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Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Leonard Nimoy, Veronica Cartwright, Jeff Goldblum ... see more see more... , Art Hindle , Lelia Goldoni , Kevin McCarthy , Maurice Argent , Joe Bellan , Tom Dahlgren , Garry Goodrow , Sam Hiona , Wood Moy , Al Nalbandian , Jerry Walter , Robert Duvall , Jerry Garcia , Rose Kaufman , Tom Luddy , Don Siegel

This remake of the 1956 horror classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers moves the action from small-town USA to 1970s San Francisco and replaces at least part of the original's psychological horror with... read more read more... special effects. Spores rain forth, unseen, from outer space, and soon strange flowers begin popping up all over the city. After bringing one of these hybrid specimens home with her one night, biologist Elizabeth Driscoll (Brooke Adams) notices that her live-in boyfriend, Geoffrey (Art Hindle), doesn't seem like himself; he's cold and distant and somehow just not quite there. When she turns to her friend Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland), a colleague at the Department of Public Health, he convinces her to see his friend Dr. Kibner (Leonard Nimoy), a pop psychologist who argues that the problem is all in Elizabeth's head. Soon, though, Matthew and Elizabeth begin to notice that people all over the city are changing subtly and inexplicably. When their friend Jack Bellicec (Jeff Goldblum) and his wife Nancy (Veronica Cartwright) find a lifeless, half-formed doppelganger covered with plant fibers in the mud baths they own and operate, the group of friends finally begins to understand that a sinister transformation is sweeping their city. Kevin McCarthy and Don Siegel, respectively the star and director of the original film, have small roles in the new version, as does an unbilled Robert Duvall. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

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73% liked it

32,072 ratings

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95% liked it

42 critics

PG, 1 hr. 55 min.

Directed by: Philip Kaufman

Release Date: December 22, 1978

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DVD Release Date: August 28, 2001

Stats: 1,375 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,375)

  • spielberg00
    November 22, 2011
    spielberg00
    With the incredible abundance of slasher, psychological, and supernatural horror these days, not many people have a good idea of what exactly "body horror" is. But there are a few very well-known examples, and up there with the ALIEN trilogy, THE THING and its recent prequel, an... read mored BLACK SWAN, is INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS.

    Even still today, due to the amount that is left to viewers' imagination, alongside fantastic directing and acting, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS makes an impact. For a comparison, the level of tensity in this film is just as high as J. J. Abrams's CLOVERFIELD, which was made an entire thirty years later. If you're looking from a sci-fi/horror film that isn't overly dated or cheesy, but still leaves you with a pale face and knuckles by the end, I'd rent the 1978 version of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. It's not quite perfect, but every minute will hold and entertain you.

    Full Review: http://wp.me/p1Urcx-tG
  • fb1664868775
    October 30, 2011
    fb1664868775
    This remake of the classic 1956 Don Siegel film is maybe the best remake of all time. With the greatest sound design I have ever heard, the audio track adds a whole other level of tension to this great film. The screams of the body snatchers will forever be in the back of my mind.
  • ceWEBrity
    September 2, 2011
    ceWEBrity
    Far and away the best of the four Body Snatchers films - and I say this without even having seen 2008's The Invasion, because seriously? All three incarnations have been strong in their own right and encompass a pretty broad variety of aesthetics and production codes. Where the o... read moreriginal was goofy, overtly serious B-movie science fiction, and Abel Ferrara's 90s treatment was a sort of fall from innocence tale laden with sinister plant tentacles, this is by far the most adult of the explorations. Touching briefly but penetratingly on groupthink in academic thought, psychology, and human relationships, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is always smart but never wordy. Furthermore, the performances are excellent across the board and the movie itself looks fantastic. It's a shame that Philip Kaufman's career has been somewhat spare (and inconsistent, judging by IMDB's assessment of his work), because based on this alone the man can put together a hell of a visually meaningful composition. This is a truly threatening sci-fi horror film, and though its age is showing in certain regards, some of the images remain horrifying. A classic of the genre.
  • FrizzDrop
    August 30, 2011
    FrizzDrop
    Alien invasion films are always fun to watch, whether you're looking at the political and societal aspects, or just love watching the protagonist stop the world from ending, there's usually something for everybody. This particular sci-fi remake of the 1956 original takes it's ste... read moready time to develop a very a suspenseful plot and interesting characters, who we actually care for throughout. What makes it especially terrifying is that nothing is actually explained, and we're left to be as puzzled as the main characters of scientist Elizabeth and health inspector Matthew, piecing together the facts though muddled by the police, a psychiatrist played by Leonard Nimoy, and mobs of people running around San Francisco after any uninfected that are left. There is very little music in the film which leads to a realistic buildup, the realism of an alien invasion exemplified by the particular case of Elizabeth's live-in boyfriend, Geoffrey, who becomes a pod person right under her nose. As the investigation unfolds, there is a mass epidemic but because of the extent of the infiltration there is no hope for intervention from law enforcement, the government, or army. There is only a long wait until they capture, kill, and reanimate you to become one of their people. The saddest part of all is that they are only doing this because their own planet was destroyed, shown in the opening credits, strangely shot to look like a high school science class film strip. Besides the heroes' perilous investigation, there is also a tension between them, obviously sexual from Sutherland's vulnerable and yet standoffish performance. It's very well done, especially for a remake, and makes me want to see the original all the more.
  • cancercapricorn2002
    April 20, 2011
    cancercapricorn2002
    This is probably one of the most disturbing PG rated horror movies that I have ever seen, and one of the best remakes of an old classic. This movie is basically about the world being taken over by alien pods that replicate people, and then their clones become emotionless drones. ... read moreA small group of survivors now must band together and stop them before they too become infected. There is one major factor that makes this movie so good and that's the way that it was written; in my opinion, remakes now a days don't have this kind of writing. This movie had a great cast of characters with excellent performances and a great theme that goes with the story. But, I cannot stress the fact that it is one of the best remake of its kind.

    The acting in this movie was very well done and performed by top notch actors and actresses. This movie had two great performances by Brooke Adams, who plays Elizabeth, and Veronica Carthwright, who plays Nancy. They both did outstanding job acting extremely paranoid and overall scared, which I think heightens the emotional intensity of this film; something that the clones in the film obviously don't have. There are outstanding performances by Donald Sutherland, who plays Matthew, and Jeff Goldblum, who plays Jack, whose somber yet paranoid performances encourage the overall theme of the movie. There is a good supporting cast by Leonard Nimoy, who plays Dr. David Kibner, and Art Hindle, who plays Dr. Geoffrey. There performances give this movie that extra bone chilling kick that makes this film so good. It's just an overall great performance by all the actors and actresses.
    There are alot of disturbing undertones and scenes that the original movie could not accomplish, because of it's time, and those scenes are the "larval" stages of the clones, the slow build up of how the clones eventually take over everybody and just the way that the pods take over people. It's hard to explain, but the clones aren't just people running around taking over people, they are well organized, intelligent, systematic and horrifyingly emotionless. There screams haven't change that much, but in this reworking they are more of a horrible air raid siren. When you watch it, you'll notice that the clones and the progression of the alien take over is vastly different from the original and has a flavor to it that makes this movie raw, so to speak.

    Like the first movie, the central theme of this film is paranoia; however there is not allegory for real live events that would have caused this theme to work. However, what this movie does accomplish that the original one did not do is provide metaphors for what the world is experiencing. Case in point, there is a scene in which Sutherland is driving down a city block and we see a POV shot with a cracked window; this shows how the world we see is about to be shattered by the newly arrived guests. There are plenty of paranoia scenes, mostly dealing with Elizabeth and Mathew, but the one sequence that shows Mathew's paranoia is when he is calling all the emergency agencies and they all refuse him while his vision is blurred with paranoia. There is plenty of third-characters that heighten this theme even more than the main characters and secondary characters. A good example is when an old man jumps on Sutherland's car and screams about how "they" are taking over the world. This old man is played by none other than Kevin McCarthy from the original movie.

    Overall, this movie is one of the best remakes ever; I really cannot stress that enough. This remake had things that remakes now a days don't have and that's a well crafted plot, great performances and a hard hitting central theme. This movie's plot structure pays tribute and respects to the original 50s classic. This is one of those few cases were the remakes is equal are better to its predecessor. I would strongly recommend this movie to any horror fan as well as any beginning horror fanatic. Those who are a fan of the original and cult classics would enjoy this too; ultimately I think any kind of horror fan should see this movie because it is very memorable. As for me, this is a movie that I can watch again and again because it's just very well made.
  • ajv2688
    January 5, 2011
    ajv2688
    Although it is a remake of a classic sci-fi film from the 50s, it has an excellent cast, and they really bring the story to life. Overall, it's a good movie, but I'd rather watch the original any day.
  • flixsterman
    October 3, 2010
    flixsterman
    One of the very, very few remakes that rival the original production. A good film in it's own right but still falls a little short of the 1956 classic.

    *NOTE: Several terrific scenes worth noting, including an homage to the original (with Kevin McCarthy) and a 'swinging' pries... read moret cameo that looks suspiciously like Robert Duvall.
  • pier007
    August 31, 2010
    pier007
    Jack Finney's science fiction novel has been made numerous times and in the first two attempts the filmmakers succeded by showing us a fantastical story but grounded in reality. If the first one was made like a straight up film-noir, with a screenplay by the pulp writer Geoffrey ... read moreHomes, author of "out of the past"?; this version was made to look almost like an Alan Pakula political conspiracy thriller. It holds up pretty well comparing it to the original and even goes beyond it with a darker and unforgettably chilling finale. Philip Kaufman is indeed an interesting filmmaker.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    June 9, 2010
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Invasion Of The Body Snatchers is a prime example of a terrific remake. The story is solid, the film steadily builds up to it's climax, it has terrific actors (Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, Brooke Adams) Invasion is a superbly crafted film and effectively mixes Sci Fi with Ho... read morerror. In Invasion there are some truly terrifying and startling scenes as Aliens quietly take over San Francisco. The film has a terrific atmosphere, and is truly tense. There are many elements that stand out from the original film and in many ways is totally different, as the story is reinvented in a whole new way. Invasion Of The Body Snatchers overall is a solidly build Sci Fi Horror film that shouldn't be missed as a terrific film from start to finish, plus the climax is unforgettable.
  • garyX
    March 1, 2010
    garyX
    Donald Sutherland stars as a public health inspector who is initially sceptical of his friend's claims that people are being "changed", but soon discovers a widespread conspiracy to replace the entire population. One of those rarest of the rare examples of a remake that surpasses... read more the original, it dispenses with the anti-communist allegory of the 50s version and concentrates on outright horror; in fact because of the appearance of Kevin McCarthy from the original film it can be argued that this is more an unofficial sequel than a remake. The effects bear up quite well (with the unfortunate exception of the dog-with-a-mask-on!), the pod people "birth" scene being particularly unsettling and reminiscent of Cronenberg's favourite subject of corruption of the flesh. It has a tense, oppressive atmosphere that is added to by an eerie soundtrack and the entire concept of being surrounded by a hostile force that cannot be seen or fought which can overwhelm you when you fall asleep (something that is of course, inevitable) is extremely powerful. The build up is incredibly intense and creepy, with an aura of paranoia that is almost palpable and it is an indictment of the industry today that remake of the remake The Invasion (ironically, an empty, soulless copy itself) chose to skip over this part of the film to concentrate on the by the numbers chase sequences towards the end which are far, far less interesting. Not to mention completely ignoring one of the best endings ever filmed. It's a great slice of 70s sci-fi horror that's not without its faults, but the overall effect has rarely been matched in an overcrowded genre and the haunting final shot will stay with you long after the film has finished.

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Critic Reviews

Joe Morgenstern
October 23, 2010
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

Gives remakes a good name. Full Review

Richard Schickel
October 22, 2010
Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine

This film wants to have it both ways: to have a more urbane, more "important" scope than the original, and yet retain some of its inexpensive intimacy as well. Full Review

Variety Staff
March 26, 2009
Variety Staff, Variety

Invasion of the Body Snatchers validates the entire concept of remakes. Full Review

Dave Kehr
May 30, 2007
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

Ideas that Siegel knocked off in a few shots are expanded to fill entire sequences -- but they're good ideas, and can stand a little stretching. Full Review

Janet Maslin
May 9, 2005
Janet Maslin, New York Times

There's a little something extra in virtually every frame of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Philip Kaufman's dazzling remake of one of the cleverest of horror classics/ Full Review

Wesley Lovell
August 16, 2011
Wesley Lovell, Oscar Guy

This terrific remake never lets the audience forget that it should be frightened. Full Review

May 24, 2011
Film4

Very entertaining, and despite the by now over familiar-plot, pleasantly suspenseful. Full Review

James Kendrick
September 23, 2010
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk

one of the great sci-fi horrorshows, a movie that gooses you with its premise, makes you laugh and jump, and ultimately leaves you with something you can't quite shake Full Review

Richard T. Jameson
April 21, 2010
Richard T. Jameson, Parallax View

[Philip] Kaufman's version persuasively asserts its right to life as an imaginative reflection of our time... Full Review

Fernando F. Croce
February 13, 2010
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion

Siegel gave the frissons classical sharpness while Kaufman goes for baroque erudition Full Review

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Invasion of the Body Snatchers Trivia

  • Name the sci-fi film that features the line, "For me it started last Thursday. At first glance everything looked the same. It wasn't."   Answer »
  • "For me it started last Thursday. At first glance everything looked the same. It wasn't." Is a quote from which sci-fi film?   Answer »
  • What film has this quote :" There's no emotion . Just the pretense of it. The words ,the get=stures,the tone of voice ,every thing is the same but not the feeling ?   Answer »
  • Name the 1956 Science Fiction Horror Film "Look, you fools. You're in danger. Can't you see? They're after you. They're after all of us. Our wives, our children, everyone. They're here already. You're next!"   Answer »
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