Movies Revisited - 'THE THING'

Now I know John Carpenters 'The Thing' is a movie classic, but this is a movie I have not seen in a long time and until last night I forgot how great of a movie it was. When I was like 4 years old I remember my parents talking about this movie. I even have pictures of me and my little brother wearing oversized 'The Thing' t-shirts. My Parents also had the sound track in the form of vinyl. I think the first time I saw it, was on TV so it was completely edited. So when I watched it last night to my joyess surprise there was stuff I either blocked out of my head or just missed the first time around. The reason for me pulling out this movie was a friend of mine had never seen it, but he remembered something that scarred him for life when he was around 5 he walked in on his parents while they were watching it and all he saw was a head crawling away. It was time for my friend to face his fears and lay it to rest.

From the first scene of that spaceship flying through space I thought wow this is incredibly 80's. This wont be as good as I remember it. But it was! This movie was made at a time when CG was in its infancy, and the film relied fully on its practical effects, which were amazingly horrifying, and so fun to watch what they were able to do back then. Had these effects been in CG this movie would not be the same. Most movies with CG blood and gore just look cheap, but this was solid, gross, and nasty. It gave is a creepy factor that CG doesn't really give off. The effects in 'The Thing' have stood the test of time.

"Members of an American scientific research outpost in Antarctica find themselves battling a parasitic alien organism capable of perfectly imitating its victims. They soon discover that this task will be harder than they thought, as they don't know which members of the team have already been assimilated and their paranoia threatens to tear them apart."

Carpenter creates a very dark and intense atmosphere in this setting. Everyone in the movie gives a solid performance. The movie makes you think... what would you do in a situation like that? How horrifying would that be!?

My favorite scene of the movie is when Kurt Russell's character (R.J. MacReady) Ties up everyone he doesn't trust in chairs next to each other. He has samples of each person's blood taken. He then proceeds to heat up a metal wire that he sticks in each person's blood sample. If one of them is Alien the blood will react to it. When the alien is discovered and he begins to go crazy and change all hell breaks loose and his head splits in half. It is the reaction of everyone that the alien is tied to that makes this scene priceless. They just start to freak out, screaming and are trying so desperately to get away but they are all tied up! It is classic! Then the Alien ends up eating one of the guys by biting his head with the alien's head of teeth. And the body of the guy is just flopping around while his head is being eaten!

If you have not seen this movie go and see it! If you have not watched it in a long time watch it! This is a fun, gross, and scary film. When this movie first came out no wonder my parents talked about it. I am sure this movie was the talk of the town when it came out. I hear rumors Hollywood is going to remake this movie. Please don't! This movie is perfect the way it is. There is no reason to remake it and make a good movie into a bad one. If its not broke don't fix it.

-Dr. Venkman