The Birds II: Land's End
The Birds II: Land's End | |
---|---|
Genre | Horror |
Based on | The Birds by Daphne du Maurier |
Written by | Ken and Jim Wheat Robert Eisele |
Directed by | Rick Rosenthal (as Alan Smithee) |
Starring | Brad Johnson Chelsea Field James Naughton Jan Rubes Tippi Hedren |
Music by | Ron Ramin |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producer | David A. Rosemont |
Producer | Ted Kurdyla |
Production locations | Southport, North Carolina Wilmington, North Carolina |
Cinematography | Bruce Surtees |
Editor | Maryann Brandon |
Running time | 87 minutes |
Production companies | MCA Television Entertainment Rosemont Productions International |
Distributor | Universal Studios |
Release | |
Original network | Showtime |
Picture format | Color |
Audio format | Dolby |
Original release | March 14, 1994 |
Chronology | |
Preceded by | The 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[]
- Brad Johnson as Ted Hocken
- Chelsea Field as Mary Hocken
- James Naughton as Frank Irvin
- Jan Rubes as Karl
- Tippi Hedren as Helen
- Stephanie Milford as Jill
- Megan Gallacher as Joanna
- Richard K. Olsen as Doc Rayburn
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[]
- ^ Green, Ann (March 13, 1994). "Retro : A Flock of Terror, Part II". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ^ Smith, Liz (March 17, 1994). "'Nobody's Fool', the life of Danny Kaye". Newsday - Long Island. New York.
- ^ Tucker, Ken."The Birds II: Land's End (film review)". Entertainment Weekly. March 18, 1994. Published in issue #214. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
- ^ Chiller Theater Magazine. 2002. 59.
External links[]
- 1994 films
- 1994 horror films
- 1994 television films
- American films
- American natural horror films
- American sequel films
- English-language films
- Films directed by Alan Smithee
- Films shot in North Carolina
- Horror films about birds
- Showtime (TV network) films
- American horror television films
- Television sequel films
- Films directed by Rick Rosenthal