Black Angel

1980 0h 25m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 26

FantasyAdventureHorror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A knight returns home from the Crusades to find his village devastated by disease and his family gone. He roams the forest searching for them, until he finds a mysterious maiden who is being held prisoner by a black knight. In order to free her, he must confront her captor.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Tony Vogel
Sir Maddox
John Young
Old Man
Patricia Christian
Maiden
James Gibb
Anselm
Colin Booth
Child of the Sickness
Yvonne Finlayson
Child of the Sickness
Ian MacMillan
Child of the Sickness

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Roger Christian
Writers: Roger Christian
Languages: English
Countries: Canada, United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 25-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

46 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Canada, United Kingdom.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Roger Christian, shot by Roger Pratt. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Alan Strachan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Tony Vogel and John Young and Patricia Christian carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Roger Christian directs. Roger Pratt behind the camera. Alan Strachan cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Canada, United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 25-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Shot for just $0.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
346 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4International production across 2 countries: Canada, United Kingdom.
5Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
6Directed by Roger Christian, shot by Roger Pratt. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Editor Alan Strachan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Tony Vogel and John Young and Patricia Christian carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0130508 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 26 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Roger Pratt
Editing: Alan Strachan
Production design: John Beard
Costume design: Charles Knode
Runtime: 25 min · 0h 25m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $25,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Black Angel (1980)

Also by

Roger Christian

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Community reviews

What people are saying

logtoad2014-06-06
The Archetypal Holy Grail of Lost Films 34 years of waiting is over: finally, this missing link in the 'Star Wars' universe emerges from the depths and is available to see again. You may have been spellbound by it back in 1980 as a child when it screened before 'The Empire Strikes Back' – and had it lurking inside your mind to this day. You may have read articles about it in recent years and wondered what the fuss was all about. Or you may never have heard of it until now. In any case, here is your chance to enjoy one of cinema's great lost films, whose creation, loss and subsequent rediscovery is a legend in itself. Beautifully shot on a shoestring budget around Scotland's ominous and majestic landscapes in late autumn, 'Black Angel' pays knowing homage to Kurosawa and Tarkovsky – and has clearly influenced many subsequent fantasy films and series: from Boorman's 'Excalibur' through 'Robin of Sherwood' to 'Game of Thrones'. One reason the film succeeds in creating such a lasting impression is found in the way geographical features are given such prominence alongside the narrative action: it is one thing to see a typical postcard-style establishing shot of a location in Scotland, but quite another to follow the protagonists deeply into that landscape and reveal details and features that are rarely seen elsewhere in such stunning cinematographic detail. The stories about its creation in one hectic week in Scotland only add to the film's value as a historical document, and to the sense we are lucky to have this accessible for viewing at all. With a gorgeous early original score by Trevor Jones and featuring electronic effects by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop's Paddy Kingsland, all the elements are here. Restored in breathtaking quality by David Tanaka and Brice Parker as a tribute to Christian's enduring vision, it is unlikely you'll find a purer vision of the great Arthurian "quest" committed to film elsewhere, now or in the future.

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