John Carpenter’s The Thing (John Carpenter 1982)

Hands down one of the great horror movie classics. One of the greatest films by one of the greatest horror directors, The Thing takes the already interesting 1951 Howard Hawks films and turns it into the most claustrophobic and dense scenario: a bunch of people locked up in an Antarctica research station, an outside predator intruding, distrust flaming up, killings begin. The opening shot where a helicopter chases a sled dog through the snow desert are stunning, Carpenter’s typical soundtrack beat insinuating doom. The dog roaming through the station reminds me of the tricycle scenes in The Shining. Kurt Russell is the coolest man on the planet, and when he drowns his chess computer in J&B and calls her a cheating bitch it is just what she deserves. The re-animation scene that scared the hell out of me when I watched it for the first time as a kid so long ago, and it superbly effective every time (the head! the spider legs!!). Scene after scene, this has become a classic, with the testing of the blood for infection maybe the masterpiece even within Carpenter’s oeuvre in terms of suspense. What can I say…? Oh some things I can say:

1) Watching this again was inspired by Filmspotting’s Top 5 monster movie list, some great picks there: http://www.filmspotting.net/reviews/6he97-fs350-super-8-x-men-first-class-top-5-monster-movies.html

2) I know they are apparently remaking this, and it already being a remake, I guess complaints are futile. Still: teenage researcher? Who has the grit today to make this film the way it needs to be? Good luck with it… http://www.chud.com/25835/NYCC-TENTACLED-CREATURES-SWARM-THE-THING-PANEL/ and trailer

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1021244-thing/