In Britain, bodies of NATO paratroopers are being snatched during routine jumps by a mysterious red-beam of alien origin.In Britain, bodies of NATO paratroopers are being snatched during routine jumps by a mysterious red-beam of alien origin.In Britain, bodies of NATO paratroopers are being snatched during routine jumps by a mysterious red-beam of alien origin.
Hilary Heath
- Julie Slade
- (as Hilary Dwyer)
Pamela Conway
- Lorna
- (as Lorna Wilde)
Carol Hawkins
- Paula
- (as Carolanne Hawkings)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhen the aliens' spaceship appears, the model used is the same one from Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966), but repainted in a lighter shade.
- GoofsWhen Allen is about to jump from the Dragon Rapide aircraft, the shot goes to the cockpit of the aircraft and the altimeter clearly indicates 0 ft. The radio conversation states the plane is at 11,000ft but the shot from the ground show an aircraft at only about 2000ft and the reverse shot from the AC the height seems even lower.
- Alternate versionsThe film was originally passed uncut as an 'X' for cinema by the BBFC before poor sales led to the film being recalled and re-cut for an 'A' certificate. The cuts included edits to Lorna's swimming scene to remove nudity and a shortening of the love scene between Lorna and Bob. The version issued by Anchor Bay in the Tigon Collection box set is the edited print.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Discussing the Pod (2013)
Featured review
Nice aerial footage, dull on the ground
A few minutes of well-shot footage of parachute jumps and aerobatic flying seem the real impetus for this British science fiction picture. When there are no bodies hurtling towards the ground or planes shooting past each other, what's left is a bad script with far too many scenes of men in suits talking in offices and not nearly enough science or action. Since it was made for a family audience, there isn't even much in the way of female flesh.
Patrick Allen and his improbably large chin take the lead. His character, a NATO troubleshooter, is big on the sub-James Bond womanising and tough posturing. Yet for all his smooth lines and fetching cardigans, he does curiously little to actually solve the mystery of disappearing military parachutists. Plot development consists of supporting characters waving a Geiger counter over a few things while Allen chases the girls.
George Sanders is normally a reliable figure (see the far superior Psychomania, for instance), but he is wasted here as a personality-deficient general. Hilary Dwyer has the requisite qualities for a female star, being very pretty and a great screamer. Lorna Wilde is quite fetching as a mysterious blonde, but the rest of the cast do little.
This is a competently-made film from people who understood the limitations of their budget, limitations which mean rare special effects and few action sequences. The real problem is an absence of ideas or any ambition beyond filling the screen for 90 minutes. Once all the aerial footage has been used up, what is left is a very unoriginal story with little imagination or characterisation and lots of dialogue of a "The minister isn't going to like this" type. Nonetheless, Reg Tilsley's jazz score deserves a mention, ratcheting the tension even when the most mundane action is unfolding on screen.
It's hard to recommend this film when there are so many better British exploitation films from the era; it lacks even any Austin Powers-ish campness and shows nothing of 1960s Britain. As an attempt at family-friendly science fiction from Tigon, a studio better known for its sexually-frank horror, it's a slight curio of film history. For entertainment, you're better off jumping out of a plane, or even watching an in-flight movie.
Patrick Allen and his improbably large chin take the lead. His character, a NATO troubleshooter, is big on the sub-James Bond womanising and tough posturing. Yet for all his smooth lines and fetching cardigans, he does curiously little to actually solve the mystery of disappearing military parachutists. Plot development consists of supporting characters waving a Geiger counter over a few things while Allen chases the girls.
George Sanders is normally a reliable figure (see the far superior Psychomania, for instance), but he is wasted here as a personality-deficient general. Hilary Dwyer has the requisite qualities for a female star, being very pretty and a great screamer. Lorna Wilde is quite fetching as a mysterious blonde, but the rest of the cast do little.
This is a competently-made film from people who understood the limitations of their budget, limitations which mean rare special effects and few action sequences. The real problem is an absence of ideas or any ambition beyond filling the screen for 90 minutes. Once all the aerial footage has been used up, what is left is a very unoriginal story with little imagination or characterisation and lots of dialogue of a "The minister isn't going to like this" type. Nonetheless, Reg Tilsley's jazz score deserves a mention, ratcheting the tension even when the most mundane action is unfolding on screen.
It's hard to recommend this film when there are so many better British exploitation films from the era; it lacks even any Austin Powers-ish campness and shows nothing of 1960s Britain. As an attempt at family-friendly science fiction from Tigon, a studio better known for its sexually-frank horror, it's a slight curio of film history. For entertainment, you're better off jumping out of a plane, or even watching an in-flight movie.
helpful•202
- pottedstu
- Mar 27, 2005
- How long is The Body Stealers?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Invasion of the Body Stealers
- Filming locations
- Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK(studio: filmed at Shepperton Studios)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 31 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content