Invasion of the Body Snatchers [Blu-ray]

Director: Philip Kaufman, Phil Kaufman

Overview

In this elaborate remake of the 1956 horror classic, health inspector Donald Sutherland is dispatched to investigate the curious behavior of several San Francisco restaurateurs. He begins to notice that even those closest to him are behaving in a detached fashion. The source of this ennui is an alien attack.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/13/2011
UPC:	0883904250814
Original Release:	1978
Rating:	PG
Source:	MGM (VIDE
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:55:00
Sales rank:	18,530

Special Features

Re-visitors from Outer Space, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Pod featurette; Practical magic: the special pod featurette; The man behind the scream: the sound effects pod featurette; The invasion will be televised: the cinematography pod featurette; Original theatrical trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Donald Sutherland	Matthew Bennell
Brooke Adams	Elizabeth Driscoll
Leonard Nimoy	Dr. David Kibner
Veronica Cartwright	Nancy Bellicec
Art Hindle	Geoffrey
Lelia Goldoni	Katherine
Jeff Goldblum	Jack Bellicec
Don Siegel	Cab Driver
Kevin McCarthy	Running Man
Tom Luddy	Ted Hendley
Tom Dahlgren	Detective
Garry Goodrow	Boccardo
Jerry Walter	Restaurant Owner
Wood Moy	Mr. Tong
Rose Kaufman	Outraged Woman
Joe Bellan	Beggar
Sam Hiona	Policeman #1
Al Nalbandian	Rodent Man
Robert Duvall	Priest on Swing (uncredited)
Maurice Argent	Chef
Jerry Garcia	Banjo Player
Denny Zeitlin	Composer

Technical Credits

W.D. Richter

W.D. Richter	Screenwriter
Russ Hessey	Special Effects
Dell Rheaume	Special Effects
Robert H. Solo	Producer
Mary Goldberg	Casting
Arthur Rochester	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Although it relies on special effects as much as psychological shadings to summon up its atmosphere of paranoia and alienation, this horror remake fairly successfully updates the Cold War subtext of the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers to poke fun at the psychological and spiritual excesses of the late '70s. From Leonard Nimoy's sinisterly self-assured pop psychologist to Veronica Cartwright's babbling hippie chick and Jeff Goldblum's persnickety poet, the supporting characters all scream "me, me, me." It's up to Donald Sutherland and the wonderful Brooke Adams to play it straight -- a feat both actors accomplish with typical class. San Francisco itself also plays a major role in the film, from shady goings-on in the streets near Civic Center to a creepy traffic accident on Nob Hill. A large team of makeup and special-effects artists blur the line between plant and human with queasy proficiency, while several actors get the chance to squeal and screech with alien voices quite effectively. Although he keeps the pace moving and credibly juggles actorly angst with gross-out set pieces, director Philip Kaufman isn't as masterful here as he would be with more literary material in the years to come. In fact, subtext aside, Jack Finney, author of the source novel The Body Snatchers, always insisted that his book was nothing but light entertainment, and, chilling as it is, the same can be said of this popular adaptation.