Episode 5: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Remake is often a dirty word among cinema purists, but not only are Erik Childress and Morgan Gire discussing one of the best they have found a genuine friendship at the center. Donald Sutherland’s Matthew and Brooke Adams’ Elizabeth are work colleagues but clearly have become great friends. She tells him about her distant boyfriend and he takes shots at him in kind. Naturally anyone who knows this story is aware their bond is about to be put the stress test that may bring them closer together. Does Matthew harbor some secret feelings for her that she is not aware of? How does Leonard Nimoy’s Dr. Kibner stand up to psychiatric scrutiny? And are the pod people capable of learning genuine human emotion or are their feelings naturally suppressed? It’s all part of the discussion of the kind of unique love story that films rarely do anymore.