Dead Birds (2004)

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

Director:

Alex Turner

Writer:

Simon Barrett

Stars:

Henry Thomas, Patrick Fugit, Nicki Aycox

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

In Civil War-era Alabama, a band of outlaws takes refuge at an abandoned plantation after robbing a bank that held a cache of Confederate gold. Led by William, the group includes Sam, Todd, Annabelle, Clyde and Joseph. They intend to flee to Mexico, but nightfall and a thunderstorm force the robbers to remain in place. As the night wears on, each member of the group begins to have visions of the atrocities that occurred within the house. As supernatural forces begin to manifest themselves, the six turn on one another.

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Plot Keywords:

demon | 19th century | black magic | bank robbery | horror western | 

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Taglines:

There are worse things than dying

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and gore

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 February 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Casa dos Pássaros Mortos

Filming Locations:

Mobile, Alabama, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Silver Nitrate Pictures, Dead Birds Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The opening scenes in the town which include the bank robbery were filmed during the last two days of shooting.

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Goofs

When Annabelle is alone in the upstairs bedroom, and the closet door opens, a crew member's hand holding a stick to push open the door is clearly visible.

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Quotes

Todd: [on finding all their horses butchered] Well... I guess... I'M WALKING!

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Connections

Referenced in Adjust Your Tracking (2013)

User Reviews

A solid addition to the horror genre

I saw Dead Birds Thursday at noon at the Film Fest and it scared me silly. The story line is simply bank robbers during the 1860s enter a haunted house as a hideaway during a nasty storm only to discover the deadly secrets that lay within. I found the backstory to be interesting, especially compared to movies like The Ring. Either tell me enough or don't tell me at all. I thought the Ring was silly since once Naomi Watts solved the puzzle in the videotape, she still was poised to die. So why explain the story? It seemed more a tool of exposition, than as a living part of the film.

Here are some highlights:

I really enjoyed how the director was able to keep the house fresh for the entire length of the movie, although I agree with previous reviewers that some parts lagged from too much exploration of the house. Luckily the house is scary enough to warrant the set up of mood. If the rooms in the house had more function, perhaps it would feel less slow. It's hard to explain without spoiling any of the secrets of the film, but the rooms are laboriously set up to explain the backstory later. Each room has an event tied to the backstory. The performances were just pitch perfect. I liked that there was no modern references and the accents stayed pretty consistent. I don't know how much character development a haunted house story requires. They are robbers. If the learn something through the experience, it sort of cheats the purpose of the story: that is, them getting their butts kicked all around town by this ghoulish house.

Now, some negatives:

I kinda wish there weren't so many loud noise boo scares but they still scared me silly! Unfortunately, I also knew when they were coming. In fact, every major scare comes with a sound blast. Also, although I thought the backstory was too clear (albeit interesting), one audience member in the crowd asked for clarification. So I guess the film can't win. The film repeats the backstory nearly thrice.

*Spoiler alert*

But I thought after the appearance of the father to Patrick Fugit an hour in it was pretty clear what happened.

*End spoiler alert*

Anyhow, I loved the ending which was a perfect way to finish it off and it does have a twist, although it doesn't overshadow the film. The movie is one of my favourites from the festival because of how it set up mood and tone and since this was the director's first film, I think he'll only get better and more confident in letting the material scare the audience, opposed to the sound effects.

Still, I'd take this over RE2 or Alien V Predator any day.