The Thing

There are a lot of qualities that make The Thing work so well as a horror film. It has been rightly lauded for its set-piece moments and striking practical effects, but what keeps this timeless are the same elements that can be found in a similar classic film of the time, Ridley Scott's Alien - the beautiful yet harsh outdoor locations photographed to stunning effect, creating a sense of scale and isolation that remind the viewer how cut-off the characters are and contrasting sharply with the claustrophobic interiors ; the minimalist score from Morricone that adds to the tension ; the great production design that ensure the setting feels like a realistic working environment ; the memorable characters, notably of course Kurt Russell's Macready ; the efficient script that introduces the personalities of the main group quickly and the camaraderie between the characters that ensure the audience believe in the group as a working community and care about their survival. But this is no mere retread of another film - the alien presence here working from within to split the group apart rather than bringing them together. Unlike Alien, the central villain is harder to define and from the opening moments, Carpenter creates a sense of unease and paranoia that permeates the whole film right through to the final frame, ensuring the audience like the characters themselves are never quite sure who to trust. The effects may have dated to a modern audience (though the tangible feel to the practical work is creepier than anything that could be created in CGI) but it's the quieter set-piece moments of tension and mistrust that remain just as strong as ever and make this Carpenter's best film.

I don't think it's possible for me to get sick of this movie.

Kurosawa's Rashomon. Scott's Alien, and Blade Runner. Carpenter's The Thing. A masterclass category inhabited by only film's greatest achievements.

And how many horror films can leave you afraid of their antagonist after the movie's over?

**Part of my 2022 Sci-Fi Tuesdays**

Carpenter's The Thing is as close to perfect that any sci-fi horror has any right to be. The story, the tension, the music, the effects, the acting... All top-notch. It's also one of my all-time favorite movies.

There's not much to be said about this one that hasn't already been said several times over, but one thing I will say today, is that The Thing even holds up in 4K. The practical effects are THAT GOOD.

Now...I doubt there are many that are interested in this genre that haven't seen this, but if you are one of those few, right that wrong immediately.

I've seen this movie so many times. I own it on 4K, twice each on Blu-Ray and DVD. I even have a copy on the now defunct HD-DVD format. I regret not seeing it in the theaters back in 1982. I don't know why I didn't go. I was certainly old enough to appreciate it. Instead, I saw "E.T.". I got swept up in happy little alien fever. I went with the crowd. All I had to do was wander over to a different screen and watch Carpenter's creation in all its paranoid glory. Sigh...

As with all good movies, music, or books, I experience something new every time I view it. I keep trying to piece together how the Thing spread throughout the camp. I keep looking for clues. Like when Blair performs an autopsy on the recently roasted Thing. While he's presenting his thoughts on what the Thing is, he absent-mindedly taps his pencil eraser on the steaming carcass, crosses his arms and brings the pencil eraser perilously close to his mouth. Then he makes a talking point by waving the pencil in the air and ever so briefly...it touches his lip! Did he infect himself? Is it too late?!?!? Has the Thing spread itself to Blair?!?! These kinds of moments fill the movie. It so suspenseful and so paranoid. And the isolation is torture. You know they all have nowhere to go. All those nameless men. Well, they aren't nameless, it's just that it's hard to remember them all. And the strange thing about it is, we still seem to care about them. I think that's because Carpenter has done such a masterful job of building the suspense through threat and isolation that we can't help but subconsciously put ourselves into their places.

There are so many great scenes. The opening helicopter-chases-dog scene. The horror of finding the Thing in the dog pen. The death and subsequent transformation of Norris. Wow! Is it gory! And in this particular case, I think the gore is absolutely necessary. That's kind of the knock on this film. The gore has been classified as extreme. And it is. But this is a story about such a faceless, out-of-this-world beast that it all seems so appropriate. And those effects. I don't think I need to say any more than others have already posited about the very special practical effects by Rob Bottin. They have to be the best I've ever seen.

Then there's the "blood test" scene. All of the men at the Antarctic station volunteer to give a blood sample and then have it tested, while tied to chairs, to see if it reveals which of them are actually the "Thing". One by one, a heated copper wire is placed into a petri dish of blood from each one of the men. Seeing the smoke rise from the wire when it's touched to the dish of blood brings some relief. Will the next dish be Thing-free? You'll have to watch it and see for yourself. The setup and execution of this scene is one of the most intense things I've ever watched.

I am very happy that my favorite film has found its place thanks to home video and physical media.

Spectacular. There is truly nothing to be said about this film that hasn’t already been said. I'm just glad now I have finally seen it.

_The Thing_ is an absolute masterpiece; the perfect horror film. A genuinely terrifying, claustrophobic, nail-bitingly intense experience with a killer score. The 100% practical special effects are extremely well done and still hold up **30 years later**. And there are beards. Many, many beards.

As a child, was I scared of monsters in the closet like the Boogeyman or Freddy or Jason??? NNNope!!!..I was terrified of the goddamn SpiderHead thing under my bed... Thanks John Carpenter!!!

I've watched this far more than just the one Trakt recorded instance but I've lost count of how many times. NOTHING about this film ever gets old: from the opening sequence to the final dialogue, I still love this movie and can probably call it my all-time favorite horror movie. I don't think there was a single unmemorable character here: from Clark and his dogs, to Doc, to the high-strung Garry, to Kurt Russell's McReady character, they were all great and all added to a great blend of chemistry. The remote location where all the events took place just added (IMO) to the horrific effects, as there was no hope whatsoever of any kind of "rescue": what happened was going to happen and nothing could stop it except the handful of men there at the station. I've watched it numerous times and will - in all likelihood - watch it again soon; it just never gets old. It's not for everyone simply because it's sci-fi horror and of course by today's standards, a lot of the effects (courtesy of Rob Bottin) seem a bit outdated, but a lot of movie sites claim that John Carpenter's _The Thing_ has a "cult following" and if that's true, then you can count me as a die-hard member of that cult. Love this movie!

"Cheating bitch."

38 years ago, this movie both bombed and received poor reviews from critics; same thing with Blade Runner, which was released at the same time. This just confirms that even in 1982, people were complete idiots.

'The Thing' is a classic body horror thriller where the mystery and suspense kept audiences on edge for years. It's one of the best John Carpenter movie behind 'Halloween'.

This movie and Blade Runner stood the test of time as Sci-Fi masterpieces.