32. INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS
32. INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS
(1956)
Directed by Don Siegel
When I was a youngster I had a recurring nightmare where I suddenly realized that all the adults in my little world- family, neighbors, teachers- were actually some unholy breed of inhuman zombies and this realization gave off a powerful scent that they detected and I was forced to run for my life through the streets, pursued relentlessly. After waking up with my heart pounding I'd lie there with the sheet pulled over my head, certain that my dream was a vision of the truth. I had my suspicions, as time went on, that this was a common bit of paranoid delusion and when I first saw "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" I felt validated. An alien race is replacing people with emotionless and soulless doubles and Dr. Miles (Kevin McCarthy) and his sweetheart (Dana Wynter) are on the run first in their 1955 Ford Sedan and then on foot. I don't know about you, but I think fear of mindless conformity is a healthy fear to have. Be very afraid! The pod people in "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" are ultra squares! It's a hipsters nightmare! "You fools, you're in danger!" "They're here already!" "You're next!", Pardon me while my hair stands on end... Made in typical breakneck B-movie fashion (a 19 day shoot) this is the best of the rash of invasion movies that proliferated across Drive-In screens in the fifties (other highly recommended notables of this variety are "Teenagers From Mars" (1959), "It Came From Outer Space" (1953), and "Invaders From Mars" (1953)). More than just a metaphoric outgrowth of the Red Scare, "Body Snatchers" is relevant in any society (or subculture, for that matter) where conformity is rigorously endorsed. Keep sticking pitchforks into those pods, keep kicking against the pricks and watch this flick every now and then to remind you why the effort is worth it.
(1956)
Directed by Don Siegel
When I was a youngster I had a recurring nightmare where I suddenly realized that all the adults in my little world- family, neighbors, teachers- were actually some unholy breed of inhuman zombies and this realization gave off a powerful scent that they detected and I was forced to run for my life through the streets, pursued relentlessly. After waking up with my heart pounding I'd lie there with the sheet pulled over my head, certain that my dream was a vision of the truth. I had my suspicions, as time went on, that this was a common bit of paranoid delusion and when I first saw "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" I felt validated. An alien race is replacing people with emotionless and soulless doubles and Dr. Miles (Kevin McCarthy) and his sweetheart (Dana Wynter) are on the run first in their 1955 Ford Sedan and then on foot. I don't know about you, but I think fear of mindless conformity is a healthy fear to have. Be very afraid! The pod people in "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" are ultra squares! It's a hipsters nightmare! "You fools, you're in danger!" "They're here already!" "You're next!", Pardon me while my hair stands on end... Made in typical breakneck B-movie fashion (a 19 day shoot) this is the best of the rash of invasion movies that proliferated across Drive-In screens in the fifties (other highly recommended notables of this variety are "Teenagers From Mars" (1959), "It Came From Outer Space" (1953), and "Invaders From Mars" (1953)). More than just a metaphoric outgrowth of the Red Scare, "Body Snatchers" is relevant in any society (or subculture, for that matter) where conformity is rigorously endorsed. Keep sticking pitchforks into those pods, keep kicking against the pricks and watch this flick every now and then to remind you why the effort is worth it.
posted by scottra at 3:00 AM
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