Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-23 10:55:30

What are you kidding?

This review is from: Black Death (Amazon Instant Video) This was likely one of the most unfocused stories, misguided tales and poorest movies it has been my displeasure to fork over dineros and shekels to watch.As they say in the Navy, "hard to port", "hard to port", avoid this movie and wasting your time on it at all cost. I will simply say it is without a storyline, dark, cynical, un-uplifting, and just plain poorly done on likely a budget of millions of Euros. Amazing what crap comes out of some folks minds.Surely, the producers and directors of this masterpiece of mediocrity must just know how bad this flick and story are in reality?Save yourselves from this movie, Jesus is tired, save yourselves, run for the exits or better yet, don't enter the dark and ridiculous world of this movie.

2012-05-23 04:07:10

The Blinding Truth of Religion

3 1/2 Stars = Very GoodHandsomely filmed & acted medieval drama about the hypocrisies of religion. In this case, Christianity & Paganism, involving God's wrath through the Bubonic plague, & a village that has been left untouched by it. So the Bishop's soldiers go to investigate for witchcraft. A text book example of how religion breeds ignorance & blindness to ones surroundings, & how both religions end up dealing with the other in the same sadistic ways. A true analogy to today's environment, & yesterday's, & tomorrows."Black Death" is an involving drama, & I highly recommend it, but just barely falls short of being as classic of the genre.

2012-05-16 04:04:06

Absolutely no redeeming qualities

As much as I like Sean Bean and this genre in general, I cannot recommend this title to anyone.This film is basically a gorefest set in 13th century, plague-ridden Europe, and chronicals the journey of a young monk and a band of church mercenaries who are charged with finding and rooting out pagans who have been able to avoid the plague. The plot is simple enough. The problem is, there is no protagonist to root for and no "villian." Everyone is equally deranged by their religous beliefs, even the pagans, and the movie is one scene of pointless gory battle, gory torturing, death, and suffering after another.I guess if you want to see and hear graphic depictions of beheadings, cruxification, drawing and quartering, hacking of limbs, etc., then this may be for you. Not that I have a problem with such depictions in movies, but they serve no purpose here other than to shock. By the end of the movie, you don't care who lives or dies, and the movie ends on a sour note by turning the main character into a vengeful blood fiend. There are no great battles to speak of, just a gory skirmish in the woods involving people who are not central to the plot. The best part of this movie was the fact it ended. I will not be watching it again.

2012-05-15 16:48:02

A surprisingly good little period horror piece.

The Year of Our Lord 1348: the Black Death ravages Europe. At a monastery, novice monk Osmund is separated from his love by his faith. Soon after, a band of soldiers arrive. They need a guide to find a remote village supposedly free of the plague; Osmund agrees to guide them, not knowing that the soldiers' true quest is to capture an evil necromancer.BLACK DEATH is a refreshingly uninhibited little horror film. It's ambiguous enough to please both genre lovers and those like myself who are a little more skeptical (I prefer some brains behind my horror, thank you very much). Yes, it's a bit predictable, but that's to be expected. Director Christopher Smith knows his way around a period piece, shooting from Dario Poloni's delightfully minimalist script; Smith lets the horror of the moment sink in, never lingering too long, never showing too much, never letting a dramatic swell of music cue the viewer that yes, something awful is happening. He also managed to wrangle a fine cast: as young Osmund, Eddie Redmayne gives a truly credible performance. Sean Bean lends some brawn (and, later, some good dramatic chops) as the soldiers' leader, with Jon Lynch providing a fantastic performance as the moral soldier Wolfstan. (It's also nice to see David Warner in a small supporting role; he doesn't get enough work these days.) All of this adds up to a film that doesn't bring anything new to the genre, but is still a welcome film. It's small and unambitious, and as such, it manages to offer up a few thrills that horror films rarely have these days. I won't say that BLACK DEATH will scare your socks off; but it will unease you, and if nothing else, it's proof that horror doesn't have to sink to low levels to be entertaining.

2012-05-10 17:03:35

EXCELLENT MOVIE!

This review is from: Black Death (+ Digital Copy) (DVD) I found this movie to be one of the best I've seen this year, so far! The main actors -- Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, and Christopher Smith ARE SUPERB!!The movie's plot centers around The Plague, which swept through Europe during the 1300s, killing almost half (if not more)of Europe's population. However, there is a village that is not "touched by the plague," according to the Bishop, and he says that this village must be populated with "necromancers,-- those who "bring the dead back to life." Thus, he sends his most courageous Knight (Sean Bean) and a band of fearless soldiers, to find these "necromancers," and bring them to justice (kill them).So, begins the story and adventures of this this fearless knight and his brave soldiers and their plight to find this village in the marshland where the plague has not reached. Enroute to this village, they visit a monastery to enlist the help of a monk who knows the marshland area where this village sets. A young monk volunteers, for he is in love with a girl that he wishes to meet on the edge of a forest, near where this village lies. This young monk views his role as "guide" as an opportunity to meet and be with the girl of his dreams. Little does he know of the danger and betrayal that will soon set in as he travels with this knight and his soldiers to the village in this marshland.What follows is grim terror. I won't give the entire plot away, but viewers will be entertained, horrified, spooked and left very sad at the ending. It will truly leave you sad and wonder why destiny (fate) played such a cruel hand to these seekers and religious fanatics.This is truly an EXCELLENT MOVIE -- one that movie goers won't want to miss!

collipal-1 2012-05-10 06:08:57

A fascinating experience

Without too much fanfare nor publicity, director Cristopher Smith hasbecome into one of the most interesting contemporary directors from thefantastic genre. His first film was Creep, a very entertaining "subwayhorror" film with a good atmosphere and solid moments of suspense.Then, he made the extraordinary Severance, which simultaneously was aparody of the rural slashers (like Wrong Turn or both versions of TheHills Have Eyes) and an incisive comedy about the modern labortendencies (yes, a definitely strange combination, but I can assure youthat it works wonderfully). After Severance, he made the excellentTriangle, whose nightmarish atmosphere and ingenious screenplay made itone of the best movies I saw last year. Now, his most recent film BlackDeath also shows high narrative ambitions, because it hides deep ideasand ideological questions behind its deceptively simple story aboutmedieval knights. And the result is a fascinating experience whichsatisfies on the visceral level (due to the gore it pours during itsviolent fights) as well as on the cerebral one, due to the provocativeideas it explores and for denying itself to bring an easy and soothingconclusion.The screenplay from Black Death uses its picturesque characters toexplore different levels of religious conviction, from the authenticdevotees with a sincere altruism, to the fans who take refuge in thedogma in order to commit atrocities by way of personal revenge; withoutforgetting to the victims who suffer arbitrary punishments because ofharboring different beliefs to the other people. However, it isdifficult to determine who are the heroes and who are the villains,because in this movie, nobody is exempt of intolerance and prejudicesagainst different opinions. That moral ambiguity makes Black Death tobe an excellent drama whose hint of supernatural elements does not wantto scare us, but to emphasize the dangers of the fanaticism, whateverthe religion practiced by the extremists is. In other words, BlackDeath is not an anti-religion fable, but a denounce against thehabitual obstinacy which made the humanity to commit crimes againstitself over and over again.I also liked to see that the actors from Black Death genuinelytransport us to the medieval time, not only for their appearance inhere, but also because of the credibility they show in their roles.Sean Bean brings a good work as a man who is pure of heart but alsowilling to use excessive mission in order to protect his mission or hisfaith. Eddie Redmayne makes the evolution of his character totallycredible. And I also liked the work from Carice Van Houten.The only thing I can say against Black Death is that a few details fromthe screenplay do not feel very polished. In spite of that, I likedthis film very much, and I can definitely recommend it because of itsbrilliant screenplay, solid performances and excellent direction.

2012-05-05 23:27:41

Black Death Is Right

Black Death is a very proper title for this film. Few films can equalthe dark world this film takes place in, and unlike horror films whichfeature killers such as Freddie Kruger or alien monstrosities, the truehorror of this film is that it is rooted in fact rather than fiction.I never watch thrillers or horror films, but if I do, it is to remindme of why I do not watch them. After viewing the trailer for this film,I was torn. On one hand, it could be a cold blooded thriller, but onthe other, it could be a good, dark film. It turns out to be thelatter. While it is very gruesome, it points out that the most horribleatrocities are not seen on the silver screen committed by fictionalcharacters or monsters, but rather found in history committed by veryreal people. If we truly want to scare ourselves, we need not delveinto an imaginary world, but rather the world around us.As alluded to by its title, the film takes place in Fourteenth-centuryEngland during the Black Plague. The Black Plague killed roughly halfof the people in Europe at the time. No human can say that this is nota horrific event, but I believe the acts of the people at the time tobe even more horrific. This is the dark Middle Age we all know, but maynot realize how truly dark it was. Women were commonly accused of beingwitches and burned at the stake, and those who opposed the church weretortured and killed. This is the plot of the film. A group of soldiersare sent by the church to investigate a small town for two reasons, todiscover why they do not suffer from the Black Plague, and also tosearch out any heretics of the church and bring them back for torture.The Middle Age was a horrific time period to live in with just thePlague alone, but with the ignorant "educated" people, it became anunimaginable nightmarish world by today's standards. The film displaysthe ignorance of humanity by showing that both factions in the film areso blinded by their stubbornness that neither side can live in peace.This is only the primary theme of the film as I see it, and there areothers hidden within it. If you have the stomach for it, you must seethis film.

2012-05-05 11:04:43

A LIGHTHEARTED ROMP THROUGH THE MIDDLE AGES!!!

First of all, this a great movie that the whole family will enjoy! Your kids will love it!Black Death is a wacky, fun-filled flick that shows what happens when worlds collide! Take a band of loyal Christians, a young, sexy monk and a village of ne'er-do-well pagans and what do you get? Why the best singing and dancing this side of the 4th Crusade! You'll cheer our new friends as they discover laughter, dancing and love. Your heart will soar as the monk Osmund (Eddie Redmayne, one of the monks from The Pillars of the Earth, who apparently already had the costume) finds his soulmate and learns to love again. Audiences will cheer when they see the lighthearted ribbing that comes when committed Christians meet salt-of-the-earth pagans. Oh, the whimsical, wacky hijinks!If you're planning an inter-faith prayer breakfast, I can't recommend a better movie. Guaranteed to start a great spiritual dialogue. The characters of Black Death show how respect, love and rationality can lead to a better understanding of other faiths. Spread the word! This movie will really make you think about your own faith!!!

Ben Larson 2012-05-01 19:30:12

There is no place in Heaven for those that kill.

A little birdie told me that this film was one of the most underratedfrom last year. Just the thing to peak my interest. The theme is alsoone that interests me - religion in the Middle Ages.The emissaries of the church march forth with their implements oftorture rooting out all opposition. They seek a village where the BlackDeath has not reached, believed that Satan rules there. Indeed, anecromancer is in charge.Now, there are Oscar-caliber actors in this film, so you have to lookat it as an ensemble. All-in-all, they did not disappoint. I especiallyliked Carice van Houten (Black Book) as the necromancer.A battle between good and evil ensues. Evil wins.

2012-05-01 10:02:49

The Good, the Bad and the Misled

The good:The backdrop of the movie is, in fact, the black death. A grim time in Europe when disease, fear, violence and religious intolerance were the order of the day.Most of the movie is done with high production values and has some striking and complex characters. There are some pretty intense scenes and a couple fights that are very well done. We do see some very good moral struggles.The bad:There are a few scenes shot from cameras attached to the actors like in The Blair Witch Project. They look jerky and out of place. They do take the time to show the horrors of the times. However, it seemed like they had two different effects teams that did not know about each other.In spite of a great set up... it all fizzles out with a less than satisfactory ending.The misled:If you are expecting necromancers and zombies (like it says on the cover)... there are not any. No, really. There are NOT any.Sean Bean's character (displayed so very prominently on the cover) is NOT the main character.This movie had the potential to deliver a whole heck of a lot more than it did. The last 15 minutes should be trashed and re-written.

2012-04-28 16:24:29

A BLAKE BUT HISTORICALLY RICH FILM

A deeply dark tale of a young monk who leads some religious mercenaries to find out why a particular marsh village hasn't been affected by the Black Death. There are some fine performances and the costumes and setup give it an overall gritty yet dark view of surrounding area. Combat is vicious and especially brutal. The ending had a nice but macabre twist to it. Keep in mind this is more of a psychological study about human beings than some action packed tale. Sean Bean does a good enough job but Eddie Redmayne (the red headed kid from PILLARS OF THE EARTH) and Carice van Houten have the best performances. DIALOGUE/CHARACTERS: B to B plus; STORY/PLOTTING: B minus to B; MOOD/THEMES: B; OVERALL GRADE: B; WHEN WATCHED: yesterday.

Enchorde 2012-04-28 11:31:21

Good medieval thriller

Recap: Osmund, a young monk is struggling between his oath to thechurch and his heart that belongs to Averill. At the same time theblack death ravages the lands, all but a rumored remote village thathas escaped the plague by renouncing God and has taken the protectionof a necromancer. As an answer to Osmund's prayers, a band of soldiersfrom the bishop, led by Ulric, is on their way to the village toinvestigate and reinstate God's reign. They recruit Osmund as theirguide. Osmund has hopes that he can reunite with Averill, but the landsare dangerous, and she seems lost. But the fabled village seems safeenough, but there is something that lurks beneath the surface.Comments: Quite good thriller set in the medieval times. I almostalways like medieval action dramas, swords and shields do pluck a cordwithin me. But when supported by a good dose of suspense it's evenbetter. It is rather grim though, and with gruesome details of battlewounds and torture not always very pleasant to watch.The story offers some twists and somewhat surprising turns along theway, although it is apparent that nothing is as it seems so there areno real chocking turn of events. But enough to keep interest and keepit entertaining throughout the movie.I liked the grim band of soldiers, they were a interesting bunch ofcharacters. Though unpolished they had some charm of their own.The movie could be interpreted as quite a bold statement of good andevil and their connection with religion. I don't know if it wasintended that way, but there are quite clear signs. What it doesn't sayor give is any preferences any way, it only points out good and bad,both ways.7/10

travis36 2012-04-24 05:19:24

Dark tale of suffering and hop3

From the beginning I loved the setting with all the scenery thatconsumed me in setting the mood. It started off a bit slow but quicklypicked up. About 1/2 way through there as some intense fighting alongwith quite a bit of gore.From there the story took on a different view as they entered thevillage. I too thought that the villagers seems a bit too modern forthe rest of the backdrop. Sean Bean looked like he walked right of theGame of Thrones set onto this set.At times the plot covered religion and faith as a over-compassingsubject forcing the watcher to at times self reflect. I found some ofthe dialog was a bit drawn out and the shaky camera action wasannoying. Overall it was a good movie

2012-04-23 20:19:36

Nice Surprise

I honestly had never heard of this film before seeing a preview on Video On Demand. Being a fan of Sean Bean of Lord of the Rings fame, I gave it a try. Set in Europe during the time of the Black Death, this film has Christian knights searching out a village that has not felt the touch of the plague. To guide them they enlist a young monk who has broken his vows and fallen in love with a woman. The story involves their journey and what they find when they reach this village looking for a witch or necromancer. Well acted with great characters. This is a dark story and a wonderfully recreated period piece. This is not a feel good movie, it is gloomy and sticks with you after you have watched. This is a nice find.

2012-04-21 02:29:40

BLACK DEATH

A well fleshed-out rendering of medieval plague hysteria that evokes the cruel flavor of frenzied proselytizing. What emerges appears to be supernatural fiction, but one of the strengths of the film is its historical plausibility. Modernist script sanfus, iffy directoral cuts, & occasional storyline drags prevent me from raving up to the 5*.

Aaron J. Hartje 2012-04-20 14:13:09

I just can't recommend this one

I have to stick to my guns here and say that, when it comes to movies,even the best journey is ruined by a horrible ending, and the ending ofthis one was one of the worst.Just to get this out of the way, it's good to see that every obnoxiousatheist with a keyboard and an opinion has seen clear to use the IMDbmovie review section to harangue us with how evil religion is and howstupid are its practitioners. If they'd get out of their own way forjust a moment they might have actually recognized the true thread -intended or not - in this tale. Regardless, dunce caps off to you all!And what was the point? It wasn't that organized religion is evil, norwas it that witchcraft - either real or contrived - is evil. It's thatpeople can be bent to do all manner of things given a charismaticleader and the proper set of circumstances to exploit.For the most part, this movie did a good job, the performances werefine and the story was decent if uneventful.Then they had to tack on an ending. My distaste for how they chose toconclude this movie doesn't have anything to do with whether I likehappy or dark endings. Either can be fine given the rightcircumstances. Suffice it to say that it was silly and was a departurefrom what little character development had taken place up to thatpoint. To you older folks, consider it a M*A*S*H ending. How much sensedid it make for Hawkeye to possibly be going crazy at the end,considering he'd been an anchor throughout the entire war? It's similarin this flick. Characters are one way throughout the movie ... then thelast two minutes the writer just sort of wings it.If you're all about the journey, this isn't that bad of a movie. But ifyou want that journey to actually lead somewhere and wrap itself up atthe end - even if it leaves the true end in question - you're likely tobe disappointed.

ma-cortes 2012-04-20 06:31:52

In Middle Age one monk along with some reckless knights will take on an impressive fight against evil.

14th century knights along with a headstrong young monk named Osmund(Eddie Redmayne) undertake a dangerous adventure in a hostile Englanddevastated by the Black Plague originating havoc . The emissary of thebishop named Ulric (Sean Bean) arrives at the monastery recruiting areligious man to guide his knights and him through the woods and themarsh to the village . As the monks (David Warner) deduce witcherypowers could be the source of the Black Plague which spreads deathacross the lands and villages , decimating life across Europa . Thisthrilling film deals with 14th-century knights at a beleagueredlocation deeming sorcery the culprit of the plague, they carry out amission that pulls him toward a village ruler who has made a dark pactwith evil forces located on a far swamp . The bunch will face theultimate battle against evil and their quest is to hunt down a fearsomenecromancer , someone able to bring the dead back to life. Torn betweenhis love of God and the love of a young girl (Kimberley Nixon) , Osmundlearns the necromancer , a mysterious beauty called Langiva (Carice VanHouten) who is being helped by her hoodlum Hob (Tim McInnerny) . Setduring the time of the first outbreak of bubonic plague , some warriorsare tasked with learning the truth about his fate as Ulrich (Sean Bean)is charged in leading his group of soldiers (John Lynch) who have to goa remote place where they will perform a ritual in hopes of ending thepestilence . It's an exciting story plenty of battles , action andexcitement . The scenery is beautiful, and so was the cinematography .The music was great. The acting and directing was acceptable . Thegroup must fight mysterious enemies and every living thing in theirpath . Eventually surrounded by the frightening and ferocious foes ,they must conquer his personal fears and help battle the illusiveinvaders who emerge out of the shroud of fog in the black of the night.When the embattled party arrives at the marsh , a horrific discoveryjeopardises the knight's pledge to ensure the mission troubled bymythically hostile wilderness and pits them against an inexplicablypowerful and destructive force .This Middle Age adventure movie begins with a real sense of wonder andintrigue with pest casing ravage and wind up with continuous strugglesand surprising finale . This thought-provoking story deals with God ,Devil , Catholic Church and several other 'Age of Darkness' issues .The picture packs great loads of action , mystery , twists and turns ,breathtaking combats and a little bit of gore and blood . Stunningbattles scenes illuminate the full-blown adventure with a plethora ofengaging action set pieces on the combats in which the heads and limbsare slice off here and there . Exceptional and colorfullycinematography is shot on location in outdoors from Burg Querfurt,Saxony-Anhalt, Germany ; Zehdenick, Brandenburg, Germany . The camerawork by Sebastin Edschmid in this film is moving and thrilling . Ourperspective is intimate and that lends a great deal of excitement tothe movie experience . Beautiful scenery, tense and bloody fights and astirring climax lift this story . Acceptable acting by Eddie Redmayne ,he's a expert on Medieval characters as proved in 'Pillars of theearth', Rupert Friend was initially cast as Osmund but was replaced byEddie . Good performance by Dutch Carice van Houten, Lena Headey wasgoing to play Langiva, but was replaced by Carice ; Famke Janssen wasalso briefly attached to the role. Musical score by Christian Henson isevocative and spectacular . There's something for everyone here ; fansof history , fans of action, fans of medieval adventure should all findsomething to enjoy about this film . It may not be the best film evermade, but its still one passable movie. The motion picture isprofessionally directed by Christopher Smith who has got a brief careerfull of successful horror movies as ¨ Creep , Severance and Triangle¨ .Rating : 6,5 . Acceptable and entertaining film that will appeal toSean Bean fans .

2012-04-19 18:14:42

Ooo!

You have to watch it to know what is going on. I am not one to spoil a movie so you will just have to watch and see.

JRmoviereviews 2012-04-16 14:01:32

Brilliant could use a bit more plot though

For being a very low budget film this movie was stunning. It had greatcharacters/actors, excellent visuals, a beautiful story though slightlylacking, and it was very engaging.The story takes place in the 1300s when the Black Plague is runningrampant throughout Europe. People are dieing left and right and it isnot long before word comes of a village completely untouched by thepestilence. A young friar alongside a few companions sets out to thisvillage to learn of there secrets. That is the very basics of the storywithout giving very much detail away. The main focus of the story isfaith and of course mystery and action.The Characters as well as character development of this film isawesome. You really grow attached the main characters Ulrich andOsmund. Sean Bean and Eddie Redmayne put on great performances. Laterin the film you really begin to feel Osumnds pain. You get to know eachof the characters just enough to the point where you care about thembut there's not too much information to the point where itsunnecessary. So well done on charactersThe visuals were awesome. The film is complete with delimbing anddecapitations. The dress of the characters and setting was donebeautifully. It felt quite authentic and though out.Directing was awesome. For a low budget film you could tell they reallytook there time on this one to get it right. No noticeable flaws withdirecting. The right angles and film techniques were used at the righttime. Most notably was a battle scene where the camera was shaky and inthe heat of battle. You felt like you were there it was chaotic andheart pounding. Great job.The story was great as well. You get the idea at beginning of the filmthat these people are desperate and they need help. They don't knowwhere else to turn. They set out to the only known haven in the area tofind refuge. The only problem with the story i must say is it is a bitlacking in depth. It is quite a simple plot, in fact there is not muchof a plot at all. The uninfected set out to the uninfected village toseek refuge and once they get there the people are not all that theyseem. It is quite simple and its told great but it would have beenawesome to see a bit more depth in the story.Over all great low budget film worth a rental and maybe even a buy ifyou really enjoyed it. The story was great though could have used moredepth, characters great, directing great and spectacular visuals 7.5almost an 8 out of 10. Pros: Characterdevelopment,acting,directing,visuals,story Cons: Lack of depth

Matt_Layden 2012-04-15 21:59:04

A different approach.

The plague is taking over England and there is word of a small village,untouched from the disease. A small group of men are sent to uncoverthe truth, they bring a young priest with them to find the way. This is the third film from director Christopher Smith that I haveseen, the other two being the disappointing Severance and the good/badCreep. Both of those films had some great elements, but ended up on thedisappointing end of the scale. Black Death walks a fine line as well.Much like last years Season of the Witch, Black Death is a little knownfilm that deals with the black magic. Much to my surprise, the filmdecided to leave out a lot of the fight sequences one would expect fromthis type of film and instead relies on a tension vibe that I ended upreally appreciating. The film felt like the Wicker Man at parts and it seemed to forget thefact that it was a period piece. For those expecting something alongthe lines of Neil Marshall's Centurion, you'll probably bedisappointed. This film has one battle sequences, which is relativelyshort. The rest of the film sees the men trek across the land to get tothis one location. The climax of the film is actually well done andsuspenseful, despite the lack of action for those seeking it.The characters are one dimensional. The only one really given anythingis the priest. He is in love with a young woman, but is confused aboutwhether or not he should love her, or his faith. Religion and God ismentioned a bunch of times and it's actually quite a huge part of thisfilm. The men believe they are sent on a mission in the name of God.The village they seek appears to worship no God. It dealt with religiona lot more than I expected it to. Black Death is a decent flick, it's much more focused on the storybeing told than trying to impress the viewer with some slick fightingsequences. This is both positive and negative because, even though I'mall for story, it does seem to drag in places. No one is given more todo than what is required, meaning we have a hero, wise-ass,inexperienced one, respected one, crazy one, etc. The film takes an oddtwist in the last five or so minutes. I don't know if I like it or not.That will probably be the cast with most people, a love it or hate itending. I would recommend the film to those who like the genre, butdon't expect a blood bath.