History YMMV / InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: While seeng the transformation of cousin Wilma, and the kid who were instating that their loved ones had been replaced made for good scenes, it might have also been nice seeing one or both survive to become an ally in the final act. Likewise, Jack and Teddy might have been able to have a BigDamnHeroes moment if they hadn't apparently been captured offscreen.

* UncannyValley: In universe as well, at least in the original. The duplicates look like, sound like, act like and have all the memories of the original, but their close relatives know ''something'' is wrong.
** Featured quite heavily in the 1978 version as well with numerous characters believing (correctly) their spouses/lovers/etc are fakes.

* {{Applicability}}: Each film follows the same basic plot, but uses the aliens as a metaphor for different contemporary fears -- communism (or [=McCarthyism=], as noted above) in TheFifties, urban alienation in TheSeventies, ''[[StepfordSuburbia suburban]]'' alienation and military regimentation in TheNineties, and the paranoia of TheWarOnTerror in [[TurnOfTheMillennium the 2000s]].

* TheyWastedAPrfectlyGoodCharacter: While seeng the transformation of cousin Wilma, and the kid who were instating that their loved ones had been replaced made for good scenes, it might have also been nice seeing one or both survive to become an ally in the final act. Likewise, Jack and Teddy might have been able to have a BigDamnHeroes moment if they hadn't apparently been captured offscreen.

* HarsherInHindsight: The original novel, the 1956 and 1978 films have been seen as allegories of communist takeover. While the future is current a ways off from the global takeover depicted in the film and novel, [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical and the communism angle is one of several put forth for the film]], the idea of communist takeover was a reality when they were written since [[UsefulNote/ColdWar The Cold War]] was taking place, UsefulNotes/MaoZedong was in power in China and [[{{UsefulNotes/NorthKorea}} Kim Il-Sung was laying the groundwork for the tyrannical Kim Dynasty and the political ideology of Juche]]. Future events reinforcing this idea include [[{{UsefulNotes/Cambodia}} Pol Pot rising to power and forming the Khmer Rouge in 1963]], UsefulNotes/FidelCastro forming the Communist Party of Cuba in 1965, the fact that Kim Il-Sung's communism-derived Juche ideology has lasted into the 21st century and [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement increasing communist sympathies]] ([[InsistentTerminology often called socialism]]) [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement in Western society in the 1990's - 2000's]].

* BrokenBase: There's a noticeable divide among film critics and historians over whether the film is an allegory for Communist takeover or the insular paranoia of [=McCarthyism=], both of which were fears of the American public at the time the film was made.

* BrokenBase: There's a noticeable divide among film critics and historians over whether the film is an allegory for Communist takeover or the insular paranoia of McCarthyism, both of which were fears of the American public at the time the film was made.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: There's some room for uncertainty regarding whether the aliens are truly replacing the originals, and taking their memories is merely useful for blending in, or if they actually see themselves as merging with the original individual in a symbiotic relationship. This can make the aliens either a case of AlwaysChaoticEvil, or simply BlueAndOrangeMorality.

* DeathOfTheAuthor: While the 1956 film is a metaphor for communist takeover and covertly replacing Americans slowly until they're too dug-in to expel (preying on [=McCarthy=]-style paranoia), it funnily enough also works perfectly as a metaphor for the conformist culture that arose in part ''because'' of that paranoia.
* NightmareRetardant: The 2007 version, which is LighterAndSofter than the previous versions and is {{Anvilicious}} in its attempts to incorporate TheWarOnTerror.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Try watching ''Film/{{Pleasantville}}'' immediately before or after the 1956 version; it's a weird antithesis.
** Also, there's some room for uncertainty regarding whether the aliens are truly replacing the originals, and taking their memories is merely useful for blending in, or if they actually see themselves as merging with the original individual in a symbiotic relationship. This can make the aliens either a case of AlwaysChaoticEvil, or simply BlueAndOrangeMorality.
* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: Danny Zeitlin's score to the 1978 version, helping enhance the horror through atonal, synthsizer-based jazz music.
* FunnyAneurysmMoment: There's a moment early on in the 1978 film at a playground where a priest (likely having become a pod person) is on a swing while staring at small children who are playing. Suprised 4Chan hasn't [[MemeticMolester picked up on that yet]].
* HilariousInHindsight: The pod people in the 1978 film would like to remind you that [[{{Film/Airplane}} the yellow zone is for loading and unloading only.]]
* MemeticMutation: That "pointing" bit from the end of the 1978 film has become an ImageMacro. No text needed.
* {{Narm}}:
** Some of Miles's narration in the 1956 version crosses over into this, as does the whole OTT "You're next!" scene.
--> "I'd been afraid a lot of times in my life, but I didn't know the real meaning of fear until... until I kissed Becky."
** At least some of the horror generated by the infamous man-dog scene from the 1978 version is undermined by the banjo music playing in the background.
** The pod scream in the 1993 version quickly becomes this, especially how the camera simply lingers on the pod person with no angles or quick cuts.

* RetroactiveRecognition: That suspicious meter-reader in the original film? He's played by Sam Peckinpah, who later directed such films as ''TheWildBunch'' and ''StrawDogs''.
* SpecialEffectFailure: The man-mask on the dog in the 1978 version. In the long shots, it's a pretty obvious mask.
** As the heroes escape in the 1993 version by helicopter, a pod person tries to sneak away with them, but is thrown out in mid-air. What follows is some pretty painful blue-screen effects.
* UncannyValley
** In universe as well, at least in the original. The duplicates look like, sound like, act like and have all the memories of the original, but their close relatives know ''something'' is wrong.
* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical: The original. The star and the director repeatedly insisted that they were all just making a sci-fi movie, not a social commentary.
** Averted by the 1978 and 2007 versions, which were pretty heavily political, but surprisingly not the case with the '90s adaptation.

* {{Narm}}: Some of Miles's narration in the 1956 version crosses over into this, as does the whole OTT "You're next!" scene.

** The priest, incidentally, is played by Robert Duvall in a cameo.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: Danny Zeitlin's soundtrack to the 1978 version, helping enhance the horror through atonal, synthsizer-based jazz music.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: Danny Zeitlin's soundtrack to the 1978 version, helping enhance the horror through atonal jazz music.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: The 1978 film's soundtrack, helping enhance the horror through jazz music.

* {{Narm}}: Some of Miles's narration in the 1956 version crosses over into this, as does the whole "You're next!" scene.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: There's a moment early on in the 1978 film at a playground where a priest (likely having become a pod person) is on a swing while staring at small children who are playing. Suprised 4Chan hasn't [[MemeticMolester hasn't picked that up yet]].

* {{Narm}}: Some of Miles's narration in the 1956 version crosses over into this.

** At least some of the fear generated by the infamous man-dog scene from the 1978 version is undermined by the banjo music playing in the background.
The pod scream in the 1993 version quickly becomes this, especially how the camera simply lingers on the pod person with no angles or quick cuts.

* {{Narm}}: The pod scream in the 1993 version quickly becomes this, especially how the camera simply lingers on the pod person with no angles or quick cuts.

* At least some of the fear generated by the infamous man-dog scene from the 1978 version is undermined by the banjo music playing in the background.