Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) (Blu-ray)
Anthony Arrigo
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Starring Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Leonard Nimoy, Jeff Goldblum
Directed by Philip Kaufman
Distributed by Scream Factory
When talk turns to remakes that surpass the original, the first two movies out of any horror geek’s mouth are usually The Thing (1982) and The Fly (1986). The response is almost involuntary. A film that often follows after those two is Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), director Philip Kaufman’s retake of Don Siegel’s silver screen classic from 1956, both of which are based on Jack Finney’s novel “The Body Snatchers”. Siegel’s film is a seminal work in sci-fi filmmaking, on a level above the efforts Carpenter and Cronenberg were retooling; neither of those two ‘50s features are in National Film Registry for the Library of Congress. Kaufman came prepared. Altering the setting and featuring a new roster of characters, the film manages to capture the then-current political climate while also functioning as a highly effective sci-fi horror movie. W.D. Richter’s script is smart and tense, filled with strong characters that have real connections and genuine pathos. It also has one of the most shocking endings ever.
Countless space spores, carried by solar winds, arrive on earth and begin to take hold via plant life. Elizabeth (Brooke Adams), an employee at the San Francisco Health Department, finds a strange flower outside her home and decides to bring it in for closer inspection. The next day her live-in boyfriend, Geoffrey (Art Hindle), exhibits strange behavior, acting cold and blank. Her friend/super flirty co-worker, Matthew (Donald Sutherland) suggests she talk with Dr. Kibner (Leonard Nimoy), a noted psychiatrist. They attend his book release party together, but while there a woman comes forward to claim her husband isn’t himself. Elizabeth’s paranoia grows, though Dr. Kibner tries to convince her otherwise. Jack (Jeff Goldblum), another one of Matthew’s friends, and his wife, Nancy (Veronica Cartwright), come across a body covered in a strange fungal layer at their spa business. They don’t know if it’s dead or alive or what… but it looks an awful lot like Jack.
Matthew is called over and once he sees what is happening he calls Elizabeth, for fear Geoffrey might do the same to her. He races to her home and is able to rescue her just before an alien duplicate could be fully formed. It is apparent that people are being replaced, birthed anew from these massive pods that have sprung up all over the city. Matthew, Elizabeth, Jack, Nancy, and Dr. Kibner are beginning to understand the stakes but it may already be too late, as residents of this city and others across the country are one by one succumbing to the new alien threat.
Kaufman’s film is heavy because the futility of the situation is palpable. Matthew and a few of his confidants are seemingly all that is left of the true humans in the city. Hundreds, thousands of people have been turned. There is no magic panacea for this outbreak; no deus ex machina to save humanity. People are being overtaken while they sleep and replaced with replicas that appear identical. How could anyone even try to go about stopping this endless spread? If you’ve seen the film then you know the answer.
Fittingly, this is an organically unfolding story and nothing about Richter’s screenplay feels contrived; every bit of progression and every surprise moment feels earned. As explained later in the film, these sentient organisms have traveled millions of miles through space, leaving their own dying world for ours. They take to our atmosphere and vegetation with incredible ease and it is only a matter of days before their spread covers a wide range. Where the tension comes in is in the replication process, which seems only to require that the person being replicated is asleep. Once they are under, the pod tendrils form a translucent layer on the skin while a double is produced. The pods are everywhere, impossible to avoid, meaning no haven is safe for even just a few fleeting moments of rest. The paranoia is on par with Carpenter’s The Thing; nobody knows who to trust, and all it takes is one wrong move and a horde of pod people are upon you.
Bringing Richter’s script to life is a cast more than fit for such ripe material. There isn’t a weak link among the many co-stars. Sutherland and Adams share a unique, realistic relationship that never falls into cinematic tropes. They’re co-workers and friends, but also maybe kinda sorta lovers, or at least wannabe lovers. It is clear there are strong feelings there but when this new alien menace takes center stage they have to suppress those urges and soldier on with their work. That’s the case with everyone in the cast, really. The people in this film react as real people, unsure of what they’re seeing but positive it exists. The conversations and conflicts, ruminations on life and relationships… these actors feel less like characters in a film and more like people trying to navigate a strange new world.
There have been four incarnations of Finney’s novel, all of which have taken the material in distinct, different directions. And they’re (almost) all done very well, with the exception of 2007’s The Invasion because it was a dry, dull mess. Abel Ferrara knocked his version, Body Snatchers (1993), out of the park; I consider it one of the best ‘90s sci-fi/horror movies… and it is in desperate need of a Blu-ray release. Kaufman’s version is king, though. The only fault I can find is when the HoboDogMan shows up near the end, nothing more than a cheap Halloween mask on a dog’s head. That ill-conceived gag aside, it is a virtually flawless picture.
This latest Blu-ray boasts a “new 2K scan of the interpositive” but what most potential buyers really want to know is whether or not Scream Factory’s release looks better than the last one by MGM. In short: yes. The 1.85:1 1080p image features tighter contrast and stronger detailing. Colors look similar; well-saturated and accurate. Film grain looks about the same, too, with that ‘70s aesthetic in full effect. Black levels are a little bit washed out during the blackest of night scenes. The average viewer may not notice the improvements, but eagle-eyed consumers (who have seen this film on every format) will pick up on these subtle upgrades to the picture quality.
Originally mixed in Dolby Stereo, the English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround sound track provides a fuller soundscape than the more focused 2.0 stereo track. Rear use is minimal, coming into play only for subtle ambience and minor effects. Dialogue is clear and clean, with no hissing detected. Denny Zeitlin’s score is a highlight, perfectly complementing the film’s moments of tension, bliss, and paranoia. There is one glaring issue here: an audio sync error occurring around the 58 minute mark. Mouths don’t match up with the words, and since this is during a scene of intense discussion amongst all of the lead characters it is quite noticeable. Subtitles are available in English.
There are two audio commentary tracks – the first is a new one with author/film historian Steve Haberman, while the second is a returning track with director Philip Kaufman.
“Star-Crossed in the Invasion with Brooke Adams” – The actress, charming as ever, sits down to discuss her role in the film.
“Leading the Invasion with Art Hindle” – This film’s patient zero has a very thorough discussion regarding his role as the first person to be changed, as well as touching on his career.
“Re-Creating the Invasion with W.D. Richter” – This must-watch piece features the film’s writer, discussing his concepts for this remake and what did and didn’t make the cut.
“Scoring the Invasion with Denny Zeitlin” – Hard to believe this is the only film score Zeitlin has ever composed.
“Re-Visitors from Outer Space, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Pod” – This is a retrospective piece that first appeared on MGM’s special edition DVD, featuring interviews and clips.
“Practical Magic: The Special Effects Pod” – This piece offers up a look at some of the film’s FX work.
“The Man Behind the Scream: The Sound Effects Pod” – Take a closer look at the film’s sound effects and design, including an interview with the legendary Ben Burtt.
“The Invasion Will Be Televised: The Cinematography Pod” – This covers the film’s look and photography.
A theatrical trailer, two TV spots (sourced from VHS), a handful of radio spots, and a photo gallery featuring stills, lobby cards, posters, and more are also included.
Finally, and this is a cool one, there is an episode of “Science Fiction Theater: Time is Just a Place” (1080p), based on Jack Finney’s short story, directed by Jack Arnold, that runs for 25 minutes and 53 seconds. Check out such futuristic wonders as a cordless vacuum (i.e. Roomba)!
Special Features:
- NEW 2K scan of the interpositive
- NEW Star-Crossed in The Invasion – an interview with actress Brooke Adams (9 minutes)
- NEW Leading the Invasion – an interview with actor Art Hindle (25 minutes)
- NEW Re-Creating The Invasion – an interview with writer W.D. Richter (16 minutes)
- NEW Scoring the Invasion an interview with composer Denny Zeitlin (15 minutes)
- NEW Audio Commentary with author/film historian Steve Haberman
- Audio Commentary by director Philip Kaufman
- Re-Visitors From Outer Space, or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Pod – including interviews with director Philip Kaufman, screenwriter W.D. Richter, director of photography Michael Chapman and actors Donald Sutherland and Veronica Cartwright (15 minutes)
- Practical Magic: The Special Effects Pod (4 minutes)
- The Man Behind The Scream: The Sound Effects Pod – an interview with Ben Burtt and sound editor Bonnie Koehler (12 minutes)
- The Invasion Will Be Televised: The Cinematography Pod (5 minutes)
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV Spots
- Radio Spots
- Photo Gallery
- An episode of SCIENCE FICTION THEATRE, Time is Just A Place, based on Jack Finney’s short story. Directed by Jack Arnold.
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Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
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Special Features
Categorized:Reviews
