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| Tim Burton's Dark Shadows |
“The perfect marriage of European elegance…and American
Enterprise.”
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The Dark Shadows fan in me, admittedly, hates Tim Burton’s take on the beloved soap. As a fan, I felt like I was being pummeled by a prize fighter the way the film sees the classic Gothic soap as a punching bag for non-stop verbal and visual comedy. I’m sure there’s a section of those who either know of (or were perhaps fans of) Dark Shadows that truly feel it is worthy of such a treatment; there are those who could see plenty of opportunity to spoof and take great strides in lampooning Dark Shadows. On the same token, there’s this “Love at First Bite” side to me that thoroughly enjoyed the sight gags and humorous touches involving an out-of-date, “from a different time” vampire responding to 1972 Maine as the cultural, flower child, love revolution is so in full vigor. His speech, educated and refined, is certainly at odds with 1972. And his reactions such things as the Operation game, the television, the telephone booth, a highway, and a car are priceless in how a vampire/man from a whole different era clashes with his new surroundings is perfectly suitable for a spoof on vampire films in general. The problem is that for many Dark Shadows fans, like myself, we didn’t have contempt for the soap. Not at all. And this feels like it did have contempt for the material that means a lot more to the show’s cult following than apparently to those behind the making of Dark Shadows. So there this internal conflict. Part of me loathes what Tim Burton and his filmmaking team have done with this movie towards the show while that other side who enjoys seeing a fish out of water spoof of the Gothic vampire/family embraces the humor of it. I can’t honestly tell you if I hate it or love it. It’s a mixture of feelings if ever there was such an experience I’ve had with a picture.
“We don’t have horses. We have a chevy.”
“Welcome back from the shadows, Barnabas Collins, I’ve missed you."
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