Thank You, Thing

Rating: Null/10 (5 April 2000)

I think that "The Thing" is one of the greatest horror films of all time. There, I said it, and I'd say it again if I had to. This movie is almost perfect. The outstanding effects are worth the price of admission alone, but the whole movie is just put together so well: the plot gives you the amount of information you need to understand what's happening but not too much as to get in the way of the thrills. The cast is flawless, with each of the dozen characters fleshed out in an amazingly short period of time. Even the dog is a fantastic actor.
I rarely gush unabashedly about a movie, but really, it's a masterpiece. Just the "heart attack" sequence alone puts this in the pantheon of great horror flicks. My complaints are few- parts of the story are a little hard to get upon one viewing, but rather than there being plot holes there is room for discussion for what's going on. What we see is not all that is going on- the people in this movie are always doing something, even if it's not on screen. The ambiguous ending also allows for tons of post-viewing conversation.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is, "The Thing" is one of my all time favorite horror movies, and definitely John Carpenter's best work. If you haven't seen it, you should, and if you have seen it you should see it again.