Others say...

"This is the first of my of my favorite THINGS"
This is not intended as a review really, but more of a brief appreciation with a nod toward the Thanksgiving season. I'd actually meant to do a short series of these with the basic theme being films for which I am genuinely thankful; Movies that have been really important or meaningful in my life for one reason or another. For instance one taught me an extremely important lesson that I hope I'll never forget, another turned me on to martial arts film and Asian culture etc. But you know how it is (I've paved half of Hell already with my good intentions)and 6 pieces became 4 pieces which became 3 pieces, which I hope will at least be two. Since the very first film I remember seeing was the 1951 version of THE THING I can't imagine a better film with which to start. So here goes nothing.

For starters THE THING was NOT the movie from which I learned that life lesson I refered to above. It was the first movie I remember seeing as a child, Disney be damned. Before this movie there was nothing. THE THING was just plainly and simply the most incredible experience I had ever had in all of my 4 and 1/2 years of life. It absolutely terrified me and left me to imagine anthropomorphic monsters from space lurking behind every corner and hiding under every bed. So why the hell did I love it so much that I had to see any and every movie that even vaguely resembled and still do to this very day? I have no idea nor do I really care to know why. That little movie has not only kept me entertained (in a neurotic way) but has also been responsible for my inevitable gravitation towards conventions and all other manner of fannish endeavors. So you could say with some validity that it ultimately wound up shaping my entire life. Pathetic to some I suppose, but I've been rather happy with it.

And so I'm thankful for the scary movie that started the whole "thing" off.

"AN EXCELLENT CLASSIC"
This one is an excellent classic, and keeps you in focus with an original script. I saw it when i was a kid and now I enjoyed it again. !!

"Eat your vegetables before they eat you!"
After a half a century The Thing from Another World still holds up as one of best of the classic sci-fi films. The fairly straight forward story of a crashed flying saucer and a group of military personnel and scientists trying to fend off the lone survivor, it has all the necessary ingrediants usually associated with 1950's sci-fi. It's skimpy on the special effects, and most of the sets are pretty simple, but what makes it work is chemistry. The writing is sharp and the dialog is very well done. You get a real sense of comradery from the cast and just enough conflict between the scientists and the military to build a brains versus brawn subplot. There's the lovely young woman that's being romanced by the dashing commanding officer. And just enough claustrophobia from the closed in sets and cold, to work up just the right atmosphere. The alien,in the end, isn't all that impressive, but the film doesn't rely on visuals. It succeeds where it counts, in the human element and lays down a templet that would be copied by many other films in years to come.

"The Thing from Another World Movie Review from The Massie Twins"
Directed by Christian Nyby and produced by legendary Howard Hawks, The Thing From Another World is a masterly science-fiction film based on the short story "Who Goes There?" written by Don A. Stuart. Later remade by John Carpenter as a horror film, this 1951 classic remains a thrilling example of creative filmmaking and spine-tingling science fiction.

In the North Pole, a group of military personnel and a reporter (Douglas Spencer) leave the base to investigate mysterious activity near an isolated research facility. Discovering a fascinating spacecraft that crash landed in the ice, the group uses thermal charges to unearth it, but accidentally destroy it instead. Locating one of the UFOs passengers thrown from the explosion, the scientists insist that it be brought back to the lab to run tests and research. Without delay, the frozen spaceman thaws and wreaks havoc on the unsuspecting scientists and soldiers, who must battle distrust and differing opinions on how to handle the deadly creature.

Paranoia is shown differently in the film and is more faithful to the source material than Carpenter's vision. The Army group and the scientists are constantly at odds, not because of the fear of the creature assimilating one of the crew, but because they have opposing ideas on how to manage the terrifying new discovery. Carpenter's variation has the Thing capable of taking over the body of anything it touches, constantly changing its appearance and shape-shifting as a form of camouflage and defense.

James Arness stars as the towering creature, and while he's menacing and lethal, his design is nowhere near as gruesome or horrifying as the mutating atrocity from the remake. The Thing in both films is equally deleterious, and here it is actually more intelligent. It is not a creature that could have traveled as a plague aboard another alien spacecraft, but a being that could have been the original pilot.

The most noticeable difference between the two films is that one is purely science-fiction, and the other clearly leaps into the realm of horror. Suspense is stimulated in similar ways, as the crew is isolated in the harsh arctic environment, but Carpenter's chameleonic, effects-heavy monstrosity actually outdoes its predecessor in sheer visual appeal and spontaneity. The Thing From Another World uses clever dialogue and many more individuals to create a complex setting, but nothing can beat the dark corridors and writhing tentacles witnessed in the remake. With a much larger group of potential targets, The Thing From Another World has a surprisingly small body count, chiefly because it doesn't dwell on constant death, and obviously because of the stricter sense of censorship that existed when it was originally released.

Excellently adapted and tightly directed, this film is an amazing example of science-fiction that stands the test of time. With amusing dialogue, a brains vs brawn subtext, the frightful isolated setting, and first-rate action, The Thing From Another World was voted onto AFI's Top 100 most thrilling films list and is a shining example of 50's science-fiction.

- Mike Massie




"A hit from the old days"
This black and white was made in 1951, the year before I was born. I saw it on the big screen when I was very young and it scared the snot out of me. I still love it, especially Ken Tobey. He was in a bunch of these. The remake was great with better sound and special effects. I have a world-class McIntosh theater system so I can appreciate modern technology. I still love films like this one and even the color Hammer films because they are SO successful at that whole suspension-of-disbelief thing. Very moody. Watch this and Kiss of the Vampire for your Halloween double feature. Turn down the lights and have some popcorn ready ...