As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in a few weekly live tweets on twitter. I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of #MondayActionMovie! Every week, we get together. We watch a movie. We tweet our way through it.
Tonight, for #ScarySocial, Deanna Dawn will be hosting the original, 1956 Invasion Of The Body Snatchers!
If you want to join us on Saturday night, just hop onto twitter, start the film at 9 pm et, and use the #ScarySocial hashtag! The film is available on Prime. I’ll probably be there and I imagine some other members of the TSL Crew will be there as well. It’s a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.
On Saturday night, I watched Piranha, which featured the great character actor Kevin McCarthy in a supporting role. This led to me remembering McCarthy’s iconic performance in the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers (as well as his cameo in the 70s version). And that led to me remembering a book that I found at Half-Price Books a few years ago.
First published in 1999, They’re Here is a tribute to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, featuring essays about the films and interviews with some of the people involved. For instance, Stephen King and Dean Koontz both write about how seeing the original film influenced their later approach to horror. Jon L. Breen, James Combs, and Fred Blosser write about Jack Finney, the author of the book that served as the basis for the film. Other essays take a look at the remakes that were directed by Philip L. Kaufman and Abel Ferrara. Ferrara is himself interviewed and is as outspoken as ever. Also interviewed is Dana Wynter, who co-starred in the original.
However, the majority of the book is taken up with a terrifically entertaining and informative interview with Kevin McCarthy himself. McCarthy not only talks about filming the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers but also his entire career, his friendship with Montgomery Clift, and his status as pop cultural icon. Sometimes it can be disillusioning to read or listen to an interview in which an icon turns out to be kind of boring (call it the Steven Soderbergh syndrome) but, fortunately, McCarthy comes across as being just as eccentric, intelligent, interesting, and downright lovable as you would hope he would be. Kevin McCarthy, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 96, was one of the great character actors and this interview shows that he was …. wait for it …. quite the character! (Sorry.) The interview is a great tribute not only to McCarthy’s most famous film but also the man himself.
Seriously, if you’re a Body Snatchers fan but just appreciate great character acting, order a copy of this book!
This is from the original 1956 Invasion of the Body Snatchers. This is how director Don Siegel wanted the film to end, with Kevin McCarthy vainly warning drivers that they’re coming for them. The studio, however, insisted that Siegel add a scene that suggested that the authorities might be able to stop the invasion.
Incidentally, Don Siegel was born 108 years ago, today! He was one of the great American genre directors. Unfortunately, he didn’t really do enough horror films for me to devote a 4 Shots from 4 Films post to him but, that being said, it’s impossible to keep track of how many subsequent horror films would be influenced by Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
I love horror movies but, unfortunately, many of them tend to get a bit less scary upon repeat viewings. Once you already know where the vampire is going to be hiding or who the werewolf is going to attack next, it becomes a bit more difficult to fall under in the film’s chilling spell.
To be honest, all of the Body Snatcher films scare me, even the really bad ones. Invasion of the Body Snatchers deals not only with the horror of conformity but also the horror of knowing what’s going on but being helpless to stop it.
The Exorcist (1973)
Maybe it’s because of my Catholic background but, despite the fact that it’s been endlessly imitated, this film scares me every time that I see it. I think a lot of it has to do with the documentary approach that William Friedkin takes to the material.
Shock (1977)
Mario Bava’s final film gets me every time. Even though I now know how many of the big scares were actually pulled off, this movie still makes me jump. In this film, Daria Nicolodi gives the best performance of her legendary career.
The Shining (1980)
Agck! Those little girls! That elevator full of blood! The way Wendy kept interrupting Jack while he was trying to write!
Sinister (2012)
Sinister gave me nightmares the first time that I saw it and it still does. That ending. AGCK!
The Conjuring (2013)
This is definitely one of the best haunted house films to come out over the past ten years. This film is scary because you actually care about the family in the house. They’re not just disposable victims. Also holding up well is The Conjuring 2.
It’s the weekend and that can only mean that it’s time for another installment of my favorite grindhouse and exploitation trailers. This installment is devoted to films about women kicking ass.
From infamous director Russ Meyer comes this classic drive-in feature. I just love that title, don’t you? This was the original cinematic celebration of women kicking ass. As the lead killer, Tura Satana has to be seen to be believed. Whenever I find myself struggling with insecurity or fear, I just call on my inner Tura Satana. (All women have an inner Tura Satana. Remember that before you do anything you might regret later…)
This is another one of Russ Meyer’s films. Released in 1968, Vixen is best remembered for Erica Gavin’s ferocious lead performance. For me, the crazed narration makes the entire trailer.
I love this movie! Pam Grier battles the drug trade and kills a lot of people. When we talk about how a film can be both exploitive and empowering at the same time, Coffy is the type of movie that we’re talking about.
Before there was Ellen Page, there was Racquel Welch. Playing her boyfriend/manager in this film is Kevin McCarthy who was the lead in the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers. My mom used to love this movie.
This was the last film that Mario Bava ever directed and it’s one of my personal favorites. In the lead role, Daria Nicolodi gives one of the best performances in the history of Italian horror.
This is one of the greatest horror movies ever made and it reamins sadly neglected. You must see this film before you die (which, hopefully, will not be for a very long while).
Through the Shattered Lens 