DARK SHADOWS may be the return to form for Tim Burton who has veered a little off his traditional path in my humble opinion.
In an interview with HorrorHound Magazine (via GeekTyrant), Burton spoke a little about the film and its main character. DARK SHADOWS has been a film that Johnny Depp has wanted to take on for awhile due to his admiration for the character of Barnabas Collins. But why did Burton want to take it? “The reason I liked Dark Shadows was that it was a weird family story. It just happened to have supernatural qualities to it.” Another question is how will the film be marketed? When asked if it would be represented as a comedy, in the vein of BEETLEJUICE, Burton responded with, “It’s news to me… I always start things with the most serious of intentions. I sometimes find humour in things that aren’t funny and vice versa.”
One thing that strikes me about the film thus far is the look of Depp’s Barnabas. To me, the character looks a bit more glammed up. The director said they went the traditional route, “We wound up with a nod to [original actor] Jonathan Frid’s Barnabas. Because of the sensitive nature of the character, I liked the idea of his fingernails being long, a bit more tactile.”
One thing that film goers are concerned about might be the use of effects in this movie. Burton apparently has been listening and will focus less on that aspect, “I want to rely on the characters… We were trying to keep it as human and personal as possible. Every effect should not seem like an effect.”