When The Empire Strikes Back hit theaters in 1980, audiences first saw a short film called Black Angel. Long thought to be lost, the film was eventually found and restored, and it's now available to watch for free on YouTube.
Rediscovered and Restored
Black Angel marked the directorial debut of Roger Christian, who had previously served as art director on Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The film's negative was believed lost until it was discovered in December 2011 at Universal Studios. In 2013, a team of volunteers restored the short and screened it at film festivals. That restoration was recently uploaded to YouTube with an introduction by Roger Christian, which you can see below:
The Story of Black Angel
The story of Black Angel unfolds in a medieval fantasy world, introducing us to Sir Maddox, a knight who returns from the Crusades only to find his home dramatically changed. During his journey, he meets a mysterious young woman held prisoner by a black knight, and to free her, he must face her captor, the Black Angel.
Interestingly, this short was never released on VHS or DVD. It wasn't until early 2014, thanks to its restoration, that Black Angel became available on streaming and download services like Netflix and iTunes. The leading cast includes Tony Vogel, Patricia Christian, John Young, and James Gibb. Roger Christian not only directed but also wrote and produced the short. If you've never seen Black Angel, now is the perfect time to enjoy it.
