Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows: The Cheese Factor Continues

I was so looking forward to Tim Burton & Johnny Depp’s take on the classic 60/70’s paranormal soap opera, Dark Shadows.  Despite all the negative reviews, I decided to check it out last night.  *sigh*  I’d have to say, the one thing the original, the 90's remake and Tim Burton's take have in common is they’re cheesy as all get out! The only thing that would have made it more cheesier is if Chester cheetah himself made a cameo—instead of McDonald's.

Aside from that, the movie was bleh.  Part morose and part family drama, Dark Shadows was riddled with humor which I found confusing.  Don't get me wrong, I laughed, but still either you're a comedy or a drama.  Look, I love Tim Burton so much it’s heartbreaking when his movies don’t measure up.  Sadly, the truth is not every film he makes will be legendary. Not every one he produces or directs will be an instant cult classic.  As much as I’d like to wave his flag, this was not a win.  It was okay. The cheesiness was there, the plot eh, but other than that, the vampire paranormal family drama was only slightly mollifying.  Should you go and see it?  If you love Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, sure…why not?  Just keep your expectations in check.

What about you? Have you seen it? What did you think? Am I way off?

***

Bloody Good Writer News!

- Jessica Therrien recently announced that the foreign rights to her YA series, Children of the Gods, which include Oppression and her next book (Title TBD) have been sold to publishers in France, Canada, and Taiwan. That is truly amazing news for Jessica and her debut novel. Awesome job, sweetie. If you’re feeling up to it, stop by and give her a shout out.


- Jessica Redmerski released her adult fantasy book, Dirty Eden back in March.  Jessica, who I recently interviewed and reviewed her YA debut novel, The Mayfair Moon, is also set to release book two in her Darkwoods series, The Kindred, in July. See her post for more details

Do you have some killer news you want to share?  Shoot me an email with the details so I can share it with my minions too! 

Fridays with Fred

And let’s not forget about Fred—the lazy bum. 

If you can, stop by and visit Schatze over at Mary’s BookHounds too.  We love her!


Have a great weekend. 


Mina B.

A-Z Challenge: "T" for Sweeney Todd

I'm doing the home-stretch with the A-Z Challenge here, minions!  Whew!  I'm tired.  Anyway, my character feature for the letter "T" is "Sweeney Todd" from Thomas Peckett Prest version of The String of Pearls.  Today, I wanted to highlight this all-time favorite of mine--a classic character that is so devious, twisted and downright demonic, it's no wonder he's referred to as The Demon Barber.

To give you an example of the true art of illustrating characters, here's a sample of Prest's initial description of Todd:

"The barber himself was a long, low-jointed, ill-put-together sort of fellow, with an immense mouth, and such huge hands and feet, that he was, in his way, quite a natural curiosity; and, what was more wonderful, considering his trade, there never was seen such a head of hair as Sweeney Todd's. We know not what to compare it to: probably it came nearest to what one might suppose to be the appearance of a thickset hedge, in which a quantity of small wire had got entangled. In truth, it was a most terrific head of hair; and as Sweeney Todd kept all his combs in it--some said his scissors likewise--when he put his head out of the shop-door to see what sort of weather it was, he might have been mistaken for some Indian warrior with a very remarkable head-dress. He had a short disagreeable kind of unmirthful laugh, which came in at all sorts of odd times when nobody else saw anything to laugh at at all, and which sometimes made people again, especially when they were being shaved, and Sweeney Todd would stop short in that operation to indulge in one those cacchinatory effusions. It was evident that the remembrance of some very strange and out-of-the-way joke must occasionally flit across him, and then he gave his hyena-like laugh, but it was so short, so sudden, striking upon the ear for a moment, and then gone, that people have been known to look up to the ceiling, and on the floor, and all round them, to know from whence it had come, scarcely supposing it possible that it proceeded from mortal lips."

In that snidbit alone, you get an eerie and striking sensation about Todd and you know that tale promises to be a riveting one.  Prest paints such a vivid picture in my mind that I have an instant image of what Sweeney Todd is like.  He even lets us know what the patrons think of the strange barber.  

Have you read The String of Pearls?  Tim Burton's movie and Johnny's Deep's portrayal of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber on Fleet Street, was different, but equally thrilling.  Want to know more about the original tale, here's my creepy classic review.

Mina B.

Tim Burton's Dark Shadows & Fridays with Fred

I have to apologize for this week for no posts.  Between renovating, house guests, internet connections and last but not least computer issues, I couldn't pull it together.  Thankfully my computer issue will be resolved later today since I had to order a part.  Anyway, here's a post I've been wanted to do for sometime.  Luckily, the movie trailer released yesterday for the goth classic, Dark Shadows. 

From the original to the updated version, what can we look forward to in the coming months with Tim Burton's remake of the unearthly soap classic, Dark Shadows.  At first, all we had to go on were images alone.  For those that have never seen the episodes of the original click here.  Additionally, there was a TV movie remake in the 80's - which I posted last year here.

About the original story from Wikipedia
The beginning of the show introduces Victoria Winters (Alexandra Moltke) and the members of the Collins family, who reside on top of Widows’ Hill in a house called Collinwood in Collinsport, Maine. Victoria was orphaned, and she came to Collinwood in order to find out more about her eerie past. David Collins (David Henesy) would constantly tell Victoria of the ghosts he saw. Victoria also encountered the ghost of Josette Collins (Kathryn Leigh Scott) when she was looking through the closed-off west wing of Collinwood... (To read more visit Wikipedia)

Yesterday Warner Brothers released the website for the movie: http://www.darkshadowsmovie.com and...Apple has officially posted the trailer here if you're interested - http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/darkshadows/

I wanted to post the clip here too since I'm such a fan of Burton.  So...what do you think?

And of course here is Fred...under the bed.

 

Remember to stop by and visit Schatze over at Mary’s BookHounds too.

Have a great weekend.

Mina B.

Fridays with Fred: Presidents Day

With Presidents Day coming up, I thought I’d give a dead tribute to our past Presidents. Zombies are on my brain lately because the highly acclaimed series, The Walking Dead, returned last Sunday. If you missed the it, you missed one chilling episode. Rick is a living breathing bad ass and a silent but deadly force in the undead “walker” world. Anyway, I Googled the term Zombie Presidents and pulled some fantastic imagery of our former Presidents...zombfied. There are so many wicked talented artists and designers out there. I put this collage together with my iPad and had a helluva time doing it to. My favorite is the Michael Jackson thriller piece. What's yours?

Special thanks to the following sites that help me make this collage:  Adrian's Undead Diary, Debate Politics, Pencilla, and the list goes on and on and on...

Fred’s representing president’s day, imitating Lincoln.  Go Fred!  See what fun you can have with picnik.  I’m so sad this apps going away.  :0(

Last but not least, since we’re on the topic of Presidents, I found this trailer of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer via you tube. I honestly didn’t know what to think about this one. I have this book on my TBR list and will get to it soon. With Tim Burton producing this bad boy, I’ll bet it will be exceptional if not spectacular. Here’s the trailer if you missed my post on my FB.

Looking for another classic pix of Fred? Check out Zombie Fred. Remember to stop by and visit Schatze over at Mary’s BookHounds too.

Have a great weekend.

Mina B.