Review of The Thing (1982) by Zane G — 23 Jun 2013

John Carpenter's The Thing is one of the mist iconic horror films and one of darkest and creepiest movies I've ever seen.

In the midst of the Antartican snowfield, the scientists and workers of a small American research base are shocked when a helicopter begins to circle their camp, chasing and shooting at a dog. When the helicopter is destroyed and the passengers are killed, the dog is let into the base and the American's begin to wonder what has actually happened. The helicopter has Norwegian markings, must be from the Norwegian base not too far from their own. A team of Americans are sent to the Norwegian base and find out what has happened. On arrival, they find that the place has been totally destroyed. They also discover a mangled body that looks as though it was once that of a person, which they bring back with them for further study. It is only then that the clues begin to add up; the dog morphs horribly into a strange creature that attacks the researchers. They manage to fight it off, but they come to a terrible conclusion: an alien with the power to transform and take the appearance of anybody else is amongst them. Who is infected already, and who can be trusted?

I'll get my review soon for the remake that came out two years ago but for right now let's get this out of the way. So The Thing is was made in 1982 and at that time we have gotten horror films like JAWS, Poltergeist, The Exorcist and Alien so what could be the next step for horror movies. They made, like I said earlier one of the most iconic movies ever made. The title alone gives you chills, a lot of horror films can give you creeps but this one just really haunts me. But however The Thing does a great job at everything it needed to be. Gross? oh yeah. Scary? You bet. Dated? I don't wanna say yes but I would say so. First of all it was 1982 of course effects were a little cheesy but this movie had some really good special effects. From the opening scene where they show the title of the movie you know your in for one wild ride ( and by ride I mean movie). This movie doesn't have flaws necessarily but it has a great and interesting concept and probably almost as good as Alien. There are a lot of creepy and gruesome scene in this movie. Whenever you see something that's very disturbing, your stomach has that uh-oh feeling but when watching this movie, it can get pretty intense. The Thing is intense thrills, very disturbing moments and one of the most well deserved concepts of its time. It has the chance of being something looking back on as a horror classic.

What better way to make a great horror movie with great actors but this movie only features one big name and that is the one and only, Kurt Russell. Seeing him play the main character on my face just made me want to see this movie even more. He's determined, clever his character really knows how to fit in this movie. He does have a few cheesy lines but again its 1982. Director John Carpenter makes this movie a blend of horror and suspense. He knows how to make the right horror movie that will sink in from the opening scene.

In the end The Thing is a really good time. The pace is nice and smooth, the concept really gets to you and the movie itself is truly terrifying.