Invasion Of The Body Snatchers!

I'd rather forgotten what a scary ass movie the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers was. Kevin McCarthy as the raving man at the beginning sets a tone of upset which reminds a viewer of the set up to the classic Dr. Caligari's Cabinet. His story of alien invasion is one which in the real world we'd immediately consider the ravings of a man in need of no small amount of professional care. But as the viewer we know it's all probably true, at least today as you watch it. I've always wondered what the story would be like if I didn't already know if the aliens were really here. 

In the small town of Santa Mira a doctor returns from a trip to find many of his patients in distress. They seem to think that their closest relatives are not really who they purport to be. His loyal nurse seems fine as do colleagues who tell him they've encountered the same thing. He finds a woman he once loved has returned to town and they strike up the old flame just in time for the danger to reach to touch them when friends find a strange body. They get little help from the authorities and even his colleagues seem different. They find huge seed pods which generate bodies when a person is asleep and copy that person utterly. The threat is real and getting more widespread. Finally, only the doctor and his girlfriend are the only ones left with the entire town after them, and then only him. 

Great tale, a classic paranoic delusion. The movie benefits from the excellent work of Kevin McCarthy as the narrator and doctor and head psycho. Dana Wynter is pretty and does the girlfriend thing adequately, especially in the latter parts of the movie. This one has a sturdy and reliable cast of others who ground the movie in a nice classic cinematic reality. Don Seigel the director is ideal and never lets the fantastic overwhelm the normal save in key moments. 

Jack Finney's tale has been adapted to the screen several times. The best if the original but not far behind is the 1978 version with Brooke Adams, Donald Sutherland and Leonard Nimoy. One thing that makes this yarn feel more real is that the invasion is that as far as we know is a natural process with seeds from space just finding the Earth and propagating as nature intends. This is a classic horror science fiction tale which when told with subtlety can be incredibly effective. But I always wonder, what if it really was real. 

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Kevin McCarthy RIP

I've seen the movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers dozens of times. I use it in my classes, usually to good effect. Despite their dim opinion of black and white films, my students nonetheless respond to the intensity of this story.

If Jack Finney's tale has broader cultural and political significance, or if it's just an exciting entertainment, Kevin McCarthy's performance in the screen adaptation is unforgettable. Literally once you see it, you will never forget it.


He has passed away at 96. Here's a link with more details.


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