The Thing (1982) #1

Anytime you have an intense weather condition occur in a movie, the feeling of helplessness automatically rises. And if the setting is somewhere such as the Arctic and the intense weather condition is a blizzard that is about to hit, the overwhelming sense of isolation and despair take that feeling of helplessness even higher. Throw in a thawed out alien that can change shape and wants to consume everyone at the base camp and you have John Carpenter’s remake of “The Thing”.

The premise is your basic “start with a large group and kill them one by one in entertaining ways” story arc with the fun twist of not knowing if and who in the group is the killer alien. The feelings of paranoia and distrust are fairly acted out and I enjoy the attempts that are made to confuse and frame the various crew members. Never knowing if someone is who they really are continues up to the credits as the last two survivors wait for either the other to act or for the freezing temperatures to finally kill them.

"The Thing" showcases a stellar cast led by Kurt Russell as MacReady, Wilford Brimley as Dr. Blair, and Keith David as Childs. Their performances, along with those of the rest of the cast, have the perfect chemistry as a scientific research team in the middle of the Arctic. They have their friendships, their annoyances, and personality quirks believably established before the chaos truly erupts. The soundtrack, composed by Ennio Morricone, elevates the sense of cosmic dread and paranoia. 

The alien is this film is really fun to watch. It will do whatever it needs to in order to survive including tearing a portion of itself off and growing its own legs to crawl away. The special effects in “The Thing” are amazing and has me longing for the days of long ago when CGI wasn’t available. I have seen the prequel of the same name that came out in 2011 and while I appreciated the familiar sights and forms that the alien took in that film, seeing them rendered in CGI made the effects look silly and less frightening. Puppets, models, anything physical will (almost) always look more believable.

Favorite moment – The scene when some of the survivors check the cabin to see how the exiled Wilfred Brimley is doing and seeing the noose hanging in the background.

One of the best, original alien forms I've ever seen!