Classic Films and Kids These Days

In my quest for good family television viewing (yes I know an oxymoron at it's best) I saw that American Movie Classics was showing Alfred Hitchcock films. I remember watching "The Birds" as a kid. I didn't think it was scary. I grew up with the Excorcist, The Omen and Salems Lot. What I liked about "The Birds" is that after watching it I looked at birds with suspicion for a long time. To this day every time I see a swooping bird I think of "The Birds". *laughs* This was a film that had an impact on me and is among my favorites of the Hitchcock films.

So Monday night I sat in my bedroom with the Material Girl and we watched "The Birds". We finally reached the bit where the birds attack the children running from the school. Next to me a hear a small "tsk". Then the Material Girl chimes in with "Why are the birds attacking them?"

"I don't know"

"Mom, birds don't do that."

"Not in real life, no."

"So why are they doing that?"

The Material Girl knows that there must be some explanation for it and by golly she would like to know why those birds are attacking people.
I don't have the answers. I can't quite explain that the fear is in the unknown reason for such an act by birds. She doesn't accept it. So I offer something that hopefully will appease her and let me get back into the film.

"It's probably because they are evil"

*rolls eyes* "Mom, that's dumb."

"Well maybe they accidentally ate a toxic alien spore that has altered their behavior and causes them to attack humans"

"That's silly" she turns to finish watching movie.

Kids are so much more sophisticated now a days. *sigh* But Wait!! That is not all. Yesterday evening while I was making dinner AMC showed "The Birds" again. So this time it was Hot Rod, The Material Girl and I watching this film classic.

"What the heck.....how dumb!" exclaims Hot Rod

" Why is it dumb"

"No one in that town has a shotgun?" (his wyoming roots were showing)

*laughs*

"How fake! Did Mystery Science Theatre 3000 ever make fun of this?"

"Son, this is a film classic. It's one of the most popular of Alfred Hitchcocks films besides Psycho"

"Really?!" *utter disbelief*

We watch the film until it's end. The Material Girl ran a constant play by play. ("watch this! They kill that lady!") Hot Rod did his own version of MST3K and was forever asking each character why they didn't have a shotgun. I sat there mystified and amused by my kids.