31 Days of Scares- #18 ‘Body Snatchers’ Where Ya Gonna Go?
The 31 Days of Scares isn’t a countdown of the best horror movies. In fact, it’s not even about the best movies. It’s simply about some of my favorite “scares” or scenes from horror movies and they’re in no particular order. So there’s no need to debate countdown order. It’s pretty random. With that said: on to the countdown!
Most of our picks for the 31 Days of Scares have been of the “violent” variety. Either people were being horribly murdered or there was some sort of horrific imagery involved, but they tended to be violent in some way or another. So, keeping that in mind, I decided to go for a scare that was radically different: a monologue!
There have been quite a few adaptations of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”, most notably the old black and white 1956 film and of course the 1978 Donald Sutherland remake. However, while I think both of these films are classics, I have to say that my favorite version is the 1993 remake. The biggest reason being that it was the first version I had seen, so nostalgia might be clouding my judgement on this one.
That being said, the scene I chose to share today is the great monologue that Meg Tilly delivers towards the end of the film. At this point in the story Terry, the father of the family, finally realizes that everyone is being replaced by aliens. Of course he comes to this realization too late and his wife (Meg Tilly) has already been replaced.
This moment comes at the climax of the film when our main protagonists are trying to make a desperate escape to save their lives. However, Meg Tilly’s speech reveals how futile their situation is. Her performance in this scene is absolutely chilling and it pulls the rug out from under you as you start to understand how screwed these characters are. It’s even repeated in the closing seconds of the film to let you know that, yeah, this is it.
And of course it wouldn’t be a great Body Snatcher scene if someone didn’t do that ear piercing scream and Meg Tilly delivers a fantastic one with a face that’ll haunt your dreams. Check out the scene below and let me know you think!
BONUS SCENE! Alright, I couldn’t resist triple dipping on this one. I just have to talk about the other two “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” movies. What about “Invasion” you ask? What about it indeed! We shall not speak of it.
There are some truly great scenes from the 1978 “Snatchers” film, but the one that will forever be burned into my mind is when they come across the dog. It’s truly a huge “WHAT THE HELL?!” moment and it’s incredibly bizarre. Check it out below.
As for the original black and white “Snatchers”, there’s no greater scene then the final moments of the film. Seeing Kevin McCarthy desperately plead for people to listen to him and heed his warning is heart breaking. It’s a scene where you can easily imagine yourself ignoring him and going about your day, blind to your inevitable doom. It’s truly a classic moment in cinema and horror.
BONUS BONUS SCENE! Just for fun, let’s also revisit the moment Kevin McCarthy recreates his iconic scene in the 1978 version of “Body Snatchers.” When you watch this scene it’s almost as if he’s been running and screaming for the last 22 years.
