Previously I have written about Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) and suggested that it may contain commentary on the religious right. My thinking found some connection to an interview with the film’s director, Philip Kaufman, by Michael Doyle in the September 2013 issue of Rue Morgue magazine. It is found on pages 21-22:

Were you aiming a few satirical jabs at the rise of cults and self-help groups in America as some have speculated?

Yeah. I was in London for the release of Body Snatchers after the Jonestown tragedy took place and 800 people drank the poisoned Kool-Aid and died. That expression “drinking the Kool-Aid” has now become a catchphrase for “just listen to your leaders.” It’s the opposite of what Bob Dylan said, “Feed your parking meters.” There was this very strong feeling in the air back then – this issue of pods and poddiness versus human emotion and passion – which I think is central to a lot of what is still going on today. I really feel that politics can be overrated as a cure for things because whether you are on the left or the right or wheverer, what you have to watch out for is your own susceptibility and vulnerability to the wrong set of ideas. All the Jim Jones people came out of San Francisco. I mean, it was the centre of all that and so much was happening here at the time. This city has always been an area for bohemianism, for beatniks and hippies, bit it also has this kind of therapy that runs rampant and if you are not careful and you fall asleep, your face will end up on a dog.