3.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
A platoon of eagles and vultures attack the residents of a small town. Many people die. It's not known what causes the flying menace to attack. Two people have managed to fight back, but will they survive the Birdemic?
Starring: Alan Bagh, Whitney Moore, Tippi Hedren, John Grant (XXVIII), Bonnie SteigerHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 6% |
Romance | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
None
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 1.0 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
As bad movies go, 2010’s “Birdemic: Shock and Terror” basically came out of nowhere. Writer/director James Nguyen was a struggling filmmaker with a defined Hitchcock fetish, trying to make a career out of “romantic thrillers,” channeling “Vertigo” with 2003’s “Julie and Jack,” somehow acquiring the acting services of Tippi Hedren in the process. The helmer turns to “The Birds” to inspire the violence of “Birdemic,” but Nguyen’s love of cinema doesn’t translate to filmmaking competence, emerging with…well, whatever “Birdemic” is. It’s not a fright feature, with attempts to scare viewers with deadly avian attacks using mid-‘90s computer effects always ineffective. It’s not a heartwarming study of new love, as the acting is amateurish, with the performers struggling to express a single human emotion during the run time. The effort is one huge question mark of intent and execution, with Nguyen aiming to be sincere with his offering of a climate crisis-minded romantic picture with a large body count, adding his bizarre vision to the hall of fame of goofball endeavors.
The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation from the 2010 Blu-ray release of "Birdemic" isn't working with the finest in filmmaking skills. Still, compression and encoding issues are persistent, with banding and pixelation present. Shot with older commercial grade cameras, the feature delivers a softer/blurrier sense of frame elements, losing any deep looks at skin particulars and town tours, which don't carry depth. Colors are screwy, with a muddled sense of primaries and greenery. Brightness is mostly blown out.
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix is an odd one, with issues perhaps inherent to the source, which isn't built in a professional manner. Most bizarre is the track's almost random use of surrounds, finding some bird attacks using the full soundstage with sudden engagement, while the rest of the listening experience is frontal. It's a little unsettling, and overall balance isn't great, with avian violence cranked up, while dialogue exchanges are dialed down, with the actors battling environments and terrible microphone placement. Scoring registers acceptably, with a lighter synth sound, and soundtrack selections are passable, with low-end activity periodic during beat-happy songs.
Nguyen has his heart in the right place with "Birdemic," working on an overall message of planetary care, with the characters exposed to the dangers of climate change, meeting others, including a scientist and a tree-hugger, who offer their thoughts on ecological ruin. Of course, such earnestness is generally lost when the predators arrive at the 47-minute mark, which turns the movie into an action spectacle where the cast randomly shoot guns (or wave wire hangers) at poorly rendered CG birds. There's no production polish here, no sense of dramatic stakes or even a rudimentary comprehension of filmmaking. It's just "Birdemic: Shock and Terror," where James Nguyen attempts to master a thrill ride viewing experience, only he doesn't understand what he's doing. In a way, it's fun. In a way, it's torture. Your mileage may vary.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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