For the Birds

If you see only one apocalyptic bird-attack movie in your life, make it Hitchcock’s The Birds. If you see two or three, you could consider including James Nguyen’s Birdemic: Shock and Terror among the rotation. The first-time writer/director’s film is, in his words, a “romantic thriller” about a software salesman turned entrepreneur, his model girlfriend and a whole lot of pissed-off, badly animated CGI birds.

The birds seem to be angered by global warming, or perhaps avian flu — or maybe just at being included in this film. Whatever the reason, they’re pecking, clawing and otherwise assaulting every man, woman and child in sight. It’s a full-blown bird-pocalypse — albeit a dull, meandering and thoroughly feckless mess of one.

The meager charm of the movie’s ridiculous premise is marred by the atrocious acting, inscrutable story and myriad technical defects. Despite these shortcomings (or perhaps because of them), Birdemic has steadily built a buzz among cult-movie aficionados on the Internet and at midnight screenings around the country.

See it for yourself (preferably bolstered by a few stiff drinks beforehand) at its Denver premiere, at midnight tonight and tomorrow at the Esquire Theatre, 590 Downing Street. Tickets are $7.25. For more info, visit www.landmarktheatres.com or call 303-733-0148.

Fri., April 23; Sat., April 24, 2010