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 standalone 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 | |
|---|---|
 VHS cover | |
| Genre | Horror |
| Based on | "The Birds" by Daphne du Maurier |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Rick Rosenthal (as Alan Smithee) |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Ron Ramin |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | David A. Rosemont |
| Producer | Ted Kurdyla |
| Cinematography | Bruce Surtees |
| Editor | Maryann Brandon |
| Running time | 87 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Showtime |
| Release | March 14, 1994 |
| Related | |
| The Birds | |
The Birds II: Land's End premiered on Showtime on March 14, 1994. Featuring a similar plot to the original film, a biology teacher 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 edit
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 edit
- 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 edit
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, Hedren described the film as a horrible experience.[4]
The film was parodied as The Crows in the CBC sitcom, Shitt's Creek.
Home video edit
The Birds II: Land's End was released on VHS and LaserDisc in the United States in 1994 by MCA/Universal Home Video and reissued on VHS in 1997 via GoodTimes Home Video.
The film was released on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome, featuring a new 2K restoration. It was made available in August 2022.[5]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Vinegar Syndrome Announces August Releases". blu-ray.com. August 1, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
