Veronica Cartwright, who plays Mitch’s sister Cathy, is a famous scream queen. She was also in the 1970s version of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” “Alien,” and “The Witches of Eastwick.”
The waitress with the dark framed glasses was modeled after my grandma Elsie Steen who worked at the Tides restaurant when this movie was made. She looks just like her. Miss you Gma 🌹❤️ RIP
1. North by Northwest, 2. Rear Window, 3. Psycho, 4. Vertigo, 5. Strangers on a Train, 6. The Birds, 7. Lifeboat, 8. Foreign Correspondent, 9. Notorious, 10. Shadow of a Doubt.
People will say that the film gives no explanation and leaves you to wonder what is happening, but it does explain itself. The drunk in the restaurant tells you exactly what's happening: it's the end of the world. And so it is.
I love an intelligent reaction! This movie was truly way ahead of its time. Hitchcock was a cinematic genius in so many ways. Tippi Hedron (Melanie) was his muse but my favorite performances in this are from Suzanne Pleshette (Annie) and Jessica Tandy (mom). This must have been an absolutely terrifying watch in 1963.
My favorite indication of what kind of person Melanie really is comes during the final bird attack. As Melanie sinks to the floor, giving way to almost certain death, she says "Where's Cathy?"
Watched this movie, probably not long after it was made, when I was definetly under 10 years old. My babysitting older brothers thought it was good cinema for a child. Anyway, I think you pretty much nailed my own experience of the movie when you said, "This movie has blankented me in a sense of uneasiness and discomfort." There's a sort of sick dread about it. All my life, I have never forgotten the discovery of the first victim with his eyes pecked out.
The song is a traditional English children's song. It describes an awful local wife/ witch. She washed her hair but once a year; she used an old gray boot for a butter churn, and for a dash ( A round piece of wood fitted to the churn's inside circumference, with a pole attached that poked through the lid of the churn's cover. Churning the milk into butter was done by vigorously working the pole, or handle up and down .) she used her foot. American kids don't know it, so it sounds eerie to us. A perfect placement.
I'm sad to hear you watched all of these Hitchcock films without reacting on your channel! My favorites are Rear Window and Rebecca, followed closely by Notorious and North by Northwest. So many great ones, though...Vertigo, Psycho, Strangers on a Train, Rope, Spellbound, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Foreign Correspondent, Shadow of a Doubt, Lifeboat, Dial M for Murder, To Catch a Thief, The 39 Steps...and even more that are interesting even if they don't completely work, like Marnie and Suspicion.
Hitchcock is one of the few people that never made a bad film! This is my favorite of his fantastic films! The 7-11 i worked graves at would have a bunch of birds that that perched on the nearby buildings and the protective awning over the pumps in the mornings when i got off work, and it instantly reminded me of The Birds!
You'll notice the mothers in Hitchcock films are always sus. The little girl is Veronica Cartwright. She plays Lambert in Alien, the one who can't stop crying.
What's humorous is the film takes place in Bodega Bay, CA but many of the townspeople speak with New England accents. (BTW I had some childhood cousins who lived in Bodega Bay during the filming and appeared as extras in the school and birthday party scenes.)
OMG! I can’t believe how much I enjoyed your reaction. I’ve watched reactions for years now and this is one of my favorites ever. I’ve seen this movie tons of times since I was a kid of about 10 or 11 and I was scared to death the birds for a couple years. You made a couple of insights that never dawned on me after all these years. I always thought it was either something to do with Melanie, but my main thought all this time has been that it had something to do with the lovebirds. And that’s why you weren’t sure at the end if it would stop because they took the lovebirds and it would follow the lovebirds. The first one you said that I never thought of was in the juxtaposition of her being in the phonebook as a cage. Never ever thought of that, but that would lead back to showing humans what they were doing to birds like the lovebirds And the other one said it was them leaving hell and going to heaven. Very cool thought! Subscribed just for this movie. You’re very intelligent about moviemaking and symbolism. I think I will enjoy going through your videos. Thanks and God bless!
@Mr Valentine, Love your working thru his catalog, this, Vertigo round out my favorite 5, along with my top 3 of Rear Window, Psycho, and North by Northwest my favorite. The wonderful thing about Hitchcock was if someone told me their favorite film was Strangers on a Train most fans could understand, if someone said Rope, again fans would be like Ohhh I can get it.... will be a treat to see you experience all his stories, break them down as you do :) and hopefully show your fans/sub your age and younger greatness has no expiration date in art, be that book, films, paintings or even some video games...
Three actual story board segments for the ending Hitch originally conceived and abandoned: 1️⃣ As the family drives from the farm through Bodega Bay, the town is in ruins, an apocalyptic wasteland of bodies in the streets and burning buildings; 2️⃣ As they drive away from the town on a long country highway, a bird starts pecking through the rag top of the convertible; a horde descends upon the sportscar; and Mitch floors the gas pedal to escape and force the birds off of the automobile; 3️⃣ As they approach San Francisco, the car now free of birds, the iconic Golden Gate Bridge looms ahead, its cables and pillars covered with waiting birds, and the city skyline in the background. The bird war has escalated worldwide. THE 🔚
It is based on a short story, in a book "The Birds and Other Stories", by writer Daphne du Maurier. She also wrote the book "Rebecca". It was also made into a movie by Hitchcock
I'm a big horror fan, and this was the very first horror I ever saw. There is also a very personal story attached to this film. My parents were divorced when I was around seven. I'd spend the school year with my father and summers with my Mom. She was a huge Hitchcock fan and passed along that love of everything Hitchcock to me. One day, when I was about 11, my mother and I were talking about this film. She told me that she was so taken with the town of Bodega Bay from watching the movie that she chose it as her honeymoon destination when she married my dad. That story always stuck with me. Fast forward about 15 years, and I was working at a video store. Finally, technology had made it possible for me to own and rewatch my beloved Birds as often as I wished. When my copy arrived, I was ecstatic and couldn't wait to read all about the movie from the VHS packaging. Upon reading, I noticed that it said the release date was March of 1963. I was born in February of 1963. The only possible way my mother could have honeymooned in Bodega Bay after seeing it on film was if I was born out of wedlock. To me that discovery was not the end of the world, but I knew to my mother it would be. She was a very strict Southern Baptist, and she would be thoroughly shamed to find out her daughter knew she had premarital sex. Knowing this and not wanting to embarrass her, I kept my discovery to myself. There was nothing to gain by calling her out on it. So my whole life I thought I was born illegitimate. Now fast forward about 30+ years. My mother is in a nursing home in Wyoming suffering Dementia. She was in her 90s. I live in Pennsylvania, and it had been a while since I was able to go see her. One day, my stepsister, who lived out west, was going to visit my Mom at the home. I asked that she take a video for me. She did. I'm watching the video and I hear my stepsister say to my Mom, "Elvira, Izzy sends her love". No response from my mother. She continues, "Elvira, remember Izzy? Remember the daughter you and Salvador adopted?" I flipped out. I thought she was taking advantage of my Mom's dementia and putting things in her head. In my anger, I call my cousin to tell her the story. She says, "Cuz, I've got something to tell you ..... " Turns out I was adopted, and everyone, I do mean EVERYONE in my family knew except me. So, the mystery of how my parents honeymooned in Bodega Bay before I was born was finally answered. They never even met me till 4 years later. Yeah, I'm pretty salty about the whole thing. Looking back I wish I would have called her out on that Bodega Bay thing. Maybe my whole life wouldn't have been a lie. But I still love this film. ❤
truly appreciate you sharing that powerful, rollercoasting anecdote! I I imagine that was a tough pill to swallow and leaves you conflicted watching this glorious movie. Glad you seem to be taking the revelation in stride! again, thank you for sharing. quite a tale
I grew up in Chicago enjoying Ebert's reviews. I recommend checking out Pauline Kael; her film reviews and essays are highly entertaining and may give one a sense that you've just seen the film with her because it's very easy to argue with her point of view.
I've done deep dives into Pauline Kael (mainly because Tarantino was supposed to do his supposed final film on her) My favorite review of hers is scrapsfromtheloft.com/movies/la-chinoise-review-pauline-kael/ Her preternatural gift to articulate her viewpoint leaves me gobsmacked!
The scene with Tippi Hedren in the attic fighting the birds literally traumatized her in real life. Those were live birds attached to her with strings so they could not get away from her.
I saw it as the birds seeing those 2 lovebirds in a cage and giving them a taste of their own medicine. But Psycho and Rear Window are definitely worth checking out also
My Brother, love you expertise, as always. From an older movie buff to another younger. Rod Taylor, the man. Time Machine,etc. Have you seen Quentin's Inglorious Bastards? That's Winston Churchill right there. Think it was his last film. He was the Boss. Tippy? Thats Actress Melanie Griffins mother. At this writing, she is still with us. Now that's Gangster. You will love the research if you choose. You are the best that's why i share. Rock on my man, rayray 🤙✌️✊🤘😎
An interesting bit of trivia I read about Melanie's bird attack when she investigates the noises upstairs is that the birds in that scene was supposed to be close-ups of bird puppets attacking her, but Hitchcock thought it didn't look real enough. So he had some kind of bird food put on her clothes, so some of those bird attacks were all too real! Tippi Hedren had said Hitchcock was hitting on her the whole time they were making the movie, but she kept rejecting him. So she believed that was his little revenge. He was a genius in filmmaking, but not always the nicest person. Billy Mumy (Will Robinson in the TV series, Lost in Space) appeared in an episode of the anthology TV series, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and he wasn't treated too kindly by him either. This is still my favorite Hitchcock movie, though, because it's so disturbing, and the fact there is never any explanation makes it all the more disturbing. Psycho is good, too, as is Rope and Shadow of a Doubt.
I can't pick just one Hitchcock movie to recommend, because he made SO many masterpieces! But here is a short list of my favorites: ✶ Vertigo ✶ Psycho ✶ Rear Window ✶ The 39 Steps ✶ Notorious ✶ The Birds ✶ Strangers on a Train ✶ Blackmail ✶ Shadow of a Doubt
🌸 I've always loved this movie... also, I'm sure you probably already know this but just in case you don't -- Hitchcock always had a cameo in each of his movies. and now Stephen King does the same thing.
I don't think it's specifically Melanie that the birds are after: we see the birds in her vicinity because it's basically her story, but remember the birds also killed Mr. Fawcett (sp), who has nothing to do with Melanie, and at the cafe, we hear that the birds messed with the sailor's lines in a way he definitely isn't used to. So no, the birds are not specifically targeting Melanie. We are because we're watching her, but things started before she arrived. There is no explanation. Though there's a possible hint in this funny Hitchcock trailer for the movie: ruclips.net/video/lCxR7dlavwg/видео.html
Inexplicable, perplexing, and enigmatic would be the words to describe the actions of "The Birds". One might think Melanie Daniels or even the caged lovebirds caused the mayhem, but no, I think Hitchcock purposely left it ambiguous as to the reasons for the bird attacks. That was a stroke of genius, and it made the viewer have to think about why nature (in this case, birds) and humanity are always at war (fearing each other) in subtle and mundane ways. The cinematography and camerawork were crafted here brilliantly by The Master of Suspense. Every shot full of depth and context. BTW, Rod Taylor (Mitch) gives a fascinating portrayal of 19th century inventor, George, in the classic 1960 sci-fi film, "H.G. Wells' The Time Machine". It's well worth your 'time' to watch and react to this cinematic treasure, Mr. Valentine.
Centuries of birds flying above mankind watching them slowly replace everything those birds need to survive, replacing it with things useless to them and unhealthy, all their serene resting places, using some of them for food along with their eggs, until one day they said enough
Did you realize there is no music score. The only music is the song the kids are singing. Bernard Hermann ( Psycho) contributed to the bird sounds. Very cool. For me Vertigo is my favorite Hitchcock, today anyway. So many masterpieces!
The philosopher Slavoj Zizek does some good stuff on Hitchcock films in his own movie A Perverts Guide To Cinema. Hitchcock was massively into Freud and, in The Birds, the birds attack when the mother and son face separation. In Psycho the mother's personality in her voice from Superego to Ego to ID as she's carried down three levels of stairs etc. Well, according to Slavoj.
This is Hitchcock's second screen adaptation of a story by Daphne DuMauier . The first was Rebecca! DuMauier was a prolific writer whose stories were unique and had many other successful screen adaptations big and small. I much prefer Rebecca! of the two Hitchcock works. The novel is my favorite too. She's definitely worth exploring. She wrote in many voices, and interesting character POVs.🧓🎭📽️
"Don't they ever stop migrating?" Now that you've seen this movie, I highly suggest Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes (1978) get on your list. It (and its immediate sequel) is on Tubi right now. Fun Fact: Theatrical movie debut of actress Darlene Conley. Practical Wardrobe Fact: Melanie wears the same green suit throughout the movie, so Tippi Hedren was provided with six identical green suits for the shoot. Get Them Off Fact: The scene where Melanie (Tippi Hedren) is ravaged by birds near the end of the movie took a week to shoot. The birds were attached to her clothes by long nylon threads so they could not get away. Premiere Shenanigans Fact: When audiences left the U.K. premiere at the Odeon, Leicester Square, London, they were greeted by the sound of screeching and flapping birds from loudspeakers hidden in the trees to scare them further. Bird Wrangler Fact: Sir Alfred Hitchcock revealed on The Dick Cavett Show (1968) that 3,200 birds were trained for the movie. He said the ravens were the cleverest, and the seagulls were the most vicious. Rod Taylor claims that the seagulls were fed a mixture of wheat and whiskey. It was the only way to get them to stand around so much. Location Location Fact: Mitch Zanich, owner of the Tides Restaurant at the time of shooting, told Sir Alfred Hitchcock he could shoot there if the lead male in the movie was named after him and Hitchcock gave him a speaking part in the movie. Hitchcock agreed. Rod Taylor's character was named Mitch Brenner, and Mitch Zanich was given a speaking part. After Melanie is attacked by a seagull, Mitch Zanich can be heard saying "What happened, Mitch?" to Mitch Brenner.
You mentioned the thematic significance of “birds” : birds happens to be slang for women in Britain and its colonies - like all the best movies i think this one is an allegory …about women - like another classic called The Women (which you would definitely like, & PLEASE react to - 1930s I believe) - one reason it’s so good is bc it works on multiple levels (like Vertigo, another allegory) - it’s not just horror or science fiction, though it’s good enough to be appreciated on that level alone, it’s the story of Hitchcock’s perspective on women, how they interact with each other and all the tensions and dramas that come up, especially with a man in the picture - the bird attacks mirror the animosity and fears bubbling under the surface in the women’s lives - please watch the youtuber Collative Learning on this movie - he’s the only other person I’ve come across who noticed this, and he does a great job explaining it
Hey, Mr V - I've missed you! Enjoyed this, as always - the movie, and your delectable verbiage! 🤩 I haven't actually watched a great many Hitchcock films, but one I know you would absolutely love, is the taut psychological thriller 'Rope', starring the wonderful James Stewart. Please do a reaction to that one x
If you are interested in learning more about Alfred Hitchcock, there are 2 great books by Donald Spoto, “The Art of Alfred Hitchcock,” which analyzes every film, and “The Dark Side of Genius,” which deals with Hitchcock’s personal life and dark side. I’d recommend both. Hitchcock practically invented a number of genres, including the slasher film, with “Psycho,” the celebrity stalker film “Strangers on a Train,” nature striking back “The Birds,” the voyeur or Peeping Tom who witnesses a murder film “Rear Window,” and the James Bond movies “North by Northwest.” He’s my personal favorite director, who made not one but at least half a dozen masterpieces.
I greatly enjoyed your observations on some of the symbolism (especially Melanie caged in the telephone booth) and your appreciation for the cinematic qualities (where your comments are superior to those of any other reactor I’ve seen). When I saw this movie in the theater in 1964, I was only 10, and was naturally very puzzled by its meaning. I don’t believe that Melanie (Tippi Hedron) has anything to do with the attacks. That is simply typical Hitchcockian misdirection. When I got older, I discovered the Welsh mystical/horror author Arthur Machen, who was the originator of the idea behind the movie (Daphne Du Maurier’s story notwithstanding). Machen’s 1917 novella, “The Terror,” describes a widespread, coordinated attack on humans by animals. The suggested explanation in the story is that we humans, because of our beastly nature (i.e., WWI, when the story was written), have forfeited our moral claim to primacy, and so the animals will now take over. I believe this is in fact the implication of the movie. Rod Taylor (Mitch) also played the lead in “The Time Machine” (1960), an excellent science-fiction movie generally neglected by reactors. Angela Cartwright (Cathy) also played one of the Van Trapp girls in “The Sound of Music “and was the younger sister in the “Lost in Space” TV series. I think my favorite Hitchcock movie is the uncharacteristic and underrated “Lifeboat,” which has not been viewed by any reactor yet. Near the top is “North by Northwest.”
I love a good Red Herring. Upon consequent rewatches I'm inclined to agree RE: Melanie's lack of connection to the attacks. 'The Terror' strikes me as a page turner. I need to watch The Sound of Music; it has been quoted ad infinitum in pop culture that I feel I'm missing out. thank you!
When I watched a movie when I was a young boy and there was no ending....My mom said you have to imagine your own ending.I hated that but I understand now
You've reposted this video because I've seen it before and I was shocked when you started singing. A Michael Jackson song when the school teacher was found murdered on the ground. It was kind of jarring, actually, also you sent ant instead of aunt. You sir may have an insect for a family member, but I do not😂😂
The ineluctable has finally transpired, alas and alack. You FINALLY used a word I had NEVER HEARD BEFORE. Fantod. You win, I concede defeat*. And yet, I rue not the whence that I first came to view ye reviews. You remain the vocalizations of a feline. * (of the contest you never agreed to or yea, verily, even knew of)
I may have been triumphant in this battle but, lo! , the war is alive and well. My lack of awareness of the competition hitherto notwithstanding, I henceforth relish the notion of future linguistic grapples
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
This movie traumatized me as a kid back in the 60's, LOL! Holy moly. Thanks for sharing it.
Veronica Cartwright, who plays Mitch’s sister Cathy, is a famous scream queen. She was also in the 1970s version of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” “Alien,” and “The Witches of Eastwick.”
The waitress with the dark framed glasses was modeled after my grandma Elsie Steen who worked at the Tides restaurant when this movie was made. She looks just like her. Miss you Gma 🌹❤️ RIP
1. North by Northwest, 2. Rear Window, 3. Psycho, 4. Vertigo, 5. Strangers on a Train, 6. The Birds, 7. Lifeboat, 8. Foreign Correspondent, 9. Notorious, 10. Shadow of a Doubt.
People will say that the film gives no explanation and leaves you to wonder what is happening, but it does explain itself. The drunk in the restaurant tells you exactly what's happening: it's the end of the world. And so it is.
It's from a short story by Daphne duMaurier. That's how it's written. The ending is just as ambiguous. The world ending is your own input.
@@larindanomikos The original short story, as I recall, was even spookier, as the protagonist was even more isolated than the family in the movie.
I love an intelligent reaction! This movie was truly way ahead of its time. Hitchcock was a cinematic genius in so many ways. Tippi Hedron (Melanie) was his muse but my favorite performances in this are from Suzanne Pleshette (Annie) and Jessica Tandy (mom). This must have been an absolutely terrifying watch in 1963.
I cannot even fathom seeing this in theaters; I don't know if I could hack it! appreciate you watching
My favorite indication of what kind of person Melanie really is comes during the final bird attack. As Melanie sinks to the floor, giving way to almost certain death, she says "Where's Cathy?"
So nice to see classic movies being reacted to. I'm fairly young, but old movies and old music were my childhood. Our friends just didn't get them.
I'm trying to catch up on all the hits! So many hidden gems
Watched this movie, probably not long after it was made, when I was definetly under 10 years old. My babysitting older brothers thought it was good cinema for a child. Anyway, I think you pretty much nailed my own experience of the movie when you said, "This movie has blankented me in a sense of uneasiness and discomfort." There's a sort of sick dread about it. All my life, I have never forgotten the discovery of the first victim with his eyes pecked out.
Seeing this film in my formative years? I can't even begin to contemplate that experience. talk about an indelible impression!
The song is a traditional English children's song. It describes an awful local wife/ witch. She washed her hair but once a year; she used an old gray boot for a butter churn, and for a dash ( A round piece of wood fitted to the churn's inside circumference, with a pole attached that poked through the lid of the churn's cover. Churning the milk into butter was done by vigorously working the pole, or handle up and down .) she used her foot.
American kids don't know it, so it sounds eerie to us. A perfect placement.
I didn’t know that. Thanks for the info!
that's such a stimulating tidbit
I'm sad to hear you watched all of these Hitchcock films without reacting on your channel! My favorites are Rear Window and Rebecca, followed closely by Notorious and North by Northwest. So many great ones, though...Vertigo, Psycho, Strangers on a Train, Rope, Spellbound, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Foreign Correspondent, Shadow of a Doubt, Lifeboat, Dial M for Murder, To Catch a Thief, The 39 Steps...and even more that are interesting even if they don't completely work, like Marnie and Suspicion.
@melanie62954 It is a shame nobody ever reacts to "Rebecca".
Hitchcock is one of the few people that never made a bad film!
This is my favorite of his fantastic films!
The 7-11 i worked graves at would have a bunch of birds that that perched on the nearby buildings and the protective awning over the pumps in the mornings when i got off work, and it instantly reminded me of The Birds!
precisely. Each bird I see is now dubious. A prime suspect in my eyes. Hitchcock was an outstanding force!
You'll notice the mothers in Hitchcock films are always sus.
The little girl is Veronica Cartwright. She plays Lambert in Alien, the one who can't stop crying.
And the black-haired girl is Morgan Brittany, who's been all over TV as a child actress, but also an adult one.
And her sister was in Lost in Space and The Sound of Music.
Veronica is also in the remake of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" playing Jeff Goldblum's wife, and is Gus Grissom's wife in "The Right Stuff."
What's humorous is the film takes place in Bodega Bay, CA but many of the townspeople speak with New England accents. (BTW I had some childhood cousins who lived in Bodega Bay during the filming and appeared as extras in the school and birthday party scenes.)
OMG! I can’t believe how much I enjoyed your reaction. I’ve watched reactions for years now and this is one of my favorites ever. I’ve seen this movie tons of times since I was a kid of about 10 or 11 and I was scared to death the birds for a couple years. You made a couple of insights that never dawned on me after all these years. I always thought it was either something to do with Melanie, but my main thought all this time has been that it had something to do with the lovebirds. And that’s why you weren’t sure at the end if it would stop because they took the lovebirds and it would follow the lovebirds. The first one you said that I never thought of was in the juxtaposition of her being in the phonebook as a cage. Never ever thought of that, but that would lead back to showing humans what they were doing to birds like the lovebirds And the other one said it was them leaving hell and going to heaven. Very cool thought! Subscribed just for this movie. You’re very intelligent about moviemaking and symbolism. I think I will enjoy going through your videos. Thanks and God bless!
May I recommend Rear Window? One of my personal Hitchcock favorites!
oh how i wish I could see that again for the first time! an insightful and compelling motion picture
@Mr Valentine, Love your working thru his catalog, this, Vertigo round out my favorite 5, along with my top 3 of Rear Window, Psycho, and North by Northwest my favorite. The wonderful thing about Hitchcock was if someone told me their favorite film was Strangers on a Train most fans could understand, if someone said Rope, again fans would be like Ohhh I can get it.... will be a treat to see you experience all his stories, break them down as you do :) and hopefully show your fans/sub your age and younger greatness has no expiration date in art, be that book, films, paintings or even some video games...
Three actual story board segments for the ending Hitch originally conceived and abandoned: 1️⃣ As the family drives from the farm through Bodega Bay, the town is in ruins, an apocalyptic wasteland of bodies in the streets and burning buildings; 2️⃣ As they drive away from the town on a long country highway, a bird starts pecking through the rag top of the convertible; a horde descends upon the sportscar; and Mitch floors the gas pedal to escape and force the birds off of the automobile; 3️⃣ As they approach San Francisco, the car now free of birds, the iconic Golden Gate Bridge looms ahead, its cables and pillars covered with waiting birds, and the city skyline in the background. The bird war has escalated worldwide. THE 🔚
It is based on a short story, in a book "The Birds and Other Stories", by writer Daphne du Maurier. She also wrote the book "Rebecca". It was also made into a movie by Hitchcock
I'm a big horror fan, and this was the very first horror I ever saw.
There is also a very personal story attached to this film.
My parents were divorced when I was around seven. I'd spend the school year with my father and summers with my Mom. She was a huge Hitchcock fan and passed along that love of everything Hitchcock to me.
One day, when I was about 11, my mother and I were talking about this film. She told me that she was so taken with the town of Bodega Bay from watching the movie that she chose it as her honeymoon destination when she married my dad. That story always stuck with me.
Fast forward about 15 years, and I was working at a video store. Finally, technology had made it possible for me to own and rewatch my beloved Birds as often as I wished. When my copy arrived, I was ecstatic and couldn't wait to read all about the movie from the VHS packaging. Upon reading, I noticed that it said the release date was March of 1963. I was born in February of 1963. The only possible way my mother could have honeymooned in Bodega Bay after seeing it on film was if I was born out of wedlock.
To me that discovery was not the end of the world, but I knew to my mother it would be. She was a very strict Southern Baptist, and she would be thoroughly shamed to find out her daughter knew she had premarital sex. Knowing this and not wanting to embarrass her, I kept my discovery to myself. There was nothing to gain by calling her out on it. So my whole life I thought I was born illegitimate.
Now fast forward about 30+ years. My mother is in a nursing home in Wyoming suffering Dementia. She was in her 90s. I live in Pennsylvania, and it had been a while since I was able to go see her. One day, my stepsister, who lived out west, was going to visit my Mom at the home. I asked that she take a video for me. She did.
I'm watching the video and I hear my stepsister say to my Mom, "Elvira, Izzy sends her love". No response from my mother. She continues, "Elvira, remember Izzy? Remember the daughter you and Salvador adopted?"
I flipped out. I thought she was taking advantage of my Mom's dementia and putting things in her head.
In my anger, I call my cousin to tell her the story. She says, "Cuz, I've got something to tell you ..... " Turns out I was adopted, and everyone, I do mean EVERYONE in my family knew except me.
So, the mystery of how my parents honeymooned in Bodega Bay before I was born was finally answered.
They never even met me till 4 years later.
Yeah, I'm pretty salty about the whole thing. Looking back I wish I would have called her out on that Bodega Bay thing. Maybe my whole life wouldn't have been a lie.
But I still love this film. ❤
truly appreciate you sharing that powerful, rollercoasting anecdote! I I imagine that was a tough pill to swallow and leaves you conflicted watching this glorious movie. Glad you seem to be taking the revelation in stride! again, thank you for sharing. quite a tale
I grew up in Chicago enjoying Ebert's reviews. I recommend checking out Pauline Kael; her film reviews and essays are highly entertaining and may give one a sense that you've just seen the film with her because it's very easy to argue with her point of view.
I've done deep dives into Pauline Kael (mainly because Tarantino was supposed to do his supposed final film on her) My favorite review of hers is scrapsfromtheloft.com/movies/la-chinoise-review-pauline-kael/
Her preternatural gift to articulate her viewpoint leaves me gobsmacked!
The scene with Tippi Hedren in the attic fighting the birds literally traumatized her in real life. Those were live birds attached to her with strings so they could not get away from her.
😳 poor thing. all to bring us that exquisite performance!
I saw it as the birds seeing those 2 lovebirds in a cage and giving them a taste of their own medicine. But Psycho and Rear Window are definitely worth checking out also
My Brother, love you expertise, as always. From an older movie buff to another younger. Rod Taylor, the man. Time Machine,etc. Have you seen Quentin's Inglorious Bastards? That's Winston Churchill right there. Think it was his last film. He was the Boss. Tippy? Thats Actress Melanie Griffins mother. At this writing, she is still with us. Now that's Gangster. You will love the research if you choose. You are the best that's why i share. Rock on my man, rayray 🤙✌️✊🤘😎
An interesting bit of trivia I read about Melanie's bird attack when she investigates the noises upstairs is that the birds in that scene was supposed to be close-ups of bird puppets attacking her, but Hitchcock thought it didn't look real enough. So he had some kind of bird food put on her clothes, so some of those bird attacks were all too real! Tippi Hedren had said Hitchcock was hitting on her the whole time they were making the movie, but she kept rejecting him. So she believed that was his little revenge.
He was a genius in filmmaking, but not always the nicest person. Billy Mumy (Will Robinson in the TV series, Lost in Space) appeared in an episode of the anthology TV series, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and he wasn't treated too kindly by him either.
This is still my favorite Hitchcock movie, though, because it's so disturbing, and the fact there is never any explanation makes it all the more disturbing. Psycho is good, too, as is Rope and Shadow of a Doubt.
I can't pick just one Hitchcock movie to recommend, because he made SO many masterpieces! But here is a short list of my favorites:
✶ Vertigo
✶ Psycho
✶ Rear Window
✶ The 39 Steps
✶ Notorious
✶ The Birds
✶ Strangers on a Train
✶ Blackmail
✶ Shadow of a Doubt
🌸 I've always loved this movie...
also, I'm sure you probably already know this but just in case you don't --
Hitchcock always had a cameo in each of his movies. and now Stephen King does the same thing.
I don't think it's specifically Melanie that the birds are after: we see the birds in her vicinity because it's basically her story, but remember the birds also killed Mr. Fawcett (sp), who has nothing to do with Melanie, and at the cafe, we hear that the birds messed with the sailor's lines in a way he definitely isn't used to. So no, the birds are not specifically targeting Melanie. We are because we're watching her, but things started before she arrived. There is no explanation. Though there's a possible hint in this funny Hitchcock trailer for the movie: ruclips.net/video/lCxR7dlavwg/видео.html
movie has no music
very eerie
Inexplicable, perplexing, and enigmatic would be the words to describe the actions of "The Birds". One might think Melanie Daniels or even the caged lovebirds caused the mayhem, but no, I think Hitchcock purposely left it ambiguous as to the reasons for the bird attacks. That was a stroke of genius, and it made the viewer have to think about why nature (in this case, birds) and humanity are always at war (fearing each other) in subtle and mundane ways. The cinematography and camerawork were crafted here brilliantly by The Master of Suspense. Every shot full of depth and context.
BTW, Rod Taylor (Mitch) gives a fascinating portrayal of 19th century inventor, George, in the classic 1960 sci-fi film, "H.G. Wells' The Time Machine". It's well worth your 'time' to watch and react to this cinematic treasure, Mr. Valentine.
Centuries of birds flying above mankind watching them slowly replace everything those birds need to survive, replacing it with things useless to them and unhealthy, all their serene resting places, using some of them for food along with their eggs, until one day they said enough
well put!
My favorite Hitch flick is Saboteur. A man accused of sabotage must prove his innocence. 1942. You might enjoy as well.
I loved that that was his bag: the falsely accused. I haven't seen it. Will do so, thanks!
Did you realize there is no music score. The only music is the song the kids are singing. Bernard Hermann ( Psycho) contributed to the bird sounds. Very cool. For me Vertigo is my favorite Hitchcock, today anyway. So many masterpieces!
I love the era when women wore gloves and mink coats. I haven't seen that look in years.
The philosopher Slavoj Zizek does some good stuff on Hitchcock films in his own movie A Perverts Guide To Cinema. Hitchcock was massively into Freud and, in The Birds, the birds attack when the mother and son face separation. In Psycho the mother's personality in her voice from Superego to Ego to ID as she's carried down three levels of stairs etc. Well, according to Slavoj.
This is Hitchcock's second screen adaptation of a story by Daphne DuMauier . The first was Rebecca! DuMauier was a prolific writer whose stories were unique and had many other successful screen adaptations big and small.
I much prefer Rebecca! of the two Hitchcock works. The novel is my favorite too. She's definitely worth exploring. She wrote in many voices, and interesting character POVs.🧓🎭📽️
Gonna look into Demauier, appreciate it!
DuMauier*
I think this movie did to a lot of people, getting afraid of birds, almost as much as Jaws did in regards to sharks.
Ahhhh....yes. A really great film.
"Don't they ever stop migrating?"
Now that you've seen this movie, I highly suggest Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes (1978) get on your list. It (and its immediate sequel) is on Tubi right now.
Fun Fact: Theatrical movie debut of actress Darlene Conley.
Practical Wardrobe Fact: Melanie wears the same green suit throughout the movie, so Tippi Hedren was provided with six identical green suits for the shoot.
Get Them Off Fact: The scene where Melanie (Tippi Hedren) is ravaged by birds near the end of the movie took a week to shoot. The birds were attached to her clothes by long nylon threads so they could not get away.
Premiere Shenanigans Fact: When audiences left the U.K. premiere at the Odeon, Leicester Square, London, they were greeted by the sound of screeching and flapping birds from loudspeakers hidden in the trees to scare them further.
Bird Wrangler Fact: Sir Alfred Hitchcock revealed on The Dick Cavett Show (1968) that 3,200 birds were trained for the movie. He said the ravens were the cleverest, and the seagulls were the most vicious. Rod Taylor claims that the seagulls were fed a mixture of wheat and whiskey. It was the only way to get them to stand around so much.
Location Location Fact: Mitch Zanich, owner of the Tides Restaurant at the time of shooting, told Sir Alfred Hitchcock he could shoot there if the lead male in the movie was named after him and Hitchcock gave him a speaking part in the movie. Hitchcock agreed. Rod Taylor's character was named Mitch Brenner, and Mitch Zanich was given a speaking part. After Melanie is attacked by a seagull, Mitch Zanich can be heard saying "What happened, Mitch?" to Mitch Brenner.
You mentioned the thematic significance of “birds” : birds happens to be slang for women in Britain and its colonies - like all the best movies i think this one is an allegory …about women - like another classic called The Women (which you would definitely like, & PLEASE react to - 1930s I believe) - one reason it’s so good is bc it works on multiple levels (like Vertigo, another allegory) - it’s not just horror or science fiction, though it’s good enough to be appreciated on that level alone, it’s the story of Hitchcock’s perspective on women, how they interact with each other and all the tensions and dramas that come up, especially with a man in the picture - the bird attacks mirror the animosity and fears bubbling under the surface in the women’s lives - please watch the youtuber Collative Learning on this movie - he’s the only other person I’ve come across who noticed this, and he does a great job explaining it
Hey, Mr V - I've missed you! Enjoyed this, as always - the movie, and your delectable verbiage! 🤩 I haven't actually watched a great many Hitchcock films, but one I know you would absolutely love, is the taut psychological thriller 'Rope', starring the wonderful James Stewart. Please do a reaction to that one x
the 3rd time i've heard about 'Rope' in as many days. Must be time to watch it! Thank you :)
@@MrValentineReacts I'll be there! 😍
If you are interested in learning more about Alfred Hitchcock, there are 2 great books by Donald Spoto, “The Art of Alfred Hitchcock,” which analyzes every film, and “The Dark Side of Genius,” which deals with Hitchcock’s personal life and dark side.
I’d recommend both. Hitchcock practically invented a number of genres, including the slasher film, with “Psycho,” the celebrity stalker film “Strangers on a Train,” nature striking back “The Birds,” the voyeur or Peeping Tom who witnesses a murder film “Rear Window,” and the James Bond movies “North by Northwest.”
He’s my personal favorite director, who made not one but at least half a dozen masterpieces.
Gonna start with The Art of Alfred Hitchcock. thanks!! Hitchcock is the blueprint
I greatly enjoyed your observations on some of the symbolism (especially Melanie caged in the telephone booth) and your appreciation for the cinematic qualities (where your comments are superior to those of any other reactor I’ve seen).
When I saw this movie in the theater in 1964, I was only 10, and was naturally very puzzled by its meaning. I don’t believe that Melanie (Tippi Hedron) has anything to do with the attacks. That is simply typical Hitchcockian misdirection. When I got older, I discovered the Welsh mystical/horror author Arthur Machen, who was the originator of the idea behind the movie (Daphne Du Maurier’s story notwithstanding).
Machen’s 1917 novella, “The Terror,” describes a widespread, coordinated attack on humans by animals. The suggested explanation in the story is that we humans, because of our beastly nature (i.e., WWI, when the story was written), have forfeited our moral claim to primacy, and so the animals will now take over. I believe this is in fact the implication of the movie.
Rod Taylor (Mitch) also played the lead in “The Time Machine” (1960), an excellent science-fiction movie generally neglected by reactors.
Angela Cartwright (Cathy) also played one of the Van Trapp girls in “The Sound of Music “and was the younger sister in the “Lost in Space” TV series.
I think my favorite Hitchcock movie is the uncharacteristic and underrated “Lifeboat,” which has not been viewed by any reactor yet. Near the top is “North by Northwest.”
Actually it was Veronica Cartwright who played Cathy. And yes her younger sister Angela was in The Sound of Music.
I love a good Red Herring. Upon consequent rewatches I'm inclined to agree RE: Melanie's lack of connection to the attacks.
'The Terror' strikes me as a page turner.
I need to watch The Sound of Music; it has been quoted ad infinitum in pop culture that I feel I'm missing out.
thank you!
My favorite apocalypse film...
"Shadow of a doubt" and "Rope"... as a cinephile, do yourself favor.
Goodness I am enjoying your reactions! ty!
❤
A give this review 5 big birds
Definitely recommend Rear Window. My fav Hitchcock movie.
O, if not, the eagles will come and pull out his eyes. Pull out his eyes, Apologise, Apologise, Pull out his eyes.
Love your reactions.
grateful for your time
In many ways, this movie is scarier than Hitchcock's Psycho.
Great commentary.
🙏🏾
When I watched a movie when I was a young boy and there was no ending....My mom said you have to imagine your own ending.I hated that but I understand now
perspicacious! I love movies that require collaboration with the audience
Veronica Cartwright was in Scary Movie 2.
i haven't seen any of them 😬
You've reposted this video because I've seen it before and I was shocked when you started singing. A Michael Jackson song when the school teacher was found murdered on the ground. It was kind of jarring, actually, also you sent ant instead of aunt. You sir may have an insect for a family member, but I do not😂😂
😂
San Francisco is a good distance from Bodega Bay
Santa Rose might be closer
Great, now how am I supposed to go out and feed my turkeys?!
😅
Thumbnail doesn't match the title. I'm not sure which movie to expect, Shawshank, or The Birds.
This movie was based on a real invasion of birds
Tarkovsky, Kurosawa, Lang, Bergman, Welles, Wilder, kieślowski and many others. Remember, you know nothing.
❤
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You should be an english Mr. Valentine or writer.
Please watch Lifeboat and Psyho
The ineluctable has finally transpired, alas and alack. You FINALLY used a word I had NEVER HEARD BEFORE. Fantod. You win, I concede defeat*. And yet, I rue not the whence that I first came to view ye reviews. You remain the vocalizations of a feline. * (of the contest you never agreed to or yea, verily, even knew of)
I may have been triumphant in this battle but, lo! , the war is alive and well. My lack of awareness of the competition hitherto notwithstanding, I henceforth relish the notion of future linguistic grapples
please react to Rear Window and Psycho
I've seen them but I'll eventually start doing rewatch videos!
psyco
Corvidae getting a bum rap. 😕
🏳🌈
This has always been my least favourite of all the Hitchcock movies. The only one that I can safely say I'll never watch again.