For the Dark Shadows fans

[Lee]

I'm digging this back up because Dark Shadows was the #5 Yahoo search today.

Here is why:

http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/09/14...ws-tim-burton/

Still like JF better as Barnabas, but I'll go to see it when it comes out.

Lee

[MacShadowsBall]

That picture worries me alot. I hope they don't turn this movie into spoof/farce type movie.

[MacShadowsBall]

Here's the first official cast photo for the new Dark Shadows movie.

http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/i/2011/09...hadows_810.jpg

...and the article from Entertainment Weekly.


Johnny Depp's true 'Dark Shadows' vampire revealed! -- EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK

by Anthony Breznican ; Photo by Leah Gallo

Behold the real visage of Johnny Depp’s vampire from Dark Shadows!

Last week, long-range paparazzi shots of the actor wearing ghostly white makeup, large sunglasses and a pulled down fedora made fans of the original 1966-71 supernatural soap opera bristle nervously, with complaints he looked simply too strange.

Nevermind that he’s playing a 200-year-old vampire, which is strange enough.

As you can see from this cast shot, Depp’s bloodsucking pater familias Barnabas Collins actually borrows heavily from the aged-little boy look of original Dark Shadows star Jonathan Frid — not that anyone would be happy to see this guy show up as your prom date either.

Still, this official First Look may reassure those die-hard fans of the original series, memorably offbeat ABC daytime drama about a vampire whose extended family are bedeviled by ghosts, witches, and other gothic woes.

Depp, who fought for years to make this movie, is one of those fans. “I do remember, very vividly, practically sprinting home from school in the afternoon to see Jonathan Frid play Barnabas Collins,” the actor says. “Even then, at that age, I knew — this has got to be weird.”

Weird certainly sums up this particular family portrait — a shot director Tim Burton, who also obsessed over Dark Shadows as a boy, staged in the early days of production.

“I remember seeing a group photograph of the cast of the original series,” he tells EW. “For me it captured the weird Dark Shadows vibe in a single image. I had a brief window of opportunity to have our cast present at the same time, the day before principle photography began. We decided to stage a similar picture instead of rehearsing, to see if we captured the Dark Shadows feeling.”

Here’s who those family members are, one by one.

Barnabas Collins (Depp) — He was an 18th century gentleman, a businessman just before the Revolutionary War, who was transformed against his will into a vampire and buried in a tomb for two centuries. After he finally emerges, uncovered by construction workers in the year 1972, he seeks out his descendants — as well as some long-ago foes and a possible lost love.

“He’s been alive this whole time and very hungry, with no idea what’s going on outside,” says screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith (author of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, which Burton is producing as a film.)

Barnabas is one vampire who is just as frightened of our times as we are of him, says producer Richard D. Zanuck: “Two-hundred years later, he’s suddenly walking into the town he saw being built and seeing girls in skirts, cars for the first time. It’s a man-out-of-time, supernatural horror story, but I put ‘horror’ in quotes.”

Despite his confusion, he’s still a ladies man. “In some sense he can be a terrifying killer; on the other hand, women have a weakness for him and he has a weakness for women,” Grahame-Smith says. “He can be a very well-mannered, well-meaning vampire most of the time, until his stomach is empty or someone challenges his beloved Collins family.”

Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter) – From Alice in Wonderland’s Red Queen, to the cannibalistic cook Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, Burton can’t help but cast the mother of his children as a deranged person. This prim and proper psychiatrist, who has taken up residence with the Collins family to care for their troubled youngest boy, might seem to break that trend — but don’t bet on it. “Dr. Hoffman’s been there for years, working with David [the little boy in the photo] but not making any progress. He still claims he sees ghosts and talks with his dead mother,” Grahame-Smith says. “She’s crazy but brilliant. Obviously she’s an eccentric, and definitely likes a drink or two. She’s definitely a little bit off her rocker, and is a woman with a lot of secrets herself.” The writer teases: “She’ll also become interested in Barnabas in more than one way. “

Carolyn Stoddard (Chloë Moretz) — Though she played a voracious child vampire in the acclaimed (but little seen) Let Me In, Moretz is on the human side of the spectrum in Dark Shadows — though that doesn’t mean this cousin of young David Collins (and daughter of Michelle Pfeiffer’s character, seen on the far right) isn’t without her own peculiarities. “Carolyn is your typical early-1970s teenager,” Grahame-Smith says. “She likes her music and likes her magazines, and does not like anyone in her family. She likes to keep her door closed and keep to herself. She’s pretty normal, but appearances can be deceiving. I wouldn’t say there is a normal person in this photo.”

Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green) — The Bond girl from Casino Royale turns up here as the villain of the story. “Angelique is a witch who has known Barnabas since the 1700s, when they had an affair that went sour. She is the one who cursed him to be a vampire and locked him in that box,” Grahame-Smith says. “Since he has been away, Angelique has made it her life’s mission to destroy the Collins family. So when Barnabas turns up again after all these years, she’s not very happy to see him.”

David Collins (Gulliver McGrath) — Lonely, confused, and neglected by his pompous father (Jonny Lee Miller, over on the right next to Pfeiffer), David has no one to confide in except his bizarre psychiatrist — and the dead people he claims to see. Grahame-Smith describes him as “a sweet, curious, precocious little boy whose family has branded him as slightly crazy.” Then he finally gets a new caretaker to look after him …

Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote) — This young woman arrives to become David’s new governess, only to find herself swept up in the vampire-witch melodrama. “When Barnabas meets Victoria, he’s instantly reminded of the woman he lost in the 1700s, before he was cursed to be a vampire,” Grahame-Smith says. “I wouldn’t say he falls in love with her, but there’s an instant attraction, an instant connection.” Is she the reincarnation of his doomed lover Josette du Pres? “We get the sense at the beginning she has a secret past, and that’s unraveled as it goes on,” the screenwriter says.

Mrs. Johnson (Ray Shirley) — “Poor old Mrs. Johnson …” Grahame-Smith sighs when talk turns to the old woman seated in the back behind Depp. “She is the mostly blind, mostly deaf maid, who has been with them for decades and decades. You might find her polishing a piece of silverware with a slab of baloney because she thinks it’s a polishing cloth. I don’t think she actually says anything in the entire film. She’s just sort of there.” He laughs: “Adding her was Tim’s idea.”

Willie Loomis (Jackie Earle Haley) — How awesome is it to play an actual Groundskeeper Willie? The Oscar-nominee for Little Children is a slightly more competent servant than Mrs. Johnson, but that’s not saying much. “He’s the guy who takes out the trash, mows the lawns, and fixes the cars, except he’s usually so drunk and so disinterested that he doesn’t take his job seriously anymore,” Grahame-Smith says. “The lawn is overgrown, the house has fallen into disrepair, and all the cars are on cinder blocks. His heart’s definitely not in the job anymore.”

Roger Collins (Jonny Lee Miller) — This scion of the once-great Collins family is one of the main reasons the aristocratic clan has fallen into such disgrace. “He’s a creepy, self-centered guy who likes to order Willie around, likes to pretend the family is still on top of his game,” Grahame-Smith says. Not only is he a bad father to David, but he is a poor manager of whatever meager wealth the family retains. “When Barnabas shows up and has some very specific ideas about how to make things right, he’s obviously going to bump heads with Roger Collins.”

Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) — The mother of Carolyn Stoddard, and mother-figure to David, she’s the one adult member of the Collins clan who is at least slightly competent. “Elizabeth is the rock of the family. She’s the matriarch,” Grahame-Smith says. “She’s the keeper of the Collins history, and a fierce protector of what remains of her family. She’s the one that insists on the best care for the children, even though money isn’t what it used to be. She’s a very strong woman who unfortunately has been dealt a very difficult deck.” With a witch perpetually trying to destroy her, and a long lost vampire relative turning up to reclaim control, “there’s just too much for her to handle,” Grahame-Smith says.

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/09/2...adows-vampire/

[MacShadowsBall]

I ordered Dark Shadows volume 19 last night and plan on having a catch-up marathon covering volume 18 tonight.

The Leviathan episodes aren't my favorite, but I like some of the characters and the side plots.

[vivfox]

After hearing Stevie narrate on Katy Perry's upcoming video this caused me to have an interesting dream last night.

Dan Curtis directed a new music video for Stevie. She's on the same balcony she was on in the Rooms On Fire video but this time she's wearing a black cape and the music to the song begins and then she flaps her wings and flies off the balcony and as she's falling the music segues into the opening theme for Dark Shadows and then segues back into the music from ROF and then she gracefully falls into the ocean!

Later on in the dream I bring someone to that house and Stevie re enacts the video for us. Our view is equal to the balcony and I remember thinking the ocean water is fairly dark, not clear blue as I would have imagined Stevie filming in. I'm a bit concerned as if there are sharks in the water waiting to gobble her up or something...

[MacShadowsBall]

vivfox, that was hilarious!! Stevie Nicks meets Dark Shadows in your dreams"!

I wonder if Stevie is/was a fan of Dark Shadows. I would assume she is aware of the show.

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by MacShadowsBall

vivfox, that was hilarious!! Stevie Nicks meets Dark Shadows in your dreams"!

I wonder if Stevie is/was a fan of Dark Shadows. I would assume she is aware of the show.

Well since she's always been a fan of ABC TV soaps I would assume so. Look, that's her in this picture!

[MacShadowsBall]

Originally Posted by vivfox

Well since she's always been a fan of ABC TV soaps I would assume so. Look, that's her in this picture!

I watched House of Dark Shadows Halloween weekend. Stevie's cameo must have been edited out of the final cut.

[MacShadowsBall]

House of Dark Shadows is on Turner Classic Movies tonight at 9pm central time, in just 15 minutes!

[Lee]

Originally Posted by MacShadowsBall

House of Dark Shadows is on Turner Classic Movies tonight at 9pm central time, in just 15 minutes!

Well, this is a bummer; I didn't see this until the next morning! I wish I would have known because I would have recorded it like I've never seen it before. , But Iwould have liked to have seen it again. Oh, it takes me back, like waaaay back.

Lee

[MacShadowsBall]

Originally Posted by Lee

Well, this is a bummer; I didn't see this until the next morning! I wish I would have known because I would have recorded it like I've never seen it before. , But Iwould have liked to have seen it again. Oh, it takes me back, like waaaay back.

Lee

It's a good movie and makes me anticipate the new one coming out in May.

TCM was doing a tribute to Dick Smith, the make-up artist that did the aging for Barnabas(Jonathan Frid) on the series and in the movie.

[MacShadowsBall]

Gearing up for the new Dark Shadows movie so I thought I'd post a news article about it

http://books.usatoday.com/bookbuzz/p...movie/623644/1

February 10, 2012
'Dark Shadows' returns in book and movie

'Dark Shadows' by Kathryn Leigh Scott and Jim Pierson

Handout Vampire and soap opera devotees of a certain age will remember rushing home from school to tune in to the next creepily wonderful episode of Dark Shadows.

And while Hollywood is buzzing about the big-screen revival of the franchise with Johnny Depp starring as the vampire Barnabas Collins, in a film directed by Tim Burton, there's a new book coming in April written by Kathryn Leigh Scott, who played Maggie Evans and Josette DuPrés in the long-running soap.

Dark Shadows: Return to Collinwood written by Scott with Jim Pierson, is a look back at five decades of the beloved soap opera whose popularity earned it a permanent spot in our popular culture.

"As you can imagine, this book has been crashed through to tie in with the new Dark Shadows film (in which I have a cameo role) and renewed fan interest in the original House of Dark Shadows," Scott tells USA Today.

The book's foreword is written by none other than Jonathan Frid, who created the role of Barnabas Collins. The book includes hundreds of photographs and behind-the-scenes anecdotes from the show's stars including Scott (Josette DuPrés), Frid (Barnabas Collins), Lara Parker (Angelique Bouchard) and David Selby (Quentin Collins). They all appear in cameo roles in the Burton film which, in addition to Depp, stars Helena Bonham Carter and Michelle Pfeiffer. It opens in May.

The original Dark Shadows ran on ABC from 1966-1971. Reruns and DVD releases of all 1,225 episodes have attracted new generations of fans.

Scott and Pierson have previously collaborated on five books about Dark Shadows and a coffee table book about the career of its creator, the late producer-director Dan Curtis.

[Lee]

I'm digging this up because there is an article on this new Dark Shadows in the current (April) issue of Vanity Fair. Julia Roberts is on the cover. There are pictures of some of the people in the movie. I must say Johnny Depp looks like a scary Barnabas. I didn't think Barnabas should be that scary looking because I think the character warrants some sympathy (at least I gave him some sympathy back in the day). I'd scan the two pages, but I don't think I know how to shrink it or post it here for that matter. I already told my husband, book it; we are going to see this movie in May.

Lee

[MacShadowsBall]

I'm looking forward to the movie, though I am a bit concerned about a few things.

The trailer has yet to be released and the movie is due out in May. Also there are reports that the movie will be have "comedy" in it, for what its worth.

There's a Dark Shadows forum that I check everyday, http://www.dsboards.com/indexse05.html

[Lee]

Hey, thanks for posting the DS forum link; I'll have to check it out.

They have released a trailer for the new Dark Shadows, but I have to say, I haven't looked at it & I'm afraid to. Yes, I did hear that it's a "comedy". Dark Shadows, the original show, was not a comedy. It was some serious stuff. Barnabas was a tragic figure, to me anyway. He had a spell put on him by a meanie witch & became a vampire. He could never live a normal life. OK, am I the only one that feels this way?

Lee