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Thread: Dark Shadows (Tim Burton)

  1. #1
    Alone again, naturally eternity's Avatar
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    Dark Shadows (Tim Burton)



    Director: Tim Burton


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  2. #2
    Alone again, naturally eternity's Avatar
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    This is the Fruit Striped Gum of movies. It begins wonderfully, the first half hour is brilliantly insane, almost a return to form for Tim Burton. It's all just disjointed scenes and subplots swirling around an eighteenth century vampire in a "groovy," hyperstylized 1970s New England. It works really well. Until it doesn't. The movie takes a sudden nose dive and ceases to be enjoyable or even technically impressive, as if everybody stopped caring all at once. Suddenly, the script is boring, Burton stopped trying to direct, and the actors, particularly the dreadful although especially beautiful Bella Heathcote, seem really bored.

    I really wanted to like this, and I was. Too bad in the end, it's pretty wretched.

  3. #3
    Here till the end MadMan's Avatar
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    Bummer to hear that. I'm still going to check this out, mostly because I watched the old show back when repeats of it aired on Sci-Fi Channel before it became SFY.
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  4. #4
    Echoing eternity's thoughts completely. Starts off vaguely promising and Beetlejuice-y, but then becomes a complete mess. I kinda suspect that much of the development of the romance between Heathcote and Depp was left on the cutting room floor, considering how much of a deadweight the former is.

    Also, what's the point of a fish-out-of-water comedy that pits two bygone eras against each other? I suppose iPad/Lady Gaga gags would've been equally tiring, but that doesn't make stuff like Depp strolling by Superfly on a cinema marquee any less feeble.

  5. #5
    Alone again, naturally eternity's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Boner M (view post)
    Echoing eternity's thoughts completely. Starts off vaguely promising and Beetlejuice-y, but then becomes a complete mess. I kinda suspect that much of the development of the romance between Heathcote and Depp was left on the cutting room floor, considering how much of a deadweight the former is.

    Also, what's the point of a fish-out-of-water comedy that pits two bygone eras against each other? I suppose iPad/Lady Gaga gags would've been equally tiring, but that doesn't make stuff like Depp strolling by Superfly on a cinema marquee any less feeble.
    Burton's direction was able to sell a lot of that for me. It's obviously lazy, but every "Aha!" joke is very well timed. Every semi-inappropriate musical choice worked perfectly for me too.

  6. #6
    Eh... Kiusagi's Avatar
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    I owe this film for reminding me The Carpenters existed and were awesome.
    Fruitvale Station (Ryan Coogler) - ***
    The World's End (Edgar Wright) - ***

  7. #7
    dissolved into molecules lovejuice's Avatar
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    A pretty bad movie, but as an ex-Burton fanboy, I can't bring myself to hate it. The movie feels like Burton's honest attempt to return to his earlier, darker, weirder days -- before he became "Hot Topic" Tim Burton. Imo, there is almost an attempt to alienate the audiences, to show us who he really is, and his vision of the modern Gothic before that's got distorted by the Twilight crowd.
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  8. #8
    Ain't that just the way EyesWideOpen's Avatar
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    I quite enjoyed this. I never jumped on the anti-Burton bandwagon that happened once Nightmare Before Christmas got popular with the emo set so I was expecting this to be good and wasn't disappointed. So far the only Burton I haven't cared for is Sweeny Todd and even that had it's moments.
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  9. #9
    Piss off, ghost! number8's Avatar
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    Wha? As far as I know, that movie got popular with the emo kids, like, IMMEDIATELY after it came out. Nobody really cared about that because Burton followed it up with amazing shit like Ed Wood, Mars Attack! and Sleepy Hollow.

    The epic shittiness of Planet of the Apes probably has way more to do with the backlash than any goth fatigue.
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  10. #10
    Ain't that just the way EyesWideOpen's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting number8 (view post)
    Wha? As far as I know, that movie got popular with the emo kids, like, IMMEDIATELY after it came out. Nobody really cared about that because Burton followed it up with amazing shit like Ed Wood, Mars Attack! and Sleepy Hollow.

    The epic shittiness of Planet of the Apes probably has way more to do with the backlash than any goth fatigue.
    PotA>Mars Attacks

    And no way was Nightmare popular with emo kids right after it came out. It wasn't until a while later when Hot Topic became popular that I remember all of a sudden everyone was into the film.
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  11. #11
    Piss off, ghost! number8's Avatar
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    Yeah, well, Sweeney Todd is the only good movie he's made since we switched millennium.




    [
    ]
    Quote Quoting Donald Glover
    I was actually just reading about Matt Damon and he’s like, ‘There’s a culture of outrage.’ I’m like, ‘Well, they have a reason to be outraged.’ I think it’s a lot of dudes just being scared. They’re like, ‘What if I did something and I didn’t realize it?’ I’m like, ‘Deal with it.’
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  12. #12
    Ain't that just the way EyesWideOpen's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting number8 (view post)
    Yeah, well, Sweeney Todd is the only good movie he's made since we switched millennium.




    [
    ]
    Big Fish is one of the three best movies he's made.
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  13. #13
    neurotic subjectivist B-side's Avatar
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    I don't get it. Aren't shadows already dark? Doesn't make sense. No stars.
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    Riddick (David Twohy | 2013 | USA/UK)
    Night Across the Street (Raoul Ruiz | 2012 | Chile/France)*
    Pain & Gain (Michael Bay | 2013 | USA)*
    You're Next (Adam Wingard | 2011 | USA)
    Little Odessa (James Gray | 1994 | USA)*

    *recommended *highly recommended

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  14. #14
    The script is pretty lamentable, but this is gorgeous, sumptuous, and visually stellar. I was also happy about how grim in tone it kept itself most of the time, making the 70s period setting particularly striking.

    When it dipped into blatant comedy routine, it sucked. Depp's a good actor and you can tell even in this role, but most of the blame lays on him. The other comic players - Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley particularly - pull it off expertly.

    Conclusion: damn good-looking picture, thin as hell script, but dynamic work by Burton makes it really watchable. Some stand-out scenes of unmistakeable ingenuity, like the destructive sex sequence. The action climax is all sorts of cool, too, with some great freaky FX and horror atmosphere laid thick. Loved it.

    Fun. Should be approached as a guilty pleasure.
    The Act of Killing (Oppenheimer 13) - A
    Stranger by the Lake (Giraudie 12) - B
    American Hustle (Russell 13) - C+
    The Wolf of Wall Street (Scorsese 13) - C+
    Passion (De Palma 12) - B

  15. #15
    needs therapy, maybe. NickGlass's Avatar
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    Eva Green. That is all.

    (Really...that's it)
    I'm writing for Slant Magazine now, so check out my list of reviews.

    Hopefully I'll have the energy to update my signature soon.

  16. #16
    Avatar Thief Robby P's Avatar
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    Yeah this movie was terrible but good lord I couldn't take my eyes off her. Yowza.

  17. #17
    pushing too many pencils Rowland's Avatar
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    I was initially turned off by the trailers, but I've been willing to give this a shot since I read someone compare its visuals to Bava. Mario, not Lamberto.
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    Hard Times (Hill) ****½
    Another 48 Hrs. (Hill) ***
    /48 Hrs./ (Hill) ***½
    The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (Besson) ***
    /Unknown/ (Collet-Serra) ***½
    Animal (Simmons) **

  18. #18
    neurotic subjectivist B-side's Avatar
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    This is pretty underrated and underdiscussed. Boner mentioned it, but the comparisons to Beetlejuice are so appropriate and do nothing but favors for the film. It's less a "fish out of water" narrative than it is a political parable spoofing -- while retaining fondness for certain aspects of it -- the American conservative party wrapped in a horror pastiche goth-camp playhouse like Burton is wont to do. Burton's heartwarming evocation of horror film spirituality is commendable, and like Beetlejuice, Dark Shadows laments the death of the classic ornate horror experience with references to Nosferatu, Frankenstein and Night of the Hunter sprinkled about like loving winks. Jumping from the imperialistic beginnings of the British-American empire convergence, Barnabas is unsurprisingly shuttled to an era of widespread socio-political change in the US; circa the 1970s. A waltz by a theater playing Superfly nods toward the recent MLK Jr. racial revolution and Barnabas' shock at the notion of a female doctor calls into action the feminist movement. Barnabas is an anachronistic figure, and his destructively dated drive sets him at odds with a modern America. Naturally, Burton hands over the real heart of the film to the marginalized child with the connection to the supernatural (again, similar to Beetlejuice) whose kind heart and faith speak to a religious conviction, but not one contrary to those who are "different" (read: homosexual or simply unique in their chosen love). Burton's world is bursting at the seams with childhood wonder, nostalgia and a yearning for a world beyond the limits of our scientific understanding.
    Last 5 Viewed
    Riddick (David Twohy | 2013 | USA/UK)
    Night Across the Street (Raoul Ruiz | 2012 | Chile/France)*
    Pain & Gain (Michael Bay | 2013 | USA)*
    You're Next (Adam Wingard | 2011 | USA)
    Little Odessa (James Gray | 1994 | USA)*

    *recommended *highly recommended

    “It isn't easy to accept that suffering can also be beautiful... it's difficult. It's something you can only understand if you dig deeply into yourself.” -- Rainer Werner Fassbinder

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  19. #19
    Quote Quoting B-side (view post)
    This is pretty underrated and underdiscussed. Boner mentioned it, but the comparisons to Beetlejuice are so appropriate and do nothing but favors for the film. It's less a "fish out of water" narrative than it is a political parable spoofing -- while retaining fondness for certain aspects of it -- the American conservative party wrapped in a horror pastiche goth-camp playhouse like Burton is wont to do. Burton's heartwarming evocation of horror film spirituality is commendable, and like Beetlejuice, Dark Shadows laments the death of the classic ornate horror experience with references to Nosferatu, Frankenstein and Night of the Hunter sprinkled about like loving winks. Jumping from the imperialistic beginnings of the British-American empire convergence, Barnabas is unsurprisingly shuttled to an era of widespread socio-political change in the US; circa the 1970s. A waltz by a theater playing Superfly nods toward the recent MLK Jr. racial revolution and Barnabas' shock at the notion of a female doctor calls into action the feminist movement. Barnabas is an anachronistic figure, and his destructively dated drive sets him at odds with a modern America. Naturally, Burton hands over the real heart of the film to the marginalized child with the connection to the supernatural (again, similar to Beetlejuice) whose kind heart and faith speak to a religious conviction, but not one contrary to those who are "different" (read: homosexual or simply unique in their chosen love). Burton's world is bursting at the seams with childhood wonder, nostalgia and a yearning for a world beyond the limits of our scientific understanding.
    Coolio. Nice reading.
    The Act of Killing (Oppenheimer 13) - A
    Stranger by the Lake (Giraudie 12) - B
    American Hustle (Russell 13) - C+
    The Wolf of Wall Street (Scorsese 13) - C+
    Passion (De Palma 12) - B

  20. #20
    Replacing Luck Since 1984 Dukefrukem's Avatar
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    This was remarkably underwhelming. It started off beautifully, but hit a wall about 2/3s of the way through when it became a CGI-fested action movie. "I'm a werewolf OK? Let's not make a big deal of it." No charm, no creativity. God, I haven't enjoyed a Burton movie since... well since Corpse Bride, but before that you need to go back Beetlejuice.
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  21. #21
    pushing too many pencils Rowland's Avatar
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    Vacuous, but vividly so. Eva Green gives a ridiculously seductive physical performance, so why is she attempting a Kathy Bates vocal impression?
    Letterboxd rating scale:
    The Long Riders (Hill) ***
    Furious 7 (Wan) **½
    Hard Times (Hill) ****½
    Another 48 Hrs. (Hill) ***
    /48 Hrs./ (Hill) ***½
    The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (Besson) ***
    /Unknown/ (Collet-Serra) ***½
    Animal (Simmons) **

  22. #22
    A Platypus Grouchy's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting EyesWideOpen (view post)
    PotA>Mars Attacks
    You couldn't be more wrong if you tried.

    Burton simply needs to hire better writers to make himself relevant again. He's not one himself, so he needs better writers. This movie started out well, but it fell into a generic FX splooge-fest anyway, losing all of its wits in the way. I actually didn't mind the soap opera structure where there are a lot of characters and subplots crammed into one movie, the direction is classy and the cast is all-around excellent... but the problem is, once again for Burton, the lazy writing.

    There are as many high points in the film as there are low ones. The "hard sex" scene, though, is definitively a stand-out.

  23. #23
    Replacing Luck Since 1984 Dukefrukem's Avatar
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    I think I agree with EWO. Mars Attacks was cute and all, but it suffered from a terrible script and worse acting. The characters are not interesting and it's just boring.... sounds familiar of a Burton movie....

    Top 5 (haven't seen Ed Wood)

    1. Beetlejuice
    2. Batman
    3. Edward Scissorhands
    4. Big Fish
    5. Sleepy Hollow

    Bottom 5

    1. Alice in Wonderland
    2. Dark Shadows
    3. Mars Attacks
    4. Planet of the Apes
    5. Batman Returns
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  24. #24
    A Platypus Grouchy's Avatar
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    No, Mars Attacks! is fucking brilliant. One of his finest achievements to date.

    1. Ed Wood
    2. Edward Scissorhands
    3. Batman Returns
    4. Mars Attacks!
    5. Beetlejuice
    6. Sleepy Hollow
    7. Frankenweenie
    8. Batman
    9. Vincent
    10. Big Fish

    11. Sweeney Todd
    12. Corpse Bride
    13. Dark Shadows
    14. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
    15. Planet of the Apes
    16. Alice in Wonderland

  25. #25
    Quote Quoting Grouchy (view post)
    One of his finest achievements to date.
    Not saying much, dude.

    I just saw Sleepy Hollow and man was it weak; nice looking, I'll concede, but it's a shame to see so many good actors sandbagged by such lousy dialogue. It's the sort of movie where the evil villainess has to explain her diabolical schemes and motivating back story to the heroine (and implicitly the audience) as if I fucking gave a shit by this point. Sadly enough, the most interesting part of this film is the actresses' cleavage; the movie might've been improved had they replaced the director with Russ Meyer, but then, I suppose that's true of most films.

    If I had to pick a Tim Burton movie I actually sort of like, it would be Ed Wood, but even that's only pretty good. Again, it looks great, and even if Depp's wide-eyed optimism gets a bit monotonous at times, the supporting cast is pretty good. Still, there's something a bit dubious about taking a life of abject failure and turning it into an inspirational story about persisting in the face of adversity while at the same time exaggerating the awfulness of Wood's films for comic effect. I also like Sweeney Todd but it's a bit forgettable.

    If I had to pick a Tim Burton movie to epitomize why he's an even worse filmmaker than Wood (who might generously be regarded as an accidental Brechtian), it would be Big Fish, which is the most sickening kind of Oscar-baiting claptrap: Like the Billy Crudup character (our onscreen surrogate), we're told again and again to stop being rational grownups and believe in magic again. (By comparison, Patch Adams looks like Béla fucking Tarr.) Watching this slop with a theatre full of sobbing philistine popcorn munchers, I wanted nothing more than for a suicide bomber to blow up the multiplex.
    Just because...
    The Fabelmans (Steven Spielberg, 2022) mild
    Petite maman (Céline Sciamma, 2021) mild
    The Banshees of Inisherin (Martin McDonagh, 2022) mild

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