Black Angel

If you're looking this movie up you probably already know the story of George Lucas' art director making a short film to show before 'The Empire Strikes Back'. For years it was thought lost and luckily it was found again in the 21st century. Although a bit thin on plot this director puts more scenery into a 20 minute film than most directors can put into their 2 hour long movie. The Scottish scenery is absolutely gorgeous, but for some reason the film seems other worldly. The overall plot may feel a bit familiar, but the twist ending just seals this up as a great work of art. The few actors involved are good, the action sequences are done very well and the bleak and creepy atmosphere make for a good film, but it is Roger Christian who makes it great. Christian went on to make a few decent movies, but this is his masterpiece.

The best short film that i can remember was this little gem.Beautifully shot and very moody, this flick was very interesting to the eye, as well as having a simple, but effective storyline. This without a doubt should be released to the public in the form of a collection of other shorts or just by itself on DVD.

"Black Angel" was never on my radar back in 1980 - mostly because I was in utero, but also because it didn't play in the U.S. But I'm a sucker happy stories of lost media being rediscovered, and this short film is also tied to "Star Wars" history; so it's right in my wheelhouse.

It's just a simple sword-n-sorcery tale of a brave knight traveling through his plague-stricken land and ultimately doing battle with a demonic wraith, but this is all about the ethereal fogs and Scottish locales that really suck you into this world. All sorts of stuff to really draw your eye. This thing's got killer atmosphere and it's a rock solid story.

7/10

I saw this in the UK when it was the opening act for "The Empire Strikes Back". That was back in the day when you got a double-bill of two movies, or at least a movie and a short. A full generation has passed and I can still remember it vividly, even after seeing it only once.

At first I thought I was watching some time filler on the topic of pony-trekking... and then I noticed the rider had an axe by his saddle. Ahah; my interest immediately jumped a few notches. The things I recall most readily are the hero's helm with its entwined snake, his opponent's unusual maul for a weapon, and the armour which seemed grey with spider webs. In fact the armour was really something to see, being very dark but not quite black.

I do hope this comes out on DVD at some point. I had read many years back that it might be done as a full-blown movie. Either way, I want to see it.

Unlike many of the other reviewers, I had not seen this before. The short is quite light on plot, Sir Maddox comes home, only to hear that many are dead due to raiders and disease. He heads out after these raiders and has some "supernatural" experiences.

The cinematography in this short is great, as is to be expected as the director was most known for his cinematography work. The short does not rely on characters as much as it does mood, ambiance, and so on. I'm sure it was nice to see this in cinemas because of this. The costumes are nice as well.

The story is sadly not that interesting. Almost like a fairytale or a legend, it ends without really going anywhere. Things happen, but not memorable or that interesting.