“My husband is not my husband.”
Do not trust anyone.
There’s something to say about an idea which gets recycled every 20 years or so. Such is the case with Jack Finney’s classic The Body Snatchers. It’s tale has produced a number of classic films and a subgenre of celluloid terror which continues to terrify audiences. That legacy proves to be solid with 2007’s The Invasion, a film which - eerily enough - was way ahead of its time as a virus-like contagion infects humans before taking them over and making zombie-like variants out of them all.
"has developed a cult following which has only grown in the wake of covid-19"
The Invasion might be the lesser known adaptation of Finney’s narrative, but it is as unsettling as the rest of the adaptations as psychiatrist Carol Bennell (Nicole Kidman) and Ben (Daniel Craig) begin to notice something strange about the people in their circle of friends and a strange substance which was a part of a space shuttle crash.
While critically panned by almost everyone at the time of its release, The Invasion has developed a cult following which has only grown in the wake of covid-19 and the constant threat of yet another pandemic in the future. And now Arrow Video has given the film their full attention with their handling of this edge-of-your-seat thriller as it makes its debut on 4K UHD with a wealth of new and archival extras.
Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel and featuring performances from Jeremy Northam and Jeffery Wright, The Invasion ratchets up the tension fairly early as a lot of random incidents - some involving trick or treating which are eerily memorable - add up to give Kidman’s character pause . . . just what is going on with people?
From her patients - Veronica Cartwright being a standout (who was also in Philip’s Kaufman’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers) - to her ex-husband and beyond, the people she once knew are not the same. Something is spreading like a virus through them and replacing who they once were with carbon copies . . . and it’s a freaking nightmare when she finds herself infected!
She must never fall asleep or else! Produced by Joel Silver, and also starring Daniel Craig, Jeffrey Wright, and Veronica Cartwright, The Invasion arrives again!
Limited Edition / 4K Ultra HD
Home Video Distributor: Arrow Films
Available on Blu-ray - November 12, 2024
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: LPCM 2.0
Discs: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc; Single disc
Region Encoding: 4K region-free
A space shuttle crashes to Earth carrying an alien organism. Soon people are changing, becoming detached and emotionless. People like CDC director Tucker Kaufman (Jeremy Northam) who is investigating the crash. Meanwhile his ex-wife, psychiatrist Carol Bennell (Nicole Kidman), sees the same behaviour in a friend of their son, and a patient claims that her husband is no longer her husband. As people all across Washington D.C. become infected and the insidious epidemic spreads, Carol must fight to protect herself and her son, who might just hold the key to stopping the escalating invasion. Produced by Joel Silver, and also starring Daniel Craig, Jeffrey Wright, and Veronica Cartwright, this edge-of-your-seat thriller makes its debut on 4K UHD with a wealth of new and archival extras.]
VIDEO
There’s a steely gloss to much of this 4K transfer. While the CGI might be a little gamey, the textures once in the city are dynamic and crisp and the night sequences never bleed. This is an impressive 2160p transfer in its original 2.40:1 aspect ratio which has been remastered in 4K resolution by Arrow Video and graded in 4K HDR10/Dolby Vision. The details in the diner and the clothing and some of the furnishing items are a reason to appreciate the visual “pop” throughout the high definition transfer. The atmosphere – especially the cinematography – is especially nice.
AUDIO
Cue the paranoia! Presented here in a strong DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track, the sound design is an absolute gem on this release!
Supplements:
Commentary:
- With film critics Andrea Subissati and Alexandra West, co-hosts of The Faculty of Horror podcast
Special Features:
4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
- 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Original lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Brand new audio commentary by film critics Andrea Subissati and Alexandra West, co-hosts of The Faculty of Horror podcast
- Body Snatchers and Beyond, a new visual essay by film scholar Alexandra Heller Nicholas
- That Bug That's Going Around, a new visual essay exploring The Invasion as pandemic prophecy by film scholar Josh Nelson
- We've Been Snatched Before, an archival featurette from 2007
- The Invasion: A New Story, an archival featurette from 2007
- The Invasion: On the Set, an archival featurette from 2007
- The Invasion: Snatched, an archival featurette from 2007
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
- Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing by film critics William Bibbiani and Sally Christie
- Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Tommy Pocket
- Double-sided fold out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tommy Pocket
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: PG-13.
Runtime: 99 mins
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Writer: David Kajganich
Cast: Nicole Kidman; Daniel Craig; Jeremy Northam
Genre: Sci-fi | Thriller
Tagline: Do Not Trust Anyone.
Memorable Movie Quote: "When you wake up, you'll feel exactly the same."
Theatrical Distributor: Warner Bros.
Official Site: https://www.arrowvideo.com/4k/the-invasion-limited-edition-4k-uhd/15607333.html
Release Date: August 17, 2007
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: November 12, 2024
Synopsis: As a Washington, D.C. psychiatrist unearths the origin of an alien epidemic, she also discovers her son might be the only way it can be stopped.
