Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) - by Brad on 08:26 01 Mar 2004
I watched the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers last night and I still find that the movie scares the #### out of me like it did when I was a kid.
Kevin McCarthy is perfect in the lead role as the doctor and Dana Wynter is so darn beautiful. I think the purposeful understatement in the special effects puts the focus on the characters and the situation, and rightly so. And it never crosses over into camp.
What really amazes me is it is all done in an 80 minute film!
Now I've never seen the two remakes ... are they worth renting?
I watched the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers last night and I still find that the movie scares the #### out of me like it did when I was a kid.
Kevin McCarthy is perfect in the lead role as the doctor and Dana Wynter is so darn beautiful. I think the purposeful understatement in the special effects puts the focus on the characters and the situation, and rightly so. And it never crosses over into camp.
What really amazes me is it is all done in an 80 minute film!
Now I've never seen the two remakes ... are they worth renting?
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) - by Kainja on 18:40 02 Mar 2004
I agree that the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers really holds up well even today, perhaps the best of any of the 1950/60 SF movies. The first sequel, with Donald Sutherland, was, I thought, also pretty good. It has Leonard Nimoy (Spock) in an interesting role. The second remake was not nearly as good, I thought, though it wasn't exactly horrible. I wouldn't really recommend it. The theme of the original movie is actually simple enough to lend itself to decent retelling.
Charles
I agree that the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers really holds up well even today, perhaps the best of any of the 1950/60 SF movies. The first sequel, with Donald Sutherland, was, I thought, also pretty good. It has Leonard Nimoy (Spock) in an interesting role. The second remake was not nearly as good, I thought, though it wasn't exactly horrible. I wouldn't really recommend it. The theme of the original movie is actually simple enough to lend itself to decent retelling.
Charles
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) - by Brad on 18:47 02 Mar 2004
Thanks Kainja, based on that I might rent the first remake. Sutherland is good and I always like Nimoy.
Thanks Kainja, based on that I might rent the first remake. Sutherland is good and I always like Nimoy.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) - by Runt on 23:07 18 Mar 2004
I dunno....
Sure.. I liked the original 50's version... but as for scare factor... I felt it lacked. And the ending... it really makes it seem like the infestation is under control.. or at least can be controlled... I prefer the newer endings where the truth was uncovered too late.
I can understand from the time that the movie was made why it ended like it did... the whole basis of the plot was the red scare.. and that needed to be something that could be fought and overcome with diligence.... but I think for a modern audience it works a bit better if the enemy is much harder to defeat.
Not that I've bothered to delete it from the TiVo.. cause I know I'll wanna watch it again.
I dunno....
Sure.. I liked the original 50's version... but as for scare factor... I felt it lacked. And the ending... it really makes it seem like the infestation is under control.. or at least can be controlled... I prefer the newer endings where the truth was uncovered too late.
I can understand from the time that the movie was made why it ended like it did... the whole basis of the plot was the red scare.. and that needed to be something that could be fought and overcome with diligence.... but I think for a modern audience it works a bit better if the enemy is much harder to defeat.
Not that I've bothered to delete it from the TiVo.. cause I know I'll wanna watch it again.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) - by Brad on 06:31 19 Mar 2004
That is interesting. The Prolog and the Epilogue on that film, (where he's in the hospital) where added after the final cut at the insistance of the studio bosses who thought the film too bleak.
So the film was intended to end with him on the road screaming, "And your next!" or whatever he said. That would have been scarier.
That is interesting. The Prolog and the Epilogue on that film, (where he's in the hospital) where added after the final cut at the insistance of the studio bosses who thought the film too bleak.
So the film was intended to end with him on the road screaming, "And your next!" or whatever he said. That would have been scarier.