The origin of Dark Shadows?

Question

Ok, so I've been to the cinema and watched it. I pretty much liked the concept, but if I had to rate the whole movie... well, it's not even worth the 6.7 rating from IMDb. I would only give bonus points for Johnny Depp and for Alice Cooper.

Moving on to the question, I'd like to ask you if you had watched any previous series that the new movie was based on and can you also tell me if it's good or not? I really think that the movie is crappy despite Johnny Depp, but the series must be awesome.

Answer 1

When I was in high school (in the late '60s), my friends and I would rush home to watch our favorite TV show called "Dark Shadows" that came on at 4 pm. It had some interesting characters in this first-of-it's-kind gothic soap opera. These were the main ones:

Jonathan Frid ... Barnabas Collins http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2755696640/tt0059978

Grayson Hall ... Dr. Julia Hoffman

Nancy Barrett ... Carolyn Stoddard

Joan Bennett (a well-recognized actress of the time)... Elizabeth Collins Stoddard



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059978/

The show was initially good but like most television series, the writers ran out of fresh material and the series was pulled from the air. In my opinion, the series probably attracted a wide-spread teen audience and mostly girls. I don't remember any "hotties" on the show, however.

Answer 2

The TV series from 1966-1971 was fun and creative. It's fun to watch the adventures revolving around the Collins family. A time travel staircase or by using the I Ching meditation....visiting a parallel universe by opening a door in the palatial home's West Wing....and all those creepy monsters and vindictive villains.

But, since this was produced LONG before "green screen" technology, modern viewers will find the special effects clumsy and goofy. My wife and I have been watching this series in chronological order since the summer of 2010.

The first 200 or so episodes begin with the familiar introduction, "My name is Victoria Winters." The color episodes begin around episode 295. But one must remember that this is a soap opera. Viewers who may be unfamiliar with daytime drama need to remember that the show's forward motion can frequently feel like it's creeeeeeeping along at a snail's pace. It's not a fast-paced, action-packed show like CSI or NCIS.

Answer 3

I watched the original series when I was a kid. We would run home, drop our books, and plop down in front of the TV, then talk about with all the kids at school the next day. I LOVED the series.



I tried watching it when they tried to remake it in 1991 and it was just awful. The magic was gone.





Edit: I'll probably see the movie because I love Johnny Depp and most of Tim Burton's movies. But like with Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, I'll just have to not think of the original when I'm watching it.

Answer 4

My friends and I were loyal to "Dark Shadows" when it was on the air and we were in the 6th grade. Dark Shadows was a very popular soap opera. It was creepy and was enjoyed by all ages and it crossed gender lines.



It was nothing like today's movie version and I do not know why Tim Burton chose to make it in the style that he did (quite frankly, I am becoming burnt out on Tim Burton).



Whether you would like the original series is hard to say, since it was a soap opera.