Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Welcome to 1956. The fear of Russian attack is becoming a reality and America is plunged into the dark days of the Cold War. This war put fear into the hearts of all Americans and there was an ever present sense of dread that they might one day be attacked at any time. It was also in 1956 that director Don Siegel released his own version of the Cold War... and America was introduced to a new enemy: the infamous Pod People. Audiences were scared all the way to Hell by the premise of waking up one day to find all your friends and family different and weird, with only a pretense of emotion and no real sense of love. I can identify with the audience because I was truly scared to death of going to sleep for about a week or two. The power of this original science fiction masterpiece was so great that it had and effect on me for a long time after I'd seen it. I began to look around me to see if my friends and family were becoming devoid of emotion and feeling. That is the effect that a true film of this genre should have.

First of all, the setting is perfect. The small town of Santa Mira, California is so claustrophobic and tight that there is a sense of dread even before you see any pods. What enhances the setting is Don Siegel's perfect way of using his camera to show his character's emotions and if you watch closely during the tense scenes, you'll notice that Siegel keeps the camera very close to his actors to keep the claustrophobia present. Yet another reason why the film is so scary is Ellsworth Fredricks' photography. During the day, Fredricks uses the usual photography, but he darkens it just a bit to always have a feeling of weirdness. The black and white cinematography enhances the mood even further just as George Romero would do many years later with NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. The pure shadows of the black and white create a scary and strange mood that never truly leaves you and you might find that life will never be the same again after watching this film. Could there be anything else? Yes! During the film, you will see how fast the parasites turn normal people into lifeless drones who are all a part of a utopian sociaty. This premise doesn't show any hope that the human race will exist no longer and this feeling enhances the terror of the situation.

The final step to a great classic is to have some good actors. This film has just that. Kevin McCarthy is perfect as Dr. Miles Bennell, displaying all the right emotions and feelings to give probably the most realistic performance of his career. The work of the supporting cast is also first rate and well done. All in all, the ability to scare is present at every given moment. Now on to the plot...

Dr. Miles Bennell is just returning to his home town of Santa Mira, California, expecting to feel right at home. Well, when he gets there, things seem to have changed. The town is not as bright and alive as it used to be. Many people seem to believe that their friends and family are not their friends and family anymore. On the good side, his girlfriend, Becky Driscoll, is back after five years. However, it seems that Becky herself has come back only to find bad news. Her cousin believes that her uncle Ira is not her uncle, that it is only someone who looks like Ira. He still remembers every moment of his life, but his emotion is gone. Later on in the night, things begin to get strange. Bennell's friend Jack has a problem at his house. Miles and Becky go there only to discover a body at Jack's house. When Bennell examines it, he discovers that it has no fingerprints and the body's face shows no sign of emotion. They also can't locate the cause of death. Miles leaves to take Becky home. During this, Jack is asleep at the bar. Jack's wife goes to look at the body only to see its eyes open. She screams and Jack wakes up, but when he looks, the eyes are closed. What's going on? When Miles comes back to Jack's house, he notices that the body's face is beginning to look a lot like Jack himself. He then gets a bad feeling about Becky and goes back to her house. In order not to wake up Becky's father, he breaks in through the cellar. Then, he opens a case in the cellar to discover Becky's body. However, when he goes upstairs, he sees Becky lying in her bed asleep. He quickly brings her to Jack's place where they are safe for a while. Then, it is at this point that they realise what's going on, when they witness the birthing of a pod form into the shape of their bodies! It seems that an alien race has come to Earth in the form of giant seed pods and while human beings sleep, the pods duplicate them and destroy the original body.

The premise of Don Siegel's classic will never lose the power to scare its audience and it will always be my favorite science fiction film.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older