Before John Carpenter's classic The Thing remake, cult horror gem Horror Express provided viewers with a new take on Who Goes There? Author John W. Campbell Jr. first got the hook for what became his novella Who Goes There? from his own life, as his mother had an identical twin sister. His aunt didn't like the young John, who was often unable to tell his mother from her twin until she coldly rejected him. His first attempt at telling a sci-fi story about alien mimicry was a 1936 tale dubbed "The Brain Stealers of Mars," about two scientists who encounter a dangerous form of alien life that can copy anything and is telepathic.
"The Brain Stealers of Mars" was a decidedly goofy take on the premise, with the author later taking the basic concept and turning it into a serious horror novel dubbed Frozen Hell. This saw a group of scientists in Antarctica uncover an alien that can absorb and perfectly duplicate any lifeform. This literally chilling tale was later chopped down to become Who Goes There? which became a classic of the sci-fi horror genre. It was later adapted as 1951's The Thing From Another World, which kept the setting and same basic premise, though it turned the alien into a lumbering monster who lacked the shapeshifting ability.
Despite its many deviations from the source material, The Thing From Another World was an influential sci-fi movie. While it's not officially acknowledged as an adaptation, 1972's Horror Express is loosely based on Who Goes There? too. This Spanish production cast Christopher Lee as a scientist escorting a "missing link" fossil recovered from a cave. The beast thaws out while taking a ride on the Trans-Siberian Express, and it not only can telepathically absorb the memories and knowledge of its victims, it can hop from body to body too.
Horror Express sees Lee's scientist team up with a rival played by Peter Cushing (Star Wars), and they must find a way to stop the creature from getting off the train. While Horror Express mostly feels like a sci-fi take Murder On The Orient Express, there are some notable nods to Who Goes There? The beast is recovered from the ice and thaws out, it retains the telepathic abilities of the novella's monster and in lieu of a blood test, Lee and Cushing use a magnifying glass to examine the eyes of passengers instead. It also contains an element of paranoia as the scientists aren't sure who the alien has possessed, though the movie doesn't play up this whodunit element as the identity of the creature is always clear to audiences.
Horror Express is a thoroughly entertaining mix of genres, from murder mystery to horror and sci-fi. It's also nice to see old friends Lee and Cushing working together as in many of their outings like Hammer's Dracula series they were enemies. In contrast to John Carpenter's The Thing which arrived a decade later, Horror Express is more lighthearted and fun, though some of the death scenes can be quite nasty. The glowing red eyes of the monster itself look a little cheesy to modern viewers, but it can also be used to disconcerting effect in some sequences.
Horror Express also plays up a religion versus science theme, with the story hinting the creature might be some form of demonic being. John Carpenter's The Thing is the best take on Who Goes There? but horror fans should give Horror Express a ride. It's got a great cast, it moves like lightning and it's easily available to watch in full on sites like YouTube.