Directed by John Carpenter. Starring Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, and Keith David. USA, Color, 109 minutes.We're back just in time for a Christmas-themed movie! The Thing may not be a movie that Jesus would enjoy, but me and the gang sure enjoyed it! (Who am I kidding, I was the only one watching . . .)
A twelve-man team in a remote Antarctic research station encounter a form-changing alien being that threatens to infect all mankind. But not if they have anything to say about it . . .
Definitely John Carpenter's scariest and most memorable film. While Halloween scared with jump cuts and unexpected shocks, The Thing goes for the jugular, using absolutely grotesque special effects and a thoroughly disturbing premise. Every team member is at risk of infection, even Russell's lead character, Macready.
Even though this is a Carpenter film, it doesn't feel like one. The setting is completely bleak and the characters are completely realistic and rational. I love John Carpenter's films, but this one easily tops them all . . . and when an infected man's head stretches and rips from his body, falls onto the floor, drags itself under a desk with its tongue, and sprouts spider legs, you know you're watching something different.
Some of the computer-focused scenes are painfully stupid, and the "blood test" scene, while effective and scary, seems a little improbable. But The Thing is still amazing. Check it out and enjoy.
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