Welcome to the Galactic Theater, where we'll explore the works of master manipulators of light waves, examine the themes brought to play, and critique the final products of months of hard work.
Welcome to the Galactic Theater, where we'll explore the works of master manipulators of light waves, examine the themes brought to play, and critique the final products of months of hard work.
This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the movie.
That said, on to the review!
Imagine this: you're an Air Force Captain stationed up in Anchorage, Alaska, continually swallowing gibes from the men serving under you. The general calls you in and gives you orders for the following morning; namely, to fly to the North Pole site of a scientific convention and investigate a strange anomaly they detected earlier that night. What would you do? Probably the same thing Captain Patrick Hendry did when the same thing happened to him.
A convention headed by Dr. Arthur Carrington (Robert Cornthwaite) has set up base north of the Arctic Circle. Then, some of their equipment registers the arrival of...something. None of them are certain what "it" is, nor do they have the materials necessary to mount an expedition to investigate. They turn to the United States Air Force for assistance, and the USAF calls on Captain Patrick Hendry (Kenneth Tobey) to head the reconnaisance mission. Accompanying the captain--in addition to his flight crew--is reporter Ned "Scotty" Scott (Douglas Spencer). They touch down briefly at the scientists' base camp, then head out.
The "something" that flew overhead the night before turns out to be a circular construct of metal massive enough to distort compass readings and imbued with a sufficiency of radiation to make it detectable. Shortly after reaching their destination, Captain Hendry and his companions suddenly realize the truth: they've found a flying saucer! They immediately take steps to unearth the spacecraft (it melted through the ice and froze there), but an unexpected chain reaction results in the craft's destruction. All is not lost, however: just before a storm rolls in, the exploration team locates the craft's pilot--the Thing (James Arness)--frozen a short distance away. They quickly cut him free--although they keep him in a block of ice--and head back to base. After their arrival, a schism occurs between the military and scientific contingents. Hendry, with the support of his officers and some of the scientists, wants to keep the alien frozen until he receives word from his superiors. Dr. Carrington and his supporters want to melt the ice and free the alien, hoping to receive whatever great intelligence the visitor might possess. The doctor finally agrees to wait until Hendry receives word from Anchorage. In the meantime, the Air Force officers take turns watching the Thing. During one shift, a corporal inadvertently frees the alien by throwing an electric blanket over the ice. The Thing revives and, with encouragement from a few bullets and a pack of attacking sled dogs, flees into the night.
End of story, right? Wrong. Carrington and his scientists soon determine--thanks to an arm torn from the alien by the dogs--that their alien isn't as they are; that is, it isn't an animal species like humans are. Instead, the Thing is an evolved plant, therefore capable of surviving the extreme cold of the icefields, possessing regenerative abilities, capable of reproducing itself asexually, and determined to obtain whatever it needs to sustain and propagate itself: blood. Now it's a race against time as Hendry and his men fight to save the lives of everyone in the camp...including Dr. Carrington, who believes that they should die before destroying what could be a source of immense scientific knowledge. Only, how can they stop the Thing? Physical violence and weapons won't work. The cold doesn't affect it. What do you do with a giant vegetable?
"Nikki" Nicholson (Margaret Sheridan) offers and answer. "Boil it," she says. It isn't a viable option, but her suggestion prompts brainstorming. What else do you do with vegetables but cook them? Now the only problem is finding the best way to do it. Before they can come up with a definite plan, however, the Thing makes its move. Can they stop it before it destroys them? They are the last hope for life on earth, because this "carrot with brains" won't stop until its propagated itself and conquered the planet!
The Thing is nearly five decades old, but it is still a great movie to watch. You can watch the 1982 remake if you want to, but I think the original--black and white or colorized version, whichever you prefer--is all I need to see. There isn't a whole lot of special effects involved, but that's okay. This is a struggle between ordinary humans and a superhuman plant, and the plant itself has been reduced to human levels. Okay, there's the bodiless hand that comes alive after ingesting dog blood. There's the pulsing of the Thing's floral offspring. There's the special arc used at the end to finally defeat the alien, and there's the alien's amazing shrinking act to view. For the most part, however, the actors fulfill the task of establishing the setting and the reality of it all.
The most memorable scene from this movie--in addition to the unforgettable ending and the fiery fight scene, of course--is the moment when the corporal rushes into the cafeteria waving his gun and yammering about the Thing being alive. There is this one moment when the corporal looks down at his gun hand, prompting Hendry to look as well. It is the small, almost negligible instant when Hendry reaches out and turns the gun to the side that stands out most for me. This minor touch shows that someone on the staff was thinking carefully about the details. Would you want a hysterical man pointing a gun at your gut? An experienced soldier, such as Captain Hendry, does what the situation obviously calls for without calling attention to the action. Outstanding!
You can purchase The Thing on videotape at just about any video store you got to. It shouldn't cost much, and either the black and white or the colorized version is well worth adding to your collection.
Interested in buying this video? Unfortunately, it seems to be no longer available. But check back now and again, that might change! You can also visit the Stellar Video Store for other titles.
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