The Birds II: Land's End

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The Birds II: Land's End
Poster of the movie The Birds II.jpg
VHS cover
GenreHorror
Based onThe Birds by
Daphne du Maurier
Written byKen and Jim Wheat
Robert Eisele
Directed byRick Rosenthal
(as Alan Smithee)
StarringBrad Johnson
Chelsea Field
James Naughton
Jan Rubes
Tippi Hedren
Music byRon Ramin
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producerDavid A. Rosemont
ProducerTed Kurdyla
Production locationsSouthport, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
CinematographyBruce Surtees
EditorMaryann Brandon
Running time87 minutes
Production companiesMCA Television Entertainment
Rosemont Productions International
DistributorUniversal Studios
Release
Original networkShowtime
Picture formatColor
Audio formatDolby
Original releaseMarch 14, 1994 (1994-03-14)
Chronology
Preceded byThe Birds

The Birds II: Land's End is a 1994 American made-for-television horror film directed by Rick Rosenthal, credited to Alan Smithee. The film is a sequel to the 1963 film The Birds, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and stars Brad Johnson, Chelsea Field, and James Naughton. Tippi Hedren, who starred in The Birds, appears in a minor role different from the one she played in the original film. The original music score was composed by Ron Ramin.

The Birds II: Land's End premiered on Showtime on March 14, 1994. Featuring a similar plot to the original film, a biology teacher and Somali Civil War veteran named Ted moves with his wife and daughters to a summer house on an island after the death of their son. Soon after they arrive, flocks of birds start attacking and killing people for no apparent reason.

Plot[]

Ted and Mary Hocken move to a remote, windswept, tiny East Coast island with their two young daughters. The Hockens are determined to forget losing their son and spend a quiet, uneventful summer.

An immense flock of birds begins massing around the small town of Gull Island. A marine biologist is the target of a mysterious, grisly attack. Before long, the sky is darkened by a hideous onslaught of screeching birds. An old timer recalls a similar, horrific outbreak three decades ago in Bodega Bay, California.

Cast[]

Tippi Hedren, who starred as Melanie Daniels in the original film, returned in a supporting role as a different character named Helen. Hedren was disappointed that she did not have a larger part: "I wish that it was more than a cameo. I think they made a mistake by not doing that. But it has helped me to feed my lions and tigers".[1] When asked about what could have been Hitchcock's opinion, she answered: "I'd hate to think what he would say!"[2]

Reception[]

The television film received negative reviews. Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly slated the production, especially criticizing the writing and acting: "The actors in 'Birds II' have little to do except widen their eyes in terror, and even that seems a daunting stretch for Johnson". He also commented on the fact that it was an Alan Smithee film, the pseudonym used when a director wants to disown the final film.[3]

In a 2002 interview, Tippi Hedren described the film as a horrible experience.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ Green, Ann (March 13, 1994). "Retro : A Flock of Terror, Part II". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  2. ^ Smith, Liz (March 17, 1994). "'Nobody's Fool', the life of Danny Kaye". Newsday - Long Island. New York.
  3. ^ Tucker, Ken."The Birds II: Land's End (film review)". Entertainment Weekly. March 18, 1994. Published in issue #214. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  4. ^ Chiller Theater Magazine. 2002. 59.

External links[]

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