When I first heard about the new Dark Shadows movie, when it was still just an idea, I was excited. With Tim Burton at the helm, I thought it might be okay. I thought he had a good sense of the scary. And then I heard Johnny Depp would be Barnabas Collins. I wondered how that would work. Then I say the first pictures of him in costume, and I was all “I don’t know how to feel about that.” Then came the official trailer that I only just saw last night. And all I can say is “Hell NO!”
I never saw the TV show, as I was too young at the time, but the novels and comic books converted me into a fan. But not a fan of the show, but of Barnabas. He was the original emo-vampire and in the comics, a bit of a super hero. He was always helping people and saving the Collins family from supernatural disasters all while trying to keep his secret of being a vampire from them. Angelique was the perfect arch-enemy, loving and hating Barnabas at the same time, and Quentin was a better side kick than Willie Loomis. But from that trailer, it just looks like the movie is just a parody of the show, and making fun of the 70s at the same time. While I don’t mind parodies if they are done right, nothing in the trailer made laugh or even smile, just roll my eyes a lot. The superhero premise would have been better. Color me disappointed.
