The Thing

A recent prequel to this film, also titled The Thing, was released this year, but it was generally viewed as not nearly as good as the John Carpenter version, The Thing. This 1982 film is actually a remake of a film from the 1950's known as, The Thing From Another Planet. Many people agree that this version of the film is the truest form when interpreting the original story. The Thing is a film where scientists travel to Antarctica and find what appears to be a crashed spaceship. After returning to the base, it is discovered that something is not quite right, and that one of the huskie dogs that are kept on base is actually a shape-shifting alien. The scientist, played by Wilford Brimley, finds that the alien DNA copies another specimen's DNA and assimilates it into its own. From this point on the film turns into a paranoia-fest where all the crew members become suspicious of one another being "the thing" and start killing one another. Kurt Russell plays the lead in this film, who physically reminds me of Jeff Bridges, but Russell does not possess the same acting prowess. Some people say that this film is just a typical horror film from this era but I believe that The Thing draws the same paranoia and suspense from earlier films like Alien and Dark Star. This movie is definitely John Carpenter at his best. Some believe Halloween takes that honor, but personally I'm not too big into slasher films or film series that apparently require a million sequels that star the same actors...I'm talking about you Jamie Lee Curtis. But anyway, back to the point. The Thing creates a wonderful atmosphere of despair and paranoia due to its eerie soundtrack and realistic and paranoid acting. The cinematography was definitely above-average for a horror film, especially for one made in the 1980's during the era of cookie-cutter slasher films. If you are a fan of thriller or horror movies, this has to be on your IMDb watchlist. This is one of the few horror movies that I would be willing to watch more than once.

Bottom Line: Buy It/Rent It

 Score: 8/10

Year: 1982
Director: John Carpenter (Halloween, Escape from New York, They Live)
Cast: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, T.K. Carter, David Clennon
Rating: R