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The Birds (1963)

The Birds (1963)
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The story begins as an innocuous romantic triangle involving wealthy, spoiled Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), handsome Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor), and schoolteacher Annie Hayworth (Suzanne Pleshette). The human story begins in a San Francisco pet shop and culminates at the home of Mitch's mother (Jessica Tandy) at Bodega Bay, where the characters' sense of security is slowly eroded by the curious behavior of the birds in the area. At first, it's no more than a sea gull swooping down and pecking at Melanie's head. Things take a truly ugly turn when hundreds of birds converge on a children's party. There is never an explanation as to why the birds have run amok, but once the onslaught begins, there's virtually no letup. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, (more)
Director(s):
Alfred Hitchcock
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
PG13
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of The Birds

The story begins as an innocuous romantic triangle involving wealthy, spoiled Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), handsome Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor), and schoolteacher Annie Hayworth (Suzanne Pleshette). The human story begins in a San Francisco pet shop and culminates at the home of Mitch's mother (Jessica Tandy) at Bodega Bay, where the characters' sense of security is slowly eroded by the curious behavior of the birds in the area. At first, it's no more than a sea gull swooping down and pecking at Melanie's head. Things take a truly ugly turn when hundreds of birds converge on a children's party. There is never an explanation as to why the birds have run amok, but once the onslaught begins, there's virtually no letup. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
120 mins

Complete Cast of The Birds


Director(s):
Alfred Hitchcock
Writer(s):
Evan Hunter
Producer(s):
Alfred Hitchcock, Norman Deming
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
PG13(Questionable for Children, Violence)
Categories:
Horror
The Birds Awards:
  • 1963 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - New Star of the Year - Female
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    Member Reviews
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    Tim V.

    I had a vague idea of what to expect with The Birds and was glad when it ended up being much more than that after it was all over. This is a great, creepy, film that has just the right balance of horror with minimal gore, all while keeping the answers to what's really going on just out the viewer's reach. At first I was a little taken aback by the final scene, but after sleeping on it, now I think it was the perfect way to end it. It's a very eerie and unsettling image, and the perfect kind of tone to make the viewer still have a sense of unease for days after having seen it. The Birds is also a real landmark for the "less is more" approach to film making. There's a scene near the end where all the main players have fortified themselves in a house that is being attacked by the birds. The scene plays out almost entirely thru lighting and audio and it's one of the creepiest scenes I've seen in recent memory. A real cerebral horror classic.

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    Miguel C.

    For years all I saw was the bird attack on the town. I never expected there to be an interesting story before and after that scene. Hendren and Taylor were great. Jessica Tandy was so recognizable. And Pleshette looked like such a bad girl. The young girl, Cathy, later appeared in Alien (1979). The best part is the debate in the dinner about the nature of birds. It was also funny how much they drank. They seemed to drink for any reason. The film has a gradual build-up but gives the viewer little teasers of remote bird attacks. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Thanks, Hitch!

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    Brian C.

    Top notch Hitchcock film. They don't make movies like this anymore. May be a little slow moving at times for some, but overall this movie is fantastic if you appreciate old school quality films. The kind where effects and scenery add to the story, not the other way around.

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