John Carpenter's apocalyptic The Thing was released in cinemas just two weeks after E.T. in 1982. The two movies could hardly have presented more contrasting ideas about extra-terrestrial life, and it was Carpenter's uncompromisingly bleak vision that lost out at the box-office. But his audacious remake of the Howard Hawks 1951 B-movie The Thing from Another World has since been acknowledged as a classic in its own right, not only for its pioneering makeup and special effects techniques, but also for its bold treatment of an alien "infection" that eerily foreshadow... s AIDS-inspired blood contamination scares. Whizzkid Rob Bottin was responsible for the surreal and stomach-churning make-up effects that are so crucial a part of the film's success--without his utterly convincing creations Carpenter would never have been able to make a monster movie without a "man in a suit"--and filming on a glacier in British Columbia ensured the complete authenticity of the Antarctic setting. Kurt Russell leads a strong all-male cast who powerfully convey their isolation and distrust of one another--in more ways than one this is a film about alienation. The uneasy atmosphere is enhanced by an icily monochrome score from Ennio Morricone, as a series of unforgettable horror set-pieces lead to a wonderfully downbeat finale. On the DVD:: The bonus features are exemplary, notably the excellent 80-minute documentary, "Terror Takes Shape", which covers all aspects of the production; and the relaxed, friendly, informative commentary by director John Carpenter and star Kurt Russell--a model for how all commentaries should be. There's also an outtakes reel with some tantalising stills of unused footage. Text and stills-based montages illustrate the location design, conceptual artwork and various other aspects of the production. The sound mix is Dolby 5.1, although the non-anamorphic widescreen picture is not all it could be. --Mark Walker [show more]
Hugely atmospheric John Carpenter remake of the old Howard Hawks classic 'The Thing From Another World'. Workers at an American scientific research outpost in Antarctica find themselves battling a parasitic alien organism capable of perfectly imitating its victims. The problem is they don't know which members of the team have already been assimilated. Carpenter ramps the tension and paranoia up to an unbearably claustrophobic level.
As ever Carpenter brings out the best in Kurt Russell (as he did in Escape from New York & Big Trouble in Little China) and there are excellent performances from the large supporting cast. It is also worth noting that not one female appears in this movie!
The 80 minute 'Terror Takes Shape' documentary gives a thorough insight into the planning, production and legacy of the film. It really is a fine documentary.
The best extra of all though is the commentary from Carpenter and Russell. They have a blast sitting and watching the movie and their enthusiasm is infectious. I've listened to a lot of audio commentaries and this one remains the most entertaining and informative.
Wonderful movie, excellent performances and an excellent DVD with fine extras. If you have'nt seen it you're missing a treat. Buy it now!
John Carpenter knows film. Not only does he know how to make films, he knows all about films and it shows in every one of his own films that it is a personal passion. The Thing was based on Howard Hawks 1951 space alien feature The Thing From Another World, but John Carpenter accomplishes something rare in making a remake that clearly outshines the original in every aspect. The film revolves around an Antarctic science lab manned by an American crew. One day what appears to be a stray dog appears in their camp being chased by a helicopter firing shots in a clear attempt to snuff out the poor little doggy. The Americans save the dog, but in doing so, unwittingly doom themselves. The titular "Thing" is an alien life form that perpetuates itself by mimicking its surroundings, namely, the Americans. The genius becomes then that in order to take over the camp and destroy the Americans, all the Thing must do is create paranoia and let the crew destroy each other. Leading the fight against the interloper is Kurt Russell as R. J. McReady, Carpenter's go-to guy and all-around testosterone machine. Russell had already played the heavy in Carpenter's Escape From New York and would repeat in later features the same alpha male character he plays in McReady. In watching The Thing, the parallel to the play on the red scare in the 50's in the United States is very obvious, as the members of the crew all are suspect of one another as The Thing takes them on one and a time. The filmed is packed from beginning to end with stunning setpieces and amazing effects work, including the infamous spider head, which scared the hell out of me the first time I saw it. The Thing is one of the all time greatest mosnter movies ever made, and is often mentioned in the same breath with Alien, which is the other main contender, although, I must say I prefer this one. The DVD has a number of short features about various aspects of the production, pretty standard stuff. The real star is the film, for those who've never seen it, prepare to jump, because you won't be able to avoid a few good scares in The Thing!
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play. Horror-meister John Carpenter teams Kurt Russell's outstanding performance with incredible visuals to build this chilling version of the classic The Thing. In the winter of 1982, a twelve-man research team at a remote Antarctic research station discovers an alien buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Soon unfrozen, the shape-shifting alien wreaks havoc, creates terror and becomes one of them... Actors Kurt Russell, Bill Lancaster, Albert Whitlock, Keith David, Wilford Brimley, T. K. Carter, Richard Dysart & Richard Masur Director John Carpenter Certificate 18 years and over Year 1982 Screen Widescreen 2.35:1 Languages English - Dolby Digital (5.1) Additional Languages French ; Italian ; Polish ; Spanish Subtitles Czech ; Danish ; Dutch ; English ; Finnish ; French ; German (Menu Only) ; Norwegian ; Portuguese ; Swedish Duration 1 hour and 43 minutes (approx)
John Carpenter directs this US sci-fi horror based on the short story 'Who Goes There?' by John W. Campbell. After receiving a distress signal from a nearby Norwegian base, the team from a US research station in Antarctica head out to investigate. They arrive to discover that the occupants of the base are either dead or missing while also finding the charred remains of a mysterious alien life form. Taking the creature back to their base for analysis, the team soon find that it can take the appearance of any living life form, a discovery which puts the inhabitants of the entire station in severe danger.
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