Horror fans are no stranger to John Carpenter's seminal 1982 antarctic splatterfest, The Thing. Based upon the classic sci-fi/horror novella Who Goes There?, written by John W. Campbell Jr. under the alias of Don Stuart, Carpenter's film is a claustrophobic and sublimely disturbing thriller about a group of researchers at the South Pole who are slowly falling prey to a bloodthirsty, shapeshifting alien.
Correctly celebrated as a classic of '80s gore cinema, The Thing still thrills and horrifies to this day. But did you know that Carpenter's version wasn't the first time this story was adapted for the silver screen? Indeed, Carpenter's favorite filmmaker, Howard Hawks, produced an earlier version: 1951's The Thing From Another World. Although a cult classic in its own right, the original black and white chiller is more heard about than seen by modern audiences.
Well, now's your chance. YouTube has done monster movie lovers a tremendous service by posting 1951's The Thing From Another World, directed by Christian Nyby under the personal supervision by Hawks, online in its entirety. If you've never seen this gem, you need to stop what you're doing, break out the popcorn, put your feet up, and enjoy the heck out of this terrific flick.
After all, the monster is played by Gunsmoke's James Arness! See? Now you've GOT to watch it. But if you're still not sure, you can watch the trailer first.
If streaming's not your "thing" (ahem), you can always get the DVD instead.
Comments