Monday 28 January 2019

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) — A Review

27th January, 2019.



Right … 

It’s a late night for me: as I’ve started writing this at, what … ?

Just coming up to 11:30 … ish.

And, frankly … ?

I’m just about ready to go to bed … 

after I’ve finished my coca.

As the situation with iMovie is getting ridiculous.

Frankly?

The second of those intro videos was done with a free piece of software I’d found on the App Store, and wanted to try.

The curse of unemployment is simply the fact you have a lot of time on your hands.

No money to do anything — like buy new software — but time on your hands.

Tonight … ?   After having dinner with my family?

I had time on my hands … and a desire to catch up with quite a few things.

Not least, El Ministerio Del Tiempo: The Ministry of Time, if you want that in English

I think I’m getting withdrawal symptoms!

~≈§≈~

Then again … ?

Then again, tomorrow is another day.

That’s when I can start catching up with the second season of El Ministerio Del Tiempo.

Much as I wanted to get started, there?

I do know there’s a few films in my collection I wanted to watch.

The one I ended up with … ?

And had been meaning to see since I’d catch the original 1956 version?

Was the 1978, Donald Sutherland vehicle, Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

I think I’ve made the right decision, there … 

~≈§≈~


This version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is set in San Francisco: and opens with Dr Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland) of ’Frisco’s Public Health Department, raiding a local restaurant.

Meanwhile?

His colleague, Elizabeth Driscoll (Brooke Adams), has discovered an interesting flower on the streets: and taken it to the home she share with her partner, Geoffrey (Art Hindle).

Only to find, in the morning, that Geoffrey seems a little … 

Distant … 

It’s only when Elizabeth mentions this to Matthew … ?

That he suggests chewing it over with old friend, and noted psychiatrist, Dr. David Kibner (Leonard Nimoy.)

It’s only then, things start taking a downturn.

As, on the way to a book launch organised by Kibner, Matthew and Elizabeth see a hysterical man run down, and die: with the crowd unconcerned by his death.

And, at the party … ?

A woman, and client of Kibner’s, insisting her husband isn’t who he was.

All that … ?



And there’s a lot of blooming flowers around … 

~≈§≈~

Right … 

What do you think I’ll be saying, here … ?

Good?

Bad … ?

Indifferent … … ?

It’s the first of them, to be honest.

This remake of Invasion of The Body Snatchers is a great little film: the acting’s good, the writing, nicely done, the effects?   Disturbing, without being gruesome.

It also sees a guest performance from Leonard Nimoy that I, for one, welcomed.   I’m so used to seeing him as Spock, that seeing him in anything else is welcome.

And there’s quite a twist in the tail, as well.

Frankly?

The 1978 version of Invasion of The Body Snatchers is worth your time: and an improvement on the original
Invasion of The Body Snatchers
★★★☆

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