Indiewire Browse the indiewire network

The Playlist

The obsessives' guide to contemporary cinema via film discussion, news, reviews, features, nostalgia, movie music, soundtracks, DVDs and more.

Interviews

Actors

Directors

Archives

The Playlist

The 10 Least Essential Character Posters Of 2012

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
  • |
  • December 5, 2012 10:22 AM
  • |
  • 24 Comments
Features
There's been a plague in the movie marketing world of late. Virtually every major release -- and seemingly most minor ones as well -- is going far beyond single one-sheet artwork to sell its wares. Along with teasers, arty Mondo-type versions, IMAX editions and everything else in between, posters are released showcasing seemingly every last cast member in the movie.
Read More »
More: Features, Cloud Atlas, Hunger Games, Mirror Mirror, Argo, Gangster Squad, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Seven Psychopaths, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, Dark Shadows, Frankenweenie

Discuss: After Two Flops In Six Months, What's Next For Tim Burton?

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
  • |
  • October 8, 2012 1:30 PM
  • |
  • 24 Comments
Features
Two years ago, it seemed like Tim Burton could do no wrong. Reteaming once again with frequent collaborator Johnny Depp, the pair took "Alice In Wonderland" to over a billion dollars worldwide, surfing the 3D wave in the aftermath of the success of "Avatar," and demonstrating once again that the pair were perfectly placed to bring the weird to the mainstream. A host of similar other projects were lined up for the filmmaker, but he settled on two that seemed to be close to his heart: an adaptation of supernatural soap "Dark Shadows" starring Depp, set for a plum summer release, and a stop-motion animated remake of the short film that made his name, "Frankenweenie."
Read More »
More: Features, Tim Burton, Frankenweenie, Dark Shadows, Big Eyes, Pinocchio, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, Night Of The Living

John August Says His Unmade 'Godfather'-Esque 'Dark Shadows' Is One Of The Best Scripts He's Written

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
  • |
  • October 2, 2012 11:48 AM
  • |
  • 10 Comments
News
With "Frankenweenie" hitting theaters this weekend, and already riding on some very good reviews, it seems Tim Burton will be able to wash away the foul taste left in the mouths of his fans by "Dark Shadows." This summer's vampire comedy tale, based on an obscure TV show, ultimately did decent business (over $230 million worldwide) but couldn't crack $100 million at home, which is not what you want from a movie starring Johnny Depp. An odd mashup of fish-out-of-water comedy and horror, the movie never tonally gelled, and kind of went out of control in the last act. But had things gone a different way, we would've seen an entirely different movie.
Read More »
More: John August, Dark Shadows

Weekend Box Office: 'The Avengers' Crosses The $1 Billion Mark In 19 Days; Registers First-Ever $100 Million Second Weekend

  • By Gabe Toro
  • |
  • May 13, 2012 11:57 AM
  • |
  • 12 Comments
Box Office
When a movie scores the biggest opening weekend of all time (by nearly $40 million, in this case), the expectation is that it should continue to smash records. So, at a glance, “The Avengers” scoring the largest second weekend in film history isn’t exactly newsworthy. Though most prognosticators pegged the film, following a stupefying opening act of $207 million, to level off in the vicinity of 70% or so. As it turns out, a lot of your friends missed out on the movie the first time around, and after losing a little more than half of it’s first weekend tally, it’s the first film ever with two nine-figure weekend grosses. That shit cray.
Read More »
More: The Avengers, Walt Disney Pictures, Weekend Box-Office, Dark Shadows, Johnny Depp, Tim Burton

In Theaters: 'Dark Shadows' May A Cause A 'Sleepless Night,' But 'God Bless America' For 'Bonsai'

  • By Emma Bernstein
  • |
  • May 11, 2012 3:59 PM
  • |
  • 1 Comment
News
So “The Avengers” knocked it out of the park, huh? With a $600 million intake worldwide and lots and lots of good reviews, Joss Whedon and the folks over at Marvel can probably even one-up James Cameron at the next Masters of the Hollywood Universe fete. (That sounds fun, doesn’t it? I’d go to a party like that.) This weekend is a little smaller, but looking good nonetheless. A number of foreign films that have done well in the festival circuit, and the latest eyefeast from Burton and Co. hit theaters today, providing quite a lot of competition – if not dazzling CGI and budget – for the massive blockbuster winner of last week. Let’s see how they measure up.
Read More »
More: Dark Shadows, God Bless America, Hick, Sleepless Night, I Wish

Reacting To 'Twilight,' Potential Sequels & More From The Press Tour For Tim Burton & Johnny Depp's 'Dark Shadows'

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
  • |
  • May 11, 2012 2:07 PM
  • |
  • 2 Comments
Features
Whether you end up loving it or hating it (as our reviewer did), one has to admit that there are few films like "Dark Shadows" in theaters this summer. Based on the popular 1960s/1970s ABC soap that included vampires, werewolves and witches, the film is a curious blend of comedy, drama and horror that's indelibly a Tim Burton creation.
Read More »
More: Dark Shadows, Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Eva Green, Michelle Pfeiffer, Danny Elfman, Seth Grahame-Smith, Interviews

10 Unmade Tim Burton Films: From 'After Hours' To 'Superman Lives' & More

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
  • |
  • May 11, 2012 1:00 PM
  • |
  • 5 Comments
Features
It's curious that a director as idiosyncratic and... well, just plain weird as Tim Burton has become one of Hollywood's A-listers. But from 1989's "Batman" to 2010's billion-dollar grossing "Alice in Wonderland," the helmer's managed to turn his dark, gothic imagination into something that genuinely captures the hearts and minds of the general public. Indeed, films like "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and the upcoming "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," which are produced by Burton, show that he, like Alfred Hitchcock before him, has become one of the few directors who's become a true brand name: if they see his name involved with a project, an audience know what to expect, whether he directed it or not.
Read More »
More: Features, Tim Burton, Dark Shadows, Beetlejuice, Man of Steel, Ripley's Believe It Or Not

The Essentials: Tim Burton's 5 Best Films

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
  • |
  • May 10, 2012 3:10 PM
  • |
  • 35 Comments
Features
Tomorrow sees "Dark Shadows" will hit theaters, the latest gothic entertainment from director Tim Burton and his muse Johnny Depp. And, as per our review, and many others, it's sadly an another disappointment, another wonderful-looking, empty picture that seems to have been derived from the filmmaker and his star taking on the kind of picture that's expected of them, rather than something to push or challenge them.
Read More »
More: Tim Burton, The Essentials, Dark Shadows, Features, Best Of

Review: 'Dark Shadows' Is Another Lazy, Incoherent Disappointment From Tim Burton

  • By Todd Gilchrist
  • |
  • May 8, 2012 5:59 PM
  • |
  • 45 Comments
Reviews
“Dark Shadows” is not the worst movie that Tim Burton has ever made, but that’s only because there’s nothing worse than “Alice in Wonderland.” A desperate jumble of ideas in search of deeper substance, much less focus, Burton’s latest collaboration with actor Johnny Depp is the latest, and perhaps greatest, proof that yet exists for a director, Burton’s a hell of a production designer. Given the film’s incredible lack of cohesion – or follow-through – the film feels like the resigned end result of a studio’s best efforts to whittle an unwieldly mess into something manageable, but far too many of its shortcomings remain exposed for it to play as anything other than a showcase for the star and filmmaker’s laziness, hubris, or both.
Read More »
More: Dark Shadows, Review, Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Seth Grahame-Smith, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jonny Lee Miller

New 'Dark Shadows' Images Show Off Alice Cooper's Cameo & More

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
  • |
  • May 4, 2012 5:52 PM
  • |
  • 3 Comments
News
While the multiplex explodes this weekend with superheroes emerging out of every cinematic orifice, next week the blockbuster movie leading the pack will be quite a different beast altogether. A vampire and a witch will battle it out in the 1970s in the high concept fantasy/horror/comedy hybrid "Dark Shadows."
Read More »
More: Dark Shadows, Tim Burton, Johnny Depp

Follow Us

Email Updates

What's Poppin'

Recent Comments

Blog Roll

Around The Network

the network

indiewire

categories