Director: John Carpenter
Writers: Bill Lancaster (screenplay), John W. Campbell Jr. (story)
Stars: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, David Clennon, Donald Moffat, Thomas G. Waites
From what I consider to be the master of horror,
John Carpenter's '
The Thing' is one of the best horror movies ever created. This is my personal favourite horror movie. Now I'm not a fan of gore but I can make an exception for this film because it has outstanding acting, the most horrifying extra-terrestrials I have seen and a brilliant plot.
Set in Antartica, we see in the opening scene Norwegians shooting at what appears to be a poor sled-dog. When they stumble upon an American scientific station, they attempt to shoot the dog in front of the Americans, and subsequently get shot because of a misunderstanding. What makes this such a great opening sequence is that it makes you ask questions straight away.
R.J. Macready (Kurt Russell) is a strong, burly man. He and a team of scientists investigate the Norwegian's camp and find that everyone is either missing or dead. The strangest thing they find is a what appears to be two humans submerged into one body, which looks terrifying. Upon further investigation, they find a large spaceship buried deep within the ice which must have laid dormant there for at least 100,000 years.
This movie contains unforgettable scenes where humans transform into aliens. These hand crafted effects are masterful. They look so real, exactly what we'd imagine our worst nightmares to look like. The actors in this movie did a splendid job at reacting the way any person would at the sight of these monsters.
The Thing has believable dialogue, an excellent cast and the best effects I've seen in a horror movie since
An American Werewolf in London. Perhaps the most frightening thing about this movie is the fact that it all seems very plausible. Who knows, maybe there are things hiding in the depths of Antartica that just haven't thawed out yet...
