Here's the TV Guide advertisement for the network television premiere of Philip Kaufman's 1978 remake of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers on ABC. Of course, if you wanted to see the movie uncut - say, with Brooke Adams' nude scenes intact - you'd have to wait for the film to hit HBO....
Just picked this up for $3 at Big Lots. Still as creepy and unsettling as when I saw it as a kid. Great film.
ReplyDeleteOne of the better remakes of any film. This film was truly creepy and what an eclectic cast. Also what a nerve you hit. Free television vs cable-don't get me started. The ratio of hundreds of cable channels with non-watchable shows compared to 7 or 8 original free tv channels with wonderful programming in which the viewer has to choose between, erks me to this day. The price of progress.
ReplyDeleteFrom the poster itself it's looking awesome.
ReplyDeletethis scared the hell out of me as a kid, thee part with the winos head on the dog, ii think this is the best version of the story, the 50s one is good but very dated, i all so like the 90s version, the latest remake is rubbish
ReplyDeleteSpoilers below...
ReplyDeleteI liked the original movie, but loved this remake (sequel?) with Donald Sutherland. I say "sequel" with a laugh, because of Kevin McCarthy's brief appearance in the film as the original Dr. Bennell. Few remakes take the time to honor their predecessors and the 1978 film had a fitting tribute to the 1956 movie. (Hollywood, are you listening?)
The cast is well rounded, with Donald Sutherland taking the lead as Matthew Bennell this time around. His reactions and fear come across as very believable and are a tribute to his great acting. Leonard Nimoy also shines as Dr. David Kibner (a fantastic role for Nimoy, prior to him taking up the Spock mantle again). I really liked Nimoy's narrative about the alien race and how they came to be on Earth. Who better to talk about the aliens' logic and emotionless state? My favorite line comes when Bennell (Sutherland) is being sedated by David (Nimoy) and he says "David, you're killing me." It's such a sad, desperate plea towards a cold, unfeeling copy of his friend.
And who can forget the incredible special effects, including the transformation of the people into their pod-born counterparts? Nasty. Oh, and let's not forget the half-human, half-dog accident that still freaks me out to this day.
Sutherland's performance is boosted with a superb supporting cast with Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum and the wonderful Veronica Cartwright. Each of them add to the tension of their predicament, with Cartwright having one of the best moments of the film (she's great at screaming at aliens). Brooke Adams is fairly generic as the love interest for Sutherland, but she is best known for showing off some skin in the movie...and boy does she.
I love the paranoia and fear that this movie conveys to its audience. It taps into the same childhood fear of playing hide and seek as a kid and being afraid of getting caught (the old fight-or-flight, heart-pounding moments). Sutherland even enjoys some time in the end as a hero, taking down a pod nursery before being cornered by the pod-people.
This film is the best version out there, despite Hollywood's need for constant remakes. The 1993 remake "Body Snatchers" had a few cool moments and tie-ins with the 1978 movie, but is otherwise forgettable. The same can be said about 2007's "The Invasion" with Nicole Kidman/Daniel Craig. Also, the "Invasion" TV series (2005) had some similarities with their own version of body-snatching.
If you want to see the best take on the genre, stick to the 1978 masterpiece.
A small part of me is amazed that my parents let me see this on my own. Twice. Thanks, Mom & Dad!
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