Watch the skies, everywhere! Keep looking. Keep watching the skies!
Ned “Scotty” Scott- The Thing from Outer Space
I decided to review all of John Carpenter’s apocalypse trilogy at the beginning of this journey. I didn’t watch them in order because I wanted to sandwich The Thing between his lesser-known two films of the trilogy. The Thing is regarded as perhaps Carpenter’s best film, and I wanted to view it in context of his other films.
Halloween is my favorite Carpenter film, but after watching The Thing again, it might be his best. His directing skill is definitely suited for sci-fi. His visionary style was way ahead of its time. When The Thing was first released, it was widely panned. Not only was it panned, but it was even called the worst film of all time.
Today the film has been reevaluated. It’s thought of now as a genre-defining film. The special effects are key to this. Rob Bottin, who worked with Carpenter on many of his films, completely knocked the effects out of this world. There are multiple legendary set pieces. My favorite effect is definitely the spider head!
The most unique part of The Thing is the score. John Carpenter is a master at scoring a movie, but the legendary Ennio Morricone scored the Thing. The score is not only creepy but beautiful. Morricone’s impact on Carpenter’s own scoring can be traced by their collaboration here.
The Thing’s cast is what really propels it to classic status. Kurt Russell stars as the lead character MacReady. His cool machismo and every man quality really elevate the script. Wilford Brimley is also terrific as Blair. But the real star of this film is the Thing. A monster that can take on any form is very easy to overdo. Even though the special effects are gory and over the top, there is real restraint shown at times. The monster doesn’t openly stalk its prey. It methodically paces itself.
The Thing is a sci-fi and horror masterpiece. Everything about it is elite. John Carpenter’s direction is amazing, and the special effects are way ahead of their time. Ennio Morricone is at the height of his ability with a score that is intense and glorious. Kurt Russell and the rest of the cast take The Thing to another level. The Thing is peak John Carpenter, and it is one of the best films ever made.
