Channel: MovieNight

Category: Film & Animation

Tags: rod taylormaster of suspensethrillersuspensecreature featuredramadvd#jpmnreviewcaliforniabodega baycriticismhitchcockmurderhorrorevan hunterbird attacksdirectorfilm reviewthe birdsfilmmovie reviewthe birds reviewtippi hedrenthe birds moviealfred hitchcockhitchock moviesjessica tandyhdblu-raycommentarytechnicolor

Description: • The Birds (1963) - Slow screenplay and lame characters redeemed by lasting imagery, 6/10. WATCH full episodes of "Movie Night" -- bit.ly/JogJPMN READ my un-filmed reviews / scripts: bit.ly/JPMNNotFilmed FOLLOW me on Letterboxd to see what I'm watching / rating: bit.ly/JonLetterboxd ~~ Movie Night ~~ Your host, and film critic Jonathan Paula reviews everything from opening day releases, recent DVDs, upcoming trailers, and classics from years past. Each "Quick Review" is an excerpt from a full episode, which airs on the Jogwheel channel every week. ~~ Watch More Reviews ~~ Browse By Year ----- bit.ly/MNYear Browse By Rating --- bit.ly/MNRating Trailer Reviews ------- bit.ly/MNTrailers ~~ Other Channels ~~ Jogwheel (Main channel) --- bit.ly/Jogwheel Jon's World (2nd channel) -- bit.ly/JonWorld The Microwave Show --------- bit.ly/TMSArchive uStream Live Shows ---------- bit.ly/JogLive ~~ Social Media & Merch ~~ Twitter ---------------------------- bit.ly/JonTW Facebook ----------------------- bit.ly/JonFBFan Instagram ----------------------- bit.ly/JonInsta Patreon -------------------------- bit.ly/JonPatreon Letterboxd ---------------------- bit.ly/JonLetterboxd T-Shirts -------------------------- bit.ly/JogStore • Jogwheel Productions © 2016 • ~~ Script ~~ Memorable moments in a shallow script. Released in March of 1963, this creature-feature from director Alfred Hitchcock grossed over $8 million more than $3.3 million dollar budget. In her screen debut, Tippi Hedren stars as a young socialite who pursues a potential boyfriend to a small costal town where birds suddenly began terrorizing people. Despite her puke-green clothes, she's easy-going on the eyes, and a relatively endearing protagonist. But I still feel like the outlandish material would have been better suited in more experienced hands. She doesn't get much help from the supporting cast either; Rod Taylor is stiff and uninteresting as the tall, dark, and handsome chap she only just met, while Jessica Tandy is annoying and useless as the needy old mother, who plainly declares, "This business with the birds has upset me!" That type of lazy, groan-inducing dialogue is not what you'd expect to hear from a future Academy Award winner... least of all in a Hitchcock film. I first saw "The Birds" when I was a kid over twenty years ago, and many of its more action-oriented moments have stayed with me since. But I had completely forgotten about was how many dull and bizarre developments surround them. Basically every character in Bodega Bay is a total moron paralyzed by fear. And when they're brave enough to take action, they willingly expose themselves to ferocious bird attacks for seemingly no reason. Like, when a car explodes and seagulls start going crazy, everyone's immediate reaction is to leave the security of a diner and go outside? Then Hedren decides to run into a phone booth for some reason? It's the kind of boneheaded script that frustrates its audience more than it entertains. Earlier, when multiple witness come forward with visible bite-marks and horrifying stories... a majority of the community refuses to believe their own eyes. The somewhat stilted dialogue doesn't help explain these weird character motivations either. This sloppy writing and slow pacing would be more excusable if there were plenty of bird-attacks to keep things interesting, but nearly an entire hour goes by before the titular feathered antagonists actually do anything out of the ordinary. There's basically a twenty minute stretch where Hedren is just tracking down her new boy-toy... no surprises, no contribution to the plot, just a women slowly traveling to someone's house to say 'hello'. All that being said, if you can stay invested, there's some surprisingly nerve-racking moments in the final act; like when Dakota Johnson's grandmother is literally being eaten alive by vicious seagulls in a locked attic. You can't help but feel powerless and horrified at what she's going through. Retroactively rated PG-13, the bird-attacks here are surprisingly graphic, depicting copious amounts of blood. And while some of the bird puppets and projection-screen effects aren't too convincing, they're still massively more realistic than the flying garbage found in 2010's "Birdemic". This is thanks largely in part to a pioneering chroma-key effect known as sodium vapor process - which uses a two-pass "yellow screen" technique - instead of the more conventional blue screen - to create more precise matte. Although it doesn't feature any conventional music, the sound effects of the birds themselves are quiet unsettling. Redeemable thanks to its lasting imagery and technical merits, "The Birds" disappoints with a slow screenplay and lame characters. I thought it was a GOOD film. ~