Birdemic: Shock and Terror Trivia Quiz

Answer: Driving down a highway

The opening scene is incredibly boring. Well, the whole film is pretty boring, but there are many such scenes during which absolutely nothing happens, which appear to have been inserted just to make the movie longer. Rod eventually pulls up in front of a restaurant where he spots the female lead, Nathalie, played by Whitney Moore.

He follows her out of the restaurant, and we learn that she is a "fashion model". The two exchange business cards, and agree to see each other again. I immediately felt sorry for Whitney Moore; she is the nearest thing to a real actor in "Birdemic".

Answer: Victoria's Secret

"Victoria's Secret wants you to become their cover girl model." About the same time, we learn that Rod (he is evidently some kind of software salesman) has landed a $1 million contract. He calls Nathalie, and they agree to go to dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant.

It is probably just a coincidence that James Nguyen, the film's writer, director, and producer, is a Vietnamese salesman for a computer company when he is not making movies.

Answer: "Not on the first date. I'm not that kind of girl."

The dialogue in this film just has to be seen - or rather heard - to be believed! Despite rebuffing his advances, Nathalie is obviously smitten by Rod, a fact she tells her mother. For some reason, Nathalie, who is in her early 20s, has a mother who appears to be in her mid-70s. We also learn that by a happy coincidence Nathalie's best friend, Mai, happens to be the girlfriend of Rod's best friend, Rick. What are the odds?

Answer: An Inconvenient Truth

Throughout the movie there has been foreshadowing that global warming is going to play a big part in the movie; Rod is seen watching a news program about polar bears dying off, he is installing solar panels at his house, and claims his blue Mustang is a hybrid that gets 100 miles per gallon.

Answer: They are attacked by angry birds.

This movie was produced on a budget of $10,000, so the director could not afford real birds (or real actors). The birds are computer-generated imagery (CGI), and are not very realistic. A lot of the time they just hover, and sometimes they explode in flames for no reason. Later, they vomit green acid. Nathalie asks, "Why would birds do something like that? I mean, why would they just attack?" We never really learn the answer, but at least the birds eventually go away.

Answer: Coat hangers

In the movie's most famous scene, the four beat back the birds with coat hangers. Fans of the movie always bring coat hangers with them, and wave them along with the actors during this scene. Fortunately, once inside Ramsey's van, it is discovered that he has stockpiled a whole arsenal of weapons, including a sub-machine gun.

It might have just been easier to roll up the windows, but nobody seems to have thought of that.

Answer: Global warming

They stop to have a picnic (!) and just happen to run into an ornithologist who tells them that global warming and greenhouse gasses are killing the krill in the oceans and causing diseases like "bird flu". He says without scientific evidence he can't say for sure that it is global warming that is causing the birds to attack humans, but he rambles on for five or ten minutes on the subject.

Answer: Becky and Ramsey

Becky is killed while she is relieving herself at the side of the road. Ramsey (who we learn is an ex-Marine, and just wants to "give peace a chance") is killed trying to rescue three people trapped in a bus.

Answer: The birds are targeting cars and gas stations.

Tree Hugger's first line is "Don't shoot. Peace, man." His real name is Tom Hill, but he is identified as "Tree Hugger" in the credits. He explains that he is not afraid of the birds that have been attacking people, but he is afraid of drought and bark beetles that are caused by global warming.

Answer: A forest fire

The group gets lost and forgets where they parked their van. Suddenly, they smell smoke. The forest is on fire! Luckily, they find their way out of the forest and back to van without further casualties. We never learn what started the fire. The fire, like the birds, is computer-generated.

Answer: A lighthouse

For reasons we are never told, it appears that Mai lives in a lighthouse. We never get to see the inside of it because Nathalie finds Rick and Mai inside Mai's car. Both have been attacked and horribly disfigured by the birds. Mai is still alive and wearing a t-shirt that says "Imagine Peace", when Nathalie finds them, but dies a few seconds later, after mumbling, "Forgive them."

Answer: We are never told.

Just as the end is near, the birds suddenly fly away. We are never told why this happens (we are never told why a lot of things happen in this film). There is probably some deep, symbolic meaning that is unclear to savages like myself.

Answer: Rod, Nathalie, and the children standing on a beach

The final scene (which seems to last a very long time) is of Rod, Nathalie, and the two orphans standing on a beach, watching the birds fly away as the credits roll. While this may seem like a happy ending, little did viewers know that a sequel, "Birdemic: Resurrection", was in the works.

While the original "Birdemic" did poorly at the box office, it soon attained cult status among a devoted coterie of fans, and made millions in DVD sales.

Answer: The Birds

James Nguyen has admitted that "Birdemic: Shock and Terror" was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 film "The Birds". One can only wonder what that director would have felt had he been alive to witness this homage to this craft.

Answer: Tippi Hedren

Yes, that Tippi Hedren, the star of "The Birds". A word of explanation is in order. While Rod and Nathalie are in their motel room, their television is showing a scene from the movie "Julie and Jack", one of James Nguyen's earlier films. And, yes, Tippi Hedren did appear in "Julie and Jack", although I have been unable to determine why. So it's kind a of a recycled cameo.

Despite this, and the fact that she is seen for about three seconds, Tippi Hedren gets third billing in the credits for "Birdemic: Shock and Terror".

Another bit of trivia is that Tippi Hedren's real first name is Nathalie, the same as the lead character in "Birdemic".