Kaw is a 2006[1][2] made-for-television horror film directed by Sheldon Wilson[3] and starring Sean Patrick Flanery, Stephen McHattie, Kristin Booth, and Rod Taylor. An international co-production of Canada and the United States,[1][4] Kaw is a Sci Fi Pictures original film. The film's plot, which follows a town besieged by hostile ravens, is similar to that of The Birds (1963)—which also starred Taylor—and has been called an homage or modernization of the older film.[5][6]
| Kaw | |
|---|---|
 Promotional release poster | |
| Written by | Benjamin Sztajnkrycer |
| Directed by | Sheldon Wilson |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Steve London |
| Country of origin |
|
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Gordon Yang |
| Running time | 92 minutes |
| Budget | CA$1.8 million |
| Original release | |
| Network | Sci Fi Channel |
| Release | 2006 |
Plot
editThis article needs an improved plot summary. (June 2015) |
A shunned farmer attempts to warn his neighbors of an impending besiegement by crazed ravens. A small town sheriff and the trapped citizens of the town must band together to survive.
After one of the farmer's cows catches mad cow disease, it dies. Soon another cow catches it and dies as well. Instead of telling the authorities about it, the farmer chooses to keep quiet thinking he could handle the situation and for fear of the authorities killing his cattle. Ravens feed on the infected cow carcasses, and the disease begins to affect the birds as well. The farmer tries to burn the corpses in hopes to drive the birds away. However, it only makes them angrier until they decided to attack the townspeople.
Cast
edit- Sean Patrick Flanery as Wayne
- Stephen McHattie as Clyde
- Kristin Booth as Cynthia
- Rod Taylor as Doc
- John Ralston as Oskar
- Michèle Duquet as Betty
- Ashley Newbrough as Doris
- Gray Powell as Stanley "Stan"
- Vladmir Bondarenko as Jacob
- Megan Park as Gretchen
- Emma Knight as Connie
- Amanda Brugel as Emma
- Wendy Lyon as Luanne
- Sophie Gendron as Tricia
- Jefferson Brown as John
- Renessa Blitz as Rachel
- David Gardner as Rolf
- Alexander Conti as Tyler Whitmore
- Jen Lawson as Tyler's Mother
Production
editKaw was shot in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, in December 2005, on a CA$1.8 million budget, with filming taking place on the same soundstage on which the television series The Hilarious House of Frightenstein was filmed.[7] The production of Kaw utilized 11 live ravens from the Czech Republic, which were supplemented in post-production with numerous additional birds created using computer-generated imagery (CGI).[7]
Reception
editAndy Cooper of The Leader-Post gave the film a score of two-and-a-half out of five stars, writing, "It's not a classic, but the bird attacks are well done thanks to some very well trained ravens from Czechoslovakia aided by thousands of computer generated birds."[8] Felix Vasquez Jr. of Cinema Crazed called the film "surprisingly competent", and an "atmospheric little killer bird movie that works and works well."[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Tate, Marsha Ann (2007). Canadian Television Programming Made for the United States Market (A History with Production and Broadcast Data). McFarland & Company. p. 221. ISBN 978-0-7864-2745-1.
- ^ Bianculli, David (April 7, 2007). "Best Bets". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas, United States. p. 14E.
Rod Taylor, who starred in the classic Alfred Hitchcock thriller The Birds, appears in this 2006 Sci-Fi Channel movie as well.
- ^ Freitag, Gina; Loiselle, André, eds. (2015). The Canadian Horror Film: Terror of the Soul. University of Toronto Press. p. 144. ISBN 978-1-4426-2850-2.
- ^ "Kaw Movie". Kaw-movie.com. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (2010). Rod Taylor: An Aussie in Hollywood. Bear Manor Media. p. 227.
- ^ McMurry, Andrew (2018). Entertaining Futility: Despair and Hope in the Time of Climate Change. Texas A&M University Press. p. 137. ISBN 978-1623496852.
- ^ a b Hays, Matt (December 5, 2005). "Revenge of the psychotic birds". Playback. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
- ^ Cooper, Andy (October 20, 2007). "'B' horror flicks are still good". Regina Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. p. B1.
- ^ Vasquez Jr., Felix (April 11, 2007). "Kaw (2007)". Cinema Crazed. Retrieved October 14, 2023.