Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) Signature Release - October 16, 2018

[HD Goofnut]

I'll double dip for a new master.

[tomricci]

It would be a great release, if it includes the commentary track that had been recorded with Joe Dante and Kevin McCarthy and the original director’s cut without the bookends and narration. And Agree The Thing from Another World should be next!

[Mystic]

Originally Posted by Rzzzz

Excellent ! I can't wait to see what the extras are. Maybe this will be a big seller for Olive so they can get back in the game like they used to ? The one thing I hated about Olive was their lack of extras, so I love that they are concentrating on Signature releases. These are great.....

I'm hoping this is the start of a new beginning for Olive, they really need to get back in the game, and start stepping it up again with better BD releases.

[Monterey Jack]

Looking forward to the specs, but will hold onto the slipcover from my current Olive Blu.

[noirjunkie]

Originally Posted by SeanJoyce

Man I'd love it if viewers got the choice to watch the movie as is or have it end where Siegel originally wanted it to. Technically one can always hit "Stop", but a switch to a black credit screen once the fade to the police station occurs would be awesome.

The original director's cut exists, and it aired on some PBS stations back in the 90s. That's actually how I first saw the film, and the original ending was a big part of why it had such an impact on me. If Olive can provide the option to watch it that way, it would be a major coup.

[Robert Furmanek]

The intended aspect ratio during principle photography was 1.85:1.

The original audio as heard theatrically was three-channel Perspecta Stereophonic sound. Paramount has restored these tracks.

[ric83]

it's up for preorder now at amazon.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers Blu-ray

[Mystic]

Originally Posted by ric83

it's up for preorder now at amazon.

Ouch, I hope that $39.95 pre-order price drops before release date.

[octobercountry]

Oh good, haven't seen this for ages and would like to have a copy (I've always preferred it over the remakes).

It really is a shame that the original elements no longer survive and so we're locked into the cropped 2.00:1 version. Though---realistically---there is only a minimal difference between 1.85:1 and 2.00:1, so it isn't as if this severely affects the film. (Check out the frame grabs on this thread to see just how little difference there is between the ratios.): https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=183967

So, this never had a true stereo track, just a Perspecta track? I wonder what will be on the new blu-ray...

[GeoffOliver]

I love this movie and have the current release. May double dip if it's worth it. The existing transfer is just fine, but the film really needed some extras... The current slip is just awesome though, and I may hold onto it myself.

[Vixen of the Night]

Originally Posted by cakefactory

If they have that, I'll buy it in a second. Otherwise, it's really going to depend on extras. I didn't like this version nearly as much as the 1978 or even 1993 versions (I'm a heathen, I know). I saw it third, so that has something to do with it, but that ending really kind of killed it for me. Much like Psycho! I know they were studio mandated, but yuck.

The ending of Psycho was not tacked on! If you've read the book(which isn't as great as the movie). It features a similar 'explanation' sequence by other characters mentioning what they heard the psychiatrist talk about.

I love the delivery of Simon Oakland as the psychiatrist and think it's a great sequence of the doctor indulging in himself as smarter than the people in the room. I actually wrote a similar sequence(with the character named Dr. Oakland) in a slasher script of mine that milks the humor out of it for those who'd get the reference. If only I could get the project made!

The studio ending of Body Snatcher's isn't terrible either, since while tacked on. There is still the possibility that

[Show spoiler]the pod people are taking over and winning. After-all, they got control of the phone lines, and pods have been shipping out long before the end of the movie. So the plot unfolds as people don't suspect a thing. So despite them contacting the military. The movie ends there and we're not left knowing what happens afterwards, and there is no guarantee they got to alert the military or the military could already be taken over?

It would be great to see the movie as originally intended though without those sequences and lacking the narration(which does give a noir vibe, but I know it's mostly explaining everything to the audience and not allowing the dread to unfold gradually as intended).

[GeoffOliver]

Yeah, the ending is still ambiguous, just not as much as the director would have liked, same with Psycho. Apparently studios didn't take audiences' intelligence very seriously back then, just like today...

[The Snowy Owl]

Page is too blank, gonna need more info before droppin’ that much cash on this over DVD.

[oddbox83]

Has it appeared at any other ratio before, excluding crops of this ratio?

[Albie989]

I'll hold out for more information before I buy...and then I'll buy the '78 Body Snatchers as well.

[Akijama]

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by Akijama

[Show spoiler]

Well done, Olive.

[Member-222782]

It's a beaut. Nice job, Olive.

[Member-167298]

You can all thank me. I finally unsealed my copy a few weeks ago.

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by PrestonXI

You can all thank me. I finally unsealed my copy a few weeks ago.

Thank you for your service.