The Thing From Another World
(1951)
By Jason Marsiglia
Out of 4
The Howard Hawks production The Thing From Another World is one of the best examples of what the films and political atmosphere were about in the 50s. The country’s Cold War paranoia and its blossoming interest (and fear) of space and science, set the perfect springboard for a film about an intergalactic traveler crash-landing deep in Alaska and the research team that attempts to locate and study the craft and its possible inhabitants. The doctors at the facility call in a US Air re-supply crew to help pick up any debris from the crash for further scientific research.
Once there, efforts to uncover the ship from the ice that’s frozen over it result in them accidentally blowing the ship to pieces. Great! The greatest scientific find of the century, and it’s been blown to smithereens! Except not far from where the craft landed is the frozen body of a tall, muscular humanoid! Managing to get the creature out within a thick block of ice, the crew transport it back to the research facility, and await orders from the higher-ups as to what to do next, seeing as a rough snow storm is moving in. The scientists, of course, want to immediately de-thaw the creature and begin their experimentation, but Air Force Captain Hendry isn’t so sure that’s a good idea. For one, he doesn’t have the official say-so from his own superiors, and also he’s a little creeped out by the thing…it seems to be staring at them, angrily, from beneath the ice.
He’s not crazy about letting something loose that might still be alive…and pissed off!
An honest mistake does, in fact, let the creature free of its ice sarcophagus, where it immediately proves that it did not “come in peace”. Though the film is based on John W. Campbell, Jr.’s novella “Who Goes There?”, The Thing From Another World is only similar in its set up. In the story, the creature was able to mimic anyone or anything it touches in order to move about them undetected (a theme explored to its full capacity John Carpenter’s 1982 remake The Thing). Here, James Arness (of “Gunsmoke” fame) is packed under layers of prosthetics and lumbers around the research facility looking for blood to sustain him. That’s one of the other differences, really – instead of the creature being a shape shifting organism, it’s comprised of vegetative cells that can not only reproduce (and multiply), but if a part is severed from the creature, blood can cause it to regenerate!
While this is still a far cry from Campbell Jr.’s novella, The Thing From Another World is nonetheless a very effective and suspenseful thrill ride. Arness is frightening and imposing as the creature, delivering a couple of great “jump scares” and casting a long shadow with his presence. One impressive sequence has the creature completely engulfed in flames, boasting one hell of a fine example fire and stunt work, comparatively as frightening and intense as anything we present today under far stricter safety codes in Hollywood. There’s also some fun effects work with severed limbs and dead dogs – a few images we’re not used to seeing in films of this age.
Putting aside the film’s effective scare tactics, what really makes The Thing From Another World stand out is its levity. The movie is surprisingly funny, and the casual atmosphere exuded by the cast’s wonderful performances keep the movie brisk and realistic. There’s nothing melodramatic about the performances at all, and it’s the natural tone and ease in which the lines are delivered that make it feel so smooth. Everyone in the film (with exception of the stubborn doctor, maybe) are scared, but they’re quick on their feet and don’t panic – not even close. In fact, they crack wise during most of the film and hammer out solutions to their problems with easy-going efficiency. The dialogue is as much a star of this film as the creature is, and makes it that much more fun to view.
I also liked that the movie takes a far more negative approach to our otherworldly travelers. The Thing isn’t a nice creature, to say the least, and that’s where the Cold War paranoia seeps in. Here we have something foreign and possibly dangerous – no one is willing to treat this thing like a friendly being, except for the doctor. They refuse to trust it, understandably, much to the doctor’s constant frustration. “There are no enemies in science,” the doctor insists, and tries blindly to reason with this thing in the film’s closing minutes, only to get viciously smacked aside by the hostile being. This alien isn’t interested in peace…you’re food, guy.
The filmmaker’s intent in examining trust and understanding in the presence of a foreign threat is more than obvious, but nestled deep in the pit of the film’s entertaining storyline and execution. It’s well-written, eerie, sometimes jarring and a lot of fun.
C: Kenneth Tobey, Robert Cornthwaite, Douglas Spencer, Margaret Sheridan, James Young. Sub genre: Aliens. Time: 87 minutes. Ratio: (1.33:1) Fullscreen. Not Rated: A couple of dead dogs, a severed hand and mild gore.
The Best Digital Bang For Your Hard-Earned Buck:
The ONLY thing this disc contains is the Theatrical Trailer. Like so many classic genre films in its archive, Warner Brothers chose not to show this some respect.
REGION FREE ALERT!!!
Though it’s not exactly BRIMMING with bonus features, fans of the film might be interested in a 2-Disc Special Edition of the film, that comes with a newly Colorized Version of the Film, as well as the remastered Black & White Version of the Film.
Also included is an Audio Commentary by John Carpenter, who, obviously, directed the incredible 1982 remake of the same film.
Sequels: None.
Remakes: As mentioned, the film was remade in 1982 by Halloween director John Carpenter as, simply, The Thing – and it’s scary as hell!
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