Grim, genuinely frightening horror epic

Rating: 10/10 (17 October 1998)

Easily John Carpenter's best film, "The Thing" is that rarest of movie rarities -- a remake of a classic film that is every bit as good as the original. Backed by a pounding, heartbeat-like synthesizer score from the brilliant Ennio Morricone, "The Thing" opens (following a pre-titles UFO "teaser") with striking, beautifully choreographed images of a low flying helicopter chasing a dog through a desolate, frozen landscape. The finale is just as stunningly filmed, the story bleakly and ambiguously ending in that same landscape awash in redhot flames. In between, "The Thing" offers some of the most potently horrific sequences ever shot. John W. Campbell's original short story "Who Goes There?" is followed much more closely here than in Howard Hawks' version, resulting in some awesomely effective man-to-monster transformations. Although these make-up effects have been much copied since 1982, the film has lost little of its power to shock even the most jaded of horror fans. Carpenter's direction is stylish and assured, filling almost every sequence with the maximum amount of dread and suspense possible. Add Morricone's thumping, eerie music to the mix and you end up with one of the most terrifying of all movie experiences. (The DVD and laser disc versions are highly recommended, crammed as they are with wonderful additional goodies, including a shot-by-shot audio track discussion by Carpenter and star Kurt Russell, as well as an informative eighty minute documentary of the film's production.)