The Thing
1982 Directed by John Carpenter
Synopsis
Man is The Warmest Place to Hide.
Scientists in the Antarctic are confronted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of the people that it kills.
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100% pure horror.
100% complete paranoia.
100% practical effects.
100% proof that horror doesn't need CGI.
100% inimitable.
100% Carpenter
100% timeless. (it's 30 years old!!)
100% terrifying. Still.
100% visual masterpiece.
100% mold breaking.
1000% One of my favourite horror films ever made.
p.s. Math was never my strong point. -
John Carpenter’s The Thing is one of finest horror films of all time (only second to The Shining in my book) and it is criminal to think that it bombed on release back in 1982. It encapsulates everything I love about the genre: the palpable sense of unease, unbearable tension and terrifying body horror.
One thing that separates this from many other genre films (particularly modern ones) is how brilliantly realised each and every character is. Whilst the charismatic MacReady (brilliantly played by the ever reliable Kurt Russell) is the undeniable star and focus, each and every unfortunate soul stuck in the God forsaken research facility is instantly identifiable. Whilst the characterisation is far from complex you still invest in…
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My dad and I were searching Netflix looking for a movie to watch, and The Thing was available in HD. My dad is a huge fan of Halloween, and he had remembered liking The Thing when he first saw it 31 years ago, so that's what we ended up watching! 2 hours later I was sleeping with my lamp on. The amount of fear and paranoia director John Carpenter generates had me scared shitless, and this unquestionably deserves its reputation as one of the scariest movies ever made.
Carpenter establishes a visual pattern of repetitive editing throughout the film that hypnotizes us and makes us completely unaware of when the violence and gore will strike. The minimalist score by fucking…
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I have waited roughly four years to revisit John Carpenter's The Thing and unsurprisingly it is still every bit as effective, every bit as scary and every bit as iconic as I had it in memory. Renowned for being critically panned when it came out and being buried under the immense success of Spielberg's E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial this is a film that redefined what horror means in cinema. Its amalgation of state-of-the-art practical effects, which incidentally hold up incredibly well, and an unnerving sense of paranoia and dread has rightfully earned this gem of a film the status of a classic. It honestly baffles me to no end how it could've possibly been received so poorly in 1982 and the…
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There are only really two things wrong with The Thing.
1) Its title. I've never been a fan of it. It's just so inconsequential and getting the cast to say "thing" a lot does not excuse it! Funnily enough, it seemed to fit the original a lot better (albeit extended and exaggerated), but that was from a decade populated with daftly named sci-fi films. This really did deserve a lot better. I thought the name of the source story, Who Goes There?, was far better and more fitting. Or they could have called it 'It's Weird And Pissed Off Whatever It Is'. A much better summing up!
2) The opening scene where we see the flying saucer hurtling towards the…
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It might just be my favorite horror film of all time. The suspense, tension, and paranoia in this was great! You could really feel the vibe that they had no idea who really was and wasn't themselves. The atmosphere was spectacular! May I add the practical effects were also top notch. The whole cast did damn good, especially Kurt Russell and his epic 80s beard. They were all very believable and into their roles. The Thing was everything you want in a horror movie and everything I could ask for! Truly a masterpiece for suspense and horror. I originally had this at 4.5/5, but if it's my favorite horror movie I have to give it 5/5!
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There isn't much to say about this film. It is easily one of my favorite horror films, and all I ever have to do is wait six months and watch it again, and it's just like new.
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"I dunno what the hell's in there, but it's weird and pissed off, whatever it is." - Clark
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Yep, still terrifying and magnificent. LEONARD MALTIN WAS WRONG
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Probably my favorite horror movie.
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This film was gruesome. Seriously. A dog's face rips open and he eats a bunch of other dogs around him but ends up getting set on fire by the main people and their endless supply of flame-thrower fuel.Better than my expectations and at a few points had me stare amazed at what had just happened. Brilliant.
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Routine. Surprise. Confusion. Horror. Fear. Paranoia. Betrayal. Blood. Terror. A widening gyre. No escape. Fire. Confrontation. Darkness. Cold.
Ambiguity.
Classic.
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Visceral and atmospheric. Effectively creates terror and tension. Simple, but tight plot. Once again, practical effects trump CG.
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I'm proud to share my birthday with the man who made this horror masterpiece.
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I watched this dvd again last night for the first time in a few years. I enjoyed it as much as ever, and maybe appreciated it even more!
From the unique opening titles and typically atmospheric and minimal Carpenter music, to the opening scene of the dog being chased by the helicopter, you are instantly hooked.
The special fx are among the best of all time, so inventive, just incredible. Far creepier than any cgi. (See the remake/prequel for details..............actually, don't bother).
The intense feeling of paranoia is well sustained with clever direction throughout and the performances are great. Kurt Russell has never been better than in this film.
It's a gloomy little number that never really offers much hope!…