The Birds - Collector's Edition (1963)

Rod Taylor	Mitch Brenner
Jessica Tandy	Lydia Brenner
Suzanne Pleshette	Annie Hayworth
Tippi Hedren	Melanie Daniels
Veronica Cartwright	Cathy Brenner
Ethel Griffies	Mrs. Bundy, elderly ornithologist
Charles McGraw	Sebastian Sholes, fisherman in diner
Ruth McDevitt	Mrs. MacGruder, pet store clerk
Lonny Chapman	Deke Carter, cook in diner
Joe Mantell	Traveling salesman at diner's bar
Doodles Weaver	Fisherman helping with rental boat

Director	Alfred Hitchcock
Producer	Alfred Hitchcock
Writer	Daphne Du Maurier Evan Hunter
Cinematography	Robert Burks
Musician	Bernard Herrmann

The story begins as an innocuous romantic triangle involving wealthy, spoiled Tippi Hedren , handsome Rod Taylor , and schoolteacher Suzanne Pleshette . The banality of the human story, which begins in a San Francisco pet shop and culminates at the home of Taylor 's mother ( Jessica Tandy ) at Bodega Bay, lulls the audience into a sense of security, which is slowly eroded by the curious behavior of the birds in the area. At first, it's no more than a sea gull swooping down and pecking at Tippi 's head. Things take a truly ugly turn when hundreds of birds converge on a children's party (the sequence in which the aviary attackers group on schoolyard playground equipment is one of Hitchcock 's best setpieces). There is never an explanation as to why the birds have run amok, but once the onslaught begins, there's virtually no letup. The near-silent, fraught-with-foreboding finale is unsettling as it stands, though Hitchcock had planned an even more disturbing finale, wherein the "safe harbor" of San Francisco would be shown to be under total control of the birds. — Hal Erickson

Edition Details
Edition	Collector's Edition
Distributor	Universal Studios
Chapters	20
Release Date	3/28/2000
Packaging	Keep Case
Screen Ratio	1.85:1
Subtitles	English
Audio Tracks	ENGLISH: Dolby Digital Mono [CC] FRENCH: Dolby Digital Mono
Layers	Single Side, Dual Layer
No. of Disks/Tapes	1

Personal Details
Purchase Date	3/29/2000
Owner	Thomas Eisenmann
Store	Best Buy
Purchase Price	$22.99
Condition	Excellent
Reviewed	Widescreen Review
Bit Rate	192 KB
Anamophic	Yes
Links	IMDB Amazon US The Birds at Movie Collector Connect

Anamophic

Includes the fascinating documentary All About The Birds; written, produced and directed by Laurent Bouzereau, that uses interviews, storyboards and script pages to bring the behind-the-scenes story of this classic film to life. There is a deleted scene—the original ending—segment that, although never shot, is depicted here with script pages and sketches. Next, there are storyboard sequences layered with the actual scenes from the movie. You’ll see Tippi Hedren’s screen test, lots of delicious production photos and movie poster stills, two short Universal newsreels: “The Birds Is Coming” and “Suspense Story;” National Press Club Hears Hitchcock, production notes, the original theatrical trailer, cast and crew biographies and a DVD-ROM Web link.

Story Synopsis:
Just what is going on with those creatures? From the story by Daphne DuMaurier, The Birds, takes us to the tiny Pacific Coast town of Bodega Bay when Melanie (Hedren) meets Mitch (Taylor) in a San Francisco pet store and sets out to win his favor. Then there’s Annie (Pleshette), the local schoolteacher, who is mighty jealous of Melanie because she wants Mitch for herself. But that’s not the story. It’s all about the seagulls and ravens and crows and sparrows and starlings that wreak havoc on the townspeople and leave death and pecked-out eyes in their wake. You may find yourself ducking under the quilt for more than a few scenes in this Hitchcock classic! There’s pretty scenery, too--when it’s not covered in blood and feathers. (Laurie Sevano)

DVD Picture:
The anamorphically enhanced 1.85:1 DVD, viewed in component video, exhibits a nicely restored picture that is sharp and detailed, though enhanced edges are apparent throughout. Colors are nicely balanced, with accurate fleshtones, rich hues and deep, solid blacks. Some scenes are very impressive and solid. Fine film grain is revealed throughout, but there are few distractions, for a picture that will surely please, especially for its age.

Soundtrack:
The soundtrack is Dolby® Digital 2.0 encoded in dual-channel big fat mono. When Dolby ProLogic®-decoded, the mono is properly placed in the center channel. The fidelity is dated and undistinguished. Some distortion is present, but background noise is remarkably low.