1 out of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Supreme Siegel

thorny from , 29th October, 2009

I first watched this movie as an 10 year old in 1981.It has been a favorite of mine ever since.Paranoia and hysteria are the main theme of this movie throughout.Dont trust anyone,friends or family.It was made at the height of the communist witch hunts of the 50's and that is the underlying current of this film. Small town Americana has been invaded by alien life which is duplicating humans.The replicas are excactly the same but without emotion.Anyone who falls asleep will become an emotionless alien. The acting in this movie is first rate,especially by Kevin Macarthy(the hero).He does a great job of going from calm and relaxed to becoming a hysterical maniac running down the freeway.(keep an out eye for him in the 70's remake).Don Siegel seems to always get the best out of the actors in all his movies.The use of shadows and close ups in this film makes it feel claustrophic at times and heightens the tension throughout. I recommend anybody to view this movie.Watch on a dark,rainy night,lights off and just before you go to bed. And remember...do you really know anybody at all?

1 out of 1 people found the following review helpful:

You'll never sleep again!!!

NicolaD from from Durham, 17th February, 2008

A must see as the original body snatchers film. spooky stuff that holds up well today as it was never filled with special effects that dated, and the ones that are in it add to the atmosphere. Keep an eye on the family and friends, and look out for any personality changes after watching this. Supposedly a dig at communism taking control if we're caught napping, but it's spurned many a remake and spin off, which shows how good it was in the first place.

Classic sci-fi horror

A Customer from Stockport, 2nd February, 2009

Classic sci-fi horror as people start being replaced by 'soulless' copies. Kevin McCarthy is brilliant in the lead & the special effects, albeit sparse, are done really well considering this was made in the 1950s. I also liked how the ending leaves it quite wide open.

1950s b movies

johnnypistol from from Liversedge, 11th June, 2008

i loved this film and many others in the same vain hail to the b movie

A huge classic!

A Customer from London, 5th February, 2008

Absolutely amazing: do watch the b/w version (not the colour one), and try to imagine what impact such a movie could have had when it was released. So much more fantasy and class than the following re-makes! A huge sci-fi classic, not to be missed.

*** May contain spoilers ***

Reds under the beds

A Customer from Manchester, 26th November, 2007

A classic 50's sci fi set in a small town called Santa Mira where people's bodies get taken over by aliens in a thinly disguised anti communist message. There are some great camera angles and a lot of shadows along with a creepy music score. There are some iconic scenes particularly at the end when the main character is running in the middle of the road like a mad man trying to warn passing vehicles of the invasion. My favourite scene is where the main character and his girlfriend are hiding in his surgery (he is the local doctor) and they look outside onto the main square and see all the townsfolk congregating there walking in a sort of trance (very much the fore runner to the zombie movie).

0 out of 1 people found the following review helpful:

one of the best

ALAN CARTER from mersey side, 19th August, 2005

exciting,horrific.one of the few films were the remake was as good as the original