What Can We Learn From That Thing Except a Quicker Way to Die?: The Thing From Another World (1951)

Knowledge is more important than life, Captain. We’ve only one excuse for existing – to think, to find out, to learn. What can we learn from that thing except a quicker way to die?

I looooooove this movie!

I know a ton of people love the ‘80s film, but not me, I love the original the best. It’s one of my favorite SciFi films as I love the pacing, the characters, the “Thing”.

And it’s not just me that thinks it’s fantastic, it was on the American Film Institute’s 2001 list of the top 100 Most Heart-Pounding American Movies and inspired many horror directors, such as John Carpenter who would remake the film.

It was also the 46th biggest grossing film of its year, beating out other classic sci-fi films like When Worlds Collide (1951) and The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951).

The film starts off with reporter Ned Scott (Douglas Spencer) looking for a story. He goes searching at the Alaskan Air Command officer’s club, where he meets Captain Pat Hendry (Kenneth Tobey), his co-pilot Lieutenant Eddie Dykes, (a friend of Scott’s), and flight navigator Ken “Mac” MacPherson.

The men joke around a bit especially poking fun at Ned for coming to freezing Alaska. The group then gets word that they need to head up to Polar Expedition Six at the North Pole, as the lead scientist, Nobel laureate, Dr. Arthur Carrington (Robert Cornthwaite); asked for military assistance as they saw an unusual aircraft crash nearby.

Hmm…

Captain Hendry, Lt. Dykes, Lt. Ericsson, Corporal Barnes, crew chief Bob, a pack of sled dogs, and newsman Ned (who somehow finagled an invite) all head out to the outpost. Hendry doesn’t want to go up there as he had something going on with Nikki Nicholson (Margaret Sheridan), Dr. Carrington’s secretary. It’s never clear if they were dating or if Capt. Hendry was just trying to get her to go out with him, but he’s embarrassed after she drank him under the table.

Orders are orders and they head out to the research’s station where they meet with meet radio operator Tex, Dr. Chapman, his wife Mrs. Chapman, the cook Lee, the Inuit dog handlers, Dr. Vorhees, Dr. Stern, Dr. Redding, Dr. Stone, Dr. Laurence, Dr. Wilson, Dr. Ambrose, Dr. Auerbach, and Dr. Olson; along with Dr. Carrington and Nikki Nicholson

Scientists come with the airmen and find the ship sticking out of the ice.

They spread out on the ice and see how big it is, and it’s huge! Obviously, whatever this is, it wasn’t man made!

The try to find a way to get it out, figuring to the best way would be to use thermite. However, that doesn’t work out right as it is reacts poorly to the alloy and it sinks into the icy water.

They are upset, especially Dr. Carrington, who wanted to study it. However, not all is lost as their Geiger counter detects a frozen body buried nearby. They excavate it and want to fly it out but can’t as an Arctic storm starts up.

As Capt. Hendry is the highest ranking military man at the outpost, he is now in charge and sends in the information of what they have discovered. The General tells them to wait there and for Ned to not give out any information, and that under no circumstances to let the scientists examine the alien creature.

A military watch is posted and nothing unusual happens until the time comes to switch guards. Lt. MacPherson is completely weirded out by all of this, as aliens were not what he signed up for. He doesn’t want to look at the alien and covers him with a blanket. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know that it is an electric blanket and that it is plugged in. Yep, they basically Encino Man him, melting the ice and bringing him to life.

From Clueless

The Thing awakens and escapes in the storm, the dogs figuring with it and ripping off the arm, they later recovering his arm. The Thing was played by James Arness, who like Gort in The Day the Earth Stood Still was partially chosen because of his height of 6’6, being so much taller than ever other man.

The scientists study the arm and find it nothing like humans. As they study it, it seems to be closer to plants more than human and like a plant, the thing can regrow a limb when one has been trimmed.

Capt. Hendry suddenly has a lot more on his plate than just being in charge of the outpost, he now has to be in charge of everyone and there is this strange Thing running about.

My favorite scenes in the film are the interactions between Hendry and Nikki as Nikki is just as tough, if not tougher than Hendry. I especially love the coffee exchange, it’s repeated multiple times in the film and it’s hilarious

Nikki: Anybody around here want some coffee?

Hendry: No, but you can come in.

Nikki: That’s the only reason I brought it. I was hoping you’d ask me.

Dr. Carrington and the other scientists are interested in studying and communicating with the Thing. They don’t see it as a threat but just lost and confused, a stranger in a strange place. Nikki is the only one who seems on the fence about it, she doesn’t fully trust the creature but at the same time is not as convinced as the others that it isn’t a threat.

Dr. Arthur Carrington: Knowledge is more important than life, Captain. We’ve only one excuse for existing – to think, to find out, to learn.

Ned “Scotty” Scott: What can we learn from that thing except a quicker way to die?

Dr. Arthur Carrington: It doesn’t matter what happens to us. Nothing counts except for our thinking. We thought our way into nature. We split the atom.

Eddie: Yes, and that sure made the world happy, didn’t it?

Dr. Arthur Carrington: Captain, when you find what you’re looking for, remember it’s a stranger in a strange land. The only crimes involved were those committed against it. It awoke from a block of ice, was attacked by dogs, shot by frightened man. All I want is a chance to communicate with it.

Hendry: Doctor you can do anything you want with it provided it’s locked up in a safe place.

The scientists and military officers start investigating for where the alien took off to. They end up finding a dead dog drained of all its blood, (don’t worry they don’t show it) and come to the determination that it was done by the Thing, and that it consumes blood.

Ew! If it was me I would 100% be prepared to stop/burn it/kill it it as I wouldn’t want to be the next one consumed.

However, the scientists still want to still make contact. Unbeknownst to the military the scientists make their own plans to try and find/capture/communicate.

The film becomes a version of cat and mouse as they are trying to hunt whilst being hunted. The storm still rages so they cannot get outside, cannot leave, and are unable to receive any help. You never see a close up of the monster as the film didn’t have the budget to make it scary enough, but I like that choice as when watching it, it is so much creepier not being able to see what the Thing looks like.

The next day they continue their search and have a hard time finding any trace of the Thing, something not helped by the storm. They do discover a badly injured Dr. Stern who reveals that the scientists have made contact and the thing killed two of them, Auerbach and Olson.

They soldiers investigate the lab and are attacked by the Thing. They fight it and manage to barricade it in the greenhouse. They also “arrest” Dr. Carrington and sequester him in his lab. But it turns out Dr. Carrington has done more than attempt to contact the Thing, he’s been experimenting from the arm, using seeds taken from it to grow small alien pods and feeding them blood plasma. Some of the Doctors are interested, some are afraid, and Nikki is disgusted.

Dr. Arthur Carrington: We owe it to the brain of our species to stand here and die… without destroying a source of wisdom.

Dr. Carrington is crazy! They definitely should be watching him closely.

Captain Hendry discovers the doctor’s secret when he finds the blood plasma missing. Hendry is upset and wants to destroy the Thing, but orders are to keep it alive and bring it back to base.

The Thing escapes from the greenhouse and attacks them again. In order to save their lives they try to douse it in kerosene and light it on fire, but he gets away and runs from the outpost and into the snow.

They are trying to figure out what to do next when Nikki notices that she and can see their breath. Lee the cook also is unable to cook as their is no gas available as well. Yes, the Thing has sabotages their furnace, and with Arctic conditions and the storm; won’t take long for them to freeze to death. They retreat to the generator room to figure out what to do next.

Nikki is the one to actually figure out how they can defeat it:

Ned “Scotty” Scott: Here’s the sixty-four dollar question – what do you do with a vegetable?

Nikki: Boil it.

Ned “Scotty” Scott: What did you say?

Nikki: Boil it… bake it… stew it… fry it?

They decide to rig up a “flytrap”; they harness electricity to one area and wait for him to come upon them, step on it the trigger, and get boiled up.

Dr. Carrington almost ruins it when he comes running in and tries to convince the Thing that he’s on his side. The Thing doesn’t care and tosses him, confining to approach them. This is one of my favorite scenes as it is so scary as he approaches them as he is giant and creepy! The tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife as you watch and hope that he actually steps into the trap.

He does and gets electrocuted, being blown away to ash!

It ends with them finally being able to make it through, Cpt. Hendry and Nikki are together, and Ned has the story of a lifetime.

Ned “Scotty” Scott: All right, fellas, here’s your story: North Pole, November Third, Ned Scott reporting. One of the world’s greatest battles was fought and won today by the human race. Here at the top of the world a handful of American soldiers and civilians met the first invasion from another planet. A man by the name of Noah once saved our world with an ark of wood. Here at the North Pole, a few men performed a similar service with an arc of electricity. The flying saucer which landed here and its pilot have been destroyed, but not without causalities among our own meager forces. I would like to bring to the microphone some of the men responsible for our success… but as Senior Air force officer Captain Hendry is attending to demands over and above the call of duty… Doctor Carrington, the leader of the scientific expedition, is recovering from wounds received in the battle.
Eddie: [Softly] Good for you, Scotty.
Ned “Scotty” Scott: 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

It definitely makes you want to avoid the Arctic. That’s where the Blob, the Thing , and the Beast from 20,000 fathoms all live.

So when I was twelves we were in Arizona and I saw a giant billboard for the Thing and wanted desperately to stop and see a museum dedicated to the film. I was able to convince my parents to check it out, but it turned out it had nothing to do with this at all. It still was cool though.

For more creatures from another world, go to The Cutest Alien You’ll Ever See: The Cat From Outer Space (1978)

For more SciFi, go to Gort! Klaatu Barada Nikto!: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

The Cutest Alien You’ll Ever See: The Cat From Outer Space (1978)

The Cat From Outer Space is one of my favorite movies. I used to watch it over and over again until the tape we had wore out as it was no longer playable.

I loved this Disney film (yep completed that yearly tradition), as besides it being amazing I liked that the cat was the hero instead of the villain. There are very few movies that do that as usually the dog is the good guy.

This film is hilarious and even though it was made in the ‘70s the special effects still look really good. I watched this with my 10 year old niece and she not only loved and was invested in the story, but she also really liked the special effects as she thought they were cool.

And the cat is beyond adorable! It was played by two Abyssinians that are siblings and they are both amazing actors. I know it sounds silly to say that, but those trainers did such a great job as they really look like they are engaged in the conversation and a part of the scene. It’s amazing!

Zunar-J-5/9 Doric-4-7 AKA Jake

So the film starts off with a ship from outer space landing, and the cutest alien in the world that can invade my life anytime he wants, Abyssinian cat Zunar-J-5/9 Doric-4-7. His ship has had some issues so he had to make an emergency landing on our planet Earth. He looks like your average cat but can talk and has the power of telekinesis through the special collar he wears.

The military shows up and confiscates the ship, but they totally miss the cat. Unbeknownst to them, Zunar-J-5/9 Doric-4-7 follows them back to the base.

The next day the military calls together the top scientists from Energy Research Laboratory. They try to have a closed room conference, but it turns out that Mr. Stallwood (Roddy McDowell) is trying to infiltrate it. Yep, he’s a spy although not a very good one.

But one who is good at what they do is Zunar-J-5/9 Doric-4-7 who slips in unnoticed and listens to the deliberations.

The General shows the scientists a floating object the soldiers took from the ship. The scientists discuss it, but can’t come up with any reason to how it can levitate. One scientists, Dr. Liz Bartlett (Sandra Duncan), suggests bringing in new scientist Frank, (Ken Berry). Frank has a lot of theoretical ideas and some out there thoughts.

They call him in, but unfortunately he makes too many jokes and the General and the rest don’t take him seriously.

[Dr. Frank Wilson has been brought in to view the artifact removed from the flying saucer]

Frank: It’s beautiful.

General Stilton: Don’t you have any other observations?

Frank: Only that it looks like an artichoke, sir.

General Stilton: We know it looks like an artichoke, Wilson. What makes it tick?

Frank: Mayonnaise?

General Stilton: Negative.

Frank: No, no, I was only joking, sir.

Frank then tries to explain his real theory but the General is done and kicks him out of the room. However, Zunar-J-5/9 Doric-4-7 is very interested in what he has to say as it actually was tracking near the truth of how his ship works.

Zunar-J-5/9 Doric-4-7 follows Frank to his office. Frank notices the cat and decides to call him Jake, but then is interrupted by Dr. Bartlett who comes to give Frank a piece of her mind, but after the two talk articles they have published, Frank manages to get Dr. Liz Bartlett to agree to go on a date with him. Frank is overjoyed over this, but his celebration is interrupted by Jake who decides to tell Frank the truth in order to get his help. Frank is shocked:

Frank: [realizing the voice is coming from the cat] It… it’s you?

Jake: It’s not the mouse. Now sit down.

Frank: But your lips aren’t moving. You’re not speaking.

Jake: Through transference. Nothing exceptional where I come from. Now, sit.[Using telekinesis generated through his collar, Jake pulls a chair behind Frank forward and he collapses into it]

Jake: My name is Zunar-J-5/9 Doric-4-7.

Frank: [struggling] Zunar…

Jake : Why don’t we stay with Jake, okay? Frank, last night, at 03 hours plus 13, I made an emergency landing in a spaceship from another galaxy. That so-called “artichoke”, it’s from my craft.

Frank: But… you’re a cat.

But being a scientist, Frank get over this shock pretty quick, especially as Jake promises to share some interplanetary secrets with him.

The two decide to break into the base so that Jake can find out what needs to be done to fix his ship but they are interrupted by Frank’s neighbor and fellow scientist, Dr. Link. Dr. Link is a sports enthusiast and a gambler and wants to watch the game on Frank’s TV as he and his wife got into an argument. Frank and Jake are in a hurry so Jake uses his collar to help Dr. Link’s team win. But just as they fix that problem, Dr. Liz stops by to go out with Frank.

The two lie that Jake is sick and head down to the base. Stallwood, the spy, also has the same idea of sneaking into the base and tries to get in as well, following the pair. When Frank and Jake get caught, Jake uses his collar to freeze the soldier and then they sneak into the ship.

Frank is amazed and wants to know everything, but Jake needs to take care of business. He gives Frank his spare collar and has him bring a device to the outside of the ship so he can run diagnostics. Frank is eager to try it out, and has a lot of fun levitating/flying, so much fun that Jake has to snap him back to the plan at hand.

When they run the diagnostics it turns out that something was destroyed and needs to be replaced. To do that he needs Org 12 which on our planet is gold, a lot of gold. $120,000 worth of gold. In today’s time that would be almost $500,000.

The solider Jake froze earlier is seen by another soldier who sounds the alarm and the whole base comes alive with people

Frank is fuh-reaking out about where to get that much money, rightly so, and Jake is nonplussed. As they try to figure out how to get the money, the answer to their problems walks in as Dr. Link wants to watch more games and gamble. Jake decides to let Dr. Link know what is really going on. At first Dr. Link doesn’t believe them, but Jake uses his collar to convince him.

This scene is funny as they make the beer he is drinking go back in the can, shoot him in the face, have towels wrap around him, and Jake makes him float (and yes I do think it is weird how this film promotes drinking and gambling.) But the thing that distracts me watching it now is the poster that Frank has on his wall. It looks just like Jane from Tarzan (1999).

But unbeknownst to them, Stallwood who witnessed all the shenanigans at the base the night before had followed them and is filming them to show his employer.

So our cool cat crew puts some bets out there, but are interrupted when Dr. Bartlett shows up with her cat for their rescheduled date. Yes, it seems like Frank has a bit of The Absentminded Professor (Flubber) in him. He didn’t listen to her and totally didn’t realize they rescheduled their plans.

Frank tries to get rid of Dr. Bartlett by saying Jake is sick, but as Dr. Bartlett is a responsible pet owner, she gets the veterinarian in the complex to stop by and help make Jake better.

The only problem is that this Vet is more into the football game instead of helping the cat and proceeds to knock Jake out. Jake managed to help then win this football game, but they are out of luck for the next game and will lose all their money.

That’s not good.

The only way to get their money back to send Jake home is to go down to the pool hall and try to get the bookie to let them make another bet. They hurry down, with sleeping Jake, and on the way explain everything to Dr. Bartlett who actually believes it really quickly.

Meanwhile the military, NASA, ERL, etc have been analyzing the ship and have discovered Frank’s fingerprints all over it, along with paw prints and cat hair. They have the computer analyze the ship and it declares that the cat is the pilot, but the General refuses to listen to that. They decide to head to Frank’s and wait outside to see who he is working with.

When the cat crew get to the pool hall they can’t get another game to bet on, but Frank decides to try for a pool game. To make back their money they have Dr. Bartlett face off against Sarasota Slim, pool hustler. Dr. Link and Dr. Bartlett are worried as Dr. Bartlett doesn’t know how to play, but decide to trust that Frank can use the collar.

I love that the crew brought Jake with them and no one is mad that there is a cat in the pool hall. Frank has Dr. Link hold Jake, and luckily there is a guy who likes onion and sauerkraut on his sandwich and has no boundaries as he stands right next to Dr. Link and Jake, his sandwich waking Jake up.

However, it isn’t fast enough and Frank hasn’t had enough practice that when he tries to help Dr. Bartlett out he makes the cue ball bounce around the room instead of knocking the balls around. They lose the game and their money.

But thanks to stinky sandwich guy, Jake wakes up and they are back on track. Frank tries to up the odds by betting on Dr. Bartlett to win blindfolded, with Sarasota Slim breaking and getting half the balls. The odds are 200 to 1, just what they need, and with Jake on their side they win.

They head back to the apartment where they are being watched by the military and Stallwood’s secret employer. The cat crew give Jake the gold who converts the giant brick into a tiny lego sized object.

Before they get a chance to leave the General marches in and is about to arrest them, when Jake freezes him. They are trying to decide what to do next when they get the idea to steal his clothes and have Frank pretend to be the General. The shirt they give the General is so not him, a touristy Hollywood shirt.

Frank and Jake head to the base, while Stallwood’s employer kidnaps Dr. Bartlett.

On base, Frank gets in and helps Jake repair his ship and move it. As they are about to say goodbye Dr. Link shows up and shares that Dr. Bartlett and her car Lucybelle were kidnapped and they want the collar in exchange. Jake likes Lucybelle the cat a lot and wants to help, but if he does he will never be able to return home again. Frank tells Jake to go home and he he and Dr. Link sadly watch Jake leave. Frank only had him for a little while but will greatly miss him.

As the ship disappears from the sky, Jake hops in the Jeep ready to help and stay on Earth. They head to the airport to try and save their lady loves.

Meanwhile, the General and his team have woken up and they head to the base, not too far behind Frank and Jake.

When Frank gets to the airport there are no planes available so Jake uses his collar to bring an old dilapidated plane that looks like it can barely run it or air.

On the plane, Stallwood realized that they have kidnapped Dr. Bartlett and that his employer plans on killing her. He doesn’t like it, and tries to stop him, but unfortunately he grabs the flare gun and shot the controller making it impossible to fly. Everyone bails out except Dr. Bartlett and Lucybelle as there are no more parachutes.

That’s not good.

Jake and Frank try to save them in an incredible display, but when Frank puts Lucybelle on the plane with Jake, Jake gets distracted and Frank has to get him to focus.

In the end they catch the spy, the president decides that Jake will not be harmed but seen as an ambassador, and Jake goes to court to become a citizen of the USA, and plans to spent the rest of his days with Frank, Dr. Bartlett, Lucybelle, and Dr. Link.

It’s a very cute film that I highly recommend for all cat lovers!

For more on The Cat From Outer Space, go to The Cat’s Meow

For more Disney films, go to A Carefree Holiday Suddenly Plunged Into Danger: The Moon-Spinners (1964)

For more aliens, go to Nothing Will Stop It! Nothing Can Stop the Blob!: The Blob (1958)

For more on cats, go to A Man Dressed as a Giant Bat, Psychotic Deformed Man Wrecking Havoc, and a Zombie Cat Woman…A Batman Christmas: Batman Returns (1992)

Nothing Will Stop It! Nothing Can Stop the Blob!: The Blob (1958)

Nothing will stop it! Nothing can stop the Blob!

So back at the beginning of the year my book club read Steve McQueen: The Salvation of an American Icon by Greg Laurie.

After I finished reading it, I thought it would be perfect to end Horrorfest IX with The Blob as I would have all my book reviews completed by then.

Yes, I was so idealistic at the beginning of the year. You see I am behind in my book club reviews. I am like 16 months behind.

Yes its bad. Eventually I will catch up, but as I hadn’t gotten to that book yet, I decided to move the review up and end on a different film.

This film is one of my favorite “B” horror films and I just love it. The first time I watched this film I saw it on TCM and I remember hearing this really interesting tidbit in the intro. Steve McQueen was offered 10% of the profits or $2500. At the time he had no money, very little food, and needed to pay the rent. He thought the film was going to bomb or have relative success so he took the paycheck. This film made so much money-people estimate he could have made as much as 40,0000. Everything in life is a gamble and you win some and lose some.

Here we go with the review:

So we start with a jazzy song written for the film. It was supposed to be in the style of The Monster Mash, but to me it sounds weird with the film-like it should be less dancing and more grim in my opinion. It became a huge hit and was on the Billboard Charts.

We start the film off with two teens making out, one is Steve Andrews (Steve McQueen) the other Jane Martin (Aneta Corsaut). They stop as Jane is upset as she feels used and that Steve just brought her up to neck, and doesn’t really care about her. Steve tries to reassure her, but it doesn’t seem to help. He finally convinces her that he is being honest and cares when they are interrupted by a shooting star streaking across the sky and crashing. Steve wants to get it, so the two drive off to look. Be careful, sometimes a shooting star is more than you think it will be, case in point:

Meanwhile, an old man and his dog who live up there are awoken by something-the dog barking like crazy and freaking out. The man leaves the dog inside and goes to investigate ad finds a huge hole with a little meteor in it.

Hmmm…

The man pokes it with a stick and it unfurls-it’s pretty gross and it actually reminds me of Alien when we first see the Xenomorph XX121 things.

The man puts the stick to it and it goes right into it and grabs the old man. He tries to get it off but can’t.

Steve and Jane come looking for the meteor but don’t see anything and they decide to head back into town and eat. While they drive the old man come running out into the road-they stopping just in time. The man is screaming and upset, so Steve says he ca take him to a doctor. Steve almost touches the old man’s hand, but the old man pulls away, thank goodness.

Every time they show Steve McQueen I am struck by how gorgeous he is with those ice blue eyes.

The doctor is supposed to be heading out of town for a trip, asking his neighbor to watch his house. Luckily Steve catches the doctor right as he is leaving so he can look at the old man (or unluckily for the Doc I should say). To get there Steve had to drive around some other cars, something his friend don’t take too kindly. They will be back to settle it later.

That’s not good.

Adults are really suspicious of kids in this movie. Steve says they ran into the old man and the Doc gets all upset, Jane saving Steve by saying they picked him up. And its not just him, the cops act rude to the “kids” too.

Hmm…

Steve shows the doctor the hand and the blister has become bigger, consuming his hand.

The doctor sends them back up the hills to see if they find out what happened while the Doc consults his books. When they leave the doc’s office they see the guys from earlier, Tony, Mooch, and Al crowding around Steve’s car.

Tony wants to race as he can’t have his reputation damaged as being slower. Steve keeps trying to get out of it or brushing them off but but they won’t let him.

I like how the guy calls him King, since Steve was the King of Cool.

The two race backwards Steve stopping so the guys have a red light, but he can’t go forward as a cop pulls him over.  It’s thankfully Lt. Dave and not the kid hating cop. I love this scene when Steve is trying to talk himself out of a ticket, it makes me think of my nieces and nephews when they get in trouble and try to talk themselves out of it without actually admitting it.

Steve Andrews: I’ll never do it again.

Lt. Dave: You’ll never do what again?

Steve Andrews: Uh…[speaks softly, not looking at Lt. Dave] whatever you think I’m doing.

It cracks me up.

After the cops, the guys are all friends again. The race has been forgotten. Steve invites the guys to come with and help with the Doctor’s task of seeing if they can find anything helpful where the old man was found, but the guys want to go to the movies and see the midnight flick. Steve convinces the boys to come help.

Meanwhile, the Blob is growing larger on the old man. And the Doc is more confused, calling a friend to consult but he has already left for the convention. He then calls his nurse as he plans to amputate the parasite on the old man.

Back with Steve and the gang they find the hole and the meteor shell plus the lantern the old man had. Jane hears a dog barking and wants to investigate, she calls Steve to come with her, but I never noticed this before he is the last to leave. I think it is interesting how he really thinks about meteors and shooing stars and knows a bit about it. Maybe earlier the line of him coming out to that makeout spot to watch the sky wasn’t a line to get with Jane, but he maybe he is into astronomy.

The friends leave to the movies and invite Steve and Jane to join them. But Steve refuses, as he’s thinking about the meteor.  He and Jane go back to the Doctor’s, Jane taking the dog as she can’t stand to lave it behind and starve.

The nurse and Doc are getting ready, the Doc waring her not to touch whatever is on the man. She goes to get the old man’s pulse and he’s gone, just a blob of something-bigger now.

I know people make fun of this but just think if that was real-that would be so creepy. It’s like a jellyfish-Jellyfish have no bones, brains, blood, etc.-they are basically teeth just floating and consuming. You can’t reason with it.

The doctor and nurse try to stop it, she throws acid on it but it doesn’t stop it. The thing…excuse me that’s another movie…the blob consumes her while the Doc goes for his gun, the lights being knocked out and the doctor can’t see. He tries to use his gun, but it can’t stop it-nothing can stop the Blob!

Aahhh!!

Steve goes to the Doc’s but everything is closed and dark. He goes to check the garage and sees the doctor consumed by something.

Ahhhhhhh!

Steve goes to tell the police the Doc was killed, but falters when it comes time to explain as to what he saw. He tries to tell Lt. Dave but Sgt. Jim Bert, the kid-hater, refuses to listen. Dave overrules him and they go investigate the Doctor’s office. At the Doc’s they can’t find anything. Everything looks as if the doctor left-no trace of him at all. They do find a mess in the doctor’s study, like a struggle as the room is all messed up and a shotgun having been fired but no shots or shot marks.

Burns is just yelling at Steve thinking they are playing a prank and ouch-Jane sends out a zinger.

Lieutenant Dave: Hold on, Jim, the kids couldn’t have done this. You saw for yourself, the window was locked from the inside, and so was the door.

Sgt. Jim Bert: They rigged it with a piece of string to lock from the outside to make us look silly.

Jane Martin: I think you’re doing a good job of that all by yourself, Sergeant.

The neighbor, Mrs. Porter, says the Doc left for the convention. Mrs. Porter is no help explaining everything away so the cops don’t believe Steve. The police tell her not to touch anything in the “crime scene”, but she refuses she wants to clean up.

At a nearby garage two guys are working on a car, when the Bob comes around and consumes a guy under a car.

The police brought them to the station and called the parents. Jane’s dad is very upset as he is the principal and it damages his reputation. Steve’s dad is much calmer. Mr. Andrews, Steve’s dad comes to his defense saying that he wouldn’t lie about this-about breaking in somewhere.

Dave sends the kids home but it doesn’t sit well with him, something doesn’t feel right.

Hmm…

The cops argue with each other should we charge them or not? Dave thinks that the have no reason to as they will wait and speak to the doctor in the morning. We also find out Sgt. Jim Bert hates kids as one crashed into his wife and she died. Aw. Poor guy.

Jane is trying to sneak out of the house when her little brother Danny spots her leaving. She tries to keep him quiet, but man this kid is yelling. Every time I watch this all I can think is how do her parent’s not hear them?

Steve is asleep in his bed, at least until his parents think he is as he too sneaks out of the house and right into Jane. It’s funny that she scares him like a little kid.

Steve is completely freaked, I know I would be if I witnessed what he did. He tells Jane-the trauma and how he feels crazy. Jane is a good girlfriend and tells him she believes him. But Steve is starting to wonder…did he see what he think he saw? No, he know he did! Didn’t he?

Jane us such a great girlfriend she zones in what he is feeling and tells him not to convince himself it didn’t happen as he knows it did.

Steve is unsure what to do next as they might end up getting killed by whatever the thing is. Jane suggests they get Tony, Mooch, and Al to help them search. Steve goes to the movies and not only convinces his friends, but their dates to help them, they are such good friends.

The kids go looking for the Blob and to warn people, but everyone laughs them off and no one takes them seriously.

Steve and Jane find the dog by Steve’s dad’s store. The door is unlocked which is strange as the last employee should have locked up and gone home.

They look around the store in the dark, and it’s very creepy. The dark alway is as you don’t know what is out there.

Hmm…

It tuns out the Blob is in there and Jane faints when she sees it. Steve picks her up and tries to carry her out the back way, but the door is locked and the Blob moves fast. They are hurrying in the back and hide out in the freezer. Jane starts getting hysterical knowing that no one will come to help them as no one knows they are there. The Blob starts creeping under the door when it suddenly retreats? Why?

Hmm…from Saboteur

In the beginning the Blob was a blue black, then clear, and now a deep dark red. I never noticed before that the more it consumes the darker it gets.

Jane is freezing in the storeroom and still freaking out-similar to how Steve was the first time he saw it. Steve takes command and they slowly peek out to see if it is safe. They come into the store but it is still creepy as the lights are off and it is hard to see where the Blob might be. Steve and Jane run and get out and share with the rest of the gang that the Blob was in the store.

The kids call the police but Dave has gone home to bed and Sgt. Bert is there and refuses to listen to the kids as kids are all liars.

Ugh…this guy

The kids start driving up and down the streets making a lot of noise trying to wake everyone up. Soon everyone starts coming to see what is going on.

Steve tries to warn everyone but Bert still won’t listen. Steve is trying his best to convince them but the police are still not sure-although Dave knows that Steve is telling the truth that he is scared.

Steve Andrews: Dave, look at me! Do I look like somebody’s playing a practical joke? Am I laughing, or am I scared stiff?

Lieutenant Dave: He’s telling the truth.

Dave sends everyone home and gets the firefighters to grab guns and help them. Meanwhile in the movie theater all are having a good time when the Blob slinks through the air vent and attacks the projectionist. Then the movie cuts out and the Blob is coming down on the the seats. The blob has grown even bigger.

They have a Blobfest where this was filmed and they reenact this scene. I had planned to go this year but unfortunately…canceled like everything else.

People are running into the diner, but the Blob is coming for them.

Jan’s brother Danny shoots his pop gun and then hides in the diner. Where the heck are his parents? How did he get there?

In the diner are Steve, a waitress, Jane and Danny. The blob is on top. They have tried guns and nothing seems to be able to stop it. The police decide to drop a power line on it, the group moving to the cellar, but it doesn’t work.

That’s not good.

The diner catches on fire and the group starts coughing. There is no way out as they are completely surrounded and are going to die  by smoke or the Blob.

Jane is freaking  out but calms herself down to be strong for Danny, telling him everything is going to be alright.

The diner owner hasn’t accepted death and starts using the fire extinguisher which causes the Blob to retreat.

Steve figures out that it can’t stand the cold, and that’s why it didn’t attack them when they were in the freezer.

Steve starts yelling to the phone, thank goodness it is one of those old ones, if it had been plastic it would be burned out by now. Dave sends the fire chief after some fire extinguishers while Principl Martin, Jane’s dad, takes Steve’s friends to the school to pickup all the ones there.

I was about to say something sarcastic like of course he brought his school keys with him in the middle of the night when it turns out he doesn’t and their have to break a window-Principal Martin doing it as he is so worried about his daughter and son in the clutches of the Blob. Good job writers!

The police get through to the military while the rest of the people fight off the Blob with fire extinguishers. The group slowly makes their escape.

The freeze the Blob and It is transported to the Artic. Good, it can hang out with The Thing from Another World.

We end with a question mark, will we seeit again? I know I will watch it again. I still think it is a great movie after all this time and love watching it and Steve McQueen.

In reading Steve McQueen: The Salvation of an American Icon, by Greg Laurie, he mentions that the film was made by a Christian company trying to reach the kids of today. Just for fun I tried to think of any Christian messages I could see a minister using to make a sermon.

You can be consumed by sin the way one is consumed by the Blob. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

The way the adults treat the kids not listening to them or valuing their opinions because they are kids. “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young…” Timothy 4:12

When Steve gets his friends to help him look for the Blob warning them and knowing that if they encounter it they will most likely die, but his friends agreeing to help anyway: “There is no greater love than this: that a person would lay down his life for the sake of his friends. ” John 15:13

What do you think?

For more visitors from another world, go to Gort! Klaatu Barada Nikto!: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

For more “B” Horror Films, go to They’re Coming for Me Now…And Then They’ll Come for You: House on Haunted Hill (1959)

For more shooting stars, go to Non-Austen Films for Austen Fans: Stardust (2007)

Holy Crap, Leonard’s a Zombie: Epidemiology, Community (2010)

So my friend loves Community and tried to get me to watch it with her.

We watched some and I loved it…until they forced the Dean to take care of the Changnesia ex-teacher Ben Chang who had imprisoned him for months. After coming from an abusive relationship, I was not interested.

Not for me.

With COVID-19, my friend suggested I give it another watch and started rewatching and was hooked.

Not every episode was for me, but after all the bad news in the world it was nice to have some comedy and laugh. The thing I love about it it is all the different homages to film and TV and Abed’s film references as that is me and my obsession with film.

So after the marathon I had this past summer, I thought what better time than now to review one of it’s Halloween episodes. I had a hard time choosing between this and “Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps”, and I went with the former as I really like the horror homage being set to ABBA.

So the “fake” Spanish Study Group was formed when Jeff Winger (Joel McHale), a former lawyer who had faked his degree and has to go to college, wanted to try and get with Britta Perry (Gillian Jacobs). Britta asks Abed Nadier (Danny Pudi) to join him. He invites a few others, and the group rounds up to Pierce Hawthorne (Chevy Chase), Troy Barnes (Donald Glover Jr.), Annie Edison (Alison Brie), and Shirley Bennet (Yvette Nicole Brown).

The group ends up becoming close friends, even though Jeff tries hard not to, and after they all pass Spanish-they continue with Anthropology. Since they started the class Jeff was attacked by the Anthropology professor: Jeff goes to a party at his old law firm and finds out his old buddy Alan is the one who revealed his fake degree (but he still helped him so that Alan would owe him a favor); Pierce’s mother died and was “vaporized” into his cult and Jeff went through a midlife crisis regarding his mortality; they rode a Space Simulator that was donated by KFC, Shirley and Abed had a showdown regarding Jesus; and Pierce joined a group of “Hipsters” (those who had their hips replaced) and was reverting to teenage rebellion. So Halloween is her again and after the craziness of Pierce getting drugged and freaking out, all are looking forward to a “regular” holiday.

So we start of with George Takai narrating the episode. The Greendale Community College Dean is dressed as Lady Gaga and got a special deal on military rations surplus food for this year’s Halloween dance-man this school has A LOT of dances. My four year university only had one thrown by the actual school-the Blue & White Ball/Homecoming dance. Everything else was done by clubs, Frats, or Sororities. They always do this in TV, like Saved by the Bell’s school had a gazillion.

The study group is there-Jeff is David Beckham, Pierce Captain Kirk from Star Trek, Troy as Ripley from the Alien series with Abed as the Alien Queen from Aliens, Britta a dinosaur, Annie Red Riding Hood, and Shirley Glinda the Good Witch.

Pierce has been eating the food and starts acting weird and sick, not too far off from what he did last year. Annie finds Rich (Jeff’s nemesis from pottery class), a doctor to examine Pierce.

Hmm…

Abed and Troy’s costumes are soooo cool. I’m glad I have my sister to do costumes with, I miss matching costumes.

Rich quickly grows busy as there are more and more people sick-their effects changing to biting people and 102 degree temps. Uh, oh. Biting people? Vampires?

Troy gets upset that girls aren’t into his costume as Ripley and tries to make a new on out of the toilet seat covers and toilet paper-a sexy Dracula.

Not for me.

The Ripley costume was much cooler.

Annie discovers that the illness is being transferred from the bites and takes a hold of them much faster.

That’s not good.

The Dean calls to complain to the store and reads the label, giving the code word-as soon as he does the call is taken over by the military. This reminds me of Return of Night of the Living Dead when the military sends the zombies from Night of the Living Dead, to the crematorium and the two workers get into it, releasing zombies on the world. He is told to lock them in the building and help will arrive in 6 hours.

Annie tries to coordinate an orderly evacuation of those that aren’t sick, but Troy sees Leonard biting someone and screams:

Troy Barnes: Holy crap, Leonard’s a Zombie!

Soo utter pandemonium is with people screaming, running, zombies biting, and ABBA’s Dancing Queen playing in the background.

Zombies from Night of the Living Dead

The study room runs with Jeff throwing his soccer ball and punching people out of the way. Jeff always gets the action scenes.

The group locks themselves in their study room, just like in Night of the Living Dead. In Night of the Living Dead they were house to wait it out. Rich asks if any are bitten and all say no-but I’ve seen the film Night of the Living Dead. One of them is a liar, but which one?

Hmm…?

Also in the background is a tombstone that says Craig Pelton, the Dean. Foreshadowing?

Hmm…

They start barricading the doors and are scared and unsure they will last the full six hours, Dr. Rich says they only have three hours before permanent brain damage is done.

That’s not good.

Annie comes up with the idea to lower the building temp in efforts to stop the fever. Luckily Abed knows where the thermostat is. Sooo in reality they probably wouldn’t be able to do anything as the thermostat is probably closely regulated. I know the thermostat at my university was as they didn’t want anyone messing with it. And of course the thermostat is on the other side of the library as they need an excuse to leave the safety and make a run for it.

Dr. Rich starts sharing the symptoms of the disease and slurs in the middle as he has ever symptom. Yep, he’s been bit and he let them barricade themselves in with him? He’s like the little girl in The Night of the Living Dead.

But at least she was a child, you are an adult-and a doctor. Isn’t your first vow to do no harm? So yeah, you suck.

Oh and it turns out he wasn’t the only one. Britta was bit too.

Chang, dressed a Peggy Fleming, throws his ice skate at Dr. Rich and misses hitting the window. It breaks and the zombies start coming in, taking Annie.

The Zombies chase the remaining group and Gimmie, Gimmie, Gimmie! (A Man After Midnight) plays. It is a perfect pairing!

The non-zombie members of study group run for their lives, Jeff punching people left and right.

Shirley falls and is saved by Chang having split from the group they hide out in the ladies bathroom. Shirley and Change share a tender moment that develops as both believe it is the end of the world.

They will regret that the next day.

Jeff, Troy, and Abed are all that are left. The boys are then assaulted by a crazy cat-homage to horror films, and Abed spots a window they can escape from. Jeff doesn’t want to as he is wearing a $6000 suit. He tries to go through the door and gets attacked by the Zombies.

Jeff isn’t too upset about being a zombie, but is more angry about his archival Dr. Rich stealing his jacket. Oh, Jeff.

Abed and Troy start climbing shelves, shelves that look a lot like the ones from the Lava episode, “Geothermal Escapism”. Abed sacrifices himself so that Troy can save them all-quoting the “I Love You” scene from Star Wars.

Troy gets out and knocks the Dean over to get the key. He runs back into the library in his costume with the song Mama Mia playing in the background. Troy runs through the people in his Ripley costume punching people left and right, but they quickly overpower him. It was cool while it lasted.

Even though he becomes Zombified, with his final moments before he is fully zombified he crawls to the thermostat and mages a temp change.

What!

Fernando plays as the air starts coming through and they grow cold and begin to change back. They are going to take them out, but as they seem to be normal they Men in Black blue light them and they can’t remember anything that happened-they think it was a mass roofie.

After Troy and Abed have their wounds treated, they head to the dormitory to watch a movie…anything but Zombies.

In the end, Troy listens to his voicemails and discovers a message from Chang, so it really did happen.

For more Zombies, go to Sometimes, Dead is Better: Pet Sematary (1989)

For more ABBA, go to Take a Chance on Me: Austentatious (2015)

For more TV episodes reviews, go to The Adventure of the Sinister Scenario: Ellery Queen (1976)

Gort! Klaatu Barada Nikto!: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Gort! Klaatu Barada Nikto!

So I wrote the outline of  this review on March 21, 2020, back when we were all first told to quarantine because of the COVID-19 virus.

Every time they said the words “quarantine”, “shelter in place”, and seeing the lack of people driving at 6pm-made me think of this movie-as essentially the world was “standing still” (although there is still a line at Starbucks and the McDonald’s drive thru.)

While watching the movie there are quite a few things people say, that if you just replace the spaceman/alien with virus it actually applies. Their hysteria, the anger at the government, how each country reacts differently in what they do-but all panicking.

I first saw this movie on TCM or AMC, I can’t remember which, during one summer vacation. I remember it had to be summer because I was home that day and the movie channel had set the film to play so that it lined up with the 12:00 power going out at 12:00pm that day.

I really loved it the film, and of course later bought my own DVD of it. When the new one came out I watched it and was severely disappointed. The story just didn’t work as he came to help the planet-as humans needed to change or they would be destroyed-but to me it just didn’t work. This one makes a lot more sense.

It is 1951 and everything is normal until a flying saucer comes flying across the sky and lands in Washington D.C.

People all over the world are listening to the news and panicking!

To increase the sense of reality, some of the most famous broadcast journalists of the time were hired to do cameos as themselves. These included Gabriel Heatter, H.V. Kaltenborn, Drew Pearson and Elmer Davis. I had to look this up as the only one I recognized was Elmer Davis.

Meanwhile, out of the saucer comes a spaceman and a giant robot. Of course the military are there and they freak out about it, shooting him and getting their guns blasted by the robot, Gort.

The robot Gort was played by a 7ft. tall doorman, cast only for his height. He looks impressive next to Michael Rennie (the actor playing the spaceman) as Rennie is quite tall (6’4)

The Day the Earth Stood Still

The spaceman’s name is Klaatu and he leaves Gort and the spaceship behind when the army takes him to the hospital. He has a humanoid like body, is over 100 years old, and heals quickly from gunshot fire.

The studio originally wanted a big name to play Klaatu, but was later convinced by the director to use Rennie, a relatively unknown actor at the time. I think Rennie was perfect as he was taller than any other man in the film, he has a voice that shows strength and power without being overbearing, and he is able to convey so much in slight movements. No one else could have done as great a job.

The army tries to break into the spaceship and destroy the robot, but nothing they have is strong enough.

Klaatu wants to meet with all the world leaders as he has a very important message, but unfortunately people are not so willing. Russia will only come to the summit if it is in Russia, England won’t unless it is in England, and so on and so on. I don’t know why they don’t do it in the United Nations building in NYC but whatever-world leaders just can’t get their act together.

Klaatu also wants to see the people-the ordinary ones-but the government won’t let him out. Just like in Escape from Planet of the Apes-the government control everything because they are afraid.

Klaatu waits until night and sneaks out-he gets some clothes, a briefcase, and finds a room to rent-going by the name “Carpenter”.

In the boarding house, the boarders are all crowded around the TV and are scared, watching about the escaped spaceman. When Michael Rennie comes into the room all shadowed and tall, he does look creepy. Especially with his height and the fact he doesn’t say anything right away.

Like something out of a horror film, it makes you think of the panic people get so quickly-like The Monsters on Maple Street or the COVID-19 panic (you remember the sanitizer and wipes hoarding).

The boarders are nice but worried and freaked out.

George Barley: Why doesn’t the government do something, that’s what I’d like to know.

Mr. Krull: What can they do, they’re only people just like us.

George Barley: People my foot, they’re democrats.

People complaining about the politicians running things? Doesn’t look like things have changed much.

Helen (Patricia Neal) is the mother of Bobby and before the spaceman visited she and her boyfriend, Tom Stevens (Hugh Marlowe), were supposed to go on a day trip. She wants to take Bobby along as she doesn’t have anyone to watch him- as everyone is prepping for the end of the world.

Now Tom is the worst guy ever. He doesn’t want Bobby to go on their trip and when the new boarder, who NO ONE knows ANYTHING about wants to watch Bobby he is like sure let’s go.

Dump Tom. Seriously, this new guy could be a pedophile, molester, or just crazy -you have no clue who he is. And if your boyfriend is willing to pass your child off to the first person he meets, dump him! He’s obviously not a good boyfriend or stepfather material.

Of course they say yes, so innocent in the 1950s, and Bobby and Klaatu go check out the sites. Bobby takes him to the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, etc-which is fine, but watching this as an adult I think it is a little odd. Like wouldn’t a kid want to show him something they think is cool? I mean he looks like he is 10, wouldn’t there be something more kid-friendly he wants to go to? An amusement park?

He does mention the movies in which Klaatu wants to treat him, but Klaatu only has diamonds-the currency of his people. He trades the diamond for Bobby’s $2 so he can pay for the movie tickets.

When he trades the two dollars for the diamond, Bobby says:

Bobby: Let’s not tell mom about this.

Klaatu: Why not?

Bobby: She doesn’t like me to steal from people.

This kid is hilarious and adorable.

Klaatu and Bobby also go check out the spaceship, where we get this great line that sums up my feelings regarding people’s extreme reactions to COVID-19-you know buying mass quantities and hoarding them, spraying themselves with Lysol, etc.

Reporter: I suppose you are just as scared as the rest of us.

Klaatu: In a different way, perhaps. I am fearful when I see people substituting fear for reason.

Klaatu asks Bobby who is the greatest man on Earth today, Bobby says the spaceman, and I’m surprised he didn’t say a baseball player or superhero, If someone had asked me question at Bobby’s age I would have said Spider-Man.

After Bobby thinks about it, he picks his mother’s boss, Professor Barnhardt and they stop at his house. He’s out, but Klaatu solves part of an equation-as his calling card, and the two head home.

Later that evening Helen comes back and Tom proposes to her. Ugh.

Ugh, this guy.

She wants to think about it, but he wants her to answer now as he has to go to Chicago Monday. Like triple UGh! this guy is the worst Helen! I know it is hard for a single mom but you can do so much better. Tom continues to be a total jerk as he gets all jealous and angry about them making a big deal over how sweet Carpenter/Klaatu was to take Bobby out. Oh so now you are all protective, asking “what do you know about him”. It didn’t matter when you wanted to take off with your girl but now it is an issue? You ARE THE WORST.

As the film progresses Helen and Klaatu are starting to become friends but you can tell there are deeper feelings stirring underneath the surface. They apparently filmed more of them talking and showing those feelings develop, but had to cut it. I think what the film has, portrayed their relationship beautifully in the way Helen and Klaatu look at each other-their voice inflection, the slight touches between them. I always thought they fell for each other, but just couldn’t be together.

Goverment agents come and fetch Klaatu to see Professor Barnhardt and he reveals who he is and that his mission is of the upmost importance. Barnhardt wants to help him and he will have all kinds of scientists from round the world come, but he worries that even seeing him and hearing they won’t believe. He asks him to do something to show the power-but something in which people won’t be hurt.

Hmm…

That night Klaatu returns to the boarding house, borrowing a flashlight from Bobby. He goes to bed and Bobby goes up too, as his mom leaving to go out with ugh Tim. BLEH!

I hate him basically

As Bobby is heading to bed he sees Klaatu turning the light off-that sparks Bobby’s attention as Klaatu told Bobby that he needed a flashlight because the lightbulb in his room went out. Bobby decides to follow him and watches as he heads down to the spaceship and goes inside.

Bobby runs home and into his mother who is upset about him not being in bed. He tries to tell her about the spaceman, but she and Tom don’t believe him.Tom goes upstairs to prove Klaatu is there, but when he goes to the room it is empty. He pokes around-not cool Tim, not cool-and finds a diamond. He brings it down and goes on about how he doesn’t like Klaatu, he is trouble, a robber, etc. Oh, but you trusted him to watch Bobby! What a jerk! DUMP Him!!!!!

This dude, ugh!

First of all-why would you assume he is a thief and not a diamond salesman or he could just own a diamond as some people do? I mean the US was in a housing crisis after WWII maybe he has money and is staying at the boarding house until he finds a house of his own? Huh?

Secondly, where was this protectiveness earlier when you were throwing the kid at him since you didn’t want to be bothered by having a child along on your romantic weekend? EH!!??

You jerk!

Yeah, he’s a real jerk Helen-let him go.

The next day Klaatu speaks to Bobby and realizing that he has figured out who he is, he goes to see Helen so that she can keep the secret until he has the summit with the scientists.

Meanwhile, Tom took the diamond to have it appraised and it is declared to be something out of this world. Tom is excited as he sees fame, glory, and dollar signs.

Klaatu has tracked Helen down and the two become trapped in an elevator as Klaatu’s plan has gone into effect. From 12-12:30 everything electrical stops (except planes in flight, hospitals, etc)-no phones, no cars, no anything-making it the day the Earth stood still.

When we had those huge summer storms that resulted in California burning, the power went out for the whole day and it made me think of this part of the film.

As they are traped in the elevator, Klaatu tells Helen who he is and the importance of the meeting. She agrees to help him-he is going to stay at the boarding house until it is time to meet-while she tries to track down Tom, and convinces him keep quiet.

Tom however does not want to keep quiet and has decided to call the army. Helen tries to tell him they need the summit for the safety of their world, but he doesn’t care.

Helen: What about the rest of the world?

Tom: I don’t care about the rest of the world! [Seeing her shocked expression]  You’ll feel different when you read about me in the papers.

Helen: I feel different now.

And Helen dumps him.

YYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOOO YIPPEE!!

Good job Helen. You know you should be thankful for this as if Klaatu hadn’t come into your lives you probably would have married this horrible human being.

Klaatu and Helen go away from the boarding house as it is no longer safe and head to Professor Barnhardt’s house. Klaatu cautions her that if anything should happen to him, she must go to Gort and tell him “Klaatu barada nikto!”

Klaatu of course gets shot by the military, as we fear what we do not understand and often shoot first in these movies. And Helen hurries to the spaceship.

When she gets there Gort destroys two guards and then carries her into the spaceship. I hate the posters that showcase this as the illustration looks nothing like the actress. In the posters they always have her in a sweetheart pink dress which is nothing like what Neal actually wears as Helen. I mean she has her nice dress from work, but it is just an average dress with a high collar.

Seriously!

Gort goes off and gets Klaatu bringing him to the spaceship and back to life.

[Klaatu is revived by Gort after being fatally shot]

Helen: I – I thought you were…

Klaatu: I was.

Helen: You mean… he has the power of life and death?

Klaatu: No. That power is reserved to the Almighty Spirit. This technique, in some cases, can restore life for a limited period.

Helen: But… how long?

Klaatu: You mean how long will I live? That no one can tell.

Klaatu then gives his speech before he, the spaceship, and Gort are all whisked away.

Klaatu: I am leaving soon, and you will forgive me if I speak bluntly. The universe grows smaller every day, and the threat of aggression by any group, anywhere, can no longer be tolerated…I came here to give you these facts. It is no concern of ours how you run your own planet, but if you threaten to extend your violence, this Earth of yours will be reduced to a burned-out cinder. Your choice is simple: join us and live in peace, or pursue your present course and face obliteration. We shall be waiting for your answer. The decision rests with you.

Powerful way to end a film. I’m sure after WWII this really resonated with a lot of people. I, of course enjoy it, and hope you all did too.

For more on aliens, go to They’re Moving From Planet to Planet…After They’ve Consumed Every Natural Resource They Move On…and We’re Next: Independence Day (1999)

For more Michael Rennie, go to I Do Think You Are Confused Mrs. Bowman: Dangerous Crossing (1953)

For more with Hugh Marlowe, Will We Survive the Night?: Rawhide (1951)