Body Snatchers (1993)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Abel Ferrara

Writers (WGA):

Jack Finney (novel)
Raymond Cistheri (screen story) ...

Release Date:

28 January 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Horror | Thriller | Mystery

Tagline:

The Invasion Continues

Plot:

A teenage girl and her father discover alien clones are replacing humans on a remote U.S. military base in Alabama.

Plot Keywords:

Father | Military | Military Base | Alien | Clone

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Gabrielle Anwar	...	Marti Malone
Terry Kinney	...	Steve Malone
Billy Wirth	...	Tim Young
Christine Elise	...	Jenn Platt
R. Lee Ermey	...	General Platt
G. Elvis Phillips	...	Pete
Reilly Murphy	...	Andy Malone
Kathleen Doyle	...	Mrs. Platt
Forest Whitaker	...	Major Collins
Meg Tilly	...	Carol Malone
Stanley Small	...	Platt's Aide
Tonea Stewart	...	Teacher
Keith Smith	...	Soldier Gas Station
Winston E. Grant	...	Gas Attendant
Phil Neilson	...	MP Gate Captain

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Norway:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #32088) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Craig Air Force Base, Selma, Alabama, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

This was the first film shot with Arriscope anamorphic lenses, which were created for Arri by the German manufacturer Isco-Optic.

Quotes:

Tim Young: We're one happy family now.
Pete: Happy? What's that?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Faculty (1998)

Soundtrack:

YOU DIDN'T NEED

Somewhat Unnecessary

Everyone knows the plot of THE INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS because they`d already been two adaptations before the 1993 remake . The same basic plot had also been done in the 1955 television serial QUATERMASS 2 which was also remade by Hammer films in the late 1950s and we`ve seen DOCTOR WHO stories like Spearhead From Space that uses a very similar premise . In short the idea had been done to death by the 1990s

On its own BODY SNATCHERS isn`t a terrible film , it is moody and dark as it should be , but it does have a rather mechanical script with a scene featuring some teen angst followed by a mysterious scene followed by a scene featuring teen angst followed by a mysterious scene followed by a scene featuring teen angst . Everyone knows that the plot revolves around alien infiltration so do the audience get to find out why the aliens come to Earth ? Not really , unlike the 50s original there`s no real ambiguity as to the aliens motive or subtext either . I should also point out that aliens taking over military bases makes perfect logical sense if they want to nullify humanity but unfortunately setting the story on a military base where through necessity human individuality is disallowed and where the newly introduced protagonists don`t know the other characters means we have a story that lacks compelling and terrifying drama . We find it somewhat difficult to care about the people involved because they lack individuality to begin with .

As I said it`s by no means terrible but BODY SNATCHERS fails alongside the 1978 version which I rate as the greatest paranoid thriller ever made