Goodness knows it’s not that I can’t enjoy an old movie.
I understand that FX stunk in 1958. I understand that things were different in 1958. I understand that horror films had to have obligatory EXCITING! opening music in 1958.
But I saw a movie released in 1956 called ‘Invasion Of The Body Snatchers’ that was pretty darn good (I think I under-rated it, actually…oops).
The difference between ‘Invasion’ and this?
‘Invasion’ takes a great idea and plays it out well using decent acting, directing, and writing.
This takes a great idea and plays it out badly using wooden acting (except for Patricia Owens, the female lead), and poor directing.
Owens is working by herself most of the time, surrounded by puppets and cliches, and that’s how she looks.
I mean…at the end, when they’re walking away from the camera, the boy LIFTS HIS FOOT AWKWARDLY OVER a croquet hoop, instead of, you know…breaking the “perfect” symmetry of the departing line by stepping slightly to the side, just to keep the “perfect ending” in place.
No need to re-take that.
We’ve come full-circle. In 1986, this was remade to salvage a great idea with: good acting, a much better script, and better directing. The FX are improved too, of course…but that’s not what makes it a good film.
Now, we’re remaking films from about thirty years ago and making them suck with slick, robotic acting and bad scripts; hoping that the GREAT FX and all the AMAZING visuals will hide the fact that they suck.
About 54 minutes in: “Perhaps booze would alleviate this situation…”
A short time later: “This house has sho gone crazy!”
Upped a notch for inspiring the 1986 remake.
Grade: D
4/21/16: Instant re-review – I loved it. Much better than ‘Cats’. I’m going to watch it again and again.