Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) Retrospective / Review 

That final shot is absolutely chilling. My sister can’t stand Donald Sutherland in any movie under any circumstances to this day as a result.

One of the best endings in the history of the genre. Well-made film, as well.

This movie really gives me an unsettling feeling throughout it, unlike most horror movies today.

This version is still one of the scariest movies ever made

The moment when Matthew held Elizabeth only to hear her body crunch broke my heart.

The man face dog gave me major trouser trauma as a youngster. Well scary.

Oliver Harper's Retrospective Reviews are a rare treat. And I'm a big fan of the Body Snatcher movies.

Sutherland: Goldblum is acting strangely! Everyone: And?

One of the best remakes, ever. It's in a small club of remakes that are better than the original.

"How do you know my name? I didn't tell you my name!"- back then that terrified me, today of course they know your name and everything else about you

“The director of Invasion was replaced.” Seems appropriate.

Definitely one of the best remakes. I just love how quiet and dark it is.

I would totally put this with The Fly and The Thing as remakes (or re-adaptations) that edge out the original

This movie is still absolutely terrifying to this very day. An absolute masterpiece

This is one of the very few remakes that I actually like.

Poor Veronica Cartwright, they didn't tell her what would happen at the Alien breakfast scene either. This movie is amazing, yet for some reason hardly gets mentioned amongst the great horror classics.

The dog with human face is one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen.

Watched the movie yesterday. Still a masterpiece in my opinion. Nothing like movies from the 70s/80s.

THIS film is a MASTERPIECE. 🤘😜🤘

I only watched this movie recently after spending 30 years of my life being an idiot and it became an instant classic. One of my favorite thrilling horror movies ever. Thank you for covering it.

Definitely still holds up today. Especially it's overwhelming feeling of dread. Scared the crap out of me as a kid.

Veronica Cartwright was not given directions in Body Snatchers for the great reveal, and then again in Alien for the chest burster scene. Lol, anything else?

Still my favorite horror movie. The fact that it scares the crap out of you without any jump scares is amazing and I just love the paranoia. Absolute masterpiece.

I find it so heartbreaking that he fought so hard... only to become one of those pods in the end.

Donald Sutherland is amazing and versatile actor from Sci-fi movies to period romance movies.

I’ve not seen a film handle paranoia as well as this film and The Thing.

That image at 14:45 had actually been featured in an EARLIER (1971) movie titled The Mephisto Waltz. The beautiful Brook Addams had stared in another horror film from the same year titled Shock Waves.

The twist ending was on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments.

Nimoy is so great in this. Amazing cast.

The end of this film is literally the scariest ending I have ever seen. Love it!

This is the best version of the movie. I go back to it every year or so and enjoy it every time.

The 1955 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is pretty good. The late Sam Peckinpah had a bit part in it. Don Siegel also directed Coogan's Bluff and Dirty Harry.

It's the slow inevitability that makes this so scary.

There was an older, “Scream Factory,” collector’s edition release of the movie, back in 2016, but it’s now out of print.

One of my personal favorite films. It's so tense and anxiety inducing from literally the first scene

I always saw it as a sorta sequel because of Kevin McCarthy trying to warn people.

This is the definitive version of this story.

That dog / human face scene is to this day unbelievably uncomfortable - looks absolutely crazy. Great video as always. Thank you

That point and shriek lives in my head rent free.

My Mum kept reccomending me this movie as a teen, we finally watched it together one night. It was truely unsettling, the dog face thing messed me up. My Mum was so pleased.

The Great Oliver harper has gave us another Goated Retrospective

The moment The Faculty is mentioned I thought "yeah, a retrospective on that would be interesting".

Seeing a new Oliver Harper Retrospective is like getting an early Christmas gift.

My favorite RU-vid channel. I especially love when you do horror retrospectives.

Such a great movie. It doesn't get the attention and coverage it deserves. Had it come out in the 80s I think it would get far more attention now.

This is one of those movies where the remake was better than the original, and I like that original film

this movie's more apropos now than ever.

It's one of those beautifully shot 70s films that are sadly missed today. Deliberate pacing, quiet moments, building of tension, background clues, and almost art-house framing and camera angles. Really enjoy this film.

A well-made remake. The dog with the human face, and the ending still freak me out.

I need this in 4k, the cinematography is beautiful.

I am so glad you are still making these videos, they are an absolute delight. Keep up the good work.

Nice to see one of my all time favorite movies get the Oliver Harper treatment. The original is a classic but I always find myself coming back to this version.

One of the best remakes of a movie ever made, it had the most haunting use of Amazing Grace in a movie

Love this version and the ending freaked me out as a kid and still gives me goosebumps. Also never knew the cast didnt know the ending that makes it even better.

I recorded this on VHS as it was on late at night in the 90s. Unbelievably, the tape ran out a few seconds too early and I was left not knowing if Sutherland's character had changed or not for years.

I was lucky to see the original one first, because it just made me more anxious to watch this one after I had picked it up from a box of DVDs that were being donated from a friend of my mom. I loved the original, but this one was terrifying. Those synthesized pulses when Matt is walking around helplessly, while his phone calls are scoffed at, really leaves you feeling disturbed. Great video Oliver! I have been looking forward to it for some time.

Plants is people !

So happy to get a new retrospective/review! And for such a good scifi thriller. It occurs to me while watching this video: Donald Sutherland appears in two of the most memorable and spooky movie endings of the 1970's: Don't Look Now and this film. My first experience with Invasion of the Body Snatchers was on television in the 1980's during my teens. And I was riveted. The growing sense of impending doom was palpable. And in the final scene, during that big reveal, my metaphorical heart sank rapidly to the floor like a broken elevator in a high rise. But I loved it, after the initial shock wore off ... some stories should end on a troubling note. Thanks for reminding me about this gem. It really is a winner, from the whole look and vibe to the stellar cast to the effects.

These retrospective reviews are first class, a real treat for us viewers 😍

What a strange coincidence - I just read up on this and watched the trailer + a bunch of clips on RU-vid a couple days back

What happens when scientology gets hold of someone you love or know really well. They literally turn into a different person altogether. So we have a running joke around here that it's as creepy as the movie "invasion of the body snatchers". I find it interesting that keeping it non political was a major concern for them. That says a lot actually.

Just watched it. Such an unsettling movie.

78 and 93 really got their hooks in me when i was younger. Its pretty hard to track down usually but last time i checked 93 is on YT

I love how re watching this you pick up so many small things you wouldn't notice when you watch it the first time

This is one of only 3 films that have really creeped me out. It’s properly underrated

I would also include The Puppet Masters (1994) as an attempted remake of sorts. Yes, I know its an adaption Robert Heinlein's 1951 novel, but with Donald Sutherland starring, it has more of a feel of "Snatchers" rather than the "Puppet Masters" novel, which ended up being a very loose adaption at best.

I find it's pretty amazing how this movie interlinks with the black and white movie

One of my favorite sci fi movies, one of my favorite remakes. I always liked SF as a background city in many movies, it works perfectly in this film, It was its own character. What a great city, it once was.

One of my favourite movies! Was so excited to see that you had done a retrospective!! Superb as per usual!

Was that Alex Cox? Theres a bit of nostalgia. I remember him presenting so many weird films late at night on, I think, Channel 4.

I love this film. Thanks for the retrospective!

Amazing film

"They're here already! You're next!"

Great review 😎 the mood, the way it’s shot, the chemistry between the actors. Perfection

The book party stares and the teacher from the opening scene, illustrates its already too late to fight against the invasion. Scary and brilliant.

One of my Top Ten favorites. I caught bits of the original sneaking up late when I was seven. I didn't sleep for days. Saw this version in the theater when I was 13. My friends didn't like it, but I stayed for a second showing. (And I can shake my eyes like Elizabeth!)

I watched this recently for the first time and loved it. It's a very unconventional horror film. I love how serious in tone it is. The ending is absolutely perfect.

Fantastic movie. By far the best version.

Saw this on Videodrome too, with Alex Cox's brilliant intro. That's when the BBC was worth the license fee.

I saw this when I was around 10. That ending gave me nightmares for at least a week. Definitely a classic.

Watched it last night. First time in years still terrifying.great review

My review of this movie ,Its a masterclass and just historic movie I love the acting amazing cast. 10/10!!!!!!

Please review The Faculty 😄

Thank you for this retrospective, loved every minute of it.

Oliver, please do the Living Dead Trilogy!

I saw the 3rd version of the movie first, at the perfect age to identify with the characters. But, the second version utterly levels me, it's fantastic. I could watch it every week. Love the cast. ......and I'm utterly ashamed to have reached my mid 40s without ever seeing the original. I should turn in my movie buff badge.

One of my favourite movies. Sadly, years later when I go outside and see all the empty-eyed clones shuffling about with their "smart" phones and masks, I can see that this film had a message and a warning.

A remake done right by upping the creepiness of the original & capitalizing on the changes between the ‘50s and ‘70s. The Cold War themes are there, but you can feel a domestic fear in there too especially that downer ending when we see Matthew has become assimilated

ahh Moviedrome good times. 🎦

Ending films without music is so effective. I always think of Planet of the Apes, where all you hear is the ocean, while credits roll…

Out of all 4 adaptations of this story, I really feel 1978 is the best take on the story.

This video was released a day before Kino announced the 4K edition of the film for the US market.

This movie is so scary that I watch it only once every five years. It just creeps me out and is so depressing. The themes and special effects beat the hell out of anything from today. Also, I have to say that I have always felt like first three were something of a trilogy set in the same relative universe covering the invasion from separate view points. You have small town, big town, and the military, these define a great deal of life in America.

The end music reminds me of streets of rage on the megadrive, i like that!

My 2nd favorite horror movie, the best horror remake, and the most atmospheric horror movie. Astonishing film.

Watched it for the first time 20 years ago, superb film with an excellent cast

One of the best remakes of all time with one of the all time greatest ending scene

The Faculty is tremendous fun 👍

I still remember watching this at the theater when it was released. I had seen and loved the original version on TV, but this was fresh (for its time), well-written, directed, scored, and acted. The dog/banjo player freaked me out, I recall, as did the ending, and the love story was heartbreaking. It seems, to me at least, more of a 'reimagining' than a remake, and it holds up quite well - even after all these years.

I still watch this movie every year.