The Old South. Alabama, 1863. The Civil War is in progress and squads of soldiers have taken to desertion. Some do worse, becoming criminal marauders. In Fairhope, William (Henry Thomas) and his ragtag group of Rebels intercept a large bank deposit of Confederate funds, brutally murdering everyone in the bank. Loaded with gold coin, the thieves arrive at a neglected cornfield where, on the far side, sits an abandoned plantation house. Soon, they learn that it may be abandoned, but it is not uninhabited. Their fates are decided over a long night during a heavy thunderstorm.
Deadbirds is a Southern Gothic sleeper written by Simon Barrett. Well produced on a low-budget, this modest chiller achieves an understated creepiness. Some viewers may find a moment or two reminiscent of The Twilight Zone while others may find it holds a kinship with that shows rival Thriller. The influence of The Ring and The Grudge is apparent. However, Deadbirds carries a well deserved R rating for its gore, especially during the opening bank robbery in which the destructive force of Civil War weapons is demonstrated in graphic detail.
Cinematographer Steve Yedlin favors a natural lighting approach, his illumination originating with candles and lanterns for a pleasing realistic effect. Michael Boyd provides costumes which, along with the production design of Leslie Keel (utilizing sets from Big Fish and a location plantation house), conveys an authentic period feeling. Peter Lopez anachronistic but highly effective experimental music score utilizes a range of tonalities to underscore the otherworldliness of the proceedings. This is his third outing with director Turner. Sound effects add a great deal to the overall effect whether its an exaggerated thud of a book or the discovery of footprints on a dusty floor.
Barretts script, unlike some others in the genre, including some major studio big budget efforts, generally allows the characters to remain unsuspecting of the supernatural elements and dangerous situation they are in until its too late in a manner that doesn't beggar belief. Characters perish while performing logical actions and often alone, leaving the others in the literal dark as to what may be happening around them and to their partners. In short, while an audience may be thinking Dont go in there or some variant, it doesnt seem unreasonable given the time period and the relative lack of character sophistication. It isnt until a late film slaughter observed by the remaining cast members that they realize something beyond their understanding is happening.
The story and the acting are good enough that the horror elements could have been removed and with a little rewriting and a few new scenes a fairly compelling story would have remained. Where Barretts script is weak is in explaining exactly what is going on. The back story isnt the problem as each character is given an hallucination that fills in the gaps. But Barrett offers no satisfying revelations regarding the mutant beasts of the film. The special features section mentions something to do with a dimensional portal gone wrong but there is nothing in the movie that indicates this, that is unless we are to understand that the plantation itself is in another dimension visible from our own but from which one may not return once entered.
Barretts script does provide the actors with some good moments. Henry Thomas, bearded and bearing a slight resemblance to Jonathan Frakes, is fine as an unfeeling renegade whose conscience eventually comes into play. Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous), Nicki Aycox (Jeepers Creepers), and Michael Shannon all treat their roles as pure drama. Isaiah Washington (Hollywood Homicide) as Todd, and one of the films co-producers, has some quietly effective moments as the one gang member with a sensitivity to the psychic phenomenon surrounding them.
At first the film looks to be a bit precious with credits reading Silver Nitrate Pictures presents A Deviant Films Production, A Film by Alex Turner done up with coy title graphics, but this sense is quickly dispelled. Turner, directing his first feature, does seem a bit coy in the accompanying making of documentary but this seems to translate into a gift for directing performances, nuance, and the creation of a sustained atmosphere. Heres hoping he gets another crack at subject matter like this. Could he be the right director for a big screen adaptation of The Alienist?
The Sony Pictures DVD is mastered in High Definition and Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1). The special features are the usual: 5.1 Dolby, two commentary tracks, the Making of featurette, deleted scenes, and trailers.
Deadbirds is a Southern Gothic sleeper written by Simon Barrett. Well produced on a low-budget, this modest chiller achieves an understated creepiness. Some viewers may find a moment or two reminiscent of The Twilight Zone while others may find it holds a kinship with that shows rival Thriller. The influence of The Ring and The Grudge is apparent. However, Deadbirds carries a well deserved R rating for its gore, especially during the opening bank robbery in which the destructive force of Civil War weapons is demonstrated in graphic detail.
Cinematographer Steve Yedlin favors a natural lighting approach, his illumination originating with candles and lanterns for a pleasing realistic effect. Michael Boyd provides costumes which, along with the production design of Leslie Keel (utilizing sets from Big Fish and a location plantation house), conveys an authentic period feeling. Peter Lopez anachronistic but highly effective experimental music score utilizes a range of tonalities to underscore the otherworldliness of the proceedings. This is his third outing with director Turner. Sound effects add a great deal to the overall effect whether its an exaggerated thud of a book or the discovery of footprints on a dusty floor.
Barretts script, unlike some others in the genre, including some major studio big budget efforts, generally allows the characters to remain unsuspecting of the supernatural elements and dangerous situation they are in until its too late in a manner that doesn't beggar belief. Characters perish while performing logical actions and often alone, leaving the others in the literal dark as to what may be happening around them and to their partners. In short, while an audience may be thinking Dont go in there or some variant, it doesnt seem unreasonable given the time period and the relative lack of character sophistication. It isnt until a late film slaughter observed by the remaining cast members that they realize something beyond their understanding is happening.
The story and the acting are good enough that the horror elements could have been removed and with a little rewriting and a few new scenes a fairly compelling story would have remained. Where Barretts script is weak is in explaining exactly what is going on. The back story isnt the problem as each character is given an hallucination that fills in the gaps. But Barrett offers no satisfying revelations regarding the mutant beasts of the film. The special features section mentions something to do with a dimensional portal gone wrong but there is nothing in the movie that indicates this, that is unless we are to understand that the plantation itself is in another dimension visible from our own but from which one may not return once entered.
Barretts script does provide the actors with some good moments. Henry Thomas, bearded and bearing a slight resemblance to Jonathan Frakes, is fine as an unfeeling renegade whose conscience eventually comes into play. Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous), Nicki Aycox (Jeepers Creepers), and Michael Shannon all treat their roles as pure drama. Isaiah Washington (Hollywood Homicide) as Todd, and one of the films co-producers, has some quietly effective moments as the one gang member with a sensitivity to the psychic phenomenon surrounding them.
At first the film looks to be a bit precious with credits reading Silver Nitrate Pictures presents A Deviant Films Production, A Film by Alex Turner done up with coy title graphics, but this sense is quickly dispelled. Turner, directing his first feature, does seem a bit coy in the accompanying making of documentary but this seems to translate into a gift for directing performances, nuance, and the creation of a sustained atmosphere. Heres hoping he gets another crack at subject matter like this. Could he be the right director for a big screen adaptation of The Alienist?
The Sony Pictures DVD is mastered in High Definition and Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1). The special features are the usual: 5.1 Dolby, two commentary tracks, the Making of featurette, deleted scenes, and trailers.
