Trailer Tuesday: Dark Shadows

With an American AND South African release date of 11 May, for a long time it seemed like Warner Bros. was cutting things unusually fine in terms of unveiling the trailer for the latest Tim Burton-Johnny Depp team-up, Dark Shadows. Finally, last Thursday, less than 2 months to release, the trailer was unveiled... to a divisive response.


Dark Shadows is based on a cult classic TV soap opera that ran from 1966 -1971. What set this soapie apart from its sigh-filled, convoluted brethren was its addition of supernatural elements to the melodramatic mix. With Dark Shadows, witches, ghosts, werewolves, seances and the occult popped up in soap operas for the first time... along with one of the first ever "good," redemption-seeking vampires of pop culture, Barnabas Collins.

In the 2012 movie adaptation, Johhny Depp is Barnabas, a 18th Century playboy who lives in the creepily atmospheric town of Collinsport, Maine, which his family helped establish. Barnabas has the world at his feet, but his life and true love is stolen from him when he is transformed into a vampire by one of his jealous former flings, a witch called Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). Captured and entombed, Barnabas is only accidentally released in 1972. Immediately he sets out to reverse the fallen fortunes of his family, get revenge on Angelique (who is still around) and, most importantly, adjust to life in the Disco Era. Yes there are sparkling vampires in Dark Shadows, but the twinkle is all due to mirrorballs...

Dark Shadows features an all-star cast that includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Jonny Lee Miller and Chloë Moretz as Barnabas's dysfunctional descendants. Helena Bonham Carter and Jackie Earle Haley play Collins employees with secrets of their own.

On paper, Dark Shadows 2012 sounds faithful enough. Until you watch the trailer...

The TV series has an ardent fan following to this day, and the faithful have not been pleased by director Burton's apparent decision to take the overblown gothic soapie - loved as a straight-faced camp classic - and transform it into an obvious, goofy comedy. Or at least that's how the marketing material is making Dark Shadows look.


Of course, this is predominantly the reaction of existing Dark Shadows fans. They're disgusted by their obsession being given a Brady Bunch Movie treatment. This said, to my knowledge Dark Shadows has never screened on South African TV screens, and locals - as well as younger generations around the globe - have no preconceived ideas about what a Dark Shadows film should be like.

Personally, with no exposure to the original series, I'm very happy to see Burton, Depp and co. having fun. Instead of trying to insert quirkiness into a more sombre project, they're balls to the wall committed to making a comedy; to keeping things light and silly. Whether Dark Shadows is more miss than hit (remember Burton's kookily enjoyable but uneven Mars Attacks!?), it's nice to see such an overt change in direction for Burton and Depp. Oh, and, as always, it's always fantastic to watch Michelle Pfeiffer back in (fading) ice queen mode.

Look out for Dark Shadows in early May. And check out 3 pages of pics from the film here.