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The Birds
1963
In THE BIRDS, Alfred Hitchcock's heart-pounding followup to PSYCHO, the director couples a tone of rigorous morality with dark humor to create a thriller that begins as a light comedy and ends as an apocalyptic allegory. Wealthy, reformed party girl Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) enjoys a brief flirtation with lawyer Mitch .. Read more
| Starring | Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette |
|---|---|
| Director | Alfred Hitchcock |
| Genres | Thriller |
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The Birds
In THE BIRDS, Alfred Hitchcock's heart-pounding followup to PSYCHO, the director couples a tone of rigorous morality with dark humor to create a thriller that begins as a light comedy and ends as an apocalyptic allegory. Wealthy, reformed party girl Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) enjoys a brief flirtation with lawyer Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor) in a San Francisco pet shop and decides to follow him to his Bodega Bay home. Bearing a gift of two lovebirds, Melanie quickly strikes up a romance with Mitch while contending with his possessive mother and boarding at his ex-girlfriend's house. One day, during a birthday party for Mitch's younger sister, a flock of birds attacks the children in what seems to be a random incident. In fact, it signals the beginning of a massive avian assault on the residents of the town--a mysterious assault that no one can explain and from which no one might come out alive. Hedren (Melanie Griffith's mother) carries the picture in her first film role ever, embarking on a career as an icy-cool leading lady. Loosely based on a Daphne du Maurier story and a Santa Monica newspaper story, "Seabird Invasion Hits Coastal Homes," THE BIRDS also features groundbreaking special effects.
| Starring | Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette, Ethel Griffies |
|---|---|
| Director | Alfred Hitchcock |
| Studio | UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 55 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Collections | 100 Horror Films, 100 Top Thrillers |
| Genres | Thriller |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 21 Apr 2003 Production year: 1963 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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This Hitchcock classic somehow strayed from favour for a while, yet in the realm of popular mythology it is now rivalled only by Psycho. Set in the remote California coastal town of Bodega Bay, the story concerns a small group of unsatisfied creatures. Two women and a young girl are all fixed on one man (Rod Taylor), and when a fourth (Tippi Hedren) arrives from San Francisco with a certain determination in her heart, a menacing populace of birds descends on the town, wreaking terror and havoc, right up until the film's inscrutable ending. But, as ever, Hitchcock is also having a laugh.
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A curiously absorbing work which begins as light comedy and ends as apocalyptic allegory, this piece of Hitchcockery has no visible point except to tease the audience and provide plenty of opportunity for shock, offbeat humour and special effects (which d
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Most helpful member's review
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21 out of 32 people found this review helpful
Scary as hell, but weak!!!
I am a massive fan of psycho! it is one of my favourite films of all time! so this had a lot to live up to! some people will think i am harsh with my review, however, read the rest of them, they all say what i am about to say and then rate it as five stars???!! that makes no sense!
This is a very tense and sinister film which really ratchets up the tension and is very enjoyable on that level! (possibly 3 stars!) however the film is let down by it's ridiculous storyline - i am refering to the woman pursues man to place she's never been to, after speaking once in a bird shop!!! and then it fails to give a rationale as to why the birds are attacking! it doesn't even try. The ending is abysmal after setting the film up for two hours it then leaves it unfinished! this is poor film making, however the tension and scariness of the film really are good! but i was so let down i consider this to be 2 hours wasted! -
Most recent members' review
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4 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Not a lot to say
Everything seemed so old fashioned, especially the acting, not how I felt when I first saw it, years ago.
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News and features
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Possible remake of The Birds for Naomi Watts
- 18 Oct 2006
King Kong and 21 Grams star Naomi Watts is reportedly being considered for the remake of Alfred Hitchcock classic The Birds. According to TMZ.com, the Australian actress - who featured in remakes of The Ring and the aforementioned ape-epic - could star as Melanie Daniels, the character previously played by Tippi Hedren. A haunting story of a small California town attacked by vicious birds, the 1963 movie was taken from a short story by mistress of eerie suspense, Daphne DuMaurier. Prior to The... Read more
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The Birds
In THE BIRDS, Alfred Hitchcock's heart-pounding followup to PSYCHO, the director couples a tone of rigorous morality with dark humor to create a thriller that begins as a light comedy and ends as an apocalyptic allegory. Wealthy, reformed party girl Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) enjoys a brief ...
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