Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 film)
- film: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
- film: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Summary
Numerous adaptations were based on The Body Snatchers, by Jack Finney (1954 pulp serial, 1955 novel); the best-known (and generally best-received) are the 1956 and 1978 film adaptations.
1956 FILM: In Santa Mira, California, Dr. Miles Bennell is baffled when all his patients come to him with the same complaint: their loved ones seem to have been replaced by emotionless impostors. Despite others' dismissive denials, Dr. Bennell, his former girlfriend Becky and his friend Jack soon discover that the patients' suspicions are true: an alien species of human duplicates, grown from plant-like pods, is taking over the small town.
1978 FILM: This remake of the classic horror film is set in San Francisco. Matthew Bennell assumes that when a friend complains of her husband's strange mood, it's a marital issue. However, he begins to worry as more people report similar observations. His concern is confirmed when writer Jack Bellicec and his wife discover a mutated corpse. Besieged by an invisible enemy, Bennell must work quickly before the city is consumed.
Details
Details (1956 film)
- Release Date: 1956
- Country/Language: USA, English
- Genres/Technical: Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, black-and-white
- Runtime: 1 hr 20 min
- Starring: Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates
- Director: Philip Kaufman
- Writer: Jack Finney
- Producer/Production Co: Walter Wanger Productions
- View Trailer: (link)
Details (1978 film)
- Release Date: 1978
- Country/Language: USA, English
- Genres/Technical: Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy
- Runtime: 1 hr 20 min
- Starring: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy
- Director: Don Siegel
- Writer: Jack Finney
- Producer/Production Co: Solofilm
- View Trailer: (1978)
Ratings
MPAA Ratings
- 1956 and 1978 films are rated: PG (mild violence)
Tentacle Ratings
A rough measure of how "Lovecraftian" the work is:
- S____ (One Tentacle: Debateably Lovecraftian; has almost no direct connection to Lovecraft's work)
The story is not particularly Lovecraftian, though the space-born vegetable aliens who take over human bodies are common enough Weird fiction tropes, and wouldn't be far out of place among Lovecraft's creations.
Note: This rating is not intended as a measure of quality, merely of how closely related to Lovecraftian "Weird" fiction the work is.
Reviews
Review Links:
- (needs review!)
Synopsis
Spoiler Section (Highlight to Read)
In Santa Mira, California, Dr. Miles Bennell is baffled when all his patients come to him with the same complaint: their loved ones seem to have been replaced by emotionless impostors. Despite others' dismissive denials, Dr. Bennell, his former girlfriend Becky and his friend Jack soon discover that the patients' suspicions are true: an alien species of human duplicates, grown from plant-like pods, is taking over the small town.
Notes
Comments, Trivia, Dedication
Associated Mythos Elements
- fiction: Jack Finney's novel, The Body Snatchers
- race: Body Snatchers
Keeper Notes
- See race: Body Snatchers
