Dead Birds (2004)

Director:

Alex Turner

Writer:

Simon Barrett (written by)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller | Western

Tagline:

There are worse things than dying

Plot:

A group of Confederate soldiers hole up in an abandoned plantation after robbing a bank and find themselves at the mercy of supernatural forces.

Plot Keywords:

Bank | Alabama | Confederate Soldier | Plantation | Demon

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Henry Thomas	...	William
Patrick Fugit	...	Sam
Nicki Aycox	...	Annabelle
Michael Shannon	...	Clyde
Muse Watson	...	Father
Mark Boone Junior	...	Joseph
Isaiah Washington	...	Todd
Harris Mann	...	Jeffy Hollister
Melanie Abramoff	...	Girl Ghost
Donna Biscoe	...	Black Woman
Brian Bremer	...	Hysterical Man
Russell Durham Comegys	...	Kormer
David Dwyer	...	MacCready
Michael Faella	...	Johnson
Steve Green	...	Boy Ghost
Douglas M. Griffin	...	Blonde Soldier (as Douglas Griffin)
Drew Hall	...	Confederate Shooter in Town #2
Evan Hipps	...	Dead Boy
Sydney Jones	...	Heavily Bandaged Man
Terry Jones	...	Weeping Mother
Danny Kamin	...	Captain (as Daniel Tucker Kamin)
Mikal Kartvedt	...	Buck Toothed Soldier
Ted Manson	...	Elderly Teller
Ken McGhee	...	Confererate Shooter in Town #1
Michael Purnell	...	Preacher / Old Man
Sam Rhymes	...	Skinned Slave
Bret Roberts	...	Tall Soldier
Terrie Thompson	...	Mother
Sam Breslin Wright	...	Young Teller
Allan B. Holt	...	Bank Security Guard
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robbie	...	Dog

Directed by
Alex Turner

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Simon Barrett		written by

Produced by
Simon Barrett	....	co-producer
Barry Brooker	....	executive producer
Jim Busfield	....	co-producer
David Hillary	....	producer
D. Scott Lumpkin	....	co-executive producer (as Scott Lumpkin)
D. Scott Lumpkin	....	line producer (as Scott Lumpkin)
Timothy Wayne Peternel	....	producer (as Timothy Peternel)
Ash R. Shah	....	producer (as Ash Shah)
Sundip R. Shah	....	executive producer (as Sundip Shah)
Laura Warner	....	associate producer
Isaiah Washington	....	co-producer
Douglas Wroan	....	associate producer (as Doug Wroan)

Original Music by
Peter Lopez

Cinematography by
Steve Yedlin		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Brian Anton

Casting by
Shannon Makhanian

Production Design by
Leslie Keel

Set Decoration by
Chris Maynard

Costume Design by
Michael T. Boyd

Makeup Department
Christopher Burdett	....	creature effects designer
Keith Christensen	....	conceptual designer: Almost Human Inc.
Jason Collins	....	supervisor: Almost Human, Inc.
Timothy Considine	....	on-set makeup artist
Timothy Considine	....	special makeup effects artist
Robert Hall	....	effects makeup designer
Robert Hall	....	special makeup effects artist
Allan B. Holt	....	special makeup effects artist
Dean Jones	....	key makeup artist
Debbie Mezera	....	office manager: Almost Human Inc
James Ojala	....	lab technician: Almost Human
Darnell Shepherd	....	hair/lab technician: Almost Human, Inc.
Cerina Silvestro	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
D. Scott Lumpkin	....	unit production manager
Douglas Salkin	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Colleen Casey	....	second assistant director
Nicholas Lee	....	first assistant director
Tony Niknejadi	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Gino Azurmendi	....	on-set dresser
David Betancourt	....	carpenter
Margaret Broach	....	art intern
Matthew Browning	....	art production intern
Christopher Burdett	....	conceptual designer
Keith Christensen	....	conceptual designer
Christopher Dumas	....	set dresser
Sacha A. Dzuba	....	set dresser
Jonathon Fuller	....	sculptor
April Glover	....	set dresser
Tom Humphrey	....	property master
Bill Johnson	....	props: dead horses
Elvis Jones	....	key mechanical designer
Bruce Larsen	....	props: dead horses
David Meng	....	sculptor
Kevin Naugle	....	additional set dresser
Michelle Rolland	....	assistant property master
Joachim Seisay	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Mick Davies	....	additional boom operator (as Michael B. Davies)
Brendan Davis	....	boom operator
Christopher Eakins	....	sound effects editor
Christopher Eakins	....	supervising sound editor
Marshall Garlington	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bill Henderson	....	sound re-recording engineer
Melissa Lee	....	foley assistant
Jamie Lin	....	foley editor
John Marquis	....	sound designer
John Marquis	....	supervising sound editor
Whit Norris	....	sound mixer
Eryne Prine	....	foley supervisor
Pablo Solorzano	....	adr mixer
Pablo Solorzano	....	foley mixer
Shane Stott	....	sound assistant
Ken Teaney	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Jimmy Bradford	....	physical effects
Mack Chapman	....	physical effects coordinator
Scott Fields	....	mold maker
Allan B. Holt	....	puppeteer
Mi Na Jeong	....	programmer
Elvis Jones	....	animatronics: Almost Human
James Ojala	....	mold maker
Min Su Park	....	special effects director
Brian Rae	....	mold maker

Visual Effects by
Jong Han Kim	....	lead programmer
Min Hee Lee	....	compositor
Seung Yong Lee	....	lead compositor
Youngki Lee	....	visual effects (as Youn Gki Lee)
Sung Oh Moon	....	animator
Mi Sun Park	....	compositor
Min Su Park	....	visual effects

Stunts
Robert Lewis Cain	....	utility stunts
Christopher Dumas	....	stunt double
Billy L. 'Butch' Frank	....	utility stunts (as Billy 'Butch' Frank)
Mikal Kartvedt	....	stunts: fight scene
Doug Sloan	....	stunt coordinator
C.J. Staats	....	utility stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Adrian Arangua	....	grip
Chris Burgon	....	electrician
Lou Chanatry	....	director of photography: second unit
Layne Chaney	....	crane grip
Colby Damazio	....	grip
Eric Damazio	....	key grip
Billy L. 'Butch' Frank	....	gang boss
Larry Gianneschi IV	....	second assistant camera
Shawn Green	....	best boy electric
Shawn Greene	....	best boy electric
Vesa Holle	....	gaffer
Douglas Kirkland	....	still photographer
Greg Lomas	....	dolly grip
Cesar Gustavo Quintanilla	....	best boy grip (as Cesar G. Quintanilla)
Jonathan E. Robinson	....	assistant camera
Michael Weeks	....	electrician (as Mike Weeks)
Wade Whitley	....	first assistant camera

Animation Department
Jae Lyoung Choi	....	animator
Man Hong Han	....	animator
Hyun Jin Kim	....	animator

Casting Department
Jennifer Goldstein	....	casting associate
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting
Joshua Kopple	....	local casting
Shannon Makhanian	....	casting
Suzanne Massingill	....	local casting
Laura Warner	....	local casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ingrid Armstead	....	seamstress
Sacha A. Dzuba	....	wardrobe
Al Frisch	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Marie Hélène Desbiens	....	negative cutter (as Marie Helene Desbiens)
Bob Fredrickson	....	color timer
Brian Kibbie	....	negative cutter (as Brian Kibbe)

Transportation Department
Mike Coley	....	driver
Ricky Damazio	....	transportation coordinator
Rooster Layton	....	transportation captain
George Mills	....	transportation
John H. Stephens	....	driver

Other crew
Steve Berman	....	completion bond
Mitch Bryars Jr.	....	assistant location manager
J.T. Bush	....	production assistant
Rob Cain	....	animal wrangler
Timothy Considine	....	puppeteer
Sacha A. Dzuba	....	production assistant
Mary Florian	....	intern
Ashley Givens	....	production secretary
Dale Hall	....	intern
Drew Hall	....	key set production assistant
Joshua Kopple	....	assistant to director
Chris Lumpkin	....	set production assistant
K. Lynn Martin	....	script supervisor
Maggie Means	....	production accountant
William R. Moncrief	....	production assistant
Aaron Moring	....	intern
Holly Murray	....	production assistant
Karen Payne	....	assistant production coordinator
Ricky T. Pickerin	....	animal trainer
Sam Rhymes	....	craft service
Erin Sarofsky	....	main title designer
Horst Sarubin	....	location manager
Doug Sloan	....	head animal wrangler
C.J. Staats	....	wrangler
Deborah Taylor	....	production coordinator (as Deborah J. Taylor)
Douglas Wroan	....	production attorney
Tara Kleinpeter	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Thanks
Dan Walton	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Silver Nitrate Pictures
• Dead Birds Films

Distributors

• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2005) (Argentina) (all media)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (2005) (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Snp
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Almost Human (special make-up effects)
• Difarm Inc. (cgi effects)
• Girl Studio (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Digital Kitchen  main title design
• EFilm  film scanning
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Image Resolution, The  opticals
• Lightnin' Production Rentals  transportation equipment
• Paskal Lighting  grip and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and gore

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:18 | UK:15 | Germany:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Video rating) | USA:R (certificate #40961) | Brazil:18

Filming Locations:

Mobile, Alabama, USA

Company:

Silver Nitrate Pictures

Trivia:

This film was shot in 21 days.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the barn, when Annabelle, Todd and William discover the dead horses. Annabelle's hair changes from in front to behind her and back again between shots.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Making 'Dead Birds' (2005) (V)

Money might be the root of all evil, but this estate gives it a real shake.

In 1863 during the American Civil war a group of outlaws rob a bank in small town in a quick and very bloody shootout. After the successful job they take refuge in a deserted plantation house. Where, they would ride out to Mexico the following morning. But there is something not quite right about this abandon estate, because they start encountering terrifying and strange visions that have something to do with the horrific past of the house.

I remember there being a whole lot of buzz around this film over a year ago. I actually got caught up in it that when I found a copy and I bought it, but sadly I was far from impressed when I finally watched it. I did not hate it, but more so disappointed. So when I was going through my collection looking for something I had not watched for a while, the film definitely caught my eye and I thought who knows maybe I'll have a change of mind. Well, that was most the definitely the case here, although it did not entirely blow me away, but I did a back-flip on my initial thoughts. Watching it late at night also helped me into it even more.

Director Alex Turner's indie flick "Dead Birds" is an slow-burner, period horror story that effectively cooks up an bone jarring atmosphere and some unnerving visuals. It's simple as that - because the film's only real purpose is to raise the hairs on your skin. From Peter Lopez's densely, active to sometimes quite faint score and gloomy and very saturated colour scheme that saps the life right out of the picture. Very depressive and glum fit's the description accurately. It reminded a lot of the ghost films in the last few years, especially the crop that has flooded the Asian market. But while it has that slow and subtle build up of inspiring dread like those particular films, it also gives us some grisly violence and sadism. I found some of the sudden deaths to be rather spine-tingling and the hypnotic cinematography help's the eerie location take shape. The ghosts and demons are damn right freaky and grotesque in detail and make-up. Maybe at times it did go a bit over board in the CGI department and even so with some quick editing, but still the images have a lasting affect.

Simon Barrett's story plays it out rather leisurely by giving you a piece of the puzzle here and there. It drops off many small hints to what's about to come, which makes the plot a little more complex than I initially thought - since it disguises them incredibly well. Some things are left up in the air and never truly expanded on, but I guess that's just the supernatural for ya. But saying that it still follows some conventional patterns like that of individuals cracking under the pressure and doing the mistake of going off alone, a stormy night breaks through and an isolated house that has a tragic history in the middle on nowhere. But the most common one is things that go "boo!" in the night. The way the story is structured you're just waiting for something big to breakout. The characters are by the books with some decent performances by Patrick Fugit, Isaiah Washington, Nicki Aycox and Michael Shannon, though I thought Henry Thomas was rather bland as the leader. The script is so-so, but at least it keeps it rather tight and sticks close to the people than that of heading off into another direction. The film only goes for just over 80 minutes, so it doesn't seem to overly drag. The production is rather lustrous with convincing period detail from the costumes to the backdrop.

I just guess I was expecting far more from it the first time, but second time around got into this foreboding atmospheric presentation, which drills away with its intense chills and unnatural hints.