Customer Reviews
A Must For Hitchcock Fans - By: willow, 07 Oct 2008 
I think the best thing about The Birds is that it is directed by Alfred Hitchcock, to me anything with his name fronting it is scary.
Tippi Hedren stars as an attractive woman who moves to a small town somewherein the U.S. For no given reason 'the birds' start behaving wildly, pecking people's eyes out & doing all those things we know birds are capable of but don't expect them to do.
Amongst all this there is a blossoming romance between Hedren & Rod Taylor.
In contrast with most horror movies madein this era it is quite scary, there is more blood than most cinema goers of that decade would have been used to.
What I didn't like about the film was that there is no real reason for the birds acting so bizarrely; why all of a sudden do they start praying on children, lining up on the climbing frame outside of school? These questions are unfortunately never answered.
I like the film because its easy to watch & it is mildly scary, I mean we see birds every day, they're so unassuming, who would think up their turnin character, only the horror genious Alfred Hitchcock.
Allin all a great film. Hitchcock fans will be much more appreciative of it though.
Hitchcock's most teasing, tantalising film - By: Lou Knee, 17 Sep 2007 Stark, strange, & a little spooky. Based on a short story richin symbolism & psychologicalin style, this movie builds the tension well, & Tippi Hedren is the right choice for the part as the woman who is seemingly attracting these unwelcome visitors. She brings mystery & the sense of a troubled past to her character. I didn't particularly like the (non) ending, the same as many others, but this is one film where this type of ending works. The film of this story could have been made by other directors to great effect, but Hitchcock got there first, & stamped his signature all over it.
Quick Reviews! - By: carlosnightman, 03 Sep 2007 
Hitchcock does it again, by taking a seemingly preposterous situation & turning it into one of the most impressive, intelligent, & tense movies ever. Tippi has often been accused of not being the greatest actress, butin this she is suitably mysterious as the outsider, at the same time seductive & vulnerable. For reasons unknown, Melanie Daniels's arrival at a cosy seaside town heralds the attack of countless birds, endingin death & chaos. It is often assumed that the birds come as a warning about overt female sexuality, as Melanie travels to Bodega pursuing Mitch Brenner (Taylor). Whatever the reason, what ensues is a gripping finale as the remaining townsfolk hidein their house, wondering when the next attack will be. After a rather slow & uneventful build up, the film shocks the viwer with successive & quick assults on the senses. The scenein the café, as the town argues over whether a recent bird attack is real or fake, quickly followed by a full scale bird assault is a famous example. We are ominously told that birds vastly outnumber people. While people fumble around, trying to escape incompetently, the birds 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', & the final scene, as the humans leave, defeated. The birds themselves are truly remarkable, again making CGI seem very very stupid. Never underestimate the powers of live action, suggestion, & good old matte painting. Perhaps too slow for some modern movie lovers, especially those expecting a fully blown gore & shock fest, but for everyone else-this is another must see from The Master.
Most DVDs of The Birds contain good extras- trailers, commentary, & a suitably long & incisive documentary. The stories about the bird trainer, & the one bird which took a personal dislike to Rod Taylor are entertaining.
why oh why oh why????? - By: jim, 23 May 2006 
The Birds was filmedin widescreen: this offering is pan & scan.junk version of a great film. Get the region one version instead.
