SPLATTERdrome

Release Date: June 25th, 1982

Director: John Carpenter

Screenwriter: Bill Lancaster

Genre: Horror/Science fiction

 

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I’ve had many arguments about The Thing over the years, mostly about how it stacks up against the Ridley Scott classic Alien. The two are stylistically different, yet they share important filmmaking subtleties and narrative themes which marry them in my mind. Each film is centered around an intimate group of headstrong characters who find themselves without any hope of escaping a deadly situation. This forces them to band together and lean on teamwork and bonds of trust if they are to survive. Alien will always be considered a landmark picture, but in terms of utilizing this setup to the fullest, I believe it’s the weaker of the two.

 

The Thing is, without doubt, John Carpenter at the peak of his filmmaking powers. With the opening helicopter shot, he establishes both the wide, mountainous panorama around the camp and the claustrophobic interiors where most of the story will take place. The camera movement is subtle and organic, bringing the viewer into the film, making us feel the paranoia gradually influencing the characters. Cinematographer Dean Cundey's use of soft lighting in dark, confined areas is beautiful, revealing just enough to scare us without overexposing the visual effects. The minimal score and sound effects work to perfection. Wether it’s the deep, lingering dread of a held synthesizer note, weeping strings, or the sounds of a roaring wind outside the camp, Carpenter hits all the right marks without distracting from the action.

 

The film pays homage to The Thing from Another World by recreating the discovery of the crashed alien ship and the removal of its inhabitant, albeit secondhand. In this film the cast discovers these events after they've already occured, a nearby group of Norwegians having proved less resilient than Captain Hendry and Scotty the newspaper man. In this way, The Thing unravels as a well-paced mystery story that the cast and audience work through together. 

 

I find this film so consistently effective because the characters are uncommonly willful and intelligent. To me, this is the key component that separates it from Alien. As Alien goes on and the crew realizes what they’re up against, they fumble badly when it comes time to hunt down and destroy the creature. In those crucial moments, the cast of Alien are dangerously disorganized and easily dispatched while their counterparts in The Thing quickly get a grip on their situation and execute a logical plan. Alien also underutilizes the paranoia which should be gripping the crew in their modest ship. The Thing continually emphasizes the growing distrust and terror in the camp, making it a battle on two fronts, engaging the audience in a game of “who’s who?” throughout the third act.

 

I can't write a review of this film without mentioning Rob Bottin’s visual effects, which are stunning. He shows us a dog’s face peeling away as its body grows insect legs and tentacles. How about a man’s severed head sprouting legs and antennae before scurrying into a stream of flamethrower fire? The charred carcass of a mutilated and deformed Norwegian caught in mid-transformation. I could go on. The best thing about Bottin’s alien designs is that they’re so unusual. At times it’s hard to discern what you’re looking at. Familiar anatomical structures and forms can be recognized, but the designs are abstract. Far more effective than James Arness and his humanoid form in the previous film.

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The two elements I find generally lacking in modern horror features are relatable suspense and able-minded protagonists; The Thing offers both. It’s deeply frightening, endlessly engaging, and refreshingly thoughtful, something that is exceedingly rare in this genre. The film isn’t perfect, but I can comfortably overlook a few missteps when considering the product as a whole.

 

Now stop reading this and push play already.