Spent too much time today wondering why crazy things happen - only to be left with many reasons why I might never know.
It was a cold day today, a cold day in so many forms. So I needed something cozy and comfortable to cuddle with, and yet also something that reflected a bit of how I was feeling while also providing me with no reasonable answers for anything.
The Birds was the first thing that came to mind.
I first saw this when I was about 10 years old and it left a scar. A scar on my weird, weird heart that I've come to love and appreciate. I've only seen it once or twice over the last near 30 years but tonight just felt right to relive this unique nightmare experience, if only to escape from the real nightmares for a little while.
See you after the show!
Ah yes, pretty much as I remembered. Everything is totally normal throughout much of the film - funny and sweet (dated...) even, sometimes - and then wham! Suddenly you're transported to a completely unsettling and gruesome world were madness is welcomed and chaos flourishes.
I love Alfred Hitchcock's horror, that wonderful, masterful storyteller and nightmare-monger. I love author Daphne Du Maurier, that masterful, wonderful storyteller and expert fear-inducer. Although, Du Maurier's short novel, The Birds, is not remotely the same as the film (side from farms being attacked by birds) I wholeheartedly love the art that is created when these two minds come together.
Spent a lot of time after the show trying to figure out what type of review I could possibly give a classic that really effected me as a child and sits in a category all its own. I spent so much time even that I went to bed with out typing much of a word. Safe to say this film still leaves me speechless.
Nearly 30 years later and I am still amazed by its genius. Hell, the effects alone! ...all those birds.... [shudder] .... it's a quality horror film that I hope continues to amaze audiences for generations to come.
This film is perfect for a cold, dark night, curled up under a blanket, with popcorn and snacks - surrounded by a friend or two. Prepared to be wined and dined by the beautiful scenery, engaging actors, compelling and sweet story line. You can try to brace yourself for when that first seagull attacks, but I can guarantee you'll not be prepared for the next one.
I picked up a VHS copy of this film at the local Value Village. Not even a slightly beat-up tape version of this movie made it less frightening.... OR you can use the Find It. Watch It. links in Horror Habit's side bar to locate where else you can find this stellar feature.
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