“Make them listen to me before it’s too late!” It could be the theme of Spencer Pratt’s campaign for mayor of Los Angeles, but it was the cry of Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) in the low-budget 1956 sci-fi thriller Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The extraterrestrial takeover from outer space begins — where else? — in California.
A psychiatrist is called to a Los Angeles hospital where Dr. Bennell is being held in custody. He recounts the events leading up to his arrest and arrival at the hospital. Something funny is going on in Santa Mira. The humanity is being drained from the good citizens of the town. Dr. Bennell seeks to avoid their fate and raise the alarm before it is too late. Wake up, sheeple!
Don Siegel directed the 1956 original. Once was not enough. The story was updated with modern effects in the hugely successful 1978 remake directed by Philip Kaufman. Starring Donald Sutherland, Don Siegel and Kevin McCarthy both made cameo appearances in the remake. The theme remained the same, only the ending lacked the optimism of the original.
The parallel is far from exact, but the Pratt campaign video below plays out a variation of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The young lady being wheeled into the Los Angeles hospital must be brought into conformity with the dehumanizing forces around her. The source of the terror, however, is right at home. NPR and the Los Angeles Times lead the way. The Pratt must be crushed! Sleep!
These Spencer Pratt videos by @dsonoiki are better than 99.9% of political consultant ads. He does it again. pic.twitter.com/hemFACa8xZ
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 29, 2026
