Connect with us

Movies

Brief Backstory Delivered in Hilarious ‘Birdemic’ Behind-the-Scenes Video

Published

14 years ago

on

Severin Films officially announced today the acquisition of all worldwide rights to Birdemic: Shock & Terror, a hilarious indie feature from writer/producer/director James Nguyen that can only be described as “special”. Nguyen, on the other hand, describes it as “a romantic thriller”. The film is a love story about a young couple trapped in a small Northern California town under siege by homicidal birds. While those of you paying close attention have already been tuned in to the (astounding) backstory of Birdemic, beyond the break you’ll find a special EPK video that’ll give you some of the highlights. Those of you in the Los Angeles area don’t miss out on the Bloody Disgusting sponsored red carpet event taking place on February 27 (hosted by Tim & Eric!). Get more info here and join me for my 30th birthday extravaganza! “Why did the eagles and vultures attack?”

Birdemic: Shock and Terror EPK from Severin Films on Vimeo.

Nguyen, a 42-year-old Vietnamese refugee, wrote, cast and shot the film over the course of four years using salary from his day job as a mid-level software salesman in Silicon Valley. The film pays homage to Hitchcock’s THE BIRDS via location shooting in Mission Bay, California, as well as an appearance by star of THE BIRDS Tippi Hedren. When rejected for an official screening slot at Sundance, Nguyen spent eight days driving up and down the festival’s nearby streets in a van covered with fake birds, frozen blood and BIRDEMIC posters, while loudspeakers blared the sounds of eagle attacks and human screams. The tactic caught the attention of festival organizers, filmgoers and local police, as well as executives from Severin Films.

“BIRDEMIC is truly unlike any other film we’ve ever seen,” said Carl Daft, CEO and co-founder of Severin Films. “The fact that James Nguyen wrote, produced, directed, financed and self-marketed such a unique feature is in itself a story worth celebrating. On a certain level, this is a landmark independent production and James is truly an auteur for our time. We’re enormously excited for audiences to experience BIRDEMIC for themselves.”

Severin Films is planning a limited theatrical release for BIRDEMIC: SHOCK AND TERROR later this year. The film is the company’s first contemporary acquisition.

Related Topics:

Horror movie fanatic who co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. Producer on Southbound, V/H/S/2/3/94, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. Chicago-based. Horror, pizza and basketball connoisseur. Taco Bell daily. Franchise favs: Hellraiser, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday the 13th. Horror 365 days a year.

Advertisement
Click to comment

Movies

‘The Exorcism’ Trailer – Russell Crowe Gets Possessed in Meta Horror Movie from Producer Kevin Williamson

Published

19 mins ago

on

April 25, 2024

By

Russell Crowe (The Pope’s Exorcist) is starring in a brand new meta possession horror movie titled The Exorcism, and Vertical has unleashed the official trailer this afternoon.

Vertical has picked up the North American rights to The Exorcism, which they’ll be bringing to theaters on June 7. Shudder is also on board to bring the film home later this year.

Joshua John Miller, who wrote 2015’s The Final Girls and also starred in films including Near Dark and And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird, directed The Exorcism.

Joshua John Miller also wrote the script with M.A. Fortin (The Final Girls). This one is personal for Miller, as his late father was the star of the best possession movie ever made.

Miller said in a statement this week, “The origins of the film stem from my childhood spent watching my father, Jason Miller, playing the doomed Father Karras flinging himself out a window at the climax of The Exorcist. If that wasn’t haunting enough on its own, my dad never shied away from telling me stories of just how “cursed” the movie was: the mysterious fires that plagued the production, the strange deaths, the lifelong injuries— the list went on and on. The lore of any “cursed film” has captivated me ever since.”

“With The Exorcism, we wanted to update the possession movie formula (“Heroic man rescues woman from forces she’s too weak and simple to battle herself!”) for a world where no one group owns goodness and decency over another,” he adds. “We were gifted with an extraordinary cast and creative team to tell a story about how we’re all vulnerable to darkness, to perpetuating it, if we fail to face our demons. The devil may retaliate, but what other choice do we have?”

The film had previously been announced under the title The Georgetown Project.

“The Exorcism follows Anthony Miller (Crowe), a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play.”

Sam Worthington (Avatar: The Way of Water), Chloe Bailey (Praise This), Adam Goldberg (The Equalizer) and David Hyde Pierce (Frasier) also star.

Of particular note, Kevin Williamson (Scream, Sick) produced The Exorcism.

Continue Reading