“Heightened . . . absurdist . . . and funny”–writer Seth Grahame-Smith describes DARK SHADOWS

Perhaps one reason we have yet to see a trailer for Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows, due in movie theaters in May, is because the film cannot be confined to conventional pigeonholes of genre and tone. While its uniqueness may baffle marketers, one person who can speak authoritatively about Dark Shadows is the author of the screenplay, Seth Grahame-Smith. As the author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Grahame-Smith has cornered the market on genre-bending and tonal juxtaposition. Of Dark Shadows, Grahame-Smith says, “The tone of the movie is soap operatic. It’s heightened. Everything is heightened and grand.” That applies to Johnny Depp’s performance as Barnabas Collins, too, which Grahame-Smith describes as “dug in and big.”

Speaking to reporter Devin Faraci at a promotional event for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter in Springfield, Illinois — now that’s a way to celebrate Honest Abe’s birthday — Grahame-Smith alluded to other aspects of Dark Shadows: “There’s an absurdist element to it,” he said. “It’s very funny. I don’t think people are expecting it to be as funny as it is.”

Viewers should expect some touches of horror as well: “It’s PG-13, so there’s no gore, there are no hardcore scares,” Grahame-Smith said; however, he reminded the reporter that Barnabas is a vampire who “will surprise people in terms of [his] ferocity.”

The new publicity still of Barnabas with his witch-lover/nemesis Angelique (Eva Green) hints at that ferocity; to see the photo, CLICK HERE. Is it May yet?

The Zone thanks tocnavforjd and FANtasticJD for sharing the photo, and Emma for the interview with Seth Grahame-Smith. You can read more about Dark Shadows on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

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