Revealing mistake: A red headed kid in a blue shirt gets pecked on the cheek by a blackbird as he runs down the street. If you look closely at the bird before he touches the kid the blood he smears on the child's cheek is in a sack hanging off of his upper beak. (01:14:30)
Revealing mistake: Just before Mitch comes through the door to save Melanie there's a shot of the birds coming at her with the opening in the roof in the background. The opening in the roof is in color but the superimposed birds are in black and white. (01:49:15)
Revealing mistake: Melanie has no problem taking the letter for Mitch out of her pocketbook as she places it on top of the bird cage. The crew put adhesive tape on the back of it, so she can push on the letter with her thumb to keep it in place for the close-up. (00:10:20)
Revealing mistake: The bird that Mitch catches under his hat is fake and doesn't move. However, in the next shot when he takes it out from under his hat the bird is real. There are numerous instances throughout the film where it is obvious that the birds are fake. (00:06:15)
Revealing mistake: When hundreds of sparrows pour out of the fireplace, filling the house, they do not cast shadows on the furniture, walls or people.
Revealing mistake: In virtually all the outdoor attack scenes (but most noticeably in the phone booth sequence), the rotoscope seagulls and crows are proportioned about 150% to 200% of their natural size, about the size of turkeys.
Revealing mistake: As Melanie walks up the stairs she's pointing the flashlight out in front of her but it's able to illuminate her face like a spot light. (01:46:50)
Revealing mistake: A fake bird, unable to fly straight, swoops down as Mitch saves Melanie from the phone booth. (01:27:45)
Revealing mistake: The cameraman loses focus on the uptight mom as she asks Melanie where she came from. In the next shot she is sharp as a tack. (01:28:50)
Revealing mistake: If you watch closely as she sets sail Melanie's boat nudges the boat that the camera is on causing the film to jiggle slightly as she passes by. (00:20:35)
Revealing mistake: When Mitch runs to get the hammer and nails the camera follows him around the corner of the kitchen door. Watch very closely as the door on the far right of the screen moves when the camera hits it. The film also jiggles as this happens. (01:43:40)
Revealing mistake: When they show the perspective of being in Melanie's driver's seat looking out the windshield we don't see Melanie's legs as you would expect, but a mechanism that allows someone to steer from the passenger seat so the camera has an unobstructed view of the driver's seat. (00:11:05)
Answer: "The bird attacks have subsided for the time being. Bodega Bay seems to be the centre, though there are reports of minor attacks on Sebastopol and a few on Santa Rosa. Bodega Bay has been cordoned off by roadblocks. Most of the townspeople have managed to get out, but there are still some isolated pockets of people. No decision has been arrived at yet as to what the next step will be, but there's been some discussion as to whether the military should go in. It appears that the bird attacks come in waves, with long intervals between. The reason for this does not seem clear as yet."
Hamster ★