18th Feb2016

‘Birdemic: Shock and Terror’ Blu-ray Review (Severin)

by Paul Metcalf

Stars: Alan Bagh, Whitney Moore | Written and Directed by James Nguyen

birdemic-blu-cover

There are films that can be called “so bad they are good” and other bad films that are funny to watch for all the wrong reasons… What camp does Birdemic: Shock and Terror sit in? That’s for you to decide. With a story similar to The Birds, Birdemic tells the story of two lovers Rod (Alan Bagh) and Nathalie (Whitney Moore) who find themselves caught in the “Birdemic” with birds of prey suddenly attacking a small seaside town.

It is hard to defend Birdemic: Shock and Terror, it just isn’t a good movie. I can see why some may champion it as being so bad its good, but it didn’t fit that category for me. This review isn’t going to be me bashing it though, because that would be unfair. Why would you consider purchasing the Blu-ray? I found more enjoyment in the special features, namely the commentary track with actors Alan Bagh and Whitney Moore.

What they give on the commentary track is their perspective on the making of the film and where it went wrong. They aren’t mean about the film and do have fond memories of the making, though they also hint at certain tension between the people working on the film and director James Nguyen. If you are interested in the making of films then this is interesting. Much more interesting than the film itself.

There are some other special features that look at the making of the film, including interviews with the director. It is well worth watching them if you purchase the disc, but the problem with Birdemic: Shock and Terror, especially on Blu-ray is that really it shouldn’t have been released on the format. That may sound overly negative but the fact is the higher resolution shows off the biggest problem with Birdemic and that is the birds themselves.

The fact that the birds are created with bad CGI does come off as a joke that adds to the fun of the film, but to make this HD it just highlights how badly they are integrated into the movie. This is something that bugs me with many films that use this method, as the audience become distracted from what they should be watching, being amused with how bad the film looks instead.

When thinking about who I would recommend Birdemic: Shock and Terror to, especially on Blu-ray, it would be fans of oddities. I do guess that this film will fit into the cult genre because there is a fan base out there for the film. While it didn’t work for me, Severin have released a Blu-ray with enough special features to catch my interest. As a film though, this is probably one that I would stay away from.

*** 3/5

Birdemic: Shock and Terror is out now (finally) on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK

Review originally posted on PissedOffGeek
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