'Body Snatchers' is the second remake of the original 'Invasion Of The Body Snatchers', directed by Abel Ferrara and produced by Robert H. Solo, who also produced the first remake in 1978. The movie had only a limited release at the end of '93 and virtually no promotion, so for those that missed it in the theater (and that's most of you), Warner has issued this better than average film in a terrific laser disc.
The story should be fairly well known. The setting for this film is an Army base in the south. An EPA inspector is assigned to the base to monitor the use of chemical warfare agents and brings his family along. It doesn't take long for his teenage daughter to discover that something stinks in Denmark.
While there is nothing new in the story, the real attraction here is the very stylish look of the film. Director Ferrara seems to have a good feel for the wide frame. He comes up with some interesting compositions as well as a very slick direction. This transfer takes full advantage of both. The ratio is about 2.40:1 and appears to be essential in conveying the mood of the film. The quality of the transfer is superb. Colors appear very accurate with not a trace of chroma noise or smearing. Contrast and brightness are excellent as is sharpness and detail. There are some very slick lighting effects, often using smoke and shadow, and this transfer renders each scene flawlessly. I really cannot recall another transfer that I would consider demonstrably better than this.
The soundtrack is also quite good. Dialog is always clear, even in the presence of numerous effects sounds. I also found the soundtrack to be very dynamic. With the volume set for dialog many will find themselves scrambling for the volume control during a couple of special effects scenes (not me, I like 'em like this). I will also note that the opening title sequence is one of the more interesting I have seen in recent years. It seems to set the mood for the movie very effectively.
When Warner announced this title priced at $39.95, I was a bit disappointed as this film only runs 87 minutes and I thought Warner had decided a price increase was a bad idea after 'Free Willy' and 'Dennis The Menace' didn't do so well. As it turns out, Warner has spread the film to 3 sides with sides 2 and 3 in CAV. Which brings up another question. If they are going to put the film on 3 sides anyway and the running time is only 87 minutes, then why not all CAV. My guess is for better sides breaks (the breaks are fairly well chosen). If this is the case then someone at Warner should be given credit for finally knowing something about this format. All in all, a good film and an excellent presentation.
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