TIDES CAR PARK - FULL SHOT
Viewed from the side window inside the Tides we see three or
four gulls diving down toward the highway over the roof of
the Tides Office. Two more swoop into the foreground of the
window and out to the left.
DEKE
(alarmed)
Gulls!
MITCH
They're back!
SHOLES
They're only the usual... What are
you...
TIDES TOWN - LONG SHOT
The first gull reaches the gas station but misses the
attendant who is in the act of filling the car. The owner is
seen disappearing into the men's room.
INT. TIDES
A quick flash of the group of faces at the window of the
Tides Restaurant.
TIDES TOWN - MED. SHOT
A nearer view of the gas station. A second gull hits the man
on the back -- he falls -- hits his head on the pump and
then collapses over the gasoline hose pipe, pulling it out
and causing it to spill. The third and fourth gulls sweep
by. The gas begins to flow away.
MED. SHOT - MELANIE AND MITCH
inside the Tides. Mitch dashes toward the door -- Melanie
after him. Through the glass windows into the street we see
people dashing off to the right, in the direction of the gas
station. At the door, Mitch turns.
MITCH
(to Melanie)
Stay back in here.
Deke Carter comes running from behind the bar to join Mitch.
They both EXIT. Melanie dashes back to her original place at
the window. The CAMERA RETREATING with her, we come to the
window and over Melanie's shoulder we see the men arrive to
rescue the attacked gas station attendant.
Three or four gulls are still attacking and they flutter
away as the men appear to beat them off. Suddenly Melanie in
the foreground turns in full profile to her right and looks
down.
TIDES CAR PARK - MED. SHOT
on the sloping pavement before her a stream of gasoline is
flowing to the right into the car park.
CLOSE SHOT - GASOLINE
flowing down to the car park.
CLOSE SHOT - MELANIE
through the window. She suddenly looks toward the gas station.
MED. SHOT - THE CAMERA PANS
along the flowing gas back to the station.
CLOSEUP - MELANIE
She turns back to the car park.
FROM MELANIE'S VIEWPOINT
We see the flow of gasoline trickling toward the car parked
below her. At this particular moment, a car has pulled up,
has come to a stop and a man emerges. He is in the act of
lighting his dead cigar, but his attention is drawn to the
happenings around the gas station. With this half-drawn
attention, he strikes the match and holds it to the cigar.
CLOSEUP - MELANIE
She quickly slides the window open and yells down to the
man.
FROM MELANIE'S VIEWPOINT
The man looks about him, holding the match I his fingers. As
he catches sight of Melanie, the match burns his finger and
he drops it.
CLOSEUP - MELANIE
Her horror-stricken face.
FULL SHOT - THE PARKING AREA
Three fast explosions in a row as the man's car, Mitch's
car, and the one next to it go up in flames.
CLOSE SHOT - THE HORRIFIED FACE OF MELANIE
TURNING TO SEE
FULL SHOT - THE GAS STATION
The line of flame running swiftly from the burning cars,
following the gasoline on the ground, directly to the pump,
which blows up as the men are jumping away with the injured
attendant.
EXT. TIDES TOWN AND CAR PARK - MATTE SHOT
A very high shot shows the beginning of the people of the
town rushing around the car park and the streets across the
highway, endeavoring to put out the two fires. We see
automobiles coming to a stop on Highway One, and the oil
smoke beginning to rise from the burning gas station and the
parked cars. Some men have managed to start a fire hose and
have trained it on the burning cars. Suddenly but slowly the
foreground in the sky just below the CAMERA begins to fill
with wheeling gulls. The whole picture below becomes
obliterated by the foreground birds who now begin to swoop
down on the town.
EXT. TIDES TOWN
A raking shot outside the Tides Restaurant showing the phone
booth and motel off in the background. People are rushing
out from the restaurant and look up in the sky. Gulls begin
to descend into the scene, driving the people back into the
restaurant. Melanie is seen in the distance calling for Mitch:
MELANIE
Mitch...! Mitch!
We see her look up to the sky.
LONG SHOT - THE SKY
The sky is full of seagulls.
CLOSE SHOT - MELANIE
Looking about her frantically. She turns her face up again
to see the descending gulls. She is driven to take refuge in
the phone booth.
CLOSEUP - INSIDE THE PHONE BOOTH - MELANIE
slams the door shut. Gulls are now beating at the glass all
around her.
EXT. TIDES TOWN
From Melanie's viewpoint inside the booth we see the people
who have been rushing to put out the fire now faced with
clouds of birds coming on them.
CLOSEUP - MELANIE
looking out in terrified alarm but still searching with her
eyes for Mitch.
MED. SHOT - PEOPLE RUSHING FROM THE TIDES
CLOSEUP - MELANIE
in the phone booth. She turns and looks swiftly in the
direction of the car park.
EXT. TIDES CAR PARK
Some men have secured a hose and are obviously getting water
from the bay. They are turning the stream onto the burning
cars. At this time, the birds are filling the area around
them. They suddenly turn the hose up into the birds.
CLOSEUP - MELANIE
Her eyes turn up quickly.
LONG SHOT - FROM HER VIEWPOINT
We see the stream of water swing to and from among the birds.
Melanie turns back from this at the sound of a roaring car.
EXT. TIDES TOWN - FROM HER VIEWPOINT
We see a car zig zag down from the town in a drunken manner
coming toward her in the phone booth. We can see birds flying
in and out of the windows of the car. We can see the arm
and hand of the driver trying to beat them away. In the
background of this scene we see the fire truck arrive.
CLOSEUP - THE HORRIFIED FACE OF MELANIE
as the car comes toward her in the booth.
EXT. TIDES TOWN
At the last minute, the car swerves away from the booth.
CLOSER SHOT
A side view of the car after practically scraping the side
of the booth. We see that it's full of birds attacking the
driver. As it goes by, it near tilts over to inadvertently
give us a view of its interior.
FLASH CLOSEUP - MELANIE
watching the car.
EXT. TIDES CAR PARK
The car goes on and smashes into the other burning cars. It
explodes.
CLOSEUP - MELANIE
Suddenly she hears the firing of a gun. She turns.
TIDES TOWN - LONG SHOT
She sees a man with a gun shooting up at birds but to no
avail. One or two descend upon him. He throws the gun down
and rushes back into the Tides Office. Melanie, with a slight
turn, now sees:
THE TIDES TOWN
The fire volunteers with birds descending around them drop
their hose.
CLOSER SHOT
shows the hose snaking wildly and jumping. At one moment the
water turns and comes in a powerful stream hitting the windows
of the phone booth.
CLOSEUP - MELANIE
recoils from this water attack. Through the streaming window
she sees the fire volunteers rushing away for cover. To the
left we see a horse with its head covered with gulls; its
palomino-colored body covered with crows. It is bucking and
leaping and kicking its van to pieces.
At this moment the scene is obliterated by the appearance of
a man groping his way closely past the phone booth windows.
His face is poring with blood: his head and shoulders are
covered with attacking birds. He disappears from sight.
Melanie, now almost in a faint, opens her eyes to see Tides
Town. Through the booth window she sees Mitch and Deke Carter,
the owner of the Tides, coming down toward the CAMERA and
waving the birds away from them with flailing arms.
CLOSE SHOT - MELANIE
opens the booth doors and starts out with a cry of
recognition, but she has barely stepped out when more gulls
crash around the booth causing her to go back.
CLOSEUP - MELANIE IN PROFILE
looking out again toward Mitch.
EXT. TIDES TOWN
Through window she sees Deke Carter run off in one direction
while Mitch suddenly sees a child at the window of the burning
building adjacent to the flaming and smoking gas station.
Mitch dashes across and goes up the short staircase into the
smoking building.
CLOSEUP - MELANIE
looking across in horror.
LONG SHOT - THE BURNING BUILDING
For a moment there is no sign of anyone about, then suddenly
Mitch appears with the small child at the window. He calls
down. One man dashes from the direction of the Tides Office,
another from the Tides Restaurant. They both wait below the
window as Mitch drops the child.
FLASH - MELANIE
watching this breathlessly.
CLOSER SHOT
The moment the child has dropped, Mitch suddenly looks up.
He slams the window as two or three birds crash into the
windows. They disappear into the building.
CLOSEUP - MELANIE
holding her breath.
LONG SHOT - THE BURNING BUILDING
No sign of Mitch.
CLOSEUP - MELANIE
getting more desperate.
CLOSEUP - BUILDING
No sign of Mitch. Suddenly a chair flies through the window
and Mitch climbs OUT and drops to the ground.
CLOSE SHOT - MELANIE
opening the door of the booth, yells out to him.
LONG SHOT - MITCH
sees her and starts running toward the booth.
HIGH SHOT - MITCH
beating his way through the birds. He reaches the booth.
LOW SHOT
close to the Tides Restaurant entrance. We see Mitch drag
Melanie from the phone booth and run with her toward the
CAMERA through the birds into the restaurant.
INT. THE TIDES
There must be at least twenty people all looking toward the
windows. It is as though they are hiding from a storm. The
CAMERA is high enough to see Melanie and Mitch COME IN, very
hurriedly close the door. We see the gulls wheeling outside.
There is a kind of stunned silence among the people. We can
hear the sound of the screaming gulls outside. Suddenly a
woman's voice SCREAMS out:
WOMAN
Why are they doing it?! Why are they
doing it...?!
Some of the heads of the group turn.
CLOSE SHOT
It is the woman who had the two children screaming at Mrs.
Bundy who is seated in a booth table staring numb and
helpless. Mrs. Bundy turns and looks at her and mutters some
words.
MRS. BUNDY
([Mrs. Bundy offers a
weak explanation of
why the birds could
have gone berserk
like this. This
information should
be obtained from Dr.
Stager.])
CLOSE SHOT - MELANIE AND MITCH
looking across at this slight scene. They turn back and over
their shoulders the gulls seem to be in much less quantity.
MITCH
(looking up)
I think they're going.
Melanie follows his look. At this moment there is a loud
CRASH OF GLASS. They turn their heads suddenly.
MED. SHOT - FROM MITCH'S AND MELANIE'S VIEWPOINT
And past the heads of the other people who have also turned,
we see one of the back windows of the Tides Restaurant has
gone and gulls are coming in. Two or three of the men who
are on the edge of the crowd turn and go back toward the
window, beating them out. They succeed in doing this.
CLOSE SHOT - MELANIE AND MITCH
They turn from the gulls in the restaurant to look to the
street.
MITCH
I think it's safe to get out now.
MELANIE
Don't let's take any chances.
MITCH
We've got to get Cathy.
They open the door and make their way out into the street,
running and looking about them desperately.
EXT. BODIGA STREET
There are one or two gulls flying around. Others are perched
on roofs as we see Mitch and Melanie dashing along the
sidewalk.
EXT. BODIGA STREET
There are still one or two gulls or crows in evidence as
they move along past the last street and come into the more
countrified part of the town.
LONG SHOT - THE SCHOOL YARD
We see them turn and dash up the road toward the school which
we see in the distance. There are some birds perched on the
school roof.
SIDE-ON DOLLY SHOT - MELANIE AND MITCH
going up the school road. He stops for a moment and looks
up, Melanie following his look.
SKY SHOT - FULL
of wheeling gulls.
SIDE-ON CLOSE SHOT - THE TWO
They move on and go past Melanie's waiting car outside the
school. Suddenly Melanie brings him to a halt.
LONG SHOT - ANNIE'S HOUSE - FROM THEIR VIEWPOINT
There are a few blackbirds on it.
MELANIE'S VOICE
Look... the crows again.
CLOSE SHOT - THE TWO
Mitch starts off. Melanie restrains him.
MELANIE
Careful, Mitch. The crows may be
back in the play yard.
CLOSE SHOT - THE TWO
They advance cautiously. When they are level with the play
yard, we see what they see.
MED. SHOT
THE CAMERA DOLLIES along the play yard. It is again full of
crows.
CLOSE SHOT
They walk stealthily past.
CLOSE SHOT
CAMERA PANNING ALONG the waiting crows.
CLOSE SHOT
Shooting over the shoulders of Melanie and Mitch, they
approach Annie's house. Melanie glances apprehensively over
her shoulder toward the crows.
EXT. ANNIE'S HOUSE
Melanie and Mitch arrive. They come to a sudden stop.
LONG SHOT - ANNIE'S HOUSE
A woman is crumpled lifelessly on the front steps before the
door.
MED. SHOT - MITCH
He reaches the body. He rolls it over.
QUICK CLOSE SHOT - ANNIE
dead.
QUICK CLOSE SHOT - MITCH
The shock registering on his face.
CLOSE SHOT - MELANIE
realizing that Annie is dead, and wondering for a moment
what Mitch's reaction will be.
MED. SHOT - MITCH - MELANIE'S P.O.V.
He kneels silently by the body. Gently, he touches Annie's
face, and then gently and illogically takes off his jacket
and covers her, as if he is tucking a blanket around her to
keep her warm. He turns away then.
MED. SHOT - THE WINDOW
with its ROOM TO LET sign. Cathy is standing near the sign,
with her eyes peering at something outside.
CLOSE SHOT - MITCH
turning to follow Cathy's gaze.
CLOSE SHOT - MIXED BIRDS
Malevolent, sitting on the fence, the killers.
FULL SHOT - THE ROAD
As in fury, Mitch picks up stones and begins hurling them at
the birds. Melanie dashes forward.
MELANIE
(as the birds flutter
into the air)
Mitch! Don't!
She runs to him, grabs his arm, struggles with him as he
maniacally continues hurling stones at the birds, who are
now hovering flight.
MELANIE
Please! Get Cathy! Let's get out of
here!
Her words reach him. Breathing heavily, he goes INTO the
house and COMES OUT carrying Cathy, who is dazed and in a
state of shock. The CAMERA PANS him over to Melanie who holds
Cathy to her.
CLOSER THREE SHOT
as Melanie looks anxiously toward the house.
MELANIE
Mitch, you can't leave her out there.
He GOES OUT OF PICTURE. Melanie watches him. Over her shoulder
is the white face of Cathy. We HEAR a DRAGGING SOUND and
then a door is CLOSED.
MED. SHOT - MELANIE'S P.O.V.
We see Mitch EMERGING from the house. The body is no longer
in the pathway. He comes toward the CAMERA.
MED. SHOT
He joins Melanie and Cathy. The CAMERA MOVES AHEAD of the
three of them as they silently make their way past the crows
once more, Melanie holding Cathy close to her. They look out
cautiously to the right.
MED. SHOT
CAMERA DOLLYING PAST the crows again.
BACK TO THE DOLLY SHOT OF THE THREE
They move forward stealthily, CAMERA AHEAD of them.
MED. SHOT
Another DOLLY SHOT past the crows.
CLOSE SHOT - THE THREE
The CAMERA is now behind them. They move away from us and go
toward the waiting car.
MED. SHOT
They arrive at the car.
MELANIE
You drive, Mitch.
She goes round the far side and gets into the car. Mitch
slips in behind the driver's seat. The car turns into the
CAMERA and goes down the school road.
FULL SHOT - THE CAR - INTERIOR
Mitch, Cathy and Melanie facing the CAMERA, tensely. Melanie
looks over her shoulder.
MELANIE
(holding her breath)
I don't think they're coming.
Cathy does not turn: she is staring ahead of her, her eyes
wide, her lip trembling. They drive in silence, and then
suddenly, Cathy begins speaking, almost as if to herself, as
the CAMERA COMES IN TIGHT on her face in shock.
CATHY
On our way back from taking Michele
home... we... we heard the explosion
and went outside to... see what...
what it was.
(pause)
All at once the... the birds were
everywhere. All at once. She... she
pushed me inside and... they covered
her.
(pause)
Annie.
(pause)
She pushed me inside.
TWO SHOT - CATHY AND MELANIE
as she takes the child in her arms to comfort her.
DISSOLVE
CLOSE SHOT - A LONE GULL flying low over the water, the CAMERA
TRACKING it. The bay is silent. The gull spreads its wings
to brake, and then sits on the water. The CAMERA continues
low over the water, going through thousands of gulls sitting
there patiently, as if it is threading itself through a crowd,
not a sound, over the gulls, and then lifting to show the
Brenner house in the distance.
FULL SHOT - THE BRENNER HOUSE
Behind the panes of glass, we can see the boards Mitch nailed
across the windows. He is on the roof now, testing the two
attic dormer windows. He turns to look out over the bay.
LONG SHOT - THE BAY
covered with sitting gulls. In the distance, the town is
still smoldering. But the sky is clear of birds.
MED. SHOT - MITCH
picking up his hammer, sliding over the shingles to where
the ladder leans against the side of the house.
FULL SHOT - THE HOUSE
as Mitch comes down the ladder and Melanie turns the corner,
carrying a load of driftwood and old lumber.
TWO SHOT - MELANIE AND MITCH
as she drops the wood outside the door and he joins her. She
is looking out over the bay when he comes to her. This is
not the Melanie we saw at the beginning of the picture. Her
hair is disarrayed, and her face and clothing are streaked
with soot. But beyond a surface physical appearance, there
is a weary wisdom in her eyes, and a strength to her as she
stands looking toward the distant smoldering town.
MELANIE
The town looks clear.
MITCH
The bay doesn't.
MELANIE
How long have they been gathering
there?
MITCH
The past fifteen minutes.
(pause)
It seems to be a pattern, doesn't
it? They strike and disappear, and
then they start massing again.
Melanie nods. They are both silent, watching the bay.
MELANIE
I keep thinking of Annie.
(she squeezes her
eyes shut)
MITCH
(after a long pause)
It... it doesn't look very different,
does it? A little smoke over the
town, but otherwise...
MELANIE
(looking)
Even the birds sitting out there.
It does look very much the same,
Mitch. This could be last week.
MITCH
It may not be last week again for a
long long time.
They are both silent.
MELANIE
Look. They're still coming.
Mitch nods. Silence.
MITCH
Do you want to try your father again?
(Melanie shakes her
head. Puzzled, Mitch
looks at her)
MELANIE
I tried a little while ago. The
phone's dead.
MITCH
Have we still got power?
MELANIE
Yes.
(leaning against him)
I'm tired, Mitch. I'm so very very
tired.
LYDIA (O.S.)
Mitch! I'm getting something on the
radio!
