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Dark Shadows is about a man called Barnabas Collins who gets turned into a vampire by angry ex-girlfriend of hi and buried alive for 200 years. It is based on a 1960's daytime soap opera. It stars Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer. It starts in 1760s Liverpool and tells of how Barnabas Collins fortune was made. This was in the fishing business. Liverpool is depicted as dark and dirty, not suitable for the Collins which is why they move to America which is shown well lit and inhabitable. The place they buy emphasize this but soon it will looks derelict and dirty just like Liverpool. Barnabas Collins is acted by Johny Depp and is portrayed as a playboy not caring who is with and how treats them. Unfortunately one of the girlfriends he abuses is a witch called Angelique played by Eva Green. There were early signs of Angelique attraction to barnabus when they are in docks in Liverpool where she was staring at him. Her mother scolds her saying nothing good could come of it. The film after Barnabas is released from imprisonment plays on how he gets on in 1972 America. For example there is when he talks to family about getting the horses up running he is told that they don't have horses they have a chevy. Also when he finally meets the witch he who imprisoned him he is told that the way he speaks is out dated. For example when he rejects her advances and does counter proposal he says “you may strategically place your wonderful lips upon my posterior and kiss it repeatedly” is very funny. Another funny scene is when he first encounters Television and hears and sees a woman singing. He immediately opens up the tv and shouts “What kind of sorcery is this, reveal yourself tiny songstress”. The plot which is messy sometimes stays reasonably straightforward until you get to the ending where anything goes as a werewolf is thrown into the equation and it does say not to make a big deal out of it but I just can't let it go. One reason for the plot to be a mess is before they reintroduce Barnabas into collingwood manor they introduce a female character called Victoria winters who is a governess to David a trouble kid who has lost his mother but is in regular contact with her ghost and does not get on with his father played by Jonny Lee Miller. There is nothing developed about the character except her being the love interest of Barnabas. There is a psychiatrist called Julia Hoffman played by Helena Bonham Carter who does nothing to help the dysfunctional family she been hired to do. She is officially there to help David come to terms with the lost of his mother. The only plot line that is developed is the partnership Barnabas has with Elizabeth Collins Stodard played by Michelle Pfeiffer. to take their fishery business back to the top. The theme is Barnabas come back to Collingwood manor to find it in decline and decides after the meeting family he is going to return it back to it glory days. However he runs into his ex-girlfriend while midway to compel his way to victory. She decides that if they do not get back together she will destroy him and his extended family. Overall Barnabas fails to bring the family business back to the top as the whole business and mansion is destroyed by Angelique and nearly his love life. Also the film fails to deliver a coherent story line and expects you to laugh your way through it. |