Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Watch out! They get you while you're sleeping!
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
“Not one of us!”
The Rio Theatre’s Friday Late Night Movie series continues on July 19 with a tip of our hat to the late, great Canadian action legend Donald Sutherland and his compelling, textured, and fittingly nuanced performance in Philip Kaufman’s sci-fi classic, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS.
Remakes of great films are often disappointing, doomed to drown in the cinematic legacy of the title they’re trying to revamp for another generation. Philip Kaufman‘s brilliant 1978 update of the 1956 classic is a rare and memorable exception, and remains widely regarded as one of the standout films of the sci-fi horror genre from that decade (which is saying a lot – the 70’s had some heavy horror hitters!). Transposing the action to the heart of San Francisco allows Kaufman to retain all the suspense and atomic-era, cold war angst of Jack Finney’s original 1955 novel “The Body Snatchers,” while adding caustic social commentary about the selfishness of the 1970s “me generation” that remains all too relevant today. The film also features standout performances from notable contemporaries including Brooke Adams (DAYS OF HEAVEN, THE DEAD ZONE), Veronica Cartwright (ALIEN), Leonard Nimoy, and Jeff Goldblum.
In one of his most memorable roles of his career, Sutherland takes the lead as Matthew Bennell, a man who assumes that a friend’s complains of her husband’s strange mood is describing a a “marital issue.” However, he begins to worry as more people report similar observations. His concern is confirmed when writer Jack Bellicec and his wife discover a mutated corpse. Besieged by an invisible enemy, Bennell must work quickly before the city is consumed.
“A decade after the Summer of Love, ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ essentially weaponized flower power, hinting that the erosion of individual consciousness in favor of groupthink was as natural and ingrained as photosynthesis itself.” (The Ringer)
“‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ validates the entire concept of remakes.” (Variety)
Friday, July 19
Doors 10:30 pm | Movie 11:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Advance tickets HERE
LATE NIGHT DATE NIGHT!
Bring your favorite doppelganger or look-a-like and get 2 for 1 entry HERE!
INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (Phillip Kaufman, 1978 / 115 mins / PG) In this elaborate remake of the 1956 horror classic, health inspector Donald Sutherland is dispatched to investigate the curious behavior of several San Francisco restaurateurs. He begins to notice that even those closest to him are behaving in a detached fashion. The source of this ennui is an alien attack.
