Finally, a Fun Vampire Movie!!!

Rating: 10/10 (16 May 2012)

I saw this movie with my friend a few hours ago, and we had a blast. It was a hilarious good time. I watched a few of the original episodes to psych myself up and to understand the storyline, but I couldn't get into it. Soap operas aren't my thing. After seeing the movie, it makes me wanna try and watch them. I love how this was mostly a comedy, and a tribute to the series, rather then a boring melodramatic soap opera. Johnny Depp was great as Barnabas Collins, the vampire of Collinwood Manor. I love how it had a classic 'fish-out-of-water' story. It was like taking Bela Lugosi's Dracula and putting him in the 70's hippie age. This is definitely a Tim Burton film because everyone wears pale Marilyn Manson-type makeup, and it has Helena Bonham Carter, along with Danny Elfman music. Chloe Moretz gives a great performance as Carolyn Stoddard. She's the rebellious teenager we've seen in all of Burton's other films like Ryder in Beetlejuice.
In the 1700's, Barnabas makes the mistake of breaking the heart of a witch named Angelique. She curses him by turning him into a vampire and locks him in a coffin for 200 years. In 1972, the Collins family are trying to find a governess for young David who claims to see the ghost of his mom. Along comes Maggie, who changes her name to Veronica Winters. When Barnabas is found and awakened, he returns home to return the manor to its former glory and re'vamp' the family business. When Angelique returns and threatens his family, Barnabas must take action and seek revenge on the witch who cursed him. If you want a smart Gothic fun hilarious vampire movie that pays tribute to the 70's era and the original series, I would definitely recommend DARK SHADOWS!!!