Page 28 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • May 23, 2012 ‘Dark Shadows’ (continued from Entertainment page) Drawing upon “The Old Dark House” notion of assembling odd characters under one forbidding roof, “Dark Shadows” has its share of bizarre and mysterious denizens, including steely family matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer), her brother Roger (Jonny Lee Miller), her daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Grace Moretz), and Roger’s son David (Gulliver McGrath). Also on hand are caretaker Willie Loomis (Jackie Earl Haley) and Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), a harddrinking psychiatrist hired to provide private therapy for David, who is having a hard time dealing with a recent loss. There is a lot going on in the old homestead, much of it painfully contrived in an attempt to combine suspense, comedy, the supernatural, and gruesome deaths. That is this movie’s primary problem: It does not have a clear focus. Sometimes, it wants to be a comedy. At other times, it tries to be a Gothic horror film. At still other moments, as when Barnabas escapes his coffin and decimates a crew of workers, it borders on splatter. Its PG-13 rating never allows “Dark Shadows” to venture too far into the realm of graphic gore, but it is unsettling, after smiling at Barnabas’ missteps and awkwardness in his new world, to watch him kill a group of Vietnam era hippies. I suppose it is the reminder that vampires, even funny ones, crave human blood. Tone is what signals an audience how to react. Are we supposed to laugh, be terrified, or figure out clues in a mystery? Director Burton sends confusing signals, which keep viewers from fully embracing and getting into the story. In addition, there is a sense of opportunities missed all through “Dark Shadows.” Where there could be greater moments of comedy, there are lame excuses for gags, and there is far too much screen time devoted to the modern Bouchard and not enough to Haley’s caretaker character, who should be integrated more. He is a wonderful presence made to serve as mere window dressing when he should have lots more to do. Audiences know from previous movies, particularly the first “Pirates of the Caribbean” film, that Depp enjoys finding his own way into a role. It worked wonderfully in “Pirates...” but here he is often adrift, aping bits and pieces of his Willie Wonka, Mad Hatter, and Ichabod Crane. A vampire can be played and has been played every conceivable way on screen, so it was up to Depp and Burton to come up with something reasonably novel. Depp’s performance looks like a work in progress rather than a fully realized performance. As in most fantasy films these days, “Dark Shadows” has its share of computer generated mayhem, but it all seems perfunctory and doesn’t really enhance the story. “Dark Shadows” is a spoof of a show that satirized horror film clichés. Since audiences are now three layers away from the original vampire tale, developing a style and tone that will involve viewers is elusive, even for Depp and Burton, who have shone on screen before and will hopefully do so once again.