Watched this the other night after reading good things about it. It was okay, took a bit before it got going, but really, it just seemed to be an updated version of The Body Snatchers. I'm assuming it was basically a homage to those two flicks.
You said two things, but only named "Body Snatchers."
Yes, it was the latter, but only the newer version, with Donald Sutherland, where the aliens win.
I thought it had touches of the Twilight Zone episode "The Invaders," with Agnes Moorehead. See that!
One of the threads here contains an explanation by the director. I'll look, but I stand by my take: I think she enjoyed being taken over. It was a release from the dread and depression of her childhood trauma and being shunned by the community.
What I don't get is why her doppleganger tried to kill her, and failed.
This was my mistake - I meant both the 1958 and later version and should have listed Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but I think I just put The Body Snatchers most likely because years ago I had read that the 58 version was almost just billed as The Body Snatchers.
But in both movies, the aliens do win. In the 58 version, Kevin McCarthy is last seen yelling how the aliens are coming and others are next.
It just seemed to me that the overall plot in all three was about the same.
As to the '56 (not '58) version, which was called "Invasion of...", you must have seen the Director's Cut. In the theatrical version, there are bookend scenes which take place in the hospital police ward. Miles is being held there for psychiatric examination. He tells his story to a shrink (Whit BIssell, of course!).
The second, closing bookend picks up back at the hospital, after his shouting at the cars. As the shrink is about to commit him, hope is given us by a gurney attendant who brings in an injured trucker. His truck rolled and "all these strange pods rolled out." Somehow, Bissell has the authority to order everyone into action calling the National Guard, Police, and Washington (so we know our future will be in good hands :D ).
There was a '93 movie just called "Body Snatchers" with Gabrielle Anwar and Meg Tilly. I haven't seen that one... but will now! It's only a 6.0 on IMDB, though.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers was all about alien infiltration via small town social networking. This movie deliberately avoided networking as much as possible. Body Snatchers had a plot, this one did not. They're nothing alike.
sharei think it's hard to come up with something truly original these days.
agree it was draggin' in the beginning