Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) – Kino Lorber (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1956
Director: Don Siegel
Writers: Daniel Mainwaring, Jack Finney, Richard Collins
Cast: Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates, King Donovan, Carolyn Jones, Jean Willes, Ralph Dumke, Virginia Christine, Tom Fadden, Sam Peckinpah

Release Date: July 16th, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 80 Minutes 18 Seconds (2.00:1 Aspect Ratio), 80 Minutes 11 Seconds (1.85:1 Aspect Ratio)
Aspect Ratio: 2.00:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10 & 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English SDH (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $39.95

"One of the greatest and most influential science fiction films ever made, Invasion stars Kevin McCarthy (Nightmare, Mirage) as Miles Bennell, a doctor in a small California town whose patients are becoming increasingly overwrought, accusing their loved ones of being emotionless imposters. They're right! Plant-like extraterrestrials have invaded Earth, taking possession of humans as they sleep and replicating them in giant seed pods. Convinced that a catastrophic pandemic is imminent, Bennell, in a terrifying race for his life, must warn the world of this deadly invasion of the pod people—before it's too late!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (4K UHD - Both Version), 4/5 (Blu-ray - Both Version)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "New 4K restoration of two versions of the film."

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 86.7 GB

Feature: 42.6 GB (2.00:1 Aspect Ratio), 42.6 GB (1.85:1 Aspect Ratio)

Though there are obvious limitations to the source materials used for this transfer, the result is a transfer that supersedes all of this film’s previous home media releases. Image clarity, contrast, and black levels are areas of greatest improvement, and compression is very good.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) comes on a 50 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.3 GB

Feature: 16.8 GB (2.00:1 Aspect Ratio), 16.8 GB (1.85:1 Aspect Ratio)

The Blu-ray uses the same source as the 4K UHD does for its transfer.

Audio: 4.5/5 (Both Versions)

Each version comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and both versions come with removable English SDH. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, balanced, and robust when they should.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD include an archival audio commentary with actor Kevin McCarthy, actress Dana Wynter, and moderated by filmmaker Joe Dante, an archival audio commentary with film historian Richard Harland Smith, an audio commentary with film historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson, and an audio commentary with professor and film scholar Jason A. Ney.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer for Invasion of The Body Snatchers -1956 version (2 minutes 19 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Invasion of The Body Snatchers -1978 version (2 minutes 16 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), an archival featurette about producer Walter Wanger titled No Longer Belong – The Rise and Fall of Walter Wanger (21 minutes 9 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled The Stranger in Your Lover's Eyes (11 minutes 55 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled The Fear is Real (12 minutes 27 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, and Joe Dante, an archival audio commentary with Richard Harland Smith, an audio commentary with Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson, and an audio commentary with Jason A. Ney.

Other extras include reversible cover art and a slipcover (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

Don Siegel directed Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). He is also known for Riot in Cell Block 11, Edge of Eternity, The Killers, Dirty Harry, and The Shootist.

The narrative revolves around a small-town doctor who returns to his home only to discover that alien duplicates are taking the place of citizens. The invasion can be stopped if others heed his warning, or will his warning be dismissed by those who believe he is crazy?

During the McCarthyism political witch-hunt, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) portrays how perceived threats can ignite mass hysteria, with several of its elements linked to this period. That said, the end result is a much deeper film that foreshadows something far more sinister than McCarthyism. Case in point: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) explores how stripping away one’s individualism in favor of collectivism is a form of enslavement. In recent times, the role that the media, the entertainment industry, and advertising play in this process to strip individualism only further drives this home.

Performance-wise, the cast is very good in their respective roles. The standout performance was Kevin McCarthy's (The Howling's) utterly convincing portrayal of the protagonist, Dr. Miles J. Bennell. Other notable cast members include Carolyn Jones (The Addams Family TV series) in the role of Theodora ‘Teddy’ Belicec; her character is one of the first to raise suspicion about what is going on; and Sam Peckinpah (Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia) in the brief role of a meter reader named Charlie.

The most memorable moment is the scene where a pod person that is not fully developed disguises itself as a body, which Dr. Miles J. Bennell examines, revealing its true form as a pod person to him. This moment firmly sets the stage for what follows. Other standout moments are when Dr. Miles J. Bennell discovers in a greenhouse a pod that is transforming into his likeness and when Dr. Miles J. Bennell realizes that he is the last person in town who has not been replaced by a pod person.

From a production standpoint, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) is a film where everything falls into place. At 80 minutes long, so much happens. A briskly paced, well-constructed narrative leads to a sensational ending that provides a perfect coda. Also, the noir-like visuals do a superb job reinforcing the protagonist's state of mind. Ultimately, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) is a pitch-perfect dissection of how society, over time, strips one of its individualism. And nowhere is this clearer than how those to whom this has happened are oblivious to what has happened to them.

Kino Lorber gives Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) its best home media release to date, highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer