The Fellowship was fortunate enough to obtain a copy of DARK
SHADOWS: THE VISUAL COMPANION from Titan Books. The book is written by Mark
Salisbury and includes a forward by Johnny Depp, an introduction by Tim Burton and
an afterword by the late producer Richard D. Zanuck (this was his last film).
THE VISUAL COMPANION chronicles the filming of the
classic 70’s gothic soap opera being remade into the 2012 film. It includes all
aspects of the film: costume and makeup, set design, scoring, casting, etc. Mr.
Salisbury had access to the set, cast and crew to give a complete look at
putting the film together.
Burton’s films can be hit or miss with me, but I love his
visual style. This book captures it in a beautiful way. The photos are striking
and it’s funny how the colors pop out of the images considering how the
atmosphere is so dark. The cast and crew interviews are interesting and seeing
the sets, special effects and costume designs was a treat. There is no stone left unturned with this
book, including a look back at the film’s inspiration…the original television
series. If you loved the movie, a fan of the Burton style, or simply want to
know what goes into a modern film, you should check this out.
DARK SHADOWS: THE VISUAL COMPANION is in bookstores now
and available at www.titanbooks.com.
~ Thomas
