Hi tilders! (tildoers? tildos?) edit: okay definitely not tildos. I've hatched a plan to watch a ton of classic scifi-horror (ending with Alien, my favorite of all time), and this is my third...
Hi tilders! (tildoers? tildos?)
edit: okay definitely not tildos.
I've hatched a plan to watch a ton of classic scifi-horror (ending with Alien, my favorite of all time), and this is my third review in the series. I'm not an impeccable writer, but Scifi-horror is my favorite genre, and I'm experienced enough with it. If I inspire anyone to watch these films I'd be elated!
Let me know what you think, there's more to come if this is well received (a post every few weeks, probably).
I've only seen the 1978 version, which is easily in my top 10 horror films of all time. Somehow I completely missed that it was a remake of an older film, so I'll definitely have to get around to...
I've only seen the 1978 version, which is easily in my top 10 horror films of all time. Somehow I completely missed that it was a remake of an older film, so I'll definitely have to get around to watching the original.
Very enjoyable write-up, by the way. Detailed without being long-winded, more than enough to convince me to check it out.
Thank you! It turns out there's some horrible dog thing in the remake? Now I'm wanting to watch that version! Yes it's deceptive - when I was looking up actor names to mention in this blog post I...
Detailed without being long-winded
Thank you!
I've only seen the 1978 version, which is easily in my top 10 horror films of all time.
It turns out there's some horrible dog thing in the remake? Now I'm wanting to watch that version!
Somehow I completely missed that it was a remake of an older film
Yes it's deceptive - when I was looking up actor names to mention in this blog post I initially popped the '78 IMDB page open and was thoroughly confused, missed in the opposite direction.
I second how enjoyable the writeup is, particularly your reflections on 90's heroes and their more than fictional abilities, reasoning and luck. The write up makes me want to watch the original...
I second how enjoyable the writeup is, particularly your reflections on 90's heroes and their more than fictional abilities, reasoning and luck.
The write up makes me want to watch the original (the '79 edition is in my top 10, and the' 91 Terry Kinney edition was good), but most of all, I want to see 'RJ Fletcher' as a young man freaking out like Evil Dead's Ash, and running for the hills like Sutherland did so well. :)
Since I'm an old fart, I grew up on this stuff (on a black-and-white TV, even). There's a piece of (newly relevant) historical context you're missing for Invasion of the Body Snatchers. There was...
Since I'm an old fart, I grew up on this stuff (on a black-and-white TV, even). There's a piece of (newly relevant) historical context you're missing for Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
There was a massive overt and covert propaganda effort to promote the idea of "Communist brain-washing" - that Russia or China could somehow change the conscious political orientation of otherwise staunch patriots involuntarily. Communists were portrayed as inhuman fanatics without individuality or emotion... And that's how Jack Finney's original "Body Snatchers" was written in 1954. The screenplay made it more subtle, and left the ending ambiguous or negative instead of the American triumphalism in the novel.
It's still one of my favorite classic SF movies, just because it relies so heavily on psychological horror, with plausible dialogue and acting that wasn't bad for the period.
That... is incredibly important context. I never considered that communists were viewed as inhuman - in my review of "They Live!" I note the possibility of pro-communism motivation, but it could...
Communists were portrayed as inhuman fanatics without individuality or emotion
That... is incredibly important context. I never considered that communists were viewed as inhuman - in my review of "They Live!" I note the possibility of pro-communism motivation, but it could easily be the other way around, now that I consider that. "They Live!" really can say whatever you want it to say, I think.
just because it relies so heavily on psychological horror
This, the psychological horror is very relateable.
Given that other science fiction movies of the period relied on giant or grotesque special effects monsters (Them!, Creature from the Black Lagoon, etc.), Invasion of the Body Snatchers was...
Given that other science fiction movies of the period relied on giant or grotesque special effects monsters (Them!, Creature from the Black Lagoon, etc.), Invasion of the Body Snatchers was incredibly subtle and understated.
There's dispute about whether Invasion was an intentional political allegory, but in one way or another, Communist paranoia and backlash against it were important parts of the genesis of the script.
That resonates with how I felt about it, the meaning (if any) is very ambiguous. I did think that the description of what makes us human was the overarching moral, I can see how that could be...
There's dispute about whether Invasion was an intentional political allegory
That resonates with how I felt about it, the meaning (if any) is very ambiguous. I did think that the description of what makes us human was the overarching moral, I can see how that could be twisted.
incredibly subtle and understated.
Yes, reminds me of Alien a lot in that sense, you come up with assumptions that turn out being wildly wrong. Yelling at characters for acting stupid - but later realizing their motivations. The story really came together well, but I imagine if you weren't focused on the film it could be hard to glean much from it. (Probably that could be said about most movies)
Hi tilders! (tildoers? tildos?)
edit: okay definitely not tildos.
I've hatched a plan to watch a ton of classic scifi-horror (ending with Alien, my favorite of all time), and this is my third review in the series. I'm not an impeccable writer, but Scifi-horror is my favorite genre, and I'm experienced enough with it. If I inspire anyone to watch these films I'd be elated!
Let me know what you think, there's more to come if this is well received (a post every few weeks, probably).
I've only seen the 1978 version, which is easily in my top 10 horror films of all time. Somehow I completely missed that it was a remake of an older film, so I'll definitely have to get around to watching the original.
Very enjoyable write-up, by the way. Detailed without being long-winded, more than enough to convince me to check it out.
Thank you!
It turns out there's some horrible dog thing in the remake? Now I'm wanting to watch that version!
Yes it's deceptive - when I was looking up actor names to mention in this blog post I initially popped the '78 IMDB page open and was thoroughly confused, missed in the opposite direction.
I second how enjoyable the writeup is, particularly your reflections on 90's heroes and their more than fictional abilities, reasoning and luck.
The write up makes me want to watch the original (the '79 edition is in my top 10, and the' 91 Terry Kinney edition was good), but most of all, I want to see 'RJ Fletcher' as a young man freaking out like Evil Dead's Ash, and running for the hills like Sutherland did so well. :)
Thanks, gah how did movie characters got so smart suddenly. I relate to dimwittedness god dammit!
I wouldn't even hear the ominous music starting as I walked down the hall let alone grab the knife!
Right? Better to die immediately than to commit genocide, that's what Cabin in the Woods taught me.
Since I'm an old fart, I grew up on this stuff (on a black-and-white TV, even). There's a piece of (newly relevant) historical context you're missing for Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
There was a massive overt and covert propaganda effort to promote the idea of "Communist brain-washing" - that Russia or China could somehow change the conscious political orientation of otherwise staunch patriots involuntarily. Communists were portrayed as inhuman fanatics without individuality or emotion... And that's how Jack Finney's original "Body Snatchers" was written in 1954. The screenplay made it more subtle, and left the ending ambiguous or negative instead of the American triumphalism in the novel.
It's still one of my favorite classic SF movies, just because it relies so heavily on psychological horror, with plausible dialogue and acting that wasn't bad for the period.
Edited for punctuation.
That... is incredibly important context. I never considered that communists were viewed as inhuman - in my review of "They Live!" I note the possibility of pro-communism motivation, but it could easily be the other way around, now that I consider that. "They Live!" really can say whatever you want it to say, I think.
This, the psychological horror is very relateable.
Given that other science fiction movies of the period relied on giant or grotesque special effects monsters (Them!, Creature from the Black Lagoon, etc.), Invasion of the Body Snatchers was incredibly subtle and understated.
There's dispute about whether Invasion was an intentional political allegory, but in one way or another, Communist paranoia and backlash against it were important parts of the genesis of the script.
That resonates with how I felt about it, the meaning (if any) is very ambiguous. I did think that the description of what makes us human was the overarching moral, I can see how that could be twisted.
Yes, reminds me of Alien a lot in that sense, you come up with assumptions that turn out being wildly wrong. Yelling at characters for acting stupid - but later realizing their motivations. The story really came together well, but I imagine if you weren't focused on the film it could be hard to glean much from it. (Probably that could be said about most movies)