TOY FAIR 2013: 'Carrie' Figures Are Bloody Scary

NECA Toys is offering 7" figures to tie in with the latest take on the Stephen King horror classic Carrie, starring Chloë Grace Moretz in the title role and Julianne Moore as her mother.

The film is set for an October 8th release, and the toys hit shelves in September. Check out these figures from the unforgettable climatic prom scene that made us all thankful that in real life, the misunderstood girl can't get revenge via her telekinetic powers.

From NECA Toys:

A reimagining of the classic horror tale about Carrie White, a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious mother, who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom.

This figure assortment includes a beautiful Carrie, flower bouquet in hand, glamorous & elegant at the start of her prom night. 

The second figure is Carrie as she unleashes her rage, covered in blood from head to toe. It’s a frightening sight to behold.

SOURCE: NECA Toys

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Film Review - DARK SHADOWS ★★☆☆☆

Perhaps to no one's surprise if you have scratched your head after seeing the recent trailers and TV spots, it's kinda hard to pinpoint where exactly Dark Shadows is trying to fit into.

Based on the cult TV supernatural soap opera of the same name that ran on ABC from 1966-71 starring Jonathan Frid as the patriarchal vampire Barnabas Collins (and laying claim to the bloodsucker craze decades before Twilight, True Blood, Underworld, and The Vampire Diaries), director Tim Burton teams up with Johnny Depp on the big screen for the eighth time to provide their version of the show. It's not by definition a modern day update since much of the story is set in 1972, but there perhaps begins some of the film's quirks.

Like every Tim Burton production, the film is in no way short changed in regards to his checklist of signature features (gorgeous gothic art direction, characters bearing scant skin pigment, looming overcast skies, lavish architecture and costume design, and a rousing score by the great Danny Elfman), but it's when the film tries to find its actual identity in tone that it starts to hit some bumps in the road.

Depp stars as Barnabas Collins, a young well-to-do 18th century Brit living in Maine who finds himself cursed with a vampire's immortality and buried "alive" by his scorned lover, housekeeper (and witch), Angelique Bouchard (played by a sultry Eva Green). When Collins is dug up nearly 200 years later in 1972, he is left to find his way in the 'modern world' and make good once again his family name for whom the local town, Collinsport, was named for.

Once back among the living with his descendants who have financial woes yet still keep shop in the ancestral mansion Colinwood Manor, the fish-out-of water dysfunctional family dynamic ensues and Barnabas soon discovers his centuries ago nemesis Angelique is alive, kicking, and has maintained a monopoly on the local commerce since banishing him to an eternal grave.

Dark Shadows is a strange brew of horror, slapstick quirky comedy, and family drama all wrapped up in typical Burton-esque gothic themes. The eyebrow raising marketing set to a groovy '70s soundtrack has the film pegged as an off beat comedy, but Burton sees to it that the film also walks a line of various tones, but then crosses that line over and over throughout its near two hour running time. Additionally, much of the broad humor in the film has been revealed in the numerous trailers, leaving less to honestly laugh at when you actually sit down to see it in theaters.

While the movie is bookended by promising darker material, its the middle of the film that gets chatty with its fair mix of soap opera subplots, straight up horror moments, retro humor, visual gags, and even a campy musical montage. But the overall decision of having an 18th century vampire befuddled over dated relics like lava lamps, Troll toys, and Alice Cooper seem to limit the comedic possibilities that would appeal to a younger demographic had it been set in the present day.

The films boasts an impressive solid ensemble cast, including many players familiar to the Burton-verse. But the script doesn't quite find the time to spotlight any of them for too long until they are forced to find quick resolutions in the big finish third act. Michelle Pfeiffer (re-teaming with Burton after re-defining Catwoman in 1992's Batman Returns), Chloë Grace Moretz, Helena Bonham Carter, Jackie Earle Haley, and Eva Green all manage to deliver worthy performances in the time they have to share on screen among a large cast. The always underrated Eva Green really shines here in a standout turn as Depp's love/hate witch nemesis, but her Angie reminded me of a campy version of her stinging mystical Morgan(a) from last year's short lived King Arthur retelling Camelot on Starz.

Whether this was a Burton film or not, Depp's casting as Collins offers a solid choice to walk the mixed tone that is never quite firmly set in the film. His Barnabas is a charmer one minute, a blood sucking killer the next, but always finds maintaining a sense of strong family values at the top of his list of personal priorities. Though the man out of his time routine only goes so far, despite the charm Depp brings to the role. Jonathan Frid, who originated the iconic vampire role on the TV show, has a welcome blink and you'll miss it walk-by cameo. It goes without saying that life long Shadows fan Burton would make certain he had an appearance. Sadly, the actor passed away last month at the age of 87.

Last year's modern day Fright Night remake starring Colin Farrell pulled off a fantastic balance of horror that featured a snarky charismatic vampire, but also possessed a firm sense of confidence in embracing what it was trying to convey in tone on screen. It could be brutal in its horror violence, but its humor reflected that dark side. Shadows seems to suffer from an identity crisis at times, though the cast never flinch regarding the material and make each individual scene work. Though looking at both films overall, comparing Dark Shadows to Fright Night is the old apples and oranges debate.

Dark Shadows is a mixed bag of what you will be treated to on the big screen. As a Tim Burton production, there are all the familiar trappings you expect to see and will enjoy seeing. Those production perks do not disappoint. But overall I found it to be a bit confused regarding the who it is ideally targeting, and exactly the where it is trying to call home. But like any Tim Burton opus, if Dark Shadows comes across as a quirky misfit without a pace to fit in, then perhaps the director truly has succeeded in capturing a core theme common to all his films. 

Dark Shadows hits both 2D and IMAX screens today.

REVIEW RATING: ★★☆☆☆
Directed By: Tim Burton

Starring: Johnny Depp, Eva Green, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Chloë Grace Moretz

Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 112 minutes 

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TRAILER: 'Dark Shadows'

The remake of the '60s supernatural soap opera directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp as vampire Barnabas Collins at long last has a trailer.

To say it is unlike anything you would expect would be an understatement. There has been endless speculation on how this film would come across when the first leaked photos of Johnny Depp in costume from the set made their way online.

Now that the first live action sneak peek has been released, you can safely throw away any notions of modern angst ridden tween friendly themes and brooding characters that have made Twilight, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries so popular. Burton's Dark Shadows bears the director's distinct gothic look and has an unexpected quirky campy '70s setting (and swinging soundtrack as well).

If you are unfamiliar with this cult favorite series from decades past, here is the official synopsis of the upcoming film from Warner Bros.

In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet--or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy...until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles. Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth's ne'er-do-well brother, Roger Collins, (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger's precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David's new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote.

The all-star cast includes Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, and Chloe Moretz.

Dark Shadows hits theaters on May 11, 2012.