433: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

This week we're getting existential in black-and-white as we check out Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). We dig into how the film weaponizes "cozy" small-town normalcy, why its paranoia still hits 70 years later, and what makes its central theme feel timeless. This episode contains spoilers, beginning at 37:20.

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Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

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Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:04

The worst part of this movie is the idea that the FBI is going to help.

SPEAKER_01 0:12

In 1954, Collier magazine serialized a science fiction story by Jack Finney. That story ultimately became the source material for at least six major motion picture adaptations, an inspiration for countless others, including a Looney Tunes parody. This week we're focusing on the story's first film adaptation, a black and white telling of the story set in the fictional California town of Santa Mira. The story follows a local doctor who starts to notice that people in his community no longer seem like themselves, even though nothing appears physically wrong. As his concerns grow, he begins to suspect that what's happening isn't isolated or imagined, but part of something larger quietly unfolding around him. This film is often read as a mirror of its moment, and has been interpreted as everything from a reflection of McCarthy-era paranoia and post-war conformity to a broader warning about the loss of individual autonomy under totalitarian systems. Its creators, though, insist it was only intended to be an entertaining thriller. So why does this story keep resurfacing in moments of social anxiety, political unrest, and emotional fatigue? And what does it say about us that it still feels so uncomfortably familiar today? We're about to find out because this week we're talking about Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Greetings and salutations, and welcome to Hackerslash. If you're joining us again, welcome back! If this is your first time listening, welcome to the party. We are a horror movie review podcast dedicated to telling you whether a movie is a hack, a total joke, a waste of time, or a slash.

SPEAKER_02 1:47

Totally killer, pun intended.

SPEAKER_01 1:48

We believe horror is for everyone, and as such, we're rating these movies with a perspective we've gained from our varying walks of life and the flavors of fear we fancy most. My name is Chris, I'm your friendly neighborhood slasher enthusiast. This week I'm joined by the Superfly Space Guy Mac.

SPEAKER_03 2:02

Take two of these, they'll help you stay awake.

SPEAKER_01 2:04

The classic horror connoisseur Sean.

SPEAKER_02 2:06

We've been waiting for you.

SPEAKER_01 2:08

And the paranormal paramour, Binx.

SPEAKER_00 2:10

Is this an example of your bedside manner, Doctor?

SPEAKER_02 2:13

You're tuning in to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and if you support the show, you'll also get to hear our B-side at the end of this episode where we get into the impact that this movie had on the sci-fi horror genre.

SPEAKER_01 2:24

Well, I can't wait to see what Mac has in store for us for all the sci-fi glory. But for now, who's seen this one before?

SPEAKER_03 2:30

So I've seen the 1978 and the 2008 invasion, but I've actually not seen this one until now.

SPEAKER_02 2:37

Dang. Yeah, I think a lot of people think of this movie, I and even just like the thing, right? You think of the remake, the 1978 or the 1982, right? Whatever one you're talking about. But this movie from 1956, the original adaptation of the book, it's such a classic. And I think I always end up finding myself going back to the 1978 film more often than not for whatever reason. But it's so nice to like come back to this one. This is one of my favorite early sci-fi horror movies. And I don't know, it just honestly, it's tough to decide between the two, but this one is one of the greats for sure. 1950s sci-fi put out some bangers. We have this film, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Forbidden Planet, The Thing from Another World, as it were. So so many greats, and you just gotta love it.

SPEAKER_00 3:29

Yeah, I think just like most people, it is the 70s remake that I've seen, mostly because of Donald Sutherland, love him. I've never seen this one, but I've certainly wanted to. I mean, I think that the poster is what's always kind of stuck with me the most. So when people tell me about this movie, I'll think of the 50s one of the OG, obviously, based on the poster. That's what I'm imagining in my head. But when I talk about the movie, I find myself replaying the plot of the 70s remake. But I've never seen all the others. I truthfully kind of forgot that there were so many adaptations of this to begin with.

SPEAKER_01 4:03

See, when it comes to pure adaptations of this story, I've actually only seen this movie. But let's be real, if you've seen Halloween 3 Season of the Witch, you also have seen a doctor looking at uncanny people in the town of Santa Mira, California. If you've seen The Faculty, you've also basically seen this movie. But I haven't seen this rendition in over a decade. And then let's also stop to really appreciate for a moment the fact that this movie is celebrating an anniversary this year. It's 70 years old. How insane is it? So I haven't seen this movie in over a decade, sure. I've also never read the book, and that's something now, realizing that this is adapted from a novel, I actually really want to give a shot.

SPEAKER_02 4:48

I've never read the book either. It would be something cool to kind of visit. I've seen all the adaptations coming out of that book, but never read the book. And I feel like I I run into that issue quite a bit. I really need to start picking up books more, I guess, and just sew into these films.

SPEAKER_00 5:04

I'm with you on the reading, though. I definitely need to hit the books more often. That's a goal for 2026. But truth be told, in terms of expectations for this one, it's tough to say because I feel like a lot of the originals they are a bit more succinct, shorter runtimes, maybe a bit more dramatic in some aspects with the acting, of course, because in some ways, sometimes I think about how like because they're black and white, they may need to overcompensate a little bit for that. So it's not as scary when it is black and white to me personally. So I was looking more for a bit of the dramatics, what was going to actually kind of be similar to the 70s one, because that's my point of reference and not the book. So I'd be super curious to see how it adapts to the source material for sure.

SPEAKER_03 5:53

I think these titles from the 1950s, especially sci-fi stuff, it's just so ridiculous and fun. I mean, you've got Invasion of the Body Sync, which is great. You've got invasion or attack rather of the 50-foot woman. You know, plus we got Plan 9 from Outer Space, really cool title, honestly. The brain from Planet Ora It's just like they're so silly sounding when you just look at the titles. But we've seen this, like you've talked about, and we're gonna talk about later, but we've seen this played out in so many different films. Like this fear of assimilation is it's honestly really entertaining. It makes for great TV, great movies. There's so much that you can go into that we're gonna go into in the B sides. But when it comes to this film, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if this was gonna be good, if it was gonna be cheesy. I think there's some 1950s sci-fi and horror films and sci-fi horror films that are really enjoyable. And then I saw that 120 runtime, and I was like, oh, this is gonna be this is gonna be fun, right? This is gonna be straightforward to the point they're not gonna waste any time, the blob's gonna attack the town right away. I'm here for it. I kind of miss those tight runtime sci-fi horror films.

SPEAKER_01 6:56

Man, you mentioned those titles of those other movies, and I'm just thinking the 50 foot woman one sounds like Death by Snooze New. If you know, you know.

SPEAKER_03 7:04

Seriously.

SPEAKER_01 7:05

You're leaning into the idea of like 50s sci-fi horror being a classic short runtime, something that you can really lean into and have a good time with. And let me tell you, this was a deeply cozy watch. And I think it's more cozy for me because I love films from the 50s and 60s. A couple weeks ago, I was feeling sick and I watched about three doorstay films. I watched Semino Flowers, Midnight Lace, and Pillow Talk. And there's something about that era that really radiates comfort. But what's interesting for me is how this movie weaponizes that comfort for me. Because this is a story that's built on paranoia and loss of identity. So you have this seemingly wholesome time when we start out the movie and it lures you into a false sense of security. It lures you into this familiar rhythm, but then you start to see things that are just super unsettling just bubbling and simmering in the background. So while this movie didn't feel particularly aggressive, I think in a way that you might think like the thing from another world might, it feels polite and also void of personality in some moments, which feels fucking creepy.

SPEAKER_02 8:16

That's super true. And unsettling is a good way to put it for sure. I think what this movie does is execute this slow burn, emotionally unsettling experience where something feels off but never really lets up. But it just, it's this interesting dynamic where it is weaponizing to your point, Chris. Like the normalcy of the society. Like there's something that, you know, everyone seems normal, but you know something's not right. You said it almost feels cozy, this film. You have this small town vibe, familiar faces, these normal conversations, which arguably is why it works so well. There's no screaming, monsters, just people insisting that everything is fine when it clearly isn't fine. You start mentally side-eyeing everyone. Everyone becomes a suspect, and this movie is basically gaslighting you the entire fucking time.

SPEAKER_00 9:10

What a time to be watching this movie right now, truthfully, because my goodness, it's just like anxiety central when you put it that way. But I have to agree. I think what's really cool about it is some of the choices that the actors make as well, because there's moments where just the slight change of tone in their voice ever so slightly sounds a little robotic, but then you realize they're talking normal and you just can't quite tell. Like we're talking those small decisions, those details that really do feel like they're gaslighting you throughout the whole time. So I was really impressed by that. And I also really loved this like romantic subplot too. I thought that that was really sweet and I think creates this like lightheartedness, if you can believe it, until it becomes a little bittersweet. It's very unique in that aspect. And that's something that didn't quite land in the 70s remake for me personally. So I was pretty surprised by that too. That at least the romance subplot felt a little bit more real here.

SPEAKER_03 10:09

I do appreciate that about it because it's a small detail, but it does land a lot to the characters. When I'm watching it, I'm getting it. Romance at that time definitely helped sell a film and helped people connect with it. But when I was watching it, I gotta tell you, I think that 1978 has a feeling closer to a fear of like Big Brother from 1984. And a lot of assimilation movies do, where you're you're constantly like making sure people don't know that you're you and hiding and trying to fit in. And this did not have that same type of feeling to it. It was almost like a mixture of like Stepford Wives meets some other form of dystopian film. I don't even know, but there's this other fear here as things are unraveling. I think a lot of other later films really want to get into the idea that it's already happened or it's mostly already happened now. Let's see what goes on with our characters, let's see how they deal with it. And we're at the very early stages here, and so it's really still human, and it's more human than not, I think, which I appreciated because you can actually connect with most of the characters on screen a lot better than later films, where you're the entire time you're thinking, who's who? You're worried about it. It's like a it's like a murder mystery. Who's the bad guy here? And then this one, there's a little bit of that, but it's not as important, I don't think. And so that that made it more interesting for me. And I gotta tell you, it's a big surprise for me. And this is just a cultural issue. I feel really dumb. I never realized that the phrase pod people was not said in universe.

SPEAKER_02 11:30

Ah, right. But the movie birthed this whole idea of pod people and the term pod people, you know what I mean? They they don't refer to anybody as pod people, but somehow after this movie, people are like explaining people as pod people of just people that conform, you know.

SPEAKER_01 11:47

You know, it's really fun is that we're the pod people now.

SPEAKER_02 11:50

Now we're the pod people, but um uh you got it.

SPEAKER_01 11:54

Yeah, but you know what? Hey, leaning into this and really going back into what you're talking about, Mac, with that human connection with how human it all feels. That's exactly why I think the biggest surprise for me is how well this movie ages. And it doesn't just age from the sense of, yeah, this is a 1950s film that you can watch today and still be fairly entertained. But this movie ages well technically, it ages well emotionally, and it ages well philosophically. And the ideas land without feeling super dated or even corny, uh and it honestly exercises a lot of restraint that I respect it for. I never really appreciated how confident this movie is in its restraint. I think about the way that opens up, it introduces us as someone who's really erratic, who's really irate, who's insisting he's not insane, and this movie says, Yeah, I dare you to believe him. And I appreciate that while I've seen other movies that start that way, this movie frames its story so exceptionally well that it takes us on one hell of a ride to figuring out exactly how this guy got where he is.

SPEAKER_02 13:06

Yeah. It's a really good point because I think that this movie ages so extremely well because no matter what you read into the film's theme as, whether it's Cold War, paranoia, anti-conformity, fear of losing individuality, emotional burnout, it all still works. And I think that's really wild for a 1950s sci-fi flick. And so I think that's part of why it ages extremely well. And Mac, to your point earlier, like it also surprising how well this movie works because it fits to the themes of what's happening in society, and it may be slightly different than what was happening in the 1950s, but at some point, you know, whether it's any of these types of themes that you read into, it fits into pretty much any era since this movie came out, which is incredibly, I think, rare for a film. And I think one of the things that also is surprising about this film after all this time is its ability to be effective despite how quiet the horror is. It ties into all those themes. As I said early, there's no big monster reveals, no score screaming at you. The movie just lets people talk calmly while saying terrifying things. And that, to your point, Chris, that restraint that we're talking about, it's surprisingly effective even now. It's just uh a lot of things that it's saying without really being loud about it.

SPEAKER_00 14:34

Which I'm surprised that translates so well for a movie that's pretty old. You know what I mean? Like that can it's still hit despite its age, and that really what it's saying, to your point, it just creates a frenzy of a ton of adaptations, films that aren't direct adaptations but are pretty much saying the same thing, things in our day-to-day that certainly feel uncanny, like the pod people thing that you were just saying earlier, like all of that I've I'm pretty surprised by. And I think I feel that way really about most classics, you know, because there is that preconceived notion, and Sean, I'm sure you get this all the time, where it's like, oh, if it's black and white, it couldn't possibly be good, you know? But man, I'm very much learning, and I've never felt this way, but I I love that it this show like exposes me or puts me in a position where, like, hey, remember that movie that you've been wanting to watch that's in black and white? Like, that's the time to do it because it just surprises me every time. I mean, I felt this way about the original The Haunting, and I'm like, that was one of my favorite movies of all time. And if it wasn't for this show, I wouldn't have watched it. So here I am with the 70s remake being one of my favorites. I own it, I watch it constantly. And now that I've watched this original one, I was like, damn, maybe I should have, maybe I should have rewatched this one more too.

SPEAKER_02 15:45

I also think to your point, Binks, if there's someone that you know that maybe thinks of these older type black and white movies as boring or they just don't really get into them, maybe they're a little slow. Even though we're talking about maybe this slow build, slow dread theme of this movie, I don't think that's the vibe when you're watching this. I think this one actually captures your attention pretty well, which might be also surprising to viewers that haven't seen this version.

SPEAKER_00 16:11

Definitely. And I think it's also the case when it comes to like the fear of it all, right? Because what surprised me too was the fact that I did find this scary in a different way. It's not the gore too much for me personally, because you don't see a lot of the ooey-goooey and the black and white. It's a little harder to do that. There's no like jump scares per se. But in the situation and in the tension and the anxiety and the second guessing that you are going through when you're watching this, that's scary. When you're like, wait a minute, are they? Are they not? This movie quickly puts you in that position, which I'm pretty impressed by.

SPEAKER_01 16:47

You know what scares me the most about this movie is really twofold. One, that we can continue to have these stories that endure over time because we seemingly cannot learn lessons from ourselves in our past lives. It's absolutely wild to me. But the other side of this is, and let me just be clear, this movie is not scary at all. You can watch this in a very safe way. Maybe some of these other adaptations later can do something that might spook you. But I was thinking about this movie, and it is so crazy to watch it now with modern dating culture and avoidance being what they are, and just this emotional bankruptcy that we're in where nobody wants to commit. We feel okay lingering in this, well, we won't we, and then you have a movie like this that encourages you to look in the face of what does it mean truly mean to not be able to love. This movie does something interesting in that way. But if you want to look in through the fear of it all, it's just like, damn, look at this dialogue, look at how this movie is framed, and then imagine dating in 2026. That is the scariest part.

SPEAKER_00 17:51

Man, how dare you bring that up? It's February. I don't even want to think about it. Valentine's Day is around the corner, folks. Disgusting.

SPEAKER_03 17:58

Assimilate if you want to have love. Yeah, I mean, fear-wise, it's low, but it plays into something that's really inherent to all humans, so it's still effective. Like I don't think you're getting, you know, drum scares or anything like that, and there's nothing crazy on screen. But I think all of us can identify with this fear, and so it still hits a place deeply, but it's not gonna like make you shake in your seat or anything like that.

SPEAKER_02 18:22

Yeah, for sure. I think where this movie for me attempts to build fear is through the atmosphere, through the you know, the dread of it all. It's it does this through conversations, through behaviors, through the tone of these conversations and these people, the thought of you know, losing your identity, being calmly told that you're wrong, and watching everyone that you trust basically emotionally just shut down. I think that's the nightmare of this film. And I think that when you think of the time, you know, in 1956, sci-fi horror was mostly bug-eyed monsters, ray guns, and spaceships. You know, you have this very clear good versus evil. You think of these sci-fi horror, even monster flicks and things like that. And invasion of the body snatchers, I think, did something weirdly new with the threat looking exactly like us, the horror coming from behaviors and not spectacle, and the invasion being really just quiet and internal and social. And I think it can feel familiar watching it now, but only because everything copied it. Literally. So that's the thing. A lot of tropes we now think of as standard, something's off about people, trusted authority figures turning cold, identity being replaced, not destroyed, sleep as this vulnerability, this slow loss of community. It all feels familiar, but this is the one that really started it.

SPEAKER_01 19:54

Yeah, Sean, wow, what a milestone in sci-fi. Because to your point, you think about bugs, ray guns, aliens, etc. But this movie is the epitome of Wes's more. This takes a premise of hey, let's just dumb this down a little bit, let's simplify it, but then also just appreciate how scary that can be. And obviously, in the 50s, this is what it is. What I love here though is that this concept is super simple, it's elegant, and if you transport yourself back into the 50s, it could be terrifying, but without being excessive. And I I think my favorite part of this, and this is why I think this movie endures, and why I think it stands so squarely in its own right and really builds a legacy for itself. This doesn't frame the loss of humanity as brutality, it instead leans into the loss of humanity through the lens of optimization, just less feeling, less complication. And that idea draws a straight line into today, not just in media, but in real life as a whole. And it's rooted in human behavior instead of sci-fi gimmicks. So that's where I think this feels really special for me.

SPEAKER_03 21:09

What's absolutely so solid of this is that part of the part of like the fear that's delivered in this film goes beyond assimilation and it has to do with like Uncanny Valley. You know, if you've seen this, if you've seen other films like it, there is a point where you have to realize that these things are not human or not quite human, and that is such a deep uh evolutionary issue for human beings. It like really truly irks us and bothers us. And we've seen it played out in lots of films and TV shows and books since then. But the idea that there's this like really quick invasion and flipping everything happening combined with this deep fear of things that aren't quite human but also look human combined with uh the post war like culture going on in the States. It's perfect. It's just like a Perfect mixture because we were going through a time where assimilation in the US was a very good thing. It was required. We wanted it. But then we were also afraid of going too far because we saw what could happen. And so we're like caught in this weird limbo of like, we want this, but do we? We don't, but we kind of we kind of want it in an only hour way, though. And so this fears kind of played out. Whether or not you read into political allegory, we were just at a place in time in life where this was like a real threat for us. And that just worked so well. And everything since then, I think has been able to capitalize on that. But this is one of those films that it's not necessarily a prototype, but it is absolutely the archetype of everything that come afterwards.

SPEAKER_00 22:41

Yeah, I as you were saying that, I was thinking how it really is like this incredible commentary on individualism and especially for what was going on at the time politically. And I think that can, again, I go back to like that's something that we think about often just as a society, whether it be as a result of technology or politics. And that's always going to be the case as we go on through history. So this is a movie that for sure it makes sense that there's so many things that have used this as inspiration. I was even thinking of Vince Gilligan's Pluribus show that just came out. He, you know, the writer of Breaking Bad, and I love that show. And it didn't even dawn on me until just now, watching this movie. I'm like, this is Invasion of the Body Snatchers. How could I have not made that connection until now? But it just goes to show you that it just continues and continues. But what I will say is something that's super original to me, just from a perspective of adding thrills, adding fun and entertainment also, it's just how it ends. I think that this is a great ending. It leaves you wondering, Chris, you mentioned it earlier. It is that like frame narrative structure. So we kind of start at the end in a way, but we just build context. And when we get to the end, it just kind of leaves you with a bit of, you know, wonder and concern. You're kind of left with a bit of imagination to try to piece what's going to go on. But that anxiety that you felt throughout kind of sticks to the very end. And I'm respect that. I respect that it doesn't necessarily leave us.

SPEAKER_01 24:18

Yeah, I really appreciate a movie that starts with, yep, that's me. You're probably wondering how I got here, and spend the next 120 minutes finding out. But to go back to that ending, what I appreciate most about it is, you know, obviously without getting into the specifics, is that it's it feels like a warning. And it also feels slightly optimistic. And I imagine that the rest of the adaptations of this story maybe are less optimistic than maybe for me than this movie is. But I love that this story doesn't treat concern as just hysteria or curiosity as weakness. There's a sense that paying attention matters, and I appreciate that being for me what felt like the soul of the ending of the story.

SPEAKER_03 25:02

I will say I'm a bit bummed. I wish the Red Scare didn't force us to have a different ending than should have originally taken place. I know that they didn't necessarily want to have the strongest political allegory, and I think the meaning of that shifted because of the political climate at the time and because, hey, watch what you're saying, you know? Because again, we wanted we wanted assimilation, but we didn't want the wrong one. And so it kind of at the very end for me just like flips because you could definitely take it one way up and up until the very end, and then it's like very clearly, hey, guess what? Guess what year it is, you know, guess what's going on in the world? And it worked, but at the same time had like a much deeper meaning, I think.

SPEAKER_02 25:47

Yeah, I think for me, I enjoy the ending to this movie. I think to your point, Chris, the optimistic touch that they threw in there. I think they're, you know, I'm at a crossroads, I would say. I enjoy the ending, I think it's still very effective. It doesn't ruin any part of the movie. I think there is an opportunity to land a little bit more ominous and make the hopelessness feel even more vast. There was that opportunity, and there was a deliberate choice to give you a little bit of optimism. And maybe that's just a touch of the 50s for you. But overall, I do love how the movie comes back to the beginning after you know Miles wraps up his explanation of what happened or is happening, the initial reaction from the doctors and all the different things. I think it feels like it wanted to be very powerful in its hopelessness. But we have this, it's gonna be okay vibe sprinkled in there. I think nonetheless, though, super solid ending.

SPEAKER_01 26:48

Well, I can't wait to see how these feelings on the end translate into some actual scores. But before we get there, Sean, 1956, how did you even begin to describe the gore score?

SPEAKER_02 26:58

Well, there isn't much of any gore per se, but this movie where it lacks gore, I think it makes up for in some really fun practical effects that help to showcase the dread of being copied or replaced. Obviously, we're not rating the film based on just the practical effects. We do have to look at the gore level as well. And if you're expecting the thing style transformations, this is definitely on the opposite end of the spectrum. But I think there's a lot to appreciate here. From a gore sp perspective, it's earning a non-existent gore score because you really don't see anything.

SPEAKER_01 27:35

And what about the animal report? You know, it was a close call, but we are in the clear. Well, let's go ahead and get into our ratings. Invasion of the body snatchers from 1956. Was it a hack or a slash?

SPEAKER_02 27:48

Well, I'll go ahead and kick this thing off. I think invasion of the body snatchers from 1956 is proof that sci-fi horror doesn't need gore or spectacle to be devastating. I think it just needs patience and paranoia. I think this film it weaponizes that normalcy. It leverages polite conversations, the trusted authority figures, and just really the simple act of falling asleep. And I think it's all becoming existential threats and tropes that we now see in so many other films that came after it. And I think the, you know, its effects are minimal, but they're uncanny. It's violence, it's almost entirely implied. And the emotional damage in this movie definitely lingers. And I think the movie taps into a fear that's far scarier than death and the quiet eraser of identity by focusing on replacement rather than destruction. It's a very, very different type of vibe. And what makes this movie truly effective is how calm the movie stays while everything is falling apart around you. You know, as I said, there's no monsters roaring, there's no blood on the floor. It's just the creeping realization that the people around you are still there, but they're not themselves. And that restraint that we keep talking about, it really became a blueprint from paranoia-driven classics like the thing to modern social horror, like get out. I think the genre has been borrowing its playbook for decades. The distrust of the familiar, the fear of conformity, and never underestimating the horror of emotional absence. I just think there's a lot to be said about this film, and this film doesn't cut you with claws or knives. It's a slash because it truly slashes the humanity out of you, literally one perfectly identical pot at a time.

SPEAKER_03 29:47

I want to follow up because I think you used a word there, spectacle, that I really like, because this is a story that almost works better the less like special effects and crazy stuff you have on screen. Because I mean you've mentioned it, but effectively the monsters are us, or rather, they look like us, but they're not quite us. And that is so effective that you don't need crazy effects, you don't need blood, you don't need gore. You just need that paranoia and you need that that creeping suspicion that grows all around you. And it's beautiful. The black and white here works so well. You don't need all the sorts of special stuff, you need good cinematography, and that's what we get here. But I think this is just such a fun wash, it's a good short runtime. But even with that, the pacing is like surgical almost. You don't feel left behind, but at the same time, you're not you're not bored. It moves at the right speed. The dialogue is it's right where you need it to be, it's well balanced, it's not enough. No, it's not too much. It's just honestly, it's the right amount for me. But it's it's simple, it's effective, and it is literally the basis for thousands of TV shows, movies, and novels that have come since. And at the same time, it feels like, you know what, this is talking to us about this very moment right now, in some way, whatever time that you're in. So because of all that, yeah, it's an absolute slash.

SPEAKER_00 31:17

Well, I echo a lot of both of your sentiments, and mostly from a perspective of thinking how this movie may be easily overlooked by so many. And that's a shame because we watch so many pieces of media or read lots of books that all kind of take pieces and chunks of this original source material, but maybe never think to explore the original stuff. And I think that that's what my takeaway is from this, along with everything else that we've talked about already, and what I would encourage as I, you know, review this, because one thing that I was thinking a lot about as I was watching this is in the day-to-day, man, it's hard. And you are second-guessing yourself constantly. This sense of individualism that I keep going back to seems to be challenged. Also, this idea of lacking your humanity, it's something that's constantly talked about right now, lack of empathy, lack of emotion. Would we really be a better society if we didn't have any of those things? And I would definitely argue that we wouldn't. But you watch this kind of movie and you watch anything that's like it, and it really challenges that thought, especially when you are looking at the times that we're living in. And I really love that that is something that has transcended time and time and time again. I mean, it has been a good amount of time since this movie came out, 70 years. That's crazy to think about. And how it still applies today is almost unnerving, a little scary, wouldn't you think? And I just really appreciate good storytelling because when it is that good, you can come back to it no matter what time it is and still relate to it from one capacity or another. I mentioned the romance subplot, right? Like that's something that I also didn't expect to be in this movie, but I think that's relatable, right? In a new chapter of my life that maybe I wouldn't have related to if I watched this when I was younger. So I definitely think that this is a slash, but it's a slash that I really want to champion a little bit more in terms of just the classics. I think I'm a big 2000s person. I'm a big, like, okay, in color film nerd. I I will admit that. But, you know, to back up Sean in a lot of his movie tastes, right? It's like, we gotta watch some of these original things because you'll surprise yourself in the way that you can relate to them a little bit more than the remakes. So I'm slashing this and recommending that you watch it so that maybe you slash it too.

SPEAKER_01 33:39

Super well articulated on all fronts here. And I'm gonna give you a little bit more of the same. This movie maps uncomfortably well onto how emotionally desensitized we become in a world that's quite frankly saturated with violence, with war, with constant unrest. I want you to consider for a moment the fact that we scroll past images now that would have shattered us a generation ago. Think about the the imagery that we see today painted in the lens of the 1950s. In our present day, tragedy has become background noise. And at some point, numbness stops being this temporary defense mechanism and starts becoming more of a personality trait. A sci-fi film often asks us what happens when monsters take over. But this movie is asking what happens when people decide they can't afford to feel anymore. And this movie proves that the most dangerous enemy we have is our own apathy, our own avoidance. And it asks what happens when we concede our ability to love. It asks what happens when we defer to numbness because the price of feeling just feels too steep in an emotional recession. And this story has been told and retold many, many times. But this movie in particular leans on an ending that's a little bit more optimistic. But even doing so, it still spins this compelling cautionary tale. And I want to close just by really citing a reading from the Book of Pink. And I think it sums up how I feel about the ending of this movie and where I think it squares emotionally for me. Just give me a reason, just a little bit's enough. Just a second, we're not broken, just bent, and we can learn to love again. This movie is undoubtedly a slash. Now, with that, invasion of the body snatchers from 1956 on this its 70th anniversary year, has earned a universal slash. Now you can find this movie a number of places online, all which are for free. So go check it out and then join us in the second half so we can break down these spoilers together. We'll see you in a bit.

SPEAKER_03 36:08

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SPEAKER_01 37:29

Now we have a lot to unpack here, but before we get into the specifics of our ratings, let's go through those kills.

SPEAKER_02 37:34

This one is actually kind of a tough one because there's no like solid official on-screen record. We know that there's like 14 maybe official replacements that we can pretty much validate on screen, but there's this implied amount of replacements that happen that is, you know, either untold or unconfirmed. And we know that there are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of people in this town and possibly the surrounding towns that this is happening to by the time we get to the end of this film. So is it 14 or is it a thousand and fourteen or a thousand and four hundred and fourteen or five thousand and fourteen? Who knows? Who really knows? But we can certainly talk about the fourteals that we know happened throughout the course of this movie. And it's just interesting because the deaths, you know, in this movie are also not even fully confirmed once this replacement happens. I think verbally they do discuss or imply that the human body is potentially destroyed once this process is complete. But, you know, we can talk forever about this. Let's just get into it. Which one of these body snatches snatched your attention?

SPEAKER_01 38:47

Okay. Hey. It's me. And I'm gonna say Becky. And I'm gonna say Becky, even though I was devastated by this. I continue to be devastated by it every single time. I don't know why I continue to pretend and just Dululu my way into thinking maybe she'll make it out this time. But what I appreciated most, and I believe I read in an interview, I'll have to try to find a link and put it in the show notes. The reality of the moment he discovers that she's been replaced. And he discovers she's been replaced because there's a little something missing from the kiss. And I don't know about you, I don't know if you've ever kissed someone who has fallen out of love with you or that you've fallen out of love with, and it's like this one last kiss, and you're like, oh wait, everything has changed. But that's a really real feeling. And listen, if I could detect a replacement by the lack of a kiss or like a physical tell, god, that would be devastating. That's okay.

SPEAKER_00 39:52

The idea alone makes me want to throw up, actually. That sounds absolutely horrific. I kind of hated that. I loved that scene, and now I'm like reliving it again in a different way that I kind of hate. Yeah, sorry. No, I mean in the best way, right? Because you're absolutely right, and I couldn't agree more with you, and I hate that as the case because like you're absolutely right.

SPEAKER_01 40:15

It's not my original thought, but something that I have absolutely clung to since reading this. The description was I've kissed a lot of pod people in my life. And the idea was that how many emotionally vacant people have you kissed where the connection just like isn't there?

SPEAKER_03 40:32

That's a rough one. Geez.

SPEAKER_01 40:34

Big womp womp energy. I know. I promise I'm doing fine, folks. I'm actually really happy.

SPEAKER_03 40:38

I'll cheer you up by not talking about that, I guess, because my favorite kill here is not it's not a replacement. And it's Miles taking out his want-to-be replacement. I think it's like the only weaponized kill that I remember even seeing. And with a pitchfork of all things, and like the look in his eyes when he hovers over fake Becky and is like, I just can't do it.

SPEAKER_02 41:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:03

And then he moves over to his instead, and he's just like, Yo, like F you, dude, and just goes ham on that replacement. Just he was so down.

SPEAKER_02 41:12

He was like, I'm not gonna kill Becky, but I will kill my own replacement.

SPEAKER_03 41:16

He had that thought in his head, nobody hates me more than me.

SPEAKER_01 41:19

I want to point out that he shouldn't have been a little bitch because maybe if he had killed Becky, things would have been different.

SPEAKER_03 41:25

Right. I mean, they'd probably just, I guess, grow another one, but may maybe it would have taken longer, they would have had more time. Yeah, I I don't know. But the just like the look in his eyes when he seems so sad, and he's like, I can't do that.

SPEAKER_02 41:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:38

It was like, okay, I get it. But then when he moved over to his own, I think we could relate where he was like, Oh, you're gone, dude. Like, absolutely not today. And and that was satisfying.

SPEAKER_02 41:47

It was a good moment. And even just that whole moment of just seeing the pod replacements and the effects that they did are very, very cool, especially for the 50s. I also think just the progression of Jack's replacement, the body on the pool table, and they're inspecting it. The way they describe it, because really you're not really seeing it. You see this body, the way they describe it, of as they're inspecting the body, and they're like, it's half formed, it's not quite there, there's no fingertips. The way they describe the whole thing is just really cool, and then it leads up and it's a progression of leading up to that coming alive and symbolizing that you know, now this is waking up. Jack's probably gone now.

SPEAKER_00 42:31

It is scary and it is unnerving. But I mean, that for sure was impressive and made me kind of glad that it was in black and white, because if it had been in color, it would have been really, really gross, I'm sure. But then on the other hand, I was like, man, I kind of wish that it was in color to feel just really icky and unwell. So I mean, props to production, I guess, to still kind of have a little bit of that element despite it being in black and white, but I mean, just curiosity's there, you know.

SPEAKER_01 43:01

Here's what I think you just imagined a Cronenberg invasion of the body snatchers, basically infinity pool.

SPEAKER_00 43:08

Oh, well, you had me until you didn't. I didn't I don't want Infinity Pool ever. That's the son. I don't want the son. Daddy Cronenberg for sure.

SPEAKER_01 43:18

You want the father and the holy spirit?

SPEAKER_00 43:21

The father and the holy spirit of the Cronenberg indeed. That would have been great.

SPEAKER_01 43:25

The Holy Spirit is Alexander Scars Cars.

SPEAKER_03 43:28

Well, I'm gonna give the film props just for the fact that it felt like, you know, good old classic America in the 1950s. It had to seem so upbeat and so clean and small town, and everybody's buddy buddy, and the cars are nice and new. And you know, I think in later adaptations we want it to feel gritty and we want it to feel kind of scary and eerie and weird, and or like completely off the deep end utopian, but not quite. And I think this is just. Just supposed to feel like every day. And so the the set having the cars they had, the buses they had, the clothing everybody was wearing, it feels like you're watching Leave It to Beaver. It feels like you're watching perhaps even like a 1950s play that that was filmed. Everything just seems kind of normal, although, you know, 1950s normal is definitely not normal. But it's nice that we didn't have to go kind of off the deep end. And when we finally do get the weird, you know, pod people start showing up, we get to see them transforming. I do wonder like how that impacted people in that time to see these like bubbling, frothing plant things like lumping out bodies onto the ground. Because that was like a pretty cool juxtaposition with the fact that everything else was supposed to be hunky-dory normal.

SPEAKER_02 44:44

Yeah. That's what I'm talking about.

SPEAKER_01 44:46

I just want to highlight for a second, Matt, because you talk about 1950s normal not being normal. And I want to circle back to what I talked about earlier about this movie being cozy, 50s films being cozy, it's nostalgic, it longs for a simpler time. I just mean like a time before super modern technology, as much as I benefit from it. Because listen, if you need a media representation and a reminder what the fucking 50s was like, look no further than Welcome to Dairy.

SPEAKER_02 45:14

There you go. There you go. But yeah, for sure, I think, you know, Mac, you mentioned, you know, the bubbles and what that would have been like in the 50s and that effect. And I think for me, practical effects and the effects that they use in this movie, they do stand out, especially one for its time, two for it also they don't use a lot of it and it's done sparingly and it works. And I think the everything from the pods that are biologically weird without being like super grotesque. I also think it's cool that that they used like paper mache versions of these pods to put as props in the theaters when they put this out, which would probably be really fun to go to uh to see the premiere of this movie. The way they used like thin, skin tight latex to make casts of the actors' bodies to use as the replica bodies. And it and I just think it was really clever. They made the partially formed bodies look unfinished, a little bit wrong, but it wasn't graphic, you know. The effects are shown sparingly and it's making them feel a little bit more intrusive when they do appear. And those bubbles were just fun. I mean, it it works for what it is. I maybe you put that in color, it probably doesn't work as good, but it was so great for how they used it. I loved it.

SPEAKER_00 46:24

Absolutely. And another thing that I was thinking of as you were saying, that was also just like the lighting of everything, despite it being black and white, there were some moments where it was just so soft, so like cozy. Again, we mentioned that earlier. Like, I really do agree because especially in the romantic scenes, it felt like my gosh, you were just falling in love with Becky as well as you were watching her every time she was on screen. When she was introduced, even I was like, whoa, there's like an aura about her, and you can see it in the lighting, the strong whites, that soft light was so beautiful. And then other times it's like a little too intense, too stark. So that's something that I was thinking a lot about that I wasn't expecting to love so much. And I see that a lot, especially with the scene of, of course, this plot twist reveal of Becky having turned. It's just like a close shot of her eyes, then it's a close shot to him. It's that back and forth of the realization of what's happened that also feels so opposite of this softness and this love that you feel when you see them both on screen.

SPEAKER_01 47:31

I 100% agree with you. It really does hearken back to the great line from Greece 2 by Michelle Pfeiffer. The song comes from the the line comes from the song Turn Back The Hands of Time. And she says, It all seems so unfair. Just when I found you, I lost you. And that's what their dynamic feels like in that moment when they're looking at each other and she's already gone, and he's realizing that she's gone. How absolutely horrific and what a terrible feeling to linger in. Oh, I actually want to go back because there's an aspect that we discussed at Jack's house where we're talking about the exploration of the body. And for me, it wasn't just the practical effects, it wasn't just the staging of the house. It was actually the music and the way that it swelled. As soon as the sheet gets pulled back, and there's this like hyperfixation and this fascination with the body, what they're seeing. All the way up until this point, we have little clues that things are amiss, but there's nothing that has convinced him to take it seriously. Up until this moment in particular, and that moment with the music and the way that it just completely changes the tone and the feeling of that scene incredible stuff.

SPEAKER_03 48:56

I do enjoy the paranoia of the early scenes though, because I think when Wilma's talking about Good Old Uncle Ira, that like that's it's such like a classic way of people trying to reveal something wrong in assimilation movies that are basically all based off of this movie anyway. But like that idea of like, I know that everything seems right, but it's wrong. It's not him. I'm telling you, it's not him, and I can just tell. And of course, he knows that exact same feeling with Chris's favorite kiss later on, but like it's just such a good way of like exploring that paranoia in a way that somebody can't understand it. Because you you're using the best words you have, but like how else, you know, can you explain to someone who doesn't believe you that like somebody is not themselves and you have to believe me? I don't know how to explain this to you. And of course it's like, yeah, sure, buddy. Yeah, why don't you go see my psychiatrist friend? Great, like we'll get that taken care of like right away for you. But it works really well because we all know what's going on, you know. We know the title of the movie and we know what's gonna be happening. We've seen other versions of this anyway, and and so it's like, oh my god, like if you would only, if you would only listen, if you would only actually like believe her, this would be a very different story for all of you. But no, instead, you just have to sit there and watch it happen and and watch her be like completely gas-lit by her doctor. You know, it's it's so great.

SPEAKER_02 50:20

Yeah. The whole movie builds off of this paranoia, like it just continues to build, and then there's moments where you know you encounter people that you seemingly trust, and they just tell you, like, nah man, everything's cool, don't worry about it. You're tripping, just you know, go, you know, go relax, see a doctor, what have you. Look, we're disproving it, and then all of a sudden, the next scene, those people are betraying you, and you find out that in actuality they have already been replaced, you know, and and yeah, it's just like the build-up of all of that until you get to that, you know, wide-scale reveal, and the town is congregating together, they're looking out the window, everyone's coming, there's hundreds of people, they're all like stacking these pods, handing them out to families. There was a moment, I think even before that, where you know that he's looking through the window of this family, and the family's just like you know, giving a pod out to go replace a fucking baby. You know what I mean? Like it's pretty wild, you know what I mean? Like the implications of what's happening for this time is pretty crazy. And it all just continues to build until it becomes so frantic. And you know, Miles and Becky, they're trying to escape, trying to, if we can just get to the highway, you know. You get the whole, you know, we talked about Becky's, you know, kill or replacement as she you when you find out that he kisses her, something's wrong. She fell asleep, she can whatever that whole thing, and now he's on his own. He goes to the fucking highway and he's chasing down all these cars. One, he's lucky he didn't get his ass run over. Those are some slow-moving vehicles. I guess maybe traffic was also bad in and around California at that time as well. But uh, it's that moment he hops up on the truck and finds that there's the whole back of the truck is filled with pods, and it just everywhere he turns, you know, he tried so hard to get to the highway, and for what? You know, now it's traveling to other towns. You're pretty much screwed all the way until the end. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. But you know what's also amazing is that eight fucking actors in this film eventually go on to become stars in the Twilight Zone in 1959.

SPEAKER_01 52:32

Listen, man, I thought you were about to take me on a Twilight pipeline.

SPEAKER_02 52:37

No, not that Twilight. The Twilight Zone.

SPEAKER_01 52:40

I'm sure if you look deep enough on these IMDB pages, there's a connection between Evasion of the Body Snatchers 1956 to Twilight the saga.

SPEAKER_02 52:49

There might be. If you look deep enough, you might stick around in B sides, folks. Don Siegel himself, I think, goes on to direct, I think, two Twilight Zone episodes. So like everything about this movie just screamed Twilight Zone eventually, you know? They birthed it basically.

SPEAKER_01 53:07

I do love the Twilight Zone. Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo. I also love the characters in this movie, and I'm thinking back to what you said, Sean, about Miles at the point where he's like running out into the middle of traffic, and you see this point where he's just really lost it. But what I appreciate about this is he is this movie's moral and emotional anchor. And throughout the majority of it, he's calm, he's rational, he's super rooted in logic. It makes him the perfect lens for a story about emotional erasure. He's a small town doctor, right? He's used to being trusted, he thrives in spaces where he's listened to and relied upon, and he's respected. He has authority that really carries weight and matters. But when he becomes alarmed, it's our blasting signal that something really is wrong. And he earns his hysteria. His desperation is earned. And so when we get that moment of him running out into the middle of the road with all these cars, it really feels like, damn, this man finally got pushed over the edge.

SPEAKER_02 54:13

Yeah, for sure. I also think it was really clever, you know, we talked about earlier how the you know the movie starts basically at the end, and then we basically get a retelling that leads to the film's events that ends back where we started. And I think it was also really clever to use, you know, Miles as this narrator of his own story, and you're watching the things unfold, and he's almost like narrating his thoughts at that time and what he was feeling at that time, which was also really effective for his character and the development of the things that were happening.

SPEAKER_00 54:46

I loved that too. Because as you're watching it, you'll hear him come through a little bit and giving context to the moment. Whereas sometimes with these frame story narratives, like you just don't hear that narrator again until you get to the very end. But just those small moments of introduction was really nice because I am curious as to like what's the context? What's he actually thinking in this moment? What's happening here? And you almost forget that he is telling this story otherwise. So I thought that that was a nice touch too.

SPEAKER_03 55:17

I did love though, like his relationship with Becky kind of seemed like childlike in a way, but also mature at the same time. Like there were two adults who kind of just like knew what they wanted, but were still playful and still had a nice thing, and were able to like have banter and go back and forth with each other and spar a little bit really effectively, and it wasn't domineering necessarily strongly one way compared to most of the relationship shown on screen at the time, even though it technically was. But I don't know, that's it's like such an interesting couple to see on screen.

SPEAKER_01 55:52

This movie is the prime example of why you should get your shit together and be with the people that you want to be with, because by the time you grow some balls and actually make a move and get serious about someone, they're gonna get body snatched. So watch out. If that ain't a cautionary tale, the avoidance nightmare, quite frankly. You're gonna dick around, you're gonna tinker around thinking, oh, I'm not ready for this. Are we ready for this? Could we actually guess what? You could have the whole time, as it turns out. So, Miles, Becky, I am so sorry that this didn't work out for you. But what I do love is their dynamic because her presence, for as detached and logical, as like rooted in logic as I mentioned, Miles is her presence reconnects him to intimacy, into vulnerability, and to longing. And all of that together for them stands in opposition to the antagonist of this movie, which is that emotional disconnection and numbness. So Becky ends up feeling less important for what she does, but more important for what her impact is and how she influences Miles. She carries nostalgia, she carries hope, she carries tenderness in a story that increasingly tears those things apart and breaks them down as liabilities. So, in a lot of ways, and again, maybe I'm just projecting a little bit because I'm a little bit in love with Becky. She's the heart of the movie. And when that heart is threatened, like the stakes in this movie become way less abstract and more like, please, God, just protect Becky.

SPEAKER_03 57:30

If you take her out, it's really just kind of a similar story to what we've seen before. The logical doctor that's well versed in one thing or another, but not necessarily the specialist in this other thing, partners with these other people, and they're all just kind of two-dimensional. But instead, he's like, Yeah, he's that guy, but at the same time, he still has like a basically a best friend, this person that he's known his entire life. That's also his romantic interest, and he cares about her, and she cares about him, and he'll run in the middle of the night to check on her in her father's house because he's worried that she got body snatched, you know, like he's out, he doesn't even think about it. But you know, I just think like it's nice that I think grounding is definitely the right word for sure because it brings him back to humanity. But it's also just nice, like the way that they are able to go back and forth. It's not that it dumbs him down, but it takes him out of like hyper-logical mode, and she's like, Hey, remember human time? And he's like, Yes, that is right, human time. I should be worried about other humans as well, and not just look at this thing without features and analyze it and want to dissect it. He's like, Yes, okay. Well, Jack, how are you doing over there, buddy? I'm so worried about you. What is the deal with Jack, by the way? You know, he just seems like he just seems honestly, he seems like he's just chilling, you know? Like if this were later, he'd have like a Mick Ultra in his hand at all times.

SPEAKER_01 58:48

Yeah, I mean, I think Jack represents a little bit of fuck around and find out. You know, he feels like curiosity personified, but also not interesting enough to center as a main character. He's got real backup character, background character, sidekick energy.

SPEAKER_03 59:05

He is a sidekick.

SPEAKER_01 59:07

Yeah, he is the sidekick.

SPEAKER_03 59:08

Perfect description. He's got a billiards table in his living room.

SPEAKER_02 59:11

He has a dope bar. What do you mean? He's got a billiards table and a nice bar. He's living the dream.

SPEAKER_03 59:16

He bowls, okay? He goes bowling like twice a week. He's got a bowling team, I bet.

SPEAKER_01 59:21

Someone else that really stood out to me was Dr. Kaufman. This motherfucker.

SPEAKER_03 59:26

Yeah. This is I think this is an interesting role in like a lot of films like this, but also in real life, because it's the collaborator where they don't even have to have been replaced to still be helping the replacement happen. Just because they're like so against the idea of I mean, you know, he could have already been replaced by this point, but they could be so against the idea that anything like that is even remotely possible. Like you're just completely overreacting. Let me tell you, I can psychoanalyze you, and you're just totally wrong here. And here's why. And so, like, he could have actually just been a human the whole time, and it still would have worked. He would have been a collaborator.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:06

It's why he's so dangerous. He is dangerous because his arguments on the surface make sense. You have a conversation with Dr. Kauff, and you're like, I mean, not no, not no, right?

SPEAKER_03 1:00:19

You're not wrong.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:20

No, but it sucks. I mean, obviously, he frames emotional detachment as this upgrade, right? No pain, no conflict, no suffering. Let's just feel nothing. It's like the biggest advertisement for an SSRI. His logic honestly mirrors real-world rhetoric that's used to justify emotional suppression. And it's all done in the name of like efficiency and like safety and peace, but he is scary as hell because he is the kind of person who intellectualizes the justification for dehumanizing someone.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:58

And that is fucking gross.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:01

Gosh, he's the human Zoloft. Is that what we're saying right now?

SPEAKER_01 1:01:04

But no, Zoloft is a little bit better than this fucking guy.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:07

Okay. Okay. It's one of the more hardcore options out there. I think you're right though, because they get to like that whole segment at the end where he's trying to romanticize the fact that it's so beige, you know, like, hey, there's nothing wrong. We're all fine. No emotion. You don't need it. And like we're supposed to believe potentially at this point that this is what we're all afraid of happening to us if we become communists. And it's like, bro, what are you talking about? This was like all of human society for the last like couple hundred years was stiff upper lip and just like get over it and don't tell anybody about it. This is where we've been, you know, like the idea that we should like express your emotions whenever you want to, whenever you need to. I feel like that's a very 20th century thing to realize.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:52

Facts. Facts.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:54

So would we say that the worst part of this movie is the fact that we are even relating so much to this to an extent in the 20th century and present day, or uh that we lose lots of people like this? Or keep that shit far away from here, guys. Got it, got it.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:12

No, the worst part of this movie is the idea that the FBI is going to help.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:16

I agree. Is the best thing you've said in a while. I can't.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:20

This level of thinking, and I'll take it down a notch in terms of poignancy, but like this level of thinking is kind of like the walking dead, like, let's get to the CDC. It's like, bro, it's over. What are you doing? Like, game over already. Why are you first of all, wrong place to go?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:35

Everything is shit around you, and the CDC is gonna be the saving race. Right.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:40

The place that should have caught it first, and that's where you're gonna go. I think they failed already, okay? And so, like, you know, in this case, here, like, we should get to the FBI. I'm sorry, they're taking over an entire town, and they've probably already taken over others. You think they're gonna be able to do anything, bro? You know, Fox Mulder is not there, it's game over. They should have been the first ones to catch it and they did it. And so that very concept of of going to them, where it's like, I'm not saying anything negative about the FBI, I'm just saying, like, in the within this universe, within this film, okay? So if anyone's if anyone's listening, no, you you guys are all great. But like, bro, they would have caught it first.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:11

All of our personal FBI agents are so pissed right now.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:15

They do great work when they're allowed to. I'm just saying it's within this universe, within this storyline, they should have been the front line. And and if it's happening to you in in middle of nowhere, California, maybe just go find an island, go to New Zealand. Okay, that's your best bet.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:29

Even if the FBI was to be the saving grace in the eyes of this film, right? Whatever. I also think on a lesser extent, just thinking of the storyline, the FBI is probably. I mean, it's hard to think of a worse part of this movie, but the choice to make that the ending note of we're gonna phone the FBI because it's just gonna be our last saving grace of hope. I think just leave that part out entirely, and then we just have this perfectly ominous, hopeless vibe that hits so much harder, anyways.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:00

Oh my god, that edit would be perfect. Hopelessness is not the American spirit, Sean. At least not circa 1956.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:08

Well, I get that. There's still hope because other people would have seen the proof, so now they believe them, so now they can try to take action and then cut it there, and you don't know, you don't know. You know what I mean? Like, okay, maybe they do and they win, maybe they lose.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:19

Would that have been the earliest example of sequel baiting?

SPEAKER_03 1:04:22

Kind of, but like it at least, like, okay, it's kind of hopeful, but also like, oh, this is gonna blow up. But now we're just kind of like, oh, that's right. Call your friendly neighborhood FBI agent and they'll take care of that darn communist.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:32

Heck yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:33

Yeah. You know what? Hey, maybe when I re-watch this movie again in another 10 years, I will feel similarly. Who knows? I'll have to reassess my thoughts on the ending when he gets there. But let me tell you, I think watching this movie, especially now, has highlighted new moments of emotional withdrawal, subtle behavioral shifts, lines that feel uncomfortably prophetic. Kind of wish they would knock that shit off and just stay relevant in 1956. It is soothing and unsettling in equal measure. I will be watching it again and really hoping that our world's a little bit better in 2036.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:12

Probably not.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:14

But oh god, I hope we can still watch movies in 2036.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:17

Yeah, we'll see. We'll see. It was great to watch this one again, though, because it has probably been a number of years since I last saw it. And I think even, you know, Chris, you said when I talked to you about this film, you're like, oh, I'm gonna watch maybe the 78 remake right after this. And that's exactly what I ended up doing. It sparked that ignition. I was like, I'm gonna watch this. This is great. It's been a long time. Let me just go immediately into the 1978 remake, and it was a fun time. And I just think, man, this one is definitely worth re watching. If you have never seen it, you definitely have to see it. If you haven't seen it in a long time, it's great to come back to it for sure.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:57

Yeah, absolutely. I see myself replaying. Visiting this sometime in the future, but before I do that, I definitely want to check out all these other remakes because news to me. Definitely never piece together that Nicole Kidman was one in one of the variants of this because where have I been living? So I've got some work to do, I think, before I revisit this, but this is one that I will definitely recommend to a couple of my friends that you know want some new horror films to watch that they'll just never really get to unless someone pushes them, much like myself. So this is gonna be top of the list.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:35

I'm gonna mention Star Trek because I love Star Trek and they have a habit of in Star Trek of watching on ships in the future black and white movies. I'm sure it has something to do with like licensing, copyright, you know, whatever it was, because they were probably super cheap or easy to get a hold of the footage. However, there's just something about it that like does feel timeless. It feels like this movie is going to outlive the remakes. It's going to outlive movies made 10 years from now that could be so much better in terms of effects and acting and whatever. I think 200 years from now, when we're flying on ships and stuff in in in space, they probably would rather watch something like this. Like, why not go back to the source material? I don't know. We'll see what happens. But in 10 years, when the water wars are going on and one of us has a projector and we can watch a movie in a cave, I'm down. Let's rewatch it.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:25

Mac, I have been waiting this entire fucking episode for you to finally bring up Star Trek. I was about to start B-sides with it if you hadn't fucking spiked it in.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:34

Well, don't worry. We're gonna get there if you catch us on the B-sides.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:38

Well, we need to start migrating our way over there. So for now, there you have it, folks. Invasion of the Body Snatchers from 1956, celebrating its 70th anniversary, has earned a universal slash. I've certainly had a robust discussion here, but the conversation doesn't end here by any means.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:55

Not at all, because if you want to know how to get an inside look at our pod, no, not those pods, but our podcast. Consider supporting the show by visiting patreon.com slash hackerslash. This is honestly where you can enjoy even more of the show, including bonus content with early access, extended episodes, movie nominations, and live shows.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:19

We'll see you next time, folks. And remember, only when we have to fight to stay human do we realize how precious it is.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:27

Sooner or later, you'll have to go to sleep.