Birdemic: Shock and Terror 2010
BIRDEMIC: SHOCK AND TERROR is an
attempted homage to Hitchcock's classic film THE BIRDS. Following in the
footsteps of many nature gone awry films, BIRDEMIC's story links the
crisis at hand with mankind's ill treatment of the environment. In NIGHT
OF THE LEPUS, it was genetic research. In KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS, it
was farmer's use of pesticides. Here the birds are responding to global
climate change.
While this kind of political commentary puts BIRDEMIC strongly within the "nature attacks" genre, it also moves it away from Hitchcock homage and into drive in theater formula. Hitchcock's film is about interesting personal relationships, but BIRDEMIC's attempts at these kinds of storylines fall flat as the screenplay spends more time discussing stock options than it spends time letting us get to
know the main characters.
A skilled film team could have turned BIRDEMIC into an entertaining film along the lines of ARACHNOPHOBIA, but filmmaker's amateurism prevented that from happening. Ironically, the film's charm is rooted in the filmmaker's amateurism. The filmmaker and crew were clearly excited to make the project and this shines through the awkward camera angles, bad editing, and terrible digital special effects.
The film is a sincere film, even if it is a bad one.
While this kind of political commentary puts BIRDEMIC strongly within the "nature attacks" genre, it also moves it away from Hitchcock homage and into drive in theater formula. Hitchcock's film is about interesting personal relationships, but BIRDEMIC's attempts at these kinds of storylines fall flat as the screenplay spends more time discussing stock options than it spends time letting us get to
know the main characters.
A skilled film team could have turned BIRDEMIC into an entertaining film along the lines of ARACHNOPHOBIA, but filmmaker's amateurism prevented that from happening. Ironically, the film's charm is rooted in the filmmaker's amateurism. The filmmaker and crew were clearly excited to make the project and this shines through the awkward camera angles, bad editing, and terrible digital special effects.
The film is a sincere film, even if it is a bad one.
