The Birds (Collector's Edition)
Actor: Rod Taylor , Tippi Hedren , Jessica Tandy , Suzanne Pleshette , Veronica Cartwright
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
ISBN: 0783240236
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Customer Rating:
, based on 306 reviews
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Editorial Review:
Vacationing in northern California, Alfred Hitchcock was struck by a story in a Santa Cruz newspaper: "Seabird Invasion Hits Coastal Homes." From this peculiar incident, and his memory of a short story by Daphne du Maurier, the master of suspense created one of his strangest and most terrifying films. The Birds follows a chic blonde, Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), as she travels to the coastal town of Bodega Bay to hook up with a rugged fellow (Rod Taylor) she's only just met. Before long the town is attacked by marauding birds, and Hitchcock's skill at staging action is brought to the fore. Beyond the superb effects, however, The Birds is also one of Hitchcock's most psychologically complicated scenarios, a tense study of violence, loneliness, and complacency. What really gets under your skin are not the bird skirmishes but the anxiety and the eerie quiet between attacks. The director elevated an unknown model, Tippi Hedren (mother of Melanie Griffith), to being his latest cool, blond leading lady, an experience that was not always easy on the much-pecked Ms. Hedren. Still, she returned for the next Hitchcock picture, the underrated Marnie. Treated with scant attention by serious critics in 1963, The Birds has grown into a classic and--despite the sci-fi trappings--one of Hitchcock's most serious films. --Robert Horton
Early critics were not too kind to this movie. Today, we can see how this movie is one of Hitchcock's darkest views of life and (except for the failure of the ending - but there really was no way to end this movie) one of his most skillfully crafted films. Tippi Hedren is gorgeous as is Rod Taylor. Some of the scenes (such as the playground) will have you chewing your nails in suspense.
A great film!
Possibly this was done to produce a Hollywood more-or-less happy ending but it was a mistake. That combined with the limited acting skills of some of the actors, makes this a film easy to pass over.
Ron Braithwaite author of Mexican Conquest novels, "Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"
Nature takes its revenge?
Based on the short story by Daphne Du Maurier, Melanie Daniels (Tippy Hendren) chases a man she's smitten with to a small town outside San Francisco, Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor) when, slowly the birds begin to attack with a vengence: "Their coming, their coming!" screams Daniels, in the classic trailer with an expression of utter terror.
What really makes the film is the silence of suspence between attacks. "Suspence" almost became Hitchcock's trademark, and The Birds is one of his best.
It is well known that Hitchcock did not have a high regard for actors - he viewed them as merely pawns to tell his story. Tippy Hendren, it has been written somewhere caught the brunt of old Alfred's arrogance, but stuck with him for another great film, Marnie.
Although not as subtle as some of the old Englishman's films, this is one of the Master's more memorable pictures of the 60's.
Vacationing in northern California, Alfred Hitchcock was struck by a story in a Santa Cruz newspaper: "Seabird Invasion Hits Coastal Homes." From this peculiar incident, and his memory of a short story by Daphne du Maurier, the master of suspense created one of his strangest and most terrifying films. The Birds follows a chic blonde, Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), as she travels to the coastal town of Bodega Bay to hook up with a rugged fellow (Rod Taylor) she's only just met. Before long the town is attacked by marauding birds, and Hitchcock's skill at staging action is brought to the fore. Beyond the superb effects, however, The Birds is also one of Hitchcock's most psychologically complicated scenarios, a tense study of violence, loneliness, and complacency. What really gets under your skin are not the bird skirmishes but the anxiety and the eerie quiet between attacks. The director elevated an unknown model, Tippi Hedren (mother of Melanie Griffith), to being his latest cool, blond leading lady, an experience that was not always easy on the much-pecked Ms. Hedren. Still, she returned for the next Hitchcock picture, the underrated Marnie. Treated with scant attention by serious critics in 1963, The Birds has grown into a classic and--despite the sci-fi trappings--one of Hitchcock's most serious films. --Robert Horton
Customer Reviews:
the birds
I was so greatful that we could still get this movie. It is as scary as it was when it first come out. 2008-08-25
The ultimate pagan movie
A world where nature is out to destroy man and there is no salvation from any god. A world where jealousy, competition, and lust simmers below the surface. A world where three women compete for the affections of one apollo-like beauty of a man. A world where something as simple as throwing away a match can set off a series of events that leaves an entire town struggling to survive. A world where there seems to be no reason why disaster and destruction occur. Nothing makes sense. Reason is useless. The world is irrational - and damned dangerous! Welcome to Alfred Hitchcock's, "The Birds."
Early critics were not too kind to this movie. Today, we can see how this movie is one of Hitchcock's darkest views of life and (except for the failure of the ending - but there really was no way to end this movie) one of his most skillfully crafted films. Tippi Hedren is gorgeous as is Rod Taylor. Some of the scenes (such as the playground) will have you chewing your nails in suspense.
A great film!
2008-07-22
inferior to Daphne du Maurier's short story
This Hitchcock classic simply isn't up to the horror of the original du Maurier short story--an avian world holocaust with the imminent extinction of the human race. Hitchcock's catastrophe is apparently limited to a few miles of North California coast.
Possibly this was done to produce a Hollywood more-or-less happy ending but it was a mistake. That combined with the limited acting skills of some of the actors, makes this a film easy to pass over.
Ron Braithwaite author of Mexican Conquest novels, "Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"
2008-06-19
One of Hitchcock's more memorable films
After seeing The Birds again, including Hitchcock's tongue and cheek "lecture" in the trailer for the film, (1963) as one reviewer has written, it,s the suspense during those moments of silence between those unrelenting onslaughts of violence against their chosen rivals, human beings. The big question that is not answered in the film, is why the birds turn with such fury?
Nature takes its revenge?
Based on the short story by Daphne Du Maurier, Melanie Daniels (Tippy Hendren) chases a man she's smitten with to a small town outside San Francisco, Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor) when, slowly the birds begin to attack with a vengence: "Their coming, their coming!" screams Daniels, in the classic trailer with an expression of utter terror.
What really makes the film is the silence of suspence between attacks. "Suspence" almost became Hitchcock's trademark, and The Birds is one of his best.
It is well known that Hitchcock did not have a high regard for actors - he viewed them as merely pawns to tell his story. Tippy Hendren, it has been written somewhere caught the brunt of old Alfred's arrogance, but stuck with him for another great film, Marnie.
Although not as subtle as some of the old Englishman's films, this is one of the Master's more memorable pictures of the 60's.
2008-06-09
CLASSIC HITCHCOCK
Modern day movies can never compare to the Great Alfred Hitchcock. This legandary film is Amazing. Any Hithcock fan will totally agree with me.
2008-05-15
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