First look at 'Dark Shadows' poster, trailer

Posted Thursday, March 15, 2012 at 9:19 PM Central
Last updated Friday, March 16, 2012 at 12:28 PM Central

by John Couture

As I was born in 1974, I was a wee bit late to the Dark Shadows party. All I really know about the show is that it was a 1960s supernatural soap opera and that its fans are obsessive as anything you see these days with "Gleeks" or "Losties."

Other than that, I know that they've released a ton of their stuff on DVD. No really, go ahead and search our site for "Dark Shadows." It's ok, I'll wait here for you.

See, I told you that are literally dozens and dozens of offerings.

I also know that the big screen adaptation is a sort of passion project for director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp. I don't know what I was expecting when I heard that the first trailer was available, but what I watched wasn't what I expected at all.

In a good way.

I was thinking for some reason that the film would be stuffy and resemble more Sleepy Hollow than Edward Scissorhands and I couldn't have been more wrong.

I should have realized that as a soap opera from the 1960s, it would naturally be as campy as possible. It is and it's also pretty amazing. The real scene stealer in the trailer is young Chloe Moretz.

Since last we saw her, she's grown up a bit, but hasn't lost an ounce of that sass. Cast as the moody teenager, she is right at home.

Overall, the film almost feels like a big screen gothic version of Arrested Development and that's a good thing. Dark Shadows opens in theaters on May 11.