It’s time yet again to Social Distance the heck out of this epidemic and watch a movie together while still staying in three different states: North Carolina, Florida, and California. Next up for the Tri-State Watch Party, we went with 1951’s The Thing From Another World.
The Netflix Watch Party app ended up being a little complicated, so we just set a time to hit “play” and then chatted through instant messenger. Click the jump to read some highlights from the conversation.
The Players: Elizabeth, Hannah, Kathryn, Nathan, and the parents (Parents represented here by Marian, because Dad would chisel a message in a stone tablet before typing anything on a phone.)
Kathryn
Are we still on for 8:30? We need to make popcorn
Hannah
Yep
Kathryn
Cool, give us a little bit to make that.
Elizabeth
1951’s the Thing From Another World right?
Hannah
Yep
Kathryn
On Amazon!
Hannah
Yes
Elizabeth
Rented!
Hannah
All set here
Kathryn
Ready to hit play!
Hannah
Playing
Elizabeth
Playing!
Kathryn
This movie is just a delight.
I’d forgotten it was based on a short story
Nathan
We saw this on the big screen once.
Was on a double bill with Forbidden Planet.
Elizabeth
I like how the captain was like “don’t even with me” about the dames.
Kathryn
I love the dialogue in this movie, very rapid fire
Elizabeth
“CLOSE THE DOOR” dude wait till he’s inside, chill.
Kathryn
That’s a trope in a lot of movies isn’t it?
Murphy Brown comes to mind
Hannah
Puppers
Elizabeth
Aww.
Dad have any comments on the plane? He and Nathan always know when they’re anachronistic.
Hannah
He wandered off, coming back now
Elizabeth
Man, landing on snow skis.
Hannah
Where was this filmed I wonder
Some studio but maybe not all?
Elizabeth
That dude’s got a hell of a chin.
Hee, I love how they keep giving the Captain a hard time.
Kathryn
Really, the fact that the director lets everyone talk over each other is just wonderful
Nathan
IMDB says Glacier National Park and an ice storage company in Los Angeles.
Elizabeth
I take it she drank him under the table?
Kathryn
Yep!
Nathan
I suppose she’s the mother of Marian from Raiders of the lost Ark?
Hannah
He needs to take his cap off for indoor flirting
Elizabeth
Makes sense!
Doesn’t sound like he’s feeling too respectful of her presently 
Kathryn
Which she thinks is hilarious, which is all kinds of fun.
Hannah
Chief chin-ponderer camera left
Kathryn
Elizabeth, if you remember the MST3K Movie, the navigator is the wormy guy.
Nathan
Some very good model work there. Really looks like an aerial shot.
Elizabeth
I vaguely remember the MST3K movie, I need to watch it again
Kathryn
Cue the theramin!
Nathan
Kathryn
Low budget and super effective shot there
Elizabeth
Very, letting the characters and viewers realize the same thing at the same time
Hannah
Wasn’t it a Scott who almost first made it to the south pole?
Nathan
Yes.
Elizabeth
Yes?
Hannah
“Ha-ha,
Signed: some Norwegians”
Nathan
Elizabeth
heh
Kathryn
Touch too much.
Elizabeth
ASPLOSION
MORE ASPLOSIONS!
Kathryn
Dogs totally unconcerned
Nathan
The dogs are completely unaffected.
Hannah
“We found a thing. Les splode it” — western explorers
Elizabeth
Hee
Hannah
I feel like we should watch Alien next week. I get the impression that’s a good double-bill
Elizabeth
Agreed
Kathryn
I approve!
Nathan
Sounds like a plan!
Huskies!
Hannah
“OH my GOD DOGSLEDS”
(Sam Yao)
Elizabeth
“And I can pet their fuzzy faces!”
Their giggles are just delightful
PIVOT! PIVOT!!
Hannah
Hannah
It’s such a horror movie trope but if I found shit in ice I would absolutely immediately try to thaw it
Elizabeth
Heh, not me, I’d be one of the people who go “OH no you don’t I’ve seen a movie before..”
Kathryn
Love the little asides from Scotty
Hannah
Haha, “but the thing is blurry what’s it look like up close “
Bad handwriting exposition
Elizabeth
I’ve seen worse reasons to explain why they’re reading it out loud
Where have I seen the doctor before, is he the bad guy from the original Lost in Space?
Nathan
No, but they do resemble.
Kathryn
One of the scientists has done a ton of voicework
Elizabeth
Heh, simmer down newsie.
Kathryn
“Electric blanket” PLOT POINT, PLOT POINT.
Elizabeth
“I think you’re right.” “I think YOU are.”
That sounded positively flirtatious.
Nathan
Kinky!
Kathryn
HAWT.
Elizabeth
Love the actual flirting
VERY HAWT
Kathryn
“C’mere.”
Elizabeth
That’s definitely sexier than anything we’ve seen in the last few classic flicks.
Kathryn
Quite
Elizabeth
Aw dude WHY would you go and do that
OH, he forgot it was electric?
Kathryn
Knowing that thing was out of sight under the blanket would NOT make me feel better.
Hannah
Heh
Elizabeth
Doggos sounding the alarm!
Kathryn
Point that thing AWAY
Elizabeth
was just typing that
Hannah
Aw he’s got a drinking problem
Kathryn
NOT THE DOGGOS
Elizabeth
WON’T SOMEONE THINK OF THE PUPPERS!
Hannah
Oh George, not the livestock
Yipe
Nathan
Fun fact: the monster is played by James Arness, who went on to be Marshall Dillon in Gunsmoke.
Elizabeth
no way!
Was the the one scared that this movie would kill his reputation?
Nathan
Maybe.
You never see his face, though.
Hannah
Y’all all dissecting alien arm WITHOUT MASKS
Elizabeth
Oh I’ve been uncomfortable since the first handshake
Hannah
ET was also supposed to be a plant
Kathryn
Seriously?
Hannah
I guess this is where that came from
Elizabeth
Oh, really?
Hannah
Can’t remember if it was a novel it was based on or what
Kathryn
It’s interesting that the doctor is so SURE that the alien has superior intelligence.
Elizabeth
The spacecraft would be a big tell.
Kathryn
I want to write a story where the aliens actually get in touch and let humanity know that THIS alien was a criminal thug who STOLE the spaceship.
Elizabeth
I’d read that book.
Nathan
I think they’ve done that on Doctor Who before.
Hannah
WELP
Kathryn
Yikes!
“Whadda ya mean a gun’s no good?”
Elizabeth
Beautiful greenhouse, even in black and white
Everybody always telling someone else to close the door
“buncha butterfingers”
Hannah
Luke Crane would’ve eaten that mold already
Kathryn
Heh. Or at least licked it.
Elizabeth
Hee
Hannah
Aw, pupper
Nathan
This guy makes a lot of assumptions.
Kathryn
Nice to see a dude fainting rather than a dame.
Elizabeth
And that the dame’s bringing him around
YIPE
Kathryn
YIKES
Hannah
YIPE
Nathan
OK, you briefly see his face.
Kathryn
“The door wasn’t open long enough.” “Want me to open it again?” “NO.”
Hannah
What’s the doctor’s last name?
Elizabeth
I like how everybody in the background is still acting
Kathryn
The main one? Harrington I think.
Nathan
Carrie from
Kathryn
Carrington
Nathan
Carrington, DAMN YOU AUTOCORRECT!
Hannah
Hmm. Wondering if he was part of the inspiration for Sam Neill’s character from Event Horizon
Elizabeth
Lot of similarities
Kathryn
Probably. I know I’ve seen that trope before.
It’s worth it if the alien kills us all if it advances SCIENCE.
Hannah
Giving someone else my notes is my nightmare. I’d rather strip to my underwear
Kathryn
Heh.
Elizabeth
Hee
The pulsing flowers is such an amazing set of props, I’ve only seen this movie twice but I always remember the flowers
Hannah
You’ve grown testicles
Elizabeth
hahah
Nathan
Kathryn
So many movies with big splashy alien effects and they aren’t nearly as effective as those little breathing seedlings.
Hannah
The nads are huffing
Elizabeth
heee
Hannah
(I agree, just being silly)
Kathryn
“There are no enemies in science.” And we have the break from reality.
Elizabeth
I WAS JUST TYPING THAT
Kathryn
Hannah
Looks like she’s using 11×17 and I judge her for that
Elizabeth
Heh
I like her conflicted loyalty.
“Get on that radio and try changing the Army’s mind.” Good luck with that.
Having once dunked my too-cold hand in warm water, I appreciate him telling him to dunk it in ice water.
Kathryn
The blinking light as an alert is another thing Alien used. Very effective.
Elizabeth
Yes, any kind of proximity alert, like the numbers on the elevator in Silence of the Lambs.
THAT WAS SO INTENSE!!
Hannah
Ok was legit scary
Kathryn
Whooo, really good imagery in that attack.
Hannah
I would say burning man was another image Event Horizon used but I forget that movie used ALL OF THE TROPES
Elizabeth
Seriously
Hee, the thump to the stomach
Kathryn
“We’re very proud of our captain OOF.”
Elizabeth
Oh no you ninnies
Kathryn
Hee
Elizabeth
Oh shut UP doctor.
Kathryn
“Nothing matters except our thinking.” Can’t do much thinking if you’re frozen or drained of blood, DOCTOR.
I would not be volunteering to get chased here, no sir.
Elizabeth
Nooooo
Hannah
Y’all… put… the door jambs… the WRONG WAY
Kathryn
Damnit doctor!
Elizabeth
hahaha
“I’m your friend! I want to know you!” POW
Kathryn
ALIEN SMASH
Elizabeth
That lightning would look realistic in a movie today
Hannah
Who ordered the smothered and covered?
Elizabeth
Hee
Aw, scottie
Broken collarbone, ow
hahaha, i love the banter
Hannah
She’s got a Geena Davis mouth
Elizabeth
she does!
“Remember that night in Honolulu” “I don’t know what they’re talking about”
Hannah
Putz
Kathryn
Love the little g’wan wave there.
Elizabeth
“Demands over and above the call of duty” hee
Yay!!
Kathryn
Keep watching the skies y’all.
Nathan
Awesome film!
Elizabeth
I haven’t seen that in AT LEAST a decade
Kathryn
I think we watch it at least every couple of years
Hannah
Some funny and some scares, the most you can ask for
Elizabeth
*and some sexy
Hannah
Oops haha we left Mom out of this convo
Kathryn
Whoops
Elizabeth
HAHAH, wrong thread!!
Kathryn
So what did Mom and Dad think of the flick?
Elizabeth
I love how Dad always says this movie scared the hell out of him when he was a kid.
Nathan
Veteran stuntman Tom Steele replaced James Arness in the fire scene. Steele wore an asbestos suit with a special fiberglass helmet with an oxygen supply underneath. He used a one hundred percent oxygen supply, which was highly combustible. It was pure luck he didn’t burn his lungs while breathing in the mixture.
Hannah
Yikes
Dad thinks he first saw it when he was 11
Not sure of their thoughts beyond that. I think they enjoyed it very much
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