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spudracer 12-27-01 11:56 AM

John Carpenter's The Thing
 
Picked this up at Suncoast yesterday and must say, Carpenter's earlier works before he hit these stupid lame-a*s horror flicks are much better. I've seen it before but always caught the edited for tv version. I realize this is a remake, but from what I got from the interviews on the disc is that this was a much better version of The Thing than the original 1950's flick.

What are your thoughts about this movie?

Holden Pike 12-27-01 12:13 PM

As about five of us said in the re-makes thread, we consider the 1982 version of The Thing THE best re-make of all-time. I think it is easily John Carpenter's best film too.

The documentary included on the DVD (which is the same as the older LD) is flat-out excellent and amazingly comprehensive. It's also a must see letterboxed, as the cropping for TV really ruins the composition and mood.

spudracer 12-27-01 12:21 PM

WOW!! Something Holden and I agree on. All of the scenes involving an imitation of someone always grosses me out. It's very cool though. In fact, on the documentary they even razz Bottin, the creature effects guy, for wanting perfect lighting on his plastic creations. Great great movie.

sadesdrk 12-27-01 12:59 PM

I've never seen it. Is it really, really sick?

Holden Pike 12-27-01 01:31 PM

The effects are really disgusting at times, but mostly slimy disgusting rather than bloody disgusting, if you get the fine distinction.

Carpenter's goal when it came to representing the actual Thing itself was to push for something completely new. He says that up until that time Alien monsters had just about always come down to a man in a costume. Even in a really great modern movie like Ridley Scott's Alien, when all is said and done, it's a guy in a suit. He contends that the audience's eye can always detect the inherently human motions, even disguised in the best of costumes, and that somehow lessens the imagination's peril. What he wanted was something decidedly inhuman, to never resoprt to "a guy in a suit".

As a result, Rob Bottin created some very elaborate and inventive monsters, stuff that really hadn't been seen or tried before. Bottin would go on to work on such movies as SE7EN, Total Recall, RoboCop and Legend, but The Thing was the first time he was really in charge and working on such a grand scale. Carpenter gave the kid a chance and it really paid off on-screen.

We could describe some of the best effects to you, but you'd do better just to rent it and see them for yourself, Sades.

I try to watch The Thing at least once every year, on the night of the first big snowfall.

sadesdrk 12-27-01 01:39 PM

Originally posted by Holden Pike
The effects are really disgusting at times, but mostly slimy disgusting rather than bloody disgusting, if you get the fine distinction.

We could describe some of the best effects to you, but you'd do better just to rent it and see them for yourself, Sades.

I try to watch The Thing at least once every year, on the night of the first big snowfall.
I think I'll give it a shot. I usually like a good scary movie. I don't mind sleeping with the lights on for a few nights.;D

Sir Toose 12-27-01 02:20 PM

I've always loved this film. Some friends and I snuck into it at the mall when it opened and I've watched it again every opportunity I have had. There is something inherently creepy about being stuck in the cold with no one around for miles and to me this film plays on that as well on the obvious fear from the creature.

As for the original... well... how scary can Matt Dillon (James Arness, Gunsmoke) be dressed as the Tin Man?

L .B . Jeffries 12-27-01 03:17 PM

I thought The Orignal was great Toose. It's just that you have to think of it as a movie when special effects were just being toyed around with. The audience had never seen anything like it before.

As for The Revamping of The Thing by John Carpenter it's excellant so Sades like I said to AKA23 rent the DVD or buy it cause the widescreen really pays of with Dean Cundey's cinematography and the Audio Commentary is very funny also as Holden Said The Documantary is very good and informative and has a running time of 1hour 20 mins.

One more thing I'd like to mention is Ennio Morricone's Soundtrack which is Amazing and adds to the thrill & suspence of the movie tremendously.

spudracer 12-27-01 03:19 PM

That's what Carpenter didn't like about the original. It didn't stick with the book. In the orginal, the alien was a Frankenstein-type creature, so it really lacked the effect to make it scary.

With Bottin's creature, it's really hard to make a clear decision on who you think is the alien and who isn't. Since this creature can imitate a human or anything with cell structure it makes it hard to discern between what's real and what isn't.

I suggest you rent it if you haven't seen it. As Holden said, it's more slimy disgusting, than bloody disgusting (there is a fair share of bloodshed though).

Sir Toose 12-27-01 04:03 PM

Originally posted by L .B . Jeffries
I thought The Orignal was great Toose. It's just that you have to think of it as a movie when special effects were just being toyed around with. The audience had never seen anything like it before.
I know Jefferies, it was good for it's time. I was born into the era of watching Arness on TV every night as Marshall Dillon and couldn't shake that when I saw the original "Thing". I kept expecting him to bellow "Festus! Have you seen Miss Kitty?!"

Deckard 08-08-03 10:23 AM

The Thing 8.5/10
 
Great to see the love in the room for one of the few remakes that improve or enhance the original. Couldnt agree with you guys more.

Just bought the DVD for this bad boy last month and ive watche dit a couple a times since. Own it and have seen it many times on VHS and once at the movies but I couldnt be happier with seeing it in all its widescreen glory. Still ahs an impact and the FX are top notch with far more detail.

Arguably John Carpenter's finest efforts and definetly one of the finest sci fi/thrillers alongside Don Siegel's INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS and Ridley Scott's ALIEN.

Beautifully shot with some of the most imaginitive FX ever captured on film. The story too is inspired and all the cast keep teh tension at boiling point. Backed by that tremendous score you can do nothing else but hope fro the best and knwo the worst is coming.

An all time fave that everyone should see as a nice compendium to the recent DOG SOLDIERS.

Mairosu 08-08-03 02:54 PM

I liked The Thing, then again, I'm a Carpenter fan...probably one of the couple.

I agree his career went down the ****ter, somewhere after They Live, with In the Mouth of Madness being the only standout in his latter work (although, when hard pressed, I'll admit I enjoyed Vampire$ and Ghosts of Mars).

Karl Childers 08-18-03 06:45 PM

Carpenter's The Thing is just a great, great film. In my top ten or twelve favorites.

It is to 1982 what An American Werewolf In London is to 1981.

MovieMaker5087 08-19-03 04:52 PM

This movie's awesome. Whenever it's on TV, I'm there. I give it a 10 out of 10.

blibblobblib 08-19-03 06:31 PM

This is one of the few films i remember seeing when i was child and it actually made me cry. All i remember is watching the scene where the doc is about to put the difribulator on that guys chest and it just opens and MUNCH eats his hands off :sick: Then the head pulls off the dead guy and runs away screaming! :eek:

A brilliant Sci-Fi Horror. It SO Gruesome and atmospheric you have to love it :yup:

Revenant 08-19-03 06:40 PM

There is a scene which I really like but which gets cut during television screening. :mad: It's when the dog/alien gets put in with the other dogs and it skins one of the canines alive.


I also love the bit where they are tied up waiting to be tested and they all start freaking when 'the thing shows itself. I think that part's hilarious. :laugh:

It is indeed my all time favourite horror movie.

Kong 08-20-03 02:29 AM

<-------- Only person in the world who didn't particularly care about The Thing.

nebbit 08-20-03 03:19 AM

I loved this movie, it started out so nice, I am an animal lover and the dog was so nice, then all hell breaks loose, very scary and gory, I have to cover my eyes in some parts, I am such a sissy. :yup:

Fugitive 08-21-03 09:18 AM

John Carpenter's The Thing has got to be one of my all-time favourites. I think the effects for its time was damn good. The humour at times was just right, second to another favourite of mine, Tremors.

Rabid_Imp 08-24-03 06:00 PM

I agree completely. This is one of my favourite horror films and the effects are used so well that it wouldn't be laughed at today. One of the best, I'm glad I'm not the only one to think so.


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