Don't look at me like that. No, the Collinsport Historical Society has not been a cheerleader for Tim Burton's 2012 riff on DARK SHADOWS. It's kind of been an office punching bag for the last few years, an attitude encouraged in no small part by the automatic boost in traffic we get whenever the film is mentioned. But as every vampire knows, there's a difference between good attention and bad attention, and the level of hostility this movie provokes in fans of the original series is usually pretty icky. Mention Johnny Depp around "real fans" and things will quickly take a turn for the gross. (Historical curioisty: Many of these "real fans" turned out in droves for Jonathan Frid's spoken word tours during the 1980s. Some of them didn't pay to see his show, though, opting instead to wait until after to ambush him outside and ask him to sign their Dark Shadows items. Make of that what you will.) I've taken avoiding any mentions of the film because it brings out the worst in some people.So no, I didn't like Burton's film in 2012 and I don't like it today. But gosh, it sure is pretty. It's a glorified Monster High doll, an empty plastic shell tarted up in goth drag. After converting a batch of images into 3D for a series of "Lost Viewmaster Reels" for the original television show, HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS and NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS, it felt important to close the cinematic circle with Burton's movie. It has it's fans, after all.
Below are links to five faux Viewmaster "reels" representing about 45 3D images from the film. You'll need a pair of red/blue anaglyph 3D glasses to view them.
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