House of Black Wings
Year: 2010
Director: David Schmidt
Stars: Leah Myette, Katherine Herrera, Michael Klug
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Sword and Cloak Productions
Running Time: 101 Mins
There are many independent horror films that goes for the blood and guts and high body count to grab an audience and do that so that they can get distribution, but there are so few films make the horror be about the atmosphere and character. “House of Black Wings” is a film that tries to do that and not worry about the other things.
The film is about a rock singer (Leah Myette) that is trying runaway from her past after a violent incident cuts short her blossoming music career. She comes back home to move into a aging apartment building that is run by her best and only friend (Katherine Herrera), who is a struggling artist and inherited the apartment building. Soon, the two will discover the horrifying secrets that lie within the wall of the structure and plagued with haunting dreams and sinister apparitions that lie in the building that they live in. Can they survive their pasts and nightmares before the unspeakable nightmare within the walls takes them.
Normally when a film is shot on digital video or HD, it usually means the film must not be good or scary enough to not get distribution. It’s not the case with “House of Black Wings“, as this was one very gothic film.
Writer/Director, David Schmidt really does a very good job in making the tone of the film very dark and dreary. He did it very well through the film’s imagery. The imagery was very good, as it helps set the tone of the film especially for the dream sequences. It gave that uneasy feeling that something could happen at any time, which is what you need for a film of this caliber to keep your interest. I liked how, Schmidt explores the gothic atmosphere through the two main characters and the problems that they have. It helps enhances the atmosphere so that it grabs your attention and never lets go. What also made Schmidt’s direction work was the fact that the acting was very good. This was one of the best things about this film. I liked how he gets both Leah Myette and Katherine Herrera to turn in very good performances. He’s able to get the actresses to develop chemistry that is needed onscreen for this film to work. You needed that for this film to succeed because if you don’t buy the fact that there really close best friends, then your not going to care for them when they are attacked or frightened.
The screenplay was very good, as it provided some tense moments. What helped make some of the moments in the film tense, is the fact that Schmidt spends a lot of time developing the main characters. It something that you don’t see in a majority of horror films that are put out today, as most writers only care about rushing into the action. Thankfully, he doesn’t go the easy route and makes the film’s story about the characters. Schmidt spends a majority of the film developing the main characters. He does that so that it makes you care about them despite the fact that their pasts are flawed. I wish more horror films would take the time and do that, as it gets you interested in the characters. Another thing that makes this screenplay work, the fact that this film has a gothic horror tone to the story throughout. Schmidt does a very good job keeping the tone the same throughout, by making the situations and flashback sequences very dark and sometime bleak. It really shows the darkness that lies in each of the main characters and that’s what makes the horror very effective here.
“House of Black Wings” is definitely a film that I highly suggest you try and seek out if you’re a fan of gothic horror as it‘s very dark film that has the character development keep you interested and frightened.
For information on how you can purchase this film, you can visit the film's official website at: http://www.swordandcloak.com/blackwings/hobw-main.htm
Review Rating: Five Stars.
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