The Birthday (2004) Arrow Player Review

The Birthday (2004) Arrow Player Review

Streaming on ARROW this month, Cory Feldman fans are in for a real treat, with THE GOONIES legend starring in a rediscovered and newly restored cult film, the comedy chiller THE BIRTHDAY, showing in sparkling 4K on ARROW from 21st May.

Highly praised by GET OUT writer/director Jordan Peele who championed the film, and featuring a lead performance from Feldman that The Guardian describes as “genuinely great,” this is a chance for you to celebrate a neglected masterwork in all its quirky glory.

Co-written and directed by Eugenio Mira THE BIRTHDAY was originally made in 2004 and played at selected film festivals, following its debut at that year’s Sitges International Film Festival, but it never received a theatrical or retail release. Consequently, the film has remained unseen for twenty years and garnered a cult following from those that had somehow managed to find the film on the likes of YouTube or via pirate DVDs.

Eugenio Mira, understandably frustrated that his film remained unseen, started canvassing persons of note within the film industry – such as Elijah Wood, Quentin Tarantino, and Jason Blum, by sending them out copies of THE BIRTHDAY – anticipating that they end up championing his ‘lost’ movie. His efforts paid off as GET OUT director Jordan Peele hosted a New York screening of the film leading to its now subsequent 4k restoration and finding a home on Arrow Player.

I have always found lead actor Corey Feldman to be an acquired taste. In his Eighties heyday Feldman excelled in THE LOST BOYS and STAND BY ME however with the passing of time and his transition from child-star to adulthood I found his persona and screen presence increasingly wearing. With THE BIRTHDAY Feldman has returned to his previous good form, channelling the last actor/comedian Jerry Lewis’ trademark squeaky voice as the film’s lead character Norman Forrester. Forrester spends his time wanders around a swanky and surreal hotel getting himself into increasingly messy and awkward situations some of which involve his insufferable, bossy girlfriend Alison (Erica Prior). Forrester becomes increasingly paranoid fearing that there may be a sinister cult – is there any other sort – with their own nefarious agenda at the party.

Initially whacky and playfully scored – with an instrumental version of the song ‘It’s My Party’ used throughout the energy sags after the first hour the quirkiness works but sags later. This near two-hour film would have worked better with a shorter runtime and a less protracted climax. It’s as if they either did not want to wrap it up or simply had no idea as to how to finish it. There’s not much meat on the bones for one to get their teeth into here, which is a shame as I loved the film’s weird vibe. It’s all build-up and no pay-off for this overlong, overwrought mystery-horror-thriller.