As Bluray.com’s Jeffrey Kauffman notes, Olive Films’ Bluray of Don Siegel‘s Invasion of the Body Snatchers “is presented with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.00:1. This somewhat unusual aspect ratio is the result of the film being repurposed prior to release in Superscope, a short-lived widescreen process that producer Walter Wanger was vehemently opposed to since he felt it deprived the image of clarity and fine detail.
“Interestingly, Superscope was a post-production process which converted nonanamorphic source elements to an anamorphic format. The result is that there is a certain softness to some aspects of the film and this transfer, specifically with regard to midrange and far shots.
“That said, this high definition presentation is remarkably crisp most of the time, with very pleasing fine detail in the many close-ups, and decent if occasionally problematic contrast and some very deep and convincing black levels. Olive continues its tradition of releasing product that does not appear to have been even slightly digitally tweaked, so this retains a very natural filmic appearance. This is certainly heads and shoulders above the previous DVD releases, and despite some niggling problems should please the film’s ardent fans.”
I’ve always wanted to see a double billing of this paranoid classic about the 1950s conformity blanket, released in 1956, with The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, also released that year. Joined at the hip in more ways than one.