John Carpenter's masterpiece of paranoia!

Rating: Null/10 (24 September 2002)

Unfortunately I spend much of my time berating John Carpenter in regards to his recent lazy and mediocre efforts. What a refreshing change it is to relive his earlier seminal work and remember just why he once had a reputation as one of America's most exciting and inventive film makers! 'The Thing' is quite possible the best movie Carpenter has ever made, and sadly it seems, ever will make. He is at the height of his powers with this dark, tense and claustrophobic thriller, and is blessed with a superb ensemble cast, and (a rarity for him these days) a decent script will believable, fully rounded characters. Kurt Russell gives his best work for Carpenter here, in arguably his strongest performance to date. The supporting cast is flawless, and includes fine character actors such as Wilford Brimley ('Cocoon'), Keith David ('Dead Presidents'), Richard Dysart ('Being There'), Richard Masur ('Who'll Stop The Rain)', and Donald Moffat ('The Right Stuff'). I highly recommend the DVD version of this movie which features one of the most entertaining and informative commentaries I've ever heard. (from Carpenter and Russell) Much maligned when it was first released, 'The Thing' now looks like a masterpiece of paranoid science fiction, one of the very few remakes that surpasses the original version, and absolutely essential viewing for any self respecting horror or SF fan. It really doesn't get much better than this! Highly recommended!