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Download, Watch online Dark Shadows Movie.
| Genres: | ComedyFant |
| Starring: | Jonny Lee Miller, Eva Green, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Christopher Lee, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jackie Earle Haley |
| Director(s): | Tim Burton |
| Available Quality: | DivX, Hi Def, Hi Def |
| Country: | USA |
| Year: | 2012 |
In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet-or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy...until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better...
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Dark Shadows (Hi Def) | Resolution: 1920x1080 px | Total Size: 1642 Mb |
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Dark Shadows (Hi Def) | Resolution: 1280x714 px | Total Size: 1672 Mb |
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Dark Shadows (DivX) | Resolution: 720x384 px | Total Size: 1518 Mb |
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Movie Photos: We have taken some photos of "Dark Shadows". They represent actual movie quality.
Visitor Reviews: (20)
MYeah_Gorlomi 17 May 2013
Even Burton can't make the most of this movie.
Grim and wacky auteur Tim Burton, a director who you may remember bestfor terrific movies like Edward Scissorhands, Big Fish, and Ed Wood,gives us the first of his two 2012 directed features. Dark Shadows,based on the long running TV series created by Dan Curtis, featuresBurton's undeniably quirky stamp, but it also turns out to be his leastentertaining movie since Planet of the Apes.Johnny Depp stars as Barnabas Collins, a man from the 18th century whois cursed to be a vampire after toying with the heart of a woman whoturns out to be a witch. For this, the Collins family is historicallycursed, and Barnabas, locked in a coffin for nearly 200 years, awakensin 1972. The Collins family business, led by matriarch Elizabeth, isflailing. Overpowered by the business led by a rival company, thebrains of which belong to Angelique, the woman who cursed Barnabas.Barnabas seeks to restore the Collins business it to its originalgrandeur, win the heart of a young woman, and figure out what sorcerypowers a television.The biggest problem with the movie lies with writer Seth Grahame-Smith.The screenplay is seriously awful. The back stories of the charactersare interesting, but somewhere in the writing, something just ringsuntrue. These characters have so much potential, but the emotionalinvolvement is unsatisfying, the development falls flat andinconsistent, and the structure just feels off. The movie itself alsolacks rhythm. It struggles to find a consistent tone, thrown off courseby irritating pacing shifts, and the kind of quirky humor that normallyworks for Burton's films, but feels wildly uneven here.As for the cast, there's plenty of talent, but not enough chemistry.Oddly enough, the cast do succeed in bringing something out of nothingroles, except perhaps Chloe Moretz and Johnny Miller. Eva Green,delightfully wicked and menacingly funny as Angelique, is one worthmentioning. Johnny Depp, as well, remains just as deliriously enjoyableas ever. Even if the fish out of water humor feels a bit much, he stillmanages to leave one in fits of laughter, especially in the hystericalfloor-wall-ceiling love scene in Angelique's office.And since it's a Burton movie, it looks just as good. Definitely hismost beautifully designed movie since Sleepy Hollow, and arguably hismost beautifully designed movie ever. Rick Heinrichs' productiondesign, Bruno Delbonnel's cinematography, Joel Harlow and Paul Gooch'smakeup, and especially Colleen Atwood's extraordinary costumes areproperly elegant. Burton's composer of choice, Danny Elfman, brings onyet another great musical score as well. However, it takes more to makea good movie than pretty imagery. A good movie requires true heart,which Dark Shadows unfortunately lacks.***/ *****
shadow-372-840724 17 May 2013
Awesome Movie
*This Review Contains Spoilers*I'll start with this, I've read some of the critic and user reviews andmost of them don't give the movie Dark Shadows a good name. I am a userand I want to set the record straight! If you like vampires that aren'tall that scary then see the movie. If you're a fan of Johnny Depp orTim Burton then see the movie. If you haven't seen the series then gosee the movie. I only say don't see the movie if you have seen theseries because, yeah, there is some parts to the movie that aren't allthat great and if you like the series a lot then chances are you won'tlike th movie. I've never seen the series myself but my mother has.Personally, my favorite part of the movie is when Barnabas dodges thegreen goo that the witch vomits and he says "Missed me" only to get hitright in the face with the green goo again.I also like the movie because it's a lot funnier than people think.Some people just don't have that good of an imagination.
Farid_Hijab_Nadweed 17 May 2013
Dark Boredom: Same formula, but a lot worse this time !!
When I was going to watch this movie, I was just hoping that Mr. Burtonhas not used the same formula again which he has been using in hisrecent movies - where Depp is a colourful, costumed character oftenwith a top hat, but still he makes the audience laugh due to thecomical deadpan nature of the character. And then something completelyunexpected happens which changes his life and he becomes a real moviehero. This movie has also got the same old formula, but this time, thecomedy in the beginning is by far the worst in his last few movies.Specially, the constant use of vulgar jokes (like breaking his eggs,threatening to put a wooden stake into someone from behind, etc) don'thelp at all. Hellery Boneham Carter has looked stunning in both theroles she has played. But apart from that, its all the same as"Welcome" and "Burton is King". The makers have tried to show somesenseless and boring comedy. For example, Depp gets away from theattack of enemies, completely unaware of them. Also, too many boringsequences are just over drawn out.In short, the movie is a complete disappointment!!
Kristen Kallahan 16 May 2013
Moribund
Definition of Moribund: "In terminal decline; lacking vitality orvigor." That's this movie. Don't believe the trailers -- they made itlook very witty and fast-paced. Instead it is slow and dull. Why don't they get the people who make the trailers to make the movie?Trailers are always fast-paced and funny and make the movies lookterrific. I think there are jokes in the trailers that are not IN thismovie! Why would you remove jokes from a movie that has too few?Johnny Depp tries his hardest, as he always does. But the script isjust flat. Sad to see that Tim Burton has demoted his girlfriend,Helena Bonham Carter, to "older character lady" role. Women in their20s get the romantic leads. (Is Johnny not aging?)Also story steals a bit from Twilight. So we've seen it all before.
Chalice_Of_Evil 15 May 2013
Hell hath no fury like a witchy woman scorned...
I'd never seen the original daytime Gothic soap that provides thesource material for this film. So while those who *had* seen it were upin arms about how the trailers for this film didn't reflect the tone ofthe original TV series, I had no preconceived notions of how this movie"should" be. It looked intriguing enough, plus it had some verytalented actors involved. I knew the basic premise of the film: Witchloves/is obsessed with man, man loves another, witch kills man's loverand curses man to be a vampire, buries him alive to suffer, 200+ yearslater vamp man is unearthed and finds himself in completely new era,then returns to his mansion which is now occupied by his dysfunctionaldistant relatives - this being the plot broken down to its most basicform.Johnny Depp fashions another unique character portrayal for himself (ifperhaps not as memorable/eccentric as his many previous ones). He playsBarnabas Collins straight, allowing the character's fish out of watersituation/reactions to provide the humour. He manages to make hischaracter both human and monstrous at the same time (though it can beargued...how 'bad' is killing a bunch of hippies, *really*? At least heapologises beforehand). He also likes stroking furniture/stuff with hiselongated fingers a lot. Depp's expressions/line deliveries are whatelevate the character. He does the best with the material he's given.Playing opposite him as the scorned witchy lover from his past,Angelique, is Eva Green. She appears to be having a ball portraying'Angie' (as she comes to be called later on when she's changed from adark-haired servant girl to a successful business woman/CEO of AngelBay and sporting new platinum blonde hair). Former Bond girl Greenisn't afraid to go BIG with the role. She almost seems like she's in afilm of her own, chewing scenery (with her wonderful red lips, whichprovide brilliant/scary grins on occasion) and not merely spitting, butrather projectile vomiting it out. The sex fight sequence between Angieand Barnabas - which takes place on the floor, the ceiling and everywall of a room, demolishing it completely - is pretty great (thepost-coital cigarette/reveal of the destruction left in their wake gotthe biggest laugh at my theatre). Angelique - who wears the hell out ofa sparkling red dress at one point - could have come across as very onedimensional, but in Eva Green's hands, by the end, she proves a tragicfigure who *does* have a heart (despite all evidence to the contrary)and will literally rip it from her chest to give to the man she loves.Reuniting with Burton, after her legendary performance as Catwoman inBatman Returns, is Michelle Pfeiffer as the matriarch of the Collinsfamily, Elizabeth. Pfeiffer is very good in her role, as is Burton'spartner and frequent collaborator, Helena Bonham Carter (playingpsychiatrist Dr. Julia Hoffman, and looking a bit like how the RedQueen from Alice in Wonderland might have looked if she'd had aregular-sized head). Making a good first impression are Aussie actorsGulliver McGrath as David (the son of Elizabeth's brother, Roger -Johnny Lee Miller) and Bella Heathcote as Victoria Winters/Maggie Evans(who decides to take a job at the Collins Mansion as a governess,thanks to the ghost of Barnabas's original one true love, Josette -also played by Heathcote - who became Victoria's friend as a child thatonly she could see and consequently got her sent to a mental hospital).Heathcote is especially good, and should have a bright future ahead.The movie's use of music (starting with The Moody Blues' 'Nights inWhite Satin') is one of the best things about the film. It fitsperfectly throughout. The costuming is also really good. Danny Elfman'sscore is effective, as usual. On the downside is the underdevelopmentof certain characters. Roger turns out to be just another lousy fatherto David, who's more interested in wealth than his son (as proved whenthreatened with an ultimatum by Barnabas). Jackie Earle Haley feels abit wasted as Willie, who becomes a sort of 'Renfield' character toBarnabas - thanks to the vampire's magic hypnotising hand trick.Lastly, I don't get the obsession with Chloë Grace Moretz (who playsElizabeth's daughter, Carolyn) that lots of people seem to have. Hereshe plays your typical angst-filled bitchy teen. It's ironic Carolynasks Barnabas if he's stoned, when Moretz apparently thought the way togo with her character was to appear perpetually stoned herself, with noother facial expression but a permanent bitch-face. A WTF reveal abouther character that comes out of nowhere near the end fails to make herany more interesting. If, however, you're interested in seeing a hairyChloë Grace Moretz, then this film is most definitely for you.The film looks great. It has the mood/atmosphere we've come to expectfrom Burton, mixing humour with gloom, and some surprising bits ofviolence. Hating on director Tim Burton and his regular collaboratorJohnny Depp seems to be the 'in' thing nowadays for some people, butwhile this definitely isn't his best film, its not as bad as otherswould have you believe either. Mostly, it just feels like a large mixof different things that don't always quite add up in the end. Ofcourse there'll be those who choose to focus on the film's flaws, butI'm sure there'll also be others - like myself - who might findthemselves enjoying the film for what it is.
Tommy Nelson 15 May 2013
A great looking, and often funny movie, in search of a plot and a point.
A Gothic romance about a vampire...this sounds like primo Tim Burtonmaterial here. On a visual level, this world here is fully realized,but unfortunately, that's the only place it's realized. The plot iskind of a set piece to set piece episodic one, and the romance here isseverely underplayed, making the ending kind of pointless. But what thetrailer emphasized was the comedy, and a good chunk of this filmfeatures some well played fish out of water comedy. On some levels thisfilm is a surprising success, and on others an complete failure. It'sentertaining, but that's about it really. It's the late 1700s, and Barnabas Collins' (Johnny Depp) family starteda small fishing town called Collinsport, and together they live inCollinwood, a luxurious mansion. Barnabas breaks the heart of aspiteful witch Angelique (Eva Green), and she kills his parents, forceshis lover Josette (Bella Heathcote) to commit suicide, turns Barnabasinto a vampire, and imprisons him in a coffin underground. Twocenturies later, a mysterious woman "Victoria Winters" is going tobecome the governess for David, a surviving member of the Collinsfamily who is deeply disturbed. Barnabas is then freed from his coffin,and returns to find his living relatives in need of help, so he triesto bring life back into his town of Collinsport. Meanwhile, Angelique(who still appears to be the same age) has taken control of the fishingindustry in Collinsport, and he must help his family bring their dyingfishing industry back.For those of you who didn't like the visual style of Tim Burton's lastpicture, "Alice in Wonderland", this one should be a refreshing returnto form (visually that is). The sets are really neat, and Collinsportis quite a beautiful little fantasy town. The special effects are alsoreally good when they are featured. On a visual level, this might beBurton's best looking film since "Sleepy Hollow" over a decade ago, andthe score by Danny Elfman is also quite good. And what do people thinkof when they think of Tim Burton movies? Awesome visual style (check),bouncy score usually by Danny Elfman (check) and Johnny Depp (check).But what this movie is lacking is a plot. Something to drive the storyother than jokes and neat sets is needed. The layout of the story and overall tone is quite odd. The film startsoff as a Gothic romantic fantasy telling the history of BarnabasCollins. By no means is this portion of the film meant to be humorous.Then we begin to follow a mysterious girl "Victoria Winters" (whobecomes lovers with Depp), who has taken on the job of being littleDavid's governess. This portion of the film isn't particularly funnyeither, but it adds an element of mystery so the movie becomes a bitmore interesting. After about 15 minutes of this girl as our maincharacter, the film becomes an unfocused fish out of water comedy forthe remainder of the film (sans the last 25 or so minutes). This partof the film is actually quite funny. Then the climax and last portionof the film becomes like a horror action film of sorts.There is a romance subplot, but it has no importance in the story untilthe very end. There is no chemistry between Depp and Heathcote, becausethey are only given like 4 scenes together, and none of them feel veryorganic. Also sadly underwritten are Victoria Winters, and David'srelationship. Ar the beginning of the film seem like they could have aninteresting dynamic, but instead they are given very little screentime. Every sub-plot is dropped in favor of Depp's fish-out-of-waterroutine, which is quite funny, but also makes this movie's plot slightand overall point even slighter.Visually, this movie is a real treat bringing back memories of olderBurton films like Beetlejuice. The performances are also very good,especially Johnny Depp who does some great deadpan comedy here, butwhat's missing is a point. While it may entertain, in the end, nothingreally matters here.My rating: ** 1/2 out of ****. 124 mins. PG-13 for sexual humorthroughout, some language and violence.
gator1110 14 May 2013
Unique and Addictive
First of all I must say that I am a big fan of Dark Shadows theoriginal television series, and I am a big fan of Tim Burton and JohnnyDepp (separately and collaboratively. But I had my apprehensions when Isaw the trailer for this movie. I was unsure of the direction of themovie, because of the serious tone of the television series.Boy was I wrong. The movie starts fast and keeps you engagedthroughout. Instead of necessarily focusing on one aspect offilm-making it covers many. Suspense, Comedy, Horror, and Mystery areall a part of this film. Burton and the writers combine all of theseelements while staying true to Burton's style and the televisionseries.The talented ensemble cast have great chemistry throughout the movie.Everyone has a purpose.But I have to admit the standout is Johnny Depp. Talented might not bethe word for him. He can absorb any type of role with ease. Hischaracter Barnabas gloats with honesty. His shyness of the new world heis facing, while being a vampire and having needs is a dilemma. Becauseof this Johnny's (seldom scene)comedic skills shine throughout.Barnabas is very blunt with his actions, but with his exquisitevocabulary and proper manners the comedy is non stop. I was literallylaughing the entire movie. Some of my friends who knew nothing aboutthe movie were laughing harder than I was.I enjoyed this movie. The writing, directing, costume design,and actingare all top notch. One of the movies that make me still have hope inHollywood. It's a must see. Don't hesitate. Another Burton classic.
Samm 13 May 2013
lacks focus
i'll start by saying i've never seen any of the original series, or theother film. i have seen a lot of people on the boards saying thatpeople who were not a fan of the series would enjoy the film, and thatjust the nit-picky fans were the people who disliked it. i really liketim burton's films, and i went in expecting something along the linesof his Gothic-eqse stuff. the film started out with what i thoughtwould be an interesting story line, but i felt like it just sort ofcontinued downhill from there. i didn't care for the character ofbarnabas, he came off rather horny and awful. they keep saying that hedoesn't love 'angie' but he sleeps with her. that part of it just mademe uncomfortable. he was supposed to be in love with victoria/josettebut he's going around sleeping with the witch he's supposed to hate.everything moved rather fast, i don't know if this is because they weretrying to fit in a bunch of story lines from the series, but it justmade for a jumbled film. also caroline, why is she a werewolf? thisthrew me for a loop when it comes out at the very end of the film. imean there are no hints throughout the film and then BAM werewolf. shealso was this weirdly over-sexualized teenager which again made merather uncomfortable, mostly because she didn't have anyone for this toplay off too, she was only surrounded by her family. it didn't come offas a comedy, i didn't laugh once, and didn't really see any placeswhere other people would laugh. admittedly i went to a showing andthere were maybe ten other people in the theatre with me, which feltodd considering this was the only showing before it opens today (fridaythe 11th of may). i don't think it's the sort of film i'd recommend toanyone, it was a very 'all over the place' film, and the story linesdidn't have enough chance to develop. the only thing i really did likeabout the film was victoria, and her back story seemed fairlyinteresting though i would have liked to learn more. honestly i thinkthat's what this film needed, to pick out fewer plots to deal with andfocus on the ones it picks. i think it would probably work nicely as aTV series, and i'm eager to get my hands on it.
Katy Walker 06 May 2013
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Despite the scathing criticism that the movie received, I went aheadand watched it. I'm a lifelong Depp fan, and there's nothing likeBurton's amazing style... what's the worst that could happen?I actually thoroughly enjoyed the movie. It was a little queer, alittle weird, a little spooky... and it was funny. It made me laugh,and it made me laugh again - which is common for Burton-Depp movies -they have a tang and feel to them that just works for me. So, I wasexpecting great things, and they delivered, magnificently. I haven'tseen the Soap Opera, nor do I intend to - the movie said it all for me,and more. It was witty and quirky, and made me think about things I hadthought about before, but in a different way, from another direction. Ididn't find it over-the-top, or corny, though as another reviewer said,in parts, you could almost feel the mechanics behind the movements ofsome of the actors.Overall, I found it well-written and directed for a movie based on atelevision show. It gave enough to explain what was happening and why,without leaving the watcher with the urge to watch the program for moreinformation and explanation. I think it was well-casted - the childrenwere cute and believable, and the 70's culture-shock that you got fromsome characters was exactly what I expected it'd be like. I wasn'tdisappointed, and though I wouldn't call it Depp or Burton's best work- I can say that I'd watch it again with enthusiasm.
julian-mumford 06 May 2013
A disappointing entry into the Burton filmography
Based on an obscure black and white TV serial that few have ever heardof, Tim Burton's latest has it's work cut out finding an audience.However, teamed with his regular acting team of Helena Bonham Carterand Johnny Depp, adding Michelle Pffeifer and Eva Green for goodmeasure, we should be in for another Gothic treat.In 1776 Barnabas Collins (Depp) is an aristocratic young son of theimmigrant Liverpudlian self made wealthy family who owns and manages alarge fishing and cannery business. The family lends it's name toCollinwood, the town they created on the eastern seaboard of America,the town and business continue to prosper and all is well.Barnabas, spurning the advances of his maid Angelica Bouchard (EvaGreen), courts his one true love Josette duPres (Heathcote). Angelicadoes not take this well and being a secret Witch, has more tools at herdisposal than most. Sending Josette to her hypnotized death off "WidowsPeak", closely followed by a heartbroken and distraught Barnabas.Unfortunately for Barnabas, death is insufficient suffering to visitupon him and transformed into a Vampire, he must stay buried for twohundred years to endure his pain. These are not spoilers as most ofthese events occur in a lengthy prologue.Mistakenly and tragically unearthed, Barnabas returns to regain hislost life and is pitched into the massively dysfunctional Collinwoodmanor house, where time has not been kind to the firm and his ratherhopeless descendants.Cue lots of 1070's jokes with Barnabas speaking as a 1800's gentleman,set against the "Peace out" man Hippy trip of the times. "How soon canthe horses be ready?" he asks, only to be told they have a Chevy ormarvelling at the TV, "Reveal yourself tiny songstress".Back at the manor we have matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard(Pfeiffer) attempting to pull the family together and through toughtimes. Roger Collins (Johnny Miller), drinker lover and generallayabout, together with his "delightful" children, sullen Carolyteenager (Chloe Grace Moretz) and morose and distinctly disturbed David(McGrath). Helping David through his childhood traumas following hismothers "death at sea", is Dr Hoffman (Bonham-Carter) who spends moretime holding a bottle than sitting by the counseling couch.Just prior to the arrival of a be-fanged Barnabas, is a new waif likegoverness by the name of Victoria (Heathcote), who appears remarkablysimilar to the lost love of Barnabas. This does not go unnoticed by therival business entrepreneur, the very old but unchanged Bouchard, whosebusiness succeeds as the Collin's diminishes.We are all set for either a rousing comedy or dramatic piece withBurton's usual directorial flourishes and Danny Elfman score.Unfortunately, the film never real takes off, presenting a mish-mash oftone and set pieces that do not come together as an enjoyable whole.The acting is good, no-one really disappoints and the CGI effects arefirst rate but the film lacks any real structure to pull all theelements together. There are times where the action is rather boringand emotionally, it is difficult to care for any of the characters,neither statements normally associated with Burton.The film builds to a frenetic denouement where Burton, perhaps in alast ditch effort to save the film, throws everything at the screen,including bizarrely Alice Cooper. With similarities to "Death Becomesher" and "Addams Family", the film descends into almost horror lite,seemingly largely disconnected to what has come before.The project appears very self indulgent, pushing ahead with subjectmatter and story that Burton wanted to see on screen, without perhapsknowing or even caring whether an audience existed. Alternatively,Burton has moulded the original quirky story into something hopefullymore commercial, robbing the source material of it's charm. Either way,vanity projects are dangerous investments when they cost $150 millionto make, audiences responded with a mediocre $238 Million worldwide.Summary A Gothic comedy/dramatic film with a great cast and effects, let downby an obscure story that largely fails to engage the audience.A disappointing entry into the Burton filmography, could and hopefullywill do better next time.
hell-cat-1 04 May 2013
Depp really needs to stop doing his friend's movies!
Seriously, what was the point in making this? And furthermore, what wasJohnny Depp thinking? This coupled with his cameo in Jack and Jillmakes me think he's losing his mind. It's just a waste of his talent.Even the special effects in this movie were fake and hokey, thestoryline was awful, and the very few laughs did not make up for therest of the movie, which was just a total snooze-fest that I wishedwould just end. The only highlight was Alice Cooper's performance atthe end and Johnny Depp referring to him as a female. Tim Burton really needs to stop making dark Gothic movies starring Deppjust for the sake of making them. It's not working anymore. This wasextremely unimaginative and uninteresting and would only appeal toteenage Twilight fans, in particular the nonsensical werewolf scenarioat the end which was extremely pointless. I rarely write movie reviewsbut just had to with this as I don't understand the intention of thefilm at all. Save yourself the money, it is as bad and boring aseveryone is saying (unless you are 13 maybe) and go see The Dictator oreven Piranha 3DD instead, which was far more entertaining!
Tessa11 03 May 2013
This film is a disaster, and not an "homage" to the original "Dark Shadows" at all.
How sad that Burton/Depp decided to "sex-up" this film with breasts,bad actresses, and lousy script offerings. Not one character was worthyof any type of accolade. Some things should be left in the past...andthis is one of them. Sure, you had the basic premise of pitiful Barnabus being cursed byAngelique, but there was no back story of any worth. Josette was thrownin as just a "special-effect" death...with no relationship withBarnabus, whatsoever.Fast-forward to the future and it's sick/silly. Nothing was funny andthey showed every single joke in the trailers. Felt sorry for the"whoosh" from the original cast that got thrown in...and Chris Lee wasuseless.The lines of this film were thrown away...and close-ups of Depp'svarious makeup jobs were sloppy. There is no excuse for doing a film of this cheapness and calling itafter something that was so enjoyed by past generations. Two series areworth more than this mess. Please....save your money and rent theoriginals...from Net Flix.See what true story-telling should be, not this lack-a-daisical junkystuff. This will end up being on the bottom of every Walmart bin....for$1 for many years.
Michael_Elliott 02 May 2013
Great Look and Fun Performances But Shallow
Dark Shadows (2012) ** 1/2 (out of 4)Tim Burton's updating of the TV series features Johnny Depp playingvampire Barnabas Collins who after nearly two-hundred years undergroundis dug up where he returns to his family estate (via 1972) and plans onreturning the Collins name back to the top. The only problem is thathis old enemy, the witch Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green), plans to keephis curse unless he agrees to love her. I've heard several peoplecompare this to the earlier works of Burton and I'd have to agreebecause after years of delivering some fine films I think the directorfell back on his old method that is more style that substance. Visuallyand technically DARK SHADOWS is a masterpiece but there's so littlehere to connect to that it's easy to see why so many people are leavingthe theater disappointed. I'm not overly familiar with the originalshow, hated the first movie and haven't seen the second one. With thatsaid, I'm not sure how "fans" of them will react to this here so I'mnot even going to try and compare everything. For the most part Burtonhas delivered a truly incredible looking film. The sets, costume designand most of the special effects are terrific looking and I'm glad thatthe director kept the dark tone. The TV ads and trailers have shown theworst of the film and that's the failed comedy. There are a lot ofjokes that really don't make one laugh, although some of them arecharming in a very childish way. The jokes that do work basically comefrom Depp's performance as he's able to pull off the fish-out-of-waterroutine and especially the jokes about Alice Cooper (who performs acouple songs). Depp nails the part pretty well but at the same time youhave to wonder why such a talented actor appears in this stuff.Michelle Pfeiffer was back and it was great seeing her. She toodelivers a fine performance but the screenplay does very little for hercharacter. The same is true for Helena Bonham Carter and Jackie EarleHaley. It was fun seeing Christopher Lee in his small part as well asJonathan Frid's cameo. Chloe Grace Moretz steals the film as the youngwoman with a few secrets of her own. On the whole DARK SHADOWS is agreat film to look at and the performances are good but with such adistant screenplay and no characters to really care for, the film inthe end just doesn't come together.
martys-7 01 May 2013
Flat, Boring, Pointless -- A Total Waste
A campy performance by J.Depp, a strong supporting cast, some cool andfun special effects here and there, and jokes about the early 70spopular trends cannot save this movie from being one of 2012's worstreleases.There are no thrills, there is very little action, there are very fewfunny moments, the pace is slow, there is no character development, theplot is thin and not clever. Even a performance by Alice Cooper isboring and goes nowhere.The original soap opera -- despite the unintended campiness of thesupernatural mumbo-jumbo story lines -- at least had some characterdevelopment and a relentless tension making it ABC's most watched showduring its heyday in the late 1960s. Of significance is the fact thatthe series had dream sequences, morphing, etc., all done with thelimitations of being a daytime soap with one-shot takes that wentstraight from live to tape. Sadly, Tom Burton spent millions of dollarson 21st century digital technology for special effects and came up witha boring, pointless film which is neither a campy comedy nor asupernatural thriller.There was a 1991 short-lived miniseries which had a compelling cast(Ben Cross, a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt), solid plot lines (for asupernatural story), and a taut, tense pace filled with action, sex,and horror. Watch that one and pass on this turkey.
witster18 30 April 2013
nice set-up, lousy finish - only mild spoilers
Tim Burton has had his share of the good, and his share of the bad.Dark Shadows starts interestingly enough, jumping through time andpulling it's lead character along the way, to the modern day(1972).Depp is the star of the show, and he's excellent here as BarnabusCollins, a fishery tycoon who's family has been devastated by tragedy.The film is absolutely charming for the first 40 minutes, and then itcompletely derails.Burton's story here is fine, but he fails to take advantage of manyaspects of his own plot. Example. We get to see Depp venture into thedaylight with umbrella and sunglasses in tow. But instead of seeing himinteract with townspeople and keep driving this film in the comedydirection it was heading in - we get sloppy interaction between thesame characters. None of them are as charming as Depp, and even Deppcan't overcome the messy finish that accentuates a then renderedmeaningless business struggle and drops the comedy nearly altogether.I wish something would have called me away from the flat-screen halfwaythrough.I think Burton made a mistake by basically giving his core of 5-6characters 99.999999% of the dialog. I also believe that he started allof the characters in the right place, and then really drove them in thewrong direction.The film was marred by shameless product placement, and hints of sequelstory lines, but I don't think I'll be waiting in line for the nextDark Shadows.The first 40 minutes is extremely funny and interesting, but that'sonly part of what makes the last hour so disappointing.Positives. THe film looks fantastic. Danny Elfman doesn't contribute awhole lot to this in terms of score/theme, that's practicallynon-existent, but at least he uses some of the best music availablefrom the era. Depp. The first 40 minutes.That's all I've got for positives.You Might Like This OR You Might Try: Fido(better), EdwardScissorhands(better), Monster Squad(slightly better), Adam's FamilyValues(slightly better)or Tommy Boy(slightly better).54/100
c_marcolina 30 April 2013
Brings elements of 1960's original DS, 70's culture together with a hint of Hawke's Harbor thrown in.
I'm one of those die hard fans of Dark Shadows from the 60's who ranhome from school to watch it or one of the "legions" as we're alsoknown. I've been to a convention and have memorabilia. I'm currentlyreading the new comic and Benshoff book on the appeal of Dark Shadows.I have Lara Parker's new book ordered for my Kindle.I love Dark Shadows and Johnny Depp so the movie couldn't possiblydisappoint me. Of course it could have been more cohesive but I thinkit did just fine attracting new admirers and taking in millions ofdollars at the box office around the world. Perhaps the sequel will bemore like that "full bodied" wine critics were expecting this timearound.
valbrazon 28 April 2013
Good actors, good movie.
First of all, i didn't know a lot about this movie. I discovered whenwatching it as Johnny Depp is a vampire. Also i didn't know about allthe good actors like Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, ChloëGrace Moretz, Christopher Lee and Alice Cooper ! I thought it was going to be a kind of remake of "The Rocky HorrorPicture Show" because the story is about a lady who goes to a mansionfor a job of housekeeper. So the idea of mansion, vampires and humanbeing made me think about "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". But i canassure you as it's not.Also it looks like a lot others works of Tim Burton like "Beetlejuice"and "Edward Scissorhands", mostly for the mansion and for the characterof Johnny Depp which is different from other ones.I liked the movie and i recommend it if you like Tim Burton's work.
ravensteals 28 April 2013
Errrrr what was that all about?................
I think I am confused. I have never seen this mysterious series thatthis movie is based on... and indeed haven't even heard of thisseries... but still if a Movie is good - I shouldn't need to know allabout what it is *based on.... and this Movie is NOT good. It is justNOT a good movie, that is pretty much what it all comes down to. It'snot funny enough to be a funny movie... it could be darker when it justgets silly... it could be just silly but instead its boring... it couldbe dramatic but it just gets too boring silly try-too-hard.... sighsigh sigh... Love Tim Burton! Love Johnny Depp! But what the heck wasall this? It never took me anywhere... It simply confused me! Recap:Silly! Boring! Not-Funny-Enough! What was Mr Burton Thinking!
LarsHell 27 April 2013
I Enjoyed it!
Yes, it's old-fashioned (so is the TV-Gothic-soap Dark Shadows aswell), but the actors do so well (especially Jonny Depp as eccentricVampire Barnaby and Eva Green as wonderfully mean witch Angelique) thati smiled amused throughout the movie. Great Music (love Carpenters),bloody moments, playful jokes and beautiful, fantastic decor andinteriors make it fun. Despite the glimpse-short cameo of Dark Shadowsveterans Jonathan Frid, David Selby, Lara Parker & Kathryn Leigh-Scott(you catch them as party attenders at Collingwood) disappoints, thewhole storyline bout Jonny Lee Miller does not touched me at all andsome bumpy parts in the middle - still 6 out of 10!
Al_The_Strange 27 April 2013
Blood is thicker than water.
I've always heard of the original 1966 TV series Dark Shadows, but Inever saw it, so I have no idea how it compares with this film. At thevery least, I always thought it was weird that they'd make a movie outof this after more than forty years of the TV show's premier.On its own merits, the film has its moments. Tim Burton's typicalGothic aesthetic is applied pretty generously, so the film does haveits fair share of darkly fantastic imagery, wicked monsters, andimaginative special effects. There are also occasional moments ofamusing comedy. In fact, it comes pretty close to achieving the sameeffect as the film adaptations of The Addams Family or The Brady Bunch,since all these films took the characters of the original shows andplopped them into modern times to create some really funny scenes. TheDark Shadows film sets out to do the same, and it is successful attimes. The problem is, it's never constant, so the film tends to dragin between the funny scenes and the more eventful scenes.The story for this is not too bad. I've heard that the film crams inentire seasons of the show into its short runtime; fortunately, thefilm is never rushed, but it feels as though a number of scenes,subplots, and characters are presented without any direct bearing onthe main story. Regardless, the film does a fine job of keeping all theplots and characters straight and presentable for the audience.Characters are pretty interesting all around, even if some of them areone-sided or undercooked. A running theme of family helps tie it alltogether.The film looks good and slick, with good photography and editing.Acting is not bad; I enjoyed Johnny Depp's eccentricities, and I lovedEva Green's performance. Writing is alright. A good amount of qualitysets, props, costumes, and special effects were dispensed effectively.Music is pretty groovy.I recommend it as a rental.3.5/5 (Entertainment: Pretty Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: PrettyGood)