Strange Invaders from Outer Space | Offscreen
Movie monsters come in all shapes and sizes. And if they're from outer space, you would expect those forms to be most bizarre and unnatural. But this can disappoint. Most extraterrestrials in cinema have distinctly humanoid characteristics or look suspiciously like earth dwelling organisms: think of the little green men of mars or slimy reptilian aliens. For this B-to-Z double bill we went looking for more original and unusual representations. We found two in a geological atrocity and a shape shifting creature.
The first can be found in "The Monolith Monsters", a science fiction film that is very characteristic of the fifties in both story and style. The titular monsters are meteorite fragments. Upon contact with water they grow into gigantic stone pillars and threaten a Californian desert town.
John Carpenter's "The Thing" on the other hand, takes us to the Antarctic ice desert, where a research team digs up an alien creature. This remake of "The Thing from Another World" surpasses the fifties SF classic not only by the exorbitant special effects by Rob Bottin. It also gives more emphasis on the alien's unique characteristic, as it can shape into different forms.
The Monolith Monsters
Fragments from a meteor grow into gigantic monoliths and threaten a village. All people that come in contact with the alien rock turn into stone. Sci-fi fun from the fifties with bizarre special effects.