MovieChat Forums > The Thing from Another World (1951) Discussion > Quote From Character: "This is stupid" ....

Quote From Character: "This is stupid" ... and it was.

posted 8 years ago by spirit_30
3 replies | jump to latest

You remember the part in the movie when they were bringing the ice coffin inside and the younger professor said this is stupid ... We simply MUST come up with a better way of getting the alien out of the ice. The way they did it in the movie was so stupid.
1. They bring the creature in the ice inside. Why? Why not leave it outside if they don't want it to melt? They would not have to damage a perfectly good window. If they needed it to be guarded, then why not leave a guard at the window?

2.The electric blanket melting the ice ... really? After getting wet without shorting out? Really? Not to mention the dummy that put it on the ice didn't notice the warmth or the electric cord or the water dripping? Really?

There has to be a better way of getting it out of the ice without it being so stupid.

One idea would be that they do leave the ice block outside, and while they are deciding what to do the alien uses some type of device that feeds off an energy source that it now has at the camp and melts the ice. The guard inside freaks... runs to get the others, when they get back it the scene with the dogs.

Another way is they get authorization to examine the remains melt it and surprise it's alive ... their way is just too stupid.

Anyone else have an idea of how to make that scene more believable?

[–] jsk32870 7 years ago

I have to agree that scene really bothered me. "Let's bring it indoors...but wait we don't want it to melt, so let's smash a window to the storeroom!" This makes sense to anyone? I rolled my eyes and muttered 'boy that was stupid.' This is their C.O.? Great.

Your idea of leaving it outside and then posting a watch from the inside makes much more sense. It's not like someone is going to come along and steal it, they'd already established how heavy it was.

I don't have a solution for melting the ice, but perhaps they should not have had it encased in ice in the first place. Have the alien be dormant or appear lifeless, but not encased in ice. This way you kind of have to bring him in the storeroom and post a guard. Just cover him up with a blanket and have the guard turn his back like he was in the film and take it from there when the alien 'awakes.'

[–] spirit_30 7 years ago

I think removing it from the ice without damaging it would or should be a problem. People would wonder how did they get it out the ice without melting it. Look at it this way. Try and remove a frozen piece of meat from ice without melting it or damaging the meat. Can't be done. I think my two versions are much more believable

[–] brux (14666) 7 years ago

Great discussion. Most movies depend on making their characters do silly stuff to move the plot along, but this is a whopper. I still love this movie though. I like the wise-cracking repartee, and the in general nice way they talked and joked with each other. You don't see that anymore. They still have not really made a remake that surpassed the original.