Arguably John Carpenter's Best Film

Rating: 8/10 (28 December 2010)

The Thing is a remake of the 1951 Howard Hawks film "The Thing From Another World," an adaptation of the short story "Who Goes There?" by John Campbell Jr. Hawks did not portray the Thing as it was in the book, that of an alien that could assimilate any other life form (human or animal) while retaining its memories and personality, almost like a more sophisticated kind of zombie. Perhaps due to technical limitations, or maybe to fit with the contemporary conventions of the horror genre, the 1951 adaptation portrayed the Thing as a Frankenstein monster from outer space. John Carpenter set out to change this with this adaptation, not only to make the story more loyal to the book, but to create the ultimate monster, one that was more than just a guy in a suit. Boy, did he succeed! The special effects for the Thing, created by Rob Bottin and Stan Winston, are incredible to this day; it is a much more realistic creature than many of the CGI monsters you see today. It's an amalgamation of all the creatures it has assimilated, including dogs, humans, and any other alien life forms it has encountered, giving it a familiar yet distinctly alien look.
Notable cast members include Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, and Keith David. When the characters realize what they are up against, they quickly descend into a state of paranoia, as anyone around them could be the Thing. I would rather fight regular zombies myself. To make things worse, they are on a scientific research station in the middle of Antarctica, with no radio contact, and their only means of transportation is destroyed.
The Thing was not successful upon its initial release, one of the great mysteries of the universe, but it garnered a large cult following, and it is now recognized as one of the best horror movies ever made. It is arguably John Carpenter's best film, although Halloween is very close. It definitely has my vote for best monster in a horror film.