Dark Shadows

Dark Shadows is a 2012 dark comedy and fantasy film from the imagination of Tim Burton. Johnny Depp plays Barnabas Collins, a young man who has fled from England to Maine with his family. The family has been cursed by a witch and the curse follows them to Maine. Barnabas is a true modern-day playboy, enjoying his money and women until he breaks the heart of a young witch. The young witch is so angry that she places a curse on Barnabas and turns him into a vampire. Then she buries him alive. Two hundred years pass before Barnabas is free from his tomb and he returns to his family's estate. He sees that his family's estate has been sold to another family.

Much of the comedy in the film begins at this point as Barnabas is forced to learn the ways on the world in the current era, 1972. The Stoddard family takes Barnabas under their wing and try to acclimate him to the ways of the future but he is a hopeless fish out of water. Barnabas soon discovers that the evil witch that cursed him has taken over the town's fishing business. Barnabas soon realizes that he has to run his own families fishing business back into the top in top. The witch tries to get him to fall in love with her again but he resists her. Barnabas makes restoring his family name his number one priority.

The Stoddard family helps Barnabas in his efforts. Throughout the film, there are scary special effects and hilarious scenes as the otherworldly vampire and witch interact with the real life citizens of Maine. Many of the objects in Barnabas' world also seem to be inhabited with spirits of their own and its amazing to see the different pieces of furniture come to life.

Dark Shadows is part dark comedy and part soap opera. It has the same gothic visual style and twisted characters that many of Tim Burton's films are known for. It stars Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Helena Bonham Carter. Dark Shadows is rated PG-13 and it runs 113 minutes.