The Birds

Director - Alfred Hitchcock (Psycho, Rear Window)

Starring - Rod Taylor (Inglorious Basterds, The Time Machine), Jessica Tandy (*batteries not included, Cocoon), and Suzanne Pleshette (The Invaders, Blackbeard's Ghost)

Release Date - 1963

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "...and remember, the next scream you hear could be your own"

Format - 4K Ultra HD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was younger, around 4 years old or so, my home life was not the best.  In fact, the police and social services were often called to my home to deal with my mentally ill mother and dumb ass father.  It was also during this time that I remember my first brush with horror.  It was one of the many days that I had to stay with my grandmother because of the shit going on with my parents.  While I was at her home we were watching movies like we would often do.  She then introduced me to Hitchcock's classic The Birds.  This would not be the film that made me fall in love with horror but it is the first film that truly scared the living shit out of me.  I've watched it countless times since then but I couldn't wait to revisit it on 4K.

     The film follows Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) who was tricked by a lawyer when she was visiting a bird ship.  To return the prank, she discovers where his family stays on weekends and delivers two love birds to him.  However, her little trip backfires and she starts to fall in love with the good looking lawyer but neither of them can foresee the horrors that befall them when the birds flying around the small coastal town get a taste for blood.

     The Birds, just like Psycho, is one of the most iconic horror films to ever filmed. The film is able to bring about a sense of dread and danger without having to cover the viewer in blood and gore like most modern flicks.  The fact that it involves birds which, when I was little, was an irrational fear that I had prior to seeing this.  However, after watching the film I found myself fucking terrified.  From my understanding, I was not the only person that this film did that to.  Sure, I'm over now and was soon after seeing that film for the first time but for a short period of time that film scared the shit out of me.  The acting in this one is absolutely phenomenal.  Rod Taylor and Tippi Hedren are fantastic together and their characters work so fucking well for the story.  I know Hitchcock is known as the master of suspense but he knew how to tie characters to stories and he couldn't achieve that without these amazing casts.  The story for this one is simple on paper but painfully difficult to shoot.  The story works because it uses nature against us.  Something real that we can't control has always scared man so turning something so innocent as a bird into a killer is enough to send chills.  Knowing that one or two birds posed no danger, Hitchcock had masses of birds for the film.  Using old school camera tricks and split screen he is able to pull off these tricky shots that works with the story.  Finally, if you are looking for a blood soaked film you will be disappointed.  We get a little blood and some make-up effects but that is the extent of it.  The film does use classic camera tricks that we mentioned before but those wanted practical effects will be disappointed.  Overall, The Birds is essential viewing for movie fans regardless of the genre they prefer.  It's an important part of horror history, as well as, movie history.  The 4K release is absolutely mind blowing.  It looks so good compared to the DVD I bought some Halloweens ago.