Carpenter's first B movie on an A budget

Rating: Null/10 (14 July 2010)

John Carpenter's "The Thing" serves up not only a civilizational clash between aliens and mankind, but between Hollywood popcorn cinema and the cinema verite and neorealist movements of 1960s Europe. Such an odd blend resulted in many excellent horror films in the 1970s and early 80s, which mixed fantasy plots and big budget SFX with gritty realism and grungy characters.
The film – a loose remake of Howard Hawks' equally great "The Thing From Another World" - revolves around a group of men trapped in an ice station during a blizzard. To make matters worse, a shape shifting alien is hidden among them. Much paranoia, tension and violence ensues.
Carpenter's special effects range from excellent to hokey, and he does dwell on them a bit too much, but his cast – especially Kurt Russell in the lead – are what really keeps us riveted.
8/10 – Like "Alien", this is essentially a peek-a-boo haunted house movie, Ridley Scott's lavish environments replaced with better characters, dialogue and arguably more tension. Like most films which rely on easy spooks, the film is a bit too shallow and schematic. Worth two viewings.