Exploring The Thing from Another World - Essential Sci-Fi

Good Bad Flicks looks into the history of the classic sci-fi movie The Thing from Another World. Directed by Christian Nyby.
◘ PATREON ► goo.gl/1Gmiur
◘ TEE SHIRTS ► tinyurl.com/y7...
◘ SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW VIDEOS ► t.co/hLZbW6FfZk
◘ TWITCH ► goo.gl/JWYlr9
◘ FACEBOOK ► goo.gl/qYrj7I
◘ TWITTER ► goo.gl/koijhV
◘ DISCORD ► discordapp.com...
◘ WEARY PINES ► wearypines.com...
◘ YOSHI ► / vuyoshi
◘ PSYCHOSTICK ► tinyurl.com/uy...
Want to see something specific? Check my Amazon Wish List ► goo.gl/zDoxnc
Movies, games, and the occasional editorial.
From A-Z list films, video games, and other overlooked goodness.

[@sulaco2122]

What still impresses me is the dialog of the 1950's Thing. The actors talk at, around and over each other in what sounds like impromptu real conversation not scripted dialog.

[@kensellers4082]

Howard Hawks used that technique in many of his films.

[@clintmcbride7830]

I love that the novella, 50s adaptation, and 80s re-adaptation are all considered to be influential in their own ways.

[@watamatafoyu]

I'm really hoping the 2011 prequel is not considered that...

[@KhailSOLO]

@@watamatafoyu as much as i'm fond of that movie, what else is there to it? when it's a retread made worse by studio meddling?

[@gallendugall8913]

One of my all time favorite movies. I love the overlapping dialog. It feels so natural.

[@jeremysmetana8583]

My understanding is that was one of the aspects of the film that helped to scare audiences so much. The natural flow of the dialog was something somewhat new at the time.

[@gepmrk]

Precisely.

[@rmhartman]

This was one of Hawks' hallmarks, iirc.

[@DragonKingX78]

Love this movie, really wish the blu ray release wasn't so bar bones.

[@johngriffiths118]

Saw it on TV yesterday . This was the most noticeable aspect of the film

[@nemesisn4sir242]

Watch this once or twice every year; always one of favorites.

[@docmach8794]

The Thing had some of the best acting in any movie. Lines were given as if they were from the person not a script, timing was perfect and the banter between actors was smooth as satin.

[@gerrydooley951]

it had overlapping dialogue which was a Howard Hawks thing

[@elroma7712]

this is one of my granpa's favorite films, he used to watch it a lot in the double features in the local cinema back in the mid 60's

[@pontiusporcius8430]

1954 was a landmark year for sci fi horror. Thing, black lagoon, gojira, them. A year of classics.

[@randyacuna5643]

Pontius, the Thing was made and released in 1951 , not 1954.

[@justletmelistthese]

even after his death Ebert never ceases to amaze me with his complete lack of taste

[@Chrisfeb68]

This is the perfect movie to watch on a cold October night.

[@lupiniiifan6095]

Fun Fact: Paul Frees, know for voicing thousands of cartoon characters, plays a small role as Dr Voorhees

[@Erikr-ex9dj]

And grouchy marks sidekick George Fenneman.

[@bigdmac33]

After watching TTFAW for the 4th time this evening, I realised that there is not one boring frame in the movie. It's filled with a strong cast in what is, for my money, one of the best ensemble acts ever.

[@18661873]

Agreed. At the point where Scotty remarks, "What if our boyfriend gets lonely and starts strolling around? What do we do then?" is when they realize that they are barely one step ahead of this monster. The pace of the film shifts into high gear from that point and culminates in the last round, do-or-die ending. You are correct, there is not one boring frame in this movie.

[@mjt07f]

Amazing that people could think "the thing" was a bad movie...one of the best movies of all time!

[@GliderBane]

I saw John Carpenter's Thing first and was a huge fan. I saw the origional on PBS and wasn't expecting much, as I heard it was made in 1950. I was really impressed. While I greatly prefer Carpenter's version, the 50's thing is without a doubt the best horror movie of its era.

[@pontiusporcius8430]

Creature from the black lagoon would like a word.

[@ELEKTROSKANSEN]

My favorite 50's horror movie will always be "Fiend without a face" tbh

[@erikramaekers63]

I saw The Thing from Another World first (1970 on tv) The two movies are very different but in my opinion the 50s version is much more entertaining( probably why i saw it at least 50 times)PS Howard Hawks directed the movie,he stood behind Nyby for the entire shoot and told him what to do

[@TequilaToothpick]

What about Les Diabloque or Night of the Hunter?

[@pontiusporcius8430]

@@TequilaToothpick In terms of sci fi horror. Though night of the hunter outclasses both.

[@matthewwolfstein2359]

As someone who is currently studying Old Hollywood history for a film encyclopedia I’ve been working on for two years, this was probably one of the best videos for me to see pop up in my notifications. Thanks for such a wonderful treat GBF, and keep up the stellar work! 👍🏻👍🏻

[@jamegumm474]

Hit me up when encyclopedia is done,that'd be sweet🤙

[@brandonpage7087]

I look forward to reading your film encyclopedia when it's done.

[@thomaspayton436]

you might want to start with westerns a lot of good charcter actors got their starts there

[@shizzmcgizz8686]

If you’re just learning about “The thing from another world,” you’re way behind

[@frankpienkosky5688]

@@shizzmcgizz8686 ..."OH,..that one"....great line....

[@mcwalton6721]

This a very tight film. It's a master class in editing, tension-building, character development and NO fluff or padding. Simply one of the best sci-fi films ever.

[@austintrousdale2397]

Yes… and the Arnold UFO sighting plus the Roswell incident cast a discernible shadow over the movie’s screenplay and vibe if you listen between the lines of dialogue. At least IMO

[@theoneandonlysoslappy]

One of my favorite scenes in all of film history is when the soldiers go out onto the ice to trace the shadow of the crashed craft and realize it is circular.

[@Luxinda]

Yes!!! Get goosebumps every time.

[@alantasman8273]

Actually that could be seen from the air as they flew over the landing/crash site.

[@sheilaburns8977]

Love the movie, and always love the eerie music that plays during this scene.

[@lesnyk255]

I first saw the original on Sat matinee tv back when I was 9 or 10 (ca 1960) - and that scene where they fanned out along the spacecraft's perimeter and came into a perfect circle has stayed with me all these decades. Even then the rapid-fire dialog seemed to impart a reality that a lot of B-movies of the era lacked. I tend to agree with Roger Ebert's assessment that the characters in Carpenter's remake were straw men waiting to be eaten (Kurt Russell in particular annoyed me), but it hews more closely to the written story, and it's a master class in practical special effects. I also like how Carpenter copied the original's "burn through" of the movie's title, in homage to Hawke's version of the film. I have both versions in my home video library.

[@KinksKomments]

@@lesnyk255 the situation in 1982 "Thing" develops so fast that wasting time trying to make the characters "likeable/relatable" actually detracts from the suspense and mystery that is building quickly. I agree with S F/X mastery class and more akin to original story. As for Ebert's assessment, he was so negatively critical of most movies, that when he thumbs downed them I would go see them as they turned out to be reall entertaining movies.

[@cwdkidman2266]

As a longtime Hawksite I find The Thing endlessly fascinating because it puts his philosophy and themes on a more stark relief than his other movies. Also, it's a classic. 1. It's a Hawks film. Nothing Nyby did afterward comes close to this movie. Either Hawks directed it or he told Nyby what to do on a micro level. 2. It's optimistic. Two scientists we never meet are murdered off screen. And some dogs. For an alien invasion movie, that's pretty low. But it doesn't ignore the horrible way they died. 3. Ned Scott gives Carrington a very kind word in his report. And Lt. Dykes says "Good for you. Scotty." 4. Leaders lead. Good leaders tolerate ribbing from his men, acknowledge that they don't have any solutions but pick the best solution offered, and good leaders expect to be obeyed once they give an order. 5. Professionals behave like professionals. It's that simple. Do your job. If you're a scientist, if you can help, great. But you don't fight. It's not your job. It's the job of military men who've taken an oath to protect the country. 6..Ned Scott pushes himself into the fight. That's HIS job. He needs to be on hand in order to report. And Captain Hendry let's him do his job. 7. Future Groucho sidekick and Electrician George Fennerman comes up with the final and best way to fight the thing, but no one expects him to be out front with an axe. And he isn't. So Pat doesn't have to worry about his safety. 8. Nikki is one of the best Hawksian women. She's smart, sexy, wears slacks, is sexual, can drink like a man, and comes up with two Big Ideas. One, heat fights plants. Two, she spots the lowering temperatures when the thing cuts off the oil. SHE is brought into the group of guys for the first big fight. 9. Sex and Double Entendres. Hawks' major desire for his characters is for them to have unfettered sex lives. He attacked Army red tape in I Was A Male War Bride that kept Cary Grant and Ann Sheridan apart. He attacked it without mercy, less than 4 years after the war. It was the first service comedy. It didn't care, like A Foreign Affair that same year, who won or lost. Hawks only cared about who was keeping our couple from fucking. The U.S. Army. And he eviscerated it Double Entendres. Hawks pushed as far as he could with censorship and usually got his way. He could have Cary Grant read a line and make it sound like pure filth, even if it were perfectly innocent on paper. An extra like Dabbs Greer in Monkey Business could give a look that said volumes. Monkey Business was his smuttiest film, yet no one could object to it. It seemed innocent when he explained it. And Hawks' double entendres usually refer to anal sex. 'Looking for polar bear tail" "Barnes flushed a polar bear" "we got up in there" etc. Carrington praises the thing's asexuality for not hindering its pursuit of technology. But fans of Hawks know that this is the thing's death sentence. It's going to be destroyed down to its shadow and echo.Hendry burns the thing, its hand, the seeds, and the little things in the garden. He'd burn the memory of it if he could. 10. Common sense. Hawks was pro-common sense, not pro-military. He wasn't pro journalist in His Girl Friday or pro scientist in Ball of Fire or Monkey Business. He was for people doing their jobs. In The Thing, the Air Force guys ignore orders in the face of facts on the ground. They mock the atom bomb even though they know it probably saved millions of lives in the Pacific in WW2. They bungle the thermite but they know they'd do it again if they didn't know the outcome. And Barnes isn't even yelled at for the electric blanket incident. What would be the point? It's clear Barnes learned his lesson. 11. More common sense. Some people have criticized this movie for destroying EVERYTHING about the thing. They think we'd learn more if we'd kept a few seeds..But what would we learn? We know what it is and how to kill it. If we kidnapped a Russian infant in 1951 and raised it in America, what could we find out about the Politburo or Soviet military technology? Nothing. The US government could weaponize the thing. And maybe that's what Hendry had in mind in destroying EVERYTHING. After all, they'd mocked atomic power as being too dangerous. They'd probably fight tooth and.nail.to keep us from weaponizing plant people. 11. The group dynamic. The individuals who make up a Hawks group are two things: professional and LIKEABLE. THAT'S the biggest difference between Hawks and Carpenter's remake. I wouldn't want to share an elevator with Carpenter's group it it were going from the second floor to the first. Hawks' group is a great hang out with your buds group. And so are most of the scientists, half of whom are against Carrington from the start of the ice block and behind Dr. Chapman. Only a.superficial.view of Hawks would make anyone think he's pro-military. Just watch I Was A Male War Bride. Hawks was a modern guy who never depicted middle class marriage except once, in Monkey Business. And that movie wrecked the marriage so it could be brought together again. And Hendry resists the idea of marriage but you know he'll take the plunge. No one attacked or ridiculed the American middle class more than Hawks did. And he was pretty subversive about it, cloaking his attacks in comedy. Or in fast-talking characters. I agreed with most contemporary critics of the 1982 remake but I've warmed to it over the years. It moves along briskly and I like Kurt Russell and Wilford Brimley. But I still wouldn't spend ten minutes with the rest of them.

[@runlarryrun77]

Agreed re Nyby. You just have to look at the rest of his work to see that regardless of who got the credit - either Hawks directed this with Nyby as a 1st assistant, or as you say, co-directed through Nyby to the point of telling him exactly what to do. There's a level of precision here you just don't see in the rest of Nyby's filmography. Some of his television work in particular was a little ragged, even when you consider the budgetary & time constraints of tv.

[@kensellers4082]

@@runlarryrun77 Some of the cast of the original 1951 film said that Howard Hawks did really direct this sci-fi classic.

[@cwdkidman2266]

@@runlarryrun77 There's one scene in The Thing that demonstrates Hawks's invisible mastery of cinema. They go to the radio room where Tex is, They look around, explaining the Thing is out and free. As the group leaves, Pat says to use his fireax because a gun's no good. Tex says "wait a minute! What do you mean a gun's no,good?" Half of this line is spoken in the radio room and the other half is heard from the hallway as the group moves on. And it's spoken seamlessly. It's a small touch and easily could he been spoken without double coverage but it adds a little comic touch to Tex's confusion and so Hawks did it that way. And only a film editor, cinematographer, and sound tech would pick up,on the degree of difficulty in doing one scene so effortlessly to the average viewer. As Hawks always said "don't annoy the audience with tricks that don't work." This one little touch to a scene that didn't need it but was the better for it is why the French called Hawks Hollywood's first and best auteur. And deservedly so. Hawks never blew his own horn, never took credit for all the rewrites he and Faulkner did to already good scripts, and ran from analyzing his own films. He was also credited to have quoted Faulkner as saying "the worst critic of any artist's work is the artist himself. He never knows what he's saying until years after he's said it. And then he's usually wrong"

[@gerrydooley951]

I saw this movie for the first time around 1962: Million Dollar Movie in NY showed it every night for a week. My God we kids in the neighborhood loved it, just fantastic

[@mgass1354]

Damn I'm old. I watched the '51 Thing from another world before the Carpenter movie.

[@wstine79]

I'm glad your spotlighting the THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD. People forget that this and focus on the John Carpenter remake. The monster was cool, especially when he was on fire.

[@KRhetor]

Unfortunately, too many of the other commentators are still focusing on Carpenter's remake instead of the actual movie being discussed in the video. Hell, it's annoying how the Carpenter cultists try to make his version of The Thing the subject of EVERY film discussion on the Internet.

[@AmityvilleFan]

I love this. Last time I've watched this noticed, a lot of the times people are half out of the frame. It creates a kinda found-footage feeling, like the audience is there as a character.

[@coyoteboy5601]

I watch both 'Things' every Halloween.

[@ChaosTicket]

John Carpenter's The Thing is a masterpiece. Not all of his films are quite to that level(more like 80% of them), but its a great film. The combination of subtle acting, paranoid atmosphere, amazing special effects, just wow. Along with 1980s remakes The Fly, and The Blob its one of the all times greats. Maybe Exploring "the Fly" some day?

[@mgass1354]

Carpenter's The Thing is NOW considered a good movie. At the time, it was raked over the coals and called the "Barf bag of the summer".

[@ChaosTicket]

@@mgass1354 Im a fan of general filmography. Ive seen many horror films but I own few. I had to binge watch Friday the 13th, Halloween, and Nightmare of Elm Street series about a decade ago to really see them 100%. So Im not actually a horror-fan, but a film-fan. Yeah I would agree that The Blob, The Fly, and The Thing are barf-bag films. Its a shame that the Film-Critics are really biased. Siskel and Ebert hated horror films from everything Im told and have seen. They should have rated films based around a fair and neutral mindset.

[@mgass1354]

@@ChaosTicket I own over 2,000 movies, either dvd or VOD. I tell my caregiver I have nothing to watch because I can run every movie in my head. Yes, Siskel and Ebert really didn't like horror. And the more gore the worse they rated it. That's why The Thing was a flop at the box office, but, today considered a good film. And, yes, I'm old enough to remember that review by Siskel and Ebert. The Blob, both original and remake, are great. The Fly original I like even though the remake is considered by many to be superior.

[@Cakegolem]

@@mgass1354 It didn't help being released slightly behind E.T. the Extraterrestrial, which had audiences enamored with the concept of benign alien visitors.

[@jeffsmith2022]

I can't agree that the redo of the film should be called a 'masterpiece'...it is not...

[@mikekutz5776]

My all-time favorite sci-fi picture. Great cast, Great writing, Great direction.

[@gfdggdfgdgf]

John carpenter did a commentary track for this version of the thing (and one for his version of the thing together with Kurt Russell, which is a great commentary track)

[@Erikr-ex9dj]

The best scifi horror combo movie ever made.

[@johnsanko4136]

It's still incredible that the John Carpenter version died so hard in theaters. In hindsight, it's a masterpiece, but it did terribly at the box office. The original was a great movie as well, but the remake is one of my all time favorite movies.

[@trustno173]

It's always baffled me just how badly JC's The Thing did when it came out, it was a critically panned flop that almost killed Carpenter's career and he only survived because of Christine. Fast forward a little less than 20 years and it's regarded as a masterpiece. It makes you wonder what hated movies we sneer and groan at now are going to get that treatment in the future.

[@wkanost]

I did my part and saw it in the theater opening weekend! I had to go to work that night as a night watchman. Alone most of the time walking around a dark factory with all these industrial shadows and noises.

[@MrMoorkey]

People wanted cute aliens, on the back of being horrified by Alien, and having seen cutesy aliens in Close Encounters and E.T... and Carpenter gave them the most realistically alien creature ever put to screen.

[@starmnsixty1209]

Carpenter changed the ending of both the original story and the Howard Hawks film. I don't think the effects of 1950 could have handled a complicated alien. Also Kenneth Arnold was also looking for a downed military plane when he had his sighting.

[@SmartCookie2022]

@@MrMoorkey That's the excuse that's been given, but it was really the movie critics that killed its success. They're simply trying to shift the blame onto the public who believed their lousy reviews.

[@michaelaldan4354]

still remember this movie to this day...what a groundbreaker....thanks for the upload Cecil!

[@mizedom8167]

Wow! Yes. I'm so happy you chose one of my favorites. A classic that set the mark for all future sci-fi monster movies. Great choice! Thanks.

[@tedbusiek8888]

If he keeps exploring films of this caliber he'll have to rename the channel Good Good Flicks.

[@theninjamaster67]

@@tedbusiek8888 Pretty sure the purpose of that name in the first place was because many of the movies he was exploring were good movies made bad by the studio making shit decisions for instance his video on Blair Witch 2 which is a much better movie when edited the way the director meant for it to be and honestly a better movie than the first one since the first doesn't really work without the original hype.

[@seymourup4monday]

The jump scare when he's behind the door is top tier for any era

[@juliagoodwin9510]

The salt towards John Carpenter's The Thing astounds me. I'm not a horror fan and even I can't help but be impressed by what I've seen...

[@svenjansen2134]

That movie was always great.

[@Axolotl_Mischief]

I think it was a matter of hubris & ego.

[@clkou]

All I can figure is that John Carpenter's The Thing was just too ahead of its time. The gore and horror was just too much for some people and took them out of overall plot and suspense. All of it is brilliant though and by the 90s or sometime soon after most people realized what a classic The Thing is ...

[@theninjamaster67]

@@clkou I thought people would've understood that Carpenter's the Thing was great after seeing Halloween personally.

[@dadahyena]

20:22 Great to see a mention of the Space Thing model; it was designed by horror artist Pete von Sholly, who was also a storyboard artist on huge number of films. Pete is still active with comics, most of which are homages/parodies of classic horror, so they're definitely of interest to anyone watching this video!

[@The-Man-On-The-Mountain]

I used to watch this movie on repeat when I was around 8-10 years old (mid 80's). I loved it.

[@hoagland1943]

From everything that I have read, both Nyby and Hawks both directed the movie. Close up or very detailed scenes, Hawks stepped in and with all other scenes Nyby directed. Some of the actors, Kenneth Toby was one who said that both of them did.

[@chrisnurczyk8239]

Love this film, have watched it over & over again since the early 60's. It never gets old. Because the actors spent so much time together, they bonded and the film has a very real, authentic feel to it. It breathes. Listening to the the men talking in the film (especially in the scene flying out to the saucer) I can hear the same discussions & interplay (& BS) of my father & his Air Force fellows on the military side of O'Hare field back then. Kenneth Tobey, one of my favorites, was greatly underrated - always gave organic, believable performances.

[@jasonhunter2819]

I remember seeing just a few minutes of this on tv when I was a very young kid about to go trick or treating, it's cool to find out a lot more information about it all these years later. I don't know why I've never looked into the original since John Carpenter's version is also one of my favorite movies

[@classiccomedycinemaprogram1640]

I've never seen a better burn scene in any movie!

[@GoodBadFlicks]

Yeah, the full burn in this is incredible.

[@xray86delta]

The black and white version of "The Thing", by Howard Hawks, was hands down the best telling of this story. The dialogue was razor sharp. If you haven't seen it, watch it. If you haven't seen it in a while, watch it again! Great movie!

[@euansmith3699]

The fire stunt has got to be one of the hardest core stunts on film. I really enjoy both "The Thing From Another World" and "The Thing". 1951, "An intellectual carrot; the mind boggles" 2016, "An anti-intellectual pumpkin; the mind boggles"

[@PeachBoi_Real]

Not even modern day stunts can compare to that scene!

[@ruffusgoodman4137]

Most interentingly, the Thing remake was very criticized and overlooked during his release, now a cult classic. The THING is... (sorry for the pun) it managed to remake it's original, use better tech at that time, be more faithful to the source material and on top of all that, subverted expectations RESPECTFULLY. The ending was open for interpretation, much of the movie digs on paranoia, the characters might not be the most interesting, but for an horror movie, it did a great job coining key scenes and leaving it's mark on cinema. The original did most of these accomplishments at that time, too, plus the praise. Go figure...

[@ThomasTiernan]

The film starts in Anchorage. They then fly 4 hours NE to the research base.

[@mazer375]

I still remember watching this for the first time with my grandfather. Great stuff.

[@djkangal]

Pretty much the definitive documentary on the original movie. Great work Cecil; keep it up with the classic movies!

[@dolnick7]

It was always a big treat when the week's TV Guide showed up and showed that The Thing was being shown that Saturday night (This being long before movie rentals or DVDs). What struck me even as a child was the realistic reactions of the cast -- they behaved as I imagined real grown-ups would in that situation, as opposed to the two dimensional movie heroes of the day. That's one of the things wrong with movies today -- they can realistically show entire worlds being blown up yet who gives a darn about the characters? The original The Thing got so many things right.

[@randomity655]

No other film until '2001 A Space Odyssey' treated science fiction in a serious and mature fashion like 'The Thing'. Despite the light humor and lively banter, the existential threat is very real and believable. The scene with the scientist's reaction to the blood-nourished offspring is especially chilling. It is a masterfully directed classic and it stands far above any sci-fi movie produced in the 50's and early 60's.

[@michaelproctor8100]

What about The Day The Earth Stood Still? Forbidden Planet?

[@randomity655]

@@michaelproctor8100 Ok, 'The Day' was good, but 'Forbidden Planet', despite the effects, was silly and pretentious. The monster's from the Id ? C'mon...

[@evyled]

Great episode! Hope to see more Exploring episodes of films from that era. Fingers crossed for THEM getting the treatment.

[@Luxinda]

Yes!!!

[@WhatAboutZoidberg]

The fact that some of the reviewers at the time thought the practical effects of John Carpenters The Thing were anything but stellar is baffling. Really need to watch the OG sometime.

[@mikegrossberg8624]

As far as I'm concerned, the original "THING" achieved a remarkable amount of terror WITHOUT the use of "YUCK! factor" CGI effects, as used in the remake!

[@andy-the-gardener]

@@mikegrossberg8624 saw it a few days ago. the acting and location aspects were great, but not impressed with the main creature at all. they were on the right track with the little creepy flowers, and should have expanded on that idea. there was zero explanation how the little plants became the very unfrightening frankensteins monster. i think they could have knocked up something 'weirder' and scarier fairly easily, simply expanding on the notion of 'carnivorous plants' they had set up already. easy to say in hindsight i suppose, but howard hughes also said dont just make it a [boring] frankenstein. a bit of a wasted opportunity.

[@alantasman8273]

Carpenters the The Thing was a gorefest.....the characters were underdeveloped and scenes like when the head of the camp shot the Norwegian... killing him rather than maiming him was over the top. If you are into gore fine, but story telling without all the gore and creature features has always upped the re-watch factor of movies I like to watch.

[@mikegrossberg8624]

@@alantasman8273 That's what I said. The original didn't need to have "yuck" splattered all over the place to achieve the desired effect!

[@alantasman8273]

@@mikegrossberg8624 The imagination has a way of making things more gross than can ever be brought to film. Movies like Jaws, where the shark was not really seen till the last part of the movie worked best because it was left to the audience imagination the horrors of the shark, creating suspense for the ultimate reveal.

[@KennethDPedersen]

One correction,Glacier National Park is in Montana. I love this movie, I love how matter of fact most of the characters are, their chemistry and how Nikki is never relegated to a screaming damsel in distress

[@padawanmage71]

I found it ironic that so many panned Carpenter’s The Thing, would later recant and say ‘It’s Great!’ Decades later.

[@the-NightStar]

Mostly because the majority of critics are just clueless idiots with pompous, over-inflated egos that make them believe their often uninformed opinions somehow carry more weight than your average derp off the street. They're very often dead wrong about a great many things, but since their egos can't ever let them admit they were wrong, they just try to gaslight their own viewers or readers by trying to make them think they were on the pulse of the common consensus of what makes a "classic" the whole time, and hope nobody remembers the ignorant trash they originally said.

[@Ryoufriggingserious]

James Arness was the biggest and scariest vegetable ever lol. Such a classic! Also, Roger Ebert has never been more wrong concerning John Carpenter's remake. Thanks for the great video.

[@brandonpage7087]

Yes, he & all the other critics were horribly wrong. I still, till this day, do not understand all the hate Carpenter's brilliant film received.

[@rmhartman]

the thing (*ahem*) they didn't understand was that it wasn't a remake, it was in modern parlance, a reboot. referring not to the first movie, but actually going back to the original source material. as a remake of "the thing from another world" it was crap. as a reboot of "who goes there" it was fantastic.

[@demontekdigital1704]

Roger Ebert is an idiot, and always has been. He, and Siskel were the first critics that made me realize not to trust critics, and pretty much do exactly the opposite of what they recommended when it came to horror. If they love it, I won't watch it. If they hate it, it's usually a damn good movie. Their idea of "good horror" is something akin to a Goosebumps movie, lol.

[@Lazrael32]

allegedly ebert didn't even go to a lot of the movies he reviewed. he would have a random intern go and summarize the movie for him.

[@RSEFX]

@@brandonpage7087 The film may just have been too ahead of its time in intensity and pure imaginative strangeness.

[@AnomalyINC]

Not overly stoked on the news about another remake. I applaud the desire to make something more closely following the book, but treading in the footsteps of two of the most influential sci-fi movies of all time seems to me like a fool's errand considering the state of current-day Hollywood.

[@samowhat]

I love both movies. I'm absolutely happy that JC's movie is now getting the recognition it truly deserved. I hope they bury the prequel

[@blueduck5589]

Dimitri Tiomkin's music adds to the suspense!

[@mrselection7814]

8:30 top right corner. Regina Saskatchewan, the city that rhymes with FUN

[@TheStrykerProject]

Ha ha ha! As soon as I heard "Cut Bank, MT" I started laughing. In some locations, there's a BIG difference between average snow "fall" and "accumulation". Cut Bank is up in the North Central part of Montana (but East of the Rockies) where the wind blows almost constantly, and it gets so cold that the snow is very light and powdery.

[@MrNachoChannel]

Glad you reminded me of Frozen Hell, I forgot that came out and wanted to check it out. Years ago I read the short story version while on a trip to Jamaica and knowing how old it was I was blown away, especially knowing the existence of the original movie, how ahead of its time that short was when you see how close John Carpenter got to it. Great Video!

[@flyingninja1234]

One of my favorite science fiction films. Thank you for this.

[@chrismartin1211]

now this is the way to wake up! thanks for all the work you do to make these videos, Chief glad you're doing better

[@JaneSmith-so6hw]

This is one of the greatest sci-fi/horror movies of all time. It's a relic of the time period when also providing an amazing story. Ture, a good amount of scenes are dedicated to characters talking and adjusting to the base, which makes it feel like we're watching real people do real shit. Still in my top ten movies of all time.

[@DarraghC]

One of the best sci-fi movies ever made, a lot of movies since borrowed heavily from this.

[@18661873]

The movie (perhaps unwittingly) is an example of what, in the airline industry, they once called Cockpit Resource Management where the concept of a commander gathering information from subordinates and using that information for command decision making was taught and utilized. Captain Hendry is not an ideas man but his subordinates are. Captain Hendry takes all of the information from his subordinates and uses it to make successful command decisions. Captain Hendry uses his crew and their ideas to do what he does best--he commands. Resource Management was a running joke throughout the movie but was utilized to a maximum degree.

[@leoinsf]

As a 17 year old, I remember the original "The Thing from Another World" scaring the hell out of me. The week before I had seen "Rocketship XM" and that movie scared the hell out of me. To think how primitive these were shows how movies have evolved over time. "Alien" did not scare the hell out of me. I brought me close to a nervous breakdown. At 86 I love being a witness to the evolution of movies over my lifetime. By the way, the first science fiction-type movie I saw as a 10 year old was "Phantom Empire," starring Gene Autry. While this early chapterplay is not considered science fiction, to me it was a preview of movies that "broke the mold."

[@pdzombie1906]

Ah, the 80's!! Back when remakes were good and critics were not (well, actually, critics are worst now). Thanx, Cecil! Great as usual!!!

[@daltonmoen1404]

As a giant fan of this and the John Carpenter movie and as someone who is from North Dakota, I had no idea about that little fact. Usually shit like that is pretty well known by most people in the state. There's not a lot to do there so anytime someone gets famous or they use it for a movie or show, no one shuts up about it

[@logicreason2736]

One of all time favorite movies. Thanks for the backstory.

[@GoodBadFlicks]

Thanks for watching!

[@thalastkg]

Underrated Masterpiece! Most People only know John Carpenters Remake. But this first Adaption is also Amazing.

[@stevekatz4372]

As a long time (78 Years) Sci-Fi Fan I just think this was one of the Greatest of them all and I am so glad that they finally Decided to go with a Frankenstein look, rather than a Creature with Tenticals and 3 eyes! These 1950's Horror Movies may not have had all the special effects but they had great writing, drama and just a very Interesting way of making it realistic! This was much better than all the re-makes such as movies like Halloween, the original Body Snatures and many others during that time period! Yes, the New Horror/Sci-Fi movies are entertaining but these just can't be beat! I can name all the great ones but if you are an Old Fan, you know them All! Great Video!

[@GoodBadFlicks]

Thank you so much!

[@jeffsmith2022]

I love the original film and have watched it many times, it is a gem with such a well written script. The acting is excellent IMO , even without any Hollywood heavyweights. Being filmed in B&W only adds to the films overall success ....Kenneth Tobey was really, very, good...

[@kensellers4082]

Mr. Tobey portrayed heroic US military officers battling an alien in the North Pole, a giant squid attacking the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and a prehistoric dinosaur causing havoc up and down Wall Street in lower Manhattan.

[@ronniefarnsworth6465]

One of the Top 3 Greatest "Classic" Sci-Fi films along with (War of the Worlds) and (The Day the Earth Stood Still) !! 👍📺☺

[@PapasDino]

The movie did not in fact take place in Anchorage, that's where it began...the action took place at a arctic research station. My absolute favorite Sci-Fi movie of all time!

[@kellyrogers4492]

This had always been my Dad’s favorite version of The Thing . Though I have always loved it, along with Them. The John Carpenter / Kurt Russell version is my favorite along with Phantasm. But any movie with Kenneth Toby is a winner along with Dick Miller. Besides, 1982 was a year of unappreciated gems! I plan on using a Blair quote on my tombstone come hell or high water. Thank you for study. Now there’s just Them, Phantasm, and Carpenter’s The Thing. But WHY would anyone tamper wit perfection. I showed this to my niece, who turned around and showed it to her torture porn addicted cousins. Let’s just say those young boys had several sleepless nights. Thank you,Cecil for all your hard work and dedication!

[@wanderingfool6312]

That scene with the kerosene looks so much like a stunt gone wrong, especially in the colourised version.

[@intrepid5144]

"The Thing" came out the same year I was born, and it wasn't until I was older, that I saw it on TV! It is my Favorite "Monster Movie" of all time, and although I have read the original story, I still love this movie!

[@v.m.9198]

I bet toho would've been able to figure out how to make a horrible shape-shifting alien, but then it'd probably be a mile long

[@Morbos1000]

Why would you get rid of the imitation part of the alien's abilities? That is far and away the scariest part of the story! Literally anyone could be the alien in disguise. That's why the 80s version worked so well.

[@A77Everything]

Did you not watch the video? It was a budget reason

[@Merylstreep1949]

I think because 1950s audiences would have not understood that bit like more modern day audiences who know more about source material

[@mgass1354]

@@A77Everything Budget along with practical effects at the time were nowhere near what they are/were, even in the 70s (think Alien). They simply had to go with the alien being in human form.

[@A77Everything]

@@mgass1354 True I agree

[@louisbrugnoni7639]

I was not a big fan of the remake. Course I dislike most of the remakes of my favorite all time movies.

[@Axolotl_Mischief]

I've always loathed Ebert, and his feelings on Carpenter's remake is one of many reasons why.

[@pontiusporcius8430]

He was a flowery mouthed hack who lucked into prominence.

[@garyharris6883]

I have been watching this movie for decades. Lots of fun.

[@BobSmith-gl3sn]

Classic Sci-Fi movie. One of the best out of that Era and all time. Like most classics, over looked by modern audiences.

[@otaking3582]

Yes, The Thing From Another World, not to be confused with Ben Grimm, the original American name for Mothra, nor the Addams Family's cousin / pet-disembodied-hand.

[@BottomBunkArt]

I have never been able to stand Roger Ebert. He had so many incorrect hot takes and they influenced the popularity of movies at their time of release.

[@WaterShowsProd]

I love this movie, and have watched it countless times, so I can't believe I never noticed that was George Fenneman! That said, I'm surprised you didn't mention legendary voice actor Paul Frees as another one of the scientists.

[@ohgary]

I recognized George Fenneman from the Groucho Marx tv show. He didn’t get a credit on screen…

[@WaterShowsProd]

@@ohgary That's why I'm surprised. I've been a fan of You Bet Your Life for much of mine, so it's funny that I never realised it was him in this movie. That said, I did think that he looked familiar.

[@kensellers4082]

George Fenneman said that he had a very difficult time in trying to explain to Ken Tobey just how the scientists were able to pinpoint the “strange object’s” position. It took him multiple takes to get it right and it convinced him to be a television announcer instead of continuing on as an actor.

[@WaterShowsProd]

@@kensellers4082 As someone who has been given challenging dialogue to deliver, I can certainly sympathise with him. :)

[@mladenkulic446]

John Carpenter's The Thing is one of the greatest horror movies ever made. Because of this, the original The Thing from Another World is mostly brushed off, and often forgoten. Myself included which i need to change that, and check it out.

[@GoodBadFlicks]

I wouldn't say the original is forgotten, its pretty highly regarded with sci-fi and classic movie fans.

[@roberthutchison8197]

I saw it when it first came out, I was 7 and spent most of the time too scared to watch a lot of it, the rest of the time I spent most of the movie with my head my mother's lap! And I lived 60 some miles from where some of it was filmed at an old air force base at Cut Bank. It is no longer there as it was torn down and you could never tell there was any such THING (pun intended) there. And it was the first movie I remember seeing...

[@Two_Ravens]

This is one of a handful of movies I keep on my phone to listen to while shopping or sleeping. It's a great film and a joy to listen to.

[@codyhilton1750]

Thank You for the great update of my favorite horror movie "The Thing" from 1951. I actually purchased the book "Who Goses There? I was disappointed to find out the 82 movie was like the book. It did scare the Hell out of me when I first saw the movie and the great music score didn't help either.

[@RobertPilla]

My dad loved this movie. we use to watch it together every time it came on TV.

[@standepain]

Both great movies.

[@SirSmoldham]

SWEET! Born the year of Sputnik may explain my mindset as this video speaks to me. Not only do I consider John Carpenter's version of this his best film (I went to the Hollywood premiere hosted by Elvira), but, as the original film adaptation is credited to Hawks' editor, I still remember when Howard Hawks appeared on Charles Champlain's PBS show "Film Comment" and mentioned that he and Orson Welles discussed making a "monster movie" He produced the short story. When he took over directing from Christian Nyby Hawks handled the dialogue scenes while Orson Welles directed the action... including that darkened fight with the fuel and flare gun. Again... sweet video.

[@gonogazz]

I saw The Thing on tele when i was seven..1974..o boy..when they open the door..And the Thing just is there..Made my hair stand up.. The end i dreamed about for a long long time..How they trick him on to the electric rail...Almost left the sofa of fear.. A great flic..Mr Carpenters The Thing..pure class from a Master..!

[@gserhardt]

I remember going to see this in the theater when it came out, my dad took me under protest (I was a few years too young to get in on my own) and told me if I had any nightmares afterwards I better not come crying to him about it, LOL. I NEVER understood how it didn't do better in theaters. I've always considered this one of my top 10 movies and I'm glad it gets the love today it should have had when it released.

[@blacksuede]

Incredible action scene with the fire and flare

[@CLANSPI3]

That's amazing you posted this video today, I just watched it for the first time on Friday! Definitely different from the short story and the John Carpenter movie, but in good ways.

[@mgass1354]

At the time, and with the budget, turning the thing into an alien always in human form was necessary.

[@Grendelbc]

One of my favorite SciFi films.

[@KingIggy]

Been waiting and ya did not disappoint. Love your work man!

[@dzilla2099]

I loved this movie growing up it would show on AMC all the time with a bunch of other 50’s sci-fi like earth vs the flying saucers & George pal war on the worlds A lot of warm memories 🥰

[@LegalizeAdulthood]

Carpenter's The Thing is also one of my all-time favorite films but I too love The Thing (From Another World).

[@denroy3]

Ebert was dead wrong about John Carpenter's The Thing

[@JoelCraike]

He was dead wrong about most movies

[@johnwhite4810]

One of my favorite sci-fi films! Brilliant in all aspects.

[@fredbergstrom4866]

Along with Them...this is one of the best of the 50s horror films.

[@tedhockstad243]

One of the best ever Sci-fi films.

[@koppsr]

Happy Halloween 🎃 and thanks for this wonderful "treat" of cinematic history! 😎👍👍