Dark Fields [Blu-ray]

I'm updating my preview below now that I've seen "Dark Fields":It's said that horror fans aren't a very discriminating bunch. And given the volume of crap horror movies out there, I can't argue that. But I also take offense to it. I'm a life-long horror fan, and I regularly bypass the uncreative slashers and nauseatingly unoriginal remakes that populate the field these days. I like a quality, original horror film. And "Dark Fields" fits that bill.The story weaves three narratives, each taking place in the aptly named town of Perseverance, each in a different time period - the 1880's, the 1950's, and the present day. The residents of Perseverance are oppressed with a curse. Each year they suffer an affliction to their bodies and a drought to their land, the only cure for which is to sacrifice three of their children.Three things make this movie rock.First, director Doug Schulze's visual flair, accomplished through a knack for unique and effective composition, creepy art direction, and occasionally grisly special effects - both of the practical and CGI variety. Cinematographer Lon Stratton's dark, moody photography effectively augments Schulze's layered visuals.Second, the cast. Icons David Carradine and Dee Wallace Stone deliver. Both have faces you could watch read a phone book, and Schulze uses their gravitas to anchor their segments. Richard Lynch, too, is a standout as a tortured father witnessing his daughter succumb to her initial affliction of the town's curse.And third, the story. I went into "Dark Fields" with trepidation, knowing it was an anthology piece. Anthologies always leave me dissatisfied - I'm not a short film fan and they always feel like a string of short films to me. But "Dark Fields" employs a unique structure, in which the stories unfold simultaneously, climaxing in the resolution of the curse in the present day. They interwoven narratives build towards this common end, along the way each telling a unique story with a common theme. It gets a little confusing sometimes -- and it demands your attention -- but it works."Dark Fields" is low-budget indie horror, and like most all entries in that populous genre, the seams occasionally show. But the trade-off is its originality. Not Hollywood product, this. I'll call it a thinking person's horror film, in that it's not for the mentally lazy. There isn't a lot that's spelled out in simple terms, and little immediate satisfaction; things generally come to fruition at a deliberate pace. But you do get the feeling that you're in the hands of a storyteller who knows his craft and will deliver. Go into it knowing that and you'll be a (discriminating) fan.I haven't seen "Dark Fields", as it hasn't yet come out. But I'm a big fan of creative indie horror films, and like to support the genre. I'm posting Collider.com's review here, written when the film was titled "The Rain".As Amazon requires rating reviews when posting, I'm giving this 5 out of 5 stars, based on the Collider author's enthusiasm.Looking forward to 3/22, when "Dark Fields" comes out.One of the great things about writing about films is that on occasion it gives you an opportunity to see films before others. I recently had the chance to see The Rain, a low budget independent horror film from writer-director Douglas Schulze. I must say - I was impressed. Not only by the quality of the film but also by the originality of the plot and structure. So far the film has been getting raves on the horror festival circuit and at this point it doesn't have any distribution. However, with a bit of luck all that will soon change. More after the jump:We live in a world where horror films are seen as an inexpensive and simple product for filmmakers to make and market - and because of this, the quality of such entertainment is often questionable at best. Hollywood's attempts at the horror genre seem to have reached their nadir - with studios attempting to remake older horror franchises by using their iconic imagery and characters in order to make a quick buck (A Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween being two such examples.) What Schulze has managed to do is deliver a film that is not only bold in structure - but he also hands the audience one of the most interesting and original horror villains in over a decade.The Rain is an interweaving tale set in the town of Perseverance. Each story takes place in three different time periods (1800's, 1950's and present day) and it follows a curse that inflicts the inhabitants of the town. Every year or so, families of Perseverance take part in a lottery to sacrifice their children in order to bring "The Rain" which cures them of a drought that could destroy their land and a hideous and lethal disorder that inflicts them.Schulze has assembled an impressive cast of familiar faces for the film. The late David Carradine (Kill Bill) delivers one of his final performances as a torn father in the 1880's segment, Dee Wallace (The Howling, Bone Dry) plays a protecting mother in the 50's based chapter and Richard Lynch plays a torn father in the present day take. The film has wonderful visual style and the director shot the film using the Red digital camera and super 35mm. Each segment plays homage to their set time period, with Gothic horror the order of the day for the 19th Century portion, while the next two chapters are monster movie and stalker/slasher respectively. While on occasion there may be the odd dodgy performance - the cast all do well and give balanced performances that show the right level of fear and desperation. Tiren Jhames delivers a truly menacing performance as Mr Saul - a character who must surely get his own spin-off film in the future.As a fan of horror it's good to see someone making a stand and produce something with originality and integrity, rather than pandering to the teenage market. Horror films tend to be best made on a low budget and what you don't see is often better than what you do. That's not to say that The Rain skimps on gore - there are some nauseating moments that have some good practical effects while the few GGI moments also work quite well. Schulze stretches his budget to breaking point (and sometimes it shows) but he's willing to put his neck on the line that doesn't involve people in their 20's getting tortured for 90 minutes.What makes The Rain successful is that it is not a run of the mill horror tale. The fragmented structure of the film works in that you can invest enough in each segment, so that when it cuts from any specific tale you aren't disappointed. And there are enough twists and plot points to keep you intrigued. Schulze seems to genuinely understand the horror tradition - from the works of Poe through to the horror masters of the 1970's and 80's. This skill means that he is able to deliver an old fashioned horror tale that feels altogether original in today's cinematic climate.The Rain is a great low budget horror film that not only shows that Schulze is a director to watch out for but with the inclusion of Tiren Jhames' Mr Saul he has also created a modern horror icon.In a sentence - The Rain is an original horror tale and exceeds the quality of most of Hollywood's current horror output. Hopefully, on release soon.

I bought DARK FIELDS for three reasons; Richard Lynch, David Carradine, and the fact that I'd never heard of it before. With Lynch and Carradine in it, I figured it would be watchable. This isn't a picture, but a black velvet oil painting. The stars are wasted in this travesty, and the rest of the cast would've been more entertaining at a Baptist car wash.

I read a review that said that the movie was hard to follow & confusing. I just watched it & disagree. There are a couple of spots that could have been done a little better but it was not hard to understand or follow. The entire movie for the most part made perfect sense. It was spooky & scary at times.

Strange movie very dark will makes you wonder about the late David Carradine.

great movie! doug schulze is a great director. doug showed a great ability to tell a story of three different generations and keep the audiance glued to their seats. This is his 3rd movie (and working on 4th). It is time he is recognized as a great director on the global level. I bought a few copies of this movie from Amazon so that I can also give some to friends and family as gifts.

A horrible waste of time!! I wasted my time don't waste yours! You've been warned!! One of the worst I've ever seen!

Great subjective nightmare sequences. Like the mother & two daughters arriving at the fathers house in broad daylight & you see him w/ his entire head bandaged up.

The movie takes place in Perseverance, Kansas; a town plagued by drought and the inability to make rain barrels. The movie jumps to 3 different time frames, 1866 (David Carradine), 1956 (Dee Wallace), and present day. The people are cursed by "the man (Indian) in the top hat" with hereditary severe plaque psoriasis, that can only be cured by exposure to a special annual rain (Hence the 2009 title "The Rain"). This forces young girls to doff their clothes and go out into the rain. (nudity) Now the real problem is to ensure that the rain happens. This requires "sacrifice" on the part of the community. Sasha Higgins plays our mousy heroine in need of rain water and acting lessons.Note: In the beginning a child is tied to an X frame and has his neck chewed on. His name is Samuel Mueller. Later in the movie his name is Simon Wheeler. OOPS!