MacReady: Somebody in this camp ain't what he appears to be. Right now that may be one or two of us. By spring, it could be all of us.
The movie here was directed by John Carpenter who is well known from films like 1981’s Escape From New York, Christine from 1983 and 1986’s Big Trouble in Little China along with many others usually in the thriller/horror department. It’s certainly larger in scale compared to the 1951 film but at the same time it’s also more faithful to the original short story. There is a change compared to the 1951 movie in that the American’s are not the ones who discovered the spaceship but the Norwegian’s and this is hinted at from the very start of the movie and finally revealed not too far into it. It’s also interesting to note that the screenplay was written by Bill Lancaster which is Burt Lancaster’s (the famous actor) son. And how can I not mention that the music score was by Ennio Morricone who scored some of the top soundtracks of all time (The Good, the Bad the Ugly, Two Mules for Sister Sara, Once Upon a Time in the West and more recently The Hateful Eight)!
The movie kicks off in the Antarctic with a Norwegian helicopter chasing a dog in the snow. We don’t know why but their intention is clear, and that is to kill the dog even if others get injured in the process. The dog ends up running into an American camp and in an attempt to try to kill the dog one of the American’s get injured which then prompts them to kill the Norwegian. Why was he after the dog? Was he just going crazy after being locked up in the Antarctic for goodness alone knows how long? Or was there a more plausible reason?
After a while, the stray dog starts looking and acting a little suspicious whilst wondering around the camp and in the meantime the Americans go check out the Norwegian camp to let them know of the strange actions they have witnessed. When they arrive at the battered Norwegian camp they find out that something very weird has been happening and what’s worse it seems that their camp is heading in the same direction. Will “the thing” survive or will it wipe them out and eventually spread to more populated areas? The movie’s main star is Kurt Russell as R.J. MacReady but as to whether or not he is or remains human is up to you to find out!
True to the book and unlike the earlier film, the alien is what they call a shape shifter in that it can try to replicate the being it consumes/kills therefore no one really knows if the person next to them is a real human or “the thing” in disguise. This heightens the suspense throughout the film as we try to find out one by one who has been taken over and who is still normal. The special effects were top notch at the time and still are very, very effective and add to the mystery and fear that would accompany such a circumstance. In some ways I feel that the creature near the end was a little over-done but at the same time I can see reason for that.
John Carpenter directs the film almost perfectly and seems to know how much the audience should see and how much should be hidden to create and sustain the feeling of suspense. There is no CGI here but all practical effects and models and they blend wonderfully into the film.
This was one of the early DVD’s I purchased after getting a DVD player and then the Bluray came out and the quality of the image was naturally superior to the DVD. There are still some scenes especially in the bright daylight snow that are not as good as they could be, but overall it’s really good quality and so much better than the original DVD release. Its shown in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and the sound comes via DTS HD Master 5.1 audio which reveals that great soundtrack that will run through your mind after watching the film. The extras on the disc are extensive with:
- The Thing: Terror Takes Shape a Documentary on the making of the movie
- Commentary by John Carpenter and Kurt Russell
- Production Background Archive
- Cast Production Photographs
- Production Art and Storyboards
- Location Design
- Production Archives
- The Saucer
- The Blairmonster
- Outtakes
- Post Production
- Theatrical Trailer
Overall this is a brilliant movie and one that I have seen several times. There is a little swearing in it but it’s not over-the-top. The characters are good, though not as developed as the 1951 movie, and the characters are well-acted apart from perhaps the odd line or two. The cinematography is also very well done and add to that some fantastic special effects, you have yourself a great movie that’s just waiting to be played during a cold winter’s night. Very highly recommended for those who like a thriller.
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