DVD Review HTF Review: The Thing - From Another World (1 Viewer)

[Randy A Salas]

Randy, not to put too fine a point on it, but John W. Campbell Jr.'s Who Goes There ... is a novella. FYI.

Oh, I'm aware.


In my previous comment on the original source in another thread, I referred to it as "a short story or novella." Wouldn't you know that someone would call me on it when I went for brevity?


The original is about 50 pages (as published in modern anthologies), so it's in that tweener category. (Fifty pages is pretty short for a novella, which generally goes 75-125 pages--but it's a general, non-specific term.) Some bibliographies call "Who Goes There?" a short story, some a novella and some, probably best, as just short fiction. It was first published in the pulp magazine Astounding Science Fiction, where it was referred to as a novelette. So there's yet another appellation.

The point remains that it definitely is not a novel, as stated in the review.

I'd also like to repeat a tip from that other thread that anyone wanting to read the original story would be well-served by getting the outstanding compilation Reel Future, which was published by Barnes and Noble but can be had used for less than $2 through Amazon. The book compiles the original stories for many sci-fi films and is highly compelling.

 

[Jeff_HR]

Not a top-notch transfer, any way you look at it. As to the other WB releases in this batch - Wait Until Dark is disappointing - barely better than the laserdisc. It's on the brown side, and there is no excuse for that with the ease of color correction today. House of Wax is disappointing, too, for the same reasons

Is this a case of not enough money being spent on the original film elements to whip them into shape? How is it decided which neglected film elements get the $$$$$$$ & which don't? Marketability, prestige, etc.??

 

[Robert Crawford]

Jeff,
It's not always the amount of money spent, but the condition of the film elements used for the transfer. Also, I don't agree that "The Thing From Another World" is not a top-notch transfer.

 

[Jeff_HR]

It's not always the amount of money spent, but the condition of the film elements used for the transfer. Also, I don't agree that "The Thing From Another World" is not a top-notch transfer.

Is it not possible given "enough" money to considerably improve film elements that are not in very good shape? If WB had tried to restore this film like Universal restored say "Vertigo" would we be seeing a top notch transfer? This also in my mind brings up the efforts being extended to "King Kong" . I'll bet WB is spending a lot more money on "King Kong". And how did the condition of the film elements of "King Kong" compare with those of "The Thing". I'd love to get 100% accurate answers to those questions. I'll receive my DVD on Monday & I'll do my own little comparison of this DVD to my Japanese DVd & to the LD.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Jeff,
You're asking some specific questions that can't be answered by anyone on this forum. I'm sure RAH could answer your inquiry about money spent improving film elements, but some elements are beyond improvement which makes money a non-factor.

 

[John Morgan]

I haven't seen this yet, but those jump cuts are there because when the film was shortened, it wasn't just cut, but new dissolves were put in and the 35mm cut scenes were not kept. The last laser was murky, with poor sound and the cut scenes were from 16mm. I know Warners started a restoration a few years ago, but they just didn't have good materials at all. I think Wade Williams had the only 35mm print of the complete version, but it was filled with splices.
If I remember correctly, the original negative got that vinegar syndrome and was unusable or doesn't exist.

 

[Jeff_HR]

but some elements are beyond improvement which makes money a non-factor

Yes that is a very unfortunate fact of life concerning film elements. It is a crying shame that the industry did not have the foresight to take better care of a lot of its film elements.

 

[Randy A Salas]

Thanks for the clarification about the jump cuts, John. I guess we're lucky to have the film looking as good as it does on the new DVD, even if it's not ideal.

Warner should have commissioned you to re-record The Thing score in 5.1 audio--especially since you've done a Howard Hawks/Dimitri Tiomkin reconstruction project before with Red River--and put it on an isolated audio channel.

 

[Paul Penna]

The 1991 Turner/Image laserdisc had a problem with the first pressing - some shot or shots were missing, and it was corrected with a later pressing (and repackaging, as I recall). My copy is from the first pressing. Am I interpreting the comments here, i.e., that this DVD is the full, uncut version?

Does the DVD retain the entertaining chapter titles used on the laserdisc? My favorite was "Rekindling a Romance ("You can tie my hands if you wanna.")"

 

[Darren Mortensen]

This movie is in my personal Top 10 Favorites of all time. As Herb mentions, the film feeds off of intellect and suspense rather than gore and EFX. Unlike many of the movies of that era that portrayed actors running amok in alien creature costumes...The Thing only allows rare glimpses of the visitor from space, one of which is a scene involving plenty of gasoline and fire...which looked to be a very scary stunt with the actors in such close proximity!

 

[John Morgan]

Thanks Randy.
Actually, Tiomkin's music for this film will be released sometime in the near future. It will be the original music tracks from very good acetates held in the Tiomkin collection. Can't give more details, but hopefully it will be this year!

John

 

[DaViD Boulet]

This is my dad's favorite classic sci-fi next to "THEM". We always enjoyed watching it when I was a kid. Great to see these treasures show up on DVD.

BTW, a little print damage doesn't bother me nearly as much as digital artifacting or EE haloing.

-dave

 

[Jeff_HR]

Actually, Tiomkin's music for this film will be released sometime in the near future. It will be the original music tracks from very good acetates held in the Tiomkin collection. Can't give more details, but hopefully it will be this year!

Wonderful!!

 

[Randy A Salas]

What Jeff said. Thanks, John.

 

[Jim Peavy]

Wonderful, indeed! I've got the Charles Gerhardt suite on CD, which I love. Some of my favorite film music of all time. Looking very forward to the original tracks being released!

Can't wait for my DVD of this to come either. Woo-hoo!

 

[Steve Christou]

"An intellectual carrot! The mind boggles!"

 

[John Sparks]

So, let me get this straight...what we are seeing is the LD print from 1991 from Image, with no restoration, but it's 19% clearer(it's a DVD)...but none of the LD extras.

Once again, we, the DVD buying public, are screwed royally!!!

Universal is doing this with all their last monster releases and still people are buying them...hopefully not owners of the LD's...like me.

I refuse to upgrade to a 10-15 year old print(from the time they used it for the LD) with "NO RESTORATION"... you people do it that never got into LD's!!!

 

[Roger Rollins]

I just finished watching this DVD, having found a copy yesterday at a local retailer that often unknowingly breaks street date on older titles (Lucky for me....).

While not "perfect", this transfer is heads and tails better than anything I've ever seen on this title, whether it was the beaten-up 35mm prints at revival houses, or even the Image LD.

This is most certainly not a recycle of the LD transfer, which would have all sorts of ringing and video noise. This transfer is clear and well-defined. The source material is damaged in certain areas, but is likely representative of the edits made for the shorter reissue version (not to mention the horrid attention given to the RKO library over the years..).

I'm glad to finally add this favorite to my DVD shelf.

 

[Robert Crawford]

How in the world did you come to that wrong conclusion based on what was posted in this thread? The dvd presentation of this film is the uncut version and far surpasses any previous format release in terms of quality.





Crawdaddy

 

[John Sparks]

Well Mr. Crawford, I just compared the DVD with the LD and this is what I found:

1) There is a black smudge that floats between the words "play by" during the beginning credits of "Screen Play By Charles Lederer". It's black on the laser and dark gray on the DVD.

2) There is a large scratch in front of Kenneth Toby's face when he turns around after he asks Margaret Sheridan if she drank all that liquor. This is when he first goes into the office to see her when he first arrives at the ice station. On the LD it's very visible, on the DVD it's not as bad, but there!

So you see, it is the "SAME PRINT" like I said(and the uncut version), but it has been cleaned up, but by no means a restoration.

And it is the best it has looked, but we still got screwed out of the extras and maybe something more!!!