Laura Erickson's For the Birds

Hitchcock’s The Birds

My family loves movies, and during Oscar week we’re pretty focused on the year’s nominees. But for some reason, this week I pulled out my DVD copy of a 1964 film, The Birds, which didn’t win any Oscars at all—though it was nominated 40 years ago for Best Effects, Special Visual Effects. I’ve watched the movie at least a dozen times, so this time I decided to check out the DVD’s special features rather than watch the whole movie. And that’s when I discovered the trailer that ran in theaters back when the movie came out.

(Clip 1)

Hitchcock lectured on several topics related to birds:

(Clip 7)

The master of cinematic irony mentions some important inventions inspired by birds.

(Clip 8)

Hitchcock even points out how our hobbies are influenced by birds.

(Clip 10)

Just after finishing production on The Birds, Hitchcock was invited to speak at the National Press Club, and some of his comments were the subject of a short film that is also included on my DVD. Hitchcock commented to the National Press Club about how he named the movie.

Of course, the trailers had the interesting effect of enticing me to watch the movie yet again. Which made me bristle, yet again, at the stereotype woman ornithologist in the café.

But despite the arrogant, cranky ornithologist and bird movements and sounds that are way too unrealistic to be deserving of a special effects nomination, the movie can be astonishingly effective at scaring the binoculars off even the most anal-retentive birders like me.

I’m Laura Erickson, speaking for The Birds.