The 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is not a bad movie, however it is much different than the book of the same name by Jack Finney. The book was written in 1955, and has some of the same characters and ideas, but it is set in a small town, and doesn’t end the same. The movie takes place in New York, which seems odd, as I was wondering how pod people could take over the entire city of New York without anyone noticing.
The movie and book both have the same plot, an alien species comes down from where ever and they take over the lives of others. They not only insert themselves, but they become the other person, forcing the other person to no longer exist. The one thing that sets humanity apart from the aliens is that they have emotions, they have these things that make them freak out or gather to help each other.
There are four movie versions of this book, and none of them are the same. They all involve an invasion, and they all involve people becoming something else, but that is where the similarities stop. If you have not seen the 1978 version before, you are in for a treat. A young Donald Sutherland and Leonard Nimoy (after his role as televisions Spock).
The movie follows Sutherland and a few of his friends, as they struggle to figure out what is happening. Their friends and loved ones are changing, and they don’t recognize who they are anymore. As people keep turning into these pod people life changes and those who have not yet changed must figure out how they can survive. This is where things diverge, and this is where I will put some SPOILERS.
The book ends with the Aliens being defeated, and the ones who have traded their lives for the lives of humans, must live the rest of their short existences here on earth. The lifespan of one of these pod people is about five years, so once they start dying off, they are gone.
The movie ends with a twist, and those who you expect to be pod people are not. It is an interesting movie, and the theme of humanity is strong, as it is what holds the world together. We don’t know, if there are aliens, if they will be like the ones in one of the variety of movies out there. Of course, we do have to wonder if aliens will have any emotions, or if they will understand what our emotions or lifestyles are like.
Watch this one if you can, skip the later two, but if you can find the earlier one, watch that one as well. Plus, if you have time read the book, because it is interesting for the time it was made.
The movie and book both have the same plot, an alien species comes down from where ever and they take over the lives of others. They not only insert themselves, but they become the other person, forcing the other person to no longer exist. The one thing that sets humanity apart from the aliens is that they have emotions, they have these things that make them freak out or gather to help each other.
There are four movie versions of this book, and none of them are the same. They all involve an invasion, and they all involve people becoming something else, but that is where the similarities stop. If you have not seen the 1978 version before, you are in for a treat. A young Donald Sutherland and Leonard Nimoy (after his role as televisions Spock).
The movie follows Sutherland and a few of his friends, as they struggle to figure out what is happening. Their friends and loved ones are changing, and they don’t recognize who they are anymore. As people keep turning into these pod people life changes and those who have not yet changed must figure out how they can survive. This is where things diverge, and this is where I will put some SPOILERS.
The book ends with the Aliens being defeated, and the ones who have traded their lives for the lives of humans, must live the rest of their short existences here on earth. The lifespan of one of these pod people is about five years, so once they start dying off, they are gone.
The movie ends with a twist, and those who you expect to be pod people are not. It is an interesting movie, and the theme of humanity is strong, as it is what holds the world together. We don’t know, if there are aliens, if they will be like the ones in one of the variety of movies out there. Of course, we do have to wonder if aliens will have any emotions, or if they will understand what our emotions or lifestyles are like.
Watch this one if you can, skip the later two, but if you can find the earlier one, watch that one as well. Plus, if you have time read the book, because it is interesting for the time it was made.
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