Dark Shadows Movie: Video Interview with Writer Seth Grahame-Smith

Every time that I see the incredible images from the prologue to the 2012 DS film, I feel an overwhelming sadness over “what might have been” – had the creative team just had the courage of their convictions and told the story straight, without turning it into a summer movie farce. There were SO many ways this movie could have been successful. I maintain that Depp would’ve been an extremely effective Barnabas Collins, had he been given the direction to do so. I place the blame squarely on the shoulders of Mr. Burton and Mr. Grahame-Smith for an unforgivably disrespectful and puerile telling of the story. Somewhere along the line, they lost track of the heart and soul of Dark Shadows – and squandered an amazing opportunity to extend it’s popularity to a new generation of fans. If the scriptwriter was so keen to reboot “Beetlejuice”, then he just should’ve gone ahead and done so – without feeling the need to transfer it to Collinsport.

Reading the comments, I have to say I couldn’t have said it better myself. Especially about the John August script which I would dearly love to read. If someone would have reined in the stupid makeup, told a story that not only respected the original core of Dark Shadows but also the intelligence of those of us who paid money to see this abomination I wouldn’t have to cringe or facepalm every time an image from that movie pops up online.