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Comments 1 - 9 of 9

Siskoid's avatar

Siskoid

When I was a kid, a formative week for me was that one time some channel ran a daily creature feature in the afternoon. War of the Worlds, some Godzilla picture, the Blob... I was going to watch them all, but had to miss the Friday presentation on account of some family outing. That movie was going to be The Thing From Another World. Here I am 35 years later watching it for the first time. Obviously, I've seen the Carpenter remake AND Doctor Who's The Seeds of Doom a number of times, so it was fun to visit the original (well I guess the original is actually the short story, but you know what I mean), on an archaeological basis, you might say. But of course it works in its own right. The characters were actually the most striking, with real camaraderie on screen between the military men (and the reporter), and bouncy banter between the male and female leads. In most monster films from the 50s, good and bad, the focus is more on plot mechanics and characters come off as types (Them! is a good example of this). Not here, except maybe the head scientist who is an incarnation of the amoral science principle you see in this kind of story. But because it is such a "human" film, it feels alive and energetic. Its weakness is, ironically enough, the monster, which fails spectacularly at the task of being the "other" the scientists speak of. Just a shambling vegetative Frankenstein's Monster. It works when we don't see him, but it disappoints when we do. But we can accept it as a limitation of the time, because the rest works so well.
5 years 8 months ago
AndrewB's avatar

AndrewB

quote:
Watch the skies, everywhere! Keep looking. Keep watching the skies!
5 years 8 months ago
pallmallandcoke's avatar

pallmallandcoke

I enjoyed Carpenter's version way more
10 years 6 months ago
DisneyStitch's avatar

DisneyStitch

Had the opportunity to watch it years after Carpenter's remake. Sure, it doesn't quite make your hair stand on end like it probably did with audiences in the early 50's, but it definitely has a good feel to it. Perhaps not as well put together as the horror classics of old, but it makes the effort.
3 years 7 months ago
frbrown's avatar

frbrown

Carpenter's version is good, but this is much better!
8 years 10 months ago
george4mon's avatar

george4mon

not half as good as the 1982 remake!
12 years 6 months ago
zombies4ever's avatar

zombies4ever

I like John Carpenter's version better! But this is good too.
13 years 5 months ago
MindMeltingMovies's avatar

MindMeltingMovies

I'm currently watching this and noticed at around 29:00 there are 2 asians/koreans? in the back peeking in and out while the scientists are talking..this all during the korean war seems interesting. Who were those two and what were they doing there? Just saying.
12 years 4 months ago
andype's avatar

andype

I don't get it, why Dr. Carrington thinks, the "Thing" is wisely and more intelligent as everyone on earth? For me is the creature dumb, less intelligent as any else in this movie, exerpt Dr. Carrington maybe. Oh!, that's why he thinks this... In 1951 it was certainly a good movie, something new and different, but today it's not, this why I dislike this one.
7 years ago
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