The Birds

by Brooks Wilson for the Knotty Girls small group.

Alfred Hitchcock's thriller teases the audience into believeing that nothing could go wrong in idyllic Bodega Bay. But when Tippi Hedren shows up, a seagull pecks at her face, drawing blood. An unusual occurrence --- or an omen of things to come.

Many of you know that Tippi Hedren's daughter is Melanie Griffith ("Working Girl") and that her son-in-law is Antonio Banderas ("Evita", "Shrek II"). You might also know to look for the cameo appearance of the director himself, but this time you also get the special treat of seeing Hitch with his won dogs, walking past the petshop that starts the plot rolling.

Although you might laugh at the special effects today, it is day this movie was a marvel. The final scene alone is comprised of 32 seperate filmed elements edited together. In the scene where Tippi Hedren is ravaged by a group of birds, they were attacked to her clothes by long nylon threads so they would not fly away. (I would not want the cleaning bill for the day of shooting).