“The Thing from Another World” @ FLMNH (July 22)

The Florida Museum of Natural History’s “Creative B” summer film series features entertaining science fiction films and roundtable discussions by scholars, scientists, and artists.

This summer’s series continues with Christian Nyby and Howard Hawks’ 1951 science fiction horror classic The Thing from Another World. Set in a remote Arctic research station, the film begins with the discovery by a U.S. Air Force crew and a small team of scientists of a crashed flying saucer and an alien body frozen in the ice. The airmen and scientists retrieve the body and bring it back to the station, where it is accidentally thawed. The humans soon must battle for survival against the thing – intelligent, plant-based, and feeding on blood – to stop the first wave of an alien invasion of Earth.

Considered one of the most important and influential American science fiction films of the 1950s, The Thing is based on John W. Campbell, Jr.’s 1938 novella “Who Goes There?” and inspired John Carpenter’s 1982 remake and Matthijs van Heijningen’s 2011 prequel to Carpenter’s film.

The evening’s events begin at 7 PM. The screening will be preceded and followed by a roundtable discussion featuring:

• Ian Breheny – Museum Operations Specialist at the FLMNH, and co-founder of the film series
• Robert Ferl – Professor and Director of UF’s Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research
• Terry Harpold – Associate Professor of English, Film & Media Studies at UF
• Tim Lawrence – Special effects artist and concept sculptor

The Thing from Another World is unrated. Some scenes may be too intense for young children.

On July 29, beginning at 7 PM, the series will conclude with Ishirō Honda’s tokusatsu horror film Matango (1963).

All “Creative B” events are free and open to the public.