Dodgy Film Club: Birdemic 2

  
Ah the sequel.. once upon a time it seemed a rare thing, only used when the character-writing of a film was so good, or the story was so complex that another edition was a must. Of course now, sequels = $$$. So, where does that leave Birdemic 2? Will the sequel make lots of money? It might make some, but I doubt studios were engaged in a bidding war. So maybe it will be a natural progression of the story, that answers the (many, many) questions from the first? I wouldn't hold my breath...
 
Most importantly to me and other fans, would the sequel retain the vision, spirit and energy of the first?
Well, having solved climate change in birdemic, James now turns his attention to Hollywood! (Because, you know, he has made a few films in his time and I think he know's what he's talking about okay?



From the opening scene it's clear that James has decided 'if it's broke but it kinda worked, don't fix it!' Yes, just like in the first movie, there is a painfully long credit sequence, this time documenting some guy walking for 5 minutes (in what looks like real time) through Hollywood. The 'extras' are just people who happen to be on the street and a dramatic wailing siren is actually a real cop car that has nothing to do with the story. Also check out the blurred out movie ads. Besides wondering where the scene/character was going, I was also struck by how many people worked on this monstrosity.

Mr Nguyen puts his personal, clumsy stamp all over this movie and the message is again, as subtle as a brick. We're informed that the best indie movies are those where the director is given complete control and how Hollywood movies are like, sooooo expensive.

There's too much to talk about, so - in bullet form - some of the recurring features from the first film:

• Dodgy news broadcasts
• Creepy dudes chasing blondes down the street
• Awkward human interaction
• Extended clapping/celebration scenes
• Awkward dinner date
• A walk on the beach, complete with terrible, windswept audio
• Terrible graphics
• Awkwardness, so much damn awkwardness
• The unsure doctor/professor -"Don't you know that uh birds are the descendants of uh dinosaurs?
• SUPER awkward dance scene w/black singer singing with no audio/amplification equipment
• Obtrusive mom

But James didn't make a sequel of basically the same movie without some new tricks up his sleeve! New things to look out for include:

• A driving scene that looks like an 80s music video
• Flashbacks to cavemen times
• An underwater scene like nothing you've ever seen before
• Some biting satire of horror movies
• Zombies...

Also: The line where the kid explains how his sister died.

The drinking game, should you need it: Drink on the word 'dead'. Takes a while to get going, but, you'll get there.

Are you excited for the new BIRDEMIC film?

We asked for it, apparently.

Birdemic was in many ways a masterpiece. With creative visionary James Nguyen (you know, the James Nguyen), a strong message and a cast of hungry, young actors, it is a film that comes close to the brilliance of The Room. So, I should be excited about a sequel, right? Let us consider some pros and/or cons...

Return of Rod/Bagh is Back

That's right, Rod, the all action, all romancing hero from the first film is back! And now he's a big shot something or other. Thankfully Rod was not replaced and all the character development he went through in the first film was not put to waste. Some might say Alan Bagh is one of the finer actors of our generation. His portrayal of Rod, an odd juxtaposition of a confident yet horrifyingly awkward manchild is some of the finest work seen on screen. However, a look at his Twitter account shows that Rod and Alan may not be all that different. Plus we've had some fun lightly trolling him in this very blog.

Sticking to their guns (or coat hangers) with the CGI

Birdemic 2 seems to follow quite rigidly to the theme/plot and budget of its predecessor. So on the plus side, the awful graphics are back. But on the negative side, the awful bird graphics are back. Maybe I'm judging too quickly without seeing the finished product but I would have liked to see some ridiculous 3D, or even worse graphics. A lot of the lol in the first film is partly due to the shock at just how bad the birds look. Some amazing (or amazingly bad) graphics would have been a real kick in the beak to detractors of the film.

Where are they really going with this?

It's pretty clear that ol' James Nguyen is kinda bummed out about The Man polluting the world through machines run on eagle tears, dead baby seals and so on, but is this sequel going to address these srs issues? Is it going to pick up from the cliffhanger ending of the first? Did they really need to make a second? Will there be a thirdemic?

I don't have the answers..All I know is that I'll be seeing this at the nearest opportunity, with a case of beer and a bucket of clothes hangers.

Alan Bagh is Birdemic not the room, lol

When Alan Bagh, star of Birdemic: Shock and Terror, added me on Twitter I couldn't resist some light trolling of the man who has committed some of the worst crimes against acting ever caught on camera.

Successful troll is successful

What's even better though, is that there is going to be a sequel. How ballsy is Alan Bagh? Lolololol amazeballs.

Bill is a struggling filmmaker; Gloria is an aspiring actress.  Rod, a Silicon Valley millionaire finances Bill’s film, a dream come true until eagles and vultures attack Hollywood and its up to Rod, his girlfriend Nathalie, new friends and old to mount the resistance.  Who will survive?

If you haven't seen Birdemic, then check out my post about it here to get a taste of what it's about.