Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Release date: 1978-12-22
Country: USA
Language: English|French
Director: Philip Kaufman
Production Co: Solofilm
Genre: Horror, Science Fiction
Rating: 7.4/10
Length: 1h 55min

Storyline

The first remake of the paranoid infiltration classic moves the setting for the invasion from a small town to the city of San Fransisco and starts as Matthew Bennell notices that several of his friends are complaining that their close relatives are in some way different. When questioned later they themselves seem changed as they deny everything or make lame excuses. As the invaders increase in number they become more open and Bennell, who has by now witnessed an attempted "replacement" realises that he and his friends must escape or suffer the same fate. But who can he trust to help him and who has already been snatched?

Plot Keywords

female nudity, parasite, psychiatrist, sleep, murder, amazing grace hymn, rescue, planet, garbage truck, banjo, biologist, lost love, joke, friendship, dog, dentist, dating, dart, body, hypodermic needle

Short Review

It's interesting to observe how Kaufman and screenwriter W.D. Richter contrive to exploit and refine elements from both Finney's novel and Siegel's film in the new movie version, an unusually imaginative and adroit but also self-conscious remake.