Invasion Of The Body Snatchers [1978]

DVD - APPROX. 115 MINS. - 1978 - US Rating: PG
Donald Sutherland
We can see pod people in ultraconservatives, liberal fanatics, extreme right-wingers, and religious zealots, as well as in the average, everyday, think-alike masses.
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Today, we can see pod people in ultraconservatives, liberal fanatics, extreme right-wingers, and religious zealots, as well as in the average, everyday, think-alike masses; which, of course, makes the movie all the more fun.

After you've seen the picture, you see pod people everywhere. It can make a genuine cynic of anyone. For instance, just the other day at a video shop, I was behind a lady who was informed by the clerk that the movie she was buying was in a letterbox format. She dropped the tape on the counter as though it were diseased, exclaiming, "Oh, my, no, I don't want THAT!" Pod person.

Video:
MGM have been in the DVD business since the very beginning, and on this disc their experience shows. They present the film on two sides, in pan-and-scan and nonanamorphic widescreen, pleasing both viewing factions. The picture quality is generally good, if not always so vivid or as clean as some more-current releases.

Audio:
The stereo sound was not originally intended for surround speakers, and, in fact, there are only a few major sonic effects to be communicated, anyway. Suffice to say, the surround sound is subtly effective and enhances the eerie mystery of the goings on.

Extras:
The bonus materials include a useful, full-feature narration by the director, as well as the usual assortment of expected goodies like scene selections and such as listed in the details to the left.

Parting Thoughts:
Space invaders don't always have to arrive in spectacular, melodramatic fleets of mile-wide starships a la "Independence Day." They can come quietly, secretly, like thieves in the night, and have us before we even know we're being taken. As I said, scary.

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DVDTOWN.com rates this DVD:
Video
7
Audio
7
Extras
4
Film value
9
Learn more about our rating system.

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