The Movie Journal

Dr. No (1963) 1963’s Dr. No is the first of many James Bond films to come. This particular version is the cheapest one of the series and perhaps one of the more fun ones. The plot is very James Bond-like which means the series generally run on Cold War tropes-but I like the sense of adventure in the movie. We were also introduced to Sean Connery, a relatively unknown actor then. People consider himself one of the greatest James Bond to date, and I completely understand why. What fascinates me about this movie is what it took to bring this movie to the cinema screens. The author of the James Bond books, Ian Fleming wrote his first Bond book in 1952. He believed that his character was more suited to TV or movie screens than on page. Many film producers agreed, but had a hard time bringing the now iconic character to the silver screen. Two producers, Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman were key to making this work. Saltzman was able to purchase the rights, but he had no money to...

The Birds (1963) Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds is another strong film in a filmography that is nothing but strong films. This 1963 horror thriller is Hitchcock’s second horror film after the chilling 1960’s Psycho . This movie is the weaker of the two, but that is nothing to scoff at. This film’s imagery of the birds swooping down and attacking the folks of Bodega Bay is iconic. Hitchcock enjoyed bird-watching as a child and he was fascinated what would happen if birds were to turn evil. I do not believe that Hitchcock added any messages or allegories in the film, but some people suggest the attacking birds are actually Greek Furies attacking those people who dwell in evil. The movie may not be as good as other Hitchcock movies like Rear Window , but the movie has this eerie tone that works, the acting is solid thanks to newcomer Tippi Hedren’s soaring performance, and the visual effects are especially great. I could do with less of the oddly tedious love story and the change o...