Alec B
What the movie captures so well is how quickly chaos erupts, especially when people are terrified. No wonder this traumatized so many boomers in their childhoods.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/10/24
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W D
There are a few unlikelyhoods in the movie but not nearly as many that are in most sci-fi pics. Solid acting, directing, writing, aid in having this classic shine through. Has a few moments of fun and frivolity to add to the intense storyline. Overall, a great B&W pic.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
12/20/23
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KerryWhite's S
5/10. 56/100. | This film walked or even crawled, so "The Thing" (1982) could run.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
10/27/23
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Zach W
A unique take on John W. Campbell's work, The Thing from another world is a sci-fi movie that should be watched if you're feeling nostalgic or love classic movies.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
10/18/23
Full Review
Matthew B
The 1950s saw a revival in the science-fiction movie. In 1951, two of most influential sci-fi films of the decade were made – The Day the Earth Stood Still, and The Thing from Another World. The latter release was the most successful sci-fi film of the year.
While The Thing is now viewed as a classic of the genre, and one of the best science-fiction films of the decade, it did not please everyone. For those who enjoyed intelligent sci-fi, The Thing issued in a succession of bug-eyed monster movies, many of very low quality. Even the title of this film – The Thing from Another World – was distinctly lowbrow.
However we must see the movie in context. The sci-fi purists may have felt that their genre was degraded by The Thing, but in cinematic terms it was one of the productions that finally made science fiction films popular.
The film is credited to Christian Nyby, but there has been much speculation that the real genius behind it was the great director, Howard Hawks. Even members of the cast including the lead star Kenneth Tobey insisted that Hawks directed it. Nyby and others denied this, and insisted that Hawks was more of a mentor and influence on Nyby.
Be that as it may, the hand of Hawks is felt at all points in the film. Hawks bought the rights to the story, commissioned the script, planned the film, rehearsed the actors and supervised the shooting. More than anything though the film resembles a Hawks work. The plot is essentially a science-fiction version of Rio Bravo, Hawks' classic western. Only here the lawmen who were besieged by criminals are replaced by the military fighting off a monster.
The film contains many Hawks trademarks. The dialogue overlaps. There is a camaraderie among the men, but they express it by needling one another, rather than through displays of affection. The men are tough and not easily fazed. When a man opens a door and sees the titular monster behind it, he does not scream or panic. This is no time for hysterics. He simply slams the door shut.
The relationship between hero and heroine is also pure Hawks. Captain Patrick Hendry (Kenneth Tobey) is a capable officer when it comes to the action, but gauche when it comes to handling a woman, especially the kind of ‘insolent' woman that Hawks likes. This is Nikki Nicholson (Margaret Sheridan). Their initial relationship is awkward after Nikki gets the better of Hendry by outdrinking him, and then leaving him abruptly, to the amusement of his comrades.
Nikki insists that Henry was pushy, and like an ‘octopus' in his attentions to her, and he complains that it was only because he liked her. Despite this bad start, it is clear that they are attracted, and she is more amused than repelled by his behaviour. At a later meeting, she insists on tying Hendry's hands behind his back while they talk. This faintly titillating scene is more naughty than kinky.
Another typically Hawksian aspect of the film is the emphasis on working together and the solidarity shared between the characters. For all his right-wing beliefs, Hawks was often drawn to the idea of men working together for a common goal, rather than pursuing selfish or individualistic ends.
This is reflected in the look of the film. It contains few if any close-ups. Most of the camera shots are at medium range, allowing us to see everyone at the room. This is sometimes unengaging when it comes to listening to the dialogue, as we cannot appreciate nuance or facial expression, but it is appropriate to the movie's theme of people working together as a group, rather than acting for themselves. In a similar vein, the film contains no actors in the opening credits, and we need to wait until the end to see them.
The hero of this film is not a maverick or a renegade. He is a team leader, Captain Hendry. He does not tyrannise over the men, and it is not his individual genius that achieves victory over the unfamiliar threat. Most of the good ideas come from Hendry's crew, and he adopts the better ones. Teamwork is the order of the day, and a good leader is one who listens to what the men say, and co-ordinates their work.
The Thing faces the usual problem that old sci-fi movies face. This was not yet a reputable genre, and there was little budget for special effects. How to make a convincing spaceship or monster with little money? The film gets around the problem in subtle ways. We do not see the spaceship at all, only something that looks like a tail fin. There is a dark shadow on the ice, and when the men spread out to learn its shape we realise that it is a flying saucer.
Monsters were an even bigger problem, and the 1950s produced its share of laughable scenes of men in rubber suits. This film solves the problem by keeping the alien off-screen for as long as possible. For nearly an hour we only get brief glances. Even when the creature appears, it is glimpsed in brief scenes with low lighting, so that we barely get a proper look at it. This works very well in keeping the film's monster convincing.
The depiction of scientists reflected the mood of the early 1950s where the H-Bomb had caused many to feel negatively about the work of experts in the field of science. In The Thing, the scientists cause problems, and the army clear up the mess.
There are even a few references to the nuclear threat facing the world at the time. Defending science Carrington proclaims: "We're not animals. We're a brain that thinks! Nothing else counts, except our thinking. We've thought our way into nature. We've split the atom." He is interrupted by one of the men who sarcastically responds: "Yeah, and that sure made the world happy, didn't it!"
The film ultimately celebrates the efforts of these cheerfully brave men as they learn, and adapt new way to combat this unprecedented crisis. There may be more dangers from space in the future as Scotty warns, but the film strikes a cautiously optimistic note about the capacity of humans to overcome adversity.
I wrote a longer appreciation of The Thing from Another World on my blog page if you would like to read more: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2019/01/25/the-thing-from-another-world-1951/
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
09/22/23
Full Review
Jared S
Eh. It's a movie. It's almost worth watching, as it's an interesting enough premise that it inspired one of the greatest horror movies of all time, but it's a boring slog with too much talking and a dollar store alien parading around as a glorified Frankensteins monster. I don't like it. Don't recommend it. Just watch The Thing.
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
09/13/23
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