Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Film: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Stars: Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, King Donovan, Carolyn Jones
Director: Don Siegel
Oscar History: No nominations
Snap Judgment Ranking: 5/5 stars

Today we end our look at the pre-1970 era horror films with arguably one of the best of the era.  I toyed with finishing with a different picture, but ultimately didn't have the time to get there so we'll do that next year as I suspect a sequel is coming (as is the wont of the horror genre).  Until then, though, it felt right to end with arguably the most-praised movie of the films we are seeing this month: Invasion of the Body Snatchers.  Though it was largely dismissed as a trifle when it first came out, the picture has since been rescued by critics and film historians, and has since appeared on lists of the "best movies" from outlets such as Entertainment Weekly, Time Magazine, and the American Film Institute.  As a result, I was thrilled to finally get to this movie, and even more excited to find out: it's really good, and genuinely terrifying.

(Spoilers Ahead) The film centers around Dr. Miles Bennell (McCarthy), a seemingly average town doctor who is in love with a woman named Becky (Wynter) who recently came back to town.  Miles is curious as to why people continue scheduling appointments with him then cancelling, and finds it bizarre that random people around town keep claiming that their loved ones are not actually their loved ones, that they have been "replaced."  After finding a dead body at their friend Jack (Donovan) and Teddy's (Jones) that looks remarkably like Jack, they start to band together, suddenly realizing that most of the town is filled with these "replaced" people that they learn at the film's climactic moment are actually being hatched out of large pods (this is the source of the phrase "pod people").  Soon Becky and Miles are the only two left standing, fighting against the pod people, and even Becky eventually succumbs to them, leaving Miles ranting like a madman toward the end of the film, eventually being taken seriously by a psychiatrist after a random anecdote from a passing hospital employee reveals that he's not making things up.

The film, it has to be said, is really good, mostly because some sixty years later it's still genuinely frightening, by far the scariest movie we saw this month.  In many ways a predecessor to The Twilight Zone (some claimed this was a metaphor for Communism, which neither director Siegel nor producer Walter Mirisch ever intended), it's frightening to watch Becky and Miles backed into an impossible corner, likely to never escape as the scariest thing about the pod people is that they're basically unbeatable.  We don't know of a weakness toward the end like would become so important in future Sci Fi films (sound, light, viruses, etc, that would wound the creatures), and as a result it's just trying to contain the damage that the human race will do for their own future, a bleak one that wouldn't be possible without Miles.

The film's original ending was better.  It involved Miles on a highway, screaming "stop" to dozens of trucks carrying around more and more pods, the world soon to be doomed because no one would believe him.  Initial studio feedback was that this was too bleak, but to modern audiences it'd be pretty much perfect and going with the theme of despair.  Still, it's a terrific movie even with this blemish on the beginning/end (the film is told entirely through flashback), brought forward by sharp writing, clever direction, and good performances from both of the leads.  McCarthy at this point in his career was already an Oscar-nominated actor (1951's Death of a Salesman), though outside of Body Snatchers he's most well-known today for his years in anthology television.  He brings a cocky every-man appeal to Miles, watching the quintessential boy-next-door descend into chaos.  Wynter is also interesting, especially with her critical scene where she gives in to the pod people; despite starring opposite Rock Hudson, James Cagney, Danny Kaye, and George C. Scott in random movies, she never achieved much fame apart from this hit film, which is a pity as she has a screen presence that's undeniable and I'd like to see more (anyone have any recommendations?).

All in all, this is arguably the best film we caught this entire event, and our first 5-star movie.  If you liked these reviews, share in the comments, particularly if there are pre-1970 horror movies that you'd recommend for next year.  I'll be focusing on a lot of FilmStruck and 2018 Oscar movies for the remainder of the year, but we'll do another theme month in January as I liked tackling this project.

This Month We Are Seeing As Many Classic Horror Movies from the Pre-1970 Era as Possible.  If you want to check out some of our past reviews, here they are:

Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Dracula, Mad Love, Son of Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Mummy, Freaks, The Ghost of Frankenstein, It Came from Outer Space, The House of Frankenstein, The Phantom of the Opera, The Masque of the Red Death