Like the John Carpenter version of "The Thing," this is horror with a sci-fi premise.
No invasion via flying saucers here. What this unusual film depicts is alien
takeover via biological means: human-sized pods that suck the life out ... moreof their
victims and replace them with perfect replicas. Only the replicas are without
human emotion and live only to serve the soon-to-come alien masters. Big man Kevin McCarthy essays an unforgettable portrayal
of the only man who knows the truth, and his increasing desperation as he warns
the populace even as more and more pod people sprout up is, well, infectious,
you could say. "You're next!" Briskly directed by future "Dirty Harry" helmer Don Siegel, this is one of those pictures whose
pertinence is pretty much timeless.
('Invasion of the Body Snatchers'/SNAP/Rex Features)
