Since I’m not enjoying the direction the battle of the sequels has taken, I’ve decided to take on a new inspiration for Friday’s or Saturdays. Since I spend most of my weekends at the job that pays the bills I’m going to try a new idea. So Fridays are now the official day of Monster Madness because my nightmare also begins on the weekend. So here is my first “Movie Monster”. I’m starting by using the title “Monster” ambiguously and in theme with the review posted today my “Monster” is the Birds from “The Birds”.
The Birds
“I think we’re in real trouble…….the bird war, the bird attack, plague, call it what you like. They’re amassing out there someplace and they’ll be back. You can count on it…….” -Mitch Brenner
The “Birds” from the film “The Birds” may not be a typical description of “monster”, but they exemplified exactly what a movie monster is all about. They were mystical, elusive, and most importantly terrifying. Without any real explanation for their violent rage against man, this is without a doubt one of the greatest monster/horror movies of all time. One of the most frightening scenes in cinema is the moment when Melanie walks carefully through the playground, the monkey bars covered with hundreds and hundreds of the creatures, a mass of black. It is truly one of the eeriest moments on film ever. If Hitchcock can make a battalion of wonky birds scary why can’t filmmakers go the distance with all the knowledge at their finger tips? Time to go back to the drawing board and take notes folks, because this is classic psychological terror. Though the special effects here are a bit on the less impressive side and some of the methods Hitchcock used questionable (actually using nylon attaching the birds toTippi Hendrin’s clothes ), the result is a fantastic nightmare, making The Birds one of the most infinitely frightening creatures in the world of Movie Monsters.
It makes me sad that I’ve never seen this whole film. I have seen that particular scene in the playground and it has a quiet power to it. Just goes to show that a monster doesn’t always have to be something straight out of nightmares and it doesn’t have to be barreling towards you spewing fire and brimstone!