Birds of Prey is the more generic title of René Cardona Jr's Beaks: the Movie, a co-production between Mexico and Spain (and probably a dozen other countries). But why do you name a movie Beaks: the Movie? And add to this that Juan Piquer Simón the year later released Slugs: the Movie! I wonder what was going on there, can we still expect Insects: the Movie or maybe Cyborg Dog: the Movie - oh wait, Brian Yuzna directed the last one, almost anyway (2004's Rottweiler, basically a remake of Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi's El Perro from 1979, but that's another story!).
Birds of Prey (I will call it that from now on, Beaks sounds so silly) is one of Cardona Jr's weaker efforts, but he's a pro and still gave us a decent-looking movie with cheap gore and impressive animal attacks. The story is very thin - almost non-existant: Michelle Johnson (who later did Waxwork and Dr Giggles) plays Vanessa, a TV-reporter. Her cameraman is played by cute Christopher Atkins (seven years after The Blue Lagoon) and together they go on an adventure of a lifetime!!! No, not really. But Vanessa suspects that there's something wrong with the birds in Spain (I think, correct me if I'm wrong) and soon they find themselves and everyone else under attack from every kinda bird there is! That's it.
It's almost shot like a sequel to Hitchcock's The Birds - and someone is mentioning that there was a big similar bird attack years ago, which seems like a clear reference to Hitch's first movie - but fails to deliver the same kind of depth and characters. Most of the actors do good, but the script is so thin and underwritten that it's very easy to lose interest in what's happening. Most of the attacks are very similar - humans have fun, birds attack in slow-motion - but at least Cardona tries to make something fun out of it and puts the attacks in a lot of different places, including a train and up in the sky.
At least it's bloody and the effects when people gets their faces ripped off is fun (and not especially well-made), but it works. A more disturbing thing is how many real birds that gets killed, especially in the beginning. So if you don't want to see fine, proud birds getting shot to pieces in super slow-motion, stay away from this film. It's a pity, 'cause it could have been a lot more fun. Now there's a fairly high human body count instead, which is alright and the movie itself looks gorgeous.
Cardona Jr, just like his father, was an expert in cheap and extremely good-looking spectacular genre movies. They're both favorites of mine and especially junior. It's like he knew exactly what made a good exploitation film. Just check out his 1980 action classic "Hostages" (starring Hugo Stiglitz!), a movie that's a crazy mix of about everything from that time when it comes to action and thriller - from disaster to home invasion. It's awesome in it's trashiness.
Birds of Prey is not for everyone. But it could have made a bigger splash among the cult fans if it didn't killed so many real birds. Lets keep fantasy from reality in movies, something I've always felt is important. There's NEVER need to kill an animal to make entertainment.
"oh wait, Brian Yuzna directed the last one, almost anyway (2004's Rottweiler, basically a remake of Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi's El Perro from 1979, but that's another story!)."
I didn´t know that, I haven´t seen Rottweiler yet.
El perro(1979), I like that one, you should do a review.
"It's almost shot like a sequel to Hitchcock's The Birds - and someone is mentioning that there was a big similar bird attack years ago, which seems like a clear reference to Hitch's first movie - but fails to deliver the same kind of depth and characters."
Nice reference by Cardona.
"A more disturbing thing is how many real birds that gets killed, especially in the beginning. So if you don't want to see fine, proud birds getting shot to pieces in super slow-motion, stay away from this film."
I will see this movie someday but I really don´t like it when they abandon the rules set up by American Humane Association.
It is like those animal scenes in Cannibal Holocaust(1980).....not pleasant to look at.
"Birds of Prey is not for everyone. But it could have made a bigger splash among the cult fans if it didn't killed so many real birds. Lets keep fantasy from reality in movies, something I've always felt is important. There's NEVER need to kill an animal to make entertainment."
Well, thanks for the warning, I love when animals attck films, I might see this someday, good review and thanks.
Posted by: Megatron | June 01, 2013 at 01:06
Cannibal Holocaust is a real Classic, but i am still amazed and mostly furius with Deodato about those animal killings.
I am a huge horrorfan, but those scenes alone helps me to rank him as a mediocre director. It doesn´t make the movie better or more interesting. I am actually glad that his career has been so so after that. Most low class television work. He has shown that he is way below Argento, Fulci and even Bianchi when it comes to horror. When it comes to Italocrimes he was below the likes of Castellari, Di Leo and certainly Lenzi aswell.
Posted by: tobe | June 01, 2013 at 02:42
I think Cannibal Holocaust is a masterpiece, but nowadays I try to watch the version where you can skip the animal cruelty.
On the other hand, you see similar cruel use of animals in Apocalypse Now and Southern Comfort, who are considered classics by everyone.
Posted by: Fred Anderson | June 01, 2013 at 09:57