• TimK
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Re: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

So now, having listened to the commentary and watched your little video, I can say that I still don't get what the joke was, but Trey has never looked better.

But seriously folks, the original story goes into a lot more detail about how and why the pods work. Part of the impact of the film may have been that unnerving sense that we don't even know all the rules of the situation, but the filmmakers would have had a back story to work from that they just left out. Modern movies still do this (WTF is a Balrog to those who haven't read LOTR?), but there's a better sense of what people need to know in order to pass fridge logic.

The story also has a much clearer allegory going on, so even if the filmmakers weren't aware of it, enough of the story came through on screen that the audience got it, and this film was supposedly one of the big influences on Night of the Living Dead a decade later.

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Re: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Matt Vayda wrote:

I managed to come up with a few titles that seem to play a similar identity card to Body Snatchers.

There's also "The Puppet Masters" -- the book, at least. I heard the movie made rather a botch of it but never saw it.

The "alien worms in the brain" conceit was also used in the second season episode of the 90s Outer Limits, "From Within."

TimK wrote:

(WTF is a Balrog to those who haven't read LOTR?)

I think the movie told you everything you really needed to know on that one. We've already established that we're dealing with a fantasy world of magic & monsters, so it's not hard to accept another monster. Saruman says "The dwarves dug too greedily and too deep." Gotcha, they dug their way into Tolkien Hell and let that shit loose. That's not exactly accurate, but it's close enough that you understand the stakes, which is all that matters.

I think the pods are the same thing. How do they work? Dunno, except that you better not fucking fall asleep. Stakes established, moving on.

Though they are more thoroughly explained in the '78 version (my favorite), which we'll get to eventually.

I think if anything modern genre movies tend to do even less explaining, relying on the now-established tropes to get you most of the way and throwing in the tidbits about their universe's particular spin as necessary.

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Re: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

DorkmanScott wrote:


There's also "The Puppet Masters" -- the book, at least. I heard the movie made rather a botch of it but never saw it.

I used to quite like the movie back in the day, haven't seen it in a while. I had it on VHS and used to watch it and the 90's version of Body Snatchers on rotation. I can't comment on how it compares to the book as I've never read it.

Both Puppet Masters and Body Snatchers are mentioned in The Faculty, another film I know is bad but can't help enjoying big_smile

Last edited by Jimmy B (2011-04-04 10:39:34)

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  • From: Kent, England
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Re: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

About to listen to this now, but just wanted to say I had a hard time watching this movie the first time because I couldn't accept Kevin McCarthy as anything other than the goofball villain from Innerspace that gets midgetised.

Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere. - Carl Sagan

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  • From: Buffalo, NY
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Re: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

DorkmanScott wrote:
Matt Vayda wrote:

I managed to come up with a few titles that seem to play a similar identity card to Body Snatchers.

There's also "The Puppet Masters" -- the book, at least. I heard the movie made rather a botch of it but never saw it.

There also have to be some films about clones/robots that are basically the same story but with a different magic bean.

I think if anything modern genre movies tend to do even less explaining, relying on the now-established tropes to get you most of the way and throwing in the tidbits about their universe's particular spin as necessary.

Asian horror films tend to be worse at that, often figuring that the character involved would never know what the hell was going on so there's no reason for the audience to either.

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Re: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Something else I just realized...this movie yet another example of ripping off Surrogates.

Matt Vayda's Website

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  • From: Gardena, California
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Re: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Now finally having a chance to listen to this and hear the bits I wasn't there for, the $10 word Brian may have been reaching for when discussing the more modern acting style could be "verisimulitude." "Simulacrum" would be a good $10 word for a pod person, though.

I actually kind of like the (initial) blase attitude toward the pod people, similar to the attitude the characters have in THE THING when discussing that it's a shapeshifter.

"There's a clone of you dead on the table."
"Yeeup."
"Hm. That's fucked up."
"Yeeup. Want some coffee?"

I dunno. For some reason I like it better than the modern tendency to either become immediately hysterical or just start shotgunning irrational denials in all directions. I feel like if something that crazy happened, but you weren't in immediate apparent danger, you'd almost be too freaked out to be freaked out.

Once the shit really starts going down and immediate risk starts to become apparent, then I see panic setting in. But as long as it's just lying there, after the initial shock I can imagine it being kinda like, "huh."

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33 Reply by Phi

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Re: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Having read this thread before listening I was expecting the switches and still managed to entirely miss when Eddie replaced Dorkman until 10 minutes later.

Phi's Brain: Huh, this discussion took a turn for the political. I suppose that's normal for commentaries with Bryan and Edd... that was slick.

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  • Eddie
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Re: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

I wouldn't say that we got too political, as opposed to discussing the historical influence of Communist Hysteria in the 1950's.  Maybe that's splitting hairs, but the distinction for me is that it was less discussing our own political stances than referencing the climate of the day.

Eddie Doty

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Re: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Yeah, when the movie itself is a political statement of a sort in it's own right. It's hardly fair to criticize any commentary for it, for trying to delve into the politics of the day and what the movie is trying to say about them.

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36 Reply by Phi

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Re: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Somehow my complement on production values turned into a criticism of topic. I have not been a Topic Criticiser in the past and I am not now a Topic Critic.

The political discussion was interesting and entirely appropriate.

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  • Eddie
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Re: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

No worries, mate.  I wasn't criticising at all.  Just clarifying.

Eddie Doty

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Re: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

I totally missed the April Fool's joke front page sad

Is there a mirror of it or something?

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  • Teague
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Re: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Yep.

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I have a tendency to fix your typos.

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  • From: Florida
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Re: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

PAL edition now available; sorry for the delay folks.

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Re: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Just listened to this one.  I caught on pretty quickly.  Nice to know it was an April Fools day bit, but it still works as without that knowledge.  Great movie choice for the gag and still a pretty entertaining commentary.  Awesome episode guys.

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  • Teague
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Re: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

ATHANKYOU

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I have a tendency to fix your typos.

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  • Teague
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Re: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Aw, you reminded me to relisten to this episode. So good. I love that gag.

Teague Chrystie

I have a tendency to fix your typos.

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