Dark Shadows (film)

          Dark Shadows is a 2012 American horror comedy film based on the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows that was produced for television between 1966 and 1971. The film is directed by Tim Burton and stars Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins, a 200-year-old vampire who has been imprisoned in a coffin. Collins is eventually unearthed and makes his way back to his mansion, now inhabited by his dysfunctional descendants. Collins also discovers that his jealous ex-lover, Angelique Bouchard, played by Eva Green, has taken over the town's fishing business that was once run by the Collins family (Bouchard is a witch who was responsible for transforming Collins into a vampire). Michelle Pfeiffer also stars as Collins' cousin, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, the reclusive matriarch of the Collins family.^[2][3] The film had a limited release on May 10, 2012,^[4] and was officially released the following day in the United States.^[5]

          The film was a box office disappointment and received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, many of whom praised its visual style and consistent humor, but felt it lacked a focused or substantial plot and developed characters.^[6] The film marks Richard D. Zanuck's last as producer, as he died two months after the film's release. It also featured the final film appearance of original series actor Jonathan Frid, who died before Zanuck on April 14.

Plot

          In 1760, the Collins family migrates to America from Liverpool and sets up a fishing port in Maine, naming it Collinsport. Sixteen years later in 1776 the son, Barnabas (Johnny Depp), has an affair with a maid, Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green), a witch who has been infatuated with him since childhood. When he tells her he does not love her, Angelique casts a spell that kills his parents. Barnabas then falls in love with Josette du Pres (Bella Heathcote). In a fit of jealousy, Angelique bewitches Josette into leaping from a cliff to her death. Barnabas leaps after her in grief, but he survives because Angelique turns him into an immortal vampire. Still unable to win him over, however, Angelique finally rouses a mob to capture and bury Barnabas alive in a chained coffin in the woods and curses his family.

           One hundred ninety-six years later, in the year 1972, a young girl is seen riding on a train to Collinsport in response to an advertisement for a job as a governess at Collinwood. She decides not to use her real name and takes "Victoria Winters" as her new name. Leaving the train station, she catches a ride with a van full of hippies. She gets dropped off in front of the Collins family's manor house and meets the family and staff now living in the manor, including Willie Loomis (Jackie Earle Haley), the caretaker of the manor, and the current family matriarch, Elizabeth Collins-Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) Elizabeth tells Victoria about the legendary Barnabas, 10-year old David and his mother's death. David's mother died at sea, but he refuses to accept her death and insists that she visits him regularly. The family sees this as a sign of emotional illness and brought Dr. Julia Hoffman, a psychiatrist, to live with them as a house guest. Fifteen year-old Carolyn (Chloë Grace Moretz) meets Victoria. Victoria is hired as a governess for David. At dinner, Victoria meets Dr. Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), and Roger (Jonny Lee Miller).Victoria notices a "ghost" in the room, who is revealed to be Roger's young son, David (Gulliver McGrath). That night, Victoria, while unpacking her few belongings, spots a sheet believing it is David again. Instead, it is the ghost of Josette, who announces, "He is coming" before disappearing.

          Meanwhile, construction workers accidentally free Barnabas from his coffin, who reluctantly slakes his unbearable thirst for blood by feeding on his rescuers. He makes his way back to his now dilapidated manor and encounters Willy, whom he hypnotizes into becoming his servant. Elizabeth is shocked to meet Barnabas, thinking him an imposter who is after money. She warns that the family is broke. He asks her about the legend of Barnabas Collins and the family curse, which Elizabeth believes are myths. Upon convincing Elizabeth of his true identity by revealing a secret treasure room behind the fireplace, Barnabas is allowed to stay under the condition that he never reveals either the room or the fact that he is a vampire to the rest of the family. At breakfast, Elizabeth tells the family their visitor is Barnabas Collins III, a distant relative from England who has come to restore the family's business and reputation in town. Barnabas becomes very deeply attracted to Victoria, whom he recognizes as the reincarnation of his lost love Josette, and immediately begins to pursue her romantically.

           Angelique, still young and beautiful after two centuries, arrives at the manor. Barnabas notices her and she tells him that she runs the largest fishing enterprise in Collinsport, Angel Bay fishery. Barnabas and Elizabeth join forces to restore both the Collinwood mansion and the family business. Willie takes him to a pub to see a local sea captain, Silas Clarney (Christopher Lee). Barnabas hypnotizes Clarney into helping him recruit fishing-boat crews away from Angel Bay Seafood to harvest fish for his own family's business.

           Meanwhile, Barnabas struggles to adjust to life in the 1970s with his present-day family. A suspicious Dr. Hoffman hypnotizes Barnabas, realizes he is a vampire and gets angry at Elizabeth for keeping the secret from the rest of the family. Anxious to win Victoria's love, Barnabas turns to Carolyn for relationship advice. She tells him to learn how to act "normal". Barnabas strikes a deal with Dr. Hoffman to provide him with regular blood transfusions in an effort to cure his immortality and make him mortal again.

         Angelique sets up a meeting with Barnabas in her office and tries to convince him to sell the Collins fishery to her. She tries to win him back, later forcing him to make wild, passionate love with her in the office, saying that if he doesn't, she will kill Victoria. Although he has sexual intercourse with her, he still rejects her, as he loves Victoria. Barnabas learns Dr. Hoffman is using his blood, taken during the transfusions, in order to make herself immortal.

         Victoria has nightmares about her childhood. Meanwhile, Barnabas decides to invite the entire town to a party (which he calls a ball) at the manor featuring Alice Cooper (whom Barnabas mistakes for a female due to Cooper's name). Barnabas observes Roger stealing money from guests' wallets in the coat room while the party is in progress. Barnabas spots Victoria out on the balcony alone. She tells Barnabas something made her come to Collinsport, and reveals to Barnabas that her parents committed her to an insane asylum, (under her real name "Maggie Evans"), as a child because she could see and talk to an invisible friend (Josette's ghost). Angelique arrives at the party in a sparkly red dress looking for Barnabas. Barnabas and Victoria confess their feelings for each other and kiss, unknowingly in Angelique's presence.

        Upon discovering Dr. Hoffman's betrayal, Barnabas drains her blood and dumps her corpse in the ocean. Barnabas catches Roger trying to find the secret room and exposes Roger's lack of interest in his son. Barnabas makes him choose between being a good father to David, or accepting a lump sum of money to leave the family. Roger chooses to leave, deeply wounding his son's feelings. Immediately afterwards, Barnabas rescues David from a falling disco ball and stumbles into a beam of sunlight, burning his skin and exposing his secret to the horrified children and Victoria.

           Later that night, Angelique calls Barnabas into her office and coaxes him into confessing to the murders he has committed since being freed from his imprisonment. Angelique offers him a choice: to rule Collinsport by her side as her partner and lover, or she will place him back in the coffin. Barnabas leaves choosing neither. Angelique pulls Barnabas into the coffin using her magic powers and traps him inside, leaving him in the family crypt. She then heads to town and sets the Collins canning factory on fire. David, however, has followed her to the crypt and frees Barnabas once she is gone.

         Angelique plays her secretly-made tape recording of Barnabas' murder confession to the police and rallies the townsfolk, once more turning them against the Collins family. Angelique leads the mob to Collins Manor to arrest the entire family. Barnabas turns the tables, exposing Angelique as a witch. As the townspeople leave, Barnabas and Angelique begin to fight. Angelique makes all the sculpture and fixtures in the house come alive and attack the family. After Barnabas hits Angelique, she causes the house to drip blood. To her mother's shock, Carolyn turns into a werewolf, attacking Angelique, who knocks Carolyn out by throwing her across the room. Angelique then confesses to having killed David's mother at sea, and sending a werewolf to bite Carolyn when she was a baby, and killing Barnabas's parents. David stands up for Barnabas and tells Angelique to leave; when she refuses, David summons his mother's vengeful ghost. The ghost gives a single scream which knocks Angelique into the chandelier. Angelique causes the house to erupt into flames, and the family flees.

         Angelique pulls out her heart and offers it to Barnabas; he refuses it and the heart shatters as Angelique dies. Barnabas then discovers that Angelique has bewitched Victoria into jumping off of Widow's Hill, the same cliff where Josette fell to her death. After Carolyn turns back to her normal self, Elizabeth, Carolyn, David, and Willie stand outside while the Manor burns down. When the children ask what the family will do now, Elizabeth replies, "What we've always done - endure."

        Barnabas arrives moments before Victoria is about to jump and breaks the spell cast by Angelique. Victoria pleads with Barnabas to make her a vampire so that they can remain together forever, but he refuses. She then casts herself off the cliff, forcing Barnabas to jump with her and bite her neck to save her from mortal death. Now a vampire, Victoria becomes Josette again. As the two kiss on the rocks in the waves, Barnabas narrates that he has been freed from his curse.

       The film ends with an underwater scene showing a school of fish swimming away from Dr. Hoffman, who suddenly opens both eyes wide and stares into the camera—newly immortal.

Cast

• Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins, an 18th-century vampire who awakens to the 20th century.^[7] Thomas McDonell also appears briefly in the film as a young Barnabas.^[8]While an empathetic character aware of his sinister nature, Barnabas retains a vicious streak, never forgiving and relentless in the kill. His only loyalties to his family aside, he is a well mannered man consistently trapped in the mindset of an 18th-century Englishman.
• Michelle Pfeiffer as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, the family matriarch.^[7] Stern and strict, but loyal and devoted to her family, Elizabeth cares for every member of the household and tends to help them through their personal trials. To "endure" as they always have, she isn't afraid to stand up for herself.
• Helena Bonham Carter as Dr. Julia Hoffman, the family's live-in psychiatrist, hired to deal with David and his belief in ghosts.^[7] Somewhat vain and losing to her aging, she takes it upon herself to receive transfusions from Barnabas (under the guise of trying to cure him). She is often drunk or taking pills. Barnabas woos her into having a crush on him, often taking advantage of his naive nature without regarding the possible consequence of betraying him.
• Eva Green as Angelique Bouchard, a vengeful witch who plots a vendetta against Barnabas and his family.^[7] She wears a constantly false smile that resembles a feature like aporcelain doll and like glass, her face becomes cracked when damaged, revealing a possibly hollow interior. She had spent two centuries as her own descendents, using her immortal nature to ruin the Collins family name and give herself more power.
• Jackie Earle Haley as Willie Loomis, the manor's caretaker.^[7] He becomes Barnabas' servant through hypnosis; he retains his own mindset, but follows his master's will instantly.
• Jonny Lee Miller as Roger Collins, Elizabeth's "ne'er-do-well" brother.^[7] Larcenous and greedy, Roger often takes advantage of what he can through theft, trickery or bribery. When Barnabas catches him snooping around for the secret vault, he offers him a choice; to stay at Collinwood to be an exemplary father to his son David, or leave with the money to live on. The selfish man chooses the latter, hurting David at his departure.
• Bella Heathcote as Victoria Winters, David's governess and Barnabas' love interest.^[7] Heathcote also plays the role of Josette du Pres. Victoria and Maggie Evans' roles, separate in the series, were combined in the film, with Maggie choosing to adopt the name of Victoria (or "Vicky" for short) after seeing a poster for winter sports in Victoria, British Columbia while on the train to Collinsport. Prim and proper, though Carolyn suspects it is all just an act, she was sent to a mental hospital as a child for possessing the ability to see and speak to ghosts to the concern of her parents, only to escape and find refuge with the Collins family. She is from New York and has a very kind nature, she is mutually attracted to Barnabas, but recoils for a time when she discovers his true nature.
• Chloë Grace Moretz as Carolyn Stoddard, Elizabeth's rebellious teenage daughter.^[7] Isolated and rebellious, her mother and family could not fathom the secret she had in store. She offers Barnabas advice on love, music and an insight to the era he had stepped into. She wants to run away to New York when she turns 16, but her mother constantly forbids it. She also turns out to be a werewolf, as she was bitten by a werewolf sent by Angelique when she was a baby.
• Gulliver McGrath as David Collins, Roger's "precocious" 10-year-old son, who can see his mother's ghost, who was killed by Angelique at sea.^[7]
• Ray Shirley as Mrs. Johnson, the manor's elderly maid.^[9]
• Christopher Lee as Silas Clarney, a "king of the fishermen who spends a lot of time in the local pub, The Blue Whale."^[10][11]
• Alice Cooper as himself.^[10]
• Ivan Kaye as Joshua Collins, the father of Barnabas Collins.^[12]
• Susanna Cappellaro as Naomi Collins, the mother of Barnabas Collins.^[13]
• William Hope as Sheriff Bill of Collinsport
• Hannah Murray as Hippie Chick
• Guy Flanagan as Bearded Hippie