Movie Mindset 04 - Body Snatchers and Spaces feat. Dan Boeckner
🕑 Added 2023-05-17 11:00:05 +0000 UTCWe’re joined by eldritch expert and Movie Mindset musical composer Dan Boeckner to discuss the three canonical Hollywood Body Snatchers films: 1956’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers directed by Don Siegel, 1978’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers directed by Philip Kaufman and 1993’s Body Snatchers directed by Abel Ferrara. We discuss the social, political and sexual themes of all three movies, from Cold War paranoia, to 70’s psyco-babble narcissism, to post-Gulf War end of history nihilism.
Credit for all theme/transition music in this series to Dan and Tim Kingsbury (@sampatchmusic)!
Find more of Dan’s music over at the Operators patreon: https://www.patreon.com/operators
NEXT WEEK: Two from Robert Altman, McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) & Nashville (1975).
Comments
Lizard
I always thought these were silly goofy movies and I guess sometimes they are but I went and saw the 1978 one in theaters and came out of it totally transfixed I'm SO glad I went
Karl Childers
i just watched the Abel Ferrara body snatchers and i have to offer a different interpretation of his take on the story. it's not really about US militarism or politics at all: it's about being an italian guy surrounded by WASPs
Franklin Shepard Inc.
I know im late and someone may have already talked about it but I always wondered how Nimoy's experiences with Synanon affected his performance as "evil quisling shrink"
Maouriceltic
Nimoy as evil spock in this is amazing
Kevin Mark Bradshaw
This gimmick sucks
Thomas Carroll
Take double indemnity. Great story, strong story. Not merely a premise. Not merely "will they get away with it "
Thomas Carroll
Nope it's not all the same. It's just that movies today lack a story or plot. Just a premise. Because you can market a movie with a good premise and people will go see it. Movies have been bad for so long that people don't care anymore. They just accept the slop. Horror is expected to be campy and lack a good story. Doesn't mean the movies are bad. Just lack a story
J.P. McD.
The broad strokes of a plot ("avoid bad thing") are usually the least important element of any story, and most movies could be boiled down to something that sounds stupid if you want to be reductive about it. "Criminal rises, criminal falls, derp The Godfather and Goodfellas and Scarface really drag in the middle for me. Good cinematography though derp"
Thomas Carroll
Idk why people love the horror genre so much. Every plot is the same: there's a scary bad thing. We must avoid the scary bad thing. The end. Wow, what a plot. Watched 1978 version, great acting, great cast, wonderfully shot, don't get me wrong. WELL MADE FILM. Really dragged in the middle for me. Why? Because you don't have to pay attention because you know the middle is just them avoiding the bad thing! 7/10.
George Lochinski
So so so so stoked for the Altman ep
Gumbo Pie
Well fuck me, the bugs are delicious now.
Clifton Whittaker
Invasion of the body snatchers is to call of Cthulhu classic as puppet masters is to pulp cthulu
Don Tickles
Please try Flesh and Bone (1993) bonkers
Cognitive Behavioral Torture
I love Hesse! More Hesse!
Degrassi Knoll
Lately for sure- definitely rating these eps 9-10 with most others still good just not outstanding....so many tangent comments that i'd be happy to listen to a full episode hearing them explore. Host Chemistry,+ Production Value way higher too... on board except CTH without Will wouldn't work
Ben Walsh
In the 1978 version Don Siegel is the taxi driver to the airport.
George Mitri
Cannot _wait_ for the Nashville ep. One of my fave __fave__ movies.
Thomas Carroll
PLEASE leave Chapo and do movie mindset forever. PLEEAAAASE I like it better than the main show and I love the main show
Thomas Mullane
Dan is fantastic. The whole crew riffing on these movies is really great. Thanks for making this.
Tyler Wise
Have you all seen the 2019 version called Assimilate? It’s set in a small Missouri town and is partially a found footage type as follows a trio of teens filming a webcam series and capturing pod people doing their thing on camera. The reaction of the pod people when the teens show them the footage is that they’ll straight up say it’s fake news and didn’t happen lol.
Treppy
loser
Greg Forsyth
There was already a loose remake in 2007 called The Invasion with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig.
Savannakhet
Surely a de facto 2010s remake would be the Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg film 'The World's End'.
Sam Hectic
The lost boys….pod adjacent? Santa Clara = Santa Mira
Sam Hectic
Staring klye rottenhouse and desantis.
Matthew Trimble
Not what I’m subbed for. Thought this was a leftist pod, not some slop about Hollywood.
Tom Halliday
Meg Tilly does such a good creepy mum performance in Body Snatchers! fun flick
Shauna Seroquel
So lovely! I was surprised they didn't mention Days of Heaven, which was the same damn year as IOTBS... Or maybe they did and I'm a weedtard?
Owen
Dan
I read that in Zizek’s voice so thank you for that.
skrrt vonnegut
PodPatrol
Matt
This was a great episode!
David Cox
Zizek would be for a more ethical society of pods where decency and the public use of reason prevails. No Carnivale or bachinnale. More purposeful alienation! No silly committee meetings to discuss trivialities! Leave me alone to read and write and make films for fuck sake. There here? Great!
Ovine Escorts LLC
I just figure he has Syndrome syndrome of some sort…must’ve called in with an epic question that was never answered on one of those eps :(
Thom
my take was that yeah it's one malicious alien entity but it's trying to use the illusion of a functional society as a lure
Jack Hume
Fight Club is like when you love your pod person and you try to convince them you each can be your own person but they are too commmitted
Scott Grabel
I always found the mechanics of how the takeover works confusing. Like, if the doppelgängers are just murdering the originals, then why do they describe it like the Borg assimilating people? If everyone is going to be killed, what does it matter how much better society is?
Nolan
You can only get tobacco pods in my state
Yarblockos
"Sleep is the path for the undisciplined." - Jocko Willink, probably.
J.W.
Regarding the woking in the '78: That was 100% how it was in many middle class west coast families. WOK NIGHT. The BUSKER was not actually portrayed physically on film by Garcia; rather, Jerry provided the banjo playing + vocals for Harry. The hybrid mandog haunted young me.
Winston
we love dan. we love hesse!
Chris Ryan
This guy is bringing back that classic vibe of the banned poster returning to a forum under a new name
Psych-O-Sonic 99
What next? Guest mic Devendra Banhart for their podcast exploring the Smithsonian Folkways archive? I love hearing based takes from washed up indie artists.
Psych-O-Sonic 99
There are so many movie podcasts. Why???
Psych-O-Sonic 99
I love how stupid podcasters are. Don Siegel is a right winger who directed one of the few prison movies to depict prisoner protests and organizing in a positive light —Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954). And one of the few non-reactionary JD films with Crime in the Streets (1956). Siegel’s Madigan (1968) might be the first anti-police brutality film made by a major Hollywood studio (script written by the blacklisted Abraham Polonsky).
Jason Edmiston
I'd do an awful lot for a Rita Hayworth autograph. Just sayin'...
Jim Veil
Definitely not too nerdy! The town in Halloween III is even called Santa Mira.
Gulb
For a second I was thinking that maybe the pods are movies. But then I was like "nah".
polarkeef
Philip Kaufmans Wanderers is a great movie
Chris T
Divine Fits is a very solid album.
Kurt Brendel
Surreal to see this title when I just started a book called bodysnatchers by juan carlos onetti this evening
James Proulx
It's subtle but in the opening scenes of the 1978 movie, right behind Duvall and the swing sets, there are truck loading pods/bodies. It just lets you know that, just like in the first movie, this is already underway.
Anna
I couldnt help but notice the similarities of the ending between the 78 version of body snatchers and Dont Look Now.
William Evans
You guys missed out by not doing the spiritual successor/remake, THE FACULTY the moral of which is that teens should do drugs in order to defeat aliens. Sequel episode plz!
Flesh Colored Subaru
This aint it chief
NYCM&AHole
Also amphetamines were over the counter. My grandfather told me he used to buy dexadrine from the pharmacy without a prescription
NYCM&AHole
I’m pro amphetamines too
John Williams
Shit, I have combined her career with her sister's. But all of these things are pretty much true for both of them.
Steve D
An essay around the time it came out was in esquire or gq, so this is not an original thought.
Kenny Hedges
So, I hope this isn't too nerdy, but Halloween III was originally intended to be more Body Snatcher-like, and Carpenter hired Quatermass screenwriter Nigel Kneale to make it such. All that remains in the finished version, really, are the robot guards.
Steve D
An interesting end of history pod people reversal is 1998’s Pleasantville.
John Leavitt
The Nicole Kidman/Daniel Craig 00s version THE INVASION is underrated if only cause it’s by the same director as DOWNFALL and fairly nakedly about how easily Americans would go in for fascism
Nolan
Poppy Chulo
Invasion of the booty snatchers, and it's an increasing number of overly effeminate gay men on roller skates sexually assaulting everyone.
John Williams
Meg Tilly is such an underrated 10/10 smokeshow and she should get an academy award for outstanding performance in getting naked and double crossing.
Michael S. Judge
"Santa Mira" is Spanish for "divine vision" or "holy image," hence (I imagine) the movie continuity
veni
Still in awe of Will's Unfrozen Caveman Movie Critic look for the art.
calvin kilby
i bag bitches up in john jay and hit a matinee
HarshMalarkey
Loving this series
John Grater
Shouts out to rich boy Winston and his zigzagoon
NYCM&AHole
Dog faced pod https://youtu.be/I5hc5E5DYig
EaZy E
I wake and bake and caffeinate. Then I don’t realize I’m working until like 11:30, and by then I have most of a day of work done.
Ben Zaretsky
The most truly dirtbag left thing that could happen is that politics is dropped completely and this becomes a full on movie reviewing pod. Be bold chapo.
big mood
bottlemen retvrn
Blank
Might be the ssris speaking but this was just a fantastic ep, really fun and engaging way to get through weds morning. Cheers all, excited to see where this pod goes.
Claire Casey
Grabbed myself a treat (redbull and two xannies, the lowest form of speedball) time to throw this on and "work" for two hours
Claire Casey
So now I know exactly who to blame for that song being stuck in my head all the damn time
David James
I never sleep, sleep is the cousin of death
William
Yee