Olive Films proudly presents the following Olive Signature title:
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) - BD only
LIMITED TO 5,000 BLU-RAY UNITS887090601801
SRP: $39.95
INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS – OLIVE SIGNATURE
KEVIN McCARTHY
(Death of a Salesman, The Misfits, Innerspace)
DANA WYNTER
(Airport, Sink the Bismarck, The Crimson Pirate)
LARRY GATES
(Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, In the Heat of the Night, The Sand Pebbles)
KING DONOVAN
(The Defiant Ones, The Enforcer, The Hanging Tree)
CAROLYN JONES
(The Bachelor Party, A Hole in the Head, TV’s The Addams Family)
Directed by
DON SIEGEL
(Dirty Harry, The Shootist, Jinxed)
Don Siegel’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers features the talents of Academy Award® winner Ted Haworth (Best Art Direction, Sayonara – 1958) along with nominees Kevin McCarthy (Best Supporting Actor, Death of a Salesman – 1952), Carolyn Jones (Best Supporting Actress, The Bachelor Party – 1958) and Ellsworth Fredericks (Best Cinematography, Sayonara – 1958).
YEAR: 1956 GENRE: SCI-FI LANGUAGE: ENGLISH (with optional English subtitles) LABEL: OLIVE FILMS TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 80 mins RATING: N/R VIDEO: 2.00:1 Aspect Ratio; B&W AUDIO: MONO
OLIVE SIGNATURE FEATURES
New High-Definition digital restoration
Audio Commentary by film historian Richard Harland Smith
Audio Commentary by actors Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter, and filmmaker Joe Dante
"The Stranger in Your Lover's Eyes" – A two-part visual essay with actor and son of director Don Siegel, Kristoffer Tabori, reading from his father's book A Siegel Film
"The Fear is Real" – Filmmakers Larry Cohen and Joe Dante on the film's cultural significance
"I No Longer Belong: The Rise and Fall of Walter Wanger" – Film scholar and author Matthew Bernstein discusses the life and career of the film's producer
"Sleep No More: Invasion of the Body Snatchers Revisited" – Never-before-seen appreciation of the film featuring actors Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter, along with comments from film directors and fans, John Landis, Mick Garris, and Stuart Gordon
"The Fear and the Fiction: The Body Snatchers Phenomenon" – Never-before-seen interviews with Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter, along with film directors John Landis, Mick Garris and Stuart Gordon, discussing the making of the film, its place in history, and its meaning
1985 archival interview with Kevin McCarthy hosted by Tom Hatten
“Return to Santa Mira" – An exploration of the film's locations
"What's In a Name?" – On the film's title
Gallery of rare documents detailing aspects of the film's production including the never-produced opening narration to have been read by Orson Welles
Essay by author and film programmer Kier-La Janisse
Original theatrical trailer
“They’re already here! You’re next!” With these chilling words, Invasion of the BodySnatchers sounded a clarion call to the dangers of conformity, paranoia, and mass hysteria at the heart of 1950s American life. Considered one of the greatest science fiction films ever made, Invasion of the Body Snatchers stars Kevin McCarthy (Academy Award® nominee, Best Supporting Actor, Death of A Salesman – 1952) as Miles Bennell, a doctor in a small California town whose patients are becoming increasingly overwrought, accusing their loved ones of being emotionless imposters. They’re right! Plant-like aliens have invaded Earth, taking possession of humans as they sleep and replicating them in giant seed pods. Convinced that a catastrophic epidemic is imminent, Bennell, in a terrifying race for his life, must warn the world of this deadly invasion of the pod people before it’s too late.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers, directed by the accomplished Don Siegel (Dirty Harry, The Shootist) and co-starring Dana Wynter (Airport), Carolyn Jones (A Holein the Head), Larry Gates (The Sand Pebbles) and King Donovan (The Enforcer), was photographed by Academy Award nominee Ellsworth Fredericks (Best Cinematography, Sayonara – 1958) with production design by Academy Award winner Ted Haworth (Best Art Direction, Sayonara – 1958).
The aspect ratio is going to turn some people off due to the film being shot at 1.37:1 according to RAH, but Siegel composed it at 1.85:1 yet it was released Superscope 2.00:1 ratio. We've been discussing the aspect ratio issue with this film for many years and it's going to continue if Olive is indeed going to released it in 2.00:1 ratio.
Anyhow, at least there are subtitles that should make some of us happy and the extras looked great. I suspect some of us will wait for reviews, but I'm buying this release right away. The film is a personal favorite of mine since childhood and I want to revisit it again this October.
If this is (forgetting the OAR) finally the definitive release in terms of great PQ (sharpness, contrast, black levels, natural grain, etc.), I am biting at the bit to own it. One of the scariest sci-fi thrillers ever, it does nothing but become more sociologically and politically more relevant by the year. Love this movie! The extras on the disc are impressive after decades of crap releases in all formats. October 16 will be a sweet day for me.
A member at the other forum asked Olive about this release on Facebook, here's Olive's response:
"Thank you for reaching out. Our Invasion of the Body Snatchers – Olive Signature release is a 2K scan, and uses a mono soundmix. Let us know if you have any more questions!"