Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS Is In Release!!

[michael c]

it does have it's supporters. lots at this board to be sure...


but negativity tends to drown out positivity and the malcontents tend to dominate conversations on the subject.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I've been without Internet for a couple of days, so I'm only now seeing the link to the Huffington Post piece. Thanks so much for posting the link, madscntst. 

As for the budget listed in the article, remember that that $150 million amount was taken from Box Office Mojo and is only a guesstimate. But based on what the current gross was when Tim Burton remarked in the NYT that the film was already making a profit, we figured that the budget had to have been closer to $100. Though, yes, jimbo, I really do believe we will probably never know what the film ultimately cost WB because studios just don't release those figures. In fact, they hide those figures in 100 foot thick steal vaults that are buried 500 miles below the surface of the earth, and they surround the entrances to the access shafts with gigantic motes filled with millions of hungry piranha. Or so it's been rumored.    But you get the picture.    To say the least, they don't want anyone to ever know...

And as for the discontent over the film that still haunts some corners of fandom, well, perhaps we should never say never as far as it going away because there used to be a huge amount of discontent surrounding NoDS. Believe it or not, it used to be disliked in some corners of fandom just about as much as the Depp/DS film is now. But a funny thing happened when attitudes changed over time. And nowadays there's a seemingly ever increasing amount of fans who actually believe NoDS to be far superior to hoDS. So, I suppose we can never really predict what just might happen...

(And as a sideline, given the complete foolishness that was spouted about The Hangover III's box office figures before its opening weekend was even complete, it's really no surprise to see it included on the article's list.)

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows played in US theaters for at least 161 days/23 weeks!!

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is now out on DVD/Blu-ray!!

[David]

 

I think those pihrana at the WB vaults are meant for the IRS!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

As well as anyone who has a piece of their films. 

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows played in US theaters for at least 161 days/23 weeks!!

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is now out on DVD/Blu-ray!!

[michael c]

I wasn't around at the time of the HoDS/NoDS releases but i find it hard to imagine them inspiring the sort of apoplectic, angry, almost hysterical reactions that have surrounded the film.


things have cooled off to some extent but the subject still generates very bitter emotions. I doubt i'll hear the word "travesty" used as often for anything else in my life.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The tirades against NoDS were more so between the '80s and early '90 when fanzines were still quite popular and the primary way in which DS fans communicated with each other - though it did carry over into the early days of online fandom in the early-to-mid '90s. And while it probably didn't reach quite the same level of hysteria that the Facebook rants against the Depp/DS film did, at times it was just as apoplectic. (Primarily driven by the contingent of fandom that believes Barnabas IS the end all and be all of DS and without him nothing can ever hope to be DS. But, of course, that's a whole other discussion for an entirely different topic.)

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows played in US theaters for at least 161 days/23 weeks!!

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is now out on DVD/Blu-ray!!

[Gerard]

I didn't know there was such vitriol against NoDS.  I saw it in the theater when it came out, a double-feature with HoDS in a semi-second run.  I was 14.  It had none of our familiar characters from the show.  Yes, a few of the names were the same, but not the people.  Did that disappoint me as a die-hard, glad-to-have-this-a-year-after-it-was-gone fan?  It didn't.  I found the film creepy, atmospheric, edge-of-your-seek tenseful and spooky.  My only criticism was that it became confusing at times, and it was only later that I discovered that was because of the editing blood-letting mandated by the MGM PTB's.  It was a well-told ghost story (even with the cuts).  So it surprises me that there were so many, well, maybe not many, but at least very vocal detractors regarding the film.  And I don't think that either HoDS or NoDS was a "better" film.  Both utilized a different form of approach.  HoDS was blatant, including the use of vivid color; NoDS was subtle with subdued color, for example.  Two entirely different mediums. 

Gerard

[michael c]

interesting about HoDS/NoDS...


while widely acknowledged to be flawed(largely blamed on studio editing)those films almost seem regarded as sacrosanct today.


almost anything involving the original cast in fact seems to be almost above reproach. for instance one almost never, ever hears anyone being remotely critical of the audiodramas because of their original cast association.

[Gerard]

By the way, if you haven't seen NoDS, or if you haven't seen it in a long time, you can watch it, in parts on a website.  I think you know what it is.  I'm not saying to you what it is because I'm trying to be suttle to you in case you-know-who finds out and calls out the army of lawyers and threatening letters.  You know how he makes sure anyone posting anything that takes away even imagined money forces postings to take a you-turn.

Gerard

[jimbo]

MB I thought I was getting somewhere but I got nowhere. I made an inquiry to Mojo to see if its budget figure (150 Million) for the DS movie included marketing costs. They sent me an email response indicating that its figure did not include any marketing costs. They did not expand much further. So all we know is that Mojo has the budget at 150 Million, Deadline has it between 150-175 Million. Then you have to factor a minimum of $50 Million more on marketing. I think when the movie crossed $200 Million it began to see a profit not including the DVD sales etc... Far from it being a "bomb" or "disaster" financially that is.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Also remember that Variety had the budget at $100 million and The Hollywood Reporter had it at $125. But, yeah, the most important thing is the film was far from any sort of financial failure - especially considering its box office is still under-reported - and then there's the worldwide DVD/Blu-ray sales to factor in. 

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows played in US theaters for at least 161 days/23 weeks!!

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is now out on DVD/Blu-ray!!

[Josette]

Lucky timing!!  I moved a week ago.  I had Verizon FiOS at the old place, but that was unavailable at the new one, so I switched back to Comcast xfinity.  I didn't have any extra "pay" channels on the previous set-up, but the new bundle came with HBO and STARZ.  And, I was checking the schedule, and what should I find on HBO but Dark Shadows!!  I recorded it today, but haven't had a chance to watch yet.  I guess it's almost a year since I saw it, so I'm anxious to refresh my memory and check out a lot of the details I've been reading about from everyone else since then.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

What great timing, Josette. 

I'm anxious to refresh my memory and check out a lot of the details I've been reading about from everyone else since then.

When you get the chance to watch, try to pay attention to some of the things Roger does in his early scenes. Either on the 15th or 16th (whichever day I get the chance to get into a scene that will be skipped in the slideshow between those two days) I plan to make a post in the film's slideshow topic about Roger's mannerisms. He does quite a few things that could be up for interesting interpretation, and I've been waiting to get into them until just about the halfway point in the film.

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows played in US theaters for at least 161 days/23 weeks!!

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is now out on DVD/Blu-ray!!

[The Doctor and K9]

one almost never, ever hears anyone being remotely critical of the audiodramas because of their original cast association.

One thing that has to be said about the audio dramas, they have attracted a following of fans who've never seen the original show. Go to the Big Finish site and read the posts. You don't hear about people saying I never watched DS but I read the Ross novels or the Gold Key comics. I'm not sure about the current comic series. I'm sure the Vampirella crossover was bought by a large number of people who didn't care about DS.

When I went to the festivals though, I'd hear quite a few people criticizing the CDs. Some buy them simply to have them, something I fail to understand.

[jimbo]

Depp and his box office clout even with the DS movie
http://www.payscale.com/career-news/2013/06/johnny-depp-and-others-take-a-paycut-for-passion-projects

Re: 91 series Warren Littlefield would have cancelled the series no matter what NBC's relationship was with Curtis?