The Invasion (Oliver Hirschbiegel, 2007)

[Antoine Doinel]

Your statement spoke of Silver "making sure" to get a return investment, followed by positive comments about his productions.

My comments - about the Matrix and V For Vendetta - were clearly about McTeague and the Wachowski Brothers. The other films you mentioned were nowhere mentioned in my post.

You excitedly posted a huge image of a poster that quite clearly had more to do with advertising than the film. You also bragged about a trailer when you already knew what the situation was with post-production.

Drew, if you've read any other thread in the "New Films" section, you would see that many readers post trailers, remark on stills captured during production etc. I was commenting that the ads were intriguing. Whether or not they are actually representative of the final film remains to be seen but I can still be excited can't I? Judging by your posts around here, many of your own assumptions about forthcoming films are based on internet rumors and speculation. Is that not just as dubious?

Your posts are filled with remarks intended to discredit any deeper analysis of this release with phrases like "Let's get this discussion back into the realm of reality"

The comment you quoted was perhaps excessive, but was remarking about the comparisons to studio interference with Brazil or The Magnificent Ambersons. And again, as I mentioned, I don't think anyone involved with Invasion at any stage was expecting to make that kind of picture (in terms of it being groundbreaking or a highly original piece of work).

And frankly, saying that I'm "working way too hard to convince yourself to see this movie" is damn condescending. I know why I want to see it and my reasons perfectly valid. Perhaps you're just working way too hard to convince yourself to hate this movie.

[DrewReiber]

The other films you mentioned were nowhere mentioned in my post.

That was my point.

I was commenting that the ads were intriguing. Whether or not they are actually representative of the final film remains to be seen but I can still be excited can't I? Judging by your posts around here, many of your own assumptions about forthcoming films are based on internet rumors and speculation. Is that not just as dubious?

There were multiple reviews popping up online from various sources, meaning that your theory would necessitate an anti-Invasion conspiracy of hilarious proportions. I don't understand why you would even considering arguing the value of studio advertising over the suspicion that people would take the time to write artificial reviews for a lesser known August release. As I said, my problem wasn't with your posts about the ads so much as what seemed to be your attitude towards discussion of other, more critical issues relating to the film.

And again, as I mentioned, I don't think anyone involved with Invasion at any stage was expecting to make that kind of picture (in terms of it being groundbreaking or a highly original piece of work).

That's *EXACTLY* the attitude I'm talking about. Where did you read Hirschbiegel's comments about this? Is that why he was removed, because he didn't aim high enough for Silver? You presume to speak for the original director when the breaking story described Hirschbiegel's first cut as too "artsy". You keep implying that there's nothing to gain from arguing against what the producer has done here when you're not even willing to consider that the film has a right to be great.

And frankly, saying that I'm "working way too hard to convince yourself to see this movie" is damn condescending.

You're the one who keeps saying that there's no reason to expect anything more from a movie of this kind, so you're going to get excited about it anyway? What?

I know why I want to see it and my reasons perfectly valid.

If you have faith in McTeague and the Wachowskis over uncredited reshoots, that is absolutely your opinion and you have a right to it. I'm taking issue with your dismissive attitude towards the counterpoints in this discussion. It's not "I don't agree with you" or "we'll see", it's "hey folks, this is [fill in the blank]" or "It's not like [fill in the blank] anyway." Most of your points seem little than to intentionally undermine any consideration that this movie could or should be better than it turns out to be.

Perhaps you're just working way too hard to convince yourself to hate this movie.

It's like you're not even reading my posts. What part of my comments about how excited I am about what a piece of garbage they may have delivered did you not digest? I cannot WAIT to pay for this. I'm THRILLED that I can look forward to a movie this terrible. If Hirschbiegel's original vision ends up hitting home video and turns out to be pretty good, I'll have that to look forward to as well. For some reason, either possible outcome seems completely outside your willingness or ability to conceive.

[Antoine Doinel]

I'm taking issue with your dismissive attitude towards the counterpoints in this discussion. It's not "I don't agree with you" or "we'll see", it's "hey folks, this is [fill in the blank]" or "It's not like [fill in the blank] anyway." Most of your points seem little than to intentionally undermine any consideration that this movie could or should be better than it turns out to be.

Then you really haven't been reading my posts at all. I'm looking forward to this film. Not for how bad it will be or for any ironic reasoning you're trying to give yourself about how potentially terrible it might be, but because I'm hoping it will be exactly the thrilling summer flick Silver, the Wachowskis and McTeague are aiming for. That seems to be an outcome you are unwilling to believe possible.

And if you want to talk about dismissive attitudes, perhaps you should read over your posts first.

[DrewReiber]

Forgive my being blunt, but I think you lack the interest or ability to comprehend this discussion. The argument has clearly become circular and you're now just replicating the essence of my responses. For the sake of the thread, I'm dropping it. If you want to continue this over PM's, you're welcome to contact me and I will attempt to explain it again. Otherwise, this ceased being interesting a while ago and I can only imagine what it reads like to people who are not involved. Good day.

[a.khan]

Official details of the Kaufman classic, finally coming out on SE DVD (thanks, ironically, to overlord Joel Silver's "The Invasion.")

[lord_clyde]

Official details of the Kaufman classic, finally coming out on SE DVD (thanks, ironically, to overlord Joel Silver's "The Invasion.")

Sweet, that is one loaded set. If the Hischbiegel/Wachowski/McTeigue version is any good I might just have to show them as a triple feature.

[Handsome Dan]

No plans for updates of the Siegel or Ferarra versions? I like Kauffman's film, but prefer the other two (the 50s version, of course, is still the best). Three films based off the same story with not a gobbler among them is a pretty good record, which is one reason why I'm looking forward to the latest offering. So there.

[DrewReiber]

No plans for updates of the Siegel or Ferarra versions?

There's some weirdness going on with the Siegel version. I don't know who owns the rights anymore either, because the situation with the Republic library is so confusing. If Warner was to revisit the Ferrara version, that would probably happen in conjunction with the home video release of the new film.

[lord_clyde]

Three films based off the same story with not a gobbler among them is a pretty good record, which is one reason why I'm looking forward to the latest offering. So there.

It really is kind of a phenomenon, maybe the source material is just magic?

[ranaing83]

Ferrara's Body Snatchers isn't an out and out piece of garbage, but it's really nowhere near Siegel and Kaufman's films.

[Barmy]

Awesome!

Trailer

[Awesome Welles]

No plans for updates of the Siegel or Ferarra versions?

Universal will release Siegel'sInvasion later this year in the UK, although no details on the specs as yet. Given the price probably nothing special.

Doesn't anyone else think Hirshbiegel's Invasion looks like a bad TV show? (No pun intended on the actual bad TV show from a couple of years ago!)

[Person]

I think that it looks pretty good. Drop the kid and I'd maybe stand in line see this one. I love Siegel's film as well as the W.D. Richter/Phil Kaufman's version, so I'm apprehensive about other versions and have avoided the Ferrara version.

[Barmy]

At least the poster is TERRIFYING.

[Antoine Doinel]

Alright, so I gave this film a whirl tonight and it ultimately wasn't bad but wasn't that good either. As much as I was hoping this would be good (see above), ultimately producer Joel Silver's meddling and the surprisingly tepid action sequences by the Wachowskis and James McTeague create a wildly uneven film.

In this month's Vanity Fair, Nicole Kidman said one of the reasons she signed on was that Hirschbiegel had envisioned doing the film with little to no special effects. And certainly, what is left of his work in the final version of the film points to something really intriguing. All the interior scenes filmed by Hirschbiegel - and many of these scenes document the slow change in the population as they get infected - seem to have been left untouched and they are fascinating. The color schemes, the character framing (falling somewhere between Rosemary's Baby and The Shining), the pacing, the nuances create some great tension and it's a lot of fun to watch behaviors slowly change. In contrast to that, the clunky action scenes, wooden dialogue and wishy washy philosophy and politics undermine much of the film. Ultimately, it was a fair to good popcorn flick but sadly, nothing more.

[miless]

well, hopefully, because this film was such a failure (at the box office) it will be released on DVD in its "Directors Cut"... because I am definitely a fan of Hirschbiegel (if only for the magnificent Downfall) and hope that his vision (of a special effects free sci-fi-horror film) will finally be seen (even if it is 'mediocre' I would just like to know so I don't mention it alongside The Magnificent Ambersons as a great lost film)

[Barmy]

I wanted to like it but couldn't. It added nothing to the "genre". The ending sucked.