Flu Bird Horror

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Rating 1½


Directed by Leigh Scott

Written by Tony Daniel and Brian D Smith

Starring Clare Carey (Dr Jacqueline Hale), Lance Guest (Garrett), Sarah Butler (Eva), Jonathon Trent (Johnson), Rebekah Kochan (Lola), Bill Posley (Derrick), Brent Lydic (Gordon), Gabriel Costin (Porky), Calin Stanciu (Hank), Tarri Markell (Dr Giovanna Thomas), Serban Celea (Oscar Drake) and Bart Sidles (Counsellor)


Dr Jacqueline Hale diagnoses what she believes is a case of avian flu, the first case detected in North America, and shares her findings with Garrett, the local Park Ranger. In a remote area of forest, a group of teenagers from a juvenile remand facility, out there on a group-building exercise, are menaced by deadly bird-like creatures. A Government biological containment agency gets involved, intent on containing the threat using military means, and it becomes a race against time to rescue the survivors.

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‘Flu Bird Horror’, which is also known as ‘Flu Birds’, caught my attention in the first place because of the title and then I noticed Clare Carey’s name amongst the cast list. She was one of the cast of the short-lived ‘Point Pleasant’, probably my favourite television series of the last five years, and ‘Jericho’. It was for this reason alone that I watched it.

I assumed this ludicrous film was going to be about the wildfire spread of a bird virus and the desperate efforts to contain the pandemic. To a certain degree, that is what happens, but more than that it is a nonsensical horror film about a bunch of thoroughly dislikeable teenagers being picked off one by one by a prehistoric-looking airborne monster – complete with a Government agent who appears to be the bad-guy from a Steven Seagal film. There is virtually no attempt to explain anything that happens and the plot is laughable. It would be unfair to say there are holes in the plot – the whole thing is just one gigantic chasm of preposterous absurdity. It is, in fact, a typical Sci-Fi Channel movie and the less said about some of the acting the better.

Some parts are actually quite effective and all in all I cannot deny quite enjoying the film on some level or other, although I do not intend this to be a recommendation. Anyone familiar with typical Sci-Fi Channel fare will know what to expect.

Review posted 29 August 2009



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