The Thing about John Carpenter's The Thing

I finally watched John Carpenter's The Thing recently and wasn't that something. I had wanted to see it for a long time because of all the SF TV shows that did their tribute episodes.

It’s a great concept and the remote locale and limited cast raise the tension in ways worldwide versions like The Host, or I presume, The Fifth Wave, can hope for as the pressure disperses.

For those totally lost, the Thing is an alien that can resemble anyone it's killed. And it's in a remote Antarctic station. Anyone there could be part of the Thing and could become part of it if you lose sight of them.



What makes the story work is the paranoia the situation creates. I believe that's why so many shows do their tribute episodes too.

Unfortunately, I think John Carpenter's version didn't do enough with that element. The characters were paranoid no doubt but the atmosphere of the film lost its paranoia early on.

The movie became a series of scenes of yelling at each other or gory deaths and gruesome aliens. 1980s brilliance in the gore factor but ... disappointing all the same.

For a cinematic twist I prefer Event Horizon, and for the tributes I recommend The X-Files which had more paranoia and some wonderful angry Mulder scenes.

Keep dreaming!

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