quick reviews!

Rating: 10/10 (26 May 2004)

SPOILERS!!!
Hitchcock does it again, by taking a seemingly preposterous situation, and turning it into one of the most impressive, intelligent, tense, and image filled horror movies ever. Tippi has often been accused of not being the greatest actress, but in this she is suitably mysterious as the outsider, at the same time seductive and vulnerable. One look at Jessica Tandy's face is enough to show the viewer that this woman is not wanted in their cosy town. For reasons unknown, Melanie Daniels's arrival heralds the attack of countless birds, ending in death and chaos. It is often assumed that the birds come as a warning about overt female sexuality, as Melanie travels to Bodega to get it on' with Mitch Brenner (Taylor). Whatever the reason, what ensues is a gripping finale as the remaining townsfolk hide in their house, wondering when the next attack will be. The scene in the café, as the town argues over whether a recent bird attack is real or fake, quickly followed by a full scale bird assault. We are ominously told that birds vastly outnumber people. While people fumble around, trying to escape incompetently, the birds of a different feather flock together (very sorry), and work as an unstoppable group. If you kill one, there's a thousand more. The stand out scenes are obvious; the birds gathering on the playground, the attack on the school children, the don't open that door scene', and the final scene, as the humans leave, defeated. The birds themselves are truly remarkable, again making CGI seem very very stupid. Perhaps too slow for some, especially those expecting a fully blown gore and shock fest, but for those who don't mind that kind of thing, it is superb.
10 OUT OF 10