{"id":2174,"date":"2007-01-26T11:40:52","date_gmt":"2007-01-26T18:40:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=2174"},"modified":"2021-02-25T11:00:47","modified_gmt":"2021-02-25T18:00:47","slug":"invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-1978","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=2174","title":{"rendered":"Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;I&#8217;ve lived in this city all my life, but somehow today I felt everything had changed &#8212; people were different.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-Body-Snatchers-1978-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-Body-Snatchers-1978-Poster-192x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"192\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-64838\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-Body-Snatchers-1978-Poster-192x300.png 192w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-Body-Snatchers-1978-Poster-655x1024.png 655w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-Body-Snatchers-1978-Poster-82x128.png 82w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-Body-Snatchers-1978-Poster-173x270.png 173w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-Body-Snatchers-1978-Poster.png 707w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 192px) 100vw, 192px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAs alien pods descend on San Francisco and begin replacing humans with clones devoid of emotion, health inspector Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland), his co-worker (Brooke Adams), and their married friends (Jeff Goldblum and Veronica Cartwright) run for their lives while trying to convince the authorities that something is amiss.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Aliens<\/li>\n<li>Brooke Adams Films<\/li>\n<li>Donald Sutherland Films<\/li>\n<li>Horror<\/li>\n<li>Jeff Goldblum Films<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;No One Believes Me!&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Possession<\/li>\n<li>Science Fiction<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary &#8212; an enormous fan <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=37766\">Don Siegel&#8217;s original 1956 <em>Invasion of the Body Snatchers<\/em><\/a> &#8212; misses the boat completely in his review of this remake by director Philip Kaufman. He complains that the &#8220;San Francisco setting seems ill-advised because we&#8217;re not seeing the transformation of average Americans but people who are already weird&#8221; &#8212; yet this is exactly Kaufman&#8217;s purpose. In his updated tale &#8212; taking place in the notorious decade of self-exploration, the 1970s &#8212; a mass-invasion which homogenizes humans would be <em>doubly<\/em> notable in a &#8220;city of individuals&#8221; like San Francisco. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-SF.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-SF-1024x552.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"345\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-64840\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-SF-1024x552.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-SF-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-SF-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-SF-768x414.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-SF-1536x828.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-SF-501x270.png 501w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-SF.png 1823w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Peary also laments the loss of political subtext so prevalent in Siegel&#8217;s film, but this doesn&#8217;t really matter: a world in which everyone you know suddenly becomes &#8220;somebody else&#8221; is a scary enough premise to exist on its own. Finally, Peary complains that Kaufman places too much emphasis on &#8220;special effects and snazzy visuals&#8221;, but I disagree; other than the subtle yet effectively creepy opening sequences of spidery alien wisps growing into tiny flowers:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Special-Effects.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Special-Effects-1024x537.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"336\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-64841\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Special-Effects-1024x537.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Special-Effects-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Special-Effects-128x67.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Special-Effects-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Special-Effects-1536x805.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Special-Effects-515x270.png 515w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Special-Effects.png 1841w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; special effects don&#8217;t make an appearance in the film until almost halfway through &#8212; at which point they&#8217;re used judiciously and to good effect. With that said, Kaufman&#8217;s version <em>does <\/em>run a bit too long, and I could have done without the subplot involving Sutherland&#8217;s crush on the married Adams:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Sutherland2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Sutherland2-1024x550.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"344\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-64850\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Sutherland2-1024x550.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Sutherland2-300x161.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Sutherland2-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Sutherland2-768x412.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Sutherland2-1536x825.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Sutherland2-503x270.png 503w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Sutherland2.png 1819w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, this remains a surprisingly effective remake, and is well worth watching on its own merits. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Watch for several notable cameos: Don Siegel &#8212; director of the original <em>&#8230;Body Snatchers<\/em> &#8212; appears as a &#8220;replaced&#8221; taxi driver; Robert Duvall is shown in the very beginning as a creepy priest on a swing:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Duvall.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Duvall-1024x550.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"344\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-64843\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Duvall-1024x550.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Duvall-300x161.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Duvall-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Duvall-768x412.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Duvall-1536x825.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Duvall-503x270.png 503w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Duvall.png 1819w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and the original movie&#8217;s star, Kevin McCarthy, reappears as a man running wildly through the streets. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Donald Sutherland as the concerned inspector<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Sutherland3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Sutherland3-1024x553.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"346\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-64844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Sutherland3-1024x553.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Sutherland3-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Sutherland3-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Sutherland3-768x415.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Sutherland3-1536x829.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Sutherland3-500x270.png 500w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Sutherland3.png 1817w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Veronica Cartwright&#8217;s memorable performance as one of the last remaining non-clones<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Cartwright3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Cartwright3-1024x556.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"348\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-64846\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Cartwright3-1024x556.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Cartwright3-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Cartwright3-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Cartwright3-768x417.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Cartwright3-1536x834.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Cartwright3-498x270.png 498w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Cartwright3.png 1815w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Atmospheric direction by Kaufman<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Cinematography-1024x556.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"348\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-64848\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Cinematography-1024x556.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Cinematography-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Cinematography-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Cinematography-768x417.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Cinematography-1536x833.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Cinematography-498x270.png 498w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Cinematography.png 1823w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Creepy special effects<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Special-Effects3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Special-Effects3-1024x557.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"348\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-64847\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Special-Effects3-1024x557.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Special-Effects3-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Special-Effects3-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Special-Effects3-768x418.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Special-Effects3-1536x836.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Special-Effects3-496x270.png 496w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/01\/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Special-Effects3.png 1817w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes. This is a rare remake which succeeds on its own merits, and should be seen by all film fanatics.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Good Show<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0077745\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1978\/12\/22\/archives\/screen-body-snatchers-return-in-all-their-creepy-glory.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.moria.co.nz\/sf\/bodysnatchers78.htm\">Moria Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.scifimoviepage.com\/dvd\/invasion-dvd.html\">SciFi Movie Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/film\/76142.html\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve lived in this city all my life, but somehow today I felt everything had changed &#8212; people were different.&#8221; Synopsis: As alien pods descend on San Francisco and begin replacing humans with clones devoid of emotion, health inspector Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland), his co-worker (Brooke Adams), and their married friends (Jeff Goldblum and Veronica Cartwright) run for their lives while trying to convince the authorities that something is amiss. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Aliens Brooke Adams Films Donald&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=2174\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2174"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69824,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2174\/revisions\/69824"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}