Invasion of the Body Snatchers was released on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray by Kino Lorber on November 23, 2021. The 1978 sci-fi horror classic is a remake of the 1956 movie of the same name, both being based on Jack Finney’s 1955 novel The Body Snatchers.
The film has been restored in 4K from the original camera negative, approved by director Phillip Kaufman, with Dolby Vision HDR and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 sound.
4K Ultra HD special features:
Audio commentary by director Philip Kaufman
Audio commentary by film historian Steve Haberman
Blu-ray special features:
Audio commentary by director Philip Kaufman
Audio commentary by film historian Steve Haberman
Interview with actress Brooke Adams
Interview with actor Art Hindle
Interview with screenwriter W.D. Richter
Interview with composer Denny Zeitlin
Interview with Jack Finney expert Jack Seabrook
Re-Visitors from Outer Space, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Pod – 2016 featurette with actors Donald Sutherland and Veronica Cartwright, director Philip Kaufman, screenwriter W.D. Richter, director of photography Michael Chapman, and Christopher Vogler
Practical Magic: The Special Effects Pod
The Man Behind the Scream: The Sound Effects Pod
The Invasion Will Be Televised: The Cinematography Pod
Theatrical trailer
TV spots
Radio spots
Reversible artwork
Limited-edition slipcover
Meanwhile, here’s our previous coverage of this genuine cult classic:
‘You’ll never close your eyes again.’
Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a 1978 science fiction horror film about new fauna that grows in San Francisco after spores fall from space. People take the flowers home and, as they sleep, the plants creep over them, devouring their bodies and stealing their identities—their emotions, their uniqueness, their souls.
Directed by Philip Kaufman from a screenplay written by W. D. Richter (Needful Things; Big Trouble in Little China; Dracula, 1979). It is a remake of the 1956 film of the same name, which was based on the novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney.
The movie stars Donald Sutherland (Don’t Look Now), Brooke Adams (Shock Waves), Veronica Cartwright (Alien), Jeff Goldblum (The Sentinel; The Fly; Jurassic Park) and Leonard Nimoy (Them!; The Brain Eaters; Star Trek).
A box office success, Invasion of the Body Snatchers was also well received by critics and is considered by some to be among the greatest film remakes.
In deep space, a race of gelatinous creatures abandons their dying world. Pushed through the universe by the solar wind, they make their way to Earth and land in San Francisco. Some fall on plant leaves, assimilating them and forming small pods with pink flowers. Elizabeth Driscoll (Brooke Adams), an employee at the San Francisco health department, is one of several people who bring flowers home.
The next morning, Elizabeth’s partner, Geoffrey Howell (Art Hindle), suddenly becomes distant, and she senses that something is wrong. Her colleague, health inspector Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland), suggests that she see his friend, psychiatrist Doctor David Kibner (Leonard Nimoy). Kibner suggests that Elizabeth wants to believe that Geoffrey has changed because she is looking for an excuse to get out of their relationship.
Meanwhile, Matthew’s friend Jack Bellicec (Jeff Goldblum), a struggling writer who owns a mud bath with his wife Nancy (Veronica Cartwright), discovers a deformed body on one of the beds and calls Matthew to investigate. Noticing that the body (which has adult features but lacks distinguishing characteristics) bears a slight resemblance to Jack, Matthew breaks into Elizabeth’s home and finds a nearly complete double of her in the bedroom garden. He is able to get Elizabeth to safety, but the duplicate body has disappeared by the time he returns with the police…
Variety wrote that it “validates the entire concept of remakes. This new version of Don Siegel’s 1956 cult classic not only matches the original in horrific tone and effect but exceeds it in both conception and execution.” The New York Times‘ Janet Maslin wrote: “The creepiness [Kauffman] generates is so crazily ubiquitous it becomes funny.”
Review:
Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a masterclass in slowly building paranoia, yet also allows itself to have spectacular action scenes and impressive moments of visceral horror. The semi-formed pod creatures are creepy – a single moment of blood running from the nostril of one a far more potent moment than many a horror set piece – and the scene where the pods give birth to these half-formed creatures while the human version sleeps and begins to rot remain impressively grotesque.
The few moments of gore – Sutherland smashing in the head of a semi-formed pod, a character’s face collapsing as their duplicate is completed – are suitably horrible, while Adams gets the most unsettling topless scene in film history.
This is a truly great film – evidence that a remake can actually bring something new to a story and a great stand-alone piece. Jack Finney’s original novel is the gift that keeps giving – there have been two more versions of the story since this one – but Kaufman’s movie remains the one to beat.
David Flint, MOVIES & MANIA
Other reviews:
Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.co.uk
Cast and characters:
Donald Sutherland … Matthew Bennell
Brooke Adams … Elizabeth Driscoll
Jeff Goldblum … Jack Bellicec
Veronica Cartwright … Nancy Bellicec
Leonard Nimoy … Dr David Kibner
Art Hindle … Dr Geoffrey Howell
Lelia Goldoni … Katherine Hendley
Kevin McCarthy … Running Man
Don Siegel … Taxi Driver
Tom Luddy … Ted Hendley
Stan Ritchie … Stan
David Fisher … Mr Gianni
Tom Dahlgren … Detective
Garry Goodrow … Doctor Boccardo (as Gary Goodrow)
Jerry Walter … Restaurant Owner
Maurice Argent … Chef
Sam Conti … Street Barker
Wood Moy … Mr Tong
R. Wong … Mrs Tong
Rose Kaufman … Outraged Woman
Joe Bellan … Harry
Sam Hiona … Policeman #1
Lee McVeigh … Policeman #2
Al Nalbandian … Rodent Man (as Albert Nalbandian)
Lee Mines … School Teacher
Robert Duvall … Priest on a swing (uncredited)
Technical details:
San Francisco, California
Technical details:
115 minutes
Audio: Dolby Stereo
Aspect ratio: 1.85: 1
Trailer:
