Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Just re-watched this for the first time in ages. Still really holds up well even if you don't think about the speculated Red Scare/Communist symbolism.
A definite classic, and one of those American B-movie gems.

The Republic DVD wasn't as bad as I remembered, but I was reminded of all the little things that bothered me about the presentation and theatrical cut.

Is it ever possible for this film to get the treatment it deserves? Such as the original cut in original ratio and not SuperScope? I had always wanted to do a fan edit that removed the studio imposed opening and closing to get back to the original ending, which IMO is one of the great ones. But the problem was always trying to get around the heavy handed narration that was then added to make the cut work. (The narration with the wonderful "I didn't know what true horror was until I kissed her." line. Ugh.) The SuperScope (2.1:1) image has never looked right, and I'm sorry to say that the DVD included Academy version is just a pan n scan of it.

After doing some digging, it appears Paramount struck a new print in 2005 for a Don Siegel retrospective and claimed the OCN was lost. Some have claimed to have seen the original version, but no one's ever really gone into any detail about a possible restoration.

Also, was this shot ever actually in the movie? I first saw it as a kid when leafing through an old tome of horror film history and still look for it every time I see the film. Great shot.

 

Criterion did a laser disc of it. Would love to see them do a dvd. I doubt the original flat negative survives but who knows.

 

One of the rare instances where both the original and the remake (1978) are equally great in their one ways.

 

So true....Hope they do a restored blu of the original.

 

I was in the room at Telecine 2 at Complete Post when we did the remastering for Criterion on Invasion of the Body Snatchers in the 1980s; I believe the colorist on that one was Gary Barron, a fine gentleman who does great work. (I also did some fixes on the original transfer, but only pieces.)

The original negative was long gone, even in the late 1980s. We worked with SuperScope finegrain B&W prints, and my memory is that it was a weird, slightly-matted anamorphic format at 2:1. What you saw was what was on the film.

No doubt, if it were done again a year from now, maybe they could scan four or five B&W prints at 4K and pick the best shots and scenes from each one, then assemble together a pristine version. But it'd take a whole lotta time and a lotta spendin' money.

 

That extreme close-up moment when Miles realizes that Becky has changed is one of the greatest moments in horror movie history.

 

Steve,

While most of the town scenes were shot in Sierra Madre, I believe this shot, and the final chase through the hills into the cave, were shot in the Hollywood Hills at the top of Beachwood Drive. That's Beachwood Village in the background of the shot. About a mile from where I live.

-Steve D.

 

I bet they were at some point. But a ton of stuff has slipped through the cracks over the years. My memory is that the mag track on Body Snatchers was also gone, and they had to work from the comp optical.

"You're next! YOU'RE NEXT!"

 

Cool film. Love the Peckinpah cameo.

 

Thanks for those two pics. It's fascinating to see how things change yet some things don't. I notice they put up a stop sign on the right, there. I'll bet that intersection was fun before!

 

I thought this was pretty witty:

"Kevin McCarthy was the only man in the known universe who had a valid reason for not wanting to sleep with gorgeous Dana Wynter."

 

I prefer the original over the remake...

 

I've always loved the original so I never really had the desire to sit the through the 78 remake. I should see it though because I love that still of Donald Sutherland pointing crazily.

That scene always had some sense of Greek mythology to me. Almost like the Sirens tempting sailors to doom.

That's really cool! I love the fact that that tree is still there just past the intersection. They probably did have to block traffic, which makes me lament even more about it merely being a publicity still. In the film Miles and Becky finally make their break for freedom...and climb some stairs...and then we finally see the crowd of people following them.

This is one of those B-movies that you just don't forget or stop thinking about. It reminds me of Deotur and Gun Crazy in that regard. Anytime I re-watch any of these three films I wind up thinking about them for days afterward.

Why don't you go in, Miles? We've been waiting for you.

 

Wonderful movie. I always hated the end the studio forced Siegel to add to the film. Liked the original ending where it just ends with him on the highway yelling you're next

 

There was this weird truck that just happened to have an accident that just happened to have this weird stuff in the back...

 

I love the parody in Airplane 2 where Stryker gets off a truck with pods in it. Great movie, I hope this can get the best possible blu-ray release.

 

I agree that the 1978 version was pretty great, too. Never saw the 1993 "Body Snatchers" but 2007's "The Invasion" with Nicole Kidman was pretty awful - a generic zombie flick. IMHO.