Invasion of the Body Snatchers [Blu-ray] [Import]

The invasion's already begun when Elizabeth Driscoll (Brooke Adams) comes home one night to find out her husband, Dr. Geoffrey Howell (Art Hindle) has to go to an important meeting -- one which falls on the same night as the hockey playoffs he was so excited about attending the night before. Suspicious, she tracks his movements and discovers he's meeting with people she doesn't know and exchanging strange packages with them. The next day, she tells a colleague, Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland) and he convinces her to talk to Dr. David Kibner (Leonard Nimoy). When she does, he tries to convince her it's all in her head! Matthew then becomes convinced, due to a series of strange events, that the only people he can trust his closest friends: Elizabeth, Jack (Jeff Goldblum), and his wife Nancy (Veronica Cartwright).

The picture and audio quality on this DVD are excellent. There's no grain to be found and the Dolby Digital soundtrack sounds rich and full. Closed captioning is offered for the hearing impaired, but you need a TV that offers it. Both Widescreen and Fullscreen versions are offered on a double-sided disc (for those not fully converted to Widescreen). The menus are easy to navigate, allowing access to scene selection and two special features: the original theatrical trailer and the audio commentary by director Phillip Kaufman.

A great remake of the 1956 Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Kevin McCarthy (from the original) has a cameo as a frantic man who warns Matthew and Elizabeth of the coming invasion. This movie has excellent SFX, especially the clone transformation scenes, which are horrifying!. There are also some terrific performances by the leads of the cast, including Donald Sutherland and Brooke Adams. The film itself has a truly creepy atmosphere, along with a prevailing sense of paranoia that never lets up! The movie "grabs" you by the hand and keeps you glued to your seat until the unforgettable ending!

Sutherland, Goldblum and Cartwright deliver excellent performances as the last hold-outs against an alien invasion. Just enough action and special effects to compliment the well paced mounting suspense.

DVD offers commentary track which also proves interesting. The only glitch for me is how non-aliens can get away with blending in with the aliens, if they don't/can't speak the special alien "language."