The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock, 1963)

Alfred Hitchcock is an interesting guy. From the interviews I have heard people say of him that he was always more interested in talking about cooking, wine, and travel rather than about making movies. I found that extremely refreshing. I wish I had been around when his films were originally coming out. The technological mastery employed by Hitchcock, by way of Disney, would have been really something to see back then I'm sure. It holds up well today but I can imagine it would be akin to seeing The Matrix for the first time for my generation.

A rich young San Francisco socialite, Melanie Daniels, is shopping for parrot at a bird shop when the dashing attorney, Mitch Brenner, comes in and pretends that he thinks she is a sales person and asks her about love birds, when in actuality he knew exactly who she was, those sly lawyers. This scene is classic Hitchcock, subtle/obvious innuendoes (which he employed in North by Northwest as well) being bantered back and forth. It is obvious Hitchcock is going to play this film like a comedy until the time is right. Something I've noticed about Hitchcock is that he can really pick out beautiful women. Grace Kelly, Eva Marie Saint, Tippi Hendren, & Kim Novak all were really stunningly pretty girls. Of course, I think Hitchcock probably would have used Grace Kelly for years had that prince not stolen her away from Hollywood.

Well, the next thing you know Melanie Daniels is driving up to Bodega Bay to deliver some Love Birds that she had purchased for Mitch's sister (or whatever her excuse was for coming up to Bodega.) While there she rents a boat to sneak into Mitch house which happens to be situated right on the bay. Mitch catches her as she is making her way back and races his car around the bay to meet Melanie by the docks. I thought this was probably one of the best scenes I've ever seen. I don't exactly know why, I just loved the image of Mitch in his car speeding around the small bay while Melanie raced across on a little outboard motorboat.

From here the movie takes on a little more sinister tone. As Melanie is about to make it to shore she is seemingly attacked by a seagull. Or maybe it saw something in her hair. Alfred doesn't quite let us in on the secret just yet.


I must say this is an astonishing film. I am surprised that they are making a remake of this in 2011. I know that the remake of Psycho was a huge flop. I should be underlining and italicizing 'huge'. The 1960 psycho made $21,000,000 on a $2,500,000 budget. The remake made $21,000,000 on a $60,000,000. AND it was directed by a respected director, Gus Van Zant. We'll have to wait and see what George Clooney and Niomi Watts can do with it under the direction of Martin Campbell.

Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)

Psycho is one of those movies, where, despite never having seen it before in my life it felt a part of me. Something in the collective psyche of America. I knew some vague plot points; girl gets killed in a shower, the killer is his mother, the Bates motel... but I felt I understood the movie, without ever watching more than a ten second shower killing scene at Universal Studios where they revealed to me that the secrete to Alfred Hitchcock's blood was Bosco Brand Chocolate Syrup.

Anyways, after watching it, my suspicions were more or less confirmed. I did already know the basic plot, but the devil is in the details. I didn't have any idea Marion had stolen $40,000 (about $300,000 today!) from her employer in order to pay off her lover's debts. She then makes her way across country, being chased/harassed by a sketchy cop for a short while. Only to end up at the hotel of Norman Bates. While there Bates shares a nice meal with Marion and thoroughly creeps the fuck out of anyone watching.

Marion retires to the shower only to be attacked by Norman Bate's mother! Or so Hitchcock would like us to believe until the big reveal at the end of the film. Watching this film make me realize how great of a filmmaker he really was. I have only seen 4 of his 66 films (Vertigo, North by Northwest, Rear Window, & This Film) but each one is phenomenal.