Black Death (2010)

Anaestheus · 07-23-2012, 09:39 AM

I'm a bit johnny-come-lately on this one, I suppose. But I couldn't find a thread mentioning this film anywhere, even though I swear this is where I first heard about this film.

Anyway, the basic story is about witch hunts during the Black Plague. A young monk, who is questioning his faith, joins up with a ruthless band of church-sanctioned thugs who are visiting towns unaffected by the plague searching for witches. Violence and mayhem ensue.

It starts off a bit dull and it feels like it was shot during off days on the sets of Game of Thrones, and the presence of Sean Bean really helps it feel that way. And, I'll also warn that it took a while for me to get interested in it. The characters are either boring or cliche. It has touches of Name of the Rose, Wicker Man, and Witchfinder General, which are definitely superior films.

However, there were several points where I found myself saying, "Ya'know, it would be really interesting if..." only to have that be an actual plot point 10-15 minutes later. And, once they start to cross the marshes, it picks up a really nice ambiance of dread. It won't seem like a horror film at first, and it may not be when all is said and done. But, it is certainly a grim little thing with a lot of violence. And when it reaches the conclusion, it actually has some nice little twists that I actually found rather provocative.

I'd definitely recommend it to any fans of the other films/shows mentioned already.

dave13 · 07-23-2012, 05:47 PM

i don't remember much of it, since i watched it over a year ago, but i recall enjoying it a lot, perhaps more than you - i don't recall finding it dull or cliche at any point. but yeah, for anyone who hasn't checked it out, its worth it.

russweiss · 07-23-2012, 10:56 PM

I saw this nearly two years ago and really remember very little about it. It's available on Netflix instant streaming and has a rating of about 2 1/2 stars which seems about right.

bigdaddyhorse · 07-23-2012, 11:26 PM

Caught this from the library a few months back and really dug it. My girl liked it even more and I'm instructed to wait for the BD to drop to around the $10 price range then purchase.

Copyboy · 07-24-2012, 12:19 AM

I saw this whenever it first came out on DVD and really enjoyed it. It wasn't quite what I expected but left a bit of an impression. I'll watch anything directed by Christopher Smith or starring Andy Nyman or Carice Van Houten.

Paff · 07-24-2012, 12:47 AM

I thought there was already a thread on this too. I also saw it about a year ago and really enjoyed it. It was proof of the theory that no good movie is ever long enough, as I felt it was over far too quickly. The ride to the village was very interesting, but it takes up the first 1/3 of the movie. That's when it really kicks into high gear, but there's only 30 minutes left. I think they could have added at least 30-45 more minutes to flesh out the story.

Katatonia · 07-24-2012, 03:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paff

I thought there was already a thread on this too.

I thought there was too, and could have sworn I even commented on it.

I rented the film when it first came out, and it was good enough to buy the Blu-ray. Definitely worth recommending.

spawningblue · 07-28-2012, 02:33 AM

Yeah I pciked this up on Blu and really enjoyed it. I too wish it was a little longer.

Shannafey · 07-28-2012, 04:40 PM

I watched it on cable when I had a free movie channel. I liked it a lot and want to pick it up on DVD or Blu.

07-23-2012, 09:39 AM	#1
Anaestheus HackMaster Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,050	Black Death (2010) I'm a bit johnny-come-lately on this one, I suppose. But I couldn't find a thread mentioning this film anywhere, even though I swear this is where I first heard about this film. Anyway, the basic story is about witch hunts during the Black Plague. A young monk, who is questioning his faith, joins up with a ruthless band of church-sanctioned thugs who are visiting towns unaffected by the plague searching for witches. Violence and mayhem ensue. It starts off a bit dull and it feels like it was shot during off days on the sets of Game of Thrones, and the presence of Sean Bean really helps it feel that way. And, I'll also warn that it took a while for me to get interested in it. The characters are either boring or cliche. It has touches of Name of the Rose, Wicker Man, and Witchfinder General, which are definitely superior films. However, there were several points where I found myself saying, "Ya'know, it would be really interesting if..." only to have that be an actual plot point 10-15 minutes later. And, once they start to cross the marshes, it picks up a really nice ambiance of dread. It won't seem like a horror film at first, and it may not be when all is said and done. But, it is certainly a grim little thing with a lot of violence. And when it reaches the conclusion, it actually has some nice little twists that I actually found rather provocative. I'd definitely recommend it to any fans of the other films/shows mentioned already. Last edited by Anaestheus; 07-23-2012 at 09:50 AM.

07-23-2012, 11:26 PM	#4
bigdaddyhorse Detroit Hi-on Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Under a rock Posts: 11,957	Caught this from the library a few months back and really dug it. My girl liked it even more and I'm instructed to wait for the BD to drop to around the $10 price range then purchase. __________________ "!" My Fucking DVDS

07-24-2012, 12:47 AM	#6
Paff Moderator Join Date: May 2000 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,559	I thought there was already a thread on this too. I also saw it about a year ago and really enjoyed it. It was proof of the theory that no good movie is ever long enough, as I felt it was over far too quickly. The ride to the village was very interesting, but it takes up the first 1/3 of the movie. That's when it really kicks into high gear, but there's only 30 minutes left. I think they could have added at least 30-45 more minutes to flesh out the story. __________________ CINEMA PAFF - Your BB-Movie Showcase * * - The extra B is for BYOBB Paff's Laserdiscs

07-28-2012, 02:33 AM	#8
spawningblue Deadite Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,460	Yeah I pciked this up on Blu and really enjoyed it. I too wish it was a little longer. __________________ "First you wanna kill me, now you wanna kiss me. Blow." My Movie Collection

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07-23-2012, 05:47 PM	#2
dave13 HackMaster Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 3,808	i don't remember much of it, since i watched it over a year ago, but i recall enjoying it a lot, perhaps more than you - i don't recall finding it dull or cliche at any point. but yeah, for anyone who hasn't checked it out, its worth it.

07-23-2012, 10:56 PM	#3
russweiss Maniac Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 784	I saw this nearly two years ago and really remember very little about it. It's available on Netflix instant streaming and has a rating of about 2 1/2 stars which seems about right.

07-24-2012, 12:19 AM	#5
Copyboy Maniac Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 896	I saw this whenever it first came out on DVD and really enjoyed it. It wasn't quite what I expected but left a bit of an impression. I'll watch anything directed by Christopher Smith or starring Andy Nyman or Carice Van Houten.

07-28-2012, 04:40 PM	#9
Shannafey Don't Monkey With Me! Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: South Florida, But Far from the Hell that is Miami Posts: 6,396	I watched it on cable when I had a free movie channel. I liked it a lot and want to pick it up on DVD or Blu.