Plot: What’s it about?
At an Arctic research station, team members discover that an unknown vessel has crashed near their complex. The craft is an unusual one, perhaps an experimental plane, top secret military design, or maybe even an alien vessel. A band of people are soon dispatched to the frozen complex to investigate, a team led by Captain Pat Hendry (Kenneth Tobey). In addition to his usual crew members, Hendry has also brought along a man named Ned Scott (Douglas Spencer), who works as a reporter. As the crew heads toward the isolated station, they get a message from the base that some odd things are happening and for some reason, Hendry’s men have been taken off course and need to readjust their course. Hendry and his men arrive at the station and the crew begins to talk with the base’s scientists, but the Captain has other things in mind. He wants to get friendly with Nikki (Margaret Sheridan), a woman who serves as assistant to the station’s head scientist Dr. Arthur Carrington (Robert Cornthwaite). After some discussion, a squad is sent out to the crash site, but all kinds of unusual things begin to happen. A high level of radiation is detected and most of the team’s instruments fail to function. As the crew closes in on the strange ship, they learn it is massive, round, and made of a metal unknown to mankind. What lurks within the craft and if it is an alien presence, will it be peaceful or warlike?
The wait has been extensive, but at long last, we have The Thing From Another World, one of the masterpieces of eerie sci/fi. Not quite a horror movie, but sci/fi with enough suspense, tension, and atmosphere to provide ample chills. In addition, horror films tend to lean on cheap scares and bloodshed, but The Thing From Another World relies more on genuine atmosphere and well crafted tension to keep viewers on edge. The slow pace might throw off some audiences, but if you have an attention span of any kind, you’ll be able to appreciate the masterful direction and execution of the tense plot movement. If you need constant kinetic motion or a lot of action, then you won’t be pleased here, but the dialogue is sharp and as I said, the eerie atmosphere is excellent. There is a thick sense of isolation that really hammers home the desperation of the situation, even as the people try to hold off panic and remain in control. A lot of focus is placed on character interaction, how the people react to the situation, which adds a human side to the events. This means less of a focus on the terror and the monster of course, but the attention to detail with the characters is terrific. Of course, this movie was remade by John Carpenter as The Thing and if you like this version, be sure to check out his rendition as well. I wish Warner would have done more with this disc, but the movie alone is enough to warrant a strong recommendation.
Video: How does it look?
The Thing From Another World is presented in full frame, as intended. Given the film’s sizable fanbase, I had hoped some restoration work would be done, but Warner has given us a basic, untreated presentation. That means the image isn’t as good as it could be, but it doesn’t look that bad and should please fans. The print has some dirt specks, marks, and light grain, but is much cleaner than previous releases. So don’t expect pristine elements here, but if you’ve seen prior editions, you’ll notice impressive improvements. The black & white visuals come across well, with no real softness or botched balances to mention. I wouldn’t call the contrast flawless, but it is well handled and provides a superb visual presence. I’d still like a full restored version of this movie, but until then, this release looks quite good.
Audio: How does it sound?
The original mono track is used on this disc and while it isn’t flashy, it gets the job done in fine form. The dialogue comes across very well, with crisp vocals and no problems with harshness in the least. Some sound effects can be found and while they don’t blow the speakers out, they have a decent sound to them. I also found no volume issues with this mix, so I never had to fiddle with the remote to be able to hear it all. You won’t be amazed with this track by any means, but you will hear a clean, clear version of this film. This disc also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, and French, should you need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
