Two hundred years is a long time to revive a vampire, but then again, 40 years is long time to revive the first horror soap opera (not counting an earlier, feature adaptation and a TV reboot in the '90s).
In Tim Burton's Dark Shadows, Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) is cursed into vampirehood by spurned lover Angelique (Eva Green) in the 18th century and is buried alive (undead?) to await his unearthing in the 1970's. What he finds is the family fishing empire in ruins, the occupants of stately Collinswood manor -- including Michelle Pfeiffer as matriarch, Helena Bonham Carter as drunk doctor, Jackie Earle Haley as drunker handyman, and Bella Heathcote as a nanny who bears a striking resemblance to Barnabas' lost love Josette -- devolved into feckless dissolution, and Carpenters music everywhere. It will take the formidable powers of the Nosferatu to rescue the accursed clan, and prove that there is indeed life after undeath.
Cinefantastique Online's Steve Biodrowski, Lawrence French, and I have seen the film. We sat down to discuss whether Burton's more comedic take on Dark Shadows' melodramatics are worth the trip back to the Me Decade. Also in this show: What's coming to theaters.
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