The Birds is not only 1963’s scariest movie, but one of the creepiest flicks ever made. Alfred Hitchcock‘s loose adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s novelette chronicles what happens when nature runs amuck. After an encounter in a San Francisco bird shop, wealthy socialite Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) follows handsome Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor) to a small California coastal town that is soon under attack by gulls, crows, and other fine feathered “friends.” Jessica Tandy, Veronica Cartwright, Suzanne Pleshette also star in this classic shocker. Despite all the airborne terror occurring in the film, its original teaser trailer is full of whimsy instead of scares. Classic misdirection on Hitch’s part, and yet another reason why The Birds continues to terrify audiences today.
