Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) User Reviews

One of the Best Sci-Fi Classics from the 50's of the Cinema History

[claudio_carvalho · 10/10 · 29 June 2015]

Dr. Miles J. Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) returns from a convention to the small Santa Mira and is welcomed by his nurse and friend Sally Withers (Jean Willes) at the train station. She reports that several patients had come to see him while he was traveling. While driving to his office with Sally, Miles stops the car when a boy runs to the road. Soon he learns that the boy insists that his mother is not her actually. Then he meets in his office his former girlfriend Becky Driscoll (Dana Wynter) that has just divorced and returned from England. Becky tells that her cousin Wilma Lentz (Virginia Christine) insists that her Uncle Ira is not him. Miles invites Becky to have dinner with him and he meets his friend, the psychiatrist Dr. Dan 'Danny' Kauffman (Larry Gates) that tells that the population of Santa Mira is paranoid with mass hysteria imagining doubles of their relatives. Miles and Becky go to a restaurant and Miles receives a phone call from his friend Jack Belicec (King Donovan) asking him to go to his house. Miles and Becky visit Jack and his wife Theodora 'Teddy' Belicec (Carolyn Jones) and they show a partially developed body with Jack's characteristics on the pool table and they go to Miles' house. Then Miles goes to Becky's house and finds a body identical to her in the basement. Miles brings Becky to his house and in the morning, the group finds seeds of pods with doubles of them. Soon they discover that the population is being replaced by emotionless doubles while asleep. They unsuccessfully try to contact the authorities in other cities but they discover that they are under siege by the pod people. Will they have the chance to flee from Santa Mira?

"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is one of the best sci-fi classics from the 50's of the cinema history. The story is tense and very well written and the the screenplay is excellent. The plot is an anti-communism message in period of the McCarthyism, with people with no feelings, with similar behavior, that does not love. The prologue and the epilogue had been imposed by the studio that found the original conclusion with Miles screaming on the highway too pessimist. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "Vampiros de Almas" ("Vampires of Souls")

Note: On 06 Nov 2018 I saw this film again.

Stunning and frightening adaptation which emerged as a cinema classic compellingly directed by Donald Siegel

[ma-cortes · 8/10 · 5 March 2013]

Splendid Sci-Fi picture which achieved tremendous and unexpected success on its appearance . Science Fiction and fantasy is presented in its most horrifying form . A genuinely frightening , chilling exercise in nightmare dislocation in which hideous creatures from outer space arrive on Earth with plans of conquest by means of pods and being based upon a novel by Jack Finney . There are not monsters only the residents of a town , as their wills , minds and bodies taken over by a weird form of life from outer space . This is the first adaptation , still very scary and creepy about a vintage novel deals with a little town residents who are being replaced by duplicates hatched from weird pods . It creates an altering the human behaviour in the new invaders . Meanwhile , a doctor (top-notch Kevin McCarthy as an angst-ridden medic) must protect his girlfriend (significant role for gorgeous Dana Wynter) and soon aware that pods from outer space are duplicating and menacing everyone there . The doctor may hold the means to avoid the extraterrestrial invasion as he discovers their friends are being taking over by cold human-duplicates , as one by one are turned into aliens . The mysterious epidemic from outer space is spread her friends and known people (Larry Gates , King Donovan , Carolyn Jones , Sam Peckinpah) and small California town people , everybody are being taken over by emotionless , cold behaving beings . The mysterious seeds from outer space are growing and destroying a little town at an alarming attack.

This scary Sci-Fi displays a tense screenplay based on Jack Finney novel titled ¨Body snatchers¨ that can be considered truly disturbing . Packs eerie suspense , chills , thrills , spectacular scenes , chilly events and pretty turns and twists . A ceaselessly inventive , ghastly rendition of the alien take-over paradigm , including a a nice built-in paranoia so well tuned for the times that some saw it a parable Communist Witch Hunts. The one and only post-McCarthy paranoid fantasy epic , where a small California town is infiltrated by pods from outer space that replace and replicate human beings . It profits from a winning and intense acting by Kevin McCarthy along with an enjoyable Dana Wynter ; furthermore , a perfect direction by maestro Donald Siegel who proved himself master of the eerie clutch at the base of one's spine . Appropriately exciting and frightening musical score by Carmen Dragon . Very good cinematography and evocatively eerie ambient , including appropriate production design . The motion picture was professionally directed by Donald Siegel . Director Siegel brought an entirely new approach to the Sci-Fi field . He filmed an excellent story and it has emerged as a cinema classic that brings astonishing nightmares . Lovers of the thriller/chiller should no miss this remarkable Sci-Fi , everybody will have fun being scared by this expertly crafted film .

Other versions about this known story are the following : 1978 new version , being one of few instances where a remake is an improvement on the original , directed by Philip Kauffman with Donald Sutherland , Brooke Adams and features cameos by Don Siegel and Kevin McCarthy from the original , realized with great originality in spite of being a remake concerning again about mysterious seeds duplicating people . And yet another inferior rendition in which the horror is diminished , being shot by Abel Ferrara(1994) that takes place in a military base in which turns out to be invested with pod people , starred by Forest Whitaker , Meg Tilly, Terry Kinney and Gabriella Anwar , it is regular version as is slow-paced with few jolts of horror . Lately recent version that results to be the least satisfactory titled ¨Invasion¨ with Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman , Jeffrey Wright and directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel , this so-so take on , it takes advantage of the advances in FX , sound technology and some interesting visual effects . Rating : Better than average . Worthwhile watching .

They're here already! You're next! You're next, You're next...

[lastliberal · 9/10 · 25 May 2007]

Body Snatchers is a true anomaly in the cinematic world. It has been remade twice, and all three films are essentially adaptations of a novel by Jack Finney. And despite the often terrible nature of remakes, both the 1978 AND 1993 versions are considered to be just as good as this one. I am looking back at these films in light of the 4th Body Snatchers that is coming out this summer with Nicole Kidman (The Hours) and Daniel Craig (Casino Royale).

Invasion of the body snatchers is generally considered a political film as well as sci fi. It is a reflection of the McCarthy area (recently shown in Good Night, and Good Luck), and cold-war hysteria.

Kevin McCarthy (Death of a Salesman) and Dana Wynter were great and there was good chemistry between them.

The film did not need special effects or gore. It built up it's terror with slow suspense, a sense of impending doom, and an atmosphere that was enhanced by the superb musical score.

This is definitive sci fi and one of the best movies of the 50's.

Classic chiller

[BroadswordCallinDannyBoy · 9/10 · 27 March 2007]

A doctor comes to a hospital on a late night call to hear a man whom everybody else deems insane. The doctor persuades the man to be patient and tell his story. The man then tells the doctor about how a small California town has been invaded by some sort of alien seeds that grow into human clones...

Coming straight from the McCarthy era and general Cold War paranoia this is one scary movie. There is not a gun fired, not a drop of gore shed but the final effect of the film will stay with you for a good while. More contemporary film viewers might recognize the concept from John Carpenter's "The Thing" which itself was an update of the 1951 film. However, the themes of paranoia and tension are just as nail-biting and intense here.

There is a lack of visual punch that so many people are used to today, but just think of the historical context and the implications, basically use your mind! Then you'll see why the film scared studio executives so much that they forced Don Siegel to add an intro and outro to help soften the overall effect. It wasn't the best play in the book, but the film remains a great classic chiller. --- 9/10

Not Rated. It would most likely receive a PG from the MPAA, there are several tense moments, though no violence.

'Invasion Of The Body Snatchers' is THE 1950s paranoid SF/Horror classic!

[Infofreak · 21 April 2003]

'Invasion Of The Body Snatcher's is my favourite 1950s science fiction movie alongside 'Forbidden Planet'. Both are very different movies. 'Forbidden Planet' is arguably the first SF blockbuster, an intergalactic adventure, in colour, with a large budget and impressive special effects. 'Invasion Of The Body Snatcher's is a smaller movie, a low budget black and white paranoid thriller that is a classic of its type. Many subsequent movies have been influenced by this one, and there have been at least two remakes (Philip Kaufman, Abel Ferrara), but it still takes some beating! Director Don Siegel is best known for tough guy crime dramas like 'The Killers' and 'Dirty Harry', but shows his versatility with this extremely effective and disturbing horror story. The legendary Sam Peckinpah had an uncredited hand in the script, and (keep an eye open for) a small cameo as a meter reader. Kevin McCarthy is terrific as the small town doctor turned hero. His performance is excellent, and made him a legend to SF and horror fans everywhere (he reprises it briefly in Kaufman's excellent 1970s remake by the way). The lovely Dana Wynter leads a strong supporting cast, and buffs will get a particular kick out of seeing Carolyn Jones (a.k.a. Morticia Addams) and Whit Bissell. ('I Was A Teenage Werewolf', 'Creature From The Black Lagoon' and too many others to mention!) This movie has aged very well, much better than say, 'The Thing From Another World', and still stands as THE 1950s paranoid SF/horror movie. An absolute classic that I guarantee still packs a punch! Highly recommended!

One of the all-time great sci-fi classics

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 5 June 2011]

That is along with the original The Day the Earth Stood Still, original War of the Worlds, Metropolis, Blade Runner and the granddaddy 2001:A Space Odyssey. Of the three versions I have seen of this great story, this film for me is by far the most well-done and the most faithful to the source material. It is too short perhaps though, and the ending seemed rather rushed. However the cinematography and editing still hold up very well, and the costumes, sets and effects are timeless. The script and story, with so many interesting ideas, are compelling and these ideas developed very well considering the length and the relatively fast pace(which I personally don't see as a problem). Alongside Dirty Harry, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is Don Siegel's best directed film, the music is atmospheric,there is genuine tension and suspense in the atmosphere which alone sets it apart from the other film versions, and the acting is fine for what it was, with Kevin McCarthy giving one of his more memorable performances. All in all, a sci-fi classic. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Excellent genre film with intellectual subtexts

[BrandtSponseller · 9/10 · 1 February 2005]

Dr. Miles J. Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) is called back to his small California home early from a conference because a number of his patients have been frantically asking to see him. But oddly, when he returns home, most forget about their unspecified needs. At the same time, it seems that a mass hysteria is building where residents believe that friends and loved ones are "not themselves", literally. Just what is going on? As of this writing, it has been more than twenty years since I have seen the 1978 remake of this film, so I can't compare the two at the moment. However, it would have to be flawless to top this, the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

The sole factor that caused me to give the film less than a ten was the pacing during portions of the first half hour or so. While it's not bad, exactly, director Don Siegel does not build atmosphere and tension as effectively as he might have while the viewer is being filled in on the necessary exposition. Admittedly, this section is directed in a standard way for its era, but "standard" here is enough to subtract a point.

However, once we reach Miles' friend Jack Belicec (King Donovan) discovering a body on his billiard table, the suspense and tension gradually increase, and the remainder of the film is a very solid ten.

The literal "weapon" of the film's horror could have easily come across as cheesy, but it doesn't. Don Post and Milt Rice's special make-up effects and props are threateningly eerie. The transformation sequences involving the props are beautifully shot and edited--showing just enough to make them effective, but not so much that the mystery is gone.

It was ingenious to create a story where a whole town gradually turns into a villain, and even natural, unavoidable biological functions threaten our heroes' destruction. In conjunction, it all creates an intense sense of claustrophobia and paranoia for the audience.

McCarthy and Dana Wynter, as Miles' girlfriend Becky Driscoll, expertly convey a gradual transformation from common citizens to panic-stricken, desperate victims on the run. The film is also notable for slightly ahead-of-its time portrayals of relationships and divorce.

Much has been said about the parallels between Invasion of the Body Snatchers and the "communist paranoia" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, especially as it was directed against Hollywood by the House of Un-American Activities Committee. (And how ironic that the star of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is named McCarthy?) However, there is another very interesting subtext present that isn't so often mentioned. The film can also be looked at as a philosophical exploration of personal identity. Just what does it take for people to be themselves? Is it how they look, act, the things they say? Is it not the case that people are constantly transformed into something they weren't just hours ago, or even moments ago? Among the many ways that these kinds of ideas are worked into the script is that sleep is a metaphor for unconscious physical change over time. It would be easy to analyze each scene in the film in this manner, going into detail about the various implications each plot development has on the matter of personal identity.

Despite the slight pacing/atmosphere flaw in the beginning, this is a gem of a film, not just for sci-fi and horror fans, and not just for its era. It's worth seeing by anyone with a serious interest in film, and can be enjoyed either on its suspenseful surface level, or more in-depth by those who want to look at the film as more metaphorical material for societal and philosophical concerns.

One of the Greatest Sci-Fi Films of the 1950s

[gavin6942 · 8/10 · 4 March 2011]

In the fictional town of Santa Mira, California, Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy), a local doctor, finds a rash of patients accusing their loved ones of being impostors. Another patient is a former sweetheart of his; recent divorcée Becky Driscoll (Dana Wynter), who tells him that her cousin, Wilma, has this same strange fear about Uncle Ira.

Don Siegel, later to become known to other audiences when he directs "Dirty Harry", is a great directing force here. He keeps the intensity and suspense high, and fits it into a mere 80 minutes -- long enough to tell the tale, but short enough to keep a fast and steady pace.

The film is widely viewed as a covert indictment of McCarthyism (Joe McCarthy, not Kevin McCarthy), with the turning of people into their characterless doubles when they fall asleep representing the dangers faced of America turning a blind eye to McCarthyism. Others, though, have viewed it as a metaphor of alienation in modern mass civilization, or an allegory for the loss of personal autonomy in the Soviet Union, or of bland conformity in postwar Dwight D. Eisenhower-era America. It is sometimes argued to be an indictment of the damage to the human personality caused by reductionist modern ideologies of Right and Left.

I think it is interesting to use the film as a parable for those ideas, but if the original writer wrote it as a mere thriller, and the people involved thought of it as a thriller, then it would be wrong to imply any deeper meaning. This is really a flaw of film criticism in general, trying to find more than what is shown. Sometimes pod people are just pod people.

Classic Sci - Fi Thriller

[jpdoherty · 8/10 · 14 October 2011]

Allied Artists stunning INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS is arguably the finest Sci-Fi movie ever made. Produced in 1956 by Walter Wanger it was perfectly written for the screen by Daniel Mainwaring (who also wrote "Out Of The Past") which derived originally from the Colliers magazine story and then a novel by Jack Finney. Beautifully photographed in black & white and in the short lived widescreen process Superscope by Ellsworth Fredericks the picture is a triumph on all fronts with bracing cinematic nous and expertise from all departments thanks to the committed and adroit direction by Don Siegel. This movie came from early in the great director's career. He had started off at Warner Bros. doing special effects on such things as "Casablanca"(1942) and "Edge of Darkness" (1943) before he started directing. His first feature to direct was the Sidney Greenstreet classic "The Verdict" in 1946 and then garnered great praise in 1954 when he directed Walter Wanger's tough and gritty prison drama "Riot In Cell Block 11". Latterly Siegel is better known for his association with Clint Eastwood for whom he directed some of the actor's most memorable films. In 1976 he directed John Wayne in his final film "The Shootist" and Siegel's own final film was the best forgotten Bette Midler vehicle "Jinxed" in 1983. Don Siegel died in 1991 but of all his films he will probably be best remembered for Wanger's two classics "Riot In Cell Block 11" and INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS.

On his return home after attending a medical conference in the city a young small town doctor (Kevin McCarthy) finds some of his patients acting somewhat strangely. It is not too long before he discovers much to his horror that their very bodies have been taken over by an alien life form. Further investigation establishes the strange life form germinated in giant seed pods that were placed near their victims as they slept. Without any noticeable difference in their physical appearance the aliens perfectly replicated the human form with one exception the "new" beings have no human feelings or emotions. Soon everyone in the town is affected including the police and all of the doctor's friends. Now, together with his girlfriend (Dana Wynter), he must endeavour to escape from the town - get to the capital and warn the authorities. But in order to survive and make the journey they not only have to evade the now alien townspeople who are pursuing them en masse but ensure at all costs that they don't fall asleep.

Although the cast is made up mostly of minor players the performances throughout are uniformly excellent. Kevin McCarthy - he of the chiseled-jaw - a fine character actor in anything he did is good here as the main protagonist imbuing his role with just about the right degree of fear and trepidation. The lovely Dana Wynter - she of the cute little upturned nose - is as attractive as ever in what must be her most memorable role. Also interesting are well measured portrayals from such minor actors as King Donovan, Carolyn Jones (in one of her early films), Virginia Christine, Larry Gates and Ralph Dumke as the police chief. And watch out for the unknown Sam Peckinpah in a tiny part as a meter reading gas-man and later towards the end - when an exhausted McCarthy finally reaches the busy freeway - Pechinpah leading the pursuers shouts "Let him go......they'll never believe him".

There are also some lovely moments of pure film noir! Ellsworth Frederick's monochrome camera makes ingenious use of light and shadow, up and down narrow office corridors, McCarthy and Wynter hiding from the police in an office closet and particularly brilliant is the clip when the pair are silhouetted against the dimly lit wet streets and alleyways at night as they race hand in hand to escape their incredible nightmare. And holding the whole thing together is the splendid score - if perhaps a tad over emphatic - from composer conductor Carmen Dragon.

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS is not only a superb Sci-Fi adventure but more significantly it is an imaginative, intense and suspenseful thriller of a motion picture. The brilliance with which it steadfastly maintains to this day.

The simplicity of the horror is what "makes" this film so brilliant...

[Doylenf · 7/10 · 8 February 2007]

What must be considered one of the most original of all the science fiction films emanating from the '50s is INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, a low-budget sci-fi film about a sleepy Southern California town infested with a bunch of pods that are replicating the town's humans in physical form hatched from alien pods and taking over mind and body.

It doesn't waste any time in getting to the core of the horror element, with McCarthy as a doctor invited to a friend's house where he sees the first evidence of a sleeping pod form taking on the shape and identity of another. He and his sweetheart (the beautiful DANA WYNTER) are soon aware of the situation enveloping the small town residents and make an effort to alert the authorities, but find that no one can be trusted to be whom they claim to be--and are soon on the run themselves.

It easily remains one of the most gripping of these films with an excellent score by Carmen Dragon. KEVIN McCARTHY, DANA WYNTER, VIRGINIA CHRISTINE, WHIT BISSELL, KING DONOVAN and CAROLYN JONES all deliver fine performances and director Don Siegel keeps the suspense taut until the final scene.

Summing up: Alien invaders have always been a big part of sci-fi stories but never quite as creepily as depicted here. Terrific suspense.

classic sci-fi

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 24 October 2015]

Dr Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) insists he's not insane as he recounts his story. He returned to his small town Santa Mira after many people started suffering similar symptoms. His former love Becky Driscoll has a cousin who thinks her uncle is an impostor. He is skeptical and assumes the many cases to be mass hysteria. Then his friend Jack Belicec shows him a body that looks like him. Later he finds a body that looks like Becky in her basement. He reports it to the police but the bodies are gone.

As far as classic 50s sci-fi, it doesn't get much better than this. It is still watchable in the modern sense. It has the paranoia and Kevin McCarthy is brilliant. It is no wonder why it has been remade multiple times. The concept is simple but effective. And the scene where he warns the audience directly through the screen is a movie icon.

Great 50's Sci-Fi flick, one of the best of the period.

[poolandrews · 7/10 · 1 October 2008]

Invasion of the Body Snatchers is set in the small Californian town of Santa Mira where local doc Dr. Miles J. Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) returns home after a medical convention. Once back he begins to hear strange stories of people not being themselves & being replaced by cold emotionless imposter's. At first the doc laughs it off as some sort of mass delusion but evidence soon begins to mount that there may be more to the stories than he first thought & after seeing strange large seed pod type 'things' turning into people he know before his very eyes the doc is convinced that these alien seed pods intend to take over the entire Earth as they seek to clone very living person turning them into emotionless shells...

Originally having the working title They Came from Another World this Don Siegel directed classic slice of modest low budget black and white 50's Sci-Fi alien invasion flick is a terrific film & is far removed from most stereotypical cheap 50's potboilers with a real tense atmosphere & a pretty creepy & intelligent story. Clocking in at under 80 minutes with the studio tacked on start & ending with the original version running a mere 75 minutes this moves along like a rocket, the story is tight, taught, makes sense, people & character's behave in a fairly believable way & the central plot is both gripping, intriguing & certainly draws you in. The plot relies on generating paranoia just like another classic 50's Sci-Fi film The Thing from Another World (1951) & it's no coincidence that the two are two of the finest genre films of the 50's. There's good tension & it is sustained & increased as the alien plot unfolds, the basic concept of who one can trust is a very primeval instinct & that's maybe why these films are so effective. It's not perfect though, it's never explained what happens to a persons body after they are cloned & the alien version comes to life & the climax at the cave doesn't quite work either with Becky going to sleep but then seemingly reawaken taken over. Why was she not cloned? Why was her mind taken over & not anybody else's? If she was cloned how did the alien version get inside the cave? Watch it, think about it & the story & it just doesn't quite work which is a shame since otherwise it's a terrific film that still manages to be very effective even today in the ultra cynical world of 2008.

While most 50's Sci-Fi at the time featured actor's in badly fitting rubber alien suits & car hubcaps hung on string to portray a flying saucer Invasion of the Body Snatchers relies on atmosphere & tension, in fact apart from the large alien seed pods there's no special effects at all. Proved iconic enough to spawn three direct remakes starting with Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) which is my own personal favourite version & moves the action to San Francisco, Body Snatchers (1993) which shifts the action to a US military base & the more recent The Invasion (2007) with Nicole Kidman & Daniel Craig while the highly entertaining teen horror flick The Faculty (1998) has basically the same plot.

According to the IMDb this had a budget of about $417,000 which really is no money even back then, crisply shot in black and white (although a computer colourised version has been released) the film has a modest but nice look to it. The acting is pretty good but this is one of those films where the story really carries it.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a classic piece of 50's Sci-Fi that stands head & shoulders above it's peers from the time, a great film that still remains very effective even when viewed today. Often cited as a classic I find it hard to argue against that.

One Word Only......Masterpiece!

[BaronBl00d · 31 October 1999]

Invasion of the Body Snatchers is the quintessential sci-fi film of the 50s, praying on the particular fears and paranoias of the time as well as more basic, instinctual phobias within each of us. The story is simple enough about a benevolent, intellectual doctor returning from vacation only to find that some weird, unexplainable feelings have been generated in the small town of Santa Mira. Some people say that relatives are not who they seem to be, despite being exact duplicates physically and mentally. This leads to one discovery to another for the good doctor, his girl, and two friends, and what we have through each discovery is one more piece to the puzzle that an alien presence is at work. What makes this film so successful is the pace and frantic mood it creates. We are caught up in Dr. Bennel's work, his fears and anxieties, his discoveries, and his uncovering of the truth. We feel confined, betrayed, and even suspicious of everything he encounters. Credit for this certainly must go to director Don Siegel and his outstanding ability to create this almost claustrophobic atmosphere, as well as to Kevin McCarthy who does an outstanding job playing the doctor. There are scenes in this film that live on long after viewing it...and the last one in particular has forever been etched into my mind. For a good fright, see Invasion of the Body Snatchers...They're here! They're here!

A Classic of Horror/Sci-fi/Thriller Genres

[atlasmb · 9/10 · 24 March 2017]

"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is both horror and sci-fi, but it is a psychological thriller foremost. Though some say it is a product of its time, based upon the specific fears of its time, the film is really rooted in the basic fears of every person. If you want to know what those basic fears are, look to the nightmares that are common to all people.

The story involves a small town doctor (Kevin McCarthy) who begins to notice a pattern in the unusual behaviors of his patients. Given no prior experience with such behavior, he has to look for explanations outside his usual (medical and personal) experience. This leads him to a preposterous truth. As the viewer watches Dr. Miles Bennell and his beautiful girlfriend (Dana Wynter as Becky Driscoll) unravel the mystery, there is suspense, and fear rooted in the unknown.

The doctor becomes frustrated because no one will believe him. This is a common dream theme; it produces anxiety in the viewer as the paranoia ratchets up, especially because the stakes are so high. Being chased is another common nightmare theme and it is well exploited.

Director Don Siegel said he only wanted to create a scary film. Music, effects and excellent directing produce that result. Notice the way the director plays with the size of the spaces as the story progresses.

The acting is solid, especially by the leads. And I enjoy watching King Donovan.

This is a classic film. Its central theme has been copied or modified many time since.

Fear, Paranoia & Lost Humanity

[seymourblack-1 · 9/10 · 3 September 2016]

Just like so many of the sci-fi horror films that were so popular in the 1950s, this movie is about an alien invasion but that's where the similarity ends. This movie doesn't feature monsters, violent deaths or scenes of widespread destruction but instead focuses on a far more insidious threat that seems impossible to stop and robs people of their humanity. This quiet invasion deprives its victims of their individuality, their emotions and even their objectivity because, after being transformed, the people concerned are conditioned to believe that a life without love, desire, ambition and faith is not only simpler but also preferable to the way in which they'd lived previously. The full horror of what takes place is conveyed through the experience of a small town doctor who, as a result of all that he sees and learns, goes from being perfectly calm and rational to being hysterical, terrified and completely out of control.

It's in this highly agitated state that Dr Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) is admitted to a hospital emergency room where he's invited by a psychiatrist to describe the events that led to his current meltdown. Bennell explains that, following a request from his nurse, he'd returned to his Santa Mira practice from a medical convention to deal with a sudden high demand for his services but, on his return, the numerous patients who'd wanted to see him urgently, had changed their minds. It soon became evident however, that something unusual was going on in the town because first a little boy who insisted his mother wasn't his mother was brought in to see him and then, he visited his ex-girlfriend's cousin who'd reported that her uncle wasn't her uncle. As there didn't seem to be any rational explanation for the apparent delusions that these people were suffering, Bennell had spoken to local psychiatrist Dr Kauffman (Larry Gates) who thought that, what was happening was probably an epidemic of mass hysteria.

Bennell started to rekindle his romance with Becky Driscoll (Dana Wynter) who, like him, had recently been divorced. When the couple were out on a date one night, he'd received a telephone request to visit his friend Jack Belicec (King Donovan) who'd found, what looked like, a human body on his pool table. Disturbingly, it resembled Jack but didn't have any fingerprints or all of his facial features. Later, Bennell also found a similar incomplete duplicate of Becky in the basement of her house but when he called in Dr Kaufmann to see the "bodies", they'd disappeared and so Kaufmann simply assumed that Bennell was as deluded as some of his patients.

When Bennell, Becky, Jack and his wife Teddy (Carolyn Jones) were together one night at Bennell's greenhouse and saw replicas of themselves emerging from huge seed pods, it became clear to Bennell that the townsfolk were being replaced by duplicates and that the changeover was taking place when they were sleeping. Bennell tried to contact the FBI for assistance but failed because the telephone operator repeatedly told him that the lines were busy and soon, after seeing further evidence that confirmed his theory and realising that he and Becky were the only citizens left in the town who hadn't been replaced, decided that they had to go on the run. The events that followed had then led to his breakdown.

Screenwriter Daniel Mainwaring's brilliant adaptation of Jack Finney's original story called "The Body Snatchers", features dialogue that's both economical and effective and this together with Don Seigel's superb direction clearly played a major part in the success of this movie which now enjoys classic status. Seigel injects great energy, drive and pace into the action and also does a great job of building the looming sense of paranoia which becomes ever more prevalent as Bennell's predicament makes him increasingly isolated and desperate. The scene in which Bennell and Becky hide in a trench and watch their pursuers run over the planks that cover them is quite inspired and perfectly executed.

The fears expressed on this movie (e.g. loss of identity, individuality and humanity) reflected the anxieties of many people in the Cold War 1950s and explains why some commentators suggested that Bennell's story had an anti-communist, anti-McCarthyite subtext which Mainwaring and Kevin McCarthy claimed was never intended.

The quality of the acting in "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is consistently good with Kevin McCarthy's performance standing out because of the range of emotions that he expresses so convincingly and the terror that he conveys so powerfully, especially in some of his close-ups. His performance was also vital to the movie's success because the whole story revolves around his character's experience.

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Classic Sci-Fi. Film.

[AaronCapenBanner · 8/10 · 25 September 2013]

Based on Jack Finney's novel, this classic film stars Kevin McCarthy as Dr. Miles Bennell, who returns to his small-town practice only to discover a number of his patients who claim that their loved ones are now impostors, since they no longer act like their normal selves. At first Miles thinks this delusion, but he comes to discover, with the help of his old flame Becky Driscoll(Dana Wynter), that alien seed pods have landed, and are systematically replacing people with pod lookalikes, who only appear human. They must defeat this plan, though it will come at a high cost...

Extremely well acted and directed film has a smart and intriguing script that is not only suspenseful, but thought-provoking, and has been interpreted equally by both political sides as favoring their agenda! Ambiguity at its finest, though some don't like the tacked on happy ending...Still, the climatic quote "You're Next!" is quite chilling.

"Can't you see everyone, they're here already. You're next!"

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 18 November 2011]

It's taken me way too long to get around to this film but I'm glad to have made the effort. The picture serves as a direct counterpoint to 1951's "The Day the Earth Stood Still" in which humanity had a decision to make and it wouldn't have been too late to set the world on a more peaceful course. Here, the humans don't have a chance, eventually everyone would fall victim to the body snatchers emanating from their birthing pods.

In the Kevin McCarthy interview that accompanies the Artisan DVD release, he seems to dismiss the idea that the movie was a commentary on Communist paranoia or making some related political statement. Funny, but that's exactly the idea that came to my mind while watching the film, ie, how easy it is for a society to become brainlessly influenced when critical thinking goes out the window. Replacing thought and emotions with a doctrinaire acceptance of a universal mindset has always been the statist's goal, and never has that been as prevalent as it is today, with the complicit manipulation of government, science, academia and entertainment.

In terms of pure science fiction however, this is simply great. The story admittedly builds somewhat slowly, however I found that to be a perfect way to build anxiety and tension into the unveiling of the horror that threatened the town of Santa Mira. When Teddy Belicec (Carolyn Jones) screams "It's alive, it's alive" at the first sign of her husband's double beginning to animate, I couldn't help but recall Colin Clive's same reaction to the monster he created in 1931's original "Frankenstein". I wonder if that was a deliberate nod to the famous horror classic.

Something I wasn't aware of considering the film's notoriety was that Sam Peckinpah had a brief appearance in the story as Charlie the gas man who startled Miles Bennell (McCarthy) and Becky Driscoll (Dana Wynter) in the basement of the Driscoll home. The interview mentioned earlier also noted that Peckinpah was on the set as dialog coach as well as having something to do with some of the scripting, but reading some other information on this site makes that debatable. Nevertheless, Peckinpah's appearance is a neat bit of trivia.

Overall, if you're a sci-fi fan who loves great cinema, this one is a must. The film combines a nice blend of horror and tension to keep you in suspense, not to mention a creepiness factor with the pods that disgorge their eventual human wanna-bes. And if you keep your eyes open and stay attentive, you'll be amazed to see the most unbelievable sight of all when Miles and Becky pull into the gas station - gas at 23.9 per gallon!!!!

The classic horror that's out of this world

[DavidSim240183 · 9/10 · 4 August 2012]

The Thing From Another World birthed the alien invader film, and the theme proved so popular it quickly became its own genre. Where most of these, especially The War of the Worlds, showed aliens arriving en masse in gigantic spaceships to obliterate humanity from the face of the Earth, TTFAW and its ilk took the same basic idea and ran with it to more invasive places.

And Invasion of the Body Snatchers is the finest example. At the time it was made, it was one of the most terrifying alien invader films yet to emerge. There are other worthy examples but few have unsettled audiences like this dark and eerie film.

Jack Finney wrote The Body Snatchers up as a serial and then expanded it to a novel. The book is an efficient read but Don Siegel makes a much more interesting story out of it. Indeed, The Body Snatchers has such a fertile idea its been adapted to film no less than four times and spawned dozens of imitators.

Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) is the local GP of Santa Mira. Coming back from an out-of-town conference, his patients come to him with the same story. Friends and loved ones no longer seem the same people. They look the same. Talk the same. But on the inside, they're different - or more accurately, something is missing. Miles is sceptical, until a friend brings him a featureless replica of himself. Miles realises an alien influence is slowly taking over Santa Mira.

Many people have read into Invasion of the Body Snatchers as an unconscious metaphor against McCarthyism and Communism. Siegel and Finney have always denied this, although screenwriter Daniel Mainwaring had Hollywood run-ins with blacklisting, so there may be something to that. Besides, what else are you supposed to think when the lead actor's last name is McCarthy?

Political overtones aside, I just liked the film for what it is - a chilling horror story. The film gains its effect from the way Don Siegel brings the invaders into the story and just waits for the audience to catch on. In fact, he's so successful at this that the film didn't really need Miles providing an ominous voice-over (but more on that later).

In the first scenes at Santa Mira, Siegel establishes the apparent normalcy of the town with everybody going about they're business as if it were any other day. But the invasion of Santa Mira has already begun, and Siegel litters the film with clues from the off-set. Like a little boy running into the path of an oncoming car, like he's trying to get away from something. Or a man mowing the same patch of lawn over and over again.

None of these things are conclusive, but as the story presses on, these things become harder to ignore. People think there's something weird going on, and then retract they're claims. And when featureless clones of the townspeople start appearing in cellars and basements, the clues all point to something we hadn't even considered - an alien invasion.

Siegel structures IOTBS like the film-noir thrillers he made his name with. Harsh silhouettes, long shots inside of cramped corridors, tight closeups, an edgy piano score. One of the most effective tricks he springs on us is where the film stops in the midst of it, and tries to convince the characters (and I think the audience too) that none of this is real, that we're imagining the invasion of Santa Mira.

The duplicates that cropped up in the cellar are now suddenly gone. They didn't leave any fingerprints so there's no proof they were ever there. And when the film brings in a psychiatrist who explains with calm rationalism that we're all part of a shared delusion, its something that almost succeeds in making you rethink yourself.

Of course that type of second-guessing doesn't last for very long, but it was great while it lasted. When some unusual sea-pods crop up in Miles' greenhouse, giving birth to a replica of himself, you realise you were right the first time. Siegel saves his scariest scenes for the second half, when Miles and his girlfriend Becky go into hiding.

One of the eeriest scenes is one that takes place in broad daylight, when some strangers from out-of-town are passing through, and as soon as they're gone, the townspeople crowd in from all sides in perfect silence. That scene stays with me more than anything else in the movie. Equally creepy is the pod-people trying to reason with Miles and Becky, telling them its so much better this way. And ultimately they don't have a choice in this.

Siegel refuses to compromise (except right at the end). Miles and Becky are forced up into the hills, they separate for a moment and upon Miles' return, he looks into Becky's eyes and sees nothing there. When the reality sinks in that she's been took over, its as scary as it is tragic. But Siegel even manages to top this with that classic scene with Miles getting to the highway screaming about the oncoming invasion, and being dismissed as a lunatic.

That would have been a fantastic ending. But unfortunately it wasn't to be. The studio were quite taken aback by what Siegel had created, and forced upon him an ending that promised hope to the audience. Where Miles is relating his story to a therapist, who calls in the FBI to deal with the threat. Its an extremely silly coda that ends the film on a big anticlimax. Actually, Jack Finney didn't get it right either. The book ended on the ridiculous notion of the aliens giving up on they're world domination plot and returning home.

In spite of that, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a timeless classic. Its so-called metaphors are easily dismissed in the face of such an absorbing icon of genre cinema.

Allegorical horror film offers tutorial on craft.

[st-shot · 9/10 · 29 November 2009]

Santa Mira is a sleepy little farming community like many others around the country. When Dr.Bennell, the town doctor starts to see disturbing changes with some of his patients he investigates. Soon much of the community and colleagues are acting the same way, attempting to stonewall his getting at the truth. Along with his girlfriend he soon finds himself hunted like the Frankenstein monster by the townspeople.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a prime example of economical film craft achieving maximum effect. No big stars, pyrotechnics death rays or Godzillas, just suspense through subtlety with a firm grip on pace and mechanics. Director Don Siegel does a masterful job of creating a nightmarish thriller in ironic setting by means of tight editing, ominously lit oblique angled compositions and the placid demeanors of the invaders disguised as locals that wash over this average middle America community. With the enemy being us suspense leaps out from the most unlikely of places and it provides for one paranoid exciting chase.

As the audience identifying character Dr. Bennell, Kevin McCarthy effectively transforms from mild to wild with each little discovery over the films torrid pace. Dark eyed Dana Wynter as his love interest does her best to remain steadfast and loyal while the rest of the cast remains threateningly dispassionate.

Made during the Red Scare era, Body Snatchers' underlying political message about mass conformism is touched upon more than once in the script and could be used conveniently by either side as a metaphor to defame the oppositions ideology. Siegel's message is indeed subversively inventive and novel for the genre but it's his assemblage, rhythm and scare tactics that ultimately makes Invasion of the Body Snatchers a 50s horror classic.

One of the best sci-fi horrors ever

[Christopher_Reid · 8/10 · 5 February 2016]

I feel like I've seen so many movies with this kind of concept. People aren't themselves, something fishy is going on. Eventually, the evidence is too much to ignore but our main characters are already outnumbered by tens or hundreds. It's similar to the zombie genre except that here the "possessed" or "infected" ones act normal which is far more unnerving. This has to be one of the earliest and most effective versions of this kind of story.

It is legitimately creepy and has many memorable moments. Blank, "dead" bodies turning up out of nowhere. Alien pods giving birth to proto-humans. A convergence of strangers in the middle of town as if they all have telepathic powers. You begin to suspect people constantly, are they really on our side? Are our heroes being lured into a trap? Are they safe here? The build-up is excellent as well. People urgently seeking a doctor and then abruptly canceling and feeling much better. A boy terrified of his mother because she is not really his mother and then suddenly he is okay again. A woman swears that her uncle is no longer himself but can't quite prove it. Your imagination starts to fill in the gaps.

It's effective to show the main character flustered and babbling at the start. It contrasts greatly with how calm and reasonable he was only a few days ago as he recounts what happened. We figure that it must have taken something very disturbing to drive him to that level of mania. This builds our anticipation for finding out what he went through.

It's funny that the main actor's name is (Kevin) McCarthy. There are certainly parallels that could be drawn with the communism scare of the 1950s. Are we too suspicious about our neighbours? Are we becoming paranoid and seeing everyone as being against us? Or perhaps our freedom is being taken away and we are being forced to robotically follow traditional American values.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers wastes no time at 80min. It builds the way a good suspense/horror film should and the turn of events are satisfying. It isn't too predictable and it really had me on the edge of my seat, apprehensive about where the story was going and how it could possibly be resolved. Less is more and this movie only shows what it really needs to. It plants the seeds of fear in your mind and you do the rest.

A Very Exciting and Often Involving Noir Fantasy Thriller; Recommended

[silverscreen888 · 8/10 · 28 June 2005]

The decision to make this fascinating novel into a noir thriller worked very well on its own merits as an "adventure" with mostly-implicit ideas as motivations; however, I believe the film could have been made into a dramatic work of unusual power, It is B/W, swift-paced, intelligently acted and unusually- well-directed by Don Siegel, with a literate script by Daniel Mainwaring. The project is also interesting and disturbing for a number of reasons. Jack Finney wrote a novel in the 1950s which some read as a loss of American individualism, and others as an attack on Cold-War mentality realpolitik. Whatever the wellsprings of this fine idea, Finney's story treated of "seeds from space"; the idea is that these came to Earth and have the power to reproduce themselves into any living thing's form, right down to its thought patterns, memories, etc. But of course they have no emotions--they are merely replicas, not the originals. A mass hysteria grips the town of Santa Mira, California, shortly after their secret arrival on our planet; and Dr. Miles Bennell is called home from a conference because a dozen people claim some relative or beloved friend is not who they were before. When this seems to die down, Miles has time to pursue old flame and lovely Becky Driscoll, now that both their divorces are final. But the problem does not disappear and cannot be explained away by a psychologist friend of Bennelle's, thoughtfully played by Larry Gates. Bennell and his friend Jack Belicec and his wife Teddie find a body on Jack's pool table; his wife think's it's an alien thing--to replace Jack. They three flee to Miles's house, and Bennell goes to get Becky--carrying her off into the night. The next day looks sunny and normal, except that they find huge seed pods in Bennell's greenhouse, turning into--something else. Or someone? The remainder of the film consists of Bennell trying to call for help, observing the distribution of seeds in trucks in the small town's center, being trapped in his office, overcoming two guards, fleeing, and losing Becky to the monsters, before he finally convinces authorities that he is not insane; this requires an accident--to a truck carrying giant seed pods, from Santa Mira. As Bennell, Kevin McCarthy is quite good if not ideal. Dana Wynter is classically good as Becky; King Donovan and Carolyn Jones are the Belicecs, she doing a great deal with little to work from. Ralph Dumke as the Police Chief and Virginia Christine as Becky's Aunt Wilma are also standouts. Others in the cast include Kenneth Patterson, Tom Fadden, Guy Rennie and Jean Willes as Bennell's nurse. The production values are all good, by my standards, but only the direction is outstanding, except for the special effects. Carmen Dragon supplied eerie music suitable to the action. The loss to the film occasioned by its being made as a frightening adventure can be gauged best perhaps by comparing the qualities of Raymond Chandler's The Little Sister with the enjoyable adventure-level film "Marlowe" made in the 1970s. What we have here is a taut and often moving entertainment; what we might have had could have contained every element here, but could also perhaps have been even more intriguing. The theme of the film is "what makes a person human"; and no stronger idea for an idea-level fantasy can perhaps be imagined. But what we have here is a famous and interesting thriller in its own right; I like the envelope involving Richard Deacon, Whitner Bissell and others as the doctors at a mental hospital to which a raving Bennell is taken when he escape Santa Mira's nightmare. The original "They're here!" ending to me would have been unacceptably alarmist.

There's a reason this has been made at least once each of the last three generations

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 8/10 · 21 June 2010]

I haven't read the source material, but I would gladly do so. From what I understand, this is a really faithful adaptation. I have watched every version of this story I've been able to; this, the 2007 one, and The Puppet Masters(OK, technically different... my point is, I *love* this concept). And this is by far the most well-done. It holds up remarkably well. Sure, there are signs from the times; children aren't listened to, women are "hysterical" and not as useful as the men... however, it's really quite tolerable here, and the vast majority of what we see here "works" to this day. The plot is smart and will keep your attention throughout. Characters are well-developed and credible. The romance is good. Dialog and script are compellingly written, and they move fast, supplying a lot of information. This is genuinely suspenseful, tense and immensely engaging. The story is great and well-told. Every acting performance is strong, other than maybe the kid, and he doesn't take away from it all that much. The "emotionlessness" is quite convincing. This is extremely creepy; I would say it's mainly on account of it being so close to the natural and regular. It is devastating when it is just barely "off" like that, I would say. Think of Silent Hill. The FX are *amazing*; seriously, there are few exceptions to this, and at best, they will shock you. Designs are interesting, as is the idea behind this(if they do mess up its continuity once or twice). The ending could be better, but that's the studio's fault(read the Trivia section), and you can simply pretend it ends a little sooner. This was colorized in '88, and they got away with that nicely. The editing and cinematography are skillful; less cuts than we're used to today, yes; however, it is high quality. This is the original, and it takes the rest to school. I recommend this to every fan of the genres. In fact, I implore you; look beyond the silly title, and discover a classic and a true gem of psychological science fiction horror. 8/10

Superb sci-fi noir with no ugly creatures

[SimonJack · 8/10 · 10 May 2017]

"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is one of the very good sci-fi films of the 1950s. The golden age of sci-fi films ran from the 1930s to 1946, but I think many of the better sci-fi flicks came out in the 1950s. Certainly, the decade had far fewer of the stinkers – the very low budget, poor script, funny creature films. Most of those were more laughable than they were scary.

This film had an original, solid idea for a plot. And, it's a superb example of writing and acting that can create an interesting and entertaining film – without a single scary monster. The screenplay, directing, and camera work give it a film noir look and feel. Combined with the intrigue, it makes for a thrilling horror element without any ugly faces or the gore that so often populates such stories in more modern times.

The movie takes place in the small fictional town of Santa Mira, California. It is based on a 1955 sci-fi novel, "The Body Snatchers," by Jack Finney. The idea proved so appealing that Hollywood has remade the movie three times, and it has had various TV series adaptations. This original film with Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter most closely follows the novel and is the best. A 1978 version under the same title was based on the revised book by Finney. It starred Donald Sutherland and included Leonard Nimoy and some of the people from the original film in small roles – including Kevin McCarthy. It was set in San Francisco and had a different approach that also was successful. But subsequent revisions have been poor in comparison.

Here are some of the better sci-fi films of the 1950s and of all time. 1951 had two very good sci-fi flicks: "The Day the Earth Stood Still" with Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal, and "The Thing from Another Planet" with James Arness. Three very good 1953 sci-fi films included the all-time great "The War of the Worlds" with Gene Barry, and "It Came from Outer Space" and "Invaders from Mars." In 1954, the top sci- fi was a horror film, "The Creature from the Black Lagoon." Besides this film, 1956 yielded "Forbidden Planet" with a big cast that included Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis and Leslie Nielsen. Next was "The Incredible Shrinking Man" of 1957; and in 1958, two sci-fi thrillers, "The Blob" with Steve McQueen, and "The Fly" with Vincent Price made very good date movies.

We Don't Dare to Go to Sleep

[SonOfMoog · 9/10 · 17 April 2004]

Don't sleep. Never go to sleep, because when you close your eyes, they come. They come and snatch your mind away. And, you never wake up. Your memories come to life in another body that looks like you, and acts like you, but it's not you. It's a pod-person from outer space who has reproduced himself as you. This is the terror of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, one of the most dystopian, and original, science fiction stories ever written.

The DVD includes a 1985 interview with Kevin McCarthy, who says he never thought the film had any symbolism or allegorical message. "That came later," he says. He quotes author Jack Finney as saying he [Finney] never wrote it that way. I saw this movie in 1956, it is likely the first movie I ever saw in a theater, and never felt then or now that it has any symbolic meaning. It's a scary story that flat out rocks, and I recommend you approach it as such.

But, this does beg the question of all those comments about the aliens who don't need love or any emotion, who believe humanity is better off without them. Why are they in the script, and what do they mean? I want to suggest they are what makes the pod-people scary. The notion of assimilation is inherently scary, of course, and one could argue that no embellishment is necessary, but I think the story as a story is weakened without it.

There is a continuity error in this story that has bothered me for more than forty years. Spoiler alert, just in case. In the final sequence, Becky falls asleep, just for a moment, and wakes up a pod person, but that's not how the assimilation takes place. They come at night during sleep and snatch human memories that are migrated into a copy of the original body. Miles speculates that the original body simply disintegrates, and the soul perishes. Becky should have died, and another Becky with her memories should have appeared, but that body should never have regained consciousness as a pod person or human. A minor nit, really, that bothers me less now that I understand it is a nit.

The original movie does not contain the opening scene at the hospital, or the epilogue, also at the hospital. They were added because the studio felt the original ending was too depressing. Some feel these additions do not work, but I am not one of them. They add considerably, in fact, to the power of this story. Miles' face in the closing scene is a vivid memory I've carried for almost half a century. His reaction is a catharsis for him personally and his audience. It's a powerful vicarious emotional experience, and the movie would be not nearly as good without it.

Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter are outstanding here. Wynter is one of the most beautiful women ever to appear onscreen and her first entrance is stunning. Jean Willes and King Donovan are good in supporting roles. This is one of the best pictures of its year, of its decade, and dare I say it, of all time. 9 out of 10.

Gold in an Unlikely Place

[dougdoepke · 5 August 2016]

Being a teenager in the Fifties, we went to see movies with the most outlandish titles. Expecting the usual rubber monsters and hackneyed plots, you can imagine our near- speechless response at movie's end. (We were relieved by the upbeat ending.) Despite the film's breath-taking accomplishments, it soon faded into obscurity, undone no doubt by the catch-penny title and B-movie budget. Revived periodically on TV, it quickly attracted a cult following, finally emerging from the late night underground to become the widely recognized classic that it is. There are few movies that connect at a deeply subconscious level with the audience. This is one of them, and can now be seen as a parable, not only of the 50's Red menace (Scriptwriter Dan Mainwaring was briefly blacklisted), but of the many depersonalized encounters that fill the ordinary day. The movie's one flaw - the "pop-out" replicas that make a distinctly rubbery sound as they pop from the pods in the greenhouse scene, a technical defect that may have inspired the f-x'ed remake. Frankly, I'm concerned that contemporary teens may not find this a scary or affecting movie. Styles do change as does technology, but the underlying theme that Bodysnatchers renders so effectively is timeless. Perhaps the mind- snatching forces of commercialism are winning after all. Nevertheless, for this now 60- something, my teenage quarter was never better spent than on this film, nor will yours if you haven't seen it.