An unfairly under-appreciated modern horror classic

Rating: 10/10 (12 March 2001)

Many have written John Carpenter's version of The Thing off as an overly gory remake of the 1950's horror 'classic'. What these people have failed to realize is that, unlike the vastly overrated and campy Howard Hawks version, The Things' scripters actually read their source material, John W. Campbell's classic sci-fi tale, "Who Goes There". You will be hard pressed to find a film that remains so faithful to the text off which it is based. Everything is meticulously captured, from the utter desolation of the Antarctic to the grotesque, Kafka-esque imagery of the monster itself. The cast offers genuinely solid performances, making for a horror movie that does what a horror movie should: frighten the audience while having them sympathize with the plight of the cast. Despite its gore, the film keeps strength in characterization, making death scenes and creature attacks more tragic. Those who write this film off as an overly gory remake should learn what makes a good HORROR film and read the original story off which the film is based. This isn't a remake. It's Hollywood finally doing the story justice after its butchering in the 1950's.