The Thing from Another World
The Thing from Another World
NR | 05 April 1951 (USA)
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Scientists and US Air Force officials fend off a blood-thirsty alien organism while investigating at a remote arctic outpost.

Reviews
Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.
Numerootno A story that's too fascinating to pass by...
Griff Lees Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.
Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
hellholehorror Looked good for the age of the movie. Really nicely shot and believable special effects. Sound was clear but a little flat due to the limited channels. Obviously not really comparable to modern films. The concept of the alien mimicking humans and that anyone could be the alien is lost. There is one alien that could take over the world as it is basically a plant which is clever. I think that it was ahead of it's time for horror films compared to the Universal horrors. Really enjoyable older film. My favourite from the era as it is a little different and a little clever. There are some really creepy moments and the feeling of being trapped is there. The monster is a bit slow but quite menacing. Excellent fifties horror that took a long time to be beaten.
Woodyanders A group of researchers in the Artic run afoul of a lethal predatory humanoid being (hulking James Arness) that they find buried deep in the ice.Director Christian Nyby keeps the gripping story moving along at a brisk pace, ably crafts plenty of claustrophobic tension, and offers a vivid evocation of the desolate snow-swept and storm-bombarded setting (the strong sense of isolation and vulnerability give this picture an extra unsettling impact). Charles Lederer's taut and smart script crackles with lots of witty dialogue as well as presents a bunch of sharply drawn characters who for the most part work together like a well-oiled machine to make a stand against and defeat a formidable alien foe. The excellent acting by the uniformly top-notch cast rates as another significant asset, with especially stand-out contributions from Kenneth Tobey as the stalwart Captain Patrick Henry, Margaret Sheridan as the spunky Nikki, Robert Cornthwaite as the austere Dr. Arthur Carrington, Douglas Spencer as excitable wisecracking reporter Scotty, James Young as the eager Lt. Eddie Dykes, and John Dierkes as the rugged Dr. Chapman. Dimitri Tiomkin's robust score hits the rousing spot. Russell Harlan's crisp black and white cinematography provides a pleasing sharp look. Very tightly plotted and executed with a sure feeling of total professional both behind and in front of the camera, this film certainly lives up to its status as an all-time classic.
alexanderdavies-99382 "The Thing from Another World" is one of the first American sci fi movies that instigated the 1950s craze for Science Fiction in cinema. In spite of this, I don't consider this film to be a classic. For me, the plot is a bit daft. After all, if the alien in the film is supposedly superior to man, why did the alien fail to comprehend what was said to him at the end and why use brute force if it's meant to be exceptionally intelligent? The alien was just another clichéd, one-dimensional character. The acting is largely indifferent with some wooden performances. The Air Force don't seem to be particularly aware of their predicament near the film's conclusion and treat the whole situation as a typical day at work! The direction partly redeems the film and there are some effective scenes here and there. Not a bad movie but not the classic some people think it is.
Gonzotic John Carpenter's "The Thing" is a masterpiece. In fact, it's one of my all time favorite flicks. A truly near perfect science fiction tale of paranoia, that still boasts some of the most beautifully gruesome, and agelessly awesome F/X work ever burned to celluloid. Not only was Carpenter's work a remake of "The Thing From Another World," it also used other elements from the original short story that both features were based upon, "Who Goes There?" A team of soldiers are sent to the North Pole, to investigate a downed craft that has crashed near a U.S. research base housing fellow servicemen, civilians, and scientists. It isn't long before they all make the remarkable discovery that the transport is alien, and the passenger within is still alive. Split between the soldiers duties to protect mankind, and the scientists desires to understand this new creature, everyone fights to stay alive, as the life form that is now among them fights to rule the world. My worries began to solidify when the black and white opening credits began to roll, proclaiming that the following was an R.K.O. Picture, the first sign of a nearly 60 year old motion picture. The low expectations I had going into it were not only wrong, they were completely unjustified. "The Thing From Another World" hides it's age well with witty, smirk inducing dialogue (not to mention some of the most realistic conversation I've seen in a film, with players constantly cutting each other off and/or talking over one another), playful characters (sometimes making quips just before an impending attack), and a uniquely different take on an alien organism hell bent on planetary domination. Bypassing the traditional alien invasion style used by "Independence Day" and "World of the Worlds," The Thing instead follows a different path, with only one single entity (still posing a potentially far greater threat) for the human race to overcome. What made the experience still more gratifying, is the fact that the space invader doesn't even pose the same kind of danger as in the 1982 remake. It's still very much the same plot-line in certain ways, but completely different in other aspects. The only downside still comes from its era of creation however, as the horrible and destructive monster determined to end our species, is still just some guy in a mask and costume. Luckily, most of the shots of the antagonist are quick and reveal little detail, that is until the final showdown. Not only was this film a pleasant surprise for someone who finds it hard to swallow most 50's sci-fi, but ultimately it gave me something even more, a deeper appreciation for John Carpenter's "The Thing."