The Thing

Rating: 8/10 (17 December 2008)

This remake of the 1951 Howard Hawks and Christian Nyby film, The Thing from Another World, sticking more closely to the John W. Campbell Jr. novel it was based, with an updated screenplay by Bill Lancaster (son of Burt), and directed by John Carpenter (Halloween, Starman), this is a special effects extravaganza. Basically an alien ship crashed to Earth, and then we see a helicopter circling an Antartican snowfield, trying to shoot a dog, and this is where American researchers work in their facility. They let the dog into their facility, but what they don't realise is that it is an alien copy, and it is only when they see the remains of a mangled body they discover and realise this "Thing" can transform and take the appearance of anyone amongst them. Everyone is now a suspect, because they don't know who is the "Thing", and one by one, the unlucky few are suffering the horrific terror attacks to it. The only way to determine the alien is taking blood and putting it in a dish, to see reaction to a hot needle, and they have to make sure all other remains of it are with it to be destroyed. Starring Kurt Russell as R.J. MacReady, Wilford Brimley as Dr. Blair, T.K. Carter as Nauls, David Clennon as Palmer, Keith David as Childs, Richard Dysart as Dr. Copper, Charles Hallahan as Vance Norris, Peter Maloney as George Bennings, Richard Masur as Clark, Donald Moffat as Garry, Joel Polis as Fuchs and Thomas G. Waites as Windows. It is almost unbelievable to think that absolutely every effect in this film was created by animatronics, no CGI whatsoever, and you have to remember that things and people are being ripped apart, and they still move! The story is good, the acting is as good as you can get, and the special effects, what can I say, a good horror classic. For some reason it was nominated the Razzie for Worst Musical Score for Ennio Morricone, I'll admit it isn't amazing, but it's not that bad. It was number 17 on The 100 Greatest Scary Moments. Very good!