Birdemic: Shock & Terror DVD Blu-ray Review
Birdemic: Shock & Terror DVD Blu-ray Review
Directed by James Nguyen. Starring Alan Bagh, Whitney Moore, Adam Sessa and Catherine Batcha
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I have not seen The Room, Troll 2, or Cannibal: The Musical. As unsuccessful as I usually wind up being at it, I really do go out of my way to avoid bad movies. Unless it's something intentionally schlocky, like Sharktopus, or giggle-inducing, like a badly dubbed old Italian giallo, I’m out. I had no interest in seeing Birdemic: Shock & Terror, but since I needed to interview the writer/director for my This Week In Horror iTunes podcast (here is the link to the episode), there was no flying the coop this time. I did not even watch a trailer before going to the Hollywood Cinefamily screening (midnight show, sold out).
Of course the Birdemic: Shock & Terror reputation preceded it. I’d heard it was bad, so bad it was good, it was not that bad, and even that it was good. I only wish I could find the proper words to express my feelings… but what’s the opposite of shock and terror?
Ostensibly an homage to The Birds, this “romantic thriller” (TM: James Nguyen) follows the fancy-free love affair of young, go-getter software-selling millionaire, Rod (Alan Bagh), and the beautiful fashion model he adores, blonde and bland Nathalie (Whitney Moore). It takes about an hour for romance to properly blossom, and when it culminates in the coup de grace inside a cheesy, sleazy motel room, it’s finally time for Birdemic: Shock and Terror! Sloppily rendered CGI eagles and vultures attack the inn, pecking and wing-slapping at the window to Rod and Nathalie’s room relentlessly for hours (or, what seems like hours). Why are they doing this? In an immortal line of dialogue from the film: “I don’t know.”
Actually, we (the audience) do know: It’s a metaphor for our evil acts on the environment. Bad, bad, human race! But do we care? Hell, no. We just want to see more kooky CGI birds, more atrocious acting, more crazy cinematography, and more… oh, so much more!
While I can’t say I really “enjoyed” Birdemic, it’s worth seeing, just so you know what everyone is talking about. There are several iconic moments which do live up to the hype, such as the one in the software sales company’s boardroom, wherein the employees just applaud for several minutes; the attack on the tour bus; and the chance encounter with the survivalist. (I’m purposely withholding details, so you can experience these gems for yourselves with fresh – if somewhat glazed-over – eyes.)
When it comes to the extras of the dvd, there are two scene-specific audio commentaries. One with the director, and one with two leads. There is also the Birdemic Experience Tour, an episode of Movie Close Up, and some deleted scenes (yes, believe it or not, there was some editing involved in the process of bringing the feature film to the big screen). In watching the DVD extras, it is perhaps harder to laugh at the movie – clearly, everyone’s heart was in the right place. The fact that heart is CGI vaguely resembling a bird, is beside the point.
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson