The Tale of Birdemic and the Complex Individual Behind It

      Jack Gayer discusses the story of Birdemic and the individual behind the “best worst movie ever”...

      Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010) is a dreadful film by any standard. Its flaws elevate it beyond the typical bad movie into the realm of the absurdly funny. The phrase commonly used in this genre is “so bad it’s good,” but Birdemic could be described as “so awful it’s incredible.” Just like when you encounter something truly remarkable, discovering a film of this nature sparks your curiosity. How did someone create something so horrendous? Are there creators who are completely unaware of the disaster they crafted? The writer and director of Birdemic, James Nguyen, might be one such person.

      The Room (2003) serves as a captivating example of astoundingly poor decision-making and a lack of common sense. The Disaster Artist, which offers a behind-the-scenes perspective on The Room, was also adapted into a critically acclaimed film. While the movie softened some of the more abrasive traits of writer-director Tommy Wiseau's persona, the book reveals an “artist” who is quite unstable and manipulative—a deeply untrustworthy figure. In a similar vein, upon investigating James Nguyen, he initially appears merely endearingly out of touch, reminiscent of a Michael Scott-type character. His delight over securing a film deal with Severin Films is heartwarming; he's the sort who dared to dream and realized it through hard work and personal investment. When interviewers mocked his movie directly, Nguyen laughed alongside them.

      Yes, this man created a film labeled as one of the worst ever produced, yet he comes off as sincere and can appreciate a joke. He exudes optimism, bordering on delusion, but his passion for film is evident, and he relishes the attention his movie brings him. Then, as you dig deeper, a more troubling narrative begins to take shape. Allegations arise, stories align, and a clearer picture emerges. “Who among us is perfect?” For those of us without flaws, sure, but that’s not the message for those who have been wronged. For those unfamiliar, let’s dive into why the film is such laughable trash.

      Describing the main characters as underdeveloped is an insult to underdeveloped characters. The male lead, Rod (Alan Bagh), appears to either have been kicked by a horse or suffers from a severe personality disorder. Rather than a personality, Rod compensates with an absence of charisma and a tendency to be exceedingly creepy. He infamously mispronounces "Vietnamese" as "Vetnamese," an odd choice given that his writer-director was born in Vietnam. When Rod spots his love interest, Nathalie (Whitney Moore), he essentially begins stalking her from a restaurant. The chemistry between Rod and Nathalie resembles that of a dead crab and a soggy piece of cardboard, thanks to neither actor's performance. Rod’s best friend is just as tactless and, when inquiring about his girlfriend's whereabouts, bluntly states, “She’s taking a shit.”

      There’s a surplus of technical mishaps, thematic elements that make Showgirls (1995) seem subtle, and clumsy references that would embarrass John Waters. Throughout the film, the audio frequently cuts in and out. One of the most bizarre sound choices occurs when the birds appear dramatically, accompanied by the noise of fighter jets. When the main character’s company is bought “for a billion dollars,” the ensuing applause drags on endlessly but inconsistently cuts between people clapping and not clapping. Editor? What’s that? Someone surely posed that question at some point.

      The film’s environmental message is as subtle as the Bat Signal. Nguyen, either profoundly oblivious or outright dishonest, claimed in an interview with Josh Rubenoff, “I mean, I really don’t want to send a message—if I wanted to do that, I’d use the post office.” While it’s not hard to discern where the truth lies, this quote perfectly encapsulates Nguyen’s take on Birdemic: he takes something he admires, like Hitchcock, and produces a subpar imitation. In this instance, Nguyen merely paraphrased the well-known saying about films not being about delivering messages: “If you want to send a message, call Western Union.” It's also conceivable he simply misquoted the reference.

      Nguyen has repeatedly stated that one of Birdemic’s inspirations, apart from The Birds (1963), is An Inconvenient Truth (2006). In fact, the characters in Birdemic literally watch An Inconvenient Truth. Here’s a snippet of dialogue from that scene:

      Rod: “Man, that was a good movie! An Inconvenient Truth!”

      Rick: “That is it, I’m getting myself a car that’s environmentally friendly.”

      Furthermore, Nguyen’s fixation on Alfred Hitchcock is ironic, given Hitchcock's infamous troubling relationships with women. For instance