El ataque de los pájaros [1987]

Country of Origin: Mexico / Puerto Rico / Peru
Year of Production: 1987
Running Times: 84 mins 15 sec [UK video]     84 mins 19 sec [PAL video]
Format: colour
Ratio:
Sound: Dolby Stereo

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Productora Filmica Real S.A. / Taleski Studios Inc / Labarthe Films S.A. / Televicine S.A. / Producciones Patsa S.A. / Dec. Films SRL.A. / Laurent Films
Executive Producer: Francis Medina
Producer: René Cardona Jr
Associate Producers [USA]: Pedro Amador, Taleski Inc, Televicine
Production Manager [Europe]: Julio Navas
Production Managers [USA]: Miguel Angel Gomez, Ellen S. Gordon, Alejandro 'Bolo' Parodi
Assistant Production Managers [USA]: Eduardo Trucco, Isidoro Lopez Cano
Production Coordinator: Pilar Labarthe de Cardona

SCRIPT
Script / Story: René Cardona Jr
English Translation: David Silvain
Additional Dialogue: Roberto Schlosser, Eric Wenston

DIRECTION
Director: René Cardona Jr
2nd Unit Director: Rene Cardona III
1st Assistant Director: Roberto Schlosser
2nd Assistant Director [Europe]: Antonio Garcia Molina

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Leopoldo Villaseñor
2nd Unit Director of Photography [USA]: Gaston Jenaro Hurtado A.
Camera Operators [USA]: Salvador Zerecero, Agustin Cubano, Roni Chinga
2nd Camera Operator [Europe]: Ricardo Andreu
1st Assistant Cameraman [Europe]: Ramiro Sabell
2nd Assistant Cameramen [Europe]: Jose Antonio Ramirez, Jose Luis Jiminez, Wolfgang Burman
Assistant Cameramen [USA]: Erik A. Hurtado, Luis Martinez, Miguel Hernandez
Chief Electrician [Europe]: Luis Suarez
Head Gaffer [USA]: Luis A. Maldonado
Assistant Gaffers [USA]: Juan Rivera, William Rivera, John Sides, Ruben Sola L.
Head Grip [USA]: Raul Riviera
Assistant Grips [USA]: Ramon Cuadrado, Anibal Pabon, Pedro Vazquez, Jose A. Soto, Daniel Chavarria, Fernando Melchor Marquez
Stills [Europe]: Jose Salvador
Stills [USA]: Enrique Sterling, Santos Salas
Camera [Europe]: Camera Rent International
Cameras [USA]: Antonio Hernandez
Lighting [Europe]: General de Servicios Cinematograficos S.A., GECISA
Lighting [USA]: Taleski Studios Inc
Laboratory Cinematiraje [Europe]: Riera, S.A.
Lab [USA]: Estudioa Churubusco

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: William Martin (real name: Jesús Paredes)
Assistant Editor [USA]: Saul Aupart
Post Production [USA]: Gomillion Studios

MUSIC
Music / Arranger: Stelvio Cipriani

SOUND
Location Sound [Europe]: Antonio Bloch
Location Sound [USA]: Almicar Sanchez
Re-Recording [USA]: Tom Moore, John Mack, John Norman
Assistant Sound [Europe]: Carlos Culebra
Sound Assistant [USA]: Edgar Del Valle
ADR Supervisor [USA]: Michael Sheridan
ADR Director [USA]: Harry Landers
Sound Effects Supervisor [USA]: Richard Le Grand
Special Sounds [USA]: Diggy

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up [Europe]: Cristobal Criado
Make Up [USA]: Estela Sanchez G., Migdalia Correa
Hair [Europe]: Ana Criado
Hair for Christoper Atkins [Europe]: Greg Mitchell
Wardrobe [Europe]: Dolores Marquerie
Wardrobe [USA]: Vilma Martinez

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Director: Rene Cardona III
Special Effects: Sergio Jara
Special Effects [Europe]: Sanchez Brothers

VISUAL EFFECTS
Titles: Westheimer Company

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director [Europe]: Justo Pastor
Set Decorator [USA]: Clive Brown
Property Master [Europe]: Honorio Cruz

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisor [Europe]: Maribel Ruiz Capilla
Financial Controller [USA]: Uriel Ramirez
Production Assistants [Europe]: Bettina Brenner, Paco Lara Huete, Javier Perez Bonilla
Dialogue Coach: Jacques Wilson
Transportation [Europe]: Agapito Sanchez, Angel Sanchez
Transportation [USA]: Porfirio Contreras, Manuel Flores, Jose Tecco, Augusto Toledo, Edwin Toledo
Falcon Trainers [USA]: Hector Castilla Reyes, Juan Benjamin Gonzalez M.

LOCATIONS
Locations: Madrid, Spain; Villanueva del Pardillo, Spain; Quintanar de la Orden, Spain; La Mancha, Spain; Toledo, Spain; Sevilla, Spain; Coto de Doña Ana, Spain; Machu Pichu, Peru; Nazca, Peru; Ballestas Islands, Peru; Lima, Peru; Morocco; Rome, Italy; Acapulco, Mexico; San Juan, Puerto Rico

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special Thanks To: Instituto de Cine y Television de Puerto Rico, Sr. Isaac Cuevas; AeroPeru; Pop Corn de Mexico S.A.; R.E.N.F.R.E. Spain

STUNTS
Hang Gliding Stunts [USA]: Santiago Corral Gutierrez

CAST
Christopher Atkins [Peter]
Michelle Johnson [Vanessa]
Sonia Infante [Carmen]
Salvador Pineda [Joe]
Gabriele Tinti [Rod]
Aldo Sambrel [Arthur Neilsen]
Mene Morales [Sharon]
Manuel Pereyro [Bob]
Carol Connery [Susan]
Carol James [nurse]
May Heatnerly [Olivia]
Pilar Brescia [Alexandra]
Annet Wenhammer D. [Marian]
Frasisco Gutierrez P. [Alex]
Ismael Miranda [pilot]
Elmer Modlin [TV director]
Dalissa Villalobos [Liz]
Nohemio Garcia [George]
Jose Linfante [governor]
Michael Sondow [Chief of Police]
Kunio Kobayasy [Dr Murayama]
Eva Cooper [Cathy]
Tony Cabon [tower controller]
Mariel Ramirez Carrera [Lorraine]
Ricardo Ramirez Carrera [Junior]
Jose Ramirez Carrera [Jose]
Miguel de Grandi [Editor]
Franca Tome [tourist]
Franccesca Pancorvo [Jeny]
Jorge Bosso [police officer]
Maria Jose [secretary]
Kenya Magaly [Cathy]
Laura Pearson [Laura]
Luis Da Camara [Luis]
Tess La Touche [Tess]
Eva Pearson [Paty]
Alan Larson [Alan]
Mario Gomez Lopez, Mario Gutierrez Pinilla, Olga Maroto Gonzalez, Enrique Oviedo, Paul Lucas Rodriguez, Wenceslao Garcia Galeana, Roberto Maroto [children]
Margaret Paola Rosas, Samuel Sanchez [babies]
Amanda Cacho [mother]
Pilar Labarthe [woman]
Roberto Schlosser, Al Coster [soldiers]
D'Awilda [talent agent]

A television reporter and her cameraman investigate the mysterious death of a farmer who has apparently been killed by his chickens. They discover that there have been other bird related killings and travel to Italy to meet the survivors of a town that had been wiped out by a series of bird attacks 30 years before.

A shockingly bad and rather belated rip-off of Hitchcock's The Birds [1963]. Where Hitchcock's swarm of aggressive seagulls was genuinely frightening, Cardona's pack of slightly angry chickens doesn't quite carry the same charge. Add to that terrible acting, an incoherent plot and Cardona's lifeless direction and you've got a film that's well nigh impossible to sit through. One best avoided unless you absolutely have to see everything.

UK
Video Distributor: Dark Vision [DVS5905]
DVD Distributor: Dark Vision [DVD4510]

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Norway
Rating: 18

UK
Rating: 18
Cuts of 4 seconds were required by the BBFC "to sight of cruelty to real bird (bird struggling while caught by neck on end of pole) in accordance with the terms of the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937."

West Germany
Rating: 18 [with cuts]

2001
November
29: UK - rated 18 by the BBFC [with 4 seconds of cuts]

2002
February
18: UK - Video release [Dark Vision [DVS5905]]; DVD release [Dark Vision [DVD4510]]

Pure terror flies off the screen

Beaks: The Movie – US title
Birds of Prey – UK title
Rov fugler – Norwegian video title

SEE ALSO
The Birds [1963]

BOOKS

Creature Features Strikes Again by John Stanley p.36
credits, review

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.44
credits, review

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

KEYWORDS

animal attacks, bird attacks, birds, chickens, doves, farmers, gore, pigeons, reporters, trains

Last Updated: 6 March, 2007