The Thing From Another World, directed by the esteemed yet somewhat unknown Howard Hawks, was a product of its time. Like other sci-fi thrillers of the 50's, this The Thing served as an allegory for the paranoia and tension that existed between America and the Soviet Union. Other notable "Cold War" genre classics of this era were Invasion of the Body Snatchers (the original '56 version), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), The Fly, The Blob, and Invaders From Mars.
The Thing From Another World was based on the 1938 novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell. I've never read the story, but I'll give it a try soon. I've been a longtime fan of both movie versions, so it's about time I went back to the source material. The idea of a science team at an isolated Arctic station besieged by an otherworldly attacker... well, that just raises the hairs on my neck... and I love it.
This cinematic gem stands up well even today, as long as you understand the era in which the film was made. The two women at the Arctic research station do little more than rustle up coffee for the team of male scientists. That wouldn't fly in our modern # (hashtag) world. And the alien intruder doesn't really look like much, what little we see of it. But that's completely forgivable considering how effective the story and atmosphere are. Shadowy passageways, bleak snowy isolation, old-school monster hunts.
I watched The Thing From Another World several times on TV when I was a kid and teen. It was one of the few mature treatments of invaders from outer space. The scientific slant added "movie realism" to the out-of-this-world tale, at least for my young sci-fi fan self. Maybe not so much now, but then again, this film retains its serious and creepy tone... thanks to straightforward dialogue and no-nonsense acting, not to mention eerily lit sets and outdoor locations.
Sure, this 50's Thing movie may look dated to some viewers, but it's a piece of cinematic history and is still considered an important contribution to the genre... even to film as a whole. Just look at the long string of imitators that followed in its footsteps; the film has had enormous influence that simply can't be denied. It was a no-brainer that The Thing From Another World would take its place in my home video collection.
Now jump a few decades later, when established genre film-maker John Carpenter released his new-and-improved version of The Thing. This time, it's set in the Antarctic (though filmed in Alaska)... and no women. It's a straight-up guys' movie, with a great cast of characters - with their own conflicting personalities - tangling with the being from beyond the stars. Carpenter ups the ante here, more deeply developing the personalities of the scientific team, further aiding the menacing mood with a superior Morricone music score, and of course, with absolutely bizarre and disturbing creature visuals. The unforgettable special effects were almost too much for my brain when I first saw this back in the 80's. So I watched and re-watched it several times. Makes sense, right? Over the decades, I've owned Carpenter's The Thing on videotape, DVD, and now Blu-ray. A masterpiece in its own right.
The cast, if not all household names at the time, handled their respective roles simply and mostly quietly, in line with the grim and low-key horror plot. Kurt Russell was the star power here as he played the tough, furry-faced science team's helicopter pilot, McReady.
Very lean on story, the film centres on its small cast and their encounters with the monstrous alien - which often assumes the shape of its victims - in their midst. Shades of Invasion of the Body Snatchers in that stolen identity thing there, eh? The movie is no slouch in the technical and art departments, either. The practical special effects ate up a huge chunk of the budget, but wow... the results were worth all the work and expense. The lighting and colour palette certainly played a big part in establishing the atmosphere of dread and unearthliness, too. Sets, props, and costumes were all neutral colours, leaving the lighting crew the job of creating cold or warm moodiness, whatever was called for in a scene.
The movie wasn't much of a hit on its initial theatrical run, though it grew in cult status among fans of the horror and sci-fi genres over the years. 1982 audiences were hungry for optimistic fantasy fare, more along the lines of E.T. the Extraterrestrial, but The Thing's depressing, nihilistic view went against that, probably a reason for its lacklustre impact at the box office. The movie did find success on home video and TV, and as the years ticked by, it gained praise as one of the greatest science-fiction and horror films of all time. Its influence can be seen in countless cheap-o 80's rip-offs, not to mention the better flicks to come in the following decades. Looking at Hollywood's B-movie output since The Thing, it's hard to discount its cultural importance.
I definitely rank Carpenter's The Thing in my Top Ten horror and sci-fi films. The original, while a nostalgic childhood favourite, wouldn't be so high on my list, though. It's better than good, but just can't compete with Kurt's whiskey-drinking "hero" and the Lovecraftian meta-morphing creature.
If you haven't seen The Thing, or even its 50's predecessor, dial 'em up on your favourite streaming service (or better yet, buy it on Blu-ray, you media collectors!), turn off the lights, and strap yourself in for a chilling ride. Especially with the '82 version. But these would make a cool (freezing, actually) double-bill, wouldn't they?
