Beaks: The Movie – Spanish: El ataque de los pájaros – is a 1987 Mexican-Spanish horror movie written, produced and directed by René Cardona Jr. (Night of a 1000 Cats; Tintorera; Guyana: Crime of the Century). It is also known as Beaks: The Birds 2; Birds of Prey and Evil Birds. The synthesizer score is by Stelvio Cipriani.
Cast:
Michelle Johnson (Werewolf TV series; Waxwork; Dr. Giggles), Christopher Atkins (Mortuary Academy; Dracula Rising; Stageghost), Sonia Infante (Doctor of Doom; Museum of Horror), Salvador Pineda, Gabriele Tinti (Lisa and the Devil; Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals; Creepers), Aldo Sambrell (Monstroid; Killer Barbys vs. Dracula; Flesh for the Beast), Nené Morales, Manuel Pereyro, Cintia Lodetti, Carole James, May Heatherly.
Plot teaser:
Vanessa, a television reporter covering a story about a farmer attacked by his chickens, discovers that this is not an isolated incident. Travelling to Spain with her henchman, (also cameraman and boyfriend) Peter, the two discover the survivors of a town wiped out by the birds thirty years ago.
Meanwhile, attacks continue as a child’s birthday party ends in tragedy and doves devour a poultry farmer and his wife. Vanessa soon comes to the conclusion that the birds are organizing themselves against the ecological ravages of man but time is running out as thousands of birds of all types launch attack for revenge against a train Vanessa is travelling on…
Reviews:
“Making its contemporary in revenge of nature misfires Slugs seem sensible in comparison, you get lines like Atkins’ exclamation “These birds really know what they’re doing!”, constant distractions from the two leads to concentrate on Neilson’s granddaughter’s birthday party and a bickering family at the beach, and all the fake blood and slow motion you could want from an impoverished production punching considerably above its weight. So yes, it was garbage, but at least you could get a few cheap laughs from its ineptitude.” Graeme Clark, The Spinning Image
“Birds of Prey is a z-grade rip-off where pigeons rip people’s eyes out and doves menacingly organise themselves to destroy man. Clearly the blame lies squarely at the feet of the director: Hitchcock turned birds into a terrifying force of destruction that we’d never really considered a threat before. Here, Cardona Jr (who also brought us the equally-as-dire Jaws rip-off Tintorera) just makes them look dim-witted and laughable.” Popcorn Pictures
Some of the attack sequences are well done but writer-director-producer Rene Cardona Jr. lines his cage at every opportunity, relying on clichés.” John Stanley, Creature Features
