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In 1982, John Carpenter released The Thing, a mish-mash of scifi and body horror that is often considered one of the best sci-fi films and one of the best remakes out there. Granted, at the time I first saw it, I wasn't really aware that the film was a loose remake of an older film and an even older novella, but it quickly became a favorite of mine. Even though I found out about the original a long time ago, for some reason I had never checked it out, until now.
Released in 1951, The Thing from Another World follows a US Air Force crew sent to investigate an unusual aircraft crashing at the North Pole, and they end up finding an advanced but dangerous alien that feeds on other creature's blood. It's up to Captain Patrick Hendry (Kenneth Tobey) and his men to stop it.
This is one of those instances where it's good to know the context in which the film is released. Right at the peak of the Cold War, the presence of "the Thing" is meant to be seen as a metaphor of the threat of Communism sneaking up on us. Not sure if that was present in the novella, but it's very much in the film's DNA. From throwaway lines about the Russians being "all over the pole like flies" to the "ra-rah" closing warning to "keep watching the skies".
But regardless of whatever opinion you might have about that, the film is still a pretty tight sci-fi thriller. Even though it takes a bit to get things going, and the logistics of how the creature operates are not that clear, the film still manages to keep an atmosphere of tension. The film is also one step above the typical 50's sci-fi goofiness, and the way the creature is shot is quite menacing.
The cast is also fairly solid, even though some of their decisions doesn't make a lot of sense for a military crew. I would've preferred a more prolonged climax, with the creature posing more of a threat, but at 87 minutes, it is a pretty lean film. It might not reach the greatness of the remake, but it does what it needs to do to keep you engaged.
Grade:
THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD
(1951, Nyby)
A scifi film • A film from the TSPDT 1,000 Greatest Films list whose ranking includes the #9 (#984)
(1951, Nyby)
A scifi film • A film from the TSPDT 1,000 Greatest Films list whose ranking includes the #9 (#984)
"No pleasure, no pain... no emotion, no heart. Our superior in every way."
In 1982, John Carpenter released The Thing, a mish-mash of scifi and body horror that is often considered one of the best sci-fi films and one of the best remakes out there. Granted, at the time I first saw it, I wasn't really aware that the film was a loose remake of an older film and an even older novella, but it quickly became a favorite of mine. Even though I found out about the original a long time ago, for some reason I had never checked it out, until now.
Released in 1951, The Thing from Another World follows a US Air Force crew sent to investigate an unusual aircraft crashing at the North Pole, and they end up finding an advanced but dangerous alien that feeds on other creature's blood. It's up to Captain Patrick Hendry (Kenneth Tobey) and his men to stop it.
This is one of those instances where it's good to know the context in which the film is released. Right at the peak of the Cold War, the presence of "the Thing" is meant to be seen as a metaphor of the threat of Communism sneaking up on us. Not sure if that was present in the novella, but it's very much in the film's DNA. From throwaway lines about the Russians being "all over the pole like flies" to the "ra-rah" closing warning to "keep watching the skies".
But regardless of whatever opinion you might have about that, the film is still a pretty tight sci-fi thriller. Even though it takes a bit to get things going, and the logistics of how the creature operates are not that clear, the film still manages to keep an atmosphere of tension. The film is also one step above the typical 50's sci-fi goofiness, and the way the creature is shot is quite menacing.
The cast is also fairly solid, even though some of their decisions doesn't make a lot of sense for a military crew. I would've preferred a more prolonged climax, with the creature posing more of a threat, but at 87 minutes, it is a pretty lean film. It might not reach the greatness of the remake, but it does what it needs to do to keep you engaged.
Grade: