Rating: 
Summary: "Watch the skies"
Review: I really wanted to give this movie five stars, but Warner has dropped the ball yet again. 50th anniversary release? You sure wouldn't know it...no extras at all, unless you count a very poor quality trailer. No commentaries, no production notes, no wide screen format, no interviews, no documentaries...nada, squat, zip, zilch. Even the subtitles don't acurately match the spoken dialogue. Yes, Warner has done it again, right down to their cheap cardboard packaging that no other major company uses because it stinks. What's so sad is Warner takes their sweet time in releasing classics like this, and they don't bother to do anything special. Makes me think they should license thier movies to be released on DVD to other companies, companies that would do it right. I would have gladly shelled out five more bucks for a some extras. Oh well...That being said, this, to me, is one of the greatest sci fi movies ever made. The attention to detail, the dialogue, the tension between the scientists and the military, the suspense, it's all here. The investigation of a downed UFO in the artic leads a team of researchers and military personel to a startling discovery. Unable to recover the alien ship, they find a figure trapped in the ice. They manage to bring the frozen creature back to the station, but events occur that cause the creature to be awakened from its' frigid slumber, and it's none to happy. No amount of Reeses' Pieces will bring this ET around. As with many science fiction movies made at that time, the influence of the Cold War is evident. I hope in the future this movie will see a better release, but until then, I'll keep this one, as it's not only a true classic sci fi movie, but a classic movie period.
Rating: 
Summary: Come On, Warner Brothers!
Review: Although it looks like Warner's finally coming around to treating sci fi and horror fans with some respect with the recent releases of The Omega Man, the House Of Wax/Mystery Of The Wax Museum two-fer, Wait Until Dark, and The Haunting (1963 version, of course) with some decent special features, it's disheartening and disturbing that Warner completely dropped the ball again (like the reviewer below me mentioned) with this "50 anniversary edition" (just two years late!) DVD.
Just compare this DVD to the excellent Day The Earth Stood Still DVD. It has a nice commentary by Robert Wise and Nicolas Meyer, an equally enjoyable making of documentary, Movietone newsreels, still galleries, and shooting script which of course The Thing DVD doesn't. Sure, Howard Hawks and Christian Nyby are dead but some of the supporting cast and crew are still alive. I'm sure they would have provided some interesting details about the making of the movie to warrant a commentary or a "making of The Thing" documentary.
Don't get me wrong, The Thing will always hold a special place in my heart as it does in countless other hearts. (To be honest, I personally don't know of anyone who HASN'T seen the Thing and weren't equally affected by it.) So I guess I should be thankful that The Thing From Another World is FINALLY available on DVD. But it could have been SO much better.......
Rating: 
Summary: After a Half-Century, Still a Joy!
Review: THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD...the title conjures up lurid images from the countless 'B' SciFi flicks of the 50s, but as many SF, Howard Hawks, and Classic Cinema fans can attest, this is no sleazy schlockfest, but one of the most entertaining and exciting films ever made, by one of Hollywood's greatest directors. Yes, the credits list Christian Nyby as director, but Howard Hawks was on the set nearly every day, each scene has elements of style unique to Hawks, alone, and even the cast members, when interviewed, have said Hawks ran the entire show. Perhaps, as Science Fiction films were not highly regarded in the early 50s, he felt his reputation might suffer if he acknowledged his contribution; perhaps he thought it might help Nyby's credentials if he were given credit for this masterfully crafted tale. Who knows? But rest assured...this IS a Howard Hawks film! The story, based on John Campbell's short story, 'Who Goes There?', is a nifty, claustrophobic tale of a group of soldiers and scientists in the Arctic, discovering a giant 'flying saucer' under the ice. When the ship blows up during the excavation, the 'pilot', a huge green chlorophyll-based humanoid (played by a young James Arness), is recovered, frozen in a block of ice. Bringing the ice-encased figure back to the base, it is then accidentally thawed out...and all Hell brakes loose! While the cast lacks big-name stars, each actor is wonderful, delivering wryly funny Hawks' dialogue at a breakneck pace. The military commander, Capt. Hendry (Kenneth Tobey), is a no-nonsense boss, respected and lovingly chided by his men, led by Dewey Martin, who constantly try to 'set him up' with a pretty scientist he had 'struck out' with, on a recent 'leave' (Margaret Sheridan). She is now at the base, assisting brilliant yet blissfully naive Dr. Arthur Carrington (Robert Cornthwaite), who, naturally, assumes 'the Thing' is only homicidal because he is misunderstood! As the truly frightening potential of the creature reveals itself, it becomes a race against time to destroy it, before it kills everyone, leaves the base, and reproduces countless seedlings of itself to conquer the world! The FX are low-budget, but very effective, as is the extensive use of light and shadow, sound effects, and an eerie Dimitri Tiomkin score. Unlike the benevolent 'visitors' of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, this alien doesn't warn of total annihilation as the final option, should we carry our nuclear weapons into space; it's ONLY agenda is to KILL! This is a truly amazing film, one that has aged little, and is every bit as enjoyable today as when it was released. As the tag line to the film warns us, "Look to the sky..."
Rating:
Summary: Holy Cow!! Jumpin' Jee Willikers!! A Flying Saucer!!
Review: This is one of the great 50s B & W science fiction films, right up there with Man From Planet X. Although not as close to the book as John Carpenter's version, the low tech special effects and absence of graphic violence gives it a charm and mood which is irresistable. I suspect that someone involved with the Outer Limits TV series watched this movie a few times. Consider that the outdoor snow scenes were filmed on a L.A. back lot on a "very hot day". Great snow effects. And James Arness as the carrot man!? What a hoot!! Hey, why is it that western stars (Arness and Deforest kelly) transfer so easily to the silver screen? Its also a pleasant change to see military men with the moral high ground and scientists as the antagonists (a nice reversal of post 60s Hollywood). My only gripe with the DVD is that its hyped as the "50th anniversary edition". If so, why are there no extras, just the trailer and scene selection? Anyway, if you don't already know this film, buy it. You are in for a treat. And remember: "keep watching the skies"!!
Rating:
Summary: Warner Drops the Ball
Review: The lack of attention to detail is almost overwhelming. Fortunately the fact that this is a great film overpowers the bad decisions made by the current crop of Warner executives, The print is dirty--hair and debris hang on for several seconds here and there as though even a cursory cleaning was too much to ask for a 50th anniversary edition of a classic film! There are NO extras to speak of (a badly transfered trailer is it). What's wrong with Hollywood? Gigli...Bad Boys II and the folks responsible for this reprehensible release. Shame, shame.
Rating:
Summary: Classic adaption of Who Goes There?
Review: Certainly less gory than the remake nearly 25 years later, The Thing is atmospheric fun. Well directed by Howard Hawks and his long time director of photography Christian Nyby, The Thing crackles with much of the energy one would expect from a Hawks film. A spaceship is discovered in the ice in the arctic circle. Hidden in the ice is a frozen alien. While the scientific and military camp suspect they've made an important discovery they haven't a clue; the creature in the ice is still very much alive and plans on surviving at any expense. Suddenly, these isolated scientists and army personnel find themselves threatened by a creature none of them understands. It's clear, though, that the creature has determined they are a threat; he begins picking them off one by one. Although it isn't exactly faithful to Campbell's story, that's not a surprise given the limited optical effects of the time. Still, much of the setting and the general mood of the story. The cold war era/communist subtext is very much of the time and wasn't in Campbell's story that I recall. In many respects, the alien itself could be seen as a cold war era representation of the Soviet threat. The Thing is notable for a number of things. It was one of the first films that hard a much darker undercurrent from a major studio (RKO)that viewed aliens as something other than our friends. Regardless of the symbolism the film is still fun to watch. Although many of the effects haven't aged all that well (particularly compared to John Carpenter's much more faithful, powerful and gory remake), the suspense works due to the well written script, crackling performances and sharp direction. This DVD doesn't have anything in the way of extras (beyond the trailer) to write home about. While it looks pretty decent (despite numerous analog artifacts including hair, dirt, etc), I was hoping for a much more deluxe treatment similar to The Day The Earth Stood Still or It Came From Outer Space. It does appear that this new print was created from a restored negative. While I realize that the resources for the extras were probably limited (if I'm not mistaken nitrate stock was still being used to shoot film during this era so many of the outtakes probably don't exist any longer. Also, studios didn't routinely see any value in keep the outtakes or dailes for films at this time). As Hawks and Nyby are both deceased, it would have been impossible to have a director or producer commentary. Still, a film historian's comments would have been welcome. Even a commentary from a fan of the film (such as John Carpenter) would have been welcome. While I'm a bit dismayed at the lack of attention given to this fine film, I'm not surprised given the era we live in. Many earlier films are not seen as important when it comes to generating revenue and, as a result, little effort is made to add value to the package. I'm happy this classic film is finally available on DVD but wish the packaging could have been a whole lot better.
Rating:
Summary: This movie scared the hell out of me in 1954!
Review: I had nightmares for years after seeing this movie at age seven or eight on a winter evening in a Boston suburb. The dirty snow drifts piled up on the street seemed particularly scary at night, maybe with something hiding behind them! The movie is based on the classic story by John W. Campbell "Who Goes There". You should read the original story, which is represented much more accurately in the John Carpenter gross-out version of the movie.
Rating:
Summary: The Finest Thing Movie Ever!
Review: The Thing From Another World is the mother of all aliens attack the world films. Most people think immediately of John Carpenter's version of this story. It is an unfortunate comparison because the two films could not be further apart in story, style or intent. Where the modern version relies on gory effects and the star power of Kurt Russel to carry the day, the original film has none of that. The great director, Howard Hawks, is probably best remembered for his westerns, and his work with John Wayne. As Producer, Hawks brings a masters touch and a history of being one of the greatest storytellers in American cinema to this film. Even though Christian Nyby directed the film, Hawk's style is evident in the retstrained pacing, crisp banter and short but absolutely stunning action sequences. The viewer barely sees The Thing, played by a younger James Arness except in brief and savage action sequences. We have to wait until finally in the film's exciting finale he is revealed in full. The creature is unlike the modern take on the alien lifeform. The Thing is human in design, with a minimal approach the the make up. No spewing orifices, shooting mandibles or acid blood here. This Thing is a relentless, intelligent being who keeps upping the stakes, staying one step ahead of the heroes in a tense game of cat and mouse, with the fate of the entire world in balance. The cast is one of the great ensembles of all time. The dialogue is terse, witty and sparse. All of the archetypical heroes are here, the brave Army officer, the beautiful ex-girlfriend, the scientist who is so naive and trusting that he would be willing to risk the world in the pursuit of knowledge. The setting, an isolated, weather whipped outpost on the continent of Antartica is a wonderful, eerie backdrop for the grim proceedings to come. There are so many cinematic and entertainment reasons to enjoy this masterpiece that it would be easy to overlook the messages that Hawks delivers with this seemingly straight forward film. Science for science's sake can be destructive. A people must be aware of external threats and be prepared to defend against them. A nation must work together and recognize that strong leadership is necessary when a crisis is looming. All favorite themes of the times when this film was made. It was made at the inception of the Red Scare in America. In a sense it is a facist piece of work, but taken as a whole, it is so exciting and so crisp in execution that one can forgive and overlook the undercurrent of paranoia that permeates the work. Every generation of science fiction fans should be required to see this film, The Innocents and The Bride of Frankenstein so they can see how it was all done first, and in many cases better.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Sci-Fi/Horror
Review: This movie was so well-received, that thirty-something years later, they remade it to try and capture some of that fan base. Unfortunately, the remake didn't do it for me. The personnel of an arctic military base are called to investigate a crashed spacecraft. They retrieve the frozen, and they think dead, pilot of the craft, only to accidentally thaw him. That's when all hell breaks loose. The creature wreaks havok on the men at the base in an attempt to feed. The creature, utilized some early foam latex masks and such, but was quite good. There were no shots of ray guns or anything like that, so the film cost very little to make. Don't take that to mean that the film is 'cheap', quite the contrary. The production values are excellent. Although not considered particularly scary these days, this film does have some suspenseful and even startling moments. I consider this a must-have for anyone who collects classic sci-fi or horror films.
Rating:
Summary: The All Time Classic SF Film
Review: The 1950's produced the greatest group of SF films ever made. The top three are: THEM, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS and the greatest of them all: THE THING.This movie has it all, suspense, credible acting, action and sustained interest all the way through.Its lasting impact is probably due to Howard Hawks. Why they waited so long to put it on DVD is a mystery.Anyone who has even a passing interest in SF should buy this DVD. What a treat they have in store!
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