Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
seen @ Tony Dapolito Recreation Center (rooftop), New York NY
8.13.10

Sometimes it bothers me when people laugh at stuff in old movies that isn't supposed to be funny. I realize modern audiences don't look at them the same way as they did back then. The style of acting, the writing, the music and the way it's used, the general look - practically nobody makes movies the same way anymore. I get that. But sometimes, if it's a good enough film, I just wanna get caught up in the story and not think too much about that. I hadn't seen Invasion of the Body Snatchers in a long time. It still holds up - and the small audience I saw it with loved it as well. But there were a few moments in this 1956 film that were meant to be serious that this 2010 audience laughed at, and it bugged me after awhile because I was so into the story.

This was the second time I'd seen a movie at this venue. The first time was last month when I saw All About Eve. Watching a movie on the roof of a building sounds awesome until you realize that you're only three stories up. Still, as outdoor movie watching goes, it beats contending with the unwashed masses at Bryant Park in the summer. I saw Monty Python and the Holy Grail there this year. I hadn't realized that they now close off the center lawn and make you wait in line to get inside (while checking your bags, natch - this being the new paranoid New York), so I watched the movie from the walkway at the "rear" end, the side closest to the library, heading towards Fifth Avenue. Too many people on top of each other scrambling for the tiniest space. I don't think I'm claustrophobic but maybe I am a little. I dunno.

All I know is that outdoor venues like this are hard for me to be completely comfortable in. That's why I liked watching Body Snatchers here: fewer people, plus actual chairs! I brought my own chair to Bryant Park for Grail, but that had padding. The chairs here were regular metal ones without padding, which meant a lot of adjusting back and forth in order to stay comfortable. At one point some dude arrived almost a half hour into the film (and why do that if you've already missed such a big chunk?) and sat in front of me, but fortunately the seat next to him was empty, so I just leaned to my right and that turned out to be more comfortable.

This was also the first night that felt noticeably chilly to me. Summer's almost over.