journal features

movie review - Dark Shadows

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Kokubunji, 2021.10.30

This is the story of a vampire who is locked up in a coffin for centuries and then released in our time. Well, the early '70s. It's a tonally confused story that doesn't match the trailers and doesn't in fact seem to pick a lane at any time. There's quite a cast assembled here but the story feels like it was made up as everyone walked onto the set each day.

I will say the sound-track is top notch. Sadly, the video below is better than the movie, if equally confused.

Not recommended.

rand()m quote

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.

—Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.