INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978)

Whilst the original 1956 film will always have pride of place in my heart, there is no denying that this remake is a damned fine film, benefitting from suspenseful, and at times surreal, direction from Philip Kaufman.

The location for this remake has been moved to San Francisco, allowing the film to tap into the theme of big city alienation and paranoia, where everyone can seem like a threatening or uncaring stranger.  The main protagonist is now a Dept of Health official, Matthew (rather than a doctor) who is well played by peak Donald Sutherland.

He is ably supported by a very young looking Jeff Goldblum, as an argumentative poet, and Leonard Nimoy as a celebrity psychiatrist, both well cast.

Brooke Adams plays Elizabeth, a colleague of Matthew's.  I liked that she has a science-based job and that, to start with at least, her relationship with Matthew is not romantic, but I was disappointed that she ends up having little more agency here than does Becky in the original.

Veronica Cartwright, as Jeff Goldblum's wife, Nancy, is rather irritating when she becomes borderline hysterical (as she also is in 'Alien').

The plot sticks pretty close to the original, with some improvements here and there. 

Whilst in the original, Miles' breaking into Becky's house always struck me as a bit OTT given that at that stage he had little reason to think she was in danger, here Matthew seems fully justified in breaking into Elizabeth's house.

The scenes in this version in the mud baths are a definite upgrade on the equivalent scenes in the original, set in Jack and Nancy's house, and there is a great scene here where Matthew is falling asleep in his yard next to several pods, which has no real equivalent in the original.

What would have been a terrific closing scene in the original (Miles vainly trying to get help on the highway) was undone by the studio's desire to provide a hopeful ending.  There is no such pusillanimity here, and the closing scenes and the unforgettable final shot elevate this film considerably.

And as a bonus I loved the way that what should have been the original ending to the 1956 film is cleverly weaved into this story.

RATING: ✓✓ Catch It If You Can