Haunting

Rating: 8/10 (19 December 2002)

What I love about this film is that it`s so understated . There is absolutely no attempt whatsoever to explain why the birds are turning against humanity , indeed there`s a scene in the cafe where a character points out that bird species joining together to wage war against the human race would be impossible , and the concept is totally ridiculous but Hitchcock and screenwriter Evan Hunter ( Using the basic premise of Du Maurier`s short story - the screenplay is almost totally original ) manage to leave the unsettling thought that this might just happen one day.
The film is slightly dated in some ways , most notably the FX which are sometimes obvious back projection , but this was made in 1963 don`t forget . And THE BIRDS does contain some classic scenes like the discussions in the diner , the downbeat ending and the bit where the woman walks into the farmhouse and finds .... no I won`t spoil it for you . I rate this as Hitchcock`s best film .
If you want to get your own back then make sure you stuff a turkey this Christmas