I've come late to Jack Finney's work via 'Time and Again' (that's great if you've not read it, fab time-travel story), and I love the 1978 film of 'Body Snatchers'. One of the truly great film endings. Still gets me when I see it today, even when I know it's coming. It didn't help that my economics teacher at school was Donald Sutherland's double!
I've always liked how the aliens are shown in the 1978 film leaving their dying world and migrating to Earth. And one can argue that this movie also has a sense of isolation despite being set in a city due to the concern at the time that the individual had become lost in an anonymous urban environment. Top review Michael, thanks.
I think it is because I have seen the original movie at least dozen times and only read the book once but all I remember is the book was just like the movie until that head scratcher of ending.
My copy is a movie tie-in paperback from when the '70s remake came out. I bought it at a used bookstore years ago for probably $2. It is a rather enjoyable book. It isn't really long, but it isn't underdeveloped or rushed, from what I remember, aside from the ending. It has been years since I read it. I personally like the '70s version the most, but the '50s version is classic as well. Never saw the one from 20 years ago or whenever it came out. I did see the '90s version, which I remember liking, but it doesn't really stand up next to the '70s or '50s versions. One of my favorite moments in the '70s version is when Donald Sutherland's character is joking around with Brooke Adams and asks her if she can still do the thing with her eyes, basically to prove she is human (it really seems more of flirting between the two) and she makes her eyes do this jittery thing. Don't know why, but that part is something I always remember. That and Donald Sutherland arguing with a guy at a restaurant during a health/sanitation check over something he finds during his inspection. The guy from the restaurant claims it is a caper, but Donald says, "It's a rat turd."
I read this a couple of years ago, and really enjoyed it. The theme of divorce is used to great effect, because it makes our protagonists people who have known emotional pain. The unfeeling serenity offered by the pod people could be attractive to such as they. But no, they understand that to be truly alive is to feel, with all of the potential for pain as well as pleasure ... The first two movies are great, but there's one thing that bugs me about the 50s movie adaptation: near the end when our two heroes are on the run, Miles leaves Becky to rest for a few minutes. When he returns to her, she has fallen asleep. Then she opens her eyes as one of the pod people. Huh? Humans don't get possessed like that; you have to fall asleep near a pod, and it absorbs you while you fall apart. The movie seems to forget that at the end, which sort of spoils it a bit for me. Still great, though.
I only remember them making three times. The classic 50s one, the one with Donald Sutherland and the one in the 2000s with Nicole Kidman and the last guy to play James Bond.
There is an additional licensed remake from the mid-90s directed by Abel Ferrara. It has a somewhat different tone and does not use the characters, only the underlying scenario
@@Spacejack-xx2yp I honestly have no memory of it and I lived through the nineties. I remember the first two because both had iconic endings and the 2000s one because it had Nicole Kidman and a pretty good scene in a grocery store.
I love the '78 film. The 50's film is really great. The 90s version is worth a watch. I enjoyed the book a lot, but I thought the ending was really abrupt and disappointingly weak. Great book overall, though.
in the 50's you still had Standards and Practices, where you could not have a completely dark ending. The 70's end bothered the heck out of me and I don't scare easily. The 50's one is good. Now I am curious about the book. Your post worked.
I have not read the book but I have seen the 56 movie version. I will say that the invasion of the small town and the creepy factor was great in that film. Really great suspense. But I do remember some of the rules around how the pod people being formed seemed to break down at times. I thought earlier in the movie it said when you slept they copied you and created a clone version of you. But at the end the female lead fell asleep for a second and instantly became a pod person. But other than that a great film with a good open ended ending. Ill have to give the book a try along with Who Goes There. The other great body snatcher story.
Goodreads is frustrating at times. For example....War of the Worlds, they combine the reviews for several different editions and show them for each edition! This can be confusing when someone has an issue with a specific edition.....ie: this issue is abridged!
The problem I want the book to solve is: Early in the movie the pod grows a duplicate you, with all of your memories, which later hunts you down when it matures. Later in the movie, you go to sleep and wake up a different person. Is it ever explained how that change happens?
The science aspect is the same complaint I have about watching the original Twilight Zone. As great as so many of those stories were, and as well acted as they were, the absurd science sometimes takes me out of the story. One of my favorite episodes, "The Midnight Sun," is an example of this. In the story, the earth starts moving toward the sun, and it's now daylight all the time. Well, unless the earth also stops rotating, that isn't going to happen. I try to put this out of my mind, but it's hard to just forget that. LOL
You might want to check out Heinlein's "The Puppet Masters", which is purported to be the original body-snatchers story, predating this one. But uh-oh, it's Heinlein. ;-) ... I have not read it, but there's a movie adaptation that's very good (starring Donald Sutherland, if you can believe that).
@@darrylsloan I remember The Puppet Masters being quite different. It’s been a while but wasn’t it a more traditional alien invasion, spaceship and everything, where slug creatures attached themselves to people and took them over?
One of my problems with the '50s movie: They establish that you don't BECOME a pod person, you are REPLACED by a pod person, a separate being that comes from a pod. But when the main girl falls asleep toward the end, she WAKES UP as a pod person. It doesn't follow its own established rules for how the pod people are created. I do agree that changing the ending was an improvement, but I hated that they kept the part where everyone becomes convinced that they had a mass hallucination. I thought that was ridiculous and unnecessary in both the book and the movie. That and the ending actually made me hate the book back when I read it, but it's been so long that I should give it another chance. My other problem with the '50s movie was relatively minor, but: Kevin McCarthy is just impossible to take seriously as a "suave" hero type. I shouldn't be trying to contain my laughter when the movie is trying to build up a mystery.
Finney's novel was also the basis of the movies The Faculty (1998) and Assimilate (2019), which are both very much worth a look.
I've come late to Jack Finney's work via 'Time and Again' (that's great if you've not read it, fab time-travel story), and I love the 1978 film of 'Body Snatchers'. One of the truly great film endings. Still gets me when I see it today, even when I know it's coming. It didn't help that my economics teacher at school was Donald Sutherland's double!
Who knew Donald Sutherland pointing at you could be nightmare fuel?
The greatest movie ending of all time.
Your videos are so worth watching, Michael. So glad to see you are back with a renewed vigor and sense of purpose!
Reading this very soon. It’s “The Summer of Science Fiction” at my house. And my wife is sick and tired of me reminding her.
I love the 1956 film version. The original book looks interesting, and I should give it a read one of these days.
I was pleasantly surprised how well it holds up, given the time it was written in. The suspense was absolutely the best part of it for me.
Perfect timing -- the 1956 movie just arrived on 4K this week!
I've seen the first two films and enjoyed them both. I'll have to keep a look out for the book and give it a read.
I've always liked how the aliens are shown in the 1978 film leaving their dying world and migrating to Earth. And one can argue that this movie also has a sense of isolation despite being set in a city due to the concern at the time that the individual had become lost in an anonymous urban environment.
Top review Michael, thanks.
Now there's another book I'll have to track down, and of cause watch the 1956 film. The 1978 film with Donald Sutherland was excellent btw.
I think it is because I have seen the original movie at least dozen times and only read the book once but all I remember is the book was just like the movie until that head scratcher of ending.
When I was a kid in the 70s and mom and I would see a truck full of watermelons we would yell and laugh “ body snatcher pods!” 🍈
I've only seen the 1978 film of this. I should probably read this one!
@@GrammaticusBooks definitely! And catch the 50s movie if you can.
My copy is a movie tie-in paperback from when the '70s remake came out. I bought it at a used bookstore years ago for probably $2. It is a rather enjoyable book. It isn't really long, but it isn't underdeveloped or rushed, from what I remember, aside from the ending. It has been years since I read it.
I personally like the '70s version the most, but the '50s version is classic as well. Never saw the one from 20 years ago or whenever it came out. I did see the '90s version, which I remember liking, but it doesn't really stand up next to the '70s or '50s versions.
One of my favorite moments in the '70s version is when Donald Sutherland's character is joking around with Brooke Adams and asks her if she can still do the thing with her eyes, basically to prove she is human (it really seems more of flirting between the two) and she makes her eyes do this jittery thing. Don't know why, but that part is something I always remember. That and Donald Sutherland arguing with a guy at a restaurant during a health/sanitation check over something he finds during his inspection. The guy from the restaurant claims it is a caper, but Donald says, "It's a rat turd."
Not gonna lie, I'm developing a serious crush on Roger. Great review Michael.
I read this a couple of years ago, and really enjoyed it. The theme of divorce is used to great effect, because it makes our protagonists people who have known emotional pain. The unfeeling serenity offered by the pod people could be attractive to such as they. But no, they understand that to be truly alive is to feel, with all of the potential for pain as well as pleasure ... The first two movies are great, but there's one thing that bugs me about the 50s movie adaptation: near the end when our two heroes are on the run, Miles leaves Becky to rest for a few minutes. When he returns to her, she has fallen asleep. Then she opens her eyes as one of the pod people. Huh? Humans don't get possessed like that; you have to fall asleep near a pod, and it absorbs you while you fall apart. The movie seems to forget that at the end, which sort of spoils it a bit for me. Still great, though.
I only remember them making three times. The classic 50s one, the one with Donald Sutherland and the one in the 2000s with Nicole Kidman and the last guy to play James Bond.
There is an additional licensed remake from the mid-90s directed by Abel Ferrara. It has a somewhat different tone and does not use the characters, only the underlying scenario
@@Spacejack-xx2yp I honestly have no memory of it and I lived through the nineties. I remember the first two because both had iconic endings and the 2000s one because it had Nicole Kidman and a pretty good scene in a grocery store.
@@stephennootens916 The 90's remake took place entirely on an army base instead of a small town. It was actually a good movie.
Great book. The revisions were puzzling to me . And humorous. Characters smoked in the original but that edited out later on.
I love the '78 film. The 50's film is really great. The 90s version is worth a watch. I enjoyed the book a lot, but I thought the ending was really abrupt and disappointingly weak. Great book overall, though.
I like the ending of the book, it’s very War of the Worlds
What a title!
I just picked up my own copy, looking forward to reading this insidious alien invasion story soon.
Great review.
The earliest I've ever been to one of these.
Body Snatchers 1993 is definitely worth giving another watch
in the 50's you still had Standards and Practices, where you could not have a completely dark ending. The 70's end bothered the heck out of me and I don't scare easily. The 50's one is good. Now I am curious about the book. Your post worked.
I have not read the book but I have seen the 56 movie version. I will say that the invasion of the small town and the creepy factor was great in that film. Really great suspense. But I do remember some of the rules around how the pod people being formed seemed to break down at times. I thought earlier in the movie it said when you slept they copied you and created a clone version of you. But at the end the female lead fell asleep for a second and instantly became a pod person. But other than that a great film with a good open ended ending. Ill have to give the book a try along with Who Goes There. The other great body snatcher story.
Goodreads is frustrating at times. For example....War of the Worlds, they combine the reviews for several different editions and show them for each edition! This can be confusing when someone has an issue with a specific edition.....ie: this issue is abridged!
Pod people are no match for Roger, so you're mostly safe for now. I also enjoy the '56 version best of all the films.
You know you are a pod person if you never ask, " Am I a pod person? "
Got me shook
The problem I want the book to solve is:
Early in the movie the pod grows a duplicate you, with all of your memories, which later hunts you down when it matures.
Later in the movie, you go to sleep and wake up a different person.
Is it ever explained how that change happens?
In the book your human body basically crumbles into dust as your pod clone is created.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 ❤️❤️ Thank You!!❤️❤️
The science aspect is the same complaint I have about watching the original Twilight Zone. As great as so many of those stories were, and as well acted as they were, the absurd science sometimes takes me out of the story.
One of my favorite episodes, "The Midnight Sun," is an example of this. In the story, the earth starts moving toward the sun, and it's now daylight all the time. Well, unless the earth also stops rotating, that isn't going to happen. I try to put this out of my mind, but it's hard to just forget that. LOL
I haven't read it or seen any of the movies, I probably should sample one of them.
there was a boris karloff movie; the body snatcher
@@hotrod320 different story.
You might want to check out Heinlein's "The Puppet Masters", which is purported to be the original body-snatchers story, predating this one. But uh-oh, it's Heinlein. ;-) ... I have not read it, but there's a movie adaptation that's very good (starring Donald Sutherland, if you can believe that).
Oh man, the book is so much better than the movie. Goes much larger scale.
@@darrylsloan I remember The Puppet Masters being quite different. It’s been a while but wasn’t it a more traditional alien invasion, spaceship and everything, where slug creatures attached themselves to people and took them over?
@@michaelk.vaughan8617Yes, that's the one.
Looks like Roger could use a meal
😊
It strikes me that this book is somewhat Wyndhamesque.
@@davebrzeski it is.
It's the only book I know where the book had a Hollywood ending, and the film didn't.
Finney did some seriously great books! Good review!
What's the next book in Roger's book club?
@@vilstef6988 the Purple Land by w. H. Hudson.
Thanks!
One of my problems with the '50s movie: They establish that you don't BECOME a pod person, you are REPLACED by a pod person, a separate being that comes from a pod. But when the main girl falls asleep toward the end, she WAKES UP as a pod person. It doesn't follow its own established rules for how the pod people are created.
I do agree that changing the ending was an improvement, but I hated that they kept the part where everyone becomes convinced that they had a mass hallucination. I thought that was ridiculous and unnecessary in both the book and the movie. That and the ending actually made me hate the book back when I read it, but it's been so long that I should give it another chance.
My other problem with the '50s movie was relatively minor, but: Kevin McCarthy is just impossible to take seriously as a "suave" hero type. I shouldn't be trying to contain my laughter when the movie is trying to build up a mystery.
@@robertrodriguez7087 Kevin McCarthy was the king of suave.
Sounds like Finney may have been Heinsplaining a little…
@@disshelvedwithadamwhite8731 a little!