A film I have heard much about but haven’t gotten to yet is DEAD BIRDS, which to my complete shock is not about what I thought it was. The flick takes place during the Civil War and deals with a group of outlaw Confederate soldiers who take refuge in the wrong house one dark and stormy night. Looking at various reviews (including Arrow’s), I see that almost all are positive, pointing to the film’s methodical buildup and spooky atmospherics as pleasant surprises when we’re geared to expect non-stop quick cutting and over-the-top theatrics.
Now the director, Alex Turner, is preparing his follow-up, THE STONE HOUSE, which sounds interesting in terms of how it’s related to the first effort. He talked to Shock Till You Drop about it, as well as a potential third flick in the “franchise.”
“Simon [writer Simon Barrett] and I had talked about doing three movies that explore the idea of war and horror. ‘Dead Birds’ would be the first, ‘The Stone House is the second and we’re working on an idea for a third film.”
However, this is not a sequel OR prequel, but more of a “companion piece.” “They’re not connected but you can put them on a shelf together,” says Turner.
THE STONE HOUSE takes place in 2003 Afghanistan, as the U.S. is just beginning to invade. One can already see how this might parallel the Civil War-set DEAD BIRDS, although the style will be vastly different.
“The style of this film is a 180-degree turn from ‘Dead Birds,'” Turner continues. “That film was designed to be an elegant, old-school horror picture and ‘House’ is more in-your-face and has more action.”
At least the guy’s trying new things. Keep checking back for more info on Mr. Turner and his scary war stories, while I’m off to find me some DEAD BIRDS! (I’m gonna rent the movie too)
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