Thing From Another World, The (1951) [Blu-ray]

Right off the bat, this review is biased. This is a favorite movie of mine and each year for Halloween, I watch this movie and "The Creature from the Black Lagoon". I personally love the older classic monster movies and do not like most of the newer generations of horror movies. If all the movie has to offer is gore, that isn't really my taste in movies. "The Thing from Another World" does not have any gore in it. With modern ratings, it is probably a G or barely a PG rating. If you have not seen the movie before, I suggest you give it a try. It is a pleasant view of an older style of film-making and the story inspired another classic, and great, monster or horror movie: John Carpenter's "The Thing" and its more recent sequel also titled, "The Thing". In some ways, the story also feels like it inspired some episodes of the "X-Files" and other movies and television programs that have come after. The plot is straight-forward which is common for films of the era. The Thing is the bad guy. The Air Force officer and his crew are the heroes. The scientists fall on both sides of the fence based on their perspective regarding The Thing. Also typical for this era, the leading lady in the film is more of a damsel in distress than an action star but she is more capable than others and is not portrayed as being incapable of taking care of herself. Part of the scientists want to open a dialogue with The Thing because it is a vastly more intelligent species that has mastered the ability to travel between stars. Once things start to go poorly, some of the scientists exhibit common sense and a legitimate desire for self-preservation and want to eliminate The Thing. The characters do not waffle on who they are or how they behave. In that respect, they are less developed but for the era and genre, that is not uncommon. Also, considering the story takes place over the course of a couple of days, there would not be much time for the characters to experience a change in their personas. The effects for the time are typical but better than some movies. Most of the movie follows the human characters and the story is mostly told in the interior of the scientists camp in the Arctic. The Thing of the title of the movie does not have much screen time and there is not an attempt to tell any of the story from its perspective. A little trivia about The Thing, the alien is played by James Arness who went on to the more famous role of US Marshall Matt Dillion in the long-lived western drama "Gunsmoke". He was partially selected to play the alien because of his large stature and in some scenes where he is with some of the other cast members, he does appear physically intimidating. I previously had a copy of this movie on DVD and I honestly cannot see much of a difference in quality between the DVD and the Blu-Ray release. It is 70 year old black and white movie shot on film with cameras decades before high definition was a thing and a lot of people went to drive-in movies. The video WILL NOT compare to modern films or television shows shot in 16:9 frames, 1080p, or Dolby sound. If those things are paramount to you, then the movie will be disappointing. However, if you watch it as an enjoyable piece of film history and a classic monster movie that is serious and not campy, I think you will enjoy the movie a great deal. Personally, a big reason I bought the movie on Blu-Ray was because I prefer the slimmer and shorter Blu-Ray packaging. The package for this movie is no-frills. A simple, plastic case with a paper insert is all there is.Being a fan of this movie and the remake and prequel that followed, I would purchase these movies again in a collected edition if one existed. Some elements of the movie that I think helped influence other works include the premise of the protagonists being isolated and being in an enclosed area. I think this is a forerunner of ideas that were explored in the movie "Alien" and in episodes of the "The X-Files" such as "Ice. They are common themes and present in many films, television programs, and novels but I think at least some of them were influenced by this movie.

OK, it's in black-and-white, so you don't see blood and gore in living color. In fact, you don't see blood and gore at all--special effects were low-key back in those pre-PC days. But "The Thing From Another World" has something too often lacking in thrillers back then and now--a brain behind the camera! In this case, it's the brain of producer Howard Hawks doubling as uncredited director for a friend who was nominally "directing" his first film. In addition, Hawks and buddy Ben Hecht, known as the "Shakespeare of Hollywood," were uncredited contributors to the screenplay. No wonder the actors' lines snap and sparkle as in other Hawks hits like "The Big Sleep," "Red River," "Rio Bravo," and "His Girl Friday" based on the "Front Page" play written by Hecht and Charles MacArthur. So you have a tight, fast-moving story full of interesting dialogue, and no big-name actors so any of the soldiers and scientists confronting The Thing in a remote arctic station could be its next victim. But wait! There's more! This was the very first alien invader film ever made, just a few short years after the "Roswell Incident" in New Mexico. That makes it the great-granddaddy of hostile alien films from the "Alien" to "The Astronaut's Wife," "Mars Attacks!" and beyond. It set the mark for everything that followed. The cast is a good one. If there is a "leading man" it would have to be James Arness in the title role of the monster. But you'll never recognize him--his appearances are few, brief, and generally a surprise. The commander of the soldiers is Kenneth Tobey. Although never a big star himself, he studied at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse with Gregory Peck, Eli Wallach, and Tony Randall. Hawks picked him for this role based on a short comedy bit he did in "I Was a Male War Bride." Also in the cast is a young, upcoming Texan, Dewey Martin. And keep your eye on Douglas Spencer as the lone newsman in the bunch, who voices the film's final warning: "Look to the skies!" A character actor, Spencer's main occupation for years was as stand-in for star Ray Milland. The sets look real and really cold--you can see the actors' breath in many scenes. The camera work is outstanding, including one scene lighted only by a flaming stuntman. And the film is chocked full of hopes and fears of the 1950s. A confident military, some cold scientists who prize knowledge over emotion and some who fear they're treading on God's toes, a dawning recognition we may not be alone in our universe, and all the fears of the Cold War and the Red Scare. Quite a load for one movie to carry. But what I remember best about this film is the Saturday matinee at the theater where I and most of the other kids in town first saw it. The soldiers are tracking the deadly Thing through the arctic station with a geiger counter that follows it's radioactive "scent." The tick-tick-ticks come faster and louder as the soldiers approach a large cabinet. Is the Thing inside? They whip open the door--and out tumbles one of the sled dogs the monster has killed! Boy, every kid in that theater jumped, and popcorn shot straight up several feet from the boxes we were holding. As the popcorn fell around us, it looked like a snow-storm inside the theater. Now that's entertainment!

THE THING.. Need I say more. Another great classic sci-fi movie. Good quality DVD..

Film bien fait, typique des années 50 avec bien sur toutes sortes de clichés, mais qui a plutôt bien vieilli et est un témoignage de l'époque.

pelicula de culto , y el transfer el mejor que puedes tener actualmente

My first exposure to “the thing”. Happy to finally have this one in HD after growing up watching the vhs. The movie looks better than ever and the packaging is great.

If you want a classic 1951 science fiction movie. This is ok.

Soy fan de las películas clásicas de Ciencia Ficción y cuando supe que Warner Archive Collection había restaurado en formato Blu-Ray el clásico "The Thing From Another World", la compre de inmediato. Se ve espectacular, mejor que nunca, con una calidad de imagen fuera de serie, el único inconveniente es que no trae subtítulos en español. Llegó rápido y en perfectas condiciones