Dark Shadows? I Doubt It!

I don't claim to be an expert on TV or films. I'm not a professional critic by any stretch of the imagination. I'm just a regular gal who likes what she likes. That being said...

I was watching the TV Land awards the other night. I can't resist nostalgia: clips from "old" shows, looking at the actors today. Seeing a snippet doesn't just remind me of the show. It reminds me of my life at that point in time. TV Land offers some of those shows for my viewing pleasure. MeTV also gives me some nuggets from the past. Now, I know that just because a show is old doesn't automatically make it good. But as I said, I like what I like.

A commercial came on for the new "Dark Shadows" film. I haven't watched any trailers, but I've seen a few ads. It looks like it might be kind of a "groovy flick." Johnny Depp is sure to be an asset. But from my limited knowledge, it doesn't seem to have much to do with the original series. Yes, there's a mysterious family in an old house, and there's a vampire. They may have the same character names, I don't know. But it looks like it's trying to be funny, or at least have some comedic moments. Have they made Barnabas a character that gets laughs? That's not the "real" Barnabas! Sure, if you watch the original series (thank you, Netflix!), you might get a few chuckles. But that's because it's so "dated," almost primitive by today's standards. It was a serious soap opera in its day, and creepy to boot. (I remember having a nightmare about Angelique when I was a child.)

My opinion? If you're going to take an old concept and try to update it, why not come up with a new name for it? Make a movie, if you'd like,  about a vampire trying to adjust to life in a different era, looking for a bride or whatever. But it seems to me that if you reference a "classic," you should be honoring what that show was at that time. Continue the storyline with the same spirit. Or tell the same basic story with updated dialogue and effects. Have some respect for what made the show good in the first place.

I've seen some films based on '70s shows that were a lot of fun. It can be done. "Starsky & Hutch" and "The Brady Bunch" were funny in part because the characters were so much like the originals. Call it parody or good-natured ribbing, whatever. But I don't believe that Barnabas Collins would brush his fangs in front of a mirror or try to sleep in a carton with packing peanuts. That's not the "Dark Shadows" I know and love.