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Movies / On DVD / Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Invasion of the Body Snatchers

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Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

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Reviews Counted:36

Fresh:36

Rotten:0

Average Rating:8.9/10

Consensus: One of the best political allegories of the 1950s, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is an efficient, chilling blend of sci-fi and horror.

Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Synopsis: Don Siegel's cult masterpiece, interpreted as an allegory of both McCarthyism and Communism, is undoubtedly one of the screen's most disturbing evocations of paranoia. It stars Kevin McCarthy as... Don Siegel's cult masterpiece, interpreted as an allegory of both McCarthyism and Communism, is undoubtedly one of the screen's most disturbing evocations of paranoia. It stars Kevin McCarthy as Dr. Miles Binnell, a physician whose traumatized arrival in the emergency room of a San Francisco hospital leads the staff to believe he's lost his mind. In a series of flashbacks, he unwinds a bizarre account of his last few days. After his return from a trip to rural Santa Mira, his nurse, Sally (Jean Willes), explains that his office has been flooded with patients who have made appointments yet never appeared. Former girlfriend Becky Driscoll (Dana Wynter) tells him that she's unable to rid herself of the belief that the man claiming to be her uncle is an impostor. A hysterical young boy refuses to return home, claiming that his mother is not his mother. Miles's concern over this pattern of incidents, temporarily allayed by some jargon from the town psychiatrist, is newly aroused when he gets a phone call from friend Jack Belicec (King Donovan), who begs him to come over and take a look at the strange mannequinlike figure that's suddenly appeared on his pool table. This exceptionally well written and directed fable, the ultimate comment on the subtly coercive conformity of the 1950s, may be Siegel's best film, and it is undoubtedly one of the most exciting science fiction films ever made. [More]

Starring: Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Carolyn Jones, Larry Gates

Starring: Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Carolyn Jones, Larry Gates, Virginia Christine, Ralph Dumke, Jean Willes, King Donovan

Director: Don Siegel

Director: Don Siegel
Producer: Walter Wanger
Screenwriter: Geoffrey Homes
Composer: Carmen Dragon

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Invasion of the Body Snatchers

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
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Arguably the greatest ever B-movie.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
04/27/09
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Wonderfully performed and imbued with a genuine sense of trepidation and unease.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
06/13/01
David Wood
David Wood
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's still a chilling picture, gaining over Phil Kaufman's smart remake by virtue of its intimate small town setting, and it has one of the greatest endings ever filmed.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A 50s horror classic that remains a gem of allegorical paranoia.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
05/30/07
Ian Nathan
Ian Nathan
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A superbly crafted film by innovative director Siegel, this low-budget science fiction tale became one of the great cult classics of the genre.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
05/30/07
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Its title implies that it's something you might watch for its campy comic value. But it's flat-out nightmarish.

comment Comment
07/26/02
Audrey Rock-Richardson
Audrey Rock-Richardson
Tooele Transcript-Bulletin (Utah)

No review available.

comment Comment
03/12/04
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

Siegel's brilliant movie sits as a perfect bookend to Romero's "Night Of The Living Dead."

comment Comment
12/19/05
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

Hitchcock couldn't have done a better job of ramping up the suspense in a horror film that is as much fun today as when it shocked audiences in the '50s.

Full Review Source: Daily Radar | comment Comment
04/12/09
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
Daily Radar

Don Siegel directs this chilling sci-fi allegory with economy, speed and efficiency.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
01/03/04
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Don Siegel's superb little effort, with its matter-of-fact isolation of hero Kevin McCarthy (ironic, no?) from the smarmy complacency of a small town gone to hell -- and way beyond -- points the way to his gripping action films of the 60s and 70s.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
05/30/07
Don Druker
Don Druker
Chicago Reader

The first--and still best--version of the Cold War sci-fi, despite compromised ending that was imposed by producer Walter Wanger on the director to make the tale less downbeat and anarchic.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
12/14/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
03/25/04
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

A classic must-see. It remains potent to this day.

Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page | comment Comment
01/01/00
James O'Ehley
James O'Ehley
Sci-Fi Movie Page

At the time, the film could have been seen as a metaphor for the Red Menace, or McCarthyism, or whatever; the fact remains it's a creepy little film.

Full Review Source: Netflix | comment Comment
11/07/02
James Rocchi
James Rocchi
Netflix

No review available.

comment Comment
07/26/02
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

The grandfather of all paranoid thrillers

comment Comment
08/15/03
Jon Niccum
Jon Niccum
Lawrence Journal-World

Maybe not a great film, but a classic of its era

comment Comment
08/26/02
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

No review available.

comment Comment
11/18/04
Mark R. Leeper
Mark R. Leeper
rec.arts.movies.reviews

Some genuinely creepy moments and good social commentary raise this horror film

Full Review Source: Movie Habit | comment Comment
08/12/06
Marty Mapes
Marty Mapes
Movie Habit
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
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Latest News for Invasion of the Body Snatchers

March 07, 2008: Guide of the Dead - An RT Romero Retrospective
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Carrying some major buzz into the marketplace, Sony's teen comedy Superbad hits the multiplexes this weekend aiming to bring in some big business from horny young adults looking... More...

June 11, 2007: Trailer Bulletin: Craig & Kidman in "The Invasion"
There's been a lot of talk about the Nicole Kidman / Daniel Craig sci-fi flick "The Invasion," most of it ... not good. But here's our first peek at a trailer... More...

April 05, 2007: "Vendetta" Team Took Over Kidman's "Invasion"?
Seems like we've been hearing about upcoming sci-fi flick "The Invasion" for a pretty long time now. You know the one: It's the fourth adaptation of Jack Finney's... More...

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