Customer Reviews
The Thing From Another World 
2008-03-30
This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I would recommend it to any sci fi buff. there are seens that are not in a previous copy i've seen. It's a great movie--I don't want to give away the plot if you have not seen the movie.
Strongly recommended as a Classic for Science Fiction fans of any age 2008-03-03
I must be the only person on the planet to have not seen John Carpenter's version of The Thing, or read the original story. This film marks my first exposure to any version of this perennial classic. What I saw surprised me no end.
Firstly, there's the witty dialogue. Anybody who enjoyed the wisecracking Han Solo's antics in Star Wars is going to love the flight crew in this film. The way they try and matchmake the hapless Captain with the beautiful female Scientist is amusing to watch.
What also makes this film different is its lack of fear in questioning what I assume to be the conventions of the time. The military doesn't shoot first and ask questions later. And the Scientists (especially Carrington) may be highly educated and intelligent but they aren't as wise as they think they are. And they all work together as a team, which is different from the lone hero approach taken by modern films. It makes for a refreshing change from the assumptions that most films make - even today. And unlike its modern successor, it doesn't have a high body count.
I also found it a surprisingly tightly paced film. There's not a single moment that really dragged for me. And some moments are still a little frightening. Such as when "Our Captain" opens the door, and the Thing is standing only an inch away from him. Or when the Thing flings open the door and is silhouetted against the light. This film uses suspence rather than gore and a high body count to keep its audiences attention. I find that rather refreshing.
This is a film that has (surprisingly enough) withstood the test of time.
The Thing from Another World 
2008-02-22
James Arness is an evolved vegetable come from outer space in a flying saucer. The saucer crashes and is frozen in ice. The Thing is retrieved and inadvertently thawed. Havoc ensues until the Thing is killed by electric current. Even in 1951, we were thinking about the directions in which life might evolve in the universe. It is a chilling scene as the men circle the ship in the ice to reveal its shape. We are admonished to "Watch the skies!"
First and Best 2008-02-13
The classic in UFOlogy, remade and imitated often, but never equaled for sheer drive and entertainment value, all solidly based on a literate script. Belongs in every aficionado's collection.
One of the greatest SciFi classics. 2008-02-08
This is arguably, one of the most imaginative film creations of it's time. Even with all the advances the film industry has today, they'll never be able to create a film that endures the test of time like this. But, isn't that the true testament of any film. How many movies made these days will we looking at 20, 30, or more years from now?
The Thing - The Best! 2008-06-30
Decent DVD of what I consider the best of the 1950's horror films. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of other DVD's, but it does have a crisp copy of the film and nothing seems to be missing. So sit back and enjoy the movie. And keep watching the skies!
The Thing 2008-06-21
This movie is a true classic. It's well written, directed, and the acting is superb. I love the light-hearted banter among the characters.
Review of a Horror Classic 2008-06-10
I first saw this movie when I was eleven years old, and it caused me to dread entering dark rooms for months. It is a genuine classic from the early 1950's and is one of those films that a person never gets tired of.
The black and white photography is the best and the use of light and shade adds to one's fear while watching the monster roam a scientific research center at the North Pole. The 1982 remake of "The Thing" cannot compare with the original and must have cost many millions more to make.
James Arness makes a realistic monster not so much because of the limited make up. He is a very tall and big man and dwarfs every other actor in the movie. No one would want to open a door and find him on the other side.
The constant North Pole wind storms also add alot to the movie. This film meets all standards of being a classic horror production. I can recommend it highly.
Robert
an alien carrot... 2008-05-14
While some of the dialog is a bit silly,... "an alien super carrot" for example, this b/w classic still holds up today. While the movie is only a few years shy of turning 60 yrs old, the style of overlapping dialog that was mentioned in an earlier review, is as smart and fast as any Quentin Tarantino film today. The pace is perfect and never lets up. A must for any fan of 50's sci-fi.
Sci Fi doesn't get any better 2008-04-23
There are over a hundred reviews so I don't have much to add. Somewhere Stephen King wrote an essay on this movie. I only remember one thing he pointed out. Notice that there are essentially two groups: the military and the scientists. America was in love with its military (who had just won WWII) and wasn't too sure about its scientists (who had just invented The Bomb). That really shows in the movie. Every time I see this movie I notice subtleties I missed before.
They really capture "cold" in ways other movies haven't, especially "30 Days of Night" which deals with a similar topic--a murderous force set loose in an island of warmth in a sea of deadly cold.
Must see movie. Black and white at its best.
