The Birds (UK)

8 / 10
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Suspense and shock beyond anything you have seen or imagined
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 115 mins
Retail Price: £17.99
Release Date:

Synopsis:
Spoiled socialite Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) pursues lawyer Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor) to his Bodega Bay home after they meet in a bird shop. Melanie sails across the bay to deliver the gift of a lovebird to Mitch`s young sister, only to be attacked by a gull on her way back. Soon random attacks on humans are taking place all over Bodega, as birds of all varieties mass in their thousands overhead. Director Alfred Hitchcock`s classic is not for those easily perturbed by our feathered friends.

Special Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Making of
Tippi Hedren`s screen test
Universal Newsreels
Trailer
Storyboards
Alternate ending
Production Photos
Booklet

Video Tracks:
Standard 1.33:1

Audio Tracks:
Dolby Digital Mono English
Dolby Digital Mono German

Subtitle Tracks:
Swedish
Finnish
German
CC: English
Dutch
Danish
Norwegian

Directed By:
Alfred Hitchcock

Written By:


Starring:
Ethel Griffies
Veronica Cartwright
Tippi Hedren
Suzanne Pleshette
Jessica Tandy
Rod Taylor

Director of Photography:
Robert Burks

Editor:
George Tomasini

Costume Designer:
Edith Head

Production Designer:
Robert F. Boyle

Producer:
Alfred Hitchcock

Distributor:
Universal Pictures

Your Opinions and Comments

8 / 10
Alfred Hitchcock's unexplainable horror tale about nature going berserk has long become a classic. The imposing imagery of the birds, the fabulous cast of the movie featuring Tippi Hedren in her first feature film role, Rod Taylor and Jessica Tandy, and the eerie sound effects used like musical cues, create a shuddering tale of terror that has not lost a bit of its impact over the years. Even after repeated viewing, "The Birds" remains a chilling and apocalyptic film that has viewers on the edge. Hitchcock's skills as a dramaturgist and his perfect mastery of suspense in movies fully pays off in this movie, to the point that the fluttering screeching birds slowly take over the entire perception of the viewer as he plunges into this incredible movie.


As I had hoped, Universal Home Video's release of "The Birds" is a beautiful and meticulously created special edition. Not only does it feature the movie in a flawless presentation that is beautiful to behold, it also gives viewers the rare opportunity to learn more about the genius that was at work behind the camera. For every fan of Alfred Hitchcock the insight offered in the workings of the director on this DVD are invaluable.

But even if you enjoy the movie mostly for its terrifying sake, this DVD is a beautiful release that should find a place in every DVD collector's library.
posted by Aslan on 21/8/2002 21:29