Introduction
Dead Birds is a 2004 American Western horror film starring Henry Thomas, Nicki Aycox, Isaiah Washington, Patrick Fugit, and Michael Shannon.
The film is directed by Alex Turner, whose next effort was Reds Sands (a separate but linked film), in 2009.
The film centres on a group of deserters turned bank robbers who come face-to-face with supernatural forces while holing up in an abandoned plantation after robbing a bank.
Outline
William is the leader of a group of Confederate deserters during the American Civil War which includes his younger brother Sam, Clyde, and Joseph. With the help of Todd, an escaped slave, and Annabelle, an army nurse, they stage a robbery at a bank holding a cache of rebel gold.
Needing a place to rest for the night, the criminals set up camp in a mansion overlooking an abandoned plantation. En route through the fields, they find a strange scarecrow, which they believe is actually a crucified man, and shoot a strange deformed creature. It soon becomes obvious that the old house is not as empty as they thought. The former owner was a gentleman farmer with a wife and two children. When his wife died, he attempted to bring her back by sacrificing his children, slaves, and any other living creature, hoping that black magic acquired from his slaves’ native rites would return her to life. However, this simply allowed evil spirits to take over his victims, and these remain in the house, attacking all who dare enter. When they found out what he had done, the locals crucified the farmer in his fields (he is the scarecrow the group found when they first arrived).
A storm is coming so Joseph leads the horse into the barn. When he goes to the well to get some water, he gets pulled in by one of the spirits. The others try to find him but fail to do so.
The others also experience strange occurrences. While resting in the bedroom, Sam is haunted by the ghost of the farmer, who shows him what happened, while Todd witnesses the ghost of a slave being sacrificed in the basement. Clyde witnesses what appears to be Joseph stumbling about outside and goes to investigate. William and Annabelle, who are guarding the gold, wake up to find it gone and think Clyde took off with it. While William tries to track down Clyde, Sam is possessed by the farmer and shows Annabelle what happened. The ritual turned the farmer’s family into demonic creatures similar to the one they killed when they first arrived. Sam dies soon afterwards and Annabelle tries to convince William to leave. Todd also reunites with the pair and is also determined to leave.
When they reach the barn, they find the horses torn to pieces. Todd begins to hear and see things the other two cannot and he tries to leave. William refuses to leave without the gold and is accompanied by Annabelle back into the house to find Sam’s body missing. In the field, a possessed Sam attacks Todd, throwing him into the air and he vanishes in mid-air. When William and Annabelle go into the fields as well, they find Clyde, now dead and possessed by one of the spirits, crucified like a scarecrow with his eyes and mouth sewn shut. As they try to flee, William accidentally shoots Annabelle, killing her instantly.
The next morning, William finally leaves Annabelle’s corpse behind. He is attacked by their dog and tries to run away. When William clears the fields, he is shot by a group of Confederate soldiers. It is then revealed that William has also transformed into a demonic creature and the soldiers mistook him for some deformed animal. Two of the soldiers discover gold coins which William dropped and go to investigate the house. As they walk through the fields, they discover the corpse of another demonic creature dead body, presumably that of Annabelle.
Cast
- Henry Thomas as William.
- Patrick Fugit as Sam.
- Nicki Aycox as Annabelle.
- Michael Shannon as Clyde.
- Muse Watson as Father.
- Mark Boone Junior as Joseph.
- Isaiah Washington as Todd.
- Harris Mann as Jeffy Hollister.
Trivia
- Although not an official sequel, Reds Sands (2009) was designed to be thematically similar.
- A third film, possibly set in the future, was discussed but was seen as unlikely due to financing difficulties.
Production & Filming Details
- Director(s): Alex Turner.
- Producer(s): David Hillary, Timothy Wayne Peternel, Ash R. Shah, Simon Barret, Barry Brooker, Jim Busfield, D. Scott Lumpkin, Laura Warner, Isaiah Washington, and Douglas Wroan.
- Writer(s): Simon Barrett.
- Music: Peter Lopez.
- Cinematography: Steve Yedlin.
- Editor(s): Brian Anton.
- Production: Silver Nitrate Pictures.
- Distributor(s): Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
- Release Date: 13 February 2004 (Toronto International Film Festival) and 15 March 2005 (US general release).
- Running Time: 91 minutes.
- Country: US.
- Language: English.
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