The Thing: Where To Stream The Original 1951 Version Of The Sci-Fi Classic

"The Thing from Another World" asks the question of what would several military personnel, a journalist, a crazed scientist, and a flirtatious secretary do when faced with an 8-foot blood-thirsty extraterrestrial. For a film over 70 years old, this Howard Hawks production has genuinely frightening scenes and a surprisingly steamy moment between Nikki Nicholson (Margaret Sheridan) and Captain Patrick Hendry (Kenneth Tobey). Let's just say some rope is involved. The 1951 movie also arguably has the best cinematic use of an electric blanket. A word to the wise, those who are particularly fond of huskies — or just dogs in general — may want to skip this black-and-white film.

Fans of old-school horror interested in seeing "The Thing from Another World," can watch it for free with commercials on Tubi.com. That being said, the interruption of modern-day advertisements may ruin some viewers' immersion. Fortunately, the movie can be rented, commercial-free, on YouTube for a fee of $2.99.

Fans of John Carpenter's 1982 remake, "The Thing," may be hesitant to watch "The Thing from Another World." After all, some viewers may feel it is not necessary to watch two films about an alien mauling people and sled dogs in a desolate, cold landscape. However, according to Carpenter, the movies do not share too many similarities. 

In a 2008 interview for "The National Science and Media Museum," the director complimented the 1951 motion picture and shared that he felt hesitant about directing "The Thing" as he knew "The Thing from Another World" was well-received. "I didn't want to compete with the old film which it was greatly loved by myself and many fans," explained the "Halloween" director. "So I went back to the novella, upon which both films are based, 'Who Goes There?' by Don A. Stuart, otherwise known as John [W.] Campbell. And it's a vastly different story."

In a Turner Classic Movies interview, Carpenter said he was introduced to "The Thing from Another World" during his childhood. He also stated during his time at the University of Southern California, he saw effective stylistic choices that Howard Hawks utilized in the science fiction movie that appear in his other films. "The overlapping dialogue, the characters dealing with each other, the exchange of cigarettes and props, I realized the kind of influence that Howard Hawks had over 'The Thing,'" said Carpenter. "In addition to just being a science fiction film, it is another expression of his kind of group adventure idea that he's done in so many films."