The Thing from Another World (1951)

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Scientist at an Arctic research station discover a spacecraft buried in the ice. (imdb)

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Directed By: Howard Hawks, Christian Nyby

Written By: Ben Hecht, Howard Hawks, Charles Lederer, John W. Campbell Jr.

Starring: James Arness, Kenneth Tobey, Robert Cornthwaite, Dewey Martin, Douglas Spencer, Margaret Sheridan, James R. Young

Genres: Sci-fi, Horror

Country: USA

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The Thing from Another World belongs to 40 collections

1. Features under 91 minutes (collaborative: moderated by epiphany - 56 stars)

2. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2008 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Scottathon - 39 stars)

3. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2010 revision) (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 32 stars)

4. National Film Registry (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 30 stars)

5. The Guardian's 1000 films to see before you die (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 30 stars)

6. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2014 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Jehan - 27 stars)

7. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2012 revision) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 25 stars)

8. AAA: Empire's five star movies (collaborative: moderated by KasperL - 24 stars)

9. They Shoot Pictures' Recommended Viewing (collaborative: moderated by Cinephile - 19 stars)

10. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2013 revision) (collaborative: moderated by rant1229 - 16 stars)

11. 101 Sci-Fi Movies You Must See Before You Die (collaborative: moderated by von krogh - 15 stars)

12. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2011 revision) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 14 stars)

13. Films available in HD (collaborative: moderated by kubricksucks - 13 stars)

14. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2020 revision) (public: djross - 13 stars)

15. Cinema Discusso Yearly Consensus (2008) (public: PeaceAnarchy - 10 stars)

16. Sight and Sound 2002 (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 9 stars)

17. Something's picking us off! (collaborative: moderated by TonythePony - 8 stars)

18. Alien visitation (collaborative: moderated by djross - 7 stars)

19. Lots 'n Lots of Snow (collaborative: moderated by iceblox - 7 stars)

20. Big-time Hollywood science fiction (public: djross - 7 stars)

21. Monster (collaborative: moderated by djross - 6 stars)

22. List: Taschen (collaborative: moderated by KasperL - 6 stars)

23. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2007 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Scottathon - 4 stars)

24. Remade (collaborative: moderated by Ag0stoMesmer - 4 stars)

25. Horror (public: fruititself - 4 stars)

26. Horror (public: horrorjames - 4 stars)

27. AFI 100 Years... 100 Thrills (collaborative: moderated by iceblox - 3 stars)

28. Cult Movies (Danny Peary) (collaborative: moderated by iconogassed - 3 stars)

29. Coheed's Films I Need To See Or Try To Track Down (public: Coheed - 3 stars)

30. Dan Sallitt "red" films (public: Scottathon - 3 stars)

31. Alien Invasion (collaborative: moderated by mpowell - 2 stars)

32. Big-time Hollywood horror (public: djross - 2 stars)

33. Moviedrome: Alex Cox (collaborative: moderated by Ag0stoMesmer - 1 star)

34. Golden Age of Sci-Fi and Horror from the 50s and 60s (collaborative: moderated by Dunstan-xxx - 1 star)

35. Timeout 100 Best Sci-Fi Movies (public: Ozancan - 1 star)

36. Films Photographed by Russell Harlan (collaborative: moderated by iconogassed)

37. LookThem (public: cajerio)

38. Danse Macabre (book) (public: Ag0stoMesmer)

39. To See (public: Contreras)

40. nextup (public: valkyrian)

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TCI | Percentile | Date Rated | # Stars (Reviews)

Stars	User	Rating
7	KasperL	70 _65th
While it, of course, has nothing on Carpenter's incomparable remake, this is a solid little sci fi flick with some very cool scenes in which the titular thing gets, respectively, torched and electrocuted. ( For those of you who are learners of English, please consult your dictionaries for the quite essential difference in meaning between "respectively" and "respectfully".)
6	TimeCapsule	68 _61st
The thing about "The Thing...from Another World"(1951) is that, it's hard not to compare it to "The Thing"(1982), and the thing is, that's not totally fair. However, that's not gonna stop me from comparing "The Thing"(2011) to "The Thing"(1982). So I guess, while the intelligent extraterrestrial carrot/Frankenstein's monster thing from "The Thing"(1951) doesn't exactly compare to the frightening shapeshifter of John Carpenter's "The Thing", however for 50's sci-fi fare, it's fairly entertaining.
5	Paxton	67 _50th
Enjoyable in that fifties sort of way where everybody has a good chuckle about what they've learned after thawing out a murderous alien. This is one of those rare cases where the remake was actually made after the original, or something.
4	Astfgl	60 _35th
An interesting movie for its time, but it lacks any sense of suspenseful timing. Even when considered on its own merits (and not compared to the John Carpenter version), the movie squanders most of the truly tense moments, and it lacks the sense of impending doom that films like these thrive on. It comes across more as a triumph of man's ingenuity and teamwork than a dark look at an extraterrestrial menace.
3	mwgerb	60 _66th
Fairly conventional monster movie take on the story, but it does have several good moments. To note: the banter works great, the kerosene scene works well, and the ending is fairly satisfying. It's sub-par when compared to Carpenter's version, but well above average compared to similar movies of the time.
3	Valenzetti	85 _72nd
It still gets to me when they spread out to trace the outline of the ship in the ice, and they stand there transfixed in a circle like they're playing a neighborhood game, these wise-cracking professionals suddenly turned into gaping children. It's sad that all these years later movies still have trouble finding the naturalistic, mature gender dynamics it breezes through.
3	bof	62 _45th
Apart from the fact that it seems to grudgingly admit that it can never make an intellectual super-carrot scary, this is actually quite good; there's a reason it's been used as the inspiration for countless other movies.
3	Hawkins	57 _20th
Contrary to the 80's incarnation this has no 'mafia game' elimination format, and nobody actually dies. So as horror it feels more like a failed bear attack on a ski resort than the bedlam of paranoia in Carpenter's vision. As science fiction it has more to say (take the botanist's hardline on collective knowledge being worth individual sacrifice) but in doing so spouts some sketchy factoids (carnivorous plants only display reactive nervous systems, not patterns of thought). Ultimately obsolete.
2	Luna6ix	78 _66th
One of the best early 50's monster flicks out there, and it really doesn't have much monster in it. It is, however, completely in the shadow of the absolutely superb Carpenter remake.
2	begoniabol	40 _38th
It's a very slow-moving movie and I unfortunately kept comparing it to Carpenter's The Thing. I just felt like the 80's version is much more mysterious and scary than this.
2	oskarhu	72 _24th
A disappointingly mild and non-eventful film.
2	pompousass	100 _98th
Claustrophobic atmosphere; close-packed images; some truly chilling effects. Of its kind, nearly perfect. Nyby directed it, but Howard Hawks supervised it, and it unmistakably bears his stamp: group portraits of people bonded together by their isolation in a hostile wilderness and by their mutual dependence on bulky clothing, coffee breaks, and wiseacre banter.
2	juntakinte99	66 _30th
Even with the science talk, it's more a monster movie than a sci-fi story that speculates on the world. Cinematically, Hawks has his tropes all over it--especially in the overlapping dialogue. But the characters are paper thin: including a soldier who wants to fight, a scientist in it for a discovery, and a reporter out to tell one helluva story. Sheridan is the best part, but she's relegated to taking notes & bringing coffee. Marginal recommendation if you want to see the picture's influence.
2	DyanneThorne	72 _68th
I had to remind myself that when this came out in '51 the plot would have been novel and fresh. Didn't really buy that the alien was supposed to be super-intelligent since most of the time it just waddled around like Frankenstein's monster and it took it two days to figure out how to cut of the power. Still, lots of atmosphere and a couple of really nifty shots like the one of the round shape under the ice.
2	Yiannos	60 _47th
The extent of Hawk's involvement behind the camera is largely academic at this point. What remains is a moderately successful early Hollywood sci-fi with social commentary that isn't a patch on Carpenter's remake or other genre films from the same decade like Body Snatchers, but it has a few good scenes and it gets the job done. It's also worth a look for obvious historical reasons, especially for genre devotees.
2	ott	65 _47th
Note to self: Check the botanist's ethics before hiring.
2	Barko	88 _82nd
Doctor loves Vegetable-man, but the world wasn't ready for their love
1	MartinTeller	25 _2nd
Absolutely mediocre. Hawks' trademark snappy patter fails miserably here, with not one gag eliciting even a chuckle. The scientific basis for the story is as threadbare as it gets, and the sets and effects are as cheap as they come. The moral of the story seems to be threefold: 1) if you don't know what it is, shoot it; 2) scientists are stupid and weak; 3) women in the workplace are okay, but they should settle down and get married after they've got it out of their system. Unsatisfying.
1	eveelun	77 _66th
Maybe a bit dated, but it still has a nice, claustrophobic feel to it and it is well-paced. The monster is never shown for very long, enhancing its own intrigue and menace.
1	TheDiceman	60 _62nd
Classic.
1	Nathan S	2 _21st
The few good things about it, like a strong sense of isolation and unnerving paranoia, can't help this dated film get past its own silly politics. Its militaristic mindset is the exact opposite attitude of the same year's much superior The Day the Earth Stood Still. Not to mention it moves at such a quick pace that it wastes any potential for building suspense.
1	hehejaja	80 _76th
Awesome. You can see a lot of things here that Carpenter must have further developed not only in his remake, but throughout his whole career; the interaction between the men - and the one charming woman (played with superb elegance by Margaret Sheridan) - is most prominently notable. Smart direction, excellent acting and primitive but effective mise-en-scène makes this a sweet delight.
1	johnshaft	73 _49th
It isn't helped by comparison to the John Carpenter remake( a rare occasion in which a film isn't helped by comparisons to the remake), but it is still, in its own right, a suspenseful science fiction film.
1	SirStuckey	65 _45th
Pretty good, but does suffer in the modern age with the fact that The Thing is way better. Also the alien in this is quite lame. I don't mind the biology of it and the story behind that, but it looked rather boring, like a knockoff Frankenstein.
1	overrated	42 _35th
A real disappointment. None of the characters save for the mad scientist stand out in any way (oh wait, there's a woman - she serves coffee), the setup does nothing to build atmosphere, the monster sucks... if you've seen the 1982 remake beforehand do not come in with high expectations.
1	jodamico	95 _99th
The guy who said "It comes across more as a triumph of man's ingenuity and teamwork than a dark look at an extraterrestrial menace" hits on exactly why it's such a good film, but treats it as a failing.
1	glumpy_99	74 _44th
SPOILERS Stodgy and deliberate 50s sci-fi (perhaps unfairly) suffers by comparison to Carpenter's more intriguingly (and faithfully) plotted and realised remake, but this is still a fun genre entry, if a little too pretentious minded at times. Some nice jump scares (especially the sudden reappearance of a dog) and solemn and sincere work by the cast help things along.
1	Darren	75 _65th
Smartly made
1	deep_green	55 _31st
Pretty hokey but its still a tightly made picture.
1	kode	37 _2nd
A film that would've felt dated 200 years ago.

Average Percentile 54.84% from 778 Ratings