Twenty years later and Corey Feldman is back on the big screen for his iconic cult film “The Birthday.”
The feature, which counts Jason Blum and Jordan Peele among its fans, marked director Eugenio Mira’s filmmaking debut. Now, thanks to Drafthouse Films, “The Birthday” is celebrating its own b-day in a big way: with a 4K ultra high definition theatrical release, which will be its first time ever distributed in theaters.
Feldman leads the 2004 horror-comedy that was shot in real time. Feldman is Norman, a man who just might be having the worst trip to a hotel ever, much like “The Shining.” Norman thinks he’s just going to a birthday party, but it turns out the festivities are for the birth of a cult’s god…
The official synopsis reads: “Not everything is as it seems at the old Royal Fulton Hotel. Norman Forrester (Feldman) is finally going to meet his girlfriend’s family at her father’s lavish birthday party. But what was supposed to be an important step forward in their relationship doesn’t exactly go as planned; he’s not on the guest list, his girlfriend is ignoring him, and her father doesn’t like him at all. Rejected and heartbroken, Norman wanders away from the party, only to find something far more sinister than his girlfriend’s family lurking deep within the churning bowels of the ailing hotel: an ancient evil that threatens to bring about the end of the world.”
In addition to Feldman, Erica Prior and Jack Taylor also star. Director Mira co-wrote the script with Mikel Alvariño.
The feature made its world premiere at the Sitges International Film Festival in 2004 but was essentially lost and never viewed in theaters after its initial festival circuit tour. After its initial festival screenings, “The Birthday” found a second life on YouTube thanks to a bootleg version being uploaded.
The 4K restoration will screen at Fantastic Fest 2024, with Feldman and Mira there in-person; the festival programming also marks a b-day of sorts.
“Way back in 2005, during the first-ever Fantastic Fest, we booked ‘The Birthday’ [for its U.S. premiere],” Alamo Drafthouse Founder and Fantastic Fest Director Tim League told IndieWire. “That movie and that now twenty-year relationship with director Eugenio Mira, in no small measure, crystallized the personality of the festival. Twenty years later, I am beyond thrilled to finally herald, ‘The 4K restoration is coming out this year!’”
Horror director Peele programmed “The Birthday” at Film Society of Lincoln Center in 2023 for its New York premiere, and helped re-launch interest in the cult favorite. Peele previously described the film as “a cinematic marvel that demands captivation and will never relent to your expectations. A true ‘what-the-f-did-I-just-watch’ experience. Feldman at his best.”
Feldman later told Entertainment Weekly that he and Peele “immediately became fast friends” due to Peele’s “The Birthday” fandom.
“He said, ‘Well, how do I see it?’” Feldman explained of connecting with Peele over the lesser-known film. “I said, ‘Well, the only way would be for you to come over to my house and watch it because I only have one copy.’ Because it never came out on DVD, it never came out on Blu-ray, it was never released in the theaters, it was never released anywhere in America, quite sadly. It was only released in Germany and in Spain. And so he said, ‘Well, I want to see it.’”
Feldman continued, “And here we are: Alamo Drafthouse Theaters is releasing the film this fall in theaters.… I think there’s something like 40 theaters to start off, but we’ll see what happens. I’m hoping that it gets a tremendous response as I expect it will. It is a brilliant film, and I’m very, very proud of it.”
“The Birthday” 4K restoration premieres October 1 with one-night-only theatrical event in over 20 Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas nationwide. The film will open in select cities starting October 11. Check out the trailer below.
