Black Wood

A fun watch ! Scenery throughout the Black Hills of South Dakota was beautiful. The drone shots were great! While some could may find fault here or there, for a first time foray into movie making it came out very well.

I have recently been interested in Western Horror movies so I have seen the best and worst of the category. While this certainly isn't in the top 5, I found the characters interesting and overall acting ok. Dutch (Bates Wilder) gave a good performance and carried the rest of the characters throughout. The all-to-used Wendigo is fine as the unexplainable legend causing havoc and it is necessary to take Two Feathers (Casey Birdingroung) explaining it in depth around the camp fire with a huge grain of salt. The scenery shot entirely in South Dakota is awesome like a western should be. I actually enjoyed watching this movie.

Films like this confuse me, I can't figure out why people want to watch this genre or what they get out of it.

It's set in 1800's America but in reality it's not a 'Western' in the traditional sense, it's a Horror but plays out like a fairytale ! I kept watching and hoping it would improve, I stayed with it mostly through curiosity just to see where the story went.

I found myself disliking almost all of the characters but that's not always a bad thing, sometimes the characters are just not likeable and it can take a good actor to play one. I disliked the story which was clearly based on old legends or possibly old wives tales and disliked the way the story was told through the actors who clearly could use a few more drama lessons and I really disliked the 'supernatural' aspect which was a complete failure in many ways !

There was mixed up clips and bad continuity, terrible lighting and 'fog' effects to create some kind of suspense and awful sound effects and worst of all was the ending which was a huge disappointment !

The character development and acting was 90% garbage. My uncle and cousin were extras in this so I suffered thru hoping it would get better. It never did. The scenery is great.. but it shouldn't be! This is a horror film.. and was shot in full sunlight. There is fog during intense moments but it doesn't fit the scene / lighting and isn't consistent. The woods should be dark and overcast during the day.

Near the beginning a man eats a dead dear raw in a field as the female casually rides by. It's like we turned the channel to The Walking Dead and back again quick. It's moronic! By the end of the movie I didn't have a connection with any of the characters. If you're reading this.. just skip it! It's a couple hours of your life you'll never get back! If you're my uncle or cousin.. sorry guys! It's not your fault!

I endeavour to be kind but uncertain how to do that with these common, more often than not poor, B Westerns. Or, is this film a low budget horror? Usually I find efforts like these, creating a western hybrid, rarely work. The opening credits of BlackWood start well with long shots of beautiful scenery. This trick might entice one into believing that, perhaps, there will be something to anticipate here? There is not. Even if an attempt at humor, placing an outhouse over the Wendigo's layer only proves this film is for...poop. Luckily, cool firearms appear quickly. Both an 1875 Remington, and an 1875 Schofield, clear leather in an early saloon scene. Unfortunately, these revolvers do not a film make as revealed by the acting on display in that same scene. I have nothing to say for Kara Raynor or Glenn Morshower in their attempts to be menacing as Sally Pickerton and her "escort" Wallace. This is a western, so how could the great Wallace not carry a firearm in "these lawless lands"; as Sally sees them? In no way does either of these actors come across as convincing and that makes us wonder why Dutch, the allegedly bad-ass gang leader, would agree to the terms of their offer, rather than putting a bullet into them? Are we to believe Dutch liked the idea of harder work and a longer, more dangerous endeavour? Shooting Sally & Wallace would've saved us from a couple true horrors, Glen Morshower's acting and costume. For reasons unknown, or my unwillingness to express them, I found Tanajsia Slaughter awkward in portraying Dowanhowee, a member of the First Nations. I will give her credit for use of an indigenous language, being Lakota, a great touch often found in modern westerns. I have no problem with subtitles in exchange for realism. And, the feral guy eating a rotten deer on the plains? Was that an attempt at ramping up tension or another failed comedic endeavour? Nearing summation, all gunfighters should reload their single actions revolvers before holstering them. No shootist would do otherwise as it would only result in their death. In attempting to end on a positive note, two actors deserve mentioning. George Mansel as Lester and Casey Birdinground as Two Feathers. Mansel does a reasonable job being the gang's psychopath while Birdinground is pretty cool as all First Nations characters should be; their dress, war paint and ferocity in battle, unquestionable.