Thing, The: Collector`s Edition (US)

Content

Not as much as newer movies - but there again when this came out no-one knew there was going to be DVD and lots of space to fill in. However there is plenty of stuff for John Carpenter fans to be delighted with.

Video

Quality is not brilliant - but what do expect - these were the days where we only had Rubic`s cube and Space Invaders to entertain us.

Audio

So so for quality but hey man - its a John Carponter track so its good anyway!

Features

A bit boring in places but enough to wet your appetite, such as the alternative ending they filmed and how they did it in those days without computers. It gets more interesting as it goes on such as the explanation for why the film didn`t do too well in the box office.

Overall

Worth buying if this film amazed you like it did me all those years ago.

The thing is not a run of the mill horror, this is probably one of the reasons why it was never as succesful as Alien.

Yet most people have heard of it!

This is because you either love this film or hate it, as you can tell by the score I love It.

The whole subject of Trust/Paranoia/Lack of Hope is explored in this film, making it stylish to some people and morbid to other`s

If you have never seen this film you must see it atleast once, the special effects still hold up today and the quality of acting by the excellently assembled cast is first rate.

The extras are many and for a fan brilliant if a little unpolished.

The Video is pretty good but those red flares in the dark & snow do show a lil pixelation in the scene, the sound is pretty okay too.

I love this film buy it!

There are so many reasons to like this film, yet it was universally panned by the critics when it was originally released in the summer of 1982. David Denby of New York magazine called the film "more disgusting than frightening, and most of it was boring". Vince Canby of the NY Times declared it "too phony looking to be disgusting....qualifies only as instant junk". Many other critics bantered Carpenter`s effort citing a lack of characterizations, tension, and a story driven by overdone special effects. Some went as far as to call it "Alien on Ice". There were a few brave souls who saw the genius right away in "The Thing". Alan Frank of the Daily Star maintained "you won`t find a better spinechiller than The Thing". Quentin Tarantino has called "The Thing" one of his favorite movies of all-time and the basic premise of "Reservoir Dog"--someone who is not what he appears to be-- was definitely influenced by this film. Well, enough of what the critics said about "The Thing", now let me share my feelings on the film.

The secret to the overall success of this film lies in the one point that many critics cited as it`s main fault, the special effects. The one word that describes the special effects on this film is STUNNING! Sure Carpenter`s direction and Lancaster`s script were great, but the believable of the film was brought to life by Bottin and his team. Over $1.5 million was spent on the film`s effects and it was well worth every penny. Without the masterful transformations of The Thing (i.e. kennel, defibrillator, blood test, and ending), this could have been another bad B-movie (a la a man in a monster suit), but rather we are left feeling hopeless by the creature`s sheer power and in our understanding of the paranoia that each team member must have felt as he tried to determine if the man next to him was who appeared to be. Rather than diverting the story line, the effects propelled it. They made The Thing something that has traversed my nightmares, as well as, many others for years. I really can`t say enough about Rob Bottin and his crews efforts other than they are the cornerstone in the foundation of this great film.

The films strength lies in it`s believable and this is one reason why it is womanless. Even the hero of the film, Macready isn`t your typical one-lining Rambo-type superhero destiny to blow up everything and save the world, but rather he is an average "Joe" bent on trying to survive or destroy The Thing. The paranoia of the moment seeps out and engulfs the viewer into wondering "Who is human and who is The Thing??". We, nor the characters, never really know until The Thing shockingly decides to reveal itself. It is the ultimate who-done-it. The "blood test" scene has to be one of the most tension filled moments ever to grace the silver screen. Classic cinema!