LADIES THEY TALK ABOUT (1933)

This movie was a lot of fun.  The always beautiful Barbara Stanwyck stars as member of a bank robbing gang.  During one of the robberies she's nabbed after the fact as a accomplice to the crime.  It looks like she's going to prison when a childhood friend who's now an up and coming preacher/social reformer takes a liking to her and pulls some strings to have her released...that is until, in a moment of weakness, she tells him that she actually was part of the robbery.  She refuses to rat out her gang so it's off to prison she goes.  She adapts to prison life pretty well and still gets tons of letters and visits from the preacher wanting her to change her ways.  Fat chance!

Fans of classic Hollywood will probably really like this film since they know what they're getting into, but less informed viewers will be surprised by the cheesiness of some of the scenes, especially the prison ones.  There's almost a complete lack of security and the ladies seem to have all the comforts of home including a hair salon and private rooms they can decorate however they want.  They can even have dogs!  And don't forget the crashout plot!  Holy shit!  But all of that just adds to the fun.  Another thing that made me smirk was the preacher's complete devotion to Barbara.  She could literally do about anything and he would forgive her.  It was pretty funny.  The actor (Preston Foster) did a fine job, but every time he was on screen I kept thinking how much better Ralph Bellamy would have been in that role.

Lightning-fast pace, more than one reference to lesbianism, action, new fish, references to prostitution, hatred of the police, a girl with a Joe E. Brown picture on her wall(!), strong supporting cast...LADIES THEY TALK ABOUT is a great Pre-Code movie, but best part is easily Stanwyck.  She's maybe the prettiest that I've ever seen her.  Check it out.

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956)

Small town California doctor Kevin McCarthy rightfully thinks that something strange is going on in his peaceful little berg when people he's known his whole life start acting like peculiar.  At the same time, others tell him that their relatives are not their relatives.  McCarthy doesn't know quite what to think about this, but when his old flame comes back into town, he puts all that on the back burner in order to get laid.

Unfortunately, his hot date is ruined when he receives a phone call from a friend telling him there's a clone sleeping on his pool table.  Naturally, most people would absolutely freak the fuck out at this point, but McCarthy takes it pretty well and says keep an eye on the clone!  He still doesn't even freakout that hard when, later that same night, he finds a clone of his girlfriend in her basement!  What does it take to shake this guy?!! 

That's just some of the many questionable things that happen in this film.  The idea of your fellow citizens being taken over by aliens is super scary, but when the main character's logic only promotes the takeover (and therefore pushing the movie forward) all of the tension goes right out the window.  Eventually McCarthy realizes what's going on, but even then he just does a bunch of stupid shit that ends up getting people killed.

Despite the main actor's stupidity and the illogical way the pods made it to the earth, I still enjoyed the movie.  Cheap gas prices, quick pace, interesting supporting cast including Sam Peckinpah and Morticia Addams, nice photography.  Interesting idea that doesn't pan out, but still a fun watch as long as you don't take it too seriously.  I would absolutely love to watch a well-made, slow-burn, creepy as fook retelling of this story idea.  Like a miniseries on HBO.

Remake 1 - Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Reboot 1 - Body Snatchers (1993)
Reboot 2 - The Invasion (2007)