That Thing You Do

Rating: Null/10 (21 March 2002)

I was lucky enough to see 'The Thing' on its first release in 1982. I saw it twice in 3 days at 'The Gaiety' cinema in Bristol. I recall it clearly. After 20 years, I can still vividly recall the opening shots, of a guy in a helicopter desperately trying to shoot a German Shepherd dog running through the snow in Antarctica. I still remember willing him to miss. It's a classic moment, because as the story unfolds, your hatred of the cruel, would-be pet killer completely disappears when you realise why he was trying to shoot him. Although there are many similarities to the Alien movies, 'The Thing' belongs on its own as a movie. The effects are great for 1982, and whereas most of today's horror movies carry a '15' certificate, you can still see why this is not suitable for young teenagers. I have my doubts about whether it would have attracted an '18' had it been released now, however. There's something of a 'cult status' about the feel of this movie, whatever that really means. I was lucky enough to buy it for Â£10 on DVD. It's been nagging me to get it ever since I bought a DVD player. Kurt Russell has never been better; the rest of the cast are good; and the suspense from each character's mistrust of the other is something which is missing from most recent horror movies. John Carpenter, in those days, knew how to get an audience on the edge of their seats. This is not quite as good as 'Aliens' (in my view the ultimate in alien-horror movies) but it's a great movie to watch when you want a rush of adrenalin for sheer gut-churning visions.