Some 60s/70s Speculative/Science Fiction films

And at rottentomatoes:

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956)

TOMATOMETER
98%
Average Rating: 9/10
Reviews Counted: 51
Fresh: 50
Rotten: 1
Critics Consensus: One of the best political allegories of the 1950s, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is an efficient, chilling blend of sci-fi and horror.

AUDIENCE SCORE
85%
liked it
Average Rating: 3.7/5
User Ratings: 19,008

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978)

All Critics | Top Critics
TOMATOMETER
94%
Average Rating: 8.2/10
Reviews Counted: 52
Fresh: 49
Rotten: 3
Critics Consensus: Employing gritty camerawork and evocative sound effects, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a powerful remake that expands upon themes and ideas only lightly explored in the original.

AUDIENCE SCORE
81%
liked it
Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 35,169

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So also a preference for the original film, but both very highly rated. The 1978 has three "rottens" and the 1956 only one "rotten".

Fun to look at the negative ones even if I really like both. I have a slight preference for the remake, but we discussed our differences in another thread (unless that was with Friede). The 1978 film was, according to what I've read in the past, part remake of the 1956 film and part a fresh adaptation of the 1955 novel ("The Invasion" is more a loosely based on the novel film).

Here's an excerpt from one one critical review of the 1978 film:

Ted Whitehead of The Spectator wrote: I remember Invasion of the Body Snatchers (X) as one of the very first sci-fi films to grab my imagination in the Fifties. The plot is the basic one about our planet being invaded by a plant-like organism which takes over humanity. The new version, with Donald Sutherland and Leonard Nimoy, is directed by Philip Kaufman from a screenplay by W.D. Richter. All the tension and scariness of the original has gone and in its place is a bit of floppy old cabbage. See the Fifties version if you can.

Well, it is a conservative publication and conservatives tend not to favour change. Plus, perhaps the political allegory of the original resonated more when the cold war and fear of the spread of communism, McCarthyism, was at its height.

Said it before, but while I tend not to like remakes, the 1978 one resonated with me (It was also the first version that I saw). And perhaps since it is also a fresh adaptation of the source novel even though I haven't read it (though also inspired by the earlier film), perhaps it works better than if it was one of those just based on an earlier film films. No matter how many versions of, say, Macbeth that there are, there remains room to come up with an interesting take on the source material.

Anyway, here's a negative "review" (I use the term loosely and for an audience member and I would just call it an uninteresting comment) of the 1956 version.

Scott M wrote: The most over-rated science fiction movie ever. I give it an A+ for the idea, but an F for the execution. Just drags on and on and on. Really bad movie.

You, sir, are a really bad reviewer, and I give you an F for execution and an F for conceptualisation.   At least your review doesn't drag on and on. If just one person thinks this "review" is good, then your review is grossly overrated.

Edited by Logan - July 26 2018 at 09:21

I like the four adaptations of Jack Finney's 1955 novel The Body Snatchers listed below in their own ways.

I am indeed referring to the 1978 Philip Kaufman Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The 1956 version directed by Don Siegel is a few years too early for the purposes of this 1960s and 70s poll. Had I set no temporal limits, then both would be applicable.

I like the 2007 with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig film called The Invasion very much and I enjoyed 1993's Body Snatchers.

I haven't seen Invasion of the Pod People.

By the way, perhaps a novel poll would be in order, Jack Finney's The Body Snatchers (1955) vs. the similarly themed 1951 novel by Robert A. Heinlein called The Puppet Masters (I've read the Heinlein, and seen the movie, but not yet read the Finney).

Edited by Logan - July 25 2018 at 22:41

Which version of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" do you mean, the original or the remake?

Atavachron wrote: I vaguely remember the PotA animated series which as I recall was pretty good, but the Star Trek one--  wow, such a strange and bizarrely funny show.   Everyone sounds like they're stoned and floating in ether. But my all time fave ~

Logan wrote: ^^^ Love Slaughterhouse Five (Kurt Vonnegut is one om very favourite authors)

^Oh man, I loved Jonny Quest!  The episode with giant spider and the tank....what memories!

^^^ Love Slaughterhouse Five (Kurt Vonnegut is one om very favourite authors), Soylent Green and The Andromeda Strain of course, but the Amdromeda Strain is a particular favourite of those films (been meaning to read the Michael Crichton novel) .

^^ Great to see a vote for Barbarella. She and the the Great Tyrant are great beauties, and it is a very sexy and a very funny film (and th theme song is pure feel good magic).

^^^ You're right about Star Wars, and I think I had meant speculative and or/sci-fi, but all of these are speculative science fiction films. I think of Star Wars as more fantasy than science fiction. Love your choices, and I recommend voting for all of them.

I am a pretty big Apes fan when it comes to those 60s-70s film franchise (the first two especially). Th original's sequel Beneath the Planet of the Apes is pretty terrific for my tastes.

"Glory be to the Bomb and to the holy fallout as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen."

I even loved the cartoon series, which is similar to the Star Trek cartoons. Have also watched the 1970s live action TV series, though I don't like it so much.

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Shame that the post-apocalytic A Boy and His Dog (with Don Johnson) has no votes in this multiple vote poll (that's one that Dean liked as I recall, wish he was still around). It is on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BDxqhI9qDw

Friede and I have a special liking for "Barbarella"; Jane Fonda is so hot in this movie


Edited by BaldJean - July 24 2018 at 09:00

I didn't know that so thank you. I voted for the others

Logan wrote:  I've made it multiple choice for any who wish to vote for multiple entries

Edited by Jeffro - July 18 2018 at 11:08