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"The Thing" from 1951

The Scribbling Man

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Coming March 5th, 2023...


Thing-from-1951-poster-13-2-23.jpg





1675515311265.png

"Arrow Parallel present, for the first time, John Carpenter's 'The Thing' from 1951. While some damage inevitably remains due to the nature of interdimensional travel, the content has been painstakingly restored and largely remains in excellent condition. Please enjoy this insight into an alternate history through what is, quite literally, "The Thing" from another world..."



SPECIAL FEATURES
  • An archival interview with John Carpenter, in which he relays his experience working with Howard Hawks on the film.​
  • The original, dramatic 1950s score in lossless mono​
  • Alternate 'restrained' 1950s score in lossless mono​
  • Isolated 'dramatic' 1950s score​
  • Ennio Morricone's 1982 score from our timeline, re-edited to fit the 1951 cut, including the absence of language.​
  • Commentary track by The Scribbling Man​
  • Viewing guidelines for extra-dimensional content​
  • Trailers​
  • English Subtitles​



TEASER TRAILER




COMPARISON TEASER



EXTENDED ALT. VINTAGE TRAILER


Comparison with "The Thing from Another World" trailer:



PREVIEW CLIP: "DOGS-IN-PROGRESS"



PREVIEW CLIP: "I CUT HIM LOOSE"


50s/80s COMPARISON


Verified Historical Document said:
"In 1982, on the eve of shooting his first big budget horror movie, John Carpenter and his crew became victims of a freak electrical accident. This brought an immediate halt to production, while also resulting in their unexpected transportation to 1951, right around the time a similar film was in pre-production. Having impressed the producers with their uncanny knowledge of both the project and the industry, and with Howard Hawks unable to direct due to disagreements with the guild, Carpenter and his crew were given the reigns. Working within budget constraints and the limited technology of the time, as well as fighting tooth and nail against censorship, this is the film they managed to produce.

Howard Hawk's insisted that retaining the creature's shape-shifting nature was impossible; Carpenter told him to hold his beer."

I did a bunch of work on this last year, but haven't touched it again until recently. I wasn't sure whether it was achievable enough to be worth posting a thread. Having taken another look at it, I believe it is and I'm very keen to get this one done.


Intention:
  • To create a reverse homage, and try and imagine how a Carpenter film might have been executed in the 1950's.
  • As an experiment, to see how a retro makeover and altered score impacts the tone of the film.
  • To see how well the film works as a horror when the paranoia is more of a focus than the body horror.

Technical Aims:
  • convert John Carpenter's The Thing to black and white.
  • convert to 4:3
  • Create new opening and closing titles to fit the 1950's vibe and mirror the style of the original film
  • remove all language considered too offensive for the time period
  • *slightly* tone down/trim some of the more violent/gory moments in the film
  • Rescore the film using music from "The Thing From Another World" (or other, similar scores of the time)
  • Possibly replace some SFX
  • Work in 5.1, but downmix to mono


Beyond this, I plan to try and provide a few audio options:
  • Re-scored score (Mono)
  • Halfway house (only electronic elements of the original score are replaced) [mono and stereo]
  • Original score (5.1)

The complete re-score would be going for a full on 1950's experience, even extending to scoring some scenes that originally were not scored at all (eg. the blood test scene). This would be in the interest of an alternative experience, and would lean more on the unsubtle side. It could even prove comically overdramatic at points.

The halfway house would only re-score where necessary - i.e. electronic elements - and leave any original music that fits, or any unscored scenes as they are. This would hopefully be in keeping with 1950's, but come across less corny and hopefuly maintain an effective and suspenseful atmosphere. A more subtle take on the edit's premise.

Keeping the original score would be partly for the sake of providing it as an option/reference point, but also allowing the edit to be more viewed as "The Thing For Another Audience". A toned down version of the film for those that may find the original cut too stomach churning. The black and white serving to mask some of the nastier aspects, but the original score preventing an all out 50's vibe and allowing much of the original atosphere to be retained.


What I've already done:
  • The film is already in black and white. IMO this makes some of the effects more intense, but in a different way. However, it masks things such as the blood and gore that drips from the creature during transformations, making these scenes more palatable. The horror is therefore chiefly from the design of the creature, as opposed to the blood and gore of the transformation.
  • I am currently going shot by shot to make sure that the 4:3 conversion is done in a way that works for the film and looks good. I will adjust the B&W levels as I go, should it feel necessary.
  • Some trims to violence have been done. Examples include: cutting away form the severed arms of the doctor; During the blood test, we do not see people's thumbs being split. The camera cuts away as the knife touches the skin; Palmers transformation and Windows' death trimmed.
  • All language has been removed, but not all transitions have been finalised.
  • "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder has been replaced with another hit tune from 1951
  • I've experimented with opening titles and placed the original film in my timeline to use as a visual guide, but nothing more.

Rescoring
For the re-score, I am mostly planning on using music from The Thing From Another World, but I'm very open to any other suggestions people might have. I'm not a huge fan of the score, but it would be an apt choice.

Here are some other pieces I like more and may use, which I thought may be fitting:
Destination Moon:
It Came From Outer Space (Mancini):
Conquest of Space:
Jounrey TO The Centre of The Earth (Hermann):
This Island Earth (the less anthemic moments):
The Day The Earth Stood Still:

[media removed]

Other suggestions:

The Blob (Malthus): [media removed]

Depending on how out of place they sound, I may replace some SFX with more 50's-esque sounds. I'd like to keep the technology in the film, especially as some of it is narrative, but I can prehaps suspend disbelief with some more appropriate audio.

Example clip:

Here's a simple example of the only scoring that I've done so far - a replacement for Stevie Wonder's superstion. Other changes:
  • 4:3
  • B&W
  • Mono
  • one instance of bad language removed.
(password: fanedit)

[media removed]
 
Last edited:

Malthus

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Wow this is such a fun idea. I initially thought you were going to rescore the original like a John Carpenter film. The sample footage is fantastic, the contrast is spot on in my opinion and the reframing to 4:3 is really nice. Two thoughts occurred to me:

- 1. Could you add some film grain or other artifacts to the footage?
- 2. The music level in the scene immediately after Nauls doesn't turn the music down could be a touch louder but I like the echo effect you added.

You might like the music from the Blob (1958)
 

The Scribbling Man

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^^ Yes, I think The Blob was one I had come across and thought might be good previously, but I couldn't find the precise piece I'd heard. Mostly just the "theme song". Thanks for that though. I'll add it to the list. 

And thanks. I think the film is already pretty grainy as it is, so I'm not too keen to degrade the footage more. But if it's something people would really be hankering for, I can always render two versions later down the line (a "clean" and a "dirty").

Checking back at my project and re-comparing, I think you're right on volume levels. It can go up a tad on the first cutaway, and then I think needs to go very quiet, before then cutting to the dog and being a bit louder again. i think I may have slightly misinterpereted what the music was doing at that moment, so will have another crack at it.

Edit: you can see the original here from 1:04:

Interestingly the mix is a little different to my bluray. The music sounds quite a bit louder there on the first cutaway than it is on mine.
 

Malthus

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The Scribbling Man said:
I think the film is already pretty grainy as it is, so I'm not too keen to degrade the footage more. But if it's something people would really be hankering for, I can always render two versions later down the line (a "clean" and a "dirty").

You know what you're right. On second watch I realised it wasn't grain I was missing. I couldn't quite out my finger on it so I watched this video. My memory of 50's cinema is films having a 'warm fuzz' to them and the black and white footage often having a slight hue to it. 
v2BEygZ.jpg

INHzeLU.jpg


I guess thats why the picture looked too crisp to me. It's worth noting that I was thinking about things I saw as a kid and only ever watched with old CRT monitors on terrestrial TV. I have no idea whether that 50's 'warmth' carries over to DVD/Blur ray transfers.
 

The Scribbling Man

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That's an interesting point and not something I'd thought of. I don't think having some kind of tint was universal (or maybe it is, and I've never picked up on it), but I'll compare with some similar films (and, obviously, The Thing From Another World).
 

hbenthow

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Malthus said:
The Scribbling Man said:
I think the film is already pretty grainy as it is, so I'm not too keen to degrade the footage more. But if it's something people would really be hankering for, I can always render two versions later down the line (a "clean" and a "dirty").

You know what you're right. On second watch I realised it wasn't grain I was missing. I couldn't quite out my finger on it so I watched this video. My memory of 50's cinema is films having a 'warm fuzz' to them and the black and white footage often having a slight hue to it. 
v2BEygZ.jpg

INHzeLU.jpg


I guess thats why the picture looked too crisp to me. It's worth noting that I was thinking about things I saw as a kid and only ever watched with old CRT monitors on terrestrial TV. I have no idea whether that 50's 'warmth' carries over to DVD/Blur ray transfers.

A lot of 1950s black and white movies had a very sharp and crisp (albeit grainy) look to them. Those screenshots that you posted are fuzzy and tinted due to being poorly re-encoded and/or sourced from bad transfers. Here are some high-quality screenshots of those same two movies ("12 Angry Men" and "A Streetcar Named Desire") from Blu-rays that are far more faithful to how the original film prints looked:

5164_16_1080p.jpg


5164_17_1080p.jpg


5828_8_1080p.jpg


5828_1_1080p.jpg
 

Rogue-theX

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Coo projectl!


You could try gradually adding more film dirt/grain as you get about a minute away from a reel change and then it cleans up after the switch, every 15-20 mins.
 

QuickestEditInTheWest

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The whole idea of this project sounds simply amazing and that clip looks great! Bonus points if you can find someone who does a decent John Carpenter impression to do a director's commentary for it talking about how crazy it is that he literally remade the film he original remade earlier... or later? Ahhh you know what I mean!  :p
 

The Scribbling Man

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QuickestEditInTheWest said:
The whole idea of this project sounds simply amazing and that clip looks great! Bonus points if you can find someone who does a decent John Carpenter impression to do a director's commentary for it talking about how crazy it is that he literally remade the film he original remade earlier... or later? Ahhh you know what I mean!  :p

Thank you :) That would be cool.... but probably a ridiculous amount of work!

I would like to do some kind of bonus feature for it though. I'd like to do a trailer that mimics the Thing From Another World official trailer, and I also have considered trying to edit interview footage in a way that would make for a mock featurette. Kind of in a similar vein to SSJ's Sakaiwaka Fortress - the difference here is I can't merely re-subtitle the footage  :-/
 

Dawnrazor

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is a cool idea!
My suggestion for the soundtrack is Invasion of the body snatchers (1956)
I think This would blend in perfecly!

 

MusicEd921

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Malthus said:
I initially thought you were going to rescore the original like a John Carpenter film. 

That actually is an interesting idea to it on its own!
 

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A quick song idea you might like. 

The Great Pretender (1955) by the Platters. 
It seems like it would fit. Maybe once the credits start to roll.
 

The Scribbling Man

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^^ Thanks for the suggestion. Not sure that quite fits the vibe I'm going for though. Being a 50's movie, there also wouldn't be any credits at the end as per normal. 

____

Here's something I've been working on - the dog transformation, and our first proper introduction to the alien.

Main changes:

- black and white/4:3/mono
- slightly toned down the transformation (no dog skull popping out)
- rescored by mashing up 2-3 pieces from the Thing From Another World score
- There has been some EQ and SFX replacement in order to dodge the 80's synth that permeates all the channels in this scene.

Any feedback on how the framing looks, or the audio would be great. I've had to sometimes use panning, or extend a scene slightly and create multiple shots in order to capture what would normally be shown across a single widescreen image. It's tricky to keep things from looking too awkward. 

Here's the main clip of what I've done so far for this scene:



Here also is an alternative score option for the end of the scene. I'm not sure which I prefer... Would be good to know people's thoughts. Whichever piece doesn't get used will likely be utilised for another scene somewhere. 

 

Dawnrazor

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I think the clip looks great and the music is great as well.
I prefer the music in the first clip.
The second clip is not bad but I think the first works a little better.

Amazing work so far!

This project got me thinking into give the Invasion of the body snatchers (1978) the same treatment.
To give it a 50th vibe.
 

The Scribbling Man

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Dawnrazor said:
I think the clip looks great and the music is great as well.
I prefer the music in the first clip.
The second clip is not bad but I think the first works a little better.

Thanks! What is it you like more about the first clip? I was maybe leaning towards the 2nd because it's more overtly 50's, but the first option probably has the benefit of being more subtle.
 

Dawnrazor

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Yes the first clip is more subtle,gentle and smoother IMO.
But both works!

But I still like the first clip the most.
 

TM2YC

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Wow! that Dogs in Progress clip sounds fantastic. I didn't notice a second of the FX replacement and the score is mixed just right. I preferred the music in the 1st clip, the 2nd is a bit OTT with that theremin.

Depending on how far you want to go with the 50s aesthetic... there is still too much shown after 01.49 to be believably 50s. You could cut the gory shots of the creature's head, just focus on the tentacles coming out of it's back and the dogs being ensnared by them. The shot of the creature's head with the big tongue flopping out kinda works as a 50s gag though. If you wanted to be even bolder you could cut everything from 01.49 to 02.30 that shows the creature, so we just hear the horrible suggestive soundFX and see the dogs freaked out by whatever is making the sound, which would save the creature reveal for when the human characters return and put a flashlight on it. Also, the gross dry bone cracking sounds don't feel fully 50s to me, something slimy, gooey and icky would be more correct perhaps. I tried to find something like this:


I'm not saying you should cut those shots but you should if want this be as close to 100%-50s as you can. Those crazy gore FX shots are half the fun with The Thing 1982 after all.
 

The Scribbling Man

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^^ Thanks! Yeah, I've been going for a halfway house. The project was part born out of wanting to make it more accessible for some friends and family that need it toning down, and so I thought a 50's spin would be fun way of doing that.

I did think the dogs head opening up was a bit much - the only reason I kept it was because I thought it was a bit of a leap to go from full dog form to crazy flapping tongue form, so I just cutaway before the skull pops out. If there's a way around that I think I would prefer to dodge that shot.

As you say, the effects are part of the fun (and look great in black and white), so I'd like to avoid cutting more than necessary on some scenes, but I've also considered possibly doing two versions. "The Thing From 1951" and "The Thing For Another Audience". I also like the idea of delaying the alien reveal and focusing on the sounds and the dogs reactions. I feel like there are almost too many options!

I think I will likely continue with the half-way approach (visually), and then if I'm not too burnt out, continue working on it even more after the first version is released.

I have been thinking about replacing some sound fx though, especially to help with the suspension of disbelief with 80's tech (some of which is part of the narrative).

I plan to have a couple of audio options, including the original 80's score etc., so I'd like to go all out 50's vibe with the main audio track. I'll have a look into getting something more apt for the cracking legs... Something more gross like you shared is a good Idea.
 

LastSurvivor

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Wow... I am so impressed by the results so far. Can i ask in terms of the score replacement, does The Thing have a clean centre channel to play around with?
 

The Scribbling Man

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LastSurvivor said:
Wow... I am so impressed by the results so far. Can i ask in terms of the score replacement, does The Thing have a clean centre channel to play around with?

Sadly not (from what I've gathered so far). It's a bit easier to work with the electronic parts of the score though, as it tends to have different layers of synth going to different speakers, and not all are always as active as others. The scene I've just shared, for example, the synths are very loud and swelling in every speaker except the center, where there's just a single low drone that builds. I EQ'd it out and used the original audio for some of the quieter moments, but swapped out fx for the louder ones. I was being picky though. I probably could have gotten away with it being there but low in the mix and it wouldn't have been super noticeable.
 
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