#dr. miles bennell

[bodyhorrorbeatdown]

Body Horror Beatdown, Match 16, Round 1

Vote for your favorite:

Propaganda under the cut.

Coraline:

Be careful what you wish for.

"The button-eyes thing. The Other Mother's transformation into a giant spidery thing. the Other Father slowly becoming more twisted and bad. Other Wybie having his mouth sewn into a permanent smile. The Other Spink and Forcible being a taffy monster. And how can I forget the guy who's just rats."

Invasion of the Body Snatchers:

You'll never close your eyes again.

(synopsis) "In Santa Mira, California, Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) is baffled when all his patients come to him with the same complaint: their loved ones seem to have been replaced by emotionless impostors. Despite others' dismissive denials, Dr. Bennell, his former girlfriend Becky (Dana Wynter) and his friend Jack (King Donovan) soon discover that the patients' suspicions are true: an alien species of human duplicates, grown from plant-like pods, is taking over the small town."

[markerofthemidnight]

who are the members of OO? Are any of them connected to the other characters in Doai?

Okay, it’s really rough so far but to give you the basic rundown (under cut cause this gets looooong):

Blaire

Blaire is the founder-but-not-leader of the Oneiric Observers. Well, she was the leader at some point when it was basically just her, but as she slowly began to add to the group, she went from being the leader to just the founder.

She’s the basic archetypical ‘hyperactive girl who may or may not have ADHD’, armed with nothing but an interest in murder-mysteries and a dream. A dream to, one day, be regarded as one of the greatest investigators of all time.

To be regarded as a hero to all those plagued by unsolved mysteries: and for a while, she settled simply for local disappearances and unsolved crimes from long ago. She was especially plagued by the mystery of the late, the great detective champion, Russel Hawke’s untimely death…

…until she realised that all those mysteries might be more connected than she thought. So now, she’s decided to stop going for small fry, and start shooting for the stars… unaware that, if she’s not careful, the stars might just shoot back.

She was named after Blaire Lily, the main protagonist of Unfriended, which you may recognise as being listed as the main inspiration for Myke and how he functions. Basically, to make naming them easier on me, every OO member is associated with a Veldigun and named after characters in/people who worked on their inspired movies.

Tyler

Tyler is kind of the main protagonist, in a sense.

I don’t have much of a personality for him down yet other than “loser who does not want to be a loser”. Unskilled in… more or less everything, but he’s got drive, and that’s what counts!… kind of.

Tired of living in his stupid-ass older sister’s shadow his whole life, the story properly begins when Tyler finally decides to take Blaire up on her constant offers to literally everyone in school to join the OO, or the “Paranormal Investigation Club”, as all the lame people who are out of the loop know it as.

He’s easily one of the most dedicated to their cause, desperate to finally prove his worth to a world that has forgotten him… and also, kind of to prove his worth to himself.

He was named after Tyler Ledford from The Menu, henceforth making his associated Veldigun Julian. A bit of a weird character to pull inspiration from, considering- other than being a member of the OO, which immediately makes you a bad person- he’s significantly nicer than the Tyler in that movie, but just roll with me here.

Miles

Miles is the first person to join the OO after its founding, who ascended to the rank of official leader due to his great skills and dedication to their cause.

No one really knows why he’s there. He’s regarded as fairly popular- or at least, was before he joined a club occupied solely by losers. In fact, joining the OO might’ve made his popularity even worse than it already was, so what gives?

Well, apparently he thinks all the attention he’s gotten so far is nowhere near enough. He wants more, and he thinks the OO and their investigation of the town’s surprisingly common disappearances might be key to that.

Out of all the main cast, Miles is the one who best sums up what it’s like to be a member of the Oneiric Observers- fitting, since he is the leader- in that he… is an asshole. Just a total douchebag who happens to be really good at hiding that.

He was named after Dr. Miles Bennell from (the 1916 version of) Invasion of the Body Snatchers, making his associated Veldigun Victor.

Oh, and just so you know, when not at school he keeps his uniform on but only keeps the top button done, so that way his cardigan looks like a cape. That’s how self-absorbed he is.

Akela

Akela is the second member to join after its founding, and probably the only one to join (besides technically Blaire?) out of a genuine interest in the paranormal and nothing else.

She’s the archetypical quiet, well-behaved girl with good grades who basically everyone else is really jealous of. She joined because she wanted to see what the Paranormal Investigation Club had to offer… only to be deeply shocked when it was not a bunch of professionals like she was expecting, but just a bunch of random losers grasping at straws in order to get popular.

The only reason why Akela sticks around is because she wants to see what will happen next… and also because, she may or may not genuinely believe that the OO might be key to getting more respect, rather than just jealous stares.

She’s also the kind of person who occasionally asks things like “hey by the way do you know which area you should target if you want to effectively torture information out of someone?” to people with no warning, just to freak them out.

She was named after Akela Cooper, who wrote M3GAN, making her associated Veldigun Candice.

Evelyn

The third member to join after its founding, Evelyn is… shy. She’s real shy. Easily the one starting member of the OO who’s the closest to being a good person.

She joins after being promised by Miles that she could be a hero to the people of her town if she joined, and she’d do anything to get her confidence up, so she accepted… not knowing what she’d be dragged into as a result.

There’s honestly not much else to say about her at this point in time. She was named after Evelyn Abbott, the mother from A Quiet Place, making her associated Veldigun Beau.

Doreen

Doreen is the fifth and final member to join the OO post-founding, which actually doesn’t happen until about halfway through the main story. She is also Tyler’s aforementioned stupid-ass older sister.

She’s regarded as pretty popular, in fact even more popular than Miles was, at least before he joined the OO. Both pretty smart and pretty pretty, everyone knows her, and everyone’s interested on getting her on their good side.

And she… is interested in absolutely none of them.

There are two main reasons why she joins: firstly, she knows her brother’s been roped into a really dangerous situation and she wants to help out in any way she can. Secondly, she would sell her goddamn soul if it meant getting all the admirers desperate for superficial relationships off her.

She’s the only one who knows that popularity does not equal happiness, a lesson that, unfortunately, not many of them listen to even after she joins. Still, she’s grateful to get all those eyes off her… even if it means getting other, far more dangerous eyes watching her wherever she goes.

She is unique amongst the entire cast- minus her associated Veldigun- in that she was not named after a character from a horror movie. Well, said Veldigun was vaguely inspired by The Black Phone, but that wasn’t his main inspiration.

His main inspiration was actually the real life disappearance of the Jack family in Canada, 1989, as described in Real Horror’s video, The Family That Vanished.

Specifically, one specific moment in that video detailing a strange event during the investigation in which an anonymous person called the police, told them the supposed area in which the Jack family’s corpses were buried- though it was too garbled and deep for them to figure out the exact location, to the point where to this day, no signs of bodies have ever been found.

I watched that video a while back, got to that absolutely chilling moment, and thought to myself, “Hey, I wanna make a character who calls people investigating mysteries, gives them a genuinely ground-breaking piece of information, and then immediately hangs up!”

Which then eventually resulted in Doreen being named after the late mother of the family of four, and Russel being named after the family’s first-born. Russel… he’s a pretty special guy. Even by Veldigun standards.

The video was really great, the mystery really enticing, and the case really… tragic, so I named them after two of the four total victims. It’s a shame that, after death, people are reduced to their method of dying and nothing more, but… I suppose there’s really nothing we can do about that. The least I could do was pay my respects, and naming OCs after them was the first thing I came up with to do so.

(Oh, and to answer your second question: whilst it’s both too early in the writing process and too spoilery to say if they’re connected to any canon characters, I think I can at least mention this:

The way DOAI: OO and canon DOAI are connected to each other is kinda similar to Jumanji and its two sequels in which they take place in the same universe, but have little connection to each other due to taking place in two completely different times with different casts.

There ARE a few connections here and there- and Six probably will show up, or at least get mentioned at some point- but other than that, it’s its own story.)

[thecinemacritic]

REVIEW: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) is an iconic and influential sci-fi horror thriller, suspenseful, well directed and with great performances.

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Invasion (2007)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

When your remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is significantly less entertaining than the mockbuster The Asylum created to leech off its release, you’re in trouble. 2007’s The Invasion attempts to reinterpret the original The Body Snatchers story in such bewildering ways you’ll wonder if a pod person wrote it.

After a Space Shuttle crashes on Earth, a fungus-like alien lifeform is discovered clinging to the remains. Psychiatrist Carol Bennell (Nicole Kidman) becomes suspicious of her ex-husband, Tucker (Jeremy Northam) when he suddenly becomes very interested in their son, Oliver (Jackson Bond). She believes the sudden change within him - and many others - is linked to the extraterrestrial.

In each of these adaptations of the story by Jack Finney, the title has always been the worst part. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” tells you so much more than is needed but in every previous iteration of this story, it didn’t really matter. The slow trickle of suspense made you forget how much you already knew. This time around, David Kajganich tosses away all uncertainty and tension. He tells you from the first scene there’s an alien invasion happening. It’s a severe mistake. Now, every pod person can be singled out from a mile away, making Carol look like a complete moron for not catching on immediately. I know the characters in the movie don’t know they’re in a movie but even so, you grow frustrated waiting for them to get their act together.

When Carol and her friend Dr. Ben Driscoll (Daniel Craig) piece together what’s going on, different issues arise. It in’t the first time this story takes the “there’s still hope” stance but the way it’s done here is laughable. A method of combatting the attack is theorized and agreed upon so quickly your jaw will drop. An avalanche of exposition and techno jargon threatens to bury you alive and it’s nearly enough for you not to realize how contrived the remaining humans’ plan is. It all comes together in a final scene that asks you a question about whether the invasion should be stopped after all. I think it's supposed to stop us dead in our tracks. Instead, it means nothing. The entire movie told us one thing, now, we're told to reverse our position at the eleventh hour? Get out of here before you waste more of our time.

At its core The Invasion contains some inherently effective moments. No matter how badly it botches the story, there’s still something frightening about a woman nervously walking the streets, wondering if those around her are trustworthy, or hidden enemies. Those moments are brief and undone by the ending, the dialogue, the unconvincing plot and the editing too. The Invasion features some of the worst editing I’ve ever seen. You often can’t tell if you’re watching a montage of things happening in the present, or memories/flashbacks. Actions that would normally be shown are snipped out, making the reshoots obvious and awkward. It’ll have your head spinning.

At least The Invasion has the good graces of being consistently and obviously awful. As a bonus, it continuously finds new ways of being terrible, of butchering its tried-and-true story. Despite this, the film never graduates into becoming entertaining, even in a so-bad-it’s-good way. (On DVD, March 13, 2020)

[mona-the-monkey]

[thepeoplesmovies]

Film Release - Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956)

Film Release – Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956)

Invasion of The Bodysnatchers is a classic in sci-fi and the latest BFI approved print comes to Blu-ray soon. Dr. Miles J. Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) is a well-respected doctor, but after an experience he may never forget (or survive) Dr. Bennell has to recount the story of the aliens who took over his town or else they may take over the country – or even the world! At first, it’s believed that the…

[cultfaction]

Preview: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Bluray)

Preview: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Bluray)

When multiple residents of a Californian backwater begin to suffer from identical frenzied delusions, Dr Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) suspects the town is in the grip of a new kind of epidemic. But his investigations soon reveal the terrifying truth, uncovering not a medical emergency but an extra-terrestrial invasion that threatens mankind’s very existence. Directed by Don Siegel (Dirty…

[idlesuperstar]

“They're here already! You're next! You're next, You're next...!”

Kevin McCarthy as Dr Miles Bennell in Invasion of the Body Snatchers [Don Siegel, 1956] and as ‘Running Man’ in Invasion of the Body Snatchers  [Philip Kaufman, 1978].

[twentiethcenturymoviesandtv]

Trivia Tidbit

Kevin McCarthy (Dr. Miles J. Bennell) and Jack Finney (Author of the original story) have denied the common theory that Invasion of the Bodysnatchers is a statement against McCarthyism and Communism, stating that they saw the story as a simple thriller. Director Don Siegel, however, believes that the political references to McCarthyism and totalitarianism are irremovably present in the film, even if they aren’t emphasized.

[niftyfifties]

sexism, misogyny, and absentee parents really razz my berries: traditional 1950s nuclear families as seen in tv and film

Leave it to Beaver (1957)

“Leave it to Beaver”, the 1957 sitcom about Theodore “The Beaver” Cleaver growing up in his suburban neighborhood, is a classic portrayal of what it means to be a “perfect family” in the 1950s. 

The Perfect Sons: Beaver, a curios yet naive kid, is everything American wants in a son. In a scene from the first episode, he constantly cracks jokes and is even asked to be the fire marshal in the school parade, winning both the approval of his fellow students and the teacher. The show portrays him as confident, funny, charming, and as someone who always tries to avoid getting in trouble (and who always apologizes if he does). Beaver also has an older brother, Wally Cleaver, who emulates these same idealistic goals in a son. His main personality trait outside of this is to help Beaver in his antics and have some witty repartee with him. In the same episode, the only thing Wally does is write a fake letter for Beaver to give to his teacher and also help him pretend to take a bath when he doesn’t feel like it. 

The Role of Each Parent: the Homemaker and the Breadwinner: His picture-perfect mother, June Cleaver, is the only true source of discipline in the house. In the same episode, June always makes sure the kids are doing what they are supposed to, and goes to meet Beaver’s teacher (without the father). The “man of the household”, Ward Cleaver, is barely around and merely serves a looming paternal presence that reminds those who forget it with a few inappropriate jokes and “mmmhmms”. He receives flowers from the teacher, after Beaver lied about his father being severely burned, and jokes about June’s brief suspicion that he’s cheating on her. Meanwhile, June cleans, goes to these parent meetings, takes care of the kids, and gives them a talking to, all without a single hair out of place or makeup smudged. She takes care of her household, and Ward takes care of her financially. June is the perfect American woman: beautiful, eloquent, charming, and emotional only when she needs to be. 

The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

“The Invasion of the Body Snatchers”, the 1956 film about an alien invasion in Santa Mira, demonstrates the traditional gender roles of the time. We have Dr. Miles Bennel, a handsome, tough, doctor who also happens to have a loveable-sensitive side all while being the hero. Becky (his formal girlfriend) comes to visit him and fall in love and finds herself in apocalyptic mayhem. 

Becky: The Girl Next Door: Miles and Becky’s dynamic on-screen is exactly what America expects of a typical mand and woman. Becky is beautiful, sweet, and idolizes Dr. Bennel as her hero. She never speaks up against him or her father, and always listens to what they tell her to do. Every time Becky is scared, she looks to Miles for help. Just like June Cleaver, she’s charming but never angry.

Dr. Bennel: The film perpetuates also perpetuates traditional gender roles to the max. The man is the breadwinning hero, and the woman is the beautiful and subservient sidekick there for him at every turn. He always saves the day and saves her from the aliens and herself. In the scene where Dr. Bennel and Becky run towards the highway, Dr. Bennel continuously has to drag Becky across the plains and make sure she doesn’t sleep. He’s her caretaker and her hero, and even by the end of it he is able to save the day and gets to a local police station to tell them what happened. 

Rebel Without A Cause (1955)

Rebel Without A Cause, the 1955 movie that changed the course of American film, shows how straying traditional family values can cause chaos, and even death. Jim, played by James Dean, is a highschool junior who’s new in town and is arrested for getting into a fight with someone who called him “chicken”. 

Masculinity and Honor: His toxic masculinity and obsession with honor stems from his relationship with his father and is the reason why he hates being called chicken. His father, Frank Stark, is anything but masculine or honorable by 1950s standards. He is scared of his wife. In a scene where he cooks dinner for his sleeping wife, he wears a feminine apron and struggles to clean up when his plate full of food falls on the floor. Jim is disgusted when he sees this, embarrassed that his father would ever emasculate himself by doing such a thing. His father also listens to everything his wife says. Even when they do have a back and forth, he ends up agreeing with her by the end of it, and like the classic male stereotype, takes it as if it was his own. By seeing his father this way, Jim, in turn, craves honor and will do anything to prove it to anyone who challenges it. So when Buzz calls Jim a chicken, he gets pissed. 

Getting Angry isn’t Feminine: We also see traditional female roles being enforced through the character of Judy and Jim’s mother, Carol. This is shown in a bad light because her dysfunction is portrayed as the reason for Jim’s dysfunction. Carol and Judy both get mad, and aren’t afraid of what other people think and who sees it. Contrast to Carol, Judy craves attention from her family, her father and particular. In a scene after school, Judy asks her father for a kiss. After refusing multiple times, Judy kisses him on the cheek anyway, causing her father to slap her for acting like a child. She storms off angrily and heads off to the chicken fight between Jim and Buzz. Judy loves attention which is why she wears lipstick, because that’s the only time her father on the people around her pay attention to her and what she has to say. No one seems to really listen to her, except maybe Jim, when she gets angry or emotional. Through this, the film shows that getting angry isn’t feminine, which is a similar expectation that we have seen in other forms 1950s media like Leave it to Beaver. 

[brokehorrorfan]

Blu-ray Review: Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Jack Finney tapped into something special when he wrote The Body Snatchers, which was originally serialized in Colliers Magazine throughout 1954 before being collected and released as a novel in 1955. The influential science fiction/horror tale has been adapted into a film for every generation since. It takes little effort to modernize the story, as its core themes remain effective and relevant.

The first film adaptation of The Body Snatchers came in 1956 - just a year after the novel's publication - under the title Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It was later made as 1979’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1993’s Body Snatchers, and 2007’s The Invasion. Despite Finney's denial that his seminal work is a social commentary on communism and/or McCarthyism, each film version reflects a sociopolitical strife of the time.

While the '78 adaptation starring Donald Sutherland is perhaps the most iconic take on the story, it owes a great deal to the '56 iteration, as it’s as much a remake as it is an adaptation of the novel. The inaugural film is a relatively relatively faithful adaptation, though there are some significant deviations, deftly directed by Don Siegel (Dirty Harry) and written by Daniel Mainwaring (Out of the Past).

Although the title brings to mind cheesy B-movies embracing the era's common alien invasion trope, Invasion of the Body Snatchers was so named to avoid confusion with Val Lewton's 1945 film, The Body Snatcher. In a time when sci-fi was almost exclusively aimed at the youth demographic, Body Snatchers offered a more sophisticated take on the genre in addition to modest-but-effective special effects.

In the film, Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy, Innerspace) returns home from a medical convention to find his quaint hometown of Santa Mira, California (the fictitious town that Halloween III: Season of the Witch would later borrow for its setting) ostensibly unchanged. However, he soon learns of a purported mass hysteria in which townspeople of all ages believe that their loved ones are not really themselves.

The imposters look, sound, and act like their real counterparts, right down to their memories, but those closest to them notice that they lack their true emotions. After witnessing an identical doppelganger growing in one of the townspeople's homes, Bennell finds himself uncovering a clandestine alien invasion that's rapidly replacing his neighbors and friends with indistinguishable "pod people." Evoking a paranoia similar to John Carpenter's The Thing, neither Bennell nor the viewer knows who has been overtaken.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers benefits from its brisk pace, particularly when comparing its 80-minute runtime to the '78 adaptation's 115 minutes. McCarthy carries the film with a fine performance. Dana Wynter (Airport) co-stars as Bennell's love interest, while Carolyn Jones (The Addams Family), Larry Gates (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), Virginia Christine (The Mummy's Curse), Dabbs Greer (Little House on the Prairie), and a young Sam Peckinpah (director of Straw Dogs and The Wild Bunch) are among the townspeople.

The first cut of the movie featured comedy, but distributor Allied Artists Pictures edited it out in fear that it wouldn't mix with the genre elements. The studio also insisted on including a prologue and epilogue, which finds Bennell recounting his story to a psychiatrist (Whit Bissell, Creature from the Black Lagoon) while being held at a hospital. The framing elements are entirely unnecessary, but I can't help but think the studio was right to remove the humor, which likely would have undercut the impact of the story.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers has been newly restored in high-definition for a Blu-ray release via Olive Films, with its black-and-white photography looking pristine. Part of the Olive Signature line, the release is limited to 5,000 copies. It comes housed in a slipcase and includes a booklet featuring a scholarly essay by author/film programmer Kier-La Janisse about how the concept of identity crisis is reflected in the movie.

The disc itself is loaded with special features, both new an old. There are two audio commentaries: an insightful track by film historian Richard Harland Smith, and a friendly chat between McCarthy, Wynter, and filmmaker Joe Dante (Gremlins). A two-part visual essay features an excerpt from Siegel's autobiography, A Siegel Film, read by his son, Kristoffer Tabori, followed by Tabori speaking in his own words about his father and the film.

Dante and fellow cult filmmaker Larry Cohen (who conceived the story for 1993's Body Snatchers) are interviewed to discuss the film’s influence. Two other featurettes - one an appreciation of the film, the other exploring its legacy - offer never-before-seen interviews with McCarthy and Wynter, along with filmmakers John Landis (An American Werewolf in London), Mick Garris (The Stand), Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator), and more.

Walter Wagner biographer Matthew Bernstein discusses the controversial producer’s life and career. Extras are rounded out by an interview with McCarthy by Tom Hatten from 1985, an exploration of the filming locations, a featurette about the movie's title, a gallery of production documents (including an unproduced opening narration to have been read by Orson Welles), and the theatrical trailer.

Although the verdict is out on whether it was intentional, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is often seen as an allegory for Cold War fears. Parallels can also be drawn to conformity and indoctrination. Given the current political climate, a modern rendition would likely resonate with viewers. Meanwhile, the original adaptation holds up over 60 years later as an intriguing, well-told story that provides shocks and thrills for younger viewers as well as thought-provoking content for adults.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers is available now on Blu-ray via Olive Films.

[veworalpha]

Judicial consent 1994 alley scene

His subsequent film career included playing Henry Fonda's campaign aide in "The Best Man" (1964), a roller derby magnate in "Kansas City Bomber" (1972), and a smarmy lobbyist in "The Distinguished Gentlemen" (1992). In fact, in Philip Kaufman's 1978 remake, the actor had a small but pivotal role that was an homage to the original. As the somewhat hysterical survivor of a community infested by space alien pod people, McCarthy anchored the film which only grew in stature since its initial release. Miles Bennel in the sci-fi classic, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956). He marked time, however, until Don Siegel cast him as Dr. But McCarthy earned more attention for what was considered his feature acting debut - the role of the disillusioned son Biff in the 1951 screen adaptation of Arthur Miller's classic, "Death of a Salesman." Nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, the actor seemed poised for a major film career. Air Force during WWII, toured in "Winged Victory," and reprised his stage role in the 1944 film. The younger brother of famed writer Mary McCarthy, he served in the U.S. A prolific performer who bridged the divide between leading man of decidedly B-movies and character player in more prestige offerings, Kevin McCarthy was a working actor since he made his Broadway debut in "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" (1938).

[mrsdawg4908]

In Santa Mira, California, Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) is baffled when all his patients come to him with the same complaint: their loved ones seem to have been replaced by emotionless impostors. Despite others' dismissive denials, Dr. Bennell, his former girlfriend Becky (Dana Wynter) and his friend Jack (King Donovan) soon discover that the patients' suspicions are true: an alien species of human duplicates, grown from plant-like pods, is taking over the small town.

https://youtu.be/Nazp9BAmy3c

[immaculatasknight]

Just show your vax passport

[marilynmonrh0e]

Psychological Horror: Snatching the American Away

Body doubles that emerge from seed pods to replace people doesn’t seem like a typical fit for a horror movie. And yet that is the premise of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The method itself is not the source of horror (in fact the pods are quite funny-looking). It is the psychological “warfare” that is the key to scaring audiences. This movie can be critiqued in a number of ways from the modern perspective, the sexist roles of women come to mind first. However, I believe looking at the themes of the film within the historical context of the 50s provide a more fruitful analysis of what is actually a decent movie (by 50s standards at least). The director, Don Siegel, did not intend for the movie to be perceived as anti-communist, but it is impossible to watch it without seeing it through this lens. The 50s forced an assumption of anti-communism onto everyone and everything, so it would take an extreme amount of naivety and stupidity to maintain this mindset (something I don’t think applies to Siegel because the plot is quite insightful). In other words, this movie knew what it was doing. Depicting the imposters as uncapable to feel emotion and lacking autonomy, Invasion of the Body Snatchers illustrates the American fear of communism and its threat to freedom and the American way of life.

The movie is set in a typical American town; a place where everybody knows everybody and life in the cookie cutter mold of the 50s is as it should be. However, Dr. Miles Bennell soon faces a baffling problem; multiple people in the town believe their loved ones have been replaced by a person who looks and remembers everything they should, but do not act like them. The essence of their being is missing. Later, the doctor ends up discovering the creation of body doubles which emerge from a seed pod. The only way to tell these imposters from real humans is through their inability to feel emotions like love. The argument made by the “body snatchers” is by feeling nothing they do not suffer the problems of the world. This is the real horror of the movie, not a monster or tangible thing, but a barely detectable change within someone who looks exactly like a human being. The general conclusions that are drawn from the lives of the “body snatchers” mirror the American impression of communism. For example, in the movie, all the townspeople are equal, have the same desires, and are controlled by a higher entity.

After Dr. Bennell escapes the town, he ends up being examined as a psychiatric patient because no one believes his story. His inability to convince other people of the threat to the American way of life only adds to the panic. Connecting to the fear and distrust caused by McCarthyism, it leaves the viewer with the impression that danger is right next door dressed up innocently as your neighbor.

[badulescuradu14]

JOHN W. WHITEHEAD: „Invasion Of The Body Snatchers: Psychological Warfare Disguised as a Pandemic Threat”

“Look! You fools! You’re in danger! Can’t you see? They’re after you! They’re after all of us! Our wives… our children… they’re here already! You’re next!” —Dr. Miles Bennell, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)   It’s like Invasion of the Body Snatchers all over again. The nation is being overtaken by an alien threat that […]JOHN W. WHITEHEAD: „Invasion Of The Body Snatchers: Psychological…