tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post8282517709329774245..comments2024-03-29T03:05:28.466-07:00Comments on DREAMS ARE WHAT LE CINEMA IS FOR...: THE BIRDS 1963Ken Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-16144151896113545292022-06-26T08:16:49.348-07:002022-06-26T08:16:49.348-07:00Ha! A parting shot of that ornithologist in the ma...Ha! A parting shot of that ornithologist in the manner you describe would have been cathartic, to say the least! That diner scene does indeed stand out as a very effective one. All those terrific character actors collaborating on the scene seemed to up Hedren's game. <br />Happy that you happened upon this post and doubly pleased you enjoyed it. I certainly enjoyed reading your comments. Thanks, Kip! Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-16219956659494202592022-06-25T11:20:38.597-07:002022-06-25T11:20:38.597-07:00Hi, Ken.
Not sure how I missed this great review ...Hi, Ken.<br /><br />Not sure how I missed this great review before. Like one of the above posters, I'm very fond of the diner scene. I also think it's Tippi Hedren's best scene. This allegedly "limited" actress goes toe-to-toe with all of those great characters actors: Ethel Griffies as the nut job ornithologist, Charles McGraw as the fisherman, Elizabeth Wilson as the waitress and Joe Mantell as the hard-drinking, bird-hating, soon-to-be-incinerated traveling salesman. My only regret is that Hitch didn't include a shot of Ethel Griffies running across the parking lot, chased by killer seagulls.Kipnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-34765842292821726852018-12-07T11:46:25.479-08:002018-12-07T11:46:25.479-08:00Hello
That's a great observation! Women always...Hello<br />That's a great observation! Women always seemed to wear heels in those 60s films, even in the most inappropriate occasions for them. Here, Hedren's character is intended to convey a kind of fish-out-of-water inappropriateness in dress and demeanor, but I never stopped to appreciate how much "action" she engages in while wearing heels!<br />And indeed, she does so very gracefully. A big contrast to when I watch award shows and she actresses either struggling with literal stilts on polished stages, or walking in heels as though they'd never worn them before. Prince always wore heels and was always quite graceful in them, but I understand they contributed to his back troubles, necessitating his pain pill addiction.<br />Certainly gives me renewed respect for Tippi Hedren! Thanks very much for commenting!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-18462766477177697992018-12-07T11:39:03.946-08:002018-12-07T11:39:03.946-08:00I agree.The real location combined with the seamle...I agree.The real location combined with the seamless blending of real and fake birds really contributes to the spectacle of the bird attacks. <br />Never saw GORDy, but I thought BABE was pretty cute.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-88571114385472196222018-12-07T11:27:54.282-08:002018-12-07T11:27:54.282-08:00How awful I'm just seeing this a full TWO YEAR...How awful I'm just seeing this a full TWO YEARS after the comment was posted. But I'll say now what i would have said back in 2016: I thank you very much for the kind compliments and for taking the time to read my post. Such a generous comment deserved a more timely response of gratitude. Much appreciated.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-9819351560563522562018-12-07T07:52:10.426-08:002018-12-07T07:52:10.426-08:00Hello.
I have seen The birds several times on Swed...Hello.<br />I have seen The birds several times on Swedish television and have Always been impressed of Tippi H. and that she is running down stairs, down the streets, climbing ladders, standing in a rocking boat, driving car Walking with grace etc. And all that in high heels! Thats what I call a real woman! Heels seems to be very rare theese days. Swedish vikingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-30322399297984482382017-05-15T13:43:04.961-07:002017-05-15T13:43:04.961-07:00And this is a real town setting not a Hollywod m...And this is a real town setting not a Hollywod movie studio setting there is a real Bodega Bay and the bird attacks are spetcaular way better then some dumb animatronic talking piggy movies like BABE or GORDYSpurwing Plovernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-56043407551608517712016-10-06T19:40:49.380-07:002016-10-06T19:40:49.380-07:00"A class act in every way, The Birds was the ..."A class act in every way, The Birds was the first horror film I ever saw that didn't have the feel of the bargain-basement about it."<br /><br />Well said, and an excellent essay on a terrific movie.<br /><br />The screen captures are quite nice as well.Mickey Bitskohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02631234693487856805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-85236370088984943762015-09-17T03:28:19.233-07:002015-09-17T03:28:19.233-07:00Hi Gregory
Yes, you got it right. The first time T...Hi Gregory<br />Yes, you got it right. The first time THE BIRDS was televised was NBCs Saturday Night at the Movies. I can still hear the voiceover announcer and the clips they used as intro (that one of Hedren holding the cotton swab to her head being one of them).<br />Sounds like you had a very good intro to Hitchcock in having three from his most "muse inspired" period become your favorites.<br />You bring up some thematic elements in THE BIRDS I haven't heard anyone broach before. Specifically your take on the Annie hayworth character and the possibility of some kind of inter-farm romance for edgy Lydia Brenner (which is an amusing notion and really a fine fit. I never felt it myself, but on reflection, it's a valid personal interpretation that befitting film's ability to give different information to different viewers).<br /><br />And you're right about that Pepperidge Farm accent on the Bodega Bay guy. He could have stepped out of a Stephen King novel.<br />Your affection for this film and attention to its details makes for an enjoyable read, as so many of your impressions I share.<br /><br />My feelings about Hitchcock's fondness for rear projection persists, however. They never struck me as careless or even sloppy so much as a logical extension of his storyboard perfectionism. Like Kubrick, Hitchcock strikes me as one of the most stagebound of directors, and I just think he'd rather have the technical control (and its attendant artificiality) rather than deal with locations, weather and variable light.<br />But much like with dreams though, I think we as viewers are free to interpret practical, technical choices, with artistic ones. If it enhances our enjoyment of a film, as you said in a previous post, that's what the art of film is all about.<br />Thank you, Gregory. You've always been very complimentary and gracious, and you've contributed to may posts with your insightful and heartfelt comments.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-86752333410647160312015-08-10T16:20:14.409-07:002015-08-10T16:20:14.409-07:00Hi Tom
Thanks for contributing such a terrific ess...Hi Tom<br />Thanks for contributing such a terrific essay (which I recommend to any Hitchcock fan and fan of The Birds)! It certainly has become a film that looks much different to me now than when I was a kid. It really is a film that has improved with time.<br />I'm glad you enjoyed this post, and I very much enjoyed your essay's well-taken points citing the film's love story (or lack-of-love story) as a major part of the effectiveness of the horror.<br />Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment!<br />Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-86353043947146781062015-08-10T13:42:52.806-07:002015-08-10T13:42:52.806-07:00Ken: I am just now reading this post, as a fellow ...Ken: I am just now reading this post, as a fellow cine-phile and Hichcock fan sent me the link. Excellent post- very perceptive. I love your take on Hitch building up Hedren's beauty and then tearing it apart.<br /><br />I also love your take on modern-day cinema and how money drives everything, resulting in films that are sloppy and devoid of true human sentiment, much less professionalism. <br /><br />I do think that "The Birds: is one of Hitchock's finest films. I wrote an article on the film a few years ago as well and thought you would enjoy reading it:<br /><br />http://cinemadirectives.blogspot.com/2012/04/hitchs-terrifying-love-story.htmltom hylandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15059595835440742055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-58922687523479008642015-04-07T04:37:48.610-07:002015-04-07T04:37:48.610-07:00I'm honestly flattered that you would have a p...I'm honestly flattered that you would have a pre-interest in the "LeCinemaDreams" treatment of a film! That's always been my goal with this blog.<br />I find revisionist film history to be interesting as well. It's frequently accurate, but just as often prone to ascribe all manner of accolades to some of the most run-of the mill product of its time. Actors included. "Marnie" has to go on my "to do" list. Thanks, Rick!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-88386242850696209592015-04-04T06:36:12.188-07:002015-04-04T06:36:12.188-07:00The only reason I don't write more is because ...The only reason I don't write more is because I want to read what you have to say first!<br /><br />One thing I will say is that I am always fascinated by revisionist film history. Just as Joan Crawford is increasingly reviewed as Misunderstood Mommie, Marnie is a misunderstood masterpiece, and Tippi Hedren an intuitive actress. I don't really have a problem with that, because the public and media have a tendency to take things at face value at the time--such as when Marilyn's dumb blonde act was taken seriously and Monroe herself wasn't.<br /><br />But "Marnie" is so overstuffed on so many levels, it deserves Ken's LeCinemaDreams treatment!<br /><br />Cheers, Ricohttp://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/https://www.blogger.com/profile/14243899548141583461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-83208171522538374442015-04-03T19:49:00.631-07:002015-04-03T19:49:00.631-07:00Ha! Did you like it? It's such an odd film for...Ha! Did you like it? It's such an odd film for me...maybe that will be the thrust of what I would write about. And indeed I would call it fascinating, too. The film takes itself so seriously in spite of sometimes appearing almost feverishly overstimulated. Love Diane baker, though!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-35744982561835430552015-04-03T15:31:29.035-07:002015-04-03T15:31:29.035-07:00I just watched "Marnie" last week. A fas...I just watched "Marnie" last week. A fascinating flop that deserves the Ken treatment, I think ; )<br /><br />Ricohttp://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/https://www.blogger.com/profile/14243899548141583461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-9747454062832470122015-03-31T02:27:19.383-07:002015-03-31T02:27:19.383-07:00I know what you mean about the erratic late-career...I know what you mean about the erratic late-career output of Hitchcock.<br />I find "Torn Curtain" watchable, but after seeing "Topaz" once, I too have absolutely no memory of it at all except the passing thought that for all of his obsessiveness over his leading ladies, he seemed to have a talent for picking the blandest, most forgettable male stars as he got older. "Frenzy" is indeed too misogynist, even by Hollywood standards, and "Marnie" should be a great deal more interesting than it is, but it falters for me so badly. Though no classic, at least "Family Plot" holds together.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-74988625083076929572015-03-14T05:06:52.186-07:002015-03-14T05:06:52.186-07:00During the past 6 months, I've been talking wi...During the past 6 months, I've been talking with several people about Hitchcock's later films, & there seems to be an universal consensus that The Birds was the last true great Hitchcock classic. I know that I caught The Birds & all of the post-Birds films at the cinema, but only Torn Curtain & the final one, Family Plot, appealed to me ( though both are blurry in my memory ) . I hated the misogynistic Frenzy & have never revisited it ( almost did not view Family Plot but did ). I hated Marnie but did give it a 2d go on DVD ; as a friend of mine put it : unless you are a true believer in the religion & pseudoscience of psychology, there is nothing but tedious psychobabble & psychodrivel & a story about a man blackmailing a woman into marriage & then raping her on the honeymoon as so-called treatment. I have absolutely no memory of Topaz, though I know I caught it in the cinema. bye !Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-43235194015486177432014-11-29T13:52:07.853-08:002014-11-29T13:52:07.853-08:00Hi Felix
Yes, I'm not sure when I came across ...Hi Felix<br />Yes, I'm not sure when I came across your blog, but (perhaps because so many of our tastes criss-cross and your comments are so well-observed) it became a favorite. Thanks for stopping by here!<br />A bit of your keenness in extracting interesting things to ponder in a film is your noting how much time the film devotes to a plot and character complications that indeed become irrelevant once the bird attacks start. As much as this device thoroughly contributes to the effectiveness of the latter scenes, I can't think of a filmmaker today (or an audience) that would have the patience to let this happen today.<br />And in your description of the diner scene, You point to why, even with its many flaws, "The Birds" is a film that survives many rewatchings...it's so well-crafted! <br />I do hope you resume your blog again.Thoughtful essays on film aren't as common online as I once thought. Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-11781108617014898202014-11-29T10:57:15.126-08:002014-11-29T10:57:15.126-08:00Hi Ken,
I just happened to stumble upon your blog...Hi Ken,<br /><br />I just happened to stumble upon your blog recently while I was Google searching, and I have been gleefully reading through it almost daily. Just yesterday, I was surprised to find that you have my blog listed under your favorites and that you recently commented on my "Dementia 13" review. Thanks for the kind words! I have neglected my own blog for more than a year, but lately I have been thinking about revamping it and starting over, and your wonderful reviews have given me inspiration. It's amazing how much your taste jives so well with my own, including your affection for Shelley Duvall and for Truffaut's "Fahrenheit 451."<br /><br />Getting to your review, I think you are so spot-on about "The Birds." It was also my first Hitchcock film (from it's endless TV airings in the 80s and 90s when I was a kid), and while I don't think it's top-tier Hitchcock, it is a film that has grown in esteem for me over the years. Perhaps my favorite scene is the argument in the restaurant just before the big attack. As Tippi Hedren and the diners argue back and forth about the plausibility of a bird attack, I love the way the framing seems to tighten, becoming closer and closer to the actors' faces, with the extras in the background staring intently, and the claustrophobia intensifying.<br /><br />As you say, it's also very interesting to speculate about the unspoken backgrounds of the characters. To me, what's great is how the bird attacks are totally separate from the romantic and familial melodrama that plays out in the first 20 minutes. We are sucked in by Melanie and Annie's romantic rivalry and by the whole Oedipal complex, when suddenly all of that becomes nearly irrelevant with the onslaught of attacks. It grounds the inexplicable nature of the bird attacks with a sense of realism that most other animal-attack films don't care to develop. In many ways, it's a strange film because so much is left without explanation. But those mysteries make it a compelling and immensely re-watchable movie.Felix Gonzalez, Jr.https://filmfantomes.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-68924572441698863702014-09-15T19:38:31.614-07:002014-09-15T19:38:31.614-07:00Mark,
The problem is that for decades we were give...Mark,<br />The problem is that for decades we were given horror movies with bee plagues, worm plagues, cockroach plagues, spider plagues piranha plagues, ape plagues and even sheep trying to erase mankind from the face of the earth. No one takes it serious anymore. So the scriptwriters will have to approach this one very carefully and with a lot of intelligence if they want the Birds remake to stand out.<br />Cornwall? Forget it. It will be New York or L.A; disaster areas by firm tradition, <br />Have mercy on the aliens who decide to shake hands with Man in Azerbaijan or Papua...dedeurshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09775849527808927607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-20814224789979026182014-09-14T14:32:22.003-07:002014-09-14T14:32:22.003-07:00I've read it Willem, and I think that partly e...I've read it Willem, and I think that partly explains my lack of wow for Hitch's adaptation. I read the short story before watching the film (though I recall the film being on TV in my childhood) and as such I think the film left me a little cold.<br />Bay's involved in the remake, but not in the director's chair as the director is said to be Dutch film maker Diederik Van Rooijen. Its just Bay's production company that is stumping up the cash. From what I've heard it hopes to be closer to the original story with a return to the Cornish setting and potentially Naomi Watts in the lead roleMarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14569732807130090838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-32275074004966402282014-09-14T13:51:35.628-07:002014-09-14T13:51:35.628-07:00Few people have read Daphne DuMaurier's short ...Few people have read Daphne DuMaurier's short story. It plays in rural Cornwall, England and during a winter so cold that it's a disaster in itself (and it is suggested that this weather extremity is a catalyst for the bird's evolutionary behavior) When I reread the story right after I finished it, I first put on a thick sweater...<br />DuMaurier's characters are anything but sophisticated Bodega Bay tourists and inhabitants, they are farmers, and they have no time to roam pet shops for love birds. DuMaurier makes you feel that her characters are more scared of what is happening in nature than those in the movie. They just don't run around screamqueening on soundstages. It's actually a very sparse story.<br />Some time later I read a few other DuMaurier novels and collections; mostly elaborate chicklits with thriller elements. It struck me how un-Maurier The Birds was. But in the early 70s it was one of the best and most chilling and gruesome horror stories I read so far. Or rather, doomsday stories. She really scared the hell out of me with her vision.<br />Hitchcock's version is a hoot. Yes, it has masterful moments. and the birds manage to look threatening. But the whole story around fashion model Melanie and the well to do Brenner family and an ending in 'Fleeing to a safe future'-mode I found sickening. The film Don't Look Now was able to enhance thát DuMaurier short story immeasurably, but Hitchcock certainly did not enhance her Birds. I consider it a mere curiosity in his oeuvre. <br />However; I read that Michael Bay wants to do a 990 million dollar remake. So what we'll get is a movie like The Swarm (about killer bees with Olivia de Havilland) upgraded to the hilt and with more pyrotechnics than in all Bruce Willis vehicles together. There are about 914 bird species in the US alone. I expect that Mr Bay's movie will star ten times as many. And pouty Scarlett Johansson of course. <br />I got to admit, Hitchcock at least gave it his own unique stamp, There's nothing unique about Bay. Please pass the message on to him. dedeurshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09775849527808927607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-33064180372075548242014-08-04T13:16:45.407-07:002014-08-04T13:16:45.407-07:00Veronica Cartwright, who played Cathy Brenner in A...Veronica Cartwright, who played Cathy Brenner in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, is scheduled to appear at the 2014 Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, Hunt Valley, Md., at the Hunt Valley Wyndham Hotel, Sept. 18-20. She will be attending a screening of the film, and will be available for questions, photos, and autographs. More info http://midatlanticnostalgiaconvention.comAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02467112775469079819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-43123513620607312962014-08-04T04:16:52.831-07:002014-08-04T04:16:52.831-07:00& don't forget about the Casper The Friend...& don't forget about the Casper The Friendly Ghost comics Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-47154572588358264762014-06-22T03:38:05.500-07:002014-06-22T03:38:05.500-07:00PS : the wildlife & environmental movements b...PS : the wildlife & environmental movements began to really take off a year after the release of ' The Birds ' . Co-incidence ?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com