INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS
 
STARRING:
Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates, King Donovan, Carolyn Jones, Jean Willes, Ralph
Dumke, Virginia Christine, Tom Fadden, Kenneth Patterson
1956, 80 Minutes, Directed by: Don Siegel
 Description:
Something's wrong in the town of Santa
Mira, California. At first, Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) is
unconcerned when the townsfolk accuse their loved ones of acting like
emotionless impostors. But soon the evidence is overwhelming--Santa Mira has
been invaded by alien "pods" that are capable of replicating humans and
taking possession of their identities. It's up to McCarthy to spread the
word of warning, battling the alien invasion at the risk of his own life. —
Amazon.com
The much underrated 1978 Invasion of the Body Snatchers is still probably
the best movie based on Jack Finney's 1955 science fiction novel, The
Body Snatchers — but that doesn't make this
1956 version bad, quite the opposite.
This classic is a tautly
directed affair. Hardly a moment of screen time is wasted as the story gets underway
straight off. Add to his some very effective Black & White photography
and none of the cheesy reliance on rubber monsters that characterized other 1950s sci-fi
output and you have some creepy moments that'll stick in the mind after popping the movie
out of the VCR.
Finney's story
— while it
may seem over-familiar to modern audiences —
still remains the movie's strong point: an alien invasion by creatures who
takes over humans. Who is human and who is not? Who can be trusted? Also, a
sense of helplessness adds to the tension. Soon, the lead character is the
only human left in the small American town targeted by the aliens. And the
authorities are unwilling to listen to his story
— or are
they also possessed? Invasion of the Body Snatchers
is a classic must-see that remains potent to this very day.
Incidentally, if you have seen the other versions, you'd
realize that they are more
variations on the same theme rather than straightforward remakes. In
this original the action takes place in a small American town, in the 1978 one it is the
city of San Francisco (its urban setting makes it more upsetting since
most city dwellers probably already suffer from a sense of alienation in any
case). The 1994 Body
Snatchers is set in a military base — a bit of a misconceived idea since soldiers in
a military base are supposed to be all the same! The 2007
The Invasion starring Daniel Craig and
Nicole Kidman returns the action to an urban environment.
Voted
# 17
of the
Top 100 Sci-Fi
Movies
of all time
by:
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