Based on Jack Finney’s novel, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and directed by future Clint Eastwood favorite Don Siegel (Riot in Cell Block 11), Invasion of the Body Snatchers unfolds in a normal, average American small town. Yes, Santa Mira is a fictional Northern California town. Replace the name though, and this could easily be any small town in America. As the story begins, Dr. Miles J. Benell (Kevin McCarthy, A Big Hand for the Little Lady) is being held at the hospital by police. With wild eyes and a desperate tone, he tells of his town being taken over by alien pods hatched from interstellar spores. The aliens have commandeered the bodies of his friends and neighbors, rendering them devoid of humanity.
The story is told via flashback, with Miles acting as narrator. He has been called back from a conference, with patients complaining that people in their lives just aren’t acting like themselves. At the same time, Miles is reintroduced to Becky Driscoll (Dana Wynter, Airport) a childhood girlfriend who has just returned to town following a divorce. The two discover a usually busy restaurant devoid of customers. The community is almost deserted. It would be easier to write the whole incident off as a delusion, but Miles and Becky soon realize the truth: citizens are being replaced by alien duplicates–that the person looks the same, but whatever makes people individuals–the spirit, the soul is gone.
Released during the tumult of the McCarthy era in America, many see Invasion of the Body Snatchers as a kind of allegory about communism. The fact that the film can be seen as anti-McCarthy (with the alien pods representing Americans willing to accept conformity and suppression of their individual rights in exchange for protection from communism) or anti-communist (with the alien pods representing unfeeling communists coming to take us over) speaks not only to the complexity of the story, but how influential real-life events can be in how interpret fictional narratives.
Adapted by Daniel Mainwaring from Jack Finney’s novel, Invasion of the Body Snatchers earned its rightful place in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1994. An icon film that has influenced countless science fiction and horror films over the years, it has spawned several remakes and parodies. Yet, more than sixty-five years after its original release, Invasion of the Body Snatchers remains chilling.
Kino Lorber Studio Classics offers Invasion of the Body Snatchers in 4K in both 2.00:1 or 1.85:1. I’ve read that the negative no longer exists. What we have here is the best available 35mm negative. Compared to Olive Films 2018 Blu-ray release, this represents a noticeable improvement. While not perfect, with varying degrees of detail, it improves while watching the film in 1.85:1. Film grain looks far more natural, and lines are sharper. Blacks are mostly inky, and contrast is improved. Whatever aspect ratio you choose, it nice to have both available.
The 24-bit DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack appears to be the same one on the Olive Films Blu-ray. Clarity is strong, as is spacing throughout and rich low end. The bass in Carmen Dragon’s aggressive score has been given a boost along with the effects and dialogue remains clean, clear and concise.
English SDH subtitles are available.
The following extras are included:
DISC 1 (4KUHD):
- Audio Commentary by Actor Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter, Moderated by Legendary Filmmaker Joe Dante
- Audio Commentary by Film Historian Richard Harland Smith
- NEW!! Audio Commentary by Film Historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson
- NEW!! Audio Commentary by Professor and Film Scholar Jason A. Ney
DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
- Audio Commentary by Actor Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter, Moderated by Legendary Filmmaker Joe Dante
- Audio Commentary by Film Historian Richard Harland Smith
- NEW!! Audio Commentary by Film Historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson
- NEW!! Audio Commentary by Professor and Film Scholar Jason A. Ney
- The Fear is Real: Featurette (12:26)
- The Stranger in Your Lover’s Eyes: Featurette (11:54)
- I No Longer Belong – The Rise and Fall of Walter Wanger: Featurette (21:08)
- 1956 and 1978 Theatrical Trailers
