It has been re-made three times, most recently with an unwatchable version starring Nicole Kidman in 2007, but the original is the best. The film's growing panic and paranoia is perfectly capped by a downbeat, "you're next" ending. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956): Based on a novel by Jack Finney, this chilling tale of think-alike pod people taking over the bodies of your family and friends so they look familiar on the outside but are as cold and foreign as Siberian ice on the inside has been championed by both those on the left (as a critique of McCarthyism and American conformity), the right (as a critique of collectivism) and those who just like a frightening story well-told.If you're not looking up to the sky in fear after watching these, then maybe you are the alien. "Resurgence" wasn't screened in advance for critics so its quality can only be inferred.Īlso not included are those about super-friendly aliens ("E.T.," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"), unfriendly aliens in space/on other planets (much of the "Alien" franchise), or superhero/comic-book extravaganzas like "Superman II" or "Transformers" (those deserve their own, separate list). In honor of the 20 years since "Independence Day," here are 20 essential alien-invasion movies other than "ID" itself - which really isn't a very good movie, though, after grossing more than $300 million in the U.S.
But the genre mushroomed in popularity in post-World War II, B-movie America, mirroring the growing fascination with outer space while also tapping into the jitters about Cold War conflict, nuclear annihilation and shifting geo-politics that trembled under the staid world of "Leave It To Beaver."Ĭreative special effects, nerve-jangling suspense and, occasionally, a sense of humor help make the best of these films - disturbing nightmares cranked out by the Hollywood dream machine - mandatory viewing.
While the original "Independence Day" may have upped the CGI ante - the infamous trailer with the exploding White House sparked rock-concert cheers from enthusiastic audiences - it's just part of a long, terror-inducing line of dyspeptic extraterrestrials trying to take down humanity.Ĭontact with other worlds has been a staple of cinematic science fiction, going all the way back to "A Trip to the Moon" in 1902. Angry aliens bring death from above back to Earth this weekend with the opening of "Independence Day: Resurgence," almost 20 years to the day after the original "Independence Day" invaded multiplexes.
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