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The film is presented in the original 1.85:1 widescreen ratio and in 1080p high defintion, but there are some scenes where the print has a grainy haze across it. For the record, I’m watching on a Panasonic 50″ Plasma TV with a Samsung BD-P1500 Blu-ray player.
The sound has a DTS HD 5.1 option, but while I selected that, I couldn’t detect anything going on in the rear speakers. At one point there’s a stereo effect going on, but the rest of the time, it’s fairly basic.
The extras on this disc are as follows – most of which are in HD, too. Sadly, none are subtitled and the first few are full of people who are not connected with the film, which feels odd:
- Discussing the Pod (51:53): Novelist Kim Newman discusses the film with directors Norman J Warren (Inseminoid) and Ben Wheatley (Kill List, Sightseers & A Field in England).
If you’re a big fan of all three then you’ll enjoy the discussion.
- Dissecting the Pod (17:24): Director of Ungraduate Film Studies at Columbia University Annette Insdorf gives her thoughts on the film and the works of Kaufman.
- Writing the Pod (11:15): ‘Invasion’ is based on the novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney, and Jack Seabrook has written a book about Finney’s work. Here, Seabrook talks some more about Finney.
- Re-visitors from Outer Space (16:14): Now, this is more the kind of extra I think should’ve gone first. There’s clips mixed with chat from Donald Sutherland, Veronica Cartwright, screenwriter W.D. Richter, director Philip Kaufman, photography Michael Chapman and others.
I like how both Donald and Veronica were told different things about how the film would end, and so that’s how the outcome became totally spontaneous.
This and subsequent interview extras were all filmed in 2007.
- The Man Behind The Scream (12:47): Ben Burtt made all the sound effects for ‘Invasion’ and here, he takes you through them.
- The Invasion Will Be Televised (5:24): Kaufman, Richter, Chapman and author Christopher Vogler talk about the look of the film.
- Practical Magic: The Special Effects Pod (4:38): Special Effects whiz Howard Preston, and others from the previous pieces, talk about how the opening credits’ effects were very cleverly done on a shoestring budget.
- Trailer (2:12): Presented in 1.85:1.
- Director’s commentary: with Philip Kaufman.
As you put the disc in, the menu bursts into life with clips from the film and a piece of the theme. There are subtitles in English, but for this Special Edition the chaptering is anything BUT special with the usual 12 that so many films get these days. Very lazy.
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FILM CONTENT PICTURE QUALITY SOUND QUALITY EXTRAS |
8 8 7 6 |
| OVERALL | 7 |
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 116 minutes
Year: 1978
Released: November 18th 2013
Chapters: 12
Cat.no: FCD884
Picture: 1080p High Definition
Sound: DTS HD 5.1
Languages: English
Subtitles: English
Widescreen: 1.85:1
Disc Format: BD50
Director: Philip Kaufman
Producer: Robert H. Solo
Screenplay: WD Richter (based on the novel “The Body Snatchers” by Jack Finney)
Music: Denny Zeitlin
Cast:
Matthew Bennell: Donald Sutherland
Elizabeth Driscoll: Brooke Adams
Jack Bellicec: Jeff Goldblum
Nancy Bellicec: Veronica Cartwright
Dr. David Kibner: Leonard Nimoy
Dr. Geoffrey Howell, DDS: Art Hindle
Katherine Hendley: Lelia Goldoni
Dr. Miles J. Bennell: Kevin McCarthy
Taxi Driver: Don Siegel
Priest on Swing: Robert Duvall
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.