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Summary: Tense Arctic Melodrama
Review: A true classic sci-fi/horror film, effective for its simplicity and ensemble performance.A strange phenomenon has occurred near an Arctic outpost: a mass of iron that isn't a meteorite has crashed into the ice, causing magnetic anomalies. The Air Force sends Kenneth Tobey to find out what it is. He and the base research team discover a gigantic saucer buried beneath the ice, and inadvertently destroy it in a failed recovery attempt. But they do pull out something - the saucer's occupant. Too bad it isn't dead. And worse still that they don't realize that fact, until it's up and around. It's damn near indestructible, and its food of choice is human blood. This is a drama first, and a science-fiction film second. The performances are stellar, the direction superior. The entire cast click incredibly well together. This is one of the fastest-paced movies you're likely ever to see, and incredibly involving throughout. The exposition and dialogue fly at lightning pace, and the action is sudden, violent, and unpredictable. The script is intelligent and often very witty. The few slow moments in the film serve only to heighten the sometimes unbearable suspense, and provide added chills with the scientific discoveries being made about the hostile alien invader. This is really a flawless film. The special effects are suitable and not overblown. The drama of the human interaction and the survival story take precedence. Incidentally, the colorized version is actually pretty good if you ever get a chance to see it, suffering only during the fiery scenes when the gray tones are left as they are instead of being touched-up for subtleties of shade. Don't miss this one.
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Summary: More things smoke on James Arness than his guns
Review: It is easy to just say this is a classic. What makes it the classic is the formula and people. (Directed by Howard Hawks). There is a prolog. You are set up as they go to investigate a crash in the snow. The investigators hold hands in the snow to figure out the size of the downed plane under the ice and find it has a peculiar shape. From there you know it can only get better. Do not expect the book story. But do expect blood and fire and sinister doings. By the way while your are at it just who's side is Dr. Arthur Carrington on? And does Nikki just scream a lot or does she usually bring up the true nature of the threat? Any way you slice it or dice it this movie holds it's own up against the bug pictures like "THEM!"
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Summary: Watch the Skies
Review: While this film bears little resemblance to John W. Campbell's excellent short story, on which it is based, it stands on its own merits, and certainly does not suffer when compared to John Carpenter's remake. The dialogue gives the film its drive and pacing, as it is the way real people speak. We talk at the same time, and in this, it reminds me of His Girl Friday, another Hawks production. Also, the actors gave some of the best performances of their careers. Kenneth Tobey was excellent as Capt. Hendry. Robert Cornthwaite as Dr. Carrington, great. (Can you spot him in War of the Worlds?) Robert Nichols and Douglas Spencer were superb here, but wooden in This Island Earth. The film's protagonist, James Arness, had no dialogue, but figured prominently. He got much more to say and do in another of the genre's best films, Them! All in all, this is my favorite sci-fi movie of all time, because of the fast-paced dialogue, and the fact that it is dated in only one way, and I won't give that away. It is, however, a line uttered by Scotty as they fly over the station. See if you can guess it. This, even fifty years later and minus one reason to watch the skies - the Soviet Union. Enjoy it!
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Summary: Science vs. Might
Review: If ever there was a socio-political horror film, it's The Thing (From Another World). Along with being one of the most frightening films of all time, it has a message -- Science cannot be trusted, kill 'em all! We start near the north pole as a group stationed there goof off. A strange dot appears on the radar and they go to investigate. Something crash lands near a scientific outpost. When they blast it out of the ice the UFO disintegrates (budget!) and we're left with a block of ice containing a 7-foot...Thing. They take it back to the outpost and wait for orders. A goofy guy standing guard over The Thing puts an electric blanket over the block of ice because The Thing was starting to give him the creeps. Well, the blanket melts the ice and fun ensues. I say the science thing, because the scientists and military are constantly at odds here. The scientist wants to study the creature, to talk to it. "If it has mastered intergalactic travel, it must be smarter than us. And, if it is smarter than us, it must be benevolent." Nice in theory. The military just wants it frozen or destroyed or both. The head scientist is eventually killed for trying to appease the monster, just like Neville Chamberlain. This was the fifties remember. On a pure cinema level, The Thing (From Another World) is probably the scariest film of all time. The creature is never clearly seen until the end. Where is he? What if he's growing? What if there are more? Gasp. What was that? The setting is appropriately claustrophobic. When The Thing finally is revealed, he is still sort of blank so that you can superimpose the enemy of your choice right on his face...
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Summary: 50th Anniversary Edition Is Most Complete
Review: Truly a classic, this remastered 50th anniversary edition is the one movie buffs will want to own. For the first time in years, the "missing" footage has been restored!
For years I've owned a horrible colorized ("Turnerized") version, which I'll now burn in place of this superior version, which is in glorious black and white!
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Summary: Difinitive Classic Sci-Fi
Review: A true classic - please release on DVD!!!
Rating:
Summary: The Thing
Review: Okay, I'll admit it. I am a fan of 1950's era science fiction movies. Most were technically awful and horribly acted but therein lies their charm. Not so with "The Thing" (From Another World). This spare thriller has it all. It evokes the feel of a radio show because the viewer has to use to imagination instead of passively absorbing visual stimulation. You can almost feel the intense cold and isolation as would be endured in such a forbidding place as the North Pole. Black and white photography, (probably used for budgetary considerations) just enhances the effect considerably. But the real strength of this film is based on the wonderful use of intelligent, believable dialog delivered at times in rapid fire by a competent cast of reliable character actors. The special effects were more than acceptable if you don't count the costuming of James Arness as the Thing, but this was after all 1951. The Thing has rightly assumed its place as one of the best science fiction movies of its time or of any time for that matter.
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Summary: Good writing makes all the difference
Review: This movie doesn't have the high tech. special effects of contemporary sci. fi.; but then it doesn't need them. It's actually better than the typical sf cranked out today, for it doesn't have the poor writing and predictability of the modern day genre. The characters are well developed, believable and even likeable. There's even a well-done subplot between the Captain and the lovely lady that's clever but never once detracts from the main plot. Let's face it: Movie scripts had more class back then.
If you are one who appreciates subtlety and substance over crass superficiality and overt sexuality, then this unique movie classic is for you.
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Summary: One of the BEST!!
Review: This movie is classic 50's Sci Fi at its best. From the eerie music in the beginning; to the discovery that they finally got a flying saucer; .....right to the end with the "keep watching the skys" warning for all of us. A fun work of art to enjoy in todays sad lost art of movie making that is consumed with computer special effects and no story. For those that gave this a bad review...... you guys just dont get it. Try again!
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Summary: Anti-COmmunist & Anti-Science Propaganda. I love it
Review: An alien craft crashes in the Artic. A group from an air force base recovers the frozen body of the presumably dead pilot. Only the pilot isn't dead. Once it thaws out, it goes on a killing rampage, eager for bllod to feed its spores as it tries to take over the world. The dialogue is good, the action is terrific and James Arness (Matt Dillion, US Marshall) plays a good giant alien.
Beyond the overt plot, this flick is based on the rabid fear Americans had of Russia. The alien represents the red menace (he's described as a carrot- get it?-carrot-orange- a shade of red. ( I don't think it would have been as threatening if the alien had been called a giant asparagus). Also, the action takes place in the Artic, just where Russian missles were suppose to come from.
it is also anti-intellectual, protraying scientists as weirdos interested only in knowledge. The scientist who tries to understand and communicate with the alien is killed while the others simply obey the military commander.
The message is simple-only the military can preserve America from its enemies and everything should be guided by that maxim.
I still like it (especially the air force guys dancing{the don't ask, don't tell policy wasn't in effect then}). It's a good stinker.
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