Written by Josh Brewer, February 17, 2017, at 6:15 p.m. Tweet to: @theJWBrewer
Title: The Thing
Director: John Carpenter
Writer: Bill Lancaster
Release Date: June 25th, 1982
Cast: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, T. K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David
Cliff’s Notes
A group of scientists and support staff come across an alien creature with studying in Antarctica. Seems this baddie just likes to mimic living things and assimilate them into it’s body. The best effects ever follow.
Lecture
After my revisit of The Descent last week, I decided to look for another flick that breaks the bank in terms of downbeat endings, and then I remembered The Thing. Bleak, unrelenting, and perfectly vicious, The Thing may be my favorite of Carpenter’s films. This puppy is all about kicking ass and taking names and we’re all out of names.
The power of The Thing comes from its nearly flawless execution. Shot structure, performances, and pace seem effortless. Combine that with some of the best effects this side of forever and you get a horror powerhouse. Deceptively simple, The Thing could be read as a rebuttal of communism, where the forced assimilation of the crew leads to their deaths at the hand of a foreign – in this case alien- menace. And while that’s certainly accurate, it misses the main thrust of the film: a descent into madness and paranoia. Carpenter’s social commentary leads to a revelation of cruelty, that the folks trying to avoid the fate presented to them will react viciously in order to protect themselves from the world around them. Few flicks, especially horror films, are willing to go that far, so when it happens it’s worth paying attention to. Luckily, the film rocks and provides a slew of scares and crazy set pieces on top of its ideas about humanity. Oh, and the effects are flawless.
I have an ongoing discussion about why horror films don’t win Oscars. Often, the horror film stands below its fellow competitors, while dramas are lifted above the rest of the field. Rarely are they nominated and only one – Silence of the Lambs- has ever one. Though I’d have to imagine that The Thing could certainly do well on a playing field without Genre. It would have faced off against Chariots of Fire for the Oscar in 1982. Personally, I believe it’s a stronger film, though certainly, not where near as optimistic.
Acting
Russell plays the outsider well and here serves as a great example. His career spans decades and this is a great example of why. Brimley and Clennon are solid in supporting roles while I’d listen to Keith David read a phonebook with his awesome voice. Guy has the chops to back it up as well. And I really dug Carter on my last pass through the flick. He’s just so damn likable.
Directing
Carpenter makes the most of his desolate settings and freaky premise. Once the flick gets going, you can cut the tension with a knife. He also manages to get the most out of his SFX crew and really brings the flick to new heights because of it. Brother even manages to rock his amazing set pieces. Beer that man!
Script
Lancaster milks every possible scenario out of his set up. The events flow wonderfully and build to one hell of a conclusion. Meanwhile, he rocks a few set ups -love the blood test- and gets everything he can into the paranoia of the flick. Sure, the characters are a little underdeveloped, but that doesn’t stop the film from being a powerhouse.
Effects
Oh my god, yes! The practical effects in The Thing are amazing! The creature’s design falls somewhere between flawless and masterpiece. Meanwhile, the rest of the goodies show a few SFX masters at work. I miss this type of work so much.
Highlights
While my favorite scene is the blood test, I have to mention the amazing effects again. They don’t make ‘em like this any more.
Lowlights
Just a small complaint, I really wished we had a bit more to hang on to in terms of character. Sure, not knowing them helps with the paranoia of the flick, but it also means the kills don’t always have the right amount of umph.
Final Thoughts
Opening with shots of the Arctic wasteland and ending in a nihilistic nightmare, The Thing was probably too grim to be fully embraced by the general public as the powerhouse it is. Safe to say, those who seek out this kind of awesome get more than their money’s worth.