Team America and Dead Birds
You're reading Mikko Saari's blog Life and opinions. This entry was written 06/19/2005, at 14:11.
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Yesterday we saw Team America: World Police, a movie by the authors of South Park. A spoof of Thunderbids, the movie made fun of ... what? American world police action, perhaps, but I think Hollywood was the main target.
We didn't quite enjoy it. The authors could've done a much better work (South Park movie was much better), somehow it all was just too stupid and too low-brow. The best thing the movie had to offer were the songs - they were just brilliant and certainly the best part of the movie.
Our second movie was much better. Expectations were nonexistant, but Dead Birds surpassed anything we could've expected. Set in the Civil War era America, it's about a group of bank robbers who hide in a deserted plantations for a night before heading to Mexico. As you might guess, none of them are alive in the morning to continue the voyage.
The mood of the movie is very scary. The stylish French-style country house makes a really impressive setting full of atmosphere. The movie is slow, subtle and creepy until it starts unraveling and revealing its secrets. The chaos and turmoil of the Civil War makes for a really good setting, I'm amazed how most horror film authors focus on modern day while there are plenty of other interesting settings.
What's best, the story made sense. The director Alex Turner links at his web site to Dead Birds Movie Field Guide, which gives the official explanations. They matched our understanding, which was nice. Of course: do not read the guide before watching the movie.
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