it.

Of course 18th century men could be notorious dandies complete with face powder, "black patches" (beauty marks), etc.  If Depp does a flashback sequence, his Barnabas in situ might wind up looking like Countess Natalie du Pres as portrayed by our beloved Grayson. lol

cheers, G.

[Cousin_Barnabas]

Oh, it ain't you! It's just the whole darn internet that's dangerous, Cousin_Barnabas!

I'd just thought I'd mention what had happened, just incase. But my scans have turned up clean & I hope yours do too! 

Oh, I know!  hahaha  It's so terrible...

But, yes, my scans came up clean, and I am glad yours did too!   

[KMR]

And as for Frid, have they never seen the DS eps in which it would be an understatement to describe Barn's look/Frid's makeup as "pale"? For one, and as Taeylor mentioned, they should just check out the Leviathan eps after Barn is turned into a vampire again. To say the least, Barn's vamp look is pale and entirely to the extreme!

Granted, I haven't really seen any Barnabas-era DS eps since the original run, and back then our TV reception probably wasn't all that great, so my main recollection of Barnabas' appearance is from HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS, in which Barnabas doesn't appear pale at all.  But I have a hard time suspending disbelief when characters aren't fazed by a vampire's deathly/ghostly white complexion, buying them as normal human beings.  That being said, I'll certainly reserve judgment on Tim Burton's DS until I've seen it.  The latest quotes from him were very reassuring, making it sound like they were aiming for essentially the same vibe as in the original series.

[arashi]

Maybe not, I went to school with two unrelated kids who were white as a sheet of paper, one was blonde and one had black hair. It's not too uncommon that people would really remark on it.

Maybe they were secretly vampires?

[Miss_Winthrop]

I have seen the picture of Depp and Pfeiffer.  Miss Winthrop approves of Barnabas's look.  The picture I've seen is basically from the shoulders and up.  Haven't seen a full-length pic yet as some of you are alluding to.  Noticed Liz's jewelry.  Looks like a gothic-type cross to me. I think that might be a no-no if it's a silver cross.

[PennyDreadful]

Personally, I love the pale makeup.  As has been mentioned, in the original series Barnabas' makeup was often very pronounced when he was in his vampiric state.  Lugosi was also known for his Dracula pallor.  The glorious artifice of the gothic aesthetic allows for this type of exaggerated look. Down with naturalism!!

All that said, Depp looks very young in that makeup.

[KMR]

All that said, Depp looks very young in that makeup.

Which actually fits in quite well with the original Barnabas backstory.

[Cousin_Barnabas]

Looks like one studio is at least marketing its vampire film...

http://www.reelz.com/movie-news/12883/new-poster-and-stills-for-abraham-lincoln-vampire-hunter/

Honestly if I were a producer, at this point, and there were no posters or trailers, I would be very unnerved.  Unless Warners pulls something major in the next few months, how do they expect this movie to perform well?   

[jimbo]

I agree. I guess their strategy is an all out blitz in the months to come unless the studio plans on pushing the movie's release back.

[Cousin_Barnabas]

If we do not have a trailer by the time The Woman in Black is released (Feb 3), I will begin thinking that is a serious possibility.   

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Well, it must be true that Depp and Venessa Paradis have split because it's the cover story of the upcoming issue of People - and People never reports things that aren't 100% true. ... Yeah, right. 

But for what it's worth, both Access Hollywood and Extra partnered with People on fairly lengthy segments tonight. But could either show mention DS? Well, of course not. Why ruin a great tabloid story (that still seems to have nothing but some circumstantial evidence to back it up) with something that is actually 100% factual, like DS being Depp's next film...

113 days 2 hours 37 minutes 2 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

[madscntst]

Believe me, I would WELCOME a little bit of attention for DS rather than all this attention to his personal life, which really should be his own business    (I still don't really believe these reports, because they are full of holes and inaccuracies, which I won't get into here, but it's hard not to wonder a little bit when things have reached this level!  But whatever the case may be, I wish them both and their kids the best).  But despite all this, or maybe because of it, now would really be a good time to get that trailer out there!!  And we could use a few more stills, too, while we're at it!

[Cousin_Barnabas]

OMG!  Michelle stole the Barnabas ring!  And she even put it on the right finger!

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3311317760/nm0000201
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3462312704/nm0000201

In all seriousness though, coincidence, fashion statement, or the first part of the film's promotion?   

I just stumbled upon these images and thought it would be fun to share, since we don't have anything else to look at.