 Tagline: Man is The Warmest Place to Hide. Horror-meister John Carpenter (Halloween, Escape from new York) teams Kurt Russell's outstanding performance with incredible visuals to build this chilling version of the classic The Thing. In the winter of 1982, a twelve-man research team at a remote Antarctic research station discovers an alien buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Once unfrozen, the form-changing alien wreaks havoc, creates terror and becomes one of them. Storyline: An American scientific expedition to the frozen wastes of the Antarctic is interrupted by a group of seemingly mad Norwegians pursuing and shooting a dog. The helicopter pursuing the dog explodes, eventually leaving no explanation for the chase. During the night, the dog mutates and attacks other dogs in the cage and members of the team that investigate. The team soon realizes that an alien life-form with the ability to take over other bodies is on the loose and they don't know who may already have been taken over. Written by Goth Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman on September 23, 2008 -- Trust is a tough thing to come by these days. John Carpenter's The Thing is a seminal piece of horror that is not only a fine specimen of its era, but it also serves as a shining example of horror done absolutely right in any era. Combining gross-out special effects reminiscent of Hellraiser, the nail-bitingly intense, claustrophobic filmmaking of Alien, offering a story that is very well-paced, such as George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, and presenting the idea that true terror can be found at any time, in any place, and inside anyone, much like Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, The Thing works on every level, and represents the peak of each and every aspect that may be utilized to make horror films effective. Granted, this amalgamation of styles is not the only formula for winning horror. Carpenter's Halloween features next to no gore, relying instead on the other hallmarks of great horror to craft perhaps the finest film the genre has ever seen. It is for this reason that John Carpenter is arguably the foremost horror director alive. He's a slave to no particular style, and because of his mastery of both ends of the spectrum -- intense, gory horror (The Thing) and psychological, relentless terror (Halloween), and everything in between (They Live) -- Carpenter will go down in the annals of cinematic horror as one of the finest there ever was, alongside Dario Argento, Alfred Hitchcock, George A. Romero, and Wes Craven. A Norwegian chopper circles the perimeter of United States National Science Institute, station 4, a remote scientific outpost deep in the Arctic. For reasons unknown, a gunman inside the chopper fires a rifle at a dog. The engagement ends with the chopper down and the two-man crew killed. The confused American research team takes in the seemingly harmless dog, and several of the group, including R.J. "Mac" MacReady (Kurt Russell, Stargate), take their own chopper to the Norwegian outpost in hopes of discovering what drove the Norwegians to hunt the dog in such an aggressive manner that ultimately cost them their lives. There, amidst the smoldering remains of the station, they find the remnants of some "thing." Taking it back to station 4, the facility's medical examiner, Dr. Blair (Wilford Brimley, The Natural), finds inside of it normal human organs, but the "thing's" external appearance is anything but, a bloody jumble of limbs, torsos, and faces melded together as one. Soon after, the team discovers a deadly creature in their midst, one that can absorb and imitate any life form it so chooses, leaving the team confused, frightened, and untrusting of one another. A series of bloody events reveals that appearances can be deceiving, that your best friend may very well be harboring inside of him a deadly creature capable of unleashing unspeakable, grotesque attacks. The most obvious, and superficial, aspect of The Thing is its incredibly gory and downright disgusting props and special effects. Let it be stated up-front that anyone without an iron stomach will want to stay far away from this film. The gore is appropriate to the story and no matter how nauseating, no matter how twisted, and no matter how far the effects push the boundaries of taste, they make the film all that much the better. Nothing short of the grotesque would suffice in moving the story along, showcasing what there is to fear and why the paranoia and tension amongst the stranded Arctic team is as elevated and intense as it is. As noted in the open, however, the film's special effects are not the centerpiece of the film. For as unpalatable as they may be, they simply reinforce the story rather than tell it. The movie, including the dialogue, the direction, the acting, the set design, and the music, does an excellent job of elevating the tension in the American compound that finds itself the new victim of "The Thing." The actors are convincing in their paranoia, distrust, and outright fear of one another and everything around them. The nondescript sets, with little recourse for the comfort of the terrified prisoners-of-fear, certainly elevates the film, as there is nothing but a flamethrower and a few sticks of dynamite to protect themselves, and only a scalpel and a few petrie dishes to assuage their paranoia and decipher who is human and who is not. Also a show-stopper and plot mover is The Thing's excellent score courtesy of Ennio Morricone (The Untouchables). The legendary composer's work features heavy use of electronic and synthetic beats and is not only reminiscent of Carpenter's own work on films like Escape From New York, but also of Goblin's tremendous soundtrack to Dawn of the Dead. Reminiscent of the late 1970s and early 1980s, the score features pulsating, low beats meant to instill in listeners a sense of impending dread, while other, higher-pitched cues are meant to give listeners the chills, and it does so efficiently and without remorse, complimenting each and every mood and emotion throughout the film perfectly. Last but not least is the film's conveyance of the true meaning of terror, one that I cannot specifically delve into without spoiling the film, but suffice it to say that the conclusion is the very essence of horror. In many ways, it is trademark Carpenter, particularly when thought of in the context of Halloween and They Live. The Thing is a fine example of horror cinema, one that not only manages to offer audiences a barrage of gruesome imagery, but one that also maintains a smart plot and a quick pace while indulging in plenty of psychological terror along the way. Expertly crafted, well acted, and a pleasure to watch, The Thing is not for all audiences, but for those capable of withstanding a series of bloody and oftentimes shocking special effects, the film offers a rich horror experience, one sure to stick with you long after the end of the film, and one that has solidified itself as a classic in the genre. Universal wasted little time bringing this film to Blu-ray, and finally owning and screening the film in Blu-ray high definition is most welcome. The film features a solid video and audio presentation, but it does lack in supplemental material quantity, but the quality of what is available is first-rate. Despite the lack of bonus materials, The Thing is a Blu-ray disc worth owning, and is an essential addition to any serious library. Highly recommended! Trivia:
Cast Notes: Kurt Russell (R.J. MacReady), Wilford Brimley (Dr. Blair [as A. Wilford Brimley]), T.K. Carter (Nauls), David Clennon (Palmer), Keith David (Childs), Richard Dysart (Dr. Copper), Charles Hallahan (Vance Norris), Peter Maloney (George Bennings), Richard Masur (Clark), Donald Moffat (Garry), Joel Polis (Fuchs), Thomas G. Waites (Windows [as Thomas Waites]), Norbert Weisser (Norwegian), Larry J. Franco (Norwegian Passenger with Rifle [as Larry Franco]), Nate Irwin (Helicopter Pilot). IMDb Rating (07/25/14): 8.2/10 from 197,140 users Top 250: #163 IMDb Rating (05/12/10): 8.2/10 from 74,580 users Top 250: #164
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