I can’t help it, I think I love Johnny Depp. I think I have done since I first saw him on 21 Jump St way back when. Yup, I have a man crush on Johnny Depp. I don’t think there is a movie of his that I’ve seen that I haven’t liked. And his latest creation, a collaboration with his old sparring partner Tim Burton, Dark Shadows is no exception. I’m not going to beat around the bush, I dead set loved this movie.
Johnny Depp plays Barnabas Collins, a poor bloke turned in to a vampire by a witch (played by Eva Green) who was madly in love with him but discovers he’s in love with another girl. She promptly makes his beloved throw herself off a cliff and turns Barnabas in to a vampire, cursing him for ever. But bitches being bitches, that’s not enough for her, she decides to tell all the locals he’s a vampire, of course they don’t take too kindly to a guy that created the town being a vampire, so they capture him, stuff him in a coffin, chain it up and bury it.
200 years later, it’s 1972 and a construction crew have the misfortune of accidentally releasing Barnabas from his tomb. After “eating”, Barnabas returns back to his castle to find distant relatives have moved in and his family’s fortune all but gone. 
Barnabas sets about restoring his family’s honour and getting the girl of his dreams.
I really enjoyed this movie, it was funny, well shot and beautiful to look at. There was no doubt it was a Burton flick, I was constantly being reminded of Edward Scissor Hands and Beetlejuice (I love both these movies too). They were just subtle things, but they were pretty cool.
Look out for a special appearance by Alice Cooper in the film as well, he plays himself (he seems to do that a lot!)
While you’re on the look out for people, look out for (you won’t miss her) Eva Green, she’s simply stunning. There’s a good chance she’s made it in to my “Celebrity Sex” list (you know those lists couples make that allow them to sleep with a celebrity should the extremely thin chance the chance should arise?) She was smokin’ hot. And damn, that red dress….. but I digress!
This film didn’t seem to get too many nods from the cinema going public (it got a 6.4 out of 10 on IMDB) but I’m giving it the full 5 popcorns. I have no doubt the flick will make it in to one of my favourites of all time. Maybe I just like the quirky movies, maybe I just love Johnny Depp a tad too much, who knows? And who cares, this is just a cool popcorn movie for Saturday night, that you can watch with the kids or snuggled up next to the missus in bed and enjoy.
Vampires are still cool!
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