MovieChat Forums > Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) Discussion > When was the FIRST time you saw this mov...

When was the FIRST time you saw this movie? Where were you? What did you

posted 8 years ago by shango7200
18 replies | jump to latest

think. Did your opinion change years later?

ME
1) I was high school age. First release Winter 1978 (?) in a Mall movie theater on Long Island. A Pink Panther cartoon ran first. Audience seemed to love it. Scared the sh*t out of me.
2) HBO / cable. Early 1980s. Still liked it a lot and enjoyed seeing it 2, 3,4, 5 times!!!
3) DVD era. Adulthood. A staple in my movie library. A classic. Fascinating commentary by the director ! I was VERY happy to show this to a few people WHO NEVER SAW IT BEFORE in recent years! They LOVED the ending and did not see it coming!

Next......................

"In every dimension , there's another YOU!"

[–] creatorof2002 8 years ago

I have seen it various ways starting with my childhood, TV, VCR, DVD

But my first time seeing it IN A MOVIE THEATER ON A BIG SCREEN was about 2 months ago because my local movie theater shows old films every Thursday, an event called CULT CLASSICS. Seeing it on a real movie screen was a new experience as familiar with that story as I am and was well worth the ten dollars.

[–] daverindone 8 years ago

12 years old at the Woburn, Massachusetts theater during it's original run in '78. I remember really being wigged out at the "birth" scene. Years later, I'd have a daughter that would work at the very the same cinema.

I picked up the DVD while telling my son about it around 2004, he loved it. My opinion hasn't changed much as it's a longtime favorite.

[–] RustyShackleworth 8 years ago

I saw this in the theater when it first came out and I was seven years old.

Saw it a few years later when it aired on ABC.

I have the DVD and still love the film.

[–] creatorof2002 8 years ago

Your parents LET you see it that young? Mine did not.

Did it give you NIGHTMARES, I was TWICE your age (fourteen) and it gave me nightmares well into adulthood.

[–] Connor241976 8 years ago

I remember it's UK tv premiere on ITV in June of 1982(London weekend television back then) on a Saturday night, and not being allowed to watch it. I was only 5 at the time.

I watched it eventually in 1993, when it was shown on BBC2 on the Moviedrome show. Scared the hell out of me. That ending has never left my mind. Kind of glad I never watched it back in 82.

Any Brits remember watching it on tv? It's rarely shown.

[–] RustyShackleworth 8 years ago

Yeah, I know. It's weird to me too now because I have three young children and I wouldn't let them watch this today.

But I was Ok watching this at the time. I don't recall having any nightmares afterwards. It was just a good, scary flick to me.

There's a TV horror film called "Don't be afraid of the Dark" that came out in the early 70s and THAT gave me nightmares or least bothered me at that age. And there's no nudity and nothing graphic in it. It's all suggestion, dark shadows and creepy little creatures in that one.

[–] sean_ohlson-1 8 years ago

Saw it at the local movie theater in Junior High. I was a big sci-fi nut at that age and for some reason I was expecting more science fiction, less spooky stuff going in. I mean, it had Spock in it for crying out loud.

Scared the pants off of me. Now it's on my list of movies to watch every October. Got the special edition BluRay 2 years ago. Great special features on that one. Just watched it again last night. That will always be one of my favorites.

[–] slasherfilmsthree-92308 8 years ago

Dec 1978 I was in the 5th grade at the Olympic theater in Olympia.It's on right now just watching the end of it.

[–] josebut8 8 years ago

I was around 13 almost 14. My little brother and I were dropped off at the cinema by my Grandfather in Dedham, Massachusetts. It was 1978 and we were supposed to see Superman, but it was sold out. Since my Grand-dad wouldn't be back for another two hours, we had to see something, so we went to see Body Snatchers. You could hear a pin drop in the theater. My little brother was about nine and he was rapt through the whole thing. I've loved the movie ever since. It's the acting and characterizations that really pull you in right from the beginning. You care about what happens to these people, making the stakes even higher.

[–] shango7200 8 years ago

We almost went to see Superman too that night!! I had to protest - and Body Snatchers won!!

"In every dimension , there's another YOU!"

[–] ElectricWarlock 8 years ago

Today was the first time I saw it. I like the 1956 version so I asked for a copy of this version as a present because I've heard many good things about it. I heard it had one of the best horror endings ever. I was so tempted to read spoilers but I was able to resist. I had a few guesses but they were all wrong. The music particularly stands out as the highlight of the film. While the 1956 version is a little bit better, this is still a very good movie and I'm glad I watched it. A great way to spend Christmas morning.

[–] HiFiAudioGuy 8 years ago

I saw it at a 7:00pm-ish showing in 1978. My sister had already seen it and she dragged me (at age 7) and my parents to see it. They were disgusted. I was intrigued. This had the first nude scene I had ever seen.

[–] creatorof2002 8 years ago

Interesting that the first Chris Reeve Superman movie was competing with this movie. I asked on a different thread what would happen if Superman himself was in the fictional world of this movie.

Would Superman be vulnerable to body snatching? Would his near indestructibility protect him from his body being destroyed by the pods as a human body would be? And if not would the pod duplicate have all his powers?

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

Literally just watched it yesterday. I couldn't find it on any streaming websites so I bought an old DVD of it on Ebay.

[–] trevorh321 (5495) 4 years ago

I saw it on tv about five years ago, I forget the channel, but loved it immediately.

[–] MartyMoose1977 (193) 9 days ago

I watched it on rental from a local video store in Chicago at my grandmother house in 1985. It scared the shit out 8 year old me. My grandmother had trees that dropped spikey seed pods on the lawn and she would tell my brothers and I the pods are gonna get you! That shit scarred me for years.