Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Director:

Philip Kaufman

Writers:

Jack Finney (novel)
W.D. Richter (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 December 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Get some sleep

Plot:

In San Francisco, a group of people discover the human race is being replaced one by one, with clones devoid of emotion.

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Marriage | Profanity | Police | Body

Awards:

3 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Donald Sutherland	...	Matthew Bennell
Brooke Adams	...	Elizabeth Driscoll
Jeff Goldblum	...	Jack Bellicec
Veronica Cartwright	...	Nancy Bellicec
Leonard Nimoy	...	Dr. David Kibner
Art Hindle	...	Dr. Geoffrey Howell, DDS
Lelia Goldoni	...	Katherine Hendley
Kevin McCarthy	...	Running Man
Don Siegel	...	Taxi Driver
Tom Luddy	...	Ted Hendley
Stan Ritchie	...	Stan
David Fisher	...	Mr. Gianni
Tom Dahlgren	...	Detective
Garry Goodrow	...	Dr. Boccardo
Jerry Walter	...	Restaurant Owner

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Netherlands:16 (orginal rating) | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-18 (1979) (uncut) | Finland:K-16 (1987) (cut) (video) | West Germany:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-16 (2000) (uncut) (DVD) | Australia:M | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

1227 Montgomery Street, Telegraph Hill, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Solofilm

Trivia:

Cameo: ['Don Siegel (I)' ]taxi driver. Siegel directed the original film, of which this film is a remake.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: The cameraman is reflected in the phone booth window while Matthew Bennell is inside.

Quotes:

Jack Bellicec: Here I am, you pod bastards! Hey, pods! Come and get me you scum!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "My Gym Partner's a Monkey: I Fear Pretties/The Magic Fish (#2.6)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Amazing Grace

Phillip Kaufman's update of classic science fiction chiller improves on Siegel's original.

I admit that it's been some time since I've seen Don Siegel's 1956 classic, Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers. I plan to revisit it, having watched Kaufman's masterful update for the first time, this week.

In truth, there is very little that ties the two films together. Siegel and his star Kevin McCarthy both make excellent cameos (McCarthy's is particularly striking), but a distinctive 70's-Hollywood-by-way-of-European-New-Wave style has replaced Siegel's expert B movie craftsmanship. Donald Sutherland is familiar in this setting, due to his roles in paranoid thrillers like Don't Look Now (1973) and Klute (1971), and his assured, natural performance is one of the high points of this film.

Whereas the original Body Snatchers was seen by many as a Communist allegory, Kaufman's film is, like Dawn Of The Dead (also released in 1978), more likely a critique of mindless consumerism. A key scene is at the book signing of Leonard Nimoy's psychologist, a local celebrity famous for his shock therapy treatments. It's these easy answers that the film critiques, that we are becoming more and more passive, more willing to believe what we are being told with each passing year.

This theme is supported by Danny Zeitman's classic score (unfortunately his only film credit), which blends pulsating, hypnotic drones, with ominous clangs and clanks, generally creating a very oppressive atmosphere. Often, a motif will start quietly enough, while we follow one of our main characters through a throng of pod people, until it gets louder and louder, becoming almost unbearably claustrophobic, before abruptly cutting to another scene.

As well as this, the use of amplified natural sound contributes to this paranoia right from the start of the film, as Robert Duvall's priest watches Brooke Adams' character, while swinging from a swing in a park. The un-oiled swing sounds more like the squeals of a rat. It is utterly unsettling, and we are grateful for Kaufman to move us on to the next scene.

Michael Chapman's cinematography is also worth mentioning. He uses hand-held camera for several scenes, creating an unstable energy between the characters in dialogue scenes, and capturing a spontaneous verité quality in the street scenes. Interiors are lit by deep chiaroscuro, which reminds me of noir films, where the world itself becomes the enemy. He complements Kaufman's direction so well.

But Kaufman's direction is superb. He chooses the oddest camera angles for this film. In this world, everything is off-centre. There are lots of inserts of people walking past windows, or people looking out of windows. We are used to seeing this, but Kaufman dwells on it, suggesting that there is always someone watching. Combined with an excellent cast, and truly frightening and believable special effects, the film is totally convincing.

The best films always become more about us than they do about the characters on-screen, and this is such a film. You'll never look at your neighbour the same way again.