Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1978
Welcome back to another installment of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! This week Dion Baia and J Blake are taking on one of their top 10 favorite films of all time. A movie they’ve frequently spoken about doing since the inception of the podcast. Well, that day has finally arrived. This go around, the boys are covering the 40th anniversary of the Sci-Fi/Horror Philip Kaufman classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, from 1978.
Blake and Dion knew from the outset this episode would be a long one. After their big announcement about partnering with the CLNS Media Network, they jump right in utilizing the original Jack Finney 1955 novel The Body Snatchers, and the original 1956 classic film by legend Don Siegel. They analyze the relationships between the 1978 movie’s stellar cast and all the elements–from sound design to the guerrilla-style cinematography–that contributed to making every second and inch of this film to be intentional and help further the plot; setting the tone of this incredibly horrifying narrative. They dissect the themes and motifs within and discuss why this story works brilliantly in any decade it’s set within. So, keep a close eye on your friends and family, make sure those around you are not suddenly becoming ‘strangers’, and whatever you do, don’t fall asleep, because they get you when you sleep–as the boys prove on an all new exciting and informative installment of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!
Extras!
Check out the original trailer to this classic!
Have a look to Sigourney Weaver discussing the terror of the Invasion of the Body Snatchers!
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Blake and Dion jump right in, discussing memories of seeing this film that glorious summer of 1993, and how incredible the visuals and audio were for cinema-goers at the time. They discuss the revolutionary Special Effects within this movie and how they evolved with the story from being robotic and stop-motion effects, to ground-breaking CGI. They cover the inception of this story from the brilliant mind of Michael Crichton, and how he was able to sell this idea to Steven Spielberg even before the book was published. They also dissect Spielberg‘s choices within the film and the moments that have now become that of cinema legend! So grab your partners, pile into the autonomous Ford Explorers, and whatever you do, don’t get out of the vehicles if there’s a power outrage, because the fellas are talking dinosaurs this week with an all new installment of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!
The boys get right into it by setting up the backstory of the film, and how it was originally pitched as a Disney television movie, then languished in developmental hell for ten years until it was brought in front of Bette Midler. They debate the theory of how some seasonal-themed films become cult classics, holiday staples because of repeated viewings on television and cable. They analyze the elements within the film that showcase another example of Disney tip-toeing into somewhat dark, erotic material- cleverly disguised inside a light-hearted fairytale. Dion and Blake unpack the historical context of this story, briefly summarizing about how Wiccan and Pagan religious ideologies were deemed to be akin to being in league with the devil, and the horrible witch-hunts that swept through Salem, Massachusetts, at the end of the 15th Century. They also compare the tone of Hocus Pocus to other properties at the time, like Eerie, Indiana and Are You Afraid of the Dark?. So, what is the fan speculation behind this story: going to the How and the Why of the Sanderson Sisters becoming witches? Was Leonardo DiCarprio once considered to star in this movie? Playing their own What if Game, could this film have been envisioned as a Tim Burton/Danny Elfman vehicle at the time? And are the fans finally going to see a sequel to this film, and why would Disney actually not be interested in making a sequel/reboot to this beloved property? Well, you better make sure no virgins are trespassing and lighting any candles, hide your children, and actually listen to that black cat trying to talk to you… because the boys are back with the Halloween-specific episode of SNMS‘ October Halloween Horror Movie Extravaganza!
