Flashback Friday

The Birds (1963)

August 13, 2010 @ 5:35 AM

Dosage: A gulp of Corona every time someone is killed by "The Birds".

Level of Horror: Nature Attack, Supernatural

Why: The Birds was loosely adapted from Daphne Du Maurier's novel of the same name. The storyline tells us about Melanie played Tippi Hedren, a wealthy, beautiful young socialite who meets Mitch played by Rod Taylor ironically in a bird shop. After a rather awkward first impression, she decides to go surprise Mitch at his home in Bodega Bay, California. She brought him a pair of lovebirds he had been trying to purchase for his sister at the bird shop where they first met. She was making an attempt at seeing him again. Instead Melanie met with his possessive, overbearing mother, Lydia played by Jessican Tandy, his sweet little sister Cathy and even his ex-girlfriend Annie played by Suzanne Pleshette. Haphazardly, things go for a dark crisp turn as The Birds begin to prey on the small community. Melanie did not only change the balance in Mitch's life with these other women by her abrupt arrival in Bodega Bay but she was also accused by Mitch's mother to be the cause of the recent unexplained fatal birds attack in their bay. But can we blame her, Melanie was indeed guilty of some petty crimes of attraction -- Monopolizing Mitch's attention and heart for the most part. However, her sudden and unplanned attraction to Mitch came with a price -- Forever to suffer from the verbal persecutions of a clingy parent and to get pecked on incessantly by some angry flocks of birds. This movie has the MacGuffin plot element that Sir Hitchcock is worldly famous for, find it tonight by making this film your small project in the spirit of celebrating the 113th year of Hitchcock movies. Ole!

Actors: Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette

Tagline: "Remember the next scream your hear, may be your own!"