Notes on an Invasion

You can sort of see through her top in this shot. That's kinda hot.

Don Siegel's Invasion was a satire on 1950s conformity, or maybe Hollywood's hysterical response to the threat of Communism. Philip Kaufman's 1970s remake spoofed yuppies and pop psychology, and Abel Ferrara set his 1990s version on a military base. Wonder what the target of this one will be? Oh, yuppies and pop psychology.

The aliens infect you by puking on you? That's pretty cool.

What's with Jeffrey Wright dropping science about R.E.M. sleep? It's an alien virus. It gets you when you sleep. It already makes sense. Don't try to explain it. You didn't see George Romero trying to explain zombies in Dawn of the Dead, did you? (Beyond shoot-it-in-the-head, I mean.) When there's no more room in hell, etc. Let it go.

This movie feels like it was edited with a vacuum cleaner.

These action scenes are pretty lame -- but some of the members of this radio-station preview audience are actually applauding. Are they studio plants? Pod people?

Speaking of pod people, remember the pods from the other Body Snatchers movies? Remember how creepy and effective it was to see somebody stumble across their own alien doubles in larval form? I sure hope this movie has one of those signature scenes. *

I know I could use some Mountain Dew. And this movie needs an adrenaline injection.

Wow, it's gotta hurt to have this as the follow-up to your breakthrough performance in Casino freaking Royale.

"Too bad about the war in Iraq and genocide in Darfur, but these things can't be avoided because they are part of human nature." That's your social subtext? Really? Wonder what else got Hoovered out of this thing.

Did it have to be a car chase? Hey, Wachowskis -- that's all you got?

According to the press notes, The Invasion was edited by Hans Funck, who worked on Downfall, The Experiment, Sophie Scholl: The Final Days and Iron Jawed Angels, and also by Joel Negron, whose credits include Gridiron Gang, House of Wax, and XXX. No offense to either of these gentlemen, but that does explain a lot.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers with a happy ending? Fuck me. D

* Nope.