31 Horror Movies in 31 Days: Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Directed by Philip Kaufman

Starring Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Leonard Nimoy, Jeff Goldblum, & Veronica Cartwright

In San Francisco, health inspector Matthew Bennell is noticing things that aren’t quite right. People are behaving strangely. They’re distant and emotionless. Matthew begins to see a bigger picture when his friends start finding lifeless bodies that haven’t fully formed yet. These corpses, even in their partial state, share likenesses with Matthew’s friends. Just as the group begins to realize what’s happening, it’s already too late. It’s an invasion from an unsuspecting enemy, leaving behind pods with perfect copies of people Matthew once knew.

There are few remakes that can stand with their original films, and even fewer remakes are better. For me, Carpenter’s The Thing and Philip Kaufman’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers are movies that surpass the quality of the movies they’re based on.

The movie uses the story we all know from the book and the 1950s version, but makes it slightly darker. The themes of not trusting authority and paranoia are still present, but the consequences feel heavier. It’s not the obvious metaphor for Communism, but a dark reflection of the “Me” generation and its quest for self-fulfillment.

There’s a palpable tension that never lets up, fantastic performances, and great technique in setting up scares. With every successive revelation about the pod people, there’s a building feeling of impending doom. That these invaders try to appeal to the character’s sense of wanting something better adds so much more terror to the concept. They’re not just replacing humanity; they’re doing it a favor.

The special effects are impressive, making space-plants look menacing and evil. The growth and replication process is eerie and makes great use of practical effects of the time. While those scenes are great, nothing quite measures up to seeing the accidental replication of dog and man together. Really, the film is filled with disturbingly wonderful shots.

Donald Sutherland carries this movie well. His Matthew’s concern for his friends is deep and only surpassed by his drive to survive. The rest of the cast does a bang up job, especially Leonard Nimoy as a New Age psychiatrist and Veronica Cartwright as the resourcefully smart Nancy.

Fans of any version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers should watch this movie. It’s a well-made sci-fi thriller that works as a remake and shines slightly brighter than its predecessor. Find this movie, don’t sleep ever again, and start accusing your friends of not being human.

9 out of 10

31 Horror Movies in 31 Days: The Puppet Masters

The Puppet Masters (1994)

Directed by Stuart Orme

Starring Donald Sutherland, Eric Thal, Julie Warner, & Keith David

An unknown object enters the atmosphere and lands in Iowa. Led by a man named Andrew, the government’s secret science directorate sends their leader’s son Will and a NASA scientist named Mary to investigate the area of impact. What they find is the start of a covert invasion by mind controlling alien parasites. Quarantine quickly proves untenable as the meat puppets of the alien force spread their parasitic control and capture more people for transport. With everything spiraling out of control, Andrew, Will, and Mary become Earth’s best hope against these puppeteers from space.

The Puppet Masters surprised me for a number of reasons. It’s the only movie adaption of Robert Heinlein’s story and not another remake or variant of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The director, Stuart Orme, made his feature debut with this. His experience directing mainly comes from television episodes and various TV movies. It also surprised me because I had never heard of it until I was putting together my movie schedule for the month. Thankfully, the movie is good and effectively frightening.

It’s not entirely faithful to the source novel, but that’s not a detriment. Replacing the futuristic setting with the world of today (circa 1994) doesn’t harm the narrative. Fans of the novel might take issue with the film’s changed ending, which is not as dire. There’s still that tense feeling of an unwinnable situation until the last few minutes, but it is swept away in ridiculous fist fight in a helicopter and a happy ending.

The action is all handled very well; not a misstep in any fight or explosion. Those looking for some good set pieces and satisfying alien blasting will not be disappointed. The alien slugs themselves are creepy and appropriately gross. The practical creature effects look good with only a few exceptions where their age is showing. Even the early CGI isn’t too bothersome, so there’s not a lot that will pull you out of the movie.

Eric Thal and Julie Warner are both equally bland, playing their respective roles with the personalities of vanilla wafers. The only time they show any actual emotion or nuance is when they’re being controlled by back dwelling alien stingrays. In fact, a lot of people go straight to chewing scenery when their character is under an alien control. Sutherland fairs a little better, playing Andrew as tactical and coldly authoritative. The sheer number of seasoned character actors in this movie is staggering. On the supporting side, Keith David and Will Patton both put some effort into their roles and turn in some enjoyable performances.  

The Puppet Masters is a surprisingly fun movie with good direction and plenty of well-staged action. The lead actors are outshined by a supporting cast that appears far happier to be there. Nonetheless, it’s entertaining and charming in a scrappy, mid 90s sci-fi kind of way.

8 out of 10