I wasn’t expecting much from Dark Shadows, the latest in the ubiquitous onslaught of vampire films, so to say the film lived up to my expectations may be a bit misleading as far as its overall quality. Tim Burton’s latest collaboration with Johnny Depp is good enough to amuse, but not quite good enough to do anything else. It’s not overly funny, though it’s supposed to be a comedy, and it’s not scary at all, though it has elements of horror running through it as well. So the result is a hodgepodge of tonal inconsistencies, and though it has brief moments of the Burton we used to know, Dark Shadows is, ironically, a vampire movie with no bite.

Depp plays Barnabas Collins, a member of an industrious English family that moves to America to start a fishing business. When he spurns the love of his household servant, Angelique (Eva Green), he’s messed with the wrong girl: she’s actually a witch, and proceeds to murder his parents, kill the love of his life, turn Barnabas into a vampire, and then bury him alive for 200 years. Yikes. He’s released in 1972, and the rest of the movie is a series of culture shocks mixed in with a meandering story about Barnabas attempting to restore the family to its former glory. The modern-day Collins family is kind of a mess: Michelle Pfeiffer plays the matriarch, barely keeping their floundering business afloat; Chloe Moretz plays a testy teenager with an attitude; Gulliver McGrath is David, a young boy who can see ghosts; and Jonny Lee Miller plays the young boy’s philandering father. The rest of the supporting cast includes Helena Bonham Carter as a live-in doctor who is supposed to be helping David, Jackie Earle Haley as a drunken servant, and Bella Heathcote as Victoria Winters, David’s nanny and the new love interest for Barnabas.

Burton and Seth Grahame-Smith, the screenwriter, seem much more interested in comedy than horror here. They’d be lost, however, without Depp’s performance as the proper 18th century Englishman; his delivery of verbose dialogue provides fodder for many humorous encounters with 1970s technology, such as when he sees a car for the first time coming at him through the forest and yells at Satan, “mark me not with your strange luminance!” Ultimately, though, these moments alone aren’t enough to keep us laughing throughout. There’s only so much of that one gag we can take before it starts to fall flat, and while the rest of the cast is undoubtedly talented, the script doesn’t give them much to work with in the way of comedy.

Also inconsistent are the rules of vampiric lore, which seem to be played as a punch line when convenient and ignored elsewhere. Barnabas literally catches on fire at one point when he’s hit by a beam of sunlight (typical in the vampire mythos), but other times he carries on conversations while standing in the sun, sometimes not even fully covered by an umbrella or dark clothing. It’s a sign of laziness on the screenwriter’s part, wanting to have it both ways so Barnabas can operate during the day and interact with the 70s setting instead of being confined to the night (as he should have been). And speaking of inconsistencies, the love story between Barnabas and Victoria Winters seemed totally out of nowhere and completely unearned. There’s a revelation near the end that, despite describing the reasoning for her character being there, still doesn’t really make a ton of sense, and then a series of events during the film’s climax that is still baffling to me. Proper setup and payoffs apparently weren’t high on anyone’s priority list.

Eva Green’s performance is the only other worth mentioning, since she did some great work as the jealous witch. Her character is one of the few that I felt really committed to the classical melodrama the film was attempting to recreate (there’s a nice scene at the beginning when she turns Barnabas into a vampire), and her cracking facade near the film’s end was one of the coolest visual effect tricks in a movie that was surprisingly boring in that regard (especially considering Burton’s proclivity for cartoonish designs).

There’s a nice message in Dark Shadows about how family is the only true measure of wealth, but sadly that’s one of the few things that’s actually clearly presented in this zany story. Burton and Depp have been in a comfortable groove for a long time, and I can’t help but wonder if they’d both be better off working together in a totally different type of movie, one that ditches the gothic setting and idiosyncratic characters in favor of something fresh and new. At the same time, though, I appreciate the fact that Burton has carved out a place for himself in the movie landscape, as it’s always difficult for artists to establish a voice in this marketplace. I just wish he’d sing a different tune once in a while. (Big Fish, anyone?) Until next time…

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Brian DePalma’s 1976 classic horror film Carrie is getting the remake treatment, and MGM recently offered the lead role to up-and-coming actress Chloe Moretz. Now, Bloody-Disgusting is reporting that famous redhead Julianne Moore is in talks to play Carrie’s abusive and overprotective mother, played by Piper Laurie in the original film. More after the jump.

I still haven’t seen DePalma’s movie (I know, I know), but Moore is an underutilized actress in an industry that seems to love casting the same ten women in every movie. She’s played around in the horror genre before with Hannibal, so I think she’s well equipped to handle this role. Filming is hoping to begin for director Kimberly Peirce soon, and the movie is set for a March 13th, 2013 release date.

Those of you who have seen the movie: do you think this is good casting? Sound off in the comments!

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A remake of Brian De Palma’s 1976 classic Carrie has been in the works for a little while now, with Stop Loss and Boys Don’t Cry director Kimberly Peirce behind the camera this time around. But until now, we didn’t know who would be playing the title character. This morning, Deadline reported that MGM has offered the role to Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass, Hugo).

Though I actually still haven’t seen De Palma’s version (destroy me in the comments), Carrie has been such a big part of pop culture since its release I feel like I almost have seen the whole thing already. It’s been referenced in countless TV shows and films, and from all I’ve seen and heard about it, Moretz is a great choice for the part. She’s one of the most talented members of Young Hollywood these days, and she beat out people like Haley Bennett (Terrence Malick’s upcoming Lawless), Dakota Fanning, Lily Collins, and Emily Browning.

It helps that Moretz is actually still age appropriate for high school, too – Bennett, the reported second choice, is 24 years old and might have stretched believability of still walking the halls with a bunch of kids. But then again, Andrew Garfield was 27 or 28 when he was filming The Amazing Spider-Man, and it looks like he might have pulled that off. We’ll have to wait and see. But regardless, I think Moretz is a solid actress who can bring a lot to this iconic role. Those of you who have seen it – do you think she’s a good fit?

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GK Films has released a new trailer for Martin Scorsese’s 3D family adventure Hugo. It’s a bit odd saying the words “Martin Scorsese” and “3D” in the same sentence, but with “family adventure” thrown in the mix, it causes one to scratch his or her head, wondering if it’s just a big prank.

Alas, it is as real as it gets, and from the looks of the new trailer, it looks surprisingly intriguing. But who can complain with a cast consisting of Jude Law, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Lee, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ray Winstone, Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass), and Asa Butterfield (The Boy in The Striped Pajamas).

Check out the trailer below:

‘Hugo’ tells the story of an orphan boy living a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station. With the help of an eccentric girl, he searches for the answer to a mystery linking the father he recently lost, the ill-tempered toy shop owner living below him and a heart shaped lock, seemingly without a key. Based on Brian Selznick’s award winning and imaginative New York Times bestseller, “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” this magical tale is Scorsese’s first film shot in 3D.

Now it’s no doubt that Hugo is a dramatic departure from the usual violent and gritty films Scorsese’s become iconic for, such as GoodFellas and Shutter Island. But, with that being said, the trailer manages to capture a mysterious and emotionally engaging adventure with adult elements, contrary to the first trailer’s whimsical “kiddie” feeling.

It may be hard to wrap your head around, but it looks like Scorsese is managing quite well in new territory, which promises us a feel good mystery/adventure film that is geared for all ages. The only quip I have, which is obvious, is Scorsese’s attempt at using 3D elements. It just doesn’t feel like this is the type of film that warrants the need for the technology (then again most modern films don’t) and, again, it just doesn’t feel right for the director. Scepticisms are no doubt abundant, but we’ll know soon enough if Scorsese can pull it off when the film releases.

Hugo is released on 2D/3D screens across the US from November 23rd and the UK from December 2nd.

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Anchor Bay Films have released the first trailer for crime-thriller Texas Killing Fields, which is directed by Ami Canaan Mann (daughter of Michael Mann) and stars Sam Worthington, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Chloe Moretz.

Watch below:

The movie follows a local homicide detective (Worthington) in a small Texan town and his partner, a transplanted cop from New York City (Morgan) as they track a sadistic serial killer dumping his victims’ mutilated bodies in a nearby marsh locals call ‘The Killing Fields.’

The killer changes the game and begins hunting the detectives, teasing them with possible clues at the crime scenes while always remaining one step ahead. When a familiar local girl, Anne (Moretz) goes missing the detectives find themselves in a race against time to find the killer and save her life.

Texas Killing Fields will have a limited release on October 7th, 2011.

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Paramount Picture have released the first trailer for Martin Scorsese’s upcoming 3D family adventure Hugo (formally The Invention of Hugo Cabret). It looks to be new territory for the director, who has directed serious thrillers such as The Departed and Shutter Island over recent years.

The film, based on Brian Selznick’s bestselling children’s book, stars Asa Butterfield, Chloe Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jude Law, Emily Mortimer, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Lee, Helen McCrory, Ray Winstone, Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour and Michael Stuhlbarg.

You can watch the trailer below:

‘Hugo’ tells the story of an orphan boy living a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station. With the help of an eccentric girl, he searches for the answer to a mystery linking the father he recently lost, the ill-tempered toy shop owner living below him and a heart shaped lock, seemingly without a key. Based on Brian Selznick’s award winning and imaginative New York Times bestseller, “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” this magical tale is Scorsese’s first film shot in 3D.

Hugo is released on 2D/3D screens across the US from November 23rd and the UK from December 2nd.

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Johnny Depp is a busy guy. Once he’s finished promotion for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides he’ll be heading to London to start shooting his 8th collaboration with Tim Burton, Dark Shadows.

Today Warner Bros. sent out a press release announcing the start of production, along with the official synopsis for the movie.

Filming begins this week on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ “Dark Shadows,” which brings the cult classic television series to the big screen under the direction of Tim Burton. The film’s all-star ensemble cast includes Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Bella Heathcote, Chloe Moretz, and newcomer Gulliver McGrath.

In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive.

Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles.

Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth’s ne’er-do-well brother, Roger Collins, (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger’s precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David’s new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote.

It’s also worth noting that cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) is working on the film so at least it will look great, even if Burton delivers another average film like he did with Alice in Wonderland. Burton has been hit and miss over recent years so hopefully he makes something along the lines of Sleepy Hollow and Sweeney Todd.

Dark Shadows is scheduled for release on May 11th, 2012.

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In 2008, Swedish director Tomas Alfredson directed Let the Right One In, a movie based on the best-selling Swedish novel of the same name. The movie won critical acclaim across the world – rightly so, since it’s an excellent film – and its international popularity spurred studios to remake it for an English-speaking audience. Matt Reeves (writer and director of Cloverfield) was chosen to take on the challenge of directing the next adaptation. But Reeves was fighting an uphill battle from the start: many fans of the original were displeased with the prospect of a remake, and nearly wrote the movie off before seeing it. So, what’s the verdict? Keep reading to find out.

In my opinion, Let Me In is a totally unnecessary film. That’s not to say it’s bad – quite the opposite, in fact. I enjoyed the film, and it’s a perfectly fine piece of craftsmanship all around. But it bears such a heavy resemblance to Alfredson’s 2008 film that I simply don’t think it should have been made in the first place. I think the fear of this remake was that in an “Americanized” version, the heart of the original would be lost. I’m happy to report this is not the case – if anything, this movie relies too heavily on Alfredson’s vision and just barely offers enough variation on the story to justify its existence.

Set in 1980′s New Mexico, the story follows Owen, played by Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road), a young boy who is savagely bullied at school. He meets Abby, played by Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass), a strange girl who moves into his apartment complex. As the two strike up a friendship, it becomes clear to Owen that Abby is actually a vampire. She has a caretaker, played by Richard Jenkins (The Visitor), who is tasked with killing people to provide blood for her, and much of the drama comes from watching these scenarios unfold. Elias Koteas (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) plays a policeman trying to solve the murders.

The film does many things right, providing an eerie darkness to the wintry setting and capturing the viciousness of bullying in a school environment. The performances are all very good – the kids in particular deliver some striking work, forcing me to question my usual “I despise kids in movies” mantra. Reeves made a much darker movie with Let Me In, not as quiet and contemplative as the original, but still capturing the essence of what made that movie great. Key scenes (like one that takes place in a pool) are preserved in their entirety and not dumbed down or altered for the mainstream.

Reeves attempts to apply his own stamp to the film, and while I don’t think he truly accomplished that goal, he certainly added improving elements along the way. There was an impressive car crash sequence that wasn’t featured in the original (reminiscent of the only good part of Terminator Salvation). He also succeeds in giving the movie a nice sense of atmosphere, especially when it comes to the the isolation Owen feels during his parents’ divorce (his mother’s face is never completely visible, for example). The cinematography was haunting and beautiful, starting with an opening shot of ambulances travelling through the New Mexico landscape in an homage to Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars. There’s also a really great shot late in the movie of Owen peering through a frosty window at an empty playground after he witnesses something horrifying; it’s a fantastic visual representation of innocence lost.

If I were to nitpick an aspect of the film, it would be the CGI employed during Moretz’s vampire sequences. It takes you out of the story a bit, seeing her move in ways that humans can’t. The original succeeded because it grounded that character in a quasi-reality, using mostly practical effects and not relying on crazy visuals to get the same effect. There was another sequence – I won’t give it away, I’ll only say it involves fire – that was also much more effective in the original than in this one because of an over-reliance on CGI in the latter. (To the film’s credit, though, Let Me In wisely excised a ridiculous CGI cat sequence from Let the Right One In.)

I apologize for continually comparing this movie to the original, but aside from our natural human instinct for comparison in these situations, this case is even more difficult because they are so incredibly similar throughout. Ultimately, I think Let Me In will serve exactly the purpose that the studio intended: to expose this story to a wider audience in an English capacity. And that’s totally fine, since Let Me In is a really solid movie. I just wish more people would seek out Let the Right One In since it essentially “did it first” and it truly is almost the same movie except with subtitles. Until next time…

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Mark Millar isn’t one to keep tight lipped about anything, so when asked what he had planned for the Kick-Ass sequel (currently titled Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall) he let the details flow. The current plan is for him to finish writing the new comic by Christmas, and then production can start around April next year after director Matthew Vaughn has completed work on X-Men: First Class.

From MovieWeb:

Mark Millar: The film and the comic book are very closely tied together. There are only a few minor changes towards the end. It does led directly into a sequel, and I am writing the sequel as I always planned it to be. The actors may be a little bit older, or bigger. They can address that in the movie. But I am not changing anything for the comic book. We left things off with her being adopted by this extremely nice man. He is a cop. And she has to stop killing people, you know? That seems like an interesting starting point in the next one in regards to her character. She is going to be like Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven, where she hasn’t picked up a gun in years. It’s that type of thing. I like the idea of doing that with an eleven year old girl. She was part of this massive cacophony of violence. But she’s not allowed to kill people anymore. She is consumed with anger, and forced to watch TV shows instead. Halfway through the movie, or the comic, we will follow her as she picks up a gun again. It is going to be awesome.

And what about Red Mist?

Mark Millar: This is a guy who has had his entire family killed by Hit Girl. He heads off and develops his martial arts skills. He learns how to become a better villain. That type of thing. He is going to come back and wreck unholy vengeance on our team. But in reality, he just comes back and gets stoned, and he spends a lot of money. He can’t do anything, so he hires this bad ass girl from Russia, she comes into the story, and her plan is to kill Hit Girl. Red Mist becomes like Charles Manson. He goes on-line and influences a bunch of young villains to go against Kick-Ass and Hit Girl. The whole thing ends up as a big gang fight like you’d see in The Warriors. There is going to be a big gang fight in the middle of Times Square between all of these costumed heroes. And at the head will be the Red Mist and Hit Girl.

Kick-Ass is one of my favorite movies of 2010 (alongside Inception of course), so I am up for a sequel, but only if they keep the spirit of the first film and only if Vaughn gets 100% creative control like he had before. Lionsgate will probably be funding and distributing his time so they can at least go into the second film knowing people are looking forward to it and it will be seen.

Kick-Ass will be released on DVD/Blu-ray next week, and you can pre-order it via these links:

DVD | Blu-ray

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The Kick-Ass DVD and Blu-ray release date has been set for August 3rd, and the discs will contain quite a few behind the scenes clips and features.

Amazon has made Kick-Ass available to pre-order. Click here for the DVD, and here to pre-order the Blu-ray.

Check out the DVD art, a feature on Hit-Girl, and DVD/Blu-ray specs below:

BLU-RAY DISC SPECIAL FEATURES
DISC ONE
• Ass-Kicking Bonus View Mode (Blu-ray Disc Exclusive) – Synchronous with the feature film, this innovative multi-media presentation incorporates video and audio commentary, behind-the-scenes clips and illustrative graphics with Co-Writer/Producer/Director Matthew Vaughn, plus cast and crew providing an all-access perspective on Kick-Ass
• “A New Kind of Superhero: The Making of Kick-Ass “ documentary (Blu-ray Disc Exclusive)
• “It’s On! The Comic Book Origin of Kick-Ass” featurette
• Audio Commentary with Writer-Director Matthew Vaughn
• “The Art of Kick-Ass” gallery
• Marketing Archive
• BD Touch and Metamenu Remote
• Lionsgate Live™ enabled, featuring extra content for Internet-connected players
• Enhanced for D-Box™ Motion Control Systems

DISC TWO
• Standard Definition DVD Copy of the feature film

DISC THREE
• Standard Definition Digital Copy of the feature film

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
• Audio Commentary with Writer-Director Matthew Vaughn
• “It’s On! The Comic Book Origin of Kick-Ass” featurette
• “The Art of Kick-Ass” gallery
• Marketing Archive

Kick-Ass, which was made for $28 million, took just over $90 million during its box office run. An extra $15 – $30 million from DVD and Blu-ray sales should make Lionsgate and Vaughn happy, and Kick-Ass can be considered a ‘success’.

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