Synopsis
Natural or Supernatural?
Scientists and US Air Force officials fend off a blood-thirsty alien organism while investigating at a remote arctic outpost.
Directed by Christian Nyby
Scientists and US Air Force officials fend off a blood-thirsty alien organism while investigating at a remote arctic outpost.
El enigma de otro mundo, O Monstro do Ártico, O Enigma de Outro Mundo, A Ameaça, 괴물, 怪人, La Chose d'un autre monde, La cosa del otro mundo, Нечто, Нечто из другого мира, Das Ding aus einer anderen Welt, Se toisesta maailmasta, La cosa da un altro mondo, Fantomen från Mars, A lény - egy másik világból, 遊星よりの物体X, יצור מכוכב אחר, 괴물 디 오리지널, L’enigma d’un altre món, Manden fra Mars, Щось з іншого світу, Başka Dünyadan Gelen Şey, Věc, Stvor sa drugog svijeta, 來自異世界之物, Istota z innego świata, ذلك الشيء من العالم الآخر
Currently Snowed in… and it brings back childhood memories of blizzards and how my father and I would shovel for what felt like hours before settling in to watch Charlie Chan movies or something like The Thing from Another World.
Cherished memories.
So when the skies dumped 16 inches of snow and ice on me I figured it was time to revisit this childhood staple—love the fast dialogue, creature design, door jump scare, and evil scientist. Oddly enough, this time around this reminded me a bit more of Aliens than Carpenter’s The Thing... right down to the Geiger counter and quasi door weilding with wood. Anyways, this is an undervalued classic if ya ask me, muscular and tight with snappy exchanges and an excellent menagerie of corridor atmosphere where a vegetable alien lurks.
WATCH THE SKIES.
I liked that this version, there was a very palpable sense of disillusionment and betrayal that the government you dedicated years of life and service to doesn't care about you even slightly. You don't really get that from the 80s version where, of course they don't! Where have you been - the 1950s? Get with it, man!
This was more unnerving, also, knowing the world was just beginning to uncurl and become a larger place. I often think what it's going to be like when we are cut off from everyone here on this small island. Yet the cynical part of me feels like it's typical of 1951 to want the door slammed tight shut and the point of The Thing from Another World is precisely that: not that you can't trust your employers but that anything else out there has got to be up to no good!
Which is also a pretty chilling vision...
Hard to compete with Carpenter's more gruesomely apocalyptic and atmospheric vision of the same material but a lot of the remote, isolated, frosted imagery is still very good and it's a lot of fun to see Hawks' more relaxed, economical approach to professional group dynamics under pressure slammed headfirst into 50s Cold War sci-fi creature-horror short story paranoia. How lowkey and level-headed it frequently manages to be gives it an interesting tension with its more pulpy elements like the giant saucer in the snow, the mysteriously dismembered/re-animated (carrot?) arm, every tangible appearance of the monster itself including the now pretty iconic and insane kerosene stunt—all handled with some very simple but effective blocking and lighting tricks. The reasons why are…
Christian Nyby's "The Thing from Another World" is a nicely executed slice of mid-century horror. It is well shot, assuredly directed, and thick with dialogue. Its major issue is that, despite its memorable moments, the film is dry, bordering on stale, and that there is little action to go with all the chatter. Still, it is a neatly made piece of horror worthy of its fondly held status.
In a remote arctic research facility, a team a scientists and other professionals discover a humanoid creature frozen in the ice. When the creature thaws out, it becomes a destructive, terrorizing force. This well known premise lends itself to a solid story. Blending scientific jargon, militaristic bravado, and a healthy dose of…
I’m glad John Carpenter went on to remake this into one of the greatest pieces of cinema ever. This had the makings of a good film but just couldn’t keep me hooked. After recently watching some older horror movies I know it was entirely possible to create a genuinely scary film with the tools of the time. Maybe I’m comparing it too much the Carpenter version, but this felt lacking in atmosphere and general creepiness. There were still some great moments and because I love the concept, it was still worth checking out.
A well done film, but inaccurate to the original novella in the worst way. The shapeshifting element of the Thing (and the resulting paranoia of the group) is what elevates Carpenter's version above this version.
We all feel sorry for the scientist and kinda agree with him, right? Ok, moving on.
I knew I would love this, and I did, but it was not at all what I was expecting. You've got to see this at least twice, the jokes are so perfect and the interactions so fast that I can't imagine anyone catching all of them in one watch. Films like this aren't abundant now, and it's truly impressive to see actors shoot their lines back and forth like it's a race, AND add emotion to their delivery. THE THING is about a bunch of people hanging out, the monster featured much less than usual. The humor is balanced perfectly with terror, each one…
This is the “Impossible Burger” version of the original novella. Plant-based humanoids? Feh!
The story is familiar but this is an entirely different experience than John Carpenter’s 1982 remake. This version strays further from the original source material “Who Goes There?”, which describes a shape-shifting creature, not a vampiric plant-based hulk. There’s a distinct “scientists vs. soldiers” theme, and you can even see the inspiration for Alien (1979), as the scientists and their superiors fight to preserve this new species despite its attack on an isolated and underpowered crew. Overall this version is far lighter and more optimistic.
There’s plenty to like and many similarities between the two films. The acting is quite good, doing a fine job with the dialogue…
The Thing’s greatest advisory: fast paced 1950s dialogue. He better have the subtitles turned on.
Inferior to John Carpenter’s 1982 masterpiece in every conceivable way but still carves out a path as a great sci-fi thriller. Feeding off of the fears of the Cold War, this film is of its time, giving us a monster that is something strange and unexpected. There are several moments in this film that will leave you stunned including one of the best burn sequences ever put on screen. Featuring a more upbeat ending but with a word of warning:
“WATCH THE SKIES.”
You can see the influence this would have on Carpenter and fans of that version should definitely check out this first journey into the frozen tundra.
I love this movie so, so, so much.
I love the warmth and generosity of its central, improvised team. I love the way problem solving is done together, rather than deferring to the ideas of one person, based purely on their rank or status.
I love the constant interruptions and side conversations that sometimes obscure the audio, but also feel just like real life. I love the way no one waits for one another to stop talking before they speak, and people on the margins of scenes are often commenting on the action to one another, coworkers and friends who have developed a rhythm and connection over their time together.
I love the affection between and among the men, and…
When a gigantic and unknown flying object crashes near a scientific-military outpost based in polar ice, observers are faced with the frozen body of an alien creature, endowed with an organism similar to that of a vegetable that feeds on blood and is able to regenerate. Like most science fiction films of the Fifties, The Thing from Another World stems as much from the growing fascination for the conquest of space as from the political tensions that fuel the paranoia of a communist invasion. And if the film works very well even just in terms of pure entertainment, it is not difficult to guess a subtext that refers directly to the cold war climate present at that time. At the…