Sunday, July 31, 2011

The Thing from Another World (1951)

Main Characters
Nikki Nicholson played by Margaret Sheridan
Captain Patrick Hendry played by Kenneth Toby
Dr. Arthur Carrington played by Robert Cornthwaite


Directed by Christian Nyby

Run Time: 87 minutes
Reel Review Rating: 9




What was the movie about?
The movie is about a captain who discovers an alien frozen in ice. It escapes the ice and the people with the captain try to fight it. The people try to talk to the alien but nothing can stop the thing from another world.

What I thought about the movie.
I think the movie was good. I was surprised when I saw the Thing the first time.


What I learned about making films.
I learned that not showing the monster until the end of the movie helps. It adds a lot of suspense.


Why I think other kids should see this film.
I think other kids should see this movie because it will surprise them; like when they burn the Thing. Also when the doctor almost gets killed, it is very suspenseful.

2 comments:

Phil B. Soencksen said...

Hi Jack!

I'm glad that you liked "The Thing From Another World." It strongly influenced a lot of movies that came afterward.

Sometimes, when moviemakers don't have a lot of money to build or digitize a good monster, they use that limitation to their advantage and build suspense by never giving the audience a good look at the monster.

This, when done correctly, can work very well. So, sometimes, even filmmakers who have more "monster money" and better monsters use this trick.

But sometimes it's really easy to tell when there's a cheap-o monster that they're trying to hide.

A good director can make all the difference in a movie, regardless of budget.

I look forward to reading your next review!

-Phil

Pops said...

I saw this movie when I was eleven years old. My Uncle Roy took me to see it at the Keller's Theater in North East. It scared me so much I had a nightmare, so Grandma Thomson slept with me on the "big porch" that night. It was the first monster movie I had ever seen and I agree that the suspense of not seeing the "Thing" was the most scary part of the entire film.