Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Movie Review: The Thing From Another World

First, a word about the author. John W. Campbell Jr. was a science fiction writer. In his spare time he was, anyway. He was also the editor for "Astounding Science Fiction" from 1937 until his death in 1971. He gave most science fiction authors their start. He had no qualms about sending stuff back to the biggest names in science fiction with notes on how to improve their work. Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein got their start with him and credit him with helping them with their writing. However, both eventually went to other magazines due to personality conflicts with Campbell. He gets a lot of credit for making science fiction a respected genre. He knew how to get authors to tell a good story.

He also gets a lot of grief from the authors for his disregard for the science in science fiction. In his book "The Moon Is Hell" he has miners on the moon working with mercury pickaxes so that if they break they can be easily melted and reformed for working on the freezing moon's surface. His view of the moon was about as scientifically sound as Ray Bradbury's or Edgar Rice Burroughs' view of Mars. Once established, authors were able to blow him off and take their work elsewhere when their view of the value of the science and Campbell's came in conflict.

He also wrote a story called "Who Goes There?" that has been twice made into a movie. Once was the 1982 version of "The Thing". The other was the 1951 movie "The Thing From Another World" that showed last night down on the National Mall.

An alien craft crashes in the arctic and is frozen in the ice. A group of scientists and military men blow up the ship in an attempt to get it out. Then they find the pilot frozen in the ice. They bring it inside where it melts and the creature goes on a rampage.

Frankly, I prefer the 1951 version of the movie. The dialog is better and the story better rounded. John Carpenter's 1982 version seems to be more like a slasher horror flick. Neither is particularly scary so I have to go with the better story.

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