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John Carpenter’s ‘The Thing’ |
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Written by Larry Clow
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Wednesday, 07 June 2006 |
Universal Pictures, 1982
starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David and Richard Dysart
directed by: John Carpenter
the plot: Winter in Antarctica, 1982. A team of American research scientists at a remote outpost have a strange encounter with a group of Norwegian scientists working at another station, located miles away. A dog runs into the American’s camp after being chased for miles by the Norwegians. But the dog is not all it seems—later that night, it morphs into a ferocious tentacled monster and attacks the men. MacReady (Russell) suspects something is amiss at the Norwegian camp and flies out to investigate. There, he finds evidence that the Norwegians uncovered a massive spaceship buried in the ice for thousands of years. Meanwhile, back at the camp, Blair (Brimley) analyzes the demon dog’s blood and finds that a shape-changing alien has invaded the camp. When a computer simulation predicts that at least one or more of the scientists in the camp are infected, Blair begins sabotaging the camp, to ensure that no one can escape. As a storm rolls in, the remaining scientists must fend off attacks from the monstrous “thing” that could be inside any one of them.
why it’s good: “The Thing” is the first part of what John Carpenter refers to as his “Apocalypse Trilogy,” which includes “Prince of Darkness” and “In the Mouth of Madness.” “The Thing” is easily the best of the three, mostly because it’s the simplest. If there’s one thing Carpenter knows how to do, it’s create an atmosphere of paranoia and creeping dread—both of which “The Thing” has in abundance. Russell, Brimley and David (as the ornery, aggressive Childs) all offer stand-out performances. The main attraction for many, though, is the special effects created by Rob Bottin. The “Thing” morphs from one gory, grotesque creature to the next throughout the film—from a beast made out of dog heads and tongues to a spider-like monster that forms from a man’s head. Twenty years on, the effects still look top notch. But what’s really scary is how Carpenter manipulates the characters stuck inside the research station. As MacReady, Russell goes from sagacious team leader to a suspect pariah in mere minutes. No one is to be trusted, a plot point Carpenter follows through to the film’s ambiguous ending.
why you should own it: Universal’s collector’s edition DVD features commentary by Russell and Carpenter, as well as a making-of documentary about the film. “The Thing” is a must-own for horror and sci-fi fans. |
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