Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

The 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a creepy film, not least because huge chunks of it are part of everyday life. While the original from 1956 is about the Red Scare of the late 1940s and early 1950s, this one strikes hard at conformism - which is the real issue at the heart of any witch hunt, past of present - and boasts Donald Sutherland, the quintessential actor of the edgy 1970s. Now, Invasion might not be gory or scary in the traditional sense, but it's one of the best paranoid thrillers out there, and as such it does its job much better than, say, Manchurian Candidate. We'll be watching Abel Ferrara's 1993 version called The Body Snatchers later this week, and tell you which one we prefer (The Invasion from 2007 is, of course, out of any serious consideration). Until then, enjoy the trailer!