Eugenio Mira's long lost film, The Birthday, starring Corey Feldman and Erica Prior, celebrated its twentieth anniversary and a 4K restoration at Fantastic Fest this past week.
A wacky blend of comedy, horror, mystery and sci-fi the film reportedly gained a cult following through bootlegs on YouTube before catching the eyes, and heart, of Jordan Peele. Peele then went on a personal mission to get The Birthday out into the world properly. And here we are, twenty years later with a brand new restoration Mira's debut feature film and one many consider one of Feldman's best performances on screen.
We have a treat for you today, a never-seen-before featurette for the film. You'll find it below.
Not everything is as it seems at the old Royal Fulton Hotel. Norman Forrester, played brilliantly in a career-defining performance by the iconic Corey 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. Hailed a “cinematic marvel” by master of comedy and terror Jordan Peele, THE BIRTHDAY is the mischievously thrilling, darkly hilarious, and cult-celebrated first feature from visionary filmmaker Eugenio Mira (GRAND PIANO).Essentially lost since its World Premiere at the Sitges International Film Festival in 2004, a bootleg version of The Birthday hit YouTube and slowly built a cult following over the last 20 years amongst genre fans and notable champions including Elijah Wood, Jason Blum, and Jordan Peele. Peele, in particular, programmed the film at Film Society of Lincoln Center in 2023 for its New York Premiere, with Feldman and Mira in attendance. Peele 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."