May Madness: Dark Shadows

The good news is that Johnny Depp seems to have awoken from his “blah” acting phase. His last three films The Rum Diaries, The Tourist and Pirates 4  were underwhelming and Depp appeared to be sleeping whilst being incredibly uninterested. I began to wonder if Depp could still sink his teeth into meaty roles and this picture gave me hope.

After watching the trailer for Dark Shadows it is clear that Depp’s motivation was awoken much like his buried alive vampire character.

It is always a good thing when Depp and Tim Burton work together. They are a perfect combination of talent and odd. They remind me of Bill Murray and Wes Anderson or DeNiro  (currently on the “I’m sorry for New Year’s Eve” tour) and Scorcese.  Depp and Burton are like Hendricks and a slice of cucumber. When you put them together it works. At the very least we will be treated to a visual delight full of quirk, comedy and hatred towards a tiny songstress.

Now that he is reunited with Tim Burton his humorous delivery and strange haircuts have reappeared. Depp seems to be relishing his role as a recently awoken vampire who discovers the 70s and all its glories (AKA cars, waffles, television).

Another positive is that Michelle Pfeiffer is also on the “I’m sorry for New Years Eve” tour. It is cool to see her reunited with Burton after Batman Returns.

The cast is loaded with wonderful actors who should fit right in to the Burton world. Tim has assembled Chloe Moritz, Jackie Early Halley, Eva Green and Johnny Lee Miller to add thespian depth to a remade world.

the trailer for this film is a wonderful mix of humor and the macabre. What what I’ve gathered Depp was turned into a vampire then buried alive by an angry witch. He awakens two hundred years later has to help his downtrodden family reclaim their former glory…However, Eva Green comes back to haunt him with her never aging attributes. Her evil capabilities appear equal to Rachel McAdams devilishness in Midnight in Paris.

Dark Shadows looks like a lively remake that will add another chapter to the Depp/Burton love story. Hopefully, purists and newbies alike will join together to visit the strange world.