It's easy to understand why it was thought Orson Welles contributed to the script. After the monster appears, the rapid fire succession of the actors dialogue sounds identical to the way the actors spoke in Citizen Kane, where they would continually step on each others' lines.
shareExactly what I thought when they showed a preview on TCM, on which it is airing right now. Obviously, Robert Altman was influenced by both films. When it comes to pure entertainment, I overwhelmingly prefer the Carpenter version, and one of the reasons is the constant dialogue, really annoying. What should be realistic, due to the overlaps, is instead overdone and sounds ridiculous, more suited to a 1930's screwball comedy. Hawks and Hecht were mistaken to use the rapid-fire dialogue device here, and the lack of action and suspense kills the film for me.
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...the constant dialogue, really annoying. What should be realistic, due to the overlaps, is instead overdone and sounds ridiculous, more suited to a 1930's screwball comedy. Hawks and Hecht were mistaken to use the rapid-fire dialogue device here, and the lack of action and suspense kills the film for me.Exactly.
I disagree. This is part of what I really like about the 1951 movie: the speed of the dialogue, combined with the tension and suspense of the story.
Smart socializing in a sci-Fi horror - indeed!
-I don't discriminate between entertainment
and arthouse. A film is a goddam film.-
Spielberg used that technique to great effect in Close Encounters, and elsewhere. When done well, as it was in The Thing, it is realistic and can create a sense of excitement.
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