1951’s The Factor from One other World, which airs on TCM tonight at 8pm EST, is extra than simply one of many best sci-fi movies of all time — it additionally impressed one other one of many best sci-fi movies of all time, John Carpenter‘s 1982 Antarctic fear-fest The Factor. Each movies are based mostly on the 1938 sci-fi brief story “Who Goes There?,” which advised the story of a polar analysis base invaded by an historical alien who can tackle the type of different dwelling issues.
That brief story was very totally different from what audiences had come to anticipate from realist director Howard Hawks; however he purchased the rights to the movie as a result of he had seen the growing recognition of sci-fi publications and thought he ought to get a foot within the burgeoning market. Hawks joined the movie as a producer, however felt the unique story was too difficult for movie, so he made some tweaks: right here, it’s not an alien shape-shifter that runs amok on a polar analysis base; it’s an alien plant that feeds on blood, walks like a person, and might kill sled canine and analysis scientists with out breaking a sweat (breaking a dew?).