Dark Shadows (2012)

An imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home, where his dysfunctional descendants are in need of his protection.

Director:

Tim Burton

Writers:

Seth Grahame-Smith (screenplay), John August (story),

Stars:

Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter

2 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Johnny Depp	...	Barnabas Collins
Michelle Pfeiffer	...	Elizabeth Collins Stoddard
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Dr. Julia Hoffman
Eva Green	...	Angelique Bouchard
Jackie Earle Haley	...	Willie Loomis
Jonny Lee Miller	...	Roger Collins
Bella Heathcote	...	Victoria Winters / Josette DuPres
Chloë Grace Moretz	...	Carolyn Stoddard
Gulliver McGrath	...	David Collins (as Gully McGrath)
Ray Shirley	...	Mrs. Johnson
Christopher Lee	...	Clarney
Alice Cooper	...	Alice Cooper
Ivan Kaye	...	Joshua Collins
Susanna Cappellaro	...	Naomi Collins
Josephine Butler	...	David's Mother

Storyline

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, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth ...

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Plot Keywords:

witch | vampire | curse | maine | psychiatrist | 

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Taglines:

Every Family Has Its Demons

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for comic horror violence, sexual content, some drug use, language and smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 May 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sombras tenebrosas

Filming Locations:

Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$150,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$29,685,274 (USA) (11 May 2012)

Gross:

$79,711,678 (USA) (10 August 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures, Infinitum Nihil

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The time line cited in the film appears to be accurate: 1760 (at around 1 min) + 1 year (construction of the Collinsport dock and the Joshua Collins Cannery) + 15 years (construction of Collinwood at 02:08) = 1776; 1776+196 (entombment at 43:20) = 1972, the year in which the bulk of the film is set. Also Barnabas' age of 6 years on leaving Liverpool (end credits) + 1 year + 15 years = 22 years when he was propositioned by Angelique. Early press releases state that the family left Liverpool in 1752.

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Goofs

The number of cars on the passenger train repeatedly varies between four and five.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Barnabas Collins: [narrates] It is said that blood is thicker than water. It is what defines us, binds us... curses us.

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Crazy Credits

There is a dedication in the closing credits: "To the memory of Dan Curtis".

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Connections

Referenced in Don't Say No Until I Finish Talking: The Story of Richard D. Zanuck (2013)

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Soundtracks

"Ballad of Dwight Fry"
Written by Alice Cooper and Michael Bruce
Performed by Alice Cooper
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.
By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

Tired formula and a disappointing movie

Let's leave it all at the door here. I loved Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and Batman. Hated Batman Returns, Alice in Wonderland, and Willy Wonka. Could care less about Nightmare before Christmas and Sweeney Todd. Okay, so I'm not a Tim Burton hater. I'm not a huge Tim Burton fan. I think in this situation, I'm as close as you get to the average movie goer. No agenda, no attachments. That being said, this film is terrible. Burton spent so much effort and time worrying about making this film Gothic and off pace, stuffing his favorite actors into the film even though half of their parts were pointless, he forgot he was making a film. It's a simple and fun idea but it feels like ego and "showiness" kept them from making the plot even make sense. We get it Tim! You are weird! Don't ruin a good performance by Depp and a fun idea for a film because you have to live up to your own Gothic standards. Grow up. So much talent is wasted on these films having the same look, cast, and feel to them. Take that talent and make something fresh! Stretch yourself just a tad out of that Hot Topic comfort zone will ya? This movie was long, boring, and ruined. All of the funny scenes were in the trailer. By the way.... wasn't this supposed to be the 70's? Other than a shot or two of trees and a hippie van it was just like the set of Sweeney Todd. The whole film felt like London in the 40's. That's bad film making whether your name is Tim Burton or not.