My Expectations Were Blown Away

Rating: 8/10 (2 March 2019)

I don't believe we ever had a movie quite like this one, it really means a lot to me and I am giving it a very decent score from my perspective. The imagery is fantastic. From the costume design to the set design. There is a definitely a dark shadow persona hanging over.
I have to talk about the way it begins on the train. I was not expecting that from what I had thought would be a childish vampire movie. When Nights In White Satin kicked in I was blown away. That was the setup for the entire movie for me, it hooked me right into the drama. As it turns out, that train scene was a nod to the original creator of the television series who said, his inspiration was a dream he had in 1965 about a "mysterious young woman on a train". That is amazing.
Some fans were expecting gore and violence and special effects. I have to say the use of CGI special effects on this film was minimal. This was not another vampire film. This turned out to be a drama about a time period set in the 1970's, based on the original ABC series Dark Shadows that ran from 1965-1971.
For example, did you know that many of the cast of the original TV series starred in this, and some right before they passed away which makes this film special. Including David Shelby (Quentin), Lara Parker (Angelique), Victoria Winters (Governess), and Johnathan Frid (Barnabas). They got to see a modern interpretation of a quirky television show. This film was just as quirky and odd, and with an amazing soundtrack to boot.
Over the vail of darkness there was a humorous touch, so really this was a comedy-drama in the best of examples. I have nothing but great things to say about this release. I wasn't expecting horror and guts, and wasn't expecting an Oscar award winning performance either because it was not supposed to be serious. Comedies have never been treated all too well by the critics. I think this was an amazing tribute to the show.
Johnny Depp is also known for being a perfectionist. I was told he watched almost every episode of the series to nail the part of Barnabas. I find that admirable that they were able to recreate the characters for the big screen.
If I had to pick one fault, it would be that I wish the end had gone on for even longer. They never made a sequel and maybe it's best they didn't. I know this film had a big impact on younger viewers who had never watched the show or heard the music. I know it did on me and will never forget it.