First published on Technorati as http://technorati.com/entertainment/film/article/the-thing-about-the-thing/
One of my all-time favorite, classic horror films has been remade and is being released this upcoming Friday, October 14th. This movie would be The Thing.
Before you go and see this film you must see the original remake. Yes. I wrote the original remake and not the actual original which was The Thing from another world. I am talking about John Carpenter’s The Thing. Coincidentally you can see clicks of the original in the film Halloween as Jamie Lee Curtis is babysitting but I digress. First of all you should be jumping on Netflix now to see if they offer this film or running to the video store which some people, (like yours truly), still do. Just seeing the name John Carpenter should get your ass in gear.
This 1982 classic from the “Master of Horror” is a must see. This film is straight up adrenaline and testosterone. There are no distracting females or sex appeal. This film draws on its great premise and extremely strong cast. To this day I believe this is one of the greatest horror films ever made. I’m just sad they remade it. So before you go see this installment of a classic film let me tell you why to see the original.
The story is set in a remote U.S. arctic outpost. A team of scientists are conducting some sort of research up there when a helicopter is heard flying and then the sound of gunshots ring out setting the team on high alert. Everyone heads outside to see what is going on and we see the helicopter is hunting a dog which is running through the snow trying to escape the hunters. The dog makes it to the base and the helicopter lands spilling out two Norwegian’s who ignore the warnings of the team and continue to attempt to kill the dog eventually shooting one of the US crew.
Once the situation is settled (And that means two dead Norwegians) the team decides to head to the Norwegians base known to be located not too far from their position. And this is where the film really takes off as they discover an alien ship which has been buried in the ice for 100 000 years.
If you haven’t seen the film then this is a *SPOLILER ALERT*. Upon returning to the base they discover the aliens from the ship were not dead and they have the uncanny ability to take form of humans and even act as if they are the exact same person you knew for all those years. Remember that dog?
This film is a cerebral masterpiece. No one trusts anyone because everyone is trying to figure out who is one of those aliens. Even worse everyone is trying to figure out how many of them have been infected. The tension is palpable and the direction of Carpenter really keeps you on your toes.
The cast is a fantastic ensemble led by Kurt Russell sporting one big ass beard. Great character name as well (R.J. MacReady). Another great performance is by Keith David who if you see him you know who he is and have seen a movie he is in. He always turns in a great performance and he has a really cool voice (voice of Goliath in Gargoyles).
Add a little Wilford Brimley as the psycho scientist, Richard Dysart as the hippie doctor(with an earring no less), Donald Moffat as the trigger happy camp leader and a great job by Thomas Waites as Windows the paranoid freak and you have one of the best horror movies of the modern era.
This is the way horror films should be made. Without the loud music to make you jump or the cheap foreshadowing parlor tricks to get your anxiety up. Use a good musical score and a wonderful cast with a good script and you have magic.
If you have any intention of seeing The Thing this Friday then please watch John Carpenter’s The Thing as well. After 29 years, I’m sure you will agree it holds up well.
