Birdemic: Shock and Terror

James Nguyen’s homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 classic The Birds is summed up in one word: hilarious. From the “bad” acting to the deliriously eccentric CGI work, the film has drawn a cult following since its release in 2010 and earned its title as one of the worst films of all time. The film begins with a software engineer who romances a lingerie model in Half Moon Bay. Hewing to Hitchcock’s predilection for sexy blondes, the film features a love interest, who is indeed blonde, and is also premised on her sexualization. However, this is where James Nguyen diverges from the original. With Melanie Daniel (played by Tippie Hedren) and her pursuit of heterosexual romance, Hitchcock links women’s aggressive sexuality to an attack on people by murderous birds. In Birdemic, however, the misogynist links between female sexuality and nature run amok are not made. Rather, with the two lovers’ initial meeting, we take a series of detours in northern California. These detours include scenes that feature awkward heterosexual sex and corporate boardroom scenes, exploding birds and talkative scientists, who explain that the genesis for the bird epidemic is environmental. Especially fun in these turns in the plot are the many references to Vietnamese American culture, particularly in the film’s San Jose setting and locations. True to the film’s cult status, Birdemic now has an afterlife of its own amongst audience members. The film has many admirers who affectionately see it as a milestone in campy filmmaking. Enjoy this film as the cult classic that it has become, especially since its sequel will soon be made – in 3-D! You will not want to miss out on the strange fun that defines this film.