Dead Birds

You know, I have come to the conclusion, that we need more Western themed Horror movies, this genre is really working for me. I think it’s the uniforms. I stumbled upon Dead Birds on cable and missing the first 10 minutes I had to buy it because that is how I roll. Great cast, Henry Thomas, Isaiah Washington and Patrick Fugit and that mumbling guy from Bug.

At a bank somewhere, a group of Confederate soldiers are arranging to deposit two large bags of gold, when The kid from E.T. and his gang bust in and slaughter everyone, except for the female patron who happens to be rolling with the rag tag group of robbers. While fleeing the town under heavy gunfire, Sam (Patrick Fugit) is shot and William (Kid from E.T.) kills a kid. No worries.

They ride off for hours looking for a house that William was told about that they could hide in for a while. After being told that no such house was in that area by two crotchety looters who were stealing the belongings of executed Confederate deserters, they continue on until they come across a vast corn field, and on the other side, stands the house. Through the field they go, stumbling upon a scarecrow which bares an uncanny human resemblance, and are charged by a skinless beast. Firing their guns, they take down the creature and are completely unaffected by it and just walk on. The sun is still up by the time they get to the house, but is completely gone when they get to the front door. Either the house is huge, or someone screwed up in the editing room.

Once in the house, the group splits up to investigate, and discuss getting larger cuts of the gold. It is when they cross the threshold that the terror within the house begins to make itself known. Mysterious voices and apparitions of a young boy and girl with the faces of demons begin to taunt the group. Trapped in the house due to a raging storm outside, the gang remain and are divided from one another when the secret of the house is revealed, they know they will never be able to leave and the house will continue to lure and devour anyone who enters.

This was a great movie I thought, but again, my standards are low. It was well paced Lovecraftian Civil War era horror.