Da Boids

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Saw some of this film again last night. One of the few films to contain a moment I still find genuinely disturbing (finding the old man in the house)- and it scared me quite a bit when I was a kid. Classic set pieces, wonderful use of sound during the birds attack on the house.
But I also still find the ending such a washout puzzle - what does it all mean?
Is there a standard interpretation (hopefully non-Freudy but haha chance would be a fine thing...) of what it's all about?
How does it compare to the original short story?
What's the significance of that pair of caged lovebirds?

Snowy Mann (rdmanston), Thursday, 5 December 2002 11:30 (twenty-three years ago)

The end = The boirds rule. Mankind is now subservient.

The caged lovebirds at the begining = the caged lovehumangs at the end.

Pete (Pete), Thursday, 5 December 2002 11:33 (twenty-three years ago)

There was a great piece in S&S when I wz there by the screenwriter, Ed McBain, abt the nightmare of working with Hitch adapting from the short story (which = v.v.short indeed). I'll look it out tonight and post some stuff if I remember.

"Who are you? Where are you from? I think you're evil! EVIL!!"

mark s (mark s), Thursday, 5 December 2002 11:42 (twenty-three years ago)

My mum was telling me last night that H. had Tippi Hedren get actually hurt by the birds during the filming of the attack on her, so that her fear during that last scene would have a genuine element to it - I've heard somewhere that he had a bit of an obsession with her, but is this true or just film-myth?

(thankyou mark that would be great - oh and I'm still waiting for Amazon to deliver that AB book about The Thing by the way!)

Snowy Mann (rdmanston), Thursday, 5 December 2002 11:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Hitchcock was well known for doing stuff like that to his leading ladies so more than plausible. ANd yeah, his thing for Hedren is even clearer in Marnie...

Ed McBain eh. Well he sure knows how to write.

Pete (Pete), Thursday, 5 December 2002 11:49 (twenty-three years ago)

it's under his real name though, which i forget

haha i love hitch's attempt to invent a new item of film grammar, when there's those three "stills" of tippi as she watches the flames run along the petrol to blow up the cigar-guy => it so totally doesn't work!!

mark s (mark s), Thursday, 5 December 2002 11:59 (twenty-three years ago)

Ed McBain real name = Evan Hunter (which is a pretty blimmin' cool name by itself).

Pete (Pete), Thursday, 5 December 2002 12:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Blimey, I just looked taht up (June 1997, The Fifth Element ("Elemental" in hot pink) on cover) and it's 12 pages long. I might have a flickn through it later.

Graham (graham), Thursday, 5 December 2002 12:14 (twenty-three years ago)

i saw fifth element with [xXx], and we had a nice evening together :(

mark s (mark s), Thursday, 5 December 2002 12:21 (twenty-three years ago)

Sinker and Vin Diesel in going to the movies shockah.
(Or alternatively Sinker and Barbara Bach in going to the movies shocker, depending on which triple X you like best).

Pete (Pete), Thursday, 5 December 2002 12:52 (twenty-three years ago)

i like my [xXx] best, but it wz not mutual :(

mark s (mark s), Thursday, 5 December 2002 12:54 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't think Evan Hunter is Ed McBain's real name either. I'm sure I read somewhere that it was a pseudonym used for his less genre work, and saw his real name, which was Italian. I might be imagining this or thinking of Donald Westlake/Richard Stark/Tucker Coe or something.

Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 5 December 2002 18:24 (twenty-three years ago)

I love when Tippi is driving the twisty road up the coast, and as she hits a turn Hitch shows the lovebirds tipping back and forth in their cage. I also love those "stills" mark s references above.

Sean (Sean), Thursday, 5 December 2002 22:39 (twenty-three years ago)

I love when Tippi is driving the twisty road up the coast, and as she hits a turn Hitch shows the lovebirds tipping back and forth in their cage. I also love those "stills" mark s references above. This might sound kind of gay or something, but I wish she got to wear more outfits in the movie.

Sean (Sean), Thursday, 5 December 2002 22:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Hmm, how did that get up there twice?

Sean (Sean), Thursday, 5 December 2002 22:40 (twenty-three years ago)

btw, I love this movie.

Sean (Sean), Thursday, 5 December 2002 22:43 (twenty-three years ago)


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