The Birds

directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Category: "Suspense"
Year of Release:1963
Date Added:02/20/2005
Date Watched:01/01/2005
Description:Rod Taylor .... Mitch Brenner
Jessica Tandy .... Lydia Brenner
Suzanne Pleshette .... Annie Hayworth
Tippi Hedren .... Melanie Daniels
Veronica Cartwright .... Cathy Brenner
My Rating:8

Reviews for The Birds

Review - Birds, The

Mitch Brenner walks into a San Francisco pet shop and spots Melanie Daniels, whom he recognizes as a society dame. He pretends to think she works there, asking her for a pair of love birds for his sister, and she plays along. After he leaves, she tracks him to the house in Bodega Bay, a small coastal town, where he spends his weekends with his mother Lydia and his young sister, Cathy. Malanie buys a pair of love birds and takes them to Mitch’s house. She rents a boat and goes across the bay to sneak them into his house. He spots her and follows in his car. As she approaches the dock, she’s attacked by a gull. This is the first in a series of attacks where birds mass and attack humans, killing several, including Cathy’s schoolteacher, Annie, who was in love with Mitch. As the attacks escalate, Mitch, Melanie, Lydia and Cathy are barricaded in Lydia’s house. Birds attack and are driven off. Melanie goes upstairs to investigate a noise and is attacked and knocked out. Mitch rescues her, cut and bleeding. He realizes they need to get out of there. He manages to get all four of them into Melanie’s car, and the movie ends as they pull slowly off through a hugh flock of birds.

• From IMDB — Director Cameo: Alfred Hitchcock appears at the start of the film walking two dogs past the pet shop (the dogs were actually his own).

• Tippi Hedren’s daughter is Melanie Griffith.

The Birds doesn’t stand up to a lot of thought, but it is exciting with likeable characters. The special effects are tame by today’s standards, but for the most part effective.
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