I love the 1951 version of "The Thing from another world"
James Arness has such a presence the few times that he is on screen in that movie. I think that his not overdoing it and not appearing too much throughout the movie is what makes it such a thriller.
As you mentioned, the score rocks and it adds such great anticipation, the building up of fear, everytime The Thing is about to enter the scene.
I can remember being a kid and watching this movie for the first time, late at night with my father, and loving it.
John Carpenter shot a BETTER version of the same story in his 1982 remake.
I would also add David Cronenberg's THE FLY remake, light years better than the Vincent Price film.
That's your opinion Ronnie, and you are certainly entitled ot it. While I don't deny that Carpenter's version had much better special effects and as SC said, remained more true to the story that it is based on, there is just something about the original that does it for me. The original, unlike the newer version, leaves a lot more to the imagination even though there is a physical Alien in the 1951 version vs. a germ in the newer version. Just something about the whole build up and anticipation when the Thing is about to make an appearance. But I do happen to also like the newer version.
As for the remake of The Fly, well again, you are certainly entitled to your opinion. But I don't think that the newer version of The Fly is "light years" ahead of the Vincent Price version.
While I will watch and enjoy BOTH versions of The Thing, I totally enjoy the original version of The Fly and feel that the newer version lacked the intensity and suspense that the older version had. The older version depended on that suspense and anticipation where all the newer version depended on was makeup and special effects.
THE FLY remake is better because you know why? Because Cronenberg is an intelligent mother fucker. Oh sure, an old-timer like you see only gore, but I see really a Monster movie tale in the best of traditions.
That is, the hero becoming a monster, and you are behind him, but you realize....he has to be put down. He is too much of a danger and threat for society to keep living.
Yet when that ending comes, Jeff Goldblum, now devoid of any of his original humanity, displays his last glimpse of humanity when he helps his woman kill him.
Besides, the remake has Goldblum's transformation not as goofy or as ridiculous as 1950s monster pictures go. We see a human/fly hybrid that is just so fucked up, its so biologically blissful. Plus, he rips an asshole's arm off at a bar. Whats not to like?
Then again, maybe my not-so-warm feelings for the original THE FLY stems from that whole idea of scientists being evil because they dare to play God or whatever nonsense. I know, people got pissed pff at them because of the Atomic bombs and all that (of course, I would blame more the governments who keep & arm them, but whatever) but still, its not only silly...its boring.
With the remake, the hero doesn't suffer for trying to play God. He suffers because he was careless. Now that makes more sense to me.
