Okay...without having actually watched the movie...let me say this about that.
Having loved the original series and tolerated the 1990 remake well, I was put off by images from the film and the idea of its being a comedy. I absolutely didn't want to be trapped watching it in a theater so never went when it was playing.
The other night, when I was too tired to do anything but watch TV (I'm recovering from a severely broken leg and my activities are limited) and I'd been around every channel three times and there was REALLY NOTHING on, I decided to watch the beginning, as it was just coming on and I wanted to at least see the house. I really enjoyed the way house and grounds were done! Wonderful to see a large budget brought to Collinwood and not worry about things such as walls shaking when brushed! All the photography and cinematography was great.
Barnabas was not only my favorite character but my first love so naturally I am touchy and protective of him. Johnny Depp is a good actor I've always admired, but his hair and makeup were so over the top I was completely distracted as to whether his acting was any good or not. Perhaps this was intentional, to start him off looking like a ghoul and then warm him up a bit after Dr. Hoffman had worked him over--I didn't watch for long enough to know. I really feel Barnabas might reasonably start out pale after being in a coffin for 170-odd years, but he shouldn't look like some kid dressed for Halloween who did his own makeup or a silent film actor with a bad makeup man. Ben Cross was not a patch on Jonathan Frid, but I never recall him looking like a monster except in sequences where he was supposed to, and don't recall cringing while watching him. I like Johnny Depp 100 times more than Ben Cross but couldn't here, which was distressing.
I had the channel on for 45 minutes but can't claim to have watched that much of the actual film as the channel was mostly commercials. I didn't stick around long enough to see if the workmen foolish enough to open Barnabas's coffin were injured, killed, or some combination. Like Gremlins and Fargo, not really funny. Of course if any survived they might have talked and opened a can of worms, which may or may not have figured in the plot. As far as comedy, not funny haha but I chuckled a few times.
Anyhow, the best thing I took away was when Carolyn was playing the record and Roger made her shut it off. Today I played "The Season of the Witch" all the way through while staring out my window at tree branches and got a truly awesome decorating idea for a wall which has stood blank for five years while I was hung up for an idea, so that made the whole thing worthwhile. This is a movie I would watch if I were with fans who really wanted to watch it with me and discuss it but for myself would not watch alone.
Topic: Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS Is In Release!! (Read 349478 times)