Director Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and a star-studded cast team up to present a new take on a cult classic. Dark Shadows (PG-13), a gothic comedy based on the TV daytime soap opera that aired on ABC from 1966 to 1971, premieres in theaters and IMAX on May 11. Depp plays the elegantly ghoulish 18th-century vampire Barnabas Collins, a role originated for the TV series—and raised to celebrity status—by Jonathan Frid. The actor and several of his fellow cast members make cameo appearances in the film (Frid passed away on Friday, April 13, 2012, at the age of 87). Created by Dan Curtis, the TV series produced more than 1,000 episodes and was groundbreaking for its use of supernatural themes and its portrayal of a conflicted, often compassionate vampire protagonist.
In the movie, a young Barnabas and his parents set sail from England in 1752 to escape a curse that has besieged their family and start afresh in America. Two decades later, Barnabas (Depp), now master of Collinwood Manor, has become an important figure in the town of Collinsport, ME, and a bit of a playboy. When his affair with a witch, Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green), goes south, she exacts revenge by turning him into a vampire and burying him alive. Accidentally released from his tomb two centuries later, Barnabas resurfaces in the funkadelic milieu of 1972. Returning to Collinwood Manor, he soon discovers that the formerly majestic estate is in a shambles, as are its inhabitants. Mysteries, dark secrets, and a whirlwind of troubles surround this generation of the Collins family: matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer); her black-sheep brother, Roger Collins (Jonny Lee Miller); her headstrong teenage daughter, Carolyn (Chloe Moretz); and Roger’s 10-year-old son, David (Gulliver McGrath). Other equally enigmatic household members include live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter); caretaker Willie Loomis (Jackie Earle Haley); and David’s new nanny, Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote). Barnabas would like to restore the family fortunes to their former glory, but he has quite a few problems of his own to deal with, including the return of the bewitching and vengeful Angelique.
On the Web
Teens can visit the official website to view a trailer and get a taste of the movie’s cool-retro 1970s vibe, supernatural fireworks, and mélange of horror and macabre humor. A gallery of posters, supercharged with bright colors and plenty of attitude, introduces the main characters and makes for fun browsing. YAs interested in investigating the original TV series, the NBC revival series (1991), various film versions, and all things dark, can check out the “Dark Shadows Wiki.” “Dark Shadows Journal Online” contains loads of trivia and background as well, along with some entertainingly atmospheric clips of the first Barnabas in action.
Books
Tempt movie fans with a couple of selections inspired by Barnabas and his cohorts, spine-tinglingly tinged with gothic-style storytelling and gripping suspense.
Hermes Press presents an updated edition of Dark Shadows: The Original Series Story Digest (2012, Gr 8 Up), a short prose novel illustrated with comic-book style artwork that was first published in magazine format by Gold Key Comics in 1970. Written by D. J. Arneson, the story is both absorbing and great fun as it unfurls with carefully measured-out melodrama, cliffhanger moments, and theatrically delivered dialogue. Now free of the curse that Angelique had placed upon him centuries before, Barnabas’s greatest fear is that the witch will return to once again “plunge [him] into the world of living death.” When he investigates a mysterious blue light emanating from a widow at Collinwood, he discovers not Angelique, but the ghost of 18-year-old Annabella Collins. The young woman had died in a shipwreck 160 years ago and has been trapped ever since by her vow to wait for the spirit of her beloved fiancé; the two were never reunited as Michael’s soul had been captured by a malicious witch named Calandra. Though aware that dabbling in the spirit world puts him at great risk, Barnabas valiantly agrees to help. He and Annabella travel back in time to Salem and embark on a danger-filled adventure involving dark mysteries and midnight ceremonies, zombies and bodily possessions, the misguided efforts of witch-hunting townsfolk, and a satisfying climax that neatly ties up all of the plot threads. Colored in dazzling hues, Joe Certa’s full-page illustrations depict the characters and action with plenty of flair and add to the aura of nostalgia. A large section of photos featuring the TV show’s cast and settings is also included.
A new comic-book series from Dynamite Entertainment pays homage to the ambiance and allure of the original TV show while serving up the action with a more contemporary graphic novel sensibility. The first four issues have been published in a standalone Dark Shadows (2012; Gr 9 Up) trade paperback with a real grabber of a cover (a square-jawed Barnabas stares out with piercing eyes, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his face superimposed on the silhouette of a hand scraping out a blood-red trail). It’s 1971 in Collinsport, and Barnabas struggles to keep his “vampiric existence” under wraps and fight against his bloodlust while undergoing Julia’s treatments to affect a cure. In fact, all of Collinwood’s residents seem to be harboring sinister secrets and hidden motivations. After a series of menacing events transpire, Barnabas discovers that the malicious and vindictive Angelique is on the loose, transformed from statue form to flesh and blood by consuming the life force of others. She’s determined to make him her one and only for all eternity, and all of Barnabas’s loved ones are in grave danger. The script incorporates snappy dialogue and clever turns of phrase, and the storytelling is perfectly paced to build mystery and suspense. Filled with crisp colors, interesting textures, and shimmering shadows, the artwork effectively depicts the atmospheric setting along with the action. Light is effectively used to underscore plot points and convey emotion—the warm radiance of a candle, a full moon illuminating the nighttime landscape, or the shimmering sparks emitted from the eyes of a character possessed by passion (or Angelique). A riveting page-turner and fine interpretation of the Dark Shadows universe.
Publication Information
ARNESON, D. J. Dark Shadows: The Original Series Story Digest: Interrupted Voyage. illus. by Joe Certa. Hermes Pr., dist. by Diamond Book Dist. 2012. pap. $8.99. ISBN 9781613450192.
MANNING, Stuart. Dark Shadows. Vol. 1. illus. by Aaron Campbell & Guiu Vilanova. Collection cover by Francesco Francavilla. Dynamite Entertainment, dist. by Diamond Book Dist. 2012. pap. $16.99. ISBN 9781606902752.
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About Joy Fleishhacker
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