20 Perfect Scenes In Otherwise Terrible Horror Movies

Tim Burton's Dark Shadows is pretty terrible overall, with one of its biggest problems being its tone. This was uncharacteristic for Burton. Frequently, his films are dark yet also playful and uniquely heartwarming, so it balances out nicely. Dark Shadows, meanwhile, is distasteful and mean-spirited above all else, and its weak attempts at comedy and emotional depth fail to offer any relief. 

Having said all of this, there is an exception, a moment where we get a lovely hint at the movie we wish Dark Shadows had been, and that's this delightful montage set to The Carpenters' gorgeous track 'Top of the World'. This montage shows the main Collins family being... well, on top of the world, as their vampire ancestor Barnabus Collins (Johnny Depp) helps them to renovate their house and revive their fishing business. 

This montage is the one time in the movie that we really get Burton on top form. It's a very funny and gently uplifting sequence that cleverly mixes laughs with Gothic spookiness and cleverly conveys a lot of story with almost no dialogue. The one exception is when Barnabus is confused by a TV, which is ironically showing a performance of Top of the World. He rips the cable out and exclaims, "Reveal yourself! Tiny songstress!" much to the exasperation of his teenage relative Carolyn (Chloe Grace Moretz), who was trying to watch. 

So yes, as much as Dark Shadows is a low point for its director, this montage ironically represents Burton's best qualities.