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Despite the general agreement among film critics regarding these political connotations of the film, lead actor Kevin McCarthy said in an interview included on the 1998 DVD release that he felt no political allegory was intended. The interviewer stated that he had spoken with the author of the original novel, Jack Finney, who also professed to have intended no specific political allegory in the work. [http://www.feoamante.com/Movies/GHI/invasion_bsnatch_56.html] |
Despite the general agreement among film critics regarding these political connotations of the film, lead actor Kevin McCarthy said in an interview included on the 1998 DVD release that he felt no political allegory was intended. The interviewer stated that he had spoken with the author of the original novel, Jack Finney, who also professed to have intended no specific political allegory in the work. [http://www.feoamante.com/Movies/GHI/invasion_bsnatch_56.html] |
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==Parodies== |
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*An episode of ''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]'' titled "It May Look Like a Walnut!" was a parody of the film. First aired February 6, 1963, the episode depicted Rob Petrie's [[nightmare]] about aliens who replace his friends and family with emotionless replicas, with [[walnut]]s taking the place of pods. |
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*In an episode of [[Barney Miller]], an old lady goes to the precinct to report that an imposter has taken her husband's place. Dietrich jokingly asks "Did you check the basement for pods?" To which the lady quite seriously replies "That's the first thing I did!" |
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*The animated paranormal mystery show ''[[Martin Mystery (animated series)|Martin Mystery]]'' had an episode called "Attack of the Slime People" that had a similar story. |
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*In "[[The Pie]]" episode of ''[[Seinfeld]]'', George, seeing Elaine's look-alike mannequin, says: "It looks like some pod landed from another planet and took your body. Don't fall asleep, Elaine." |
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*In "[[The Apartment (Seinfeld episode)|The Apartment]]" episode of ''[[Seinfeld]]'', Jerry is upset over Kramer's lack of social skills, and says "Let me explain something to you.. You see, you're not normal. You're a great guy, I love you, but you're a pod. I, on the other hand, am a human being. I sometimes feel awkward, uncomfortable, even inhibited in certain situations with the other human beings. You wouldn't understand". |
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*During the [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] presidency, ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' aired a parody in which people are taken over by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] pods.<!-- WHICH EPISODE WAS THIS? --> |
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*In the ''[[Duck Tales]]'' episode "[[Send in the Clones]]", part of the subplot revolved around the Nephews seeing a movie called ''Invasion of the Quacker Snatchers'', an obvious reference to the film. |
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* A [[Bugs Bunny]] cartoon episode, "Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers", depicted Bugs Bunny as fulfilling a regular schedule of comical fights with [[Daffy Duck]], [[Yosemite Sam]], and [[Elmer Fudd]]. On one occasion of such a schedule, Bugs discovers "pale [[stereotype]]s" – parodial figures who poorly imitate his rivals – who at the close of each encounter advertise "strange-looking [[carrot]]s" to him. He eventually brings one of these carrots home; while he sleeps, it creates a "pale stereotype" of himself, which attempts to kill him. Bugs thwarts this attempt, then proceeds to capture the other impostors, discovering on each a trademark signature implying their manufacture on another [[planet]]. Later, the characters of whom these "pale stereotypes" are imitations return. |
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*''[[The Colbert Report]]'' created an [[immigration]]-related segment called "Invasion of the Country Snatchers". |
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*[[Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror|''The Simpsons Halloween Comic'']] featured a story called "The Immigration of the Body Snatchers", which follows the original film almost to the letter. The comic also featured references to the 1978 version, including a dog with Willie's head and a character voiced on ''The Simpsons'' by [[Donald Sutherland]] (star of the 1978 version) is seen in the background. At the end, it is revealed that several alien species and robots have long established strongholds on Earth. However, [[Sideshow Bob]] [[fourth wall|breaks the fourth wall]] and reveals that everything is just a comic strip. |
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*The spoof 1983 film ''[[Strange Invaders]]'' paid tribute to the film. |
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*In "[[Not Particularly Desperate Housewives]]" episode of ''[[American Dad]]'', there is a scene where Francine is followed by the Ladybugs in the same manner as the 1978 version of the movie. |
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*In ''[[Shaun of the Dead]]'', Shaun and his companions walk and groan like zombies to avoid being noticed by the zombies in a similar way to the way the people who haven't been copied walk among the pod people to avoid detection |
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*In the ''[[Futurama]]'' episode "[[Fear of a Bot Planet]]" Fry and Leela act as robots to avoid detection on a bot planet. A robot identifies them by pointing while emitting the trademark shriek of the 1978 remake of the film. |
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*In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode: "[[King-Size Homer]]", when Homer tries to hitchhike to the power plant before it melts down, he flags down a car and yells incoherently through the window, causing the driver to speed away in confusion and fear, a reference to the famous last scene of the film. |
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*In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode: "[[The Old Man and the Lisa]]", after Lisa finds out that Mr. Burns is using recycled materials to turn sea life into "Lil Lisa Slurry", she runs out into the street and screams for everyone to stop recycling, upon which they tell her various recycling information in synchronized monotone. She then sees a truck go by her and climbs onto the back, seeing steel barrels full of Slurry arranged in the back in the same manner as the pods were in the original film. |
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*On a Halloween episode of the [[Perfect Strangers (TV series)#Perfect Strangers|''Perfect Strangers'']] TV series, [[Larry Appleton]] refuses to call it a night after watching a marathon of scary movies with his cousin [[Balki Bartokomous]], and girlfriends, Jennifer and Mary Ann. Larry ends up going at it alone as the TV announces its upcoming flick, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The next morning, Balki ignites a pan by shooting a green laser from his finger, then a giant pod falls out of the hallway closet as Balki walks out of a still closed door and later, he laughs maniacally as he floats at the office and outside the apartment window, as he reveals that the world's population is being transformed into Mypiots where "everyone are all cousins". |
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*The sci-fi/comedy series ''[[Mystery Science Theatre 3000]]'' parodies the film in the host segments of one episode. In one segment, Mike and Tom attempt to stay awake by drinking coffee and barely succeed. Crow, on the other hand, takes so many sleep deterrants, he can't help but stay awake. |
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*[[Frank Zappa]]'s 1979 album ''[[Joe's Garage]]'' used text from the film: "Please use the white zone only for loading and unloading. If you've gotta load or unload please use the white zone." |
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*[[Zombies Ate My Neighbors]] normal enemy: -Doppelgangers- Strange extra-terrestrial beings, Doppelgangers are alien impersonators. They are sometimes non-aggressive in that they don't always go towards the player, though they'll attack on some conditions. They spawn via strange plant-like pods near areas hit by meteors (a reference to Invasion of the Body Snatchers). They perfectly mimic both the appearance and the movements of the player's character. |
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*An episode of Yakkity Yak, "Pineapple Upside Dead Cake", revolved around the characters thinking that the whole town has been replaced by alien clones after watching a sci-fi movie called "Invasion of the Body Borrowers" in which the title is almost the same as "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". |
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*A TV commercial in the UK in 1990 for Bassetts Liquorice Allsorts makes use of the scene where they are watching pod people in the street from an upstairs window. In the commercial the people's heads are giant liquorice allsorts and the man in the room bemoans the decision to sell a "handy size" pack of allsorts - "we should've known this would happen". As he turns round saying "there are not many of us left now" his female companion has been taken over, her head a giant liquorice all sort. |
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*A similar species of alien invaders called the [[Crab People]] appears in ''[[South Park]]''. They are crab-like creatures trying to take over the planet: disguised as humans, the aliens live inside cloned [[metrosexual]] individuals. Their plan is control the world population's fashion tastes. Crab People have appeared or been mentioned in the ''South Park'' episodes "[[South Park Is Gay!]]", "[[Quest for Ratings]]" and "[[Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow]] |
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*In the Cartoon Network Cartoon ''Ben Ten'' there is an episode that is based almost directly on the plot of 'Body Snatchers' |
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*At the end of ''[[The IT Crowd]]'' episode "The Haunting of Bill Crouse" an ugly looking woman called Judy points at Roy and screams the trademark shriek of the 1978 remake of the film. |
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==Trivia== |
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{{Trivia|date=August 2007}} |
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*This film was #88 on [[Bravo (television network)|Bravo's]] ''100 Scariest Movie Moments''. |
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*Charlie, the meter reader in Dr. Miles Benell's basement, is played by director [[Sam Peckinpah]]. Peckinpah, who contributed to the film's script, served as a dialogue director for director [[Don Siegel]] since Siegel's ''[[Riot in Cell Block 11]]'' (1954). He built up quite a reputation as a writer and director of television westerns before he directed his first feature in 1961, five years after his appearance in this one. |
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*[[Eisley]]'s first single off [[Combinations (album)|Combinations]], [[Invasion (song)|Invasion]], was inspired by ''Invasion of the Body Snatchers''.{{Fact|date=August 2007}} |
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==Related works== |
==Related works== |
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Revision as of 03:20, 5 February 2008
| Invasion of the Body Snatchers | |
|---|---|
| File:Invasion of the body snatchers.jpg | |
| Directed by | Don Siegel |
| Written by | Novel: Jack Finney Screenplay: Daniel Mainwaring Uncredited: Richard Collins |
| Produced by | Walter Wanger |
| Starring | Kevin McCarthy Dana Wynter King Donovan Carolyn Jones Larry Gates |
| Distributed by | Allied Artists Pictures Corporation |
Release date | 1956 |
Running time | 80 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $417,000 |
Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a 1956 science fiction film. It stars Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, King Donovan and Carolyn Jones and is based on the novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney (originally serialized in Colliers Magazine in 1954). The film has been remade three times and has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. A somewhat similar plot appeared in the 1958 film, I Married A Monster From Outer Space.
The screenplay was adapted from Finney's novel by Daniel Mainwaring (who also wrote the film noir classic Out of the Past), along with an uncredited Richard Collins. It was directed by Don Siegel, who went on to make The Killers and Dirty Harry.
Plot
Set in the fictional town of Santa Mira, California (actually shot in Sierra Madre, a town east of Pasadena), the plot centers on Dr. Miles Bennell (played by Kevin McCarthy), a local doctor, who finds a rash of patients accusing their loved ones of being impostors. Another patient is a former sweetheart of his; recent divorcee Becky Driscoll (Dana Wynter), who tells him that her cousin has this same strange fear.
Assured at first by the town psychiatrist (Dr. Dan Kaufman, played by Larry Gates) that the cases are nothing but "epidemic mass hysteria," Bennell soon discovers, with the help of his friend Jack Belicec (King Donovan), that the townspeople are in fact being replaced by simulations grown from plantlike pods; perfect physical duplicates who kill and dispose of their human victims. The Pod People are indistinguishable from normal people, except for their utter lack of emotion. The pod people work together to secretly spread more pods—which grew from "seeds drifting through space for years"—in order to replace the entire human race.
The film climaxes with Bennell and Driscoll attempting to escape the pod people, intending to warn the rest of humanity. They hide; Driscoll falls asleep and is subverted. With the pod people close behind, a seemingly crazed Bennell runs onto the highway frantically screaming of the alien force which has overrun Santa Mira to the passing motorists and (in a moment that could almost be considered a breaking of the 4th wall) looks into the camera and yells, "They're here already! You're next!"
The film was originally intended[citation needed] to end with Bennell screaming hysterically as truckloads of pods pass him by but the studio, wary of such a pessimistic conclusion, insisted on adding a prologue and epilogue to the movie that suggested a more optimistic outcome to the story. In this version the movie begins with Bennell about to be sent to an insane asylum. He then tells the police his story in flashback. In the closing scene, pods are discovered at a highway accident, thus confirming his warning. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is notified, though it is left ambiguous whether they intervene in time to save the Earth. These scenes were deleted in a 1979 re-release after the first remake appeared, paring the movie down to 76 minutes.
Themes
The film has been read as both an allegory for the perceived loss of personal autonomy in the Soviet Union by the U.S. and as an indictment of McCarthyist paranoia about Communism during the early stages of the Cold War.
Despite the general agreement among film critics regarding these political connotations of the film, lead actor Kevin McCarthy said in an interview included on the 1998 DVD release that he felt no political allegory was intended. The interviewer stated that he had spoken with the author of the original novel, Jack Finney, who also professed to have intended no specific political allegory in the work. [1]
Related works
- The Body Snatchers is the novel the movies are based on
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978 remake)
- Body Snatchers (1993 remake)
- The Invasion (2007 film originally intended as a remake)
- The 2005 television series Invasion and Threshold explore the same themes.
External links
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) at IMDb
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) at AllMovie
- IMDB: "Things That Happen in All Three Films"; a list of eight parallels [registration required]
- "Invasion of the Body Snatchers: A Tale for Our Times," by John W. Whitehead, Gadfly Online, November 26, 2001; discusses the political themes of the original film
- McCarthyism and the Movies
- Veronica Cartwright Interview at Cinema Retro
- Comparison of novel to all 3 film adaptations
