If you haven’t seen the movie “Birdemic”, which is currently available on Netflix Instant, then you need to stop everything that you’re doing and watch it…before…this…sentence…is…over…period. If you’re into that whole “so bad that it’s good” style of cinema, then this one is for you. I can’t remember how I first heard about Birdemic, probably around the time it was trying to get into Sundance a few years ago, but I will never forget my first viewing of it. Some people say that Troll 2 or maybe The Room might be the most entertaining terrible movies ever made, but I submit Birdemic: Shock and Terror (its full name) to accept that prize. After watching it, I tracked everything and anything to do with Birdemic, whether it be checking out a screening in a theater with director James Nguyen doing a Q & A to following everyone involved with it on Twitter to recommending it to everyone I knew. Through following the film’s star, Alan Bagh, and interacting with him on Twitter a few times, I was able to get in touch with him to ask him a few of my burning questions. Some emails were exchanged, and the answers to those questions can be found below. Reminder, this “interview” took place over email.

 

WolfMan: What Birdemic might have lacked in budget, it clearly made up for in dedication from the entire cast and crew. Between production spanning multiple years and having to defend yourself from animals that weren’t there, what were some of the more difficult aspects of filming the movie?

Alan Bagh: Well we didn’t have a crew so we had to be the crew. Some days I would have to hold a boom between my legs when we were filming. Also, I had to carry all the equipment around to different locations. Furthermore, I did a lot of driving. So I was very exhausted every day that we filmed.

 

WM: Were you ever nervous that it might not pay off?

AB: No, I was happy just to have a movie under my belt.

 

WM: At the Sundance Film Festival in 2009, writer/director James Nguyen took a more guerrilla approach to marketing the film. He might not have gotten the kind of attention most people expect from attending Sundance, but it wasn’t long before Birdemic was all over the internet and TV. How did you find out about how popular Birdemic was getting?

AB: I think the way I found out was one of friends telling me that Birdemic was the clip of the week on the show “The Soup”  and I think it was featured on the G4 channel as well.

 

 

WM: Did you in any way anticipate this kind of reaction to such an overwhelming amount of people?

AB: No, I thought this movie was gonna be locked up forever in a vault and never seen again. I was shocked on how much people actually enjoyed the film.

 

WM: Being one of the lead roles, you are the face of Birdemic to millions of people. There are sold out screenings of this movie across the country where people can recite the movie line for line. You’ve done interviews and talk shows, but is there one experience that really stands out in your mind as your favorite or still find hard to believe you ever had the opportunity to do?

AB: I would say that being flown out to New York for a screening of Birdemic at the IFC (Center). I thought that was really awesome and the audience was great.

 

WM:  I heard about your involvement in “Ghost Shark 2: Urban Jaws”, a self-proclaimed sharksploitation movie whose predecessor is nothing more than a trailer. I’m sensing a trend here, and can’t help but ask: do you have any projects coming up that don’t involve killer animals?

AB: LOL, I do have a couple projects that I’m attached to which don’t have killer animals.

 

 

WM: What are you most excited for?

AB: I can’t really talk about them yet but I will keep my fans updated on my Facebook and Twitter.

 

WM: With the huge success and popularity of Birdemic, it seems like you are a hot commodity these days with plenty of projects making themselves available. What are some of your dream projects that you’d love to get involved in, or some directors you’d love to work with?

AB: I would love to do an action film like Bourne (Identity) or Mission: Impossible, but I also like comedy. I would love to do a film with (Martin) Scorsese. I love all his films.

 

WM: Lastly, and I don’t want you to give too much away, but how is production on Birdemic II: The Resurrection going?

AB: It’s going great, much smoother sailing this time around.

 

 

WM: What are Rod and Nathalie up to these days?

AB: Well I’m living in L.A. and just auditioning for films, and Whitney (Moore, who plays Nathalie) is pretty much doing the same.