Invasion Of The Body Snatchers + Discussion
Dir. Philip Kaufman, English, USA, 1978
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Sun 25 November 2012 // 19:30
/ Cinema
"It may be the best film of its kind ever made" - THE NEWYORKER
THE PLOT: ALIEN INVASION
San Francisco, 1978. Health inspector Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland) and his colleague Elizabeth Driscoll (Brooke Adams) are encountering a strange flower that appears to be growing everywhere, but cannot be identified.
At the same time, people all over town, from Elizabeth’s boyfriend to a local dry cleaner, are suddenly “not themselves.” They look the same, but they seem devoid of emotion. It soon becomes clear to Matthew, Elizabeth, and their friends (Veronica Cartwright and Jeff Goldblum) that aliens in the form of plant pods are slowly replacing the city's population with duplicates.
Matthew and Elizabeth must find a way to escape the city before they themselves are transformed.
1970s SCIENCE FICTION / HORROR
THE NEW YORK TIMES
"The creepiness [Kauffman] generates is so crazily ubiquitous it becomes funny."
“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.”
CLASSIC HORROR WEBSITE
"This wonderful film is a must see of 1970s horror cinema."
FACTS ABOUT THE FILM
- the film is a remake of the 1956 film of the same name, which was based on the novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney
- the star of the original film, Kevin McCarthy, appears briefly as a man on the street frantically screaming "They're here!", in a shot reminiscent of one of the final shots of the original.
+ DISCUSSION
The film will be introduced by Dr Joe Street, senior lecturer in American History at Northumbria University and specialist of San Francisco, and the screening will be followed by a discussion.
REVIEWS
Reviews for Invasion of the Body Snatchers have been nearly unanimously positive. It maintains a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and is regarded as one of the best films of 1978, as well as one of the greatest film remakes ever made.
"It may be the best film of its kind ever made" - THE NEW YORKER
“It validates the entire concept of remakes. This new version of Don Siegel's 1956 cult classic not only matches the original in horrific tone and effect, but exceeds it in both conception and execution." - VARIETY
“[Kaufman] weaves an increasingly sinister cityscape through prowling camerawork and a highly effective stereo score.” - BBC
“It's not only the best of the four films based on Jack Finney's story, but also one of the best films of the 1970s.” - COMBUSTIBLE CELLULOID
PART OF OUR SERIES: SAN FRANCISCO ON FILM
San Francisco is one of the great American cities but its role in American cinema has often been overlooked by people who prefer to examine New York City or Chicago.
These 3 films, all set in the Golden Gate City, demonstrate how San Francisco plays a key role in the American cinematic imagination.
In Invasion of the Body Snatchers (the first remake of Don Siegel’s classic alien invasion movie), San Francisco is the home of alternative lifestyles, which makes it difficult to discern who is an alien pod and who remains human.
Point Blank sets up San Francisco as the scene of a double-cross which leads the film’s hero towards a shocking realisation about American crime.
The final film in the season, Zodiac, is closely based on real events, and depicts San Francisco as a menacing home to unfathomable criminals. This is not the San Francisco that you think you know!
+ DISCUSSION
All the films will be introduced by Dr Joe Street, senior lecturer in American History at Northumbria University, and the screenings will be followed by a discussion.