the monster is a metaphor for sexual assault, not STDs. In some ways it fits better. The scene where Hugh drops Jay off at her house after showing her the monster definitely has a date rapey vibe to it, although they took pains to show us that the sex was actually consensual. Jay plays it like a rape survivor throughout, and the monster taking the form of strangers, trusted friends, or family makes more sense from that perspective. But the idea of 'passing it along' has no real world analogue, so maybe it could be best read as a sort of catch-all for sexual trauma.

Overall, I enjoyed it even more on second viewing. I hadn't realized the first time through that the monster takes the form of her absent(?) father in the pool scene, which just heightens an already fantastic climax. And there's a great moment when he comes in, Jay's sister asks what she sees, and Jay replies, "I don't want to tell you."

And I love that slow spinning shot they keep going back to.

Was the Leonard Nimoy character a duplicate for a long time or recent? He seemed to have been one during his entire practice as a shrink or was he able to pull off the act better than the others?

I always thought he turned between the initial meeting (at the book signing party) and the time that Sutherland calls him for help with Brooke Adams. He gives her a sedative and urges all of them to get some sleep, and his tone seems a bit colder (though with Nimoy, it's hard to tell ).

The other thing is his character is supposed to represent the New Age movement of the time, and I think the commentary is that it ignored reality. So it would make more sense if he started out human. But you might be right, maybe he was the leader of the pod movement from the beginning and that was the commentary. Either way, his turtleneck sweater is one of the most inspired costume choices in cinema history.

Great great movie. Still absolutely terrifying.

I was crushed when I found out Mr. Spock was really a bad guy and that they got Donald Sutherland in the end so the world was doomed.