The Thing

     

     I consider myself a horror movie fan, but I have a confession to make. I have never seen the classic John Carpenter's The Thing.  I know, how could I? Somehow, this movie slipped through the cracks of my to-watch list for years, and I can't exactly explain why. However, I finally managed to plant myself for an evening an take in this great flick. After watching it, I can  say with all certainty it now resides on my top ten list of horror classics.

      To briefly summarize the plot, a small group of people manning a research facility in Antarctica are thrown into a battle for humanity when an alien adversary that can take over and mimic any living form is revived from the ice and begins infiltrating their ranks. The Thing has a brilliant mix of the key elements I consider necessary for great monster horror. A claustrophobic and isolated feeling setting, unsettling imagery, psychological suspense, a well paced plot, and a monster(s) that doesn't disappoint. With these element strategically placed in the right proportions, the audience gets a chilling tale which is understandably a cult classic.

      The setting is the first thing that struck me about the film. An Antarctic research team isolated in a frozen landscape without anywhere to run to or anyone to come to the rescue anytime soon. The startlingly white surroundings are a perfect location for this story. Even before the alien presence begins it's rampage, the handful of residences are already stretched psychologically thin from their isolation. The frozen terrain is already highly dangerous. The creatures that descend upon them increase the tension they have already been dealing with to a boiling point.

      The movies starts with a lone dog, racing through the snow as a helicopter of Norwegians shoot at it from above. Already, the audience is drawn into the story by the conflict, which was brilliant. Typically, a horror story will start with a good spook then there is a slower build up to the next terrifying incident. This is where many stories can run into trouble. If the plot goes too slow, the audience is bored. Too fast and the potential for suspense and tension building is lost. Carpenter takes care to take this build up at a excellent pace with unnerving imagery that heightens the tension beautifully. Before the first encounter with  a live version of the thing exploding from the dog, the audience is treated to the creepy remains of the Norwegian site (corpse frozen in a suicide included), a ghastly deformed corpse still steaming, and a alien craft trapped in the ice. The autopsy of the deformed corpse is definitely squirm worthy. All this before the audience gets the first true glimpse at their enemy.

      Then, all hell breaks loose and the pace of the plot picks up at an ever increasing speed. The possibility of one or many of the crew being infected adds the psychological pressure of the inability to trust one another on already strained men. That internal threat is increased further by each horrific encounter with a former college turned thing which feeds back into the psychological terror. It's a masterfully played cycle that give the audience no safe refuge from the horror.

     The monstrous forms of the thing are truly spectacular nightmares. It's a credit to the special effect and makeup genius, Rob Bottin that the creatures still stand up today, even in the wake of modern computer generated graphics. Yes, there are some movements and moments where it's easy to tell there is puppetry and effects at play, but the whole is done so vivdly that they are overlooked in the terror of the moment. I personally feel the physicalness of props is always more frightening than overly flawless computer generated effects that can enter into uncanny valley before they can the actual setting of the movie. Maybe I'm just old school in that regard.  I felt the way Carpenter chose to portray the things as each unique was a smart move. The plot explains this organism takes over other organisms on a cellular level and mimics them perfectly until it is time to attack. It makes perfect sense that the resulting manifestation is a grotesque hodge-podge of various biological masses and unknown alien appendages. Plus, it looks scary as all hell.

      As with any film or book, there are always some places that are weak. This film was rather devoid of humor. That was especially evident to me after recently watching An American Werewolf in London. This is a matter of personal taste. Some people want more humor mixed in with their horror than others. I tend to prefer a level of humor that is fitting to the tone of the story, and this film was had a serous tone. If you expect some good chuckles out of your scary movies, you will find them few and far between here.

      The final battle scene with McReady against the former Dr. Blair didn't meet my expectations. The film had been building brilliantly up to that point, then the Blair thing easily takes out the other two survivors and makes an overdone entrance as his grotesque form only to be blow to smithereens moments later.  It felt more flash than substance. Less of a battle and more a quick kill for McReady, as there was very little back and forth between the two.

      Part of me is slightly tempted to remark on the lack of any female characters in this film. There are women who do go out to these research faculties. Why aren't they represented? However, I wonder if adding a female character would have been a negative. The dynamic of the men trapped in their little section of the frozen tundra would probably have been different with a woman. It would add layers of sexual tension and possibly battles over her favor, or even some sexist behaviors or attitudes. That is a great deal of complications that would have slowed the plot down. As it is, the men are miserably lonely and the lack of possible female companionship surely plays a role in that. I don't say this often, but I felt the all male cast was justifiable in this case.

      The final scene of the movie can be satisfying or a let down depending on the individual audience. McReady survies the blast from the final battle and settles in waiting to freeze to death. He is approached by Childs (another survivor) who has a flimsy excuse for disappearing. The two eye each other suspiciously, discuss their impending deaths, and the film ends with the audience unsure of the outcome. Are they rescued? Is Childs infected? The audience is left to ponder these things for themselves.Those who prefer a happy ending for the protagonist with all the loose ends tied up will find this a miserable close. I actually enjoyed this end. It felt appropriate in a film riddled with unknowns to have an open ended finish that left me still fearful as the credits rolled.

      Overall, this is an absolute must see for any horror fan. Great story well executed with gory special effects. A suspense fulled fun fest of alien grossness. Don't let this slip down you to watch list.