Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

[antnield]

When health official Elizabeth Driscoll (Brooke Adams) notices that her lover has become strangely distant, this sets in train a series of shocking discoveries that sees both her and colleague Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland) fleeing for their lives to the sound of ear-piercing alien screams.

Remakes of great films are usually on a hiding to nothing, but Philip Kaufman's brilliant update of the 1956 classic is a rare and memorable exception. Transposing the action to the heart of San Francisco allows Kaufman to retain all the suspense of Jack Finney's original story while adding caustic social commentary about the selfishness of the 1970s "me generation" that remains all too relevant today.

But it's a paranoid thriller first and foremost, based on one of the most psychologically terrifying of all premises - what happens when you can no longer trust not just the authorities but even your nearest and dearest?

4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Original uncompressed stereo 2.0 and 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio sound
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Audio commentary with director Philip Kaufman
Discussing the Pod, a panel conversation about Invasion of the Body Snatchers and invasion cinema featuring critic Kim Newman and filmmakers Ben Wheatley (Kill List) and Norman J. Warren (Satan's Slave)
Writing the Pod, an interview with Jack Seabrook, author of Stealing Through Time: On the Writings of Jack Finney about Finney's original novel The Body Snatchers
Re-Visitors from Outer Space: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Pod, a documentary on the making of the film featuring Philip Kaufman, Donald Sutherland, writer W.D. Richter and more
The Man Behind the Scream: The Sound Effects Pod, a look at the film's pioneering sound effects
The Invasion Will Be Televised: The Cinematography Pod, cinematographer Michael Chapman (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull) discusses the look of and influences on the visual style of the film
Practical Magic: The Special Effects Pod, a look at the creation of the special effects from the opening space sequence
Original theatrical trailer
Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella
Six postcard-sized artcards
Illustrated collector's booklet featuring writing on the film by David Cairns and Charles Freund, and archival interviews with director Philip Kaufman and writer W.D. Richter
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella

[Finch]

I preordered Body Snatchers for £10.99 (the standard keepcase, not the steelbook) from Arrow themselves and the low price only lasts for a few days so act fast. PS.: I *think* the low pre-order price applies to all November releases.

[Bürgermeister]

I preordered Body Snatchers for £10.99 (the standard keepcase, not the steelbook) from Arrow themselves and the low price only lasts for a few days so act fast. PS.: I *think* the low pre-order price applies to all November releases.

The offer is open until September 17th, so just a little under two weeks to take advantage of it.

[Calvin]

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) Steelbook - December 2nd

[EddieLarkin]

Hopefully Arrow realise a straight port of the Olive Blu-ray would largely be redundant. Extensive supplements would be great, but what this film really needs is the original 1.85:1 ratio, and if possible, a new transfer from non-Superscope elements. If they really want to go for it, an alternate "reconstruction" of Siegel's original cut, achieved by removing the tacked on voiceover and studio imposed opening and ending scenes, would be amazing (though I suppose, depending on the surviving elements, this could be impossible).

[antnield]

It's a mistake on Zavvi's part. Arrow are only releasing the 1978 version.

[EddieLarkin]

So Arrow are releasing two separate Steelbooks of the 1978 film, one of them using the artwork from the 1956 film's UK DVD release?

edit: Though maybe Zavvi just went ahead and made their own Steelbook design as a placeholder. The final Arrow artwork for the 1978 Steelbook is not listed on Zavvi as far as I can see. I guess that makes the most sense. Bummer.

[antnield]

No idea where Zavvi got that artwork from or whether someone else is planning to release a UK Steelbook Blu of the 1956 version - but if there is then it's nothing to do with Arrow. Like I said, it's a mistake on Zavvi's part.

[MichaelB]

No idea where Zavvi got that artwork from or whether someone else is planning to release a UK Steelbook Blu of the 1956 version - but if there is then it's nothing to do with Arrow. Like I said, it's a mistake on Zavvi's part.

Seconded - I'm not aware of any plans on Arrow's part to release the 1956 version.

[manicsounds]

DVDCompare review of "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers"

[MichaelB]

Beaver - who says that the picture quality of the Arrow and MGM BDs is to all intents and purposes identical (no great surprise, since they came from the same MGM HD master).

However, the Arrow disc fixes a minor audio glitch that ended up on the MGM BD.

[Finch]

The Arrow looks a little brighter in many of these caps than the MGM. Can't wait to see the film (for the first time)!

[MichaelB]

You're in for a treat! I hadn't seen it for at least a decade before I saw the Arrow disc, and I'd forgotten how much fun it is.

It's very very rare that a remake strikes an almost perfect balance between recapturing the virtues of the original and knowingly referencing both it and other seminal sci-fi classics (the Kevin McCarthy and Don Siegel cameos, Leonard Nimoy's first substantial post-Spock performance), and Philip Kaufman never allows the one to overwhelm the other. I also don't think I'd ever heard it with the original surround soundtrack before - the film was one of the earliest Dolby Stereo releases, and really pushed the four-channel format creatively.

[colinr0380]

It is an excellent film that really ramps up the paranoia even beyond the wonderful Siegel version. This is more about urban than suburban fears. And it is the third film in the Veronica Cartwright 'trifecta of terror' along with her roles in The Birds and Alien!

Watch out for the (uncredited) Robert Duvall cameo in the first scene of the film and the creepy Transamerica Pyramid that shows the filmmakers making the most of the San Francisco locations!

(I also have my suspicions that Soderbergh includes an amusing allusion to this film in Contagion!)

[Feego]

And it is the third film in the Veronica Cartwright 'trifecta of terror' along with her roles in The Birds and Alien!

Don't forget The Witches of Eastwick!

I've pre-ordered this title and can't wait to see it again. I've only seen it once before, and it was indeed a startling and often funny (the dog!) experience. It certainly holds its own against Siegel's original, and as much as I love that version, I think I may slightly prefer Kaufman's.

[colinr0380]

I sometimes wonder whether the dog scene proceeds along similar lines to the 50s The Fly - is there an unseen man with a dog's head running about somewhere too?

Looking through the features, I love that there will be a roundtable conversation between Kim Newman, Ben Wheatley and Norman J. Warren, a separate interview with Annette Insdorf and one with the Jack Finney biographer! Those features by themselves likely should delve into areas that studio produced features never would.

[David M.]

The Arrow looks a little brighter in many of these caps than the MGM.

Hmm, it shouldn't - which caps are you seeing that on? I can't replicate it on this end. (Perhaps you're looking at one above the other on an LCD screen that has uneven brightness from top to bottom?)

[Finch]

I checked again and you're right; they're identical. Not sure what led me to think the Arrow was brighter. I think my confusion came from the two caps with Leonard Nimoy not being identical (the subs are) and his face was exposed to more light on the Arrow cap.

[knives]

It is an excellent film that really ramps up the paranoia even beyond the wonderful Siegel version. This is more about urban than suburban fears. And it is the third film in the Veronica Cartwright 'trifecta of terror' along with her roles in The Birds and Alien!

I guess I'm the sole skeptic with this film which ending aside I feel doesn't match up to Siegel's masterwork. It might even be my least favorite good Kaufman.

[colinr0380]

*Slowly turns towards knives, then suddenly points and screams*

On a lighter note, I seem to remember the early scene of the film set in the restaurant as being the first time I had ever heard of capers!

[MichaelB]

Capers are in fact rat turds - this was another of the film's sly in-jokes.

[manicsounds]

BlurayDefinition

[MichaelB]

This is the second time he's claimed to have spotted "crackle" - the first was Lifeforce.

I QCed both titles, and I'd be curious to know where exactly he's hearing this crackle, as I didn't spot it and neither (as far as I can see) did any other reviewers.

[David M.]

I did both of those titles so keep that in mind, but I run all incoming audio through detection for that sort of thing (and have the facility to fix it if necessary - but I've never had to use a de-crackle filter because the masters we're supplied have already had any such problems taken care of). That's almost certainly a setup issue.

Reviewers should really post details of their setups!

[MaxCastle]

This is the second time he's claimed to have spotted "crackle" - the first was Lifeforce.

Actually, it's more than twice - he seems to identify it on pretty well all the Arrow releases he's reviewed recently...