Body Snatchers (1993)
January 2, 2025 7:23 AM - Subscribe
[TRAILER] Teenager Marti (Gabrielle Anwar) has to move to Alabama with her stepmom Carol (Meg Tilly) and half-brother Andy when her EPA agent dad Steve (Terry Kinney) is assigned to audit the chemical use at a military base. Marti befriends Jean (Christine Elise), daughter of the base's commander, General Platt (R. Lee Ermey). When people at the base begin acting strangely, Marti becomes convinced that they are slowly being replaced by aliens.
Also starring Forest Whitaker, Billy Wirth.
Directed by Abel Ferrara. Screenplay by Stuart Gordon, Dennis Paoli, Nicholas St. John. Story by Raymond Cistheri, Larry Cohen. Based on the 1995 novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney. Produced by Robert H. Solo for Warner Bros. Cinematography by Bojan Bazelli. Edited by Anthony Redman. Music by Joe Delia.
71% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, including a (rare for horror) 4 star review from Roger Ebert.
Currently available for digital rental in the US. JustWatch listing. Also uploaded onto Internet Archive.
Acclaimed but controversial independent filmmaker Abel Ferrera (Bad Lieutenant, Ms. 45) was approached to do the film, which was his first for a major studio. Ferrara took a liking to the original story and stated that his appreciation of the story was why he fought for the film rather than quit it.
Also starring Forest Whitaker, Billy Wirth.
Directed by Abel Ferrara. Screenplay by Stuart Gordon, Dennis Paoli, Nicholas St. John. Story by Raymond Cistheri, Larry Cohen. Based on the 1995 novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney. Produced by Robert H. Solo for Warner Bros. Cinematography by Bojan Bazelli. Edited by Anthony Redman. Music by Joe Delia.
71% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, including a (rare for horror) 4 star review from Roger Ebert.
Currently available for digital rental in the US. JustWatch listing. Also uploaded onto Internet Archive.
Acclaimed but controversial independent filmmaker Abel Ferrera (Bad Lieutenant, Ms. 45) was approached to do the film, which was his first for a major studio. Ferrara took a liking to the original story and stated that his appreciation of the story was why he fought for the film rather than quit it.
We started our film, already we’re far enough into the script where Warner Bros already had the idea of strangers in a military camp. You couldn’t come up with a worse place or a worse starting point for that film. We did the best we could; without telling the guys at Warner Bros, I was holding onto the original story, minus the narration....We had a lot of money and we were out in the middle of nowhere, so it was in the editing that it went south. Dede Allen was a really talented editor at Warners, in charge of all the editing for all the films. I mean, I butted heads, because I don’t like anybody telling me what to do. But, you know, we had a pretty good editor ourselves [Anthony Redman], and we were able to play a game well enough that… you’ve seen the film, right?...Right. I’m glad you like it – I like it too. But could it have been better? Sure. Would I like to do a remake of that? Yeah.Nearly every review you will see of this film will make a point of citing Meg Tilly's chilling monologue as the film's highlight. With the production constantly changing due to studio interference, Tilly was asked during production to come up with her own monologue for this scene. So this entire famous scene was something she wrote herself.
[points and screams]
posted by Lemkin at 1:38 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]
posted by Lemkin at 1:38 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments

At this point, 30+ years later, the film's flaws have aged enough to accept them as part of the film as an artefact, allowing its finer points a little more room to breathe and be enjoyable.
You really have to see that Meg Tilly monologue.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:27 AM on January 2 [2 favorites]