I ran across this gem the other day on Netflix. It had all the necessary ingredients to pique my curiosity- swords, soldiers, sorcery, and Sean Bean. Much like "Season of the Witch" which I wrote about in January, Black Death takes place in the dark ages and involves hunting for witches in one of the darkest periods in human history. Unlike Season of the Witch, Black Death is more of a historical thriller than an out and out horror movie. There are few CGI effects, But it turns out that we don't need leaping flames and crawling demons to experience horror.
The actions of the characters in Black Death are pretty graphic and horrific without needing a green screen. That said, the movie makes several intelligent statements about religion and morality.
Of note to gamer's- there are well choreographed skirkishes and nice depictions of weapons, armor, torture devices, and tips on playing a witch-hunter without all of the stylized anime inspired posing and coolness normally attributed to these very brutish men.
The Evil DM gives Black Death two thumbs up (now put away the thumbscrews).
Great Movie. You are completely right that CGI is not needed to create a movie filled with horror and moral quandary! Yeesh!
ReplyDeleteNever heard of this one. Looks pretty good though.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite new period movies. It is a great movie that goes a long way to cementing Sean Bean as the new poster child for this type of movie. If you have not seen this you should.
ReplyDeleteWatched this with my wife on a whim on Netflix last week. Surprisingly, we BOTH enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteNice review.
The Irredeemable Shag
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A little depressing but still a great movie
ReplyDeleteI just watched this movie the other day. A good movie if not grim. My take was that it is the "Deliverance" of the the Medieval period.
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