The Thing

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Dave S This film, along with "Them" is the PERFECT B&W SF double feature of the 50's in cinematic history. Both feature snappy dialogue, strong female characters, TONS of unsafe fire stunts and brilliant performances by the entire casts. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/24/25 Full Review Audience Member A fun movie that is still scary even by today's standards. This is a true classic. James Arness is amazing as the alien monster from another world. A must watch for movie buffs. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/13/25 Full Review Allan C "Keep watching the skies!” The Thing from Another World (1951) ****1/2 Most Gen-Xers probably saw the John Carpenter remake of THE THING first, but this original version completely holds up on its own as a terrific bit of sci-fi. I'd argue that Carpenter's remake is the greatest horror film of all time (although CARRIE keeps creeping closer to that #1 spot for me), but this original version is more of a science fiction film than horror. There are some good scares in this version of a remote group of scientists discovering a UFO buried in ice and snow, only to unknowingly set free an alien monster. This film's monster is not a shapeshifting body-snatcher like Carpenter's version, but is a giant super-strong alien creature WHO seems intent on killing all those they encounter. TV cowboy James Arness plays 'The Thing' and also gets an uncredited human role. In terms of film history, there's some mystery around the directorial credit. Christian Nyby is the credited director, but there is a lot of evidence that veteran Hollywood director Howard Hawks (THE BIG SLEEP, RIO BRAVO, BRINGING UP BABY), who served as producer on this film, was a very hands-on director and very well may have ghost-directed it. Hawks and frequent collaborator Ben Hecht (HIS GIRL FRIDAY, NOTORIOUS) both did uncredited work on the screenplay. The film has some terrific bits of suspense and some excellent action sequences, especially one scene where they set The Thing on fire with buckets of kerosene, which back in the days of pre-CGI, they really were setting a dude on fire, throwing buckets filled with kerosene on him! My main grumble is that the exposition seems pretty stiff and uninspired for a Hawks film, with Robert Cornthwaite as the voice of science having to carry most of the exposition load. However, with a fine score by Dimitri Tiomkin, THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD is one of the best 50s sci-fi flicks, treating its material more seriously than most films of this era, which were generally geared more towards children. FUN FACT!  Isaac Asimov thought it to be one of the worst movies he had ever seen.  AI CAPSULE REVIEW: A landmark of 1950s sci-fi, The Thing from Another World still packs a punch with its suspenseful atmosphere, practical effects, and serious tone. Though the exposition can drag, its fiery action scenes and strong direction—possibly by Howard Hawks—make it a standout of the era, even if Isaac Asimov didn’t agree. Keep watching the skies indeed! Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/03/25 Full Review Ben T A great sci-fi classic that set the trend for alien invasion films for years to come. The tension builds up gradually to make an excellent film. There is very little seen of the thing itself, proving that sometimes less is better. A true masterpiece of science fiction. 2 remakes were made, the best one directed by John Carpenter in 1982. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/05/25 Full Review Hector I This is Carpenter's predecessor to The Thing. I thought it too was inspired by The Hallucinated Mountains, but no, it's adapted from the novel Who Goes There? It follows three U.S. Air Force pilots and a journalist who reach a U.S. base at the North Pole after an aircraft crash. When they arrive, the aircraft is damaged, leaving only the pilot, who is brought back to the base in a block of ice. Following an accident, he wakes up and flees. The military want to wait, while the scientists want to study him. Everything is set for an atmospheric winter movie: the base far from everything, the dogs, the woods, it would almost be cozy without the monster... Scientists and military personnel are locked in with the monster, who alone can get out, reappear and feed on blood. The closed-door setting is suffocating, as it's human passions that are as threatening as the monster, between the scientists who favor science (without conscience) and the military who want to prevent the monster from developing. The Geiger counter is, I think, the inspiration for Alien's motion detector, and the survival-movie aspect also works very well (the improvised flame thrower, the electric trap, when the monster sabotages the oil machine). There are also other things that took me out of the film, such as showing too much about the monster, a green-plant version of Frankenstein's monster, and the sound that sounds like its time. On the other hand, the laboratory aspect is quite well done, especially Dr. Cornwhaite's embryo breeding, which is quite frightening. But when you think about it, this version shows much less than Carpenter's The Thing, which goes much further in terms of gore. What can we say about this film? I imagine it had a huge impact, while at the same time being a film firmly anchored in its time, a must-see if only for fans of the master Carpenter! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/11/25 Full Review Daniel C. M Excellent effects and direction which perfectly utilizes it's confined location, and the script and story are also very and even the drastic changes, like the main monster just being a Frankenstein clone that's actually a living plant (or rather, carrot) are very welcomed due to how innovative and unique they are. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/20/25 Full Review Read all reviews

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