Black Angel

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.

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.

...Then it better at least be good!

I saw this short...countless times, as it was released in the UK spliced onto the front of "The Empire Strikes Back". I must have viewed this about 30 times, as a consequence.

This short film, which had a Princess held in thrall to a supernatural creation, sticks in my memory long after other shorts have been been long forgotten.

Medieval in tone and filmed on wind-blasted landscapes, watery glades, and

decrepit turrets, I remember the Princess phrase to the hero: "I am bound, to the Black Angel", as if it were yesterday.

I'd love a copy of this movie!

Great stuff this. I kept going back to see "Empire" as much for this short as for the film itself. (Tony Vogel's kids went to my school: I even remember having cello lessons with his daughter Anna...) Loads of fog, castles, an ethereal maiden and a bizarre "grim reaper" type figure watching over her. "Spare the child!!! Take my life instead!!!" Can't wait to see it again. It also had good music, trying to emulate "gothic" style voices, the kind you associate with the Hyperion music label. I was 12 and a half years old, and simply couldn't get it out of my mind. Even Excalibur, which came out exactly one year later, just seemed gratuitous and silly by comparison. I really hope the master is found so a DVD transfer can be made: let me know when it happens....