The Thing: The Early Years

Considering the movie plays like a pseudo-sorta-kinda-sequel to The Thing From Another World, wouldn't a prequel be unnecessary? (Or am I just hoping that Universal will for once leave well enough alone?)

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Reminds me of what I said in my review:

"The Thing begins with a sequence unmatched by anything else in Carpenter's work. Ominously bland shots of the Antarctic profile, then a beautiful white-gray husky pursued by manic Norwegians in a black helicopter. I like to view the one with the rifle -- who approaches the men, shouting words of warning they can't understand, and then opens fire on the dog, wounding one of the men -- as the unlucky Norwegian version of MacReady; I like to imagine this being the ironic end of a Thing prequel, wherein the heroes chase the Thing to an American military base after devastating losses at their own base, and then, as in Night of the Living Dead, get blown away for their troubles ... while the monster in its fuzzy, frisky new form snuggles up to its fresh banquet of victims. End credits. Now, that would be a killer Carpenter movie. (Many fans thirst for a sequel; personally, I'd prefer the prequel.)"

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Actually, I was hoping John Carpenter's version would die off and the Original would be shown more and more fully!

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Awesome atmospheric soundtrack by Ennio Morricone for that movie, too.

Personally I think that it is an ultimate guy movie; absolutely gross, including that scene where one chap's head has oozed down to the floor and sprouted long crab-like legs and eye-stalks to scuttle around, to MacReady's "You gotta be fuckin' kidding me!" just before he unceremoniously blasts it with a flame thrower.

I see this movie as being about homophobia. There are *no* women in Carpenter's version, and I think one in the original, and I see the whole thing of the alien taking over all of these men, and the paranoia of not knowing who is and who is not still who they were yesterday, as representing the errosion of truly human masculinity by... something else! Wham, perhaps, or Michael Jackson, or Dead or Alive.

Now it could be represent terrorism, and maybe even closet fascists.

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The THING, my favorite Movie of all time, (I'm 58), and I've seen it about 60 times already.
The way it ends with Kurt Russel appearing to have been taken and his partner "Childs," "Where were you Childs?" Both appearring to have been taken, and both wanting to FREEZE and await rescue.
WOW< what an eyepopping sequel that would have made. This movie is MY FAVORITE of all time, and I'm blown away it didn't make money, and have a sequel times 5.
Maybe one day. Ahh, the DVD and VHS sells HOT, and the Game a hit....Those were the days. Gee, thanks JOHN CARPENTER. Best make a sequel before Mcgready (Kurt Russel), and Childs both really get old and die.

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my favorite part was the spider head....it blew me away....

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And the reaction to the spider-head was perfect, too.

I'd forgotten this movie did so poorly in the theatrical run. Surely the constant cable and home video sales have been profitable.

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Um, everyone likes to be appreciated but how can I have 67 stars for the number of comments I've made here? (Not to mention the lack of anything inspired in those scant few comments.)

Is there a CMS bug at work here or do I have a nascent stalker. I've always wanted one of those. It's like dating for the extremely lazy.

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The John Carpenter version is MUCH more true to the original short story, "Who Goes There?". Personally, I like both versions.

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This was a movie I missed in theaters because of all the negativity...but when I saw it on video, I remeberI had to replace my easy chair becasue of the impressions my fingers made in the arms. This was a "white-knuckle" classic on par with Alien for pure shock value...it is definitely one of the best horror-sci-fi films ever made.

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"The Thing" from back in the 1950's is the only one that should be accepted as true 'horror'. The second one from 1982 is just gore for gore's sake. James Arness is still around, why not get him up and about for a sequal to THAT one. I can still remember the scene when they're opening the door to the lab, and the hand jumps out at them! Talk about screaming in the theatre. The ORIGINAL is ALWAYS best! Someone should burn the copies of the '82 version.

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It also is one of my favorie horror films of all times. John Carpenter is treated by critics much the same was as Sergio Leone was treated by them when he was making his westerns back in the '60s. Critics derided the films but now they are considered to be classics of the genre.
In fact, two of them -- "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly" plus "Once Upon A Time In The West" are considered to be masterpieces!

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I prefer the original, with James Arness in his first role. That was scarier because it built up the tension. Being gory is just to easy. Build up is better!

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The Thing is a CLASSIC. Nuff Said, but if you want to read and see the sequel, hunt down the comic book series issued by Dark Horse Comics in 1991.
It continues the story right from the point where Mcready and Childs are sitting by the fire waiting to freeze to death. Admittedly, it's no replacement for a John Carpenter Horror-Fest, but, if you're a fan who needs that THING-FIX every once in awhile, these comics are a great alternative.

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I love the Carpenter version. I didn't get around to purchasing it on DVD (might as well wait for the Blu-Ray edition at this point), but I caught it on IFC (and shown in widescreen) a couple months back and it was stunning. I had never seen it in widescreen before. Excellent shots. It is a film that still holds up to this day. Dare I say it is better than *Escape from New York*?

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the scene with the cardiac defibrilator freaked me out for years.

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