www.montereycountynow.com MAY 30-JUNE 5, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 27 FILM Vision is what drives filmmaking. Narrative, conflict, characters and setting are meaningless without it. No overarching frame, and it might as well be an Instagram story. Even if a movie is torn apart by critics, none of them can argue that the magic happens when those working on a film come together under a shared vision. Pacific Grove resident Max Troia acted in Birdemic 3: Sea Eagle, one of James Ngyuen’s sequels to his romantic thriller series. The film follows Ngyuen’s first iteration, released in 2009, Birdemic: Shock and Terror, which fantasizes that climate change has caused birds to mutate into acid-spitting death machines that explode on impact with the ground. It has been dubbed “one of the worst films of all time” by several reviewers, but the plot carries a message that bridges the dichotomy of fun entertainment and a dramatic message—a match for Troia’s ethos as an actor. The Pebble Beach native always wanted to be an actor, humbly beginning with pretend-radio shows with his family that naturally evolved into making home movies. As he grew up, that passion for acting evolved into recreating family favorites like Home Alone and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. He eventually landed a role as a sleazy, sex-motivated car salesman in a CSU Monterey Bay student film project featuring the tonguein-cheek plight of students attempting to fix climate change. Birdemic’s message and delivery is similar. “You have to take risks, right?” Troia says. “When I got offered the role of Mr. Green for Birdemic 3, I didn’t look at it and say, ‘This film is garbage.’ You can tell it’s low-budget, but it felt familiar. This is the kind of film I used to make [on my own]—it felt relatable and non-intimidating.” Ngyuen’s films are indeed low-budget. Birdemic: Shock and Terror cost under $10,000 and was self-financed. The film that Troia acted in was the result of two failed crowdfunding attempts, but was still produced. Ngyuen may not have millions of dollars to rehash a documentary similar to An Inconvenient Truth, but Troia recognizes that voicing “the worst movie ever made” carries its own notoriety. After all, Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds didn’t have realistic special effects either, but that’s part of its signature as a classic thriller. Birdemic: Shock and Terror, Birdemic 2: The Resurrection and Birdemic 3: Sea Eagle featuring Max Troia as Mr. Green are available for streaming. DANIEL DREIFUSS Dive Bomb A local actor played a role in the third iteration of the Birdemic film series, lauded as ‘the worst’ movies. By Sloan Campi Local actor Max Troia was cast in the Birdemic series, dubbed by critics as “one of the worst films of all time,” but he identifies with the message about climate change. 7th Avenue & Dolores st •(831) 293-7600• 7th Avenue & Dolores st •(831) 293-7600• carmel-by-the-sea culinary week events birDs & bubbles the macallan master makers Dinner sunDay, June 2nD thursDay, June 6th
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