Retroseans with Filmostrada: “Something”

The Filmostrada publishing house has just released a series of classic retro titles on the Polish market, referring to the 90s, i.e. the era of VHS tapes. Let’s see what John Carpenter’s film Something looks like in this version .

A classic from the 1980s

Something directed by John Carpenter debuted on June 25, 1982. However, it was not an innovative idea. It is a remake of the 1951 film Essence from Another World , and this in turn is an adaptation of the book Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell from 1938. It is also worth adding that it is the production from the 1980s that is closer to the original book than to its first screen adaptation.

Something tells the story of a group of American researchers stationed in Antarctica. One day a dog arrives at the station. None of the men suspect that this is an alien life form that has merely taken an animal form. Soon, the alien shows his true face and starts attacking other people. It penetrates into their organisms, where it begins to grow and mutate. After a short time, it is no longer known who is infected and who can be trusted. The group begins to eliminate each other, thus wanting to get rid of the threat. Kurt Russell played the main role in the film. In addition to him, on the screen you can see actors such as A. Wilford Brimley, Keith David, Richard Masur and Donald Moffat.

Recognized after years

Something is currently among the classics of horror, but it was not very popular at first. Critics received him quite coldly, and he did not gather crowds in cinemas. It became a phenomenon only in the 90s, when it first appeared on VHS. Then it was time for the DVD version and many scenes made their way quickly to the Internet.

Admittedly Somethingin fact it is not an outstanding film. Most of the time, it seems downright boring with the heroes wandering about the research station and having conversations going nowhere. In addition, the camera often focuses on the surroundings where, like in Antarctica, we can mainly watch snow. If we manage to get through the first half of the movie, the action will definitely kick off. After researchers learn how an alien is acting, they begin to suspect and accuse one another. Nobody trusts anyone anymore and everyone fights for survival. The viewer can also have fun, guessing in which order the characters will die and in whom the alien has managed to settle. The best, however, are the scenes in which the title “something” appears. Almost every time it can arouse in us… a burst of laughter. It’s maybe a poor recommendation for a horror movie but nevertheless, the special effects, which were certainly stunning in the 1980s, fall short after many years and are viewed with pity. Mannequins, artificial body parts, rubber and unnaturally twisted faces will not scare anyone today. But it is also not viewed completely wrong. It is in its own way fun and interesting. I recommend everyone to watch, for example, the cult scene in which the doctor wants to perform a defibrillation on one of his colleagues, but as soon as he approaches him with the device, the researcher’s belly turns into a giant jaw with sharp teeth and bites off his hands, and tentacles grow out of his belly. head of the unfortunate. You will be delighted. artificial body parts, rubber and unnaturally twisted faces will not scare anyone today. But it is also not viewed completely wrong. It is in its own way fun and interesting. I recommend everyone to watch, for example, a cult scene in which the doctor wants to perform a defibrillation on one of his colleagues, but as soon as he approaches him with the device, the researcher’s belly turns into a giant jaw with sharp teeth and bites off his hands, and tentacles grow out of his belly. head of the unfortunate. You will be delighted. artificial body parts, rubber and unnaturally twisted faces will not scare anyone today. But it is also not viewed completely wrong. It is in its own way fun and interesting. I recommend everyone to watch, for example, a cult scene in which the doctor wants to perform a defibrillation on one of his colleagues, but as soon as he approaches him with the device, the researcher’s belly turns into a giant jaw with sharp teeth and bites off his hands, and tentacles grow out of his belly. head of the unfortunate. You will be delighted. The researcher’s belly turns into a giant jaw with sharp teeth and bites off his hands, and tentacles with the head of the unfortunate sprout from his belly. You will be delighted. The researcher’s abdomen turns into a giant jaw with sharp teeth and bites off his hands, and tentacles with the head of the unfortunate sprout from his belly. You will be delighted.

Back to the past

As soon as I saw that Filmostrada was releasing classic titles based on VHS releases, I immediately wanted to have them. The grip of nostalgic memories has worked for me, and I’m sure many other people as well. However, I did not expect the publisher to do their job that well. The first one you see is, of course, the box that looks like the one known from the rental company. Inside, there is another one, similar to the cassette itself. Only in it you will find the DVD. After going through the simple menu, you’ll be able to start watching Something. That’s when another surprise awaits you. The image has not been digitally enhanced and you will not be dealing with 4K Ultra HD quality. Yes, you will not see the stripes that were known from VHS, but the film is much closer to cassette quality than to contemporary quality. Another plus is the voiceover. If you choose it, you will hear the voice of Mr. Andrzej Matul. This is another reference to the past and the VHS era. In addition to the familiar voice, you will remember that in the past the teachers were not limited and often uncensored words were uttered, which nobody changed into “hell” or “shit”.

After you finish more than an hour and a half session, you will be able to move on to the extras. And here’s another shock. Commentaries by John Carpenter and Kurt Russell as well as recordings from the set are two more than an hour long films. Plus you get unused scenes, a cinematic trailer, and over 200 images related to the painting. So it takes more time to watch all the bonuses than watch the movie. And each of them is a real treat for Something fans .

Nostalgeek recommends

As a person growing up in the 90s, I perfectly remember cassette rentals and movies watched on VHS. For me, it was obvious to go back to my childhood and watch the film re-released by Filmostrada. I was a bit afraid that, apart from the packaging that evoked memories, I would not get anything more. Meanwhile, the box looked great, the film and the voiceover looked like years ago, and the bonuses knocked you off your feet. I am delighted and with a tear in my eye I recommend Something to both fans of the title and people who like iconic titles and nostalgic memories.