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The Thing from Another World (1951) Review: Better Than You Think?
In this episode of Sci-Fi Graveyard, Joseph and Josh travel back to the golden age of sci-fi to review the 1951 classic The Thing from Another World. Directed by Christian Nyby (and reportedly Howard Hawks), the film is based on the novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell. The hosts discuss how this black-and-white film compares to John Carpenter's beloved 1982 remake, noting key differences like the monster being a "super carrot" (a plant-based creature needing blood) rather than a shape-shifter due to budget constraints.
The discussion highlights the film's snappy dialogue, camaraderie among the military characters, and the surprisingly strong female lead, Nikki, who isn't treated as a damsel in distress. The crew laughs about the scientist trope embodied by Dr. Carrington, whose obsession with studying the alien almost gets everyone killed. They also share trivia about James Arness (the actor playing The Thing) being embarrassed by his role and the recent discovery of the expanded manuscript Frozen Hell. Despite being almost 70 years old, the hosts agree the movie holds up remarkably well as a suspenseful sci-fi drama.
Key Highlights
[02:44] Based on a Novella: Joseph explains the film's origin from the story Who Goes There? and the differences between the 1938 text, the 1951 movie, and Carpenter's 1982 version.
[04:47] The "Super Carrot": A discussion on the creature design, noting it's an intelligent plant that feeds on blood, a departure from the shape-shifting alien in the book and remake.
[13:53] James Arness Trivia: The hosts share that James Arness (famous for Gunsmoke) played The Thing but was so embarrassed by his costume that he skipped the premiere.
[21:28] The Mad Scientist: A breakdown of Dr. Carrington's character, who fits the "scientist putting knowledge over safety" trope, nearly sacrificing the crew to communicate with the hostile alien.
[30:29] Strong Female Lead: Praise for Nikki's character, who participates in the strategy sessions and isn't sidelined, defying 1950s gender stereotypes in film.
[36:05] Rapid-Fire Dialogue: The crew notes the overlapping, naturalistic dialogue style (a Howard Hawks trademark) that gives the film a realistic and energetic pace.
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By Joseph Gettinger
4.3
33 ratings
In this episode of Sci-Fi Graveyard, Joseph and Josh travel back to the golden age of sci-fi to review the 1951 classic The Thing from Another World. Directed by Christian Nyby (and reportedly Howard Hawks), the film is based on the novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell. The hosts discuss how this black-and-white film compares to John Carpenter's beloved 1982 remake, noting key differences like the monster being a "super carrot" (a plant-based creature needing blood) rather than a shape-shifter due to budget constraints.
The discussion highlights the film's snappy dialogue, camaraderie among the military characters, and the surprisingly strong female lead, Nikki, who isn't treated as a damsel in distress. The crew laughs about the scientist trope embodied by Dr. Carrington, whose obsession with studying the alien almost gets everyone killed. They also share trivia about James Arness (the actor playing The Thing) being embarrassed by his role and the recent discovery of the expanded manuscript Frozen Hell. Despite being almost 70 years old, the hosts agree the movie holds up remarkably well as a suspenseful sci-fi drama.
Key Highlights
[02:44] Based on a Novella: Joseph explains the film's origin from the story Who Goes There? and the differences between the 1938 text, the 1951 movie, and Carpenter's 1982 version.
[04:47] The "Super Carrot": A discussion on the creature design, noting it's an intelligent plant that feeds on blood, a departure from the shape-shifting alien in the book and remake.
[13:53] James Arness Trivia: The hosts share that James Arness (famous for Gunsmoke) played The Thing but was so embarrassed by his costume that he skipped the premiere.
[21:28] The Mad Scientist: A breakdown of Dr. Carrington's character, who fits the "scientist putting knowledge over safety" trope, nearly sacrificing the crew to communicate with the hostile alien.
[30:29] Strong Female Lead: Praise for Nikki's character, who participates in the strategy sessions and isn't sidelined, defying 1950s gender stereotypes in film.
[36:05] Rapid-Fire Dialogue: The crew notes the overlapping, naturalistic dialogue style (a Howard Hawks trademark) that gives the film a realistic and energetic pace.