Dead Birds (2004)

Very disappointing...

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

I am a Civil War buff. And when I read that Dead Birds is about some Civil War times, I was thrilled. But what a shame this movie turned out to be! So boring that mere 90 minutes drag like all 900 hours. No tension, no real horror, no action. The beginning? seemed to be a real western, but then, when a horror genre crept in, a boredom crept in, too. and in galore quantity. I was deeply bored. Patrick Fugit and Henry Thomas are cool actors, here they are flat and unimpressive. Languid tempo and very very silly hooks make this good beginning very sour and then vapid and bland. I merely made myself watch this long piece of real trash to see the end. Which was another huge failure, too. Sad, but I nearly loathed the time I had wasted on that silly film. My recommendation - not recommended. To anyone. Even for laughs. It is so dead boring that it cannot be funny.

I've just finished watching this movie and now feel like I've woken from a terrible coma. Truly dull. Complete lack of tension and suspense. The only really horrific thing about this is that I won't get back the one and a half hours spent watching it to do something more interesting like the washing up.The film apparently had a large budget (1.5 mil). Do not be fooled. This money must've been spent on the catering.Avoid.If you must see Dead Birds, go and find some at the side of the road. Watching these for the duration of this movie will give you infinitely more entertainment.

During the U.S. Civil War, a gang of six crooks would rather rob banks than defend the Confederacy. They are: handsome leader Henry Thomas (as William), sensitive brother Patrick Fugit (as Sam), pretty nurse Nicki Aycox (as Annabelle), greedy racist Michael Shannon (as Clyde), scruffy boozer Mark Boone Junior (as Joseph), and sensible ex-slave Isaiah Washington (as Todd). You can expect some conflict between Mr. Shannon and Mr. Washington, of course. Also, Mr. Fugit nicely plays some desire for Ms. Aycox, who is otherwise occupied with Mr. Thomas.The Alabama Civil War setting starts the picture off interestingly, with a blood-splattering western-style shoot-out. After this, it becomes a very different, haunted house horror tale. The story might have worked better if it had been set in the present, making the plantation owner and his family more distinct. Then, "Belle" would be Aycox' ancestor, and so on… We only see one of the "Dead Birds" referred to in the title. Fugit steps on it as the gang of six enter the old dark house - and, watch how it makes his face twitch! The figurative title "Dead Ducks" applies more. Considering the film's intents and purposes, writer Simon Barrett delivers more than delivers the goods, new director Alex Turner and photographer Steve Yedlin give it the creeps, and Peter Lopez' spooky musical score mixes nicely with the atmospheric sound. With a short shooting schedule, and limited budget, the cast and crew make "Dead Birds" fly, if not soar.****** Dead Birds (9/13/04) Alex Turner ~ Henry Thomas, Patrick Fugit, Nicki Aycox, Michael Shannon

So I after seeing the trailer and reading some decent reviews, I was expecting to be screaming, crying, or at least kinda scared to go to sleep that night, or SOMETHING. However, all I really got was a few instances of sudden shocking images and way too much suspense for my liking.The idea and the story behind the movie was pretty good. But when you have a 90 minute long movie and nothing happens until the last 30 minutes, you're bound to flop. I wanted them to get into the story, to get into what was going on, but I was very much disappointed to find out that all I got was some shocking images and about 2 minutes of explanation of what had happened in the house.If you have some spare time and this is all you have to watch, then sure, watch it. But if you could find a better horror film, I would say try that first.