The Dark Shadows saga continues!
Recently, the CliqueClackers huddled together around our computer monitors to have a look at the first official trailer for Tim Burton’s adaptation of the classic TV soap opera and … well, most of us were mildly horrified by what we saw. Not that anything in the movie itself was awful, but the tone set in the trailer was a complete departure from what everyone expected from the avowed fans of the TV show. Why on earth would Burton and Depp, who claimed so much love for the original source material, suddenly decide to go the comedic route with the film, knowing the true fans would be appalled?
I watched the trailer several times, and I was convinced there was a dramatic, and hopefully scary, movie in there somewhere. Unfortunately, trailers are often farmed out to agencies that have no connection to the studio or the creators of the property, and I think that whoever put the comedy trailer together made a regretful error. I believe the choice of music used in the trailer was completely, totally, utterly wrong, and if you can actually look at the film and block out the wacky, inappropriate music, you can see a lot of dramatic moments. (And I also feel that the editing completely misleads us to believe Barnabas tells the entire Collins family that he’s a vampire. I’m thinking he’s merely revealing his secret to Dr. Hoffman, as he does in the TV show.)
Now, Warner Brothers is making the full Danny Elfman score available for streaming, and from the few tracks I sampled, I am convinced my theory was right. Granted, I have not listened to the entire score yet, but the tracks I randomly selected were full of drama with nary a hint of slapstick. I stand by my assertion that the trailer was a misguided attempt to pander to younger audiences who may not know the original series, and it had the unfortunate effect of alienating the core audience. I now leave it in your hands. Give the tracks a listen and see if you still think Tim Burton has “destroyed” Dark Shadows.
Update: I may have been vindicated in my theory about the music for the trailer and how the film is being sold to unsuspecting audiences. You can have a look at what some Hollywood insiders have to say about the finished film … and they all support my theory!
Clacked by Chuck Duncan 
on Apr 04, 2012 @ 15:20 EST5EDT
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I don’t know what to make of this any more.
First of all, just about anything Danny Elfman puts to paper is interesting, interesting stuff musically speaking. The rub here is how it correlates to the film.
If indeed and in fact some Bozo nose put that trailer together we “mocked” then there may just be room for a big sigh of relief. Personally, I just don’t know what to make of it anymore.
So … I’m going to let the proof be in the pudding on this one and see what happens when the film is released.
P.S. Chuck? The link above is for mere minute-thirty snippets of the tracks. Still, nice taste of things to come for the soundtrack …
*POST AUTHOR*
Yeah, I was bummed when I went back for more to listen to and discovered they were just short pieces, so hopefully they don’t go off on a comedic tangent. But I did listen to some other tracks that really paid homage to the sound of Robert Cobert’s original score, particularly the use of flute, that gave me goosebumps so I am more cautiously optimistic than I was before. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time there was a disastrous first trailer. And I hope that the participation of four of the original cast is also reason enough to believe the trailer completely mis-sold the film.
i can’t see the film being any real departure from what we’ve seen….burton the butcher hopefully hasn’t massacred yet another classic (wasn’t ‘planet of the apes’ enough, for gawd sakes?)…as one writer noted, if the director/creators of the ‘mission impossible’ franchise can be respectful in tone to the original, even when this current generation is not familiar with it, why couldn’t burton and depp etc?…nuts
Speaking of a dramatic tone, I wrote a song called “Barnabas Collins” and submitted it for consideration to the new movie. The music director, Mike Higham, chose not to use it but I think you’ll agree that this should have been in the movie. Let me know if you agree. I also rushed home from school to watch the original series and my song really captures the spirit of the original Barnabas and his complex inner struggle.