10 Reasons to Be Exited about "DARK SHADOWS"

"Dark Shadows" is still one of the most anticipated films of 2012 due to the readers of my blog, so I decided to make a list about why people are waiting for it.

1. Tim Burton may have messed up a little with Disney's "Alice in Wonderland", but he is still one of the most talented Hollywood directors, who manages to create unforgettable dark stories. He is in charge for upcoming "Dark Shadows", and this time he can't disappoint us.

2. One great man is in, so we need two more. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter are those actors without whom I can't imagine Burton's creation at all. And if those two team up with the latter everyone knows the film is going to be magical and crazy in a good way.

3. Its genre is a gothic-horror tale, which is rare, but very impressive to watch. Creepy decorations, mystical locations, old manor... It will give us lots of chills, but in a very pleasant way.

4. Danny Elfman, who made some great scores for animated musicals as "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Corpse Bride", now is writing a soundtrack for "Dark Shadows". If there is a song, I guarantee it will become very famous.

5. This film is based on the old TV series of the same name, which is No. 19 in TV Guide's list of the 25 Top Cult Shows Ever! along with "Star Trek", "The Simpsons", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" etc. Plus it has a very high IMDB rating (8.2). Promising, isn't it?

6. The main events happen mostly with one clan, which proves again that some families have lots of skeletons in their closet.

7. There will be blood, because where a vampire goes, death comes along him. It isn't going to be very violent, more like "Sleepy Hollow" style, but this time Depp's character won't faint every time he sees blood.

8. Makeup is an important part of creating the characters, especially when some of them aren't alive. If you saw at least one promo picture you know that makeup artists did a great job making them very unlike themselves. It's not the first time Johnny Depp wears eyeliner, but this time he doesn't look like Captain Jack Sparrow at all.

9. Besides Depp and Bonham Carter, the cast includes other good actors - Michelle Pfeiffer, Jonny Lee Miller, Eva Green and legendary Christopher Lee. They also can't mess up this film.

10. "Dark Shadows" will be out in May, so we have some time to catch up watching its original TV series, and probably in a month or so we'll get a first trailer. I think it is a perfect timing, because it isn't very short or very long time to wait (unlike "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey", which I've already expected for two years and there is still left so many months to its premiere).

Picture - Dark Shadows news page

Poll: The Most Anticipated Films of 2012

Finally I'm writing about the most anticipated upcoming films of this year. I included in this huge poll films of different genres, directed by famous and not directors, with young and award-winning actors. Maybe someone finds here something interesting besides his regular tastes. But there are no feature films, which I'm going to include in the next poll.

You can choose 5 films, which you are definitely going to see and waited for them since the previous year (or even longer).

My picks are (they shouldn't affect you choice!):
1. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"
2. "Django Unchained"
3. "Dark Shadows"
4. "The Expendables 2"
5. "Les Misérables"

"Dark Shadows" (2012) - Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer picture

New image from upcoming Tim Burton's film is released. Now we have a better view of two main characters - Barnabas Collins and Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. I can't remember when Johnny Depp had such a short haircut. And with this make-up he really looks like a vampire, because it is very hard to tell how old is he. Michelle Pfeiffer still looks much older than she is, but due to her natural face shade her character is a human.

Also starring: Helena Bonham Carter, Chloe Moretz, Eva Green, Jonny Lee Miller.

"Dark Shadows" will be out in May.

More about "Dark Shadows" (2012)!

Picture - COLLIDER

Christopher Lee 2011 Christmas Message

When I was watchin those two videos, which are kindly recorded by Christopher Lee, I smiled the whole time. He is a wonderful man, very talented actor and a kind person, whom I'd like to meet. In the next year he will celebrate his 90th (!) birthday, and I'm glad he still makes appearances in many films.

"When he asked me to do this [Hugo], I said, well it's about time. Isn't it?" - Christopher Lee about Scorsese

He talks about his upcoming films: "The Wicker Tree", "Hugo" and how much he enjoyed working with Martin Scorsese, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey", "The Hobbit: There and Back Again", "Dark Shadows". I'm so exited to see all of the above, especially Peter Jackson's duology, where his Saruman will be the good wizard.

"I emphasize again, I don't play long parts. They must be short parts, but they've got to be parts that mean something, that matter. The people will notice when I'm on the screen and will remember the character after they've seen the film."

In the second video, he talks about an honor being a Fellow of BAFTA. He also discusses his second heavy metal album "Charlemagne: The Omens of Death", which will be out on his birthday.

I wish him to have a Happy New Year, strong health and remain being the Great. I hope he knows how much we love him and his work.

Part 1 of the message



Part 2 of the message

"Dark Shadows" (2012) - Pictures from the set

Empire magazine visited the set of Tim Burton's "Dark Shadows" and got for us two brand new pictures. Now we know that the director isn't afraid even of being painted in some strange orange paint, which supposed to be blood, to teach Johnny Depp how to act like a real vampire. I named the first picture: "Dr. Burton and Mr. Depp", second one is still nameless, but I like half-bald Jonny Lee Miller and extremely serious Michelle Pfeiffer sitting in that old gothic room. Can't wait till I see the whole house. I'm expecting something like a mansion of inventor from "Edward Scissorhands".

More about "Dark Shadows" (2012).

"Dark Shadows" (2012) - First portrait

The very first official picture from upcoming Tim Burton's "Dark Shadows" is revealed! All ten main characters gathered together to make for us one gothic portrait. I found Johnny Depp here just from the second look, then I was shocked of the appearance of Michelle Pfeiffer, who looks like Voldemort's bride now, and just before posting it I discovered that there are not nine, but ten characters - Mrs. Johnson just is very good at hiding. But I'm sure Burton did great, because at least they all look creepy as vampires should.

Visit EW to read about every character.

If you are interested in the story of "Dark Shadows", visit DarkShadowsWiki.

More about "Dark Shadows"! (pictures from the set, news etc.)

Characters [from left to right] - Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz), Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green), David Collins (Gulliver McGrath), Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote), Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp), Mrs. Johnson (Ray Shirley), Willie Loomis (Jackie Earle Haley), Roger Collins (Jonny Lee Miller) and Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer).

"Dark Shadows" (2012) - First look at Johnny Depp

New Tim Burton's movie, "Dark Shadows", is being filmed right now somewhere the UK and we've got the first look at Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins. Celebuzz! revealed some interesting photos from the set. Johnny is wearing lots of make-up and he reminded me the Mad Hatter from "Alice in Wonderland", a 3-D animation made by Burton.

Helena Bonham Carter also plays a part in this upcoming movie, I hope her appearance will be not less impressive.

More about "Dark Shadows" (2012).

Happy Birthday, Tim Burton!

Today is Tim Burton's Birthday! He is 53 now and he still is one of my favorite directors.

Tim is a director, who likes to tell us creepy and magical stories. His fantasy is infinite and I can forgive him his last Disney 3D project called "Alice in Wonderland", which I liked the least of all. Tim can scare me with his "Sleepy Hollow", can make me laugh with "Beetle Juice" and can make me cry with "Edward Scissorhands". I love his early short movies, which are so beautiful, dark, funny and a little insane. I adore that he makes them so emotional and alive. He will always be my best fairy-tales teller.

I am glad that he has such a great family, especially wonderful wife. He could never find someone who has a greater talent in making crazy and impressive characters than actress Helena Bonham Carter. When she is acting a role in Tim's movie, they create together something magnificent.

Now Tim is working on the gothic horror "Dark Shadows" (starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter) and on the full-length "Frankenweenie", based on his early short movie.