Review: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Don Siegel – Philip Kaufman)

PODCAST:

S3E4M – Invasion of the Body Snatchers (movie)*

SHOW NOTES:

I go out on a limb to express a genuine and legitimate worldview, hold out a loving hand to my cohorts and get sawed off the tree. This time there was a shiny thing of fancy out on that branch placed by a rather large weasel. Instead of venturing out there to take a sniff, I stayed close to the trunk – the permanent home of the ever cautious one among us. Was I proud of using caution in a ridiculous environment characterized and ruled by the peevish obsessiveness of the Comic Book Guy? No. Until next show, hyper-nerds.

-Rick

WRITTEN FILM REVIEWS:

Film: “Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)” by Don Siegel (Kevin McCarthy)

Ryan: 3 1/2 Stars “…I enjoyed it…definitely worth checking out…”

Wilk: 4 Stars “…kind of like watching the twilight zone…”

Rick: 2 Stars “…it applies to whatever the current flavor of politics is…”

 

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Film: “Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)” by Philip Kaufman (Donald Sutherland)

Ryan: 4 1/2 Stars “…I like the movie better than the book…”

Wilk: 5 Stars “…probably the best version out there and I think it really stands on its own …”

Rick: 5 Stars “…the horror element is there, there’s more graphic detail…”

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FUN FACTOIDS:

During this episode Ryan mentioned that he thought Clint Eastwood had seen Don Segal’s version of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and was so impressed that he asked him to work on this next film. While this is incorrect, the real story is more interesting. In the book “The Cinema of Clint Eastwood: Chronicles of America” author David Sterritt noted that the two met due to a computer glitch (according to the director’s autobiography). Two director’s were pitched to Eastwood to direct his next film (Coogan’s Bluff), one of which was director Alex Segal. Apparently, the computer generated Don Segal’s name by mistake. An executive producer had to inform Eastwood who Don Segal was and so the actor checked out three of Segal’s films (none of which was “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”), and in turn Segal checked out Eastwood’s work. With mutual admiration the two met and formed an alliance that would later span five films. It’s worth noting that after Segal’s death, Eastwood did select the director’s version of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” to screen as part of a 2005 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tribute to the deceased director as discussed in this article “Clint Eastwood praises pod film” by Steve Biodrowski for cinefantastiqueonline.com.

On the show we mentioned an article on Litreactor.com by Christopher Shultz called “Book vs. Film(s): ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers‘” which breaks down some of the differences between the book and various movie iterations: https://litreactor.com/columns/book-vs-films-invasion-of-the-body-snatchers.

We also briefly mentioned that there are other movie versions of this persistent story. Here are a few below:

Film: “Body Snatchers (1993)” by Abel Ferrara (Babrielle Anwar)

“This new version follows the fates of a group of people on an Army base who discover that something is taking possession of the minds, bodies of the people they once knew and loved.” (from Amazon.com)

Stuart Gordon was involved with the screenplay of this movie. You may remember him from our episode on H.P. Lovecraft when we discussed his movie “Re-Animator” and briefly mentioned “Dagon.”

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Film: “The Invasion (2007)” by Oliver Hirschbiegel/James McTeigue (Nicole Kidman)

“As a Washington psychiatrist (Kidman) unearths the origin of an alien epidemic, she also discovers her son might be the only way it can be stopped.” (from Amazon.com)

* DISCLAIMER: Please be advised that the views and opinions of the hosts and guests of NDIOS are completely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of the other hosts and guests or that of NDIOS.

Review: “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” – Jack Finney

PODCAST:

S3E4B – Invasion of the Body Snatchers (book)*

SHOW NOTES:

Good lord. Someone is going to read this and get it and someone else is going to use this to justify their batshit world view. Tune in to see who!

-Wilk

WRITTEN BOOK REVIEWS:

Ryan: 3 Stars “…Interesting concepts that provide creepy fun for the whole pod to enjoy…”

Wilk: 3 Stars “…A classic science fiction quick read that inspired a legion of movies, some of which far exceeded the breadth of the book…”

Rick: 3 Stars “…Given how creatively the story and it’s characters were written, there still are solid antidotes that left me strongly suspicious this was just subversive propagandist red scare drivel…”

 

(Click the links to read full written reviews on Goodreads.com)

FUN FACTOIDS:

In the show Wilk mentioned that the author, Jack Finney, was very private and it was difficult to find out a lot about his life. Still, Wilk was able to dig out a biography in a literary criticism book called: “Stealing Through Time: On the Writings of Jack Finney,” By Jack Seabrook. (Note: On the podcast Wilk referred to the book as “A Life Kept Hidden,” which is actually the name of the first chapter which can be previewed on Google Books.

Wilk also mentioned that Jack Finney was friendly with author Richard Matheson, whom we also covered on this podcast when we reviewed “I Am Legend.”

Wilk also found an insightful article on this subject written by Maureen Corrigan for NPR’s Fresh Air called “The Sad Lesson Of ‘Body Snatchers’: People Change“. This article can also be heard in MP3 format on that webpage here: http://www.npr.org/2011/10/17/141416427/the-sad-lesson-of-body-snatchers-people-change.

 

* DISCLAIMER: Please be advised that the views and opinions of the hosts and guests of NDIOS are completely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of the other hosts and guests or that of NDIOS.

Preview Episode (Invasion of the Body Snatchers)

PODCAST:

S3E4P – Preview Episode (Invasion of the Body Snatchers)*

SUBJECT MATTER:

Book: “Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1955)” by Jack Finney

“Celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of one of the earliest science fiction novels by rediscovering Jack Finney’s internationally acclaimed Invasion of the Body Snatchers—which Stephen King calls a story “to be read and savored for its own satisfactions,” now repackaged with a foreword by #1 New York Times bestselling author, Dean Koontz.

On a quiet fall evening in the peaceful town of Mill Valley, California, Dr. Miles Bennell discovers an insidious, horrifying plot. Subtly, almost imperceptibly, alien life-forms are taking over the bodies and minds of his neighbors, friends, family, the woman he loves, and the entire world as he knows it.

First published in 1955, this classic science fiction thriller about the ultimate alien invasion and the triumph of the human spirit over an invisible enemy has inspired multiple film adaptations and entertained readers for decades. This repackaged edition features a new cover by Hugo award–winning illustrator, John Picacio and a foreword by New York Times bestselling author, Dean Koontz.” (from Amazon.com)

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Film: “Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)” by Don Siegel (Kevin McCarthy)

“Something evil has taken possession of the small town of Santa Mira, California. Hysterical people accuse their loved ones of being emotionless impostors; of not being themselves. At first, Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) tries to convince them they’re wrong…but they’re not. Plant-like extraterrestrials have invaded Earth, replicating the villagers in giant seed “pods” and taking possession of their souls while they sleep. Soon the entire town is overwhelmed by the inhuman horror, but it won’t stop there. In a terrifying race for his life, Dr. Bennell escapes to warn the world of the deadly invasion of the pod people! Remade in both 1978 and 1997, this chilling combination of extraterrestrial terror and anti-conformity paranoia is considered one of the great cult classics of the genre.” (from Amazon.com)

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Film: “Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)” by Philip Kaufman (Donald Sutherland)

“In San Francisco, a group of people discover the human race is being replaced one by one, with clones devoid of emotion.” (from IMDB.com)

* DISCLAIMER: Please be advised that the views and opinions of the hosts and guests of NDIOS are completely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of the other hosts and guests or that of NDIOS.