Thing From Another World, The (1951) (1 Viewer)

[DavidEC]

Thing From Another World, The (1951)

Has the above listed title ever been released on DVD?

I was just watching "Halloween" and found it kind of funny that one of the movies being shown was "The THING" which John Carpenter would later remake.

So I started doing a search online of the orignal and could not find it.

Did not know if this was like a number of movies which have been released and then pulled, like "This Island Earth" when the DVD rights changed hands and just has not been released.

Also.. any word on a release date of "The Day The Earth Stood Still"?

--David

 

[Jay E]

Thing From Another World, The (1951), is owned by Warner and I have heard nothing about a DVD release which is a real shame as it is one of the greatest Sci-Fi films ever made.

Day the Earth Stood Still, according to rumors, is currently in the works by Fox and should see the light of day soon.

 

[SteveGon]

I really don't understand Warner. Gems like TTFAW just collecting dust in the vault. What the heck? :rolleyes

 

[Patrick McCart]

Actually, I bet they'll release in time for Halloween this year.

The transfer on Turner Classic Movies looks great...although WB has said the RKO library isn't in very good shape (which explains why only a handful of RKO films are on DVD...Hunchback of Notre Dame, Citizen Kane, Little Women, and maybe a few others.)

I'd love to see this on DVD...but only if it's done right. I'll wait a while rather than see a quickie released with minimal effort put into it. WB deserves a little more credit...we could have gotten Citizen Kane, Doctor Zhivago, and Superman in 1997...but imagine how awful those discs would be.

 

[SteveGon]

Patrick, you make some good points. It's just hard to believe that TTFAW isn't out already - it's as much a classic (of its genre) as Citizen Kane. I'm sure it'd be a decent seller.

 

[Jim_K]

The Thing 51' is already restored as of last year.
Check out the link. Warner went ahead and restored this film for a 50th anniversary Special Edition with restored footage on VHS only.
It came out last fall. :frowning:
I don't know whether to get PO'ed or to feel sorry for them for being so clueless sometimes.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...675256-6789463

 

[Derek M Germano]

THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD is certainly one of the most significant science fiction films of the 1950s. Hopefully, Warner will make use of whatever restored elements they utilized for VHS and get this important film out on DVD ASAP!

 

[Robert Crawford]

Based on my conversations with Warner representatives from the last three Studio Days at Dave's Video, I believe this title's dvd release date was a casualty of studio politics regarding classic film releases on dvd. This film should have been released last year to celebrate it's 50th Anniversary of it's theatrical release. Yes, I'm not happy with Warner regarding this issue!

Crawdaddy

 

[DavidEC]

So I can gather from replies the following;

The DVD (The Thing '51) had been announced for release...

but never released due to unkonw reasons.

But what about the release of "This Island Earth"

I can not belive that collectors are offering it for sale as high as $200....

--David

 

[Robert Crawford]

The DVD (The Thing '51) had been announced for release...

but never released due to unkonw reasons.

No, a dvd release was never officially announced but it was hinted by Warner Representatives that it was going to be on the schedule for release but kept getting bump from the schedule.

Crawdaddy

 

[Jay E]

The reason a lot of classic films are not being released by Warner has nothing to do with "We want to make it look right". It all has to do with $'s. Believe me, if they were serious about releasing black & white films, there would be a lot more on DVD right now. They just don't feel there's a market for them.

I'm still crossing my fingers about Warner (hopefully, we'll start seeing all those RKO films by the end of this year), but I'm sorry, there is no excuse for why this great film is not on DVD.

 

[Peter D]

I believe this title's dvd release date was a casualty of studio politics regarding classic film releases on dvd.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - if Warner doesn't think they can make money on these titles, just license them to Criterion or Anchor Bay, who would drool all over them and give them the treatment they deserve.

 

[Derek M Germano]

But what about the release of "This Island Earth"

Universal needs to get on the ball regarding THIS ISLAND EARTH. The film was a big Technicolor production and all of the transfers I've ever seen don't hold a candle to the kind of colors IB Technicolor prints were capable of producing. THIS ISLAND EARTH needs the kind of transfer and restorative work that Warner applied to NORTH BY NORTHWEST.

 

[Roger Rollins]

This film would do be a decent seller on DVD, and Warner knows it. According to a friend who is pals with someone at Warners, the reason it isn't out yet is that, in fact, has NOT been restored up to Warner's high standards for DVD release.

If the version that is on VHS or Turner Classic Movies was released on DVD, people all over this forum would be pissing and moaning about all the things that are wrong with it. (I can even imagine the less-informed being angry that it isn't anamorphic...)

It is no lie that the RKO library is atrocious shape, and the evidence of Warner's quality standard for DVD is in the recent releases like KANE, LITTLE WOMEN, and NOW, VOYAGER. I imagine their upcoming BAD & THE BEAUTIFUL will be pretty gorgeous too. They'll want THE THING... to look as great as possible. I'll be sure to buy it the minute it comes out.

 

[Roland Wandinger]

http://www.dvdfr.com/dvd/fiche.php3?id=2214
There is also a Japanese R2 NTSC release but I have no idea how it looks.
I still have the NTSC LD which will hold me over till it's released on DVD.

 

[ScottL]

Just another little bump, since I watched this the other morning on the scifi channel. I need this now!!

Scott

 

[Jeff_HR]

I find it hard to swallow the studio's line that B & W classics are not economical. Warners & alot of other studios thought it was an economically smart thing to release these films on Laser Disk, which has a much smaller base of players. I can & do believe that there is a desire to release titles that are in good shape, as opposed to films that have become almost unwatchable.

 

[Johnny Angell]

After reading this thread clicked on the amazon link and read a few of the customer comments there. This one caught my eye:

I still like it (especially the air force guys dancing{the don't ask, don't tell policy wasn't in effect then}).

I've seen this movie with the addition scenes, including the bondage scene, and I don't remember any dancing. Has anyone else seen the dancing segment?

 

[ScottL]

>> "including the bondage scene"

Can you fill me in on this missing scene? At what point in the movie does this happen?

Scott

 

[Johnny Angell]

Scott, I think 'bondage' was a poor choice of words on my part. There is a scene in the movie where the Kenneth Tobey character has offered to have his hands tied behind his back, because of his encounter with Margaret Sheridon when he made 'like an octopus'.

So they have a drink together with his hands tied behind his back. Bondage brings to mind a stronger, more overtly sexual situation. This was a light-hearted scene and the two characters are enjoying it.

For many years the version of the movie being telecast did not include this scene, and some other missing bits. It is only recently that this scene has been made available.