Rated: 3.5 / 5

Extra half-star for Jon Stewart getting killed (sort of), and for Robert Patrick chasing after the principal while blowing his whistle. And when was the last time a film came out with such a cast of up-and-comers to rival that of the established standouts?

Robert Patrick makes the best of his role, relishing his ham. Clea Duvall is hot (and should’ve got better roles in her career). Jordana Brewster is even hotter (how I wish she didn’t get stuck with that Fast & Furious franchise). Elijah Wood was continuing to get a little push until Lord of the Rings. Josh Harnett is just getting started. Salma Hayek is just kinda there (still sticking with Rodriguez, and hasn’t starred in Frida yet). And Famke Janssen… always a pleasure to see you (I swear, she must’ve been having as much fun as Patrick, but in her own way as a personal joke satirizing the roles she usually gets).

The standout moment of the film for me was when Wood and Duvall are talking about conspiracy theories and subliminal messaging and brainwashing. Mainly regarding how films and books are made to put our defenses down so that we’re more prepped to be taken over by an alien invasion. Ironic, given the real thing this film (among 9/10 others) is actually prepping us for. Like making the main villain the blonde white girl. And also the background writings on the wall of history class starting in 1941 (WWII) and ending in 1995 (presumably the events of this film). Stating that Invasion of the Body Snatchers is fiction like Schindler’s List (in that the holocaust isn’t fiction). Nothing quite as blatant as what we get today (or even the worst of what was pushed back then), but still some subtle nudges to keep the average viewer’s mindset being influenced in that certain direction. You know, like that film Venom (2018) which is trying to convince you that parasites (aka jews) aren’t a bad thing. On the other hand, this is a film about a school (starting with the faculty) getting taken over by alien parasites that eventually intend to infect the whole town, and then the rest of the world. It makes you wonder.

This would be one of the last major films (alongside Class of 1999) that would have the balls to have a plot requiring students to rise up against teachers, and literally shoot at least one of them. That became a big no-no after the Columbine High School shooting (which would happen the year after this film was released). Probably the biggest incident next to 9/11 that finally blew up the explosive whose fuse had been lit for years, which altered American society and culture for the worse in the long-term. But the entertainment culture we had leading up to, and for the next decade following, those incidents before it all wound down to the state we have today… it was a ride. At least once you got past the 1950s.

90% of everything we got between 1935 and the early 1960s kinda sucked, those few standouts per year aside. But those few standouts included the most classic of monster films (many of which were done by Ray Harryhausen), one of which this film pays tribute to (Invasion of the Body Snatchers). Of course, it also pays tribute to a certain monster film from the 1980s as well (The Thing). Though I think Scream (1996) really got that satirical/celebratory trend going two years before this.

It’s funny. Back then to showcase their fond memories from films of the past the filmmakers enjoyed, they make something that takes inspiration from it while being its own thing. Sure it’s tongue-in-cheek, but at least it kept things serious enough without leaning too far on the facetious side of the fence. Nowadays films like this are facetious at best, pretentious at worst (having the gall to state the past must be discarded rather than remembered). Like the state of things must be treated as a joke without any attempt at sincerity, because they’re afraid of being mocked like Casey was by Delilah. But like Delilah in the film, the joke will eventually be on them when they’re forced to realize the current state of things must be taken seriously.

PS: It was nice to see that there was still some decent practical effects to be had alongside the CG, something sorely missed these days (probably why they don’t really make monster movies anymore; we get zombies and demon-possessed shit instead).