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 | Sci-Fi

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:

Remake | Sleep | Health Inspector | Escape | Psychiatrist

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	...	Dr. Miles J. Bennell
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
Maurice Argent	...	Chef
Sam Conti	...	Street Barker
Wood Moy	...	Mr. Tong
R. Wong	...	Mrs. Tong
Rose Kaufman	...	Outraged Woman
Joe Bellan	...	Harry
Sam Hiona	...	Policeman #1
Lee McVeigh	...	Policeman #2
Al Nalbandian	...	Rodent Man (as Albert Nalbandian)
Lee Mines	...	Schoolteacher
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Misty	...	Harry's Boxer Dog
Michael Chapman	...	Health Dept. Floor Cleaner (uncredited)
Robert Duvall	...	Priest on Swing (uncredited)
Philip Kaufman	...	City Official on Phone (voice) (uncredited)
Al Perez	...	PG&E Man (uncredited)
Jeff Scheftel	...	Pod Person at Party (uncredited)

Directed by
Philip Kaufman

Writing credits
Jack Finney		(novel "The Body Snatchers")
W.D. Richter		(screenplay)

Produced by
Robert H. Solo	....	producer

Original Music by
Denny Zeitlin

Cinematography by
Michael Chapman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Douglas Stewart

Casting by
Mary Goldberg

Production Design by
Charles Rosen

Set Decoration by
Doug von Koss

Costume Design by
Aggie Guerard Rodgers		(as Agnes Anne Rogers)

Makeup Department
Thomas R. Burman	....	makeup artist (as Thomas Burman)
Edouard F. Henriques	....	makeup artist (as Edouard Henriques)
Edie Panda	....	hair stylist
Bob Westmoreland	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Alan Levine	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jim Bloom	....	first assistant director
Toby Lovallo	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Sherman Labby	....	production illustrator
Michael O'Donnell	....	assistant property master
Holly Walker	....	assistant property master
Burt C. Wiley	....	property master (as Burt Wiley)
Dale Woodall	....	construction coordinator
Dale Haugo	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Ken Sly	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Mark Berger	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Ben Burtt	....	special sound effects
Susan R. Crutcher	....	stereo sound effects recordist (as Susan Crutcher)
Bonnie Koehler	....	supervising sound editor
John Nutt	....	sound editor
Steve Powell	....	boom operator (as Stephen Powell)
Art Rochester	....	production sound mixer
Art Rochester	....	sound
Andy Wiskes	....	sound re-recording mixer
Andy Wiskes	....	stereo sound effects recordist
Barbara McBane	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Russel Hessey	....	special effects (as Russ Hessey)
Dell Rheaume	....	special effects

Stunts
David R. Ellis	....	stunt coordinator (as David Ellis)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alan S. Blauvelt	....	second assistant camera (as Allan Blauvelt)
Dustin Blauvelt	....	first assistant camera (as Dusty Blauvelt)
Dick Dova	....	key grip (as Dick Dova Spah)
Wynn Hammer	....	still photographer
Leo Loverro	....	dolly grip
Joe R. Marquette Jr.	....	camera operator (as Joe Marquette)
George Michael Pantages	....	head electrician
Louis Niemeyer	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Bill Pelkey	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mary Elizabeth Still	....	assistant costumer (as Mary Still)

Editorial Department
Norman Mau	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Julian Bream	....	musician: solo guitar, "De la Tromba Pavin"
Jerry Garcia	....	musician: banjo
Ving Hershon	....	music editor
Roger Kellaway	....	conductor
Greig McRitchie	....	orchestrator
Phill Sawyer	....	music production coordinator
Dan Wallin	....	music scoring mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
John Blowitz	....	unit publicist
Patrick Burns	....	production assistant
Ron Dexter	....	space sequence
Allen Pettigrew	....	location manager
Howard Preston	....	space sequence
Alice Tompkins	....	script supervisor
Joan Wellman	....	production secretary
Bret Culpepper	....	owner: "Misty" (uncredited)
Bret Culpepper	....	trainer: "Misty" (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Solofilm

Distributors

• United Artists (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists Pictures (1979) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• United Artists (1979) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1980) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (1986) (Greece) (VHS)
• Egmont Entertainment (2000) (Finland) (DVD)
• Fazer Musiikki Oy/Fazer Video (1988) (Finland) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2000) (UK) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Nordisk Film (2000) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1982) (UK) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1993) (Finland) (TV) (TV2)

Other Companies

• American Zoetrope  rerecorded at
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Perseverance Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo (Dolby Stereo)

Certification:

Australia:M | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG (certificate #25153) | Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:12 | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Netherlands:16 (orginal rating) | Finland:K-16 (1987) (cut) (video) | Finland:K-16 (2000) (uncut) (DVD) | Finland:K-18 (1979) (uncut) | West Germany:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | France:-12 | South Korea:15

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Solofilm

Trivia:

During the mud bath scene a man suggests that Nancy read a book titled "Worlds In Collision" by Immanuel Velikovsky. The book was published in 1950 and spent eleven weeks on the New York Times bestsellers list. However, the book was met with overwhelming rejection of its thesis by the scientific community.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Early in the film when Geoffrey and Elizabeth are talking and we only see their reflections. Geoffrey's mouth isn't moving

Quotes:

Elizabeth Driscoll:Matthew, we'll never be able to stop them!
Matthew Bennell:Yes, we will.
Elizabeth Driscoll:We can't! Look it, they control the whole city.
Matthew Bennell:We'll find a way somehow.
Elizabeth Driscoll:Oh, Matthew, I can't go on! I wanna go to sleep. I can't stay awake any more.
Matthew Bennell:You have to. You have to stay awake.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place: Two Guys, a Girl and a Guy (#1.3)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Amazing Grace

Filmed nightmare

I first saw this film in a movie theater at midnight, as part of an October horror-movie festival. I almost didn't go; I had always had this movie figured as another stupid Hollywood remake of a great film from the past, and thought they were probably only showing it instead of the original because of that weird, vague prejudice against black and white movies that still for some reason permeates this country, even though the novelty of color wore off about forty years ago. But I figured what the hell, it wouldn't hurt to check it out, and when will I get a chance to see any of these movies in a theater again? So I went, and was almost immediately sucked in by the mind-bending direction and the terrific acting. But not only that; it was after midnight, remember, and I was getting sleepy, and I found myself in that kind of hypnotized, pseudo-dreaming state you can get into when you're watching a movie really late at night. I was really into the movie, mind you, but it was like a dream, I wasn't wholly conscious. And just as I was at my most out-of-it, as I was almost technically asleep, the movie hit me with that last shot, you know the one I mean, and jolted me wide awake like a bucket of ice water. It was just like waking up from a nightmare. I thought I was gonna start crying. I haven't been that freaked out by a movie since I was a little kid. As the end credits rolled and the house lights came up, I heard some other people in the theater talking about what a stupid movie it was, man, was that a waste of money, I'm glad it was only three-fifty, and it was a really surreal moment; I've just had one of the most horrifying moments of my waking life, and they're talking about how silly it was (although, truthfully, they may have been a little shaken up themselves and just covering for it, I dunno). A week or so later I was talking about it with my dad, who had seen it when it came out, and I mentioned the ending, and he did a dead-on mimic of the last shot, and I said "God! Don't do that!" I was STILL shaken up by this movie.

There aren't a lot of movies that even try to be frightening--most horror movies (and novels and so on) actually have other concerns: being funny, or shocking, or gory, or surprising, or bizarre, or whatever--and even fewer actually pull it off, actually scare you. Man, does this one pull it off.