Enemy Within

Rating: 10/10 (24 January 2012)

Trust has became a scarce commodity, because of the simple fact we never really know a person, because in reality it's impossible to know a person fully, there is just always something to hide.
This film is my favorite film from my favorite movie director John Carpenter as well as my favorite horror film and favorite films in general. The film really helped pave the way for the way we look at most horror and suspense films but also was an inspiration for video games like "Dead Space", parts of "Resident Evil". It's also a prime example of a remake when done the right way, don't get me wrong I like the 1950's film it's good in it's own way but I love the 80's version more because of just that being good in it's own way, a way I just like the most.
There is so much I really love about this film, I love the creature effects from one of my favorite make up/effect artists Rob Boltin as well as the late great Stan Winston. I liked seeing the dolperganger alien whenever it pops out it just seems to always transform into whatever the heck it's suppose to look like, it just seems to be a mixture of things, their slightly inspired by the monster from H.P. Lovecraft's stories which always had bizarre otherworldly monsters.
I love the location it really sets up a atmosphere of fear and isolation. The music from Enccio Morone is excellent, it's one of my favorite horror scores ever, the theme song is memorable it just has that evokes the feeling of cold lonely fear. But most importantly it was in the suspense which is the best thing and a common thing with Carpenter.
You are just on red alert throughout the whole film, because the danger doesn't let up even in it's peaceful moments. I actually jumped a few times watching this movie and that was a great feeling that I don't get often. Like that infamous blood test scene, I was at edge having both anticipation on who the Thing is but at the same time scared of the possibility of the Thing.
You really feel just that sense of paranoia. From the enviorment which feels palpable, just the cold, darkness, and sheer isolation knowledge that these people are in the middle of nowhere and there is no one out there to help because their miles away. There is also the fact that no one can really run or even hide, because you really can't get out of the facility there is nothing out in that envorment to run to, you'll freeze to death in mere minutes. And due to the Thing being anyone along with how small the facility is it leaves few places to really hide. So it leaves you with that sense of doom and dread because of the lack of those options.
It's true these characters don't have much depth and you don't get to really know most of them despite some personality on them but that's the point. Even though these characters all live under the same roof you can see their all not really close, and it just goes to show that just because your in the same enviorment doesn't automatically mean all will be friends, it's like with the high school and collage I've been to there are hundreds or almost thousands of people that I pass by or go to class with and barely know a mere fraction of them.
Though a couple of characters stand out for me mainly MacReady and Childs played by two favorite actors of mine Kurt Rusell and Keith David. Both just have some of the best lines and both are proactive in the situation, I like how both are scared but their don't wimp out against danger they fight back, let alone that really is the only option available. Let alone both are likable and easy to emphasize with a bit because both are bored and just want to get the heck out of the facility. I don't blame them, I might just go nuts being there to long without a anime convention or girl around that can really suck.
The Thing itself it an enigma, we don't really know it's motives or if it even has any. Nor does it seem to have really a true form since it can replicate itself by being viral. I even like how it behaves which makes it feel all the more real, despite primal it's capable of intelligence it was able to fly and tried to rebuild it's spacecraft after all. It's also kinda like a game hunter, the Thing doesn't really do anything at first but you know it will once it's moment comes, the humans it imitates are practically it's camouflage which is it's edge, and what makes it a hard opponent to nail. Did the Thing come from another planet we haven't discovered or may'be another galaxy. Was the alien suppose to be some kinda scout for invasion of Earth or could it of been some sort of bio weapon some alien race created to help destroy Earth's inhabitants. I don't know your theories are as good as mine, but that makes the creature all the more scary.
This film was an acknowledgment of cold war paranoia as well as paranoia of disease in the 80's decade but I also feel it's relevant today with our decade with our war on terrorism and chemical weapons/disease epidemics. The main theme is about distrust of our fellow man, how it is not the enemy seen that will destroy people but it is fear of the stranger that becomes our undoing.
It's not the enemy that you see that should be fear, it is the enemy unseen.
Rating: 4 stars