“Then he saw them. The gulls. Out there, riding the seas. What he had
thought at first to be the white caps of the waves were gulls.
Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands... They rose and fell in the
trough of the seas, heads to the wind, like a mighty fleet at anchor,
waiting on the tide. To eastward, and to the west, the gulls were there.
They stretched as far as his eye could reach, in close formation, line
upon line. Had the sea been still they would have covered the bay like a
white cloud, head to head, body packed to body. Only the east wind,
whipping the sea to breakers, hid them from the shore.”
I have a love affair with this movie. I remember watching it, for the first time, when I was about 8, or so, and being terrified by the eeriness of the pace of the film. It built slowly. It made you wait for what you knew was inevitable, for the final attack, and oh boy did Du Maurier, and Hitchcock, make it easy to identify with Melanie Daniels! After all, there are birds everywhere, and how long before they lose their every loving shit on the stupid people who ignore the ecosystem of the Earth. So much could go wrong. Anyhoo, I grew up loving this movie and I thought it would be great as our first choice for the month of October! Mid-century movies let your imaginations run wild. And in that we are on our way to Bodega Bay today, you bet I will be keeping a close eye on, THE BIRDS!
“California loving smooth as the ocean tide Carefree soaking up your love like sunshine Crazy for ya feeling like a song with no rhyme I’m falling for you like sun in the springtime I’m so glad I found my California loving”
~Marie Helen Abramyan
It was a nearly perfect day in Bodega Bay. We spotted a few more birds, but the star of the day wasn't a bird, it was this adorable Sea lion, sunning himself in the warm afternoon Bodega Bay sun. I watched him for about 15 minutes or so. It was soul cleansing. I miss the Sea Lions of Pier 39 in San Francisco, so this was a very cool find! The dock sits right behind the Tides Restaurant, so could that have been the same dock where Melanie Daniels rented the boat she used to reach Mitch Brenner's house in the movie, The Birds? I'd like to think so. It's been a long time since that movie was filmed, and a lot of things have changed, but the beauty and fun of Bodega Bay, hasn't changed a bit!
Mitch Brenner: Do you happen to have a pair of birds that are just friendly?
Melanie Daniels: Just what is it you're looking for, sir? Mitch Brenner: Lovebirds. Melanie Daniels: Lovebirds, sir? Mitch Brenner: Yes, I understand there are different varieties. Is that true? Melanie Daniels: Oh yes there are. Mitch Brenner: Well, these are for my sister, for her birthday
see, and uh, as she's only going to be eleven, I, I wouldn't want a pair
of birds that were too demonstrative. Melanie Daniels: I understand completely. Mitch Brenner: At the same time, I wouldn't want them to be too aloof either. Melanie Daniels: No, of course not.
Oh my, Melanie Daniels and Mitch Brenner!
The Birds is one of my all time favorite horror films, partly because it is Hitchcock in all his glory. Partly because it is filmed on one of the most beautiful towns in Northern California, and partly for the amazing cast, including Rod Taylor (ooh la la) Tippi Hedren and Suzanne Pleshette. But one of the most compelling performances came from actress, Doreen Lang. She played a terrified mother, stuck in The Tides restaurant, during one of the scariest bird strikes on the town of Bodega Bay. Chilling!
The film was released in 1963, and remains a classic of the horror film genre. The plot revolves around an example of nature hitting back at humans, for ignoring it's plight through the dangers of global warming, or does it mean that at all? Or could it simply be one of those unexplainable occurrences that take place every once in a Blue Moon? Still one other theory is that Melanie Daniels is somehow causing the strange, birds gone insane, happening as it didn't seem to start, until Melanie Daniels arrived in town. She was the first victim of the birds, when she was assaulted by a large gull, while operating a small boat heading across Bodega Bay.
It was love at first sight between, Mitch and Melanie, although it was initially more combative than romantic. They banter back and forth for a bit, but in the end, Mitch seems to win their verbal dance. Not to be outdone, she pursues finding Mitch's address, and through her stalking mishaps, finds herself on her way to Bodega Bay. Her flirtation with Mitch Brenner, a lawyer from San Francisco, but living on weekends in Bodega Bay, is sexy and smart. It makes you want to see them form a lasting relationship, because in simple terms, you learn of their shared loneliness. They are that couple who finds each other, under difficult circumstances, often sparring, often turning to empathy for each other and the dynamics that leads them to live their respective guarded and lonely lives. Pressure we can all relate to in some way. But the road to love usually has some bumps along the way, but these two take it all to a new level. LOL.
Anyway, chances are you are very familiar with the film, so I won't go on and on about the plot, but I want to remind you how much fun it is to watch! It's a Saturday afternoon movie in my opinion, which is great because not all horror movies are geared to dark rooms and blankets to hide under. It is a popcorn movie though, and it's a gem with so many individual impressive scenes it's ridiculous! See the cool clips below. So, as you can see, I enjoy spending time in the famous town, not just as a movie buff, but also for the amazing birding opportunities it provides! Ironic, right? And I love the cheesy sense of humor Bodega Bay has about being the home of one of the most beloved horror movies ever!
The Bodega Harbor. The trees that stood in front of the house featured as the Brenner house, and the Potter Schoolhouse, used for the Bodega Bay school, are still there, as are is the Tides Restaurant. Although while it has gone under significant redesign, they maintain a small display outside the restaurant that runs the movie, in full, several times a day. Fans can stand outside the exhibit and do selfies next to the scenes behind them. It doesn't really put you in the film or anything, but it's kinda cool to stop and watch the movie. I have no idea who I would have been best to play in the film, but being a customer in The Tides, during all the drama, would have been an absolute hoot!
Enjoy my favorite clips...
"I think you're evil!"
From The Tides Display...
Hey, just because October, and Halloween, is over doesn't mean the chills, horror and all manner of things scary has to end! I am planning another trip to Bodega Bay before the atmospheric rive arrives, so I will post more photos from around the town later this month. Now, go watch the movie, and stay tuned!
Bodega Bay was cool and foggy yesterday, and it was filled with a lot of birds, so needless to say, I was completely thrilled. Ive been there when, ironically, there were very few birds at all, but that wasn't the case yesterday, as we counted at least four or five different kinds of gulls alone. There were Western Bluebirds, and assorted shorebirds and waders. We even spotted our first Brant of the year! I think we came home yesterday with about four new birds for this year's list, which brings the total so far to 153! Not a bad way to spend one of the last days of September! While in Bodega Bay, our favorite place to do our birding is across the bay from The Tides restaurant, near where the character of Mitch Brenner lives, from the Hitchcock classic, The Birds. Over by the house next to the two trees, as it's pointed out in the movie. It's officially called, Bodega Head. It's a great place to have lunch and wait for something fantastic to fly by. I love California so much!
“At the top of the hill he waited. He was much too soon. There was half
an hour still to go. The east wind came whipping across the fields from the
higher ground. He stamped his feet and blew upon his hands. In the distance he
could see the clay hills, white and clean, against the heavy pallor of the sky.
Something black rose from behind them, like a smudge at first, then widening,
becoming deeper, and the smudge became a cloud, and the cloud divided again into
five other clouds, spreading north, east, south and west, and they were not
clouds at all; they were birds.”
~Dame Daphne du Maurier, The Birds (The Birds And Other Stories)
Don't you just love the euphoric feeling you get from a fever? Everything feels surreal, and spooky, no matter what time of year it is! But there is something about an autumn cold that makes it almost worth having, just so you can revisit that time in childhood, when you just knew there was a ghost in the closet, or a phantom under the bed!
God, I love this time of year... and the common cold!
“It occurred to me that if I were a ghost, this ambiance was what I'd miss most: the ordinary, day-to-day bustle of the living. Ghosts long, I'm sure, for the stupidest, most unremarkable things.”
"Such days of autumnal decline hold a strange mystery which adds to the gravity of all our moods. Every step that Time takes imprints upon the fields as they grow bare and brown."
~Charles Nodier, Trilby, ou le lutin d'Argail/Trilby: The Fairy of Argyle, 1822
The birds were amazing in Half Moon Bay yesterday. There was an estimated 600 birds, and I counted at least 5 different species, maybe more! They were flying about in all kinds of mania, feeding on anchovies I think. All I could see was a million tiny sparkles in the water. It was a bit spooky, and a bit magical all at the same time!
Is it possible for something to be magical and spooky at the same time?
"Give them pleasure. The same pleasure they have when they wake up from a nightmare."
~Alfred Hitchcock
Bodega Bay California is a lovely place. It is one of my favorite towns along the California coast, but it does have a kind of a vibe. A spooky vibe. The town and it's people are friendly enough, and there is a lot to see and photograph, but I can't help but think about the one scene from Alfred Hitchcock's classic horrorfest, The Birds, which left the biggest impression on me, the one where Suzanne Pleshettet's bird pecked body is found on the steps of her modest house overlooking the ocean. There was no music when Mitch and Melanie found the body, only an eerie silence as they first see her legs, then her body... then her face. The mixture of despair, fear, horror and horror again left me with the kind of chills that keep me coming back, at least once a year, to feel the chills all over again. Alfred Hitchcock chose Bodega Bay because it had a comfortable, small town charm to it, oh and it has lots of birds. LOTS OF BIRDS. Sometimes... LARGE BIRDS! Hitchcock might have been a bit of a character in real life, but he was a genius about knowing what it took to scare the wits out of a person. Sometimes it's the thought, not the reality, that is scariest of all.
"There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it."
~Alfred Hitchcock
~Me :)
Today's Link is from my pal JR... Go Say Hello! :)
To all my pals, and lurkers in New York, and you know who you are, my thoughts are with you! Hang in there, and don't hesitate to call me if you need to. :)
