Leonard Nimoywill forever be remembered for playing Spock in theStar Trekfranchise, but his best science fiction movie had nothing to do with trekking the stars. Getting his start in showbusiness as an actor in small parts in movies and TV shows in the early ’50s, Nimoy would appear in B-movie classics likeThem!and legendary shows likeThe Twilight Zone. However, more than a decade into his career, Nimoy landed the role of Vulcan first officer, Mr. Spock, in Gene Roddenberry’s utopian science fiction series, and the rest was history.
AfterStar Trekwas canceled following a three-season run, Nimoy spent years trying to distance himself from the rising sci-fi phenomenon. However,Star Trekfound new life in syndication, and eventuallyjumped to the big screen withThe Motion Picturein 1979. Despite eventually warming up to the idea of being remembered as Spock, Nimoy still created a robust career for himself outside of science fiction, directing hit movies likeThree Men and a Baby. While Nimoy will always be beloved as the logical Vulcan, he made his best sci-fi movie in the late 1970s in a completely different role.
Leonard Nimoy Starred In 1978’s Invasion Of The Body Snatchers
Nimoy Plays A Pivotal Role In The Sci-fi Horror Remake
A year before he returned as Spock inStar Trek: The Motion Picture, Nimoy turned in one of his best performances in what is his greatest science fiction film. Trading out his pointed ears for a noticeably more human role,Nimoy played Dr. David Kibner in 1978’sInvasion of the Body Snatchers.A remake of the sci-fi gemfrom 1958, the ‘78 version modernized its themes to fit its decade, and was distinctly more cynical and fatalistic than its predecessor. The ensemble cast includes the likes of Donald Sutherland and Jeff Goldblum, and Nimoy’s supporting part is a perfect addition.
Unlike Spock’s cool logic, Kibner is somewhat smug and often laughs off the concerns of his friends
Dr. Kibner is a famous psychiatrist who has written several books about the psychology of relationships and families. Throughout the film, Kibner is the voice of scientific reason as the other characters get increasingly paranoid about being replaced. Unlike Spock’s cool logic, Kibner is somewhat smug and often laughs off the concerns of his friends.Kibner is an obvious send-up to the very same pop psychiatrists who were all the rage in the ’70s, and Nimoy is excellent as the condescending “expert”. The fact that he turns out to be nefarious is also a nice twist on Nimoy’s usual typecasting.
Seeing Leonard Nimoy play a completely different role besides Spock must have been somewhat jarringfor mainstream audiences who only knew him fromStar Trek, but Nimoy proved he had depth as an actor. Kibner is the polar opposite of his famous Vulcan hero, and yet he isn’t a caricature either. The movie uses Dr. Kibner to make subtle commentary about wellness trends at the time, but also the limits of scientific reasoning itself.Nimoy especially shines when Dr. Kibner’s evil duplicate takes over, and he ostensibly plays two different roles in the same movie.
The ’70s Invasion Of The Body Snatchers Is The Best In The Franchise
Updated For Another Era With An Even Scarier Tone
There’s no denying that the 1956 version ofInvasion of the Body Snatchersis one ofthe best sci-fi movies from the ’50s, but its 1978 remake is arguably a better movie overall. Great remakes need to justify their own existence, and that usually means making changes to the source material or modernizing certain elements of the story. The ‘78 version does both, andfinds a way to capture the zeitgeist of the late ’70s in the same way that the original encapsulated the fears of the Cold War period of American history.
Invasion of the Body Snatchersis based on the 1954 science fiction novelThe Body Snatchersby Jack Finney.
The 1978 remake could be described as an urban paranoia film, and it’s less about the corruption of small-town America, and more about the crumbling of the nation’s infrastructure. Released just four years after the conclusion of the Watergate saga, there was a lot on the minds of Americans as the economy was mired in stagnant growth and high inflation.Invasion of the Body Snatchers(1978) embodies the existential crisis that the nation was going through, andswapped the fear of being replaced by Communism with the fear of losing one’s identity in an increasingly uncaring world.
1956
97%
1978
93%
1993
67%
2007
20%
Besides its heady themes,the ’70s remake is also much scarier than its predecessorand uses cutting-edge special effects to make the pod people visceral and stomach-churning. It has bigger outright scares, but it doesn’t cut out any of the slow-burn and rising tension of the original, andit actually heightens those feelings by adding the claustrophobic elements of its big city setting.Invasion of the Body Snatcherswas the perfect vehicle forLeonard Nimoyto distance himself fromStar Trek, and he delivered an iconic performance in an unforgettable ’70s sci-fi movie.
