“They’re here!” Alien “pods” who take over human bodies as they sleep, making duplicate versions of their hosts… minus personality and emotion. “You’re next!”

CRITIQUE

As of this writing the latest version of Jack Finney’s classic s/f paranoia tale (now simply called The Invasion; a major Nicole Kidman release) is rapidly sinking at the box-office. The third version (Body Snatchers, 1993) didn’t drown — it just evaporated; by way of a severely limited theatrical release and even less viewer interest on video. In any case neither of these flicks can hold a candle to the original… except director Philip Kaufman’s commendable 1978 adaptation.

If you don’t know the basic story than stop reading NOW and go rent the original, classic 1956 movie. Not only will you praise Moviefreak for recommending one of the best creepy thrillers ever committed to film, you’ll have a much deeper appreciation for this multi-layered re-imagination.

Adapted by W.D. Richter (Buckaroo Banzai, Big Trouble in Little China), Invasion of the Body Snatchers gets a 70s facelift from its location in a sleepy little town to the bustling metropolitan San Francisco. Cleverly, Richter/Kaufman expanded the venue to reflect the times. In many ways San Francisco was still reeling from the Haight-Ashbury hippie movement, so weirdness was no stranger to the city… and it’s the perfect place for spore-like aliens to infiltrate without a speck of suspicion from the rest of the country.

In the post-Watergate age, Invasion of the Body Snatchers plays just as appropriately over twenty years after Don Siegel’s chilling McCarthy-era allegory. Much has been made of the metaphorical properties of Finney’s “pod people.” It’s become part of the American lexicon, representing the exaltation of conformity by drone-like followers — sort of the Religious Right minus televangelism. Allegorical properties of this version conjure up the “me generation,” New Age psychological fads, and foreshadowing of the 80s. Presciently, a cameo from Kevin McCarthy (star of the original) finds his character still running alongside cars shouting his unheeded warning — only now, 20 years later it’s changed from "they're here" rather than "you're next!"

Instead of McCarthy’s country doctor, here is Donald Sutherland as a public health inspector; the job title itself already sending off a vibe of uneasiness.  Sutherland’s assistant Brooke Adams suspects her boyfriend is acting strangely, and soon they’re both sucked into the identity-shifting whirlpool. Also along for the ride are Jeff Goldblum and Veronica Cartwright, a quirky married couple who run a health spa. As you may have surmised, health plays a major subtextual role.

Idiosyncratic performances from this quartet—plus Leonard Nimoy (in a very un-Spockish role as a “get in touch with your inner self” pop shrink) are just one of the factors that sets Invasion of the Body Snatchers apart from its predecessor. Cartwright is especially good. Her most visible role may have been in Alien but here she’s able to depict such a broad range of emotions that it makes her the most identifiable character even though Sutherland is the actual protagonist.

Considering this is such an early work in his canon, Kaufman’s direction is very assured. An encroaching sense of displacement that leads to dread is solidly grounded in Richter’s tight script, yet there are instances throughout the film that feel naturalistically improvised, as if Altman were directing traffic. The film is interwoven with mental psychological horrors (the loss of self) and more traditional visual scares (the pod-people; especially in half-formed stages that appear as featureless shapes swathed in spider webs).

Most of the action occurs at night. Director of photography Michael Chapman expertly plays with shadows and sometimes frames the principals as half-obscured in doorframes and windows — another subtle reminder of the “disappearing identity” theme. When Chapman shoots his subjects in daylight it’s often from a nervously hand-held camera; a standard convention today but still fresh in 1978.

Speaking of the 70s, this era may have been the last gasp for mainstream studios to deliver films that contained downbeat, if not wholly apocalyptic endings. Easy Rider and Chinatown are prime examples of that. Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a minor classic in that vein, and a must-see for anyone who enjoys thrillers and/or science fiction.

THE VIDEO

Fox Home Entertainment presents Invasion of the Body Snatchers in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a crisp, clean print almost throughout the movie; though one section bears visible flashing. This may have been an original camera or lab problem.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers was by no means a high budget film. Sometimes Chapman had to slightly overexpose the negative to compensate for a lack of big studio lights. This usually makes the print grainier, but flashing has been known to occur. In any case the scene is a key revelation point and it could’ve been digitally corrected.

THE AUDIO

Invasion of the Body Snatchers is presented in English Dolby Surround. This was one of the first films released in Dolby and it soon became the centerpiece of the sound lab’s demo reel. Rightly so! The mix still holds up quite well, with judicious separation of tracks and effects.

In fact, sound designer Ben Burrt was fresh off of a little flick called Star Wars when Kaufman enticed him to work on this film. Burrt’s work accounts for nothing less than half of the film’s ability to work the nerves of unsuspecting viewers. Interestingly, Denny Zeitlin’s harrowing avant-garde score remains the composer’s sole film credit!

Other audio options include Spanish Stereo and French Mono. Optional subtitles include English and Spanish, while the film is also Close-Captioned.

THE EXTRAS

Disc One:

Audio Commentary by director Philip Kaufman: Kaufman is an aggressively intellectual director but he never lets cold technique overbear his ability to draw excellent performances from his actors. Listening to his commentary is enlightening.

Disc Two:

Re-Visitors From Outer Space or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Pod: The main documentary on the film features new interviews with Philip Kaufman, actors Donald Sutherland and Veronica Cartwright, and screenwriter W.D. Richter who discuss the impact and influence of the film and share some interesting anecdotes.

Practical Magic: The Special Effect Pod: A look at the photography style utilized in connection with the alien spores.

The Man Behind The Scream: The Sound Effects Pod: Sound man Ben Burtt’s mixing and creation of the sound effects is the focus of this featurette.

The Invasion Will Be Televised: The Cinematography Pod: All things cinematography are covered in this featurette, such as lighting and shadow, as well as production design.

Original Theatrical Trailer: Exactly that.

Aside from Re-Vistiors documentary, which barely takes advantage of its subjects (especially Sutherland), most of the extras contain interesting bits for the dedicated cinephile.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Fans of the film have always contended that this version is equal to or better than the original. We’d say it’s a close call and very much worth investing one’s time in. Invasion is also a great way to introduce the science fiction genre to people who think it is all ray guns and space battles.