Body Snatchers (1993) Reviews

• "Only the race counts - not the individual".

  gridoon2002-09-03

  Okay, the 1956 original paved the way and has to get the credit for that, but from an objective point-of-view, both the 1978 and this 1993 remake are better, scarier, more developed. In comparison to the second version, this one has a nowhere nearly as brilliant, rather disappointing ending, but the pacing is must faster. Abel Ferrara keeps the movie running for only a tight 85 minutes, and pushes all the right buttons along the way; the horror ranges from the gory (the melting heads) to the supremely subtle (the scene in the classroom, where all the kids draw the exact same picture, except for one, who naturally realizes that something is wrong - the teacher seems to want to punish him for being different). This is a spine-chilling, absolutely terrific little picture - but even if it wasn't, it would still be worth seeing just for Meg Tilly's exceptional performance - her "where are you gonna go?" monologue is as scary as anything in say, "Psycho" or "Rosemary's Baby". (***1/2)

• Good – but not in the same way as the original

  bob the moo2002-08-03

  The Malone family move to a military base to help contain a toxic spill. Many of the soldiers and families are behaving strangely but is it the toxins or something more sinister? I'm not a fan of remakes, many try to just copy the success of other films while some lift the original scene for scene to poor effect. However this at least tries to do something slightly different with it by setting it in a military base and bringing the drama into the family setting. In fact this setting creates some of the best scenes – my favourite being where Carol tells her daughter Marti that `there's no one like you left'. The greater effects are good but really I preferred the paranoid tension of the 50's original rather than the horror of effects. However I still think this is a very workable horror from a good director. Of course it suffers with comparison with the original – that's because the original is a sci-fi classic. But as it's own film it is pretty good. Indeed the ending is what director Siegel intended – but he was forced into having a more hopeful epilogue ending. Naturally it has it's weaknesses – the effects overpower the story at times but really I found this to be enjoyable as a horror. The cast are one of the weak links. I love Kinney because I'm a big Oz (HBO) fan, but here he doesn't really make a mark. Tilly has all the good lines and she is actually quite good. Anwar is also very watchable. But Ermey is type cast in his usual military role and Whitaker is far too calm and reasoned to do the job – he needed to be more like McCarthy in the original. Overall, this should be watched and not compared. In it's own right it is a good horror with only a few weaknesses that spoil it slightly. And if you do want to compare it to the 50's version then please remember than this is the type of ending that Siegel wanted and to me is one of the strengths of this film.

• Aliens take control of everything...even your body and soul !

  Coventry2003-11-26

  Normally, I try never to watch any remakes before I had the chance to see the originals...So, watching this movie really was an exception for me since I never saw Don Siegel's version from 1956 and neither did I had the chance so far to catch the Philip Kaufman remake from 1978 starring Donald Sutherland. But this movie came on TV the other night and I watched it anyway. Besides, there were a few very interesting and respected people involved in this production. First of all, there's director Abel Ferrara of course. He already delivered a few true masterpieces before and some of them are personal favorites of mine ( like Driller Killer, Bad Lieutenant and The Addiction ). But I wasn't completely convinced about watching this movie before I noticed that both Larry Cohen and Stuart Gordon took part in writing the screenplay. All three are very talented and influential men in the field of horror and I figured a collaboration between the three of them could only lead to something good. Well, it certainly is a decent movie and it provides the viewers with several scares. But - in general - I have to admit that I expected a bit more of it. The whole movie looks "unfinished" from time to time and the basic plot-idea isn't explained well enough, I think. I also had the feeling that everything moved too quick...Body Snatchers only lasts 87 minutes and that's a bit short for a rather complicated story like this. I would have preferred it to be a little longer and more detailed. Because of the fast storytelling, the ending also looks really fake and too abrupt. That was my biggest disappointment about it, I guess. Nevertheless, Body Snatchers contains multiple memorable scenes and it actually has the ability to raise the hair on your arms...That's quite an achievement too, I may say. Especially the sequence where both the daughter ( an adorable Gabrielle Anwar ) and the father ( a terribly boring Terry Kinney ) are being "body-snatched" is really frightening and a beautiful example of suspense-cinema and building up a tight atmosphere. This terrific scene ends with a powerful monologue by Meg Tilly's character. The entire movie is in fact recommended if it were only for this scene !! The further cast of Body Snatchers also contains a washed up Beverly Hills star ( whose name I don't remember ) and very enjoyable little roles by first class actors like Forest Whitaker and R. Lee Ermey. I guess this last one is doomed to play the authority figure ever since his outstanding performance in Full Metal Jacket but what the heck. He's brilliant every single time. In conclusion, Body Snatchers contains a few very bloody and explicit sequences so horror fans won't be disappointed completely. It could have been a lot better, that's a fact. But on the other hand..it could have been a lot worse as well.

• Third version about a creepy story in which the nightmare that threatens the world takes place in a military base

  ma-cortes2013-08-14

  Acceptable Sci-Fi picture which achieved a moderated success on its appearance and dealing with a teenage girl and her father discover alien clones are replacing humans on a remote U.S. military base in Alabama . This is a passable rendition starred by a good cast such as Forest Whitaker , Meg Tilly, Terry Kinney and Gabriella Anwar . It is an average budget version , though sometimes slow-paced and including some jolts of horror . Science Fiction , military and fantasy is presented in its most horrifying form . A genuinely frightening , chilling exercise in nightmare dislocation in which hideous creatures from outer space arrive on Earth with plans of conquest by means of pods and being freely based upon a novel by Jack Finney . There are not monsters only the residents of a military headquarter , as their wills , minds and bodies taken over by a weird form of life from outer space . This is the third adaptation , still very scary and creepy about a vintage novel deals with some military residents who are being replaced by duplicates hatched from weird pods . It creates an altering the human behaviour in the new invaders . As a doctor (Terry Kinney) must protect his daughter (significant role for gorgeous Gabriella Anwar) and her new stepmother (Meg Tilly), and soon aware that pods from outer space are duplicating and menacing everyone there . Meantime , the teenager daughter befriends a handsome attack helicopter pilot, Tim Young (Billy Wirth) and a young girl named Jenn Platt (Christine Elise) , daughter of headquarter commander (Lee Ermey). The doctor may hold the means to avoid the extraterrestrial invasion as he discovers their friends are being taking over by cold human-duplicates , as one by one are turned into aliens . While examining specimen, Doctor Malone is approached by angst-ridden Major Collins (Forrest Whitaker), who asks him about psychological effects particularly narcophobia . The mysterious epidemic from outer space is spread along military camp , everybody are being taken over by emotionless , cold behaving beings . The strange seeds from outer space are growing and destroying a little base at an alarming attack. This scary Sci-Fi displays a tense screenplay freely based on Jack Finney novel titled ¨Body snatchers¨ that can be considered truly disturbing . Packs eerie suspense , chills , thrills , spectacular scenes , chilly events and pretty turns and twists . A ceaselessly inventive , ghastly rendition of the alien take-over paradigm , including a a nice built-in paranoia about a small military base is infiltrated by pods from outer space that replace and replicate human beings . It profits from an intense acting by Terry Kenney , Forrest Whitaker , R. Lee Ermey along with an enjoyable Gabrielle Anwar ; furthermore , a right direction by Abel Ferrra who proved himself master of the eerie clutch at the base of one's spine . Appropriately exciting and frightening musical score by Joe Delia , though composed by means of synthesizer. Atmospheric cinematography and evocatively eerie ambient by cameraman Bazzeli , this was the first film shot with Arriscope anamorphic lenses, which were created for Arri by the German manufacturer Isco-Optic. Adequate production design and considerable visual and special effects . The motion picture was professionally directed by Abel Ferrara . Director Ferrara brought an entirely new approach to the Sci-Fi field to a well known story that has been shot various times . He filmed an attractive tale and it has emerged as an acceptable Sci-Fi thriller that brings astonishing nightmares . Lovers of the thriller/chiller should no miss this considerable Sci-Fi , everybody will have fun being scared by this expertly crafted film . Other versions about this known story are the following : a post-McCarthy paranoid fantasy epic titled ¨Invasion of the body snatchers¨ (1958), stunning and frightening adaptation which emerged as a cinema classic which achieved tremendous and unexpected success on its appearance , so well tuned for the times that some saw it a parable Communist Witch Hunts ; being compellingly directed by Donald Siegel with Kevin MacCarthy , Dana Wynter , Larry Gates , Carolyn Jones , and Sam Peckinpah ; 1978 new version also titled ¨Invasion of the Body Snatchers¨ , one of few instances where a remake is an improvement on the original , directed by Philip Kauffman with Donald Sutherland , Brooke Adams and features cameos by Don Siegel and Kevin McCarthy from the original , realized with great originality in spite of being a remake concerning again about mysterious seeds duplicating people . Lately recent version that results to be the least satisfactory and yet another inferior titled ¨Invasion¨ with Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman , Jeffrey Wright and directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel , this so-so take on , it takes advantage of the advances in FX , sound technology and some interesting visual effects .

• Abel Ferrara makes another quality film!

  ManBehindTheMask632012-01-19

  Abel Ferrara is a talented and interesting director. He's made some great films ("bad lieutenant", "china girl") and he always seems to bring out the best in his actors. With "Body Snatchers", Ferrara tackles the task of directing a big budget, studio sci-fi film. And for the most part, he succeeds. Ferrara injects the film with tight closeups and experiments with tilted and off balanced framing. Making the viewer feel like something in the film is off and eschewed. But the film just isn't that exciting. It's more of a slow burner. It never really lives up to it's own potential sadly. But the effects are solid and some of the semi-transformation scenes are disturbing. The acting for the most part is solid with Meg Tilly giving the best monologue in the film. Gabrielle Anwar is gorgeous to stare at and Billy Wirth (Lost Boys) plays the chopper pilot hero. It could have been a better film, but "Body Snatchers" is entertaining, well-acted, and often creepy. I'm always surprised that an independent director like Ferrara was the guy chosen to helm such a big budget studio film...