The Thing(s): 86 Years of Watching the Skies

The major streaming services' suggestion algorithms already know too much. I knew this the moment I logged into Netflix and it had labelled "dark Scandinavian suspense thrillers" as one of my favorite genres -not only specific, but right on the money. It couldn't be anymore specific unless it had been, "dark science fiction thrillers that take place on remote polar research bases." If it's about Antarctica or sci-fi, I'm watching it; if it's got both, it's an instant favorite. And the best example of the genre is undoubtedly The Thing, or more appropriately, The Things since there have been at least three major cinematic adaptations of John W. Campbell's 1938 novella "Who Goes There?", where "The Thing" makes its first terrifying appearance in literature. 

Campbell's story, originally titled "Frozen Hell," follows the researchers and crew of an Antarctic research station who stumble upon a crashed alien spaceship frozen under the ice. They recover a presumably dead alien body from the craft. They take the frozen specimen back to base for an examination, as any curious scientist would, and terror ensues. As a piece of sci-fi literature, it was an early example of the Golden Era of Sci-fi, from the 1930's through the 1950's, which spawned a variety of famous sci-fi books, television series and radio shows, and often prompted UFO hysteria, both real and imagined. Some sci-fi works, like Star Trek focused on the wonders of the beyond, and the shining possibilities of a space-traveling future; others, like "Who Goes There?" fall into the category I like to call "don't go to space." 

The first film adaptation of Campbell's story premiered in 1951 as The Thing from Another World. It's kind of cheesy by today's standards, but is actually quite a bit more entertaining than a lot of the sci-fi films of the day. It combines snappy dialogue with a continuous level of suspense without a lot of unnecessary filler. Parts of the film, shot at Glacier National Park in Montana are visually beautiful even in black and white. They help to capture some of the isolated vastness Campbell may have been going for in "Who Goes There?".  

At first, The Thing from Another World follows the same premise of Campbell's story, except the research base in Antarctica is replaced by an Air Force base in northern Alaska. Aviators from the base are called out to investigate a crashed object. They find a frozen alien, just like in the book. Once they return back to base with the alien encased in a frozen ice block, the terror begins. This is where, I think, The Thing From Another World begins to fall short... 

The airmen, civilian scientists and one journalist, grab guns, form a posse, hunt down and kill the alien, which turns out to be a giant vegetable (seriously!). 

There are other non-plot related criticisms as well. The first is that the one thinking intellectual in the crew of macho-man-alien-hunters, Dr. Arthur Carrington played by Robert Cornthwaite is portrayed as an effeminate weirdo who wants to (gasp!) communicate and (double gasp!!) learn from the alien, before killing it. He tries to do so, and gets immediately crushed on queue, making way for the capable heroes of the US military to save the day. Also, the only female cast member (the scientist's assistant), played by Margaret Sheridan, has very few lines, the longest of which is to suggest that a vegetable can be killed "lots of ways," by broiling it, grilling it, steaming it, etc.

But let's not get too intellectual. This pulpy flick isn't meant to be a thought-provoking piece of weighty philosophy; it's about a SPACE MONSTER after all. The real fault in Thing From Another World isn't the 1950's sexism, or the thinly veiled, Cold War-era, anti-intellectual McCarthyism (all movies from that time had some of that, especially the sci-fi ones). It's that it took away The Thing's most terrifying feature, its ability to shape-shift into any human it comes in contact with, and hide in plane sight until it's time to kill.

The Thing, the second cinematic adaptation of "Who Goes There?," premiered in 1982. Directed by legendary horror and sci-fi director, John Carpenter, and starring a great cross-generational cast including Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Donald Moffat and Keith David, was neither a commercial success or failure, and it was panned by early critics as grotesque, nihilistic and boring. However, The Thing grew to be a cult classic, and in my opinion, a sci-fi horror on-par with Ridley Scott's Alien. 

The first scene capitalizes on the source material's setting with breathtaking areal shots of the white "Antarctic" wilderness (though the filming took place in Juneau, Alaska). A helicopter with "NORGE" (Norway) painted on it tracks a stray sled dog across the ice. We see one pilot manning the chopper, and another load a rifle and take aim from the aircraft as it approaches the galloping husky. A simple, but suspenseful monotone bass score, by composer Ennio Morricone, booms as the airborne hunters try once, and again to put the desperate dog down. The scene, with no dialogue and no prologue, brilliantly captures a “what-the-fuck is happening?” feel that entices viewers to stay seated to find out what is in store. Where-the-fuck are we? Who-the-fuck are they? and Why-the-fuck are they shooting at an innocent animal? Before the Norwegian hunters can stop their prey, it finds shelter at a structure, US Outpost 31.  

Conflict ensues when the American crew of Outpost 31 defends the seemingly innocent animal. The Norwegians, desperate to kill the dog, fire toward the American defenders. Gary (Moffat), the armed commander of the Americans fires from behind a window and kills the apparently crazed Norwegians. 

"First goddamn day of winter," says R.J. MacReady (Russell), the American chopper pilot for the station.

Not long after Outpost 31 loses contact with the outside world amidst an incoming blizzard (because of course), the crew finds out why these Norwegians did not want that dog to escape. It was no dog at all, but a creature, something horrendous. Once locked in the shelter with the other sled dogs, it reveals its gruesome form, digesting the terrified animals one-by-one with its array of tentacles. Members of the crew are there to witness the attack and kill the hideous thing before it can get away, but the danger remains... if The Thing can imitate a dog perfectly, it can imitate a human. The dog has been walking freely around the outpost since it was rescued; it could have eaten any member of the crew, and still be hiding among them. No one could be trusted. 

Just like in the original story, the Scientist, Blair (Brimley) is the first to crack from the terror. Or, maybe, he just saw the writing on the wall before anyone else did: The Thing could not be allowed to leave, and neither could anyone else. If it made it to a populated area, it will begin to eat and imitate everyone on earth, no one would be prepared, no one would see it coming. Before he's subdued by the rest or the crew, the frantic scientist destroys the radio equipment further isolating Outpost 31 from any rescue. From that point forward, with no way to tell who is real and who is an alien imposter, the crew's worst enemies are themselves. One after another, a crew mate deemed to be "infected", a talking, begging, desperate copy of someone who used to be friend, is shot to death or burned alive by the humans left on the station. The surviving crew's trust in one another fades as their fear rises. Soon, it's every man for himself, as no one really knows who the real Thing is anymore. "Frozen Hell" indeed. 

Carpenter's 1982 version of The Thing, has some dated special effects and admittedly has its dry spells, where suspense turns to boredom. But, for the most part, it really captures the vast loneliness of Antarctica with the intimate claustrophobic nature of the base. With nowhere to run, and no one to call for help, the crew of Outpost 31 may have well been on a spaceship, with an Alien crawling around in the ventilation shafts. It's sci-fi horror at it's finest. 

The Thing (1982) has certainly outlasted early criticism, remaining a pop-culture phenomenon to this day. A fairly good prequel based on Carpenter's 1982 film was released in 2011, staring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton. And, most notably, the online video game sensation Among Us, based on the premise of an alien imposter infiltrating a space crew debuted in 2018, and it soon had a cooped-up COVID-weary public on their phones, PC's and Nintendo Switches trying to guess which player was the "imposter", spacing many an innocent teammate in the process. In fact, The Thing is screened every year by the real-life crew of the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station at the beginning of Antarctic Winter. Scientists have weird sense of humor. 

John Carpenter clearly knew what he was doing when he picked up this screenplay adapted from that early Novella called "Who Goes There?". The themes of The Thing are timeless, they transcend the sci-fi gerne all together, eliciting even the classic transcendental literature of writers like Edgar Allen Poe and Henry James. It may say more about the dangers of humans, than any space monster. Like Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart," or the phantasm in James' "The Turn of The Screw," we could easily dismiss any survivor's account of coming in contact with The Thing as a paranoid delusion, an insane fantasy, the natural result of being cooped-up and isolated on a remote polar research base where the sun doesn't rise for a month. Furthermore, we could look at The Thing as a reflection of post-modern society. With misinformation filling the airwaves, claims of "fake news" being spewed out by all sides of the political spectrum, artificial intelligence mimicking human interaction, and sometimes even humans themselves, a shapeshifting demon seems like an apt metaphor for the times. Heck, if a malicious adversary wanted to create chaos, they need only convince their enemy that A Thing is among them, and watch as paranoia and fear tear them apart from within. Perhaps this has already been tried.

The 1951 film, The Thing From Another World, may have fallen short of the mark when compared to Carpenter's 1982 remake but it does have a memorable quote at the end. After the alien is defeated, the journalist, "Scotty" (played by Douglas Spencer), who witnessed the battle, addresses the public by radio... 

"And now before giving you the details of the battle, I bring you a warning: Everyone of you listening to my voice, tell the world, tell this to everybody wherever they are. Watch the skies. Everywhere. Keep looking. Keep watching the skies." Maybe he should have added, keep watching each other too. Anyone, anywhere could be The Thing.  

Campbell, John W.  "Who Goes There?" in Astounding Science Fiction Magazine. Street & Smith, Publications, Inc. 1938.

Nyby, Christian. The Thing From Another World. Winchester Pictures Corporation, Los Angeles, California. 1951. 

Carpenter, John. The Thing, Universal Pictures, Los, Angeles California. 1982.  

The Next Generation: A Lesson in Leadership

The Cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation

I was originally going to title this article "Stark Trek," but given my fondness for The Next Generation crew, I decided to give "TNG" the nod... 

No offense to Captain James T. Kirk (played by William Shatner), Inter Stellar Linguist, Lieutenant Uhura (played by Nichelle Nichols) and, of course, Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott (Played by James Doohan). 

Like most Millennials, I remember, Lieutenant Commander Data, Lieutenant Commander Worf, and -of course- Captain Jean-Luc Picard. I actually checked out more than a few VHS video-taped episodes of that series from the Kent Free Library when I was a kid.

There is so much I've learned from this show. Everything from reading and literature to gambling. Never bet against Data, by the way.

 

 Also, don't bet against Dr. Pulaski either.

 

 

As you can see from the brilliant writing and casting, chiefly from Commander Data, a robot (but very-with human qualities), played by Brent Spiner, Commander Riker (played by Jonathan Frakes), and Dr. Pulaski (played by Diana Muldaur), the show is not simply space battles with aliens. It actually includes some funny and "educational" dialogue. 

 

In an era where we are all struggling to deal with others, unlike ourselves, it's good to see a diverse group of crewmen who are very different to one another. Data, as you can see, in the videos above, is very different (he's a robot). 

 

But, as you watch the show, you'll see the normal cast of differing characters match wits. In each episode the galaxy-class Starship Enterprise will encounter "weird" or "different" aliens from another planet, and sometimes they're hostile. 

 

It's up to Captain Picard (played by Patrick Stewart) to communicate and try to work with each species his ship encounters in a (hopefully) non-violent way. Naturally, the Starship Enterprise is equipped with weapons and torpedoes in-case things really go south. However, most episodes in the series end peacefully. 

 

But, most of all, I like the crew, and their relationships. Starting with Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge (played by LeVar Burton), who is a bit of a folk-hero among Millennials, for being both a Star Trek officer and reading expert, and ending with Lieutenant Commander Worf (played by Michael Dorn). 

 

Both actors portray differences and diversity on the ship's crew. Worf is a Klingon. Obviously, He looks noticeably different; but, his crew-mates treat him with respect and honor. Worf is a good officer to have on the bridge of a ship where decisions can be critical and life saving. Worf's captain and crew knows this. 

 

Geordi La Forge is an expert engineer, but he's blind. In our day-and-age, we might call his condition a "disability", but, in Geordi's case, he's able to use technology to see. In fact, he's really not blind at all! He can see electro-magnetic waves and sub-atomic particles that "normal" people can't.  

To conclude, I'd like to mention Captain Picard's leadership. While he can be honest at times, he's a ship's captain and must be responsible for his crew, and I guess the protector of the entire Galaxy. Sometimes he needs to be harsh, and provide criticism to his subordinates. But, in doing so, he never breaches their trust and is always a friend when needed...  

Just like Worf is to "Spot", the cat...  

 

 

 

 

Gene Roddenberry, "Star Trek: The Next Generation",  Paramount Domestic Television, Inc. 2012. 

The Expanse: A look into the future?

Museum of Science & Industry

One of my best friend's dreams is to be an astronaut. I, however, would never go to space. Well, we agree to disagree. 

My friend believes the "final frontier" will bring wonders; I think space is a lot of nothing, and some rocks, and gas giants. And, if we find someone, or some thing, up there, it might just be terrible. 

Perhaps I am traumatized by watching Alien, Aliens and (good god!) Event Horizon. But, I think we humans do best on our little blue marble called Earth. If we want to explore space, we can always send a neat robot. 

However, in spite of my fear of space, I still love science fiction. I'm currently about half-way through the second book of James S. A. Corey's "Expanse" trilogy. The Expanse book series, and well-done television show on Amazon, shows what I believe is an accurate version of a space-venturing future. Earth is over-crowded, and humans have ventured to Mars, and have even created colonies on asteroids and moons of Jupiter. In cosmological terms, this is a pretty humble task; of all the billions of planets, stars, light-years and parsecs in just the Milky Way galaxy, that's like barely leaving our own back-yard!

 

It's not Star Trek. There are no spaceships that can break the laws of physics (that we know of currently). Space, in The Expanse, is a tough and brutal place. Brave, blue collar, space workers are regularly injured on-the-job by space rocks, ice chunks and work accidents. -Think of a coal miner from West Virginia, but in a space-suit.- Not only that, but the challenges families face in this fictional series are serious; cancer is rampant due to Solar radiation, which we are protected from on Earth. Individuals who are born in space, grow up differently due to the lack of gravity; their muscles and bones are used to weightlessness. If they go to Earth they will have a terrible time coping, as it would be like having pounds of iron on their shoulders.

When it come to physics, the Expanse series truly tries to be accurate as well. On Earth, with our lovely gravity, if someone shoots a gun, the bullet shoots away and the shooter stands still. In a gravity-free environment, the shooter flies backward as fast as the bullet shoots forward. Not only that, but a projectile, like a bullet, can puncture a dome or a ship that contains the oxygen we humans need to breath. Bad news! 

When it comes to fighting wars in space, it's a crap shoot. It's basically firing stuff in every direction and hoping for the best. God forbid your spaceship is punctured, because then you're toast.     

James S. A. Corey, "The Expanse",  New York, New York: Orbit: Hachette Book Group, Inc. 2012