This review is part of captaind's The Good Movies EpiGuide 2 write-off: http://www.epinions.com/content_5245804676.

In the wake of my recent review for Candyman, fellow Epinions.com horror buff Mike Bracken informed me that a remake of that particular film was planned. The news should've surprised me, but instead it tempered my ever-growing cynicism in the wake of retreads of movies like The Hitcher, Prom Night and even The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I placed a moratorium on the word "re-imagining" because most of these movies are building on the cash cow created by someone else's mind, and the results don't really feel like anything substantial was brought to the table. Candyman made me wince in particular because this was a movie from the past decade, and if I really lost faith in the state of horror, I would imagine that a remake of Scream or The Blair Witch Project would be announced in mere days. It's gotten that despairing for me.

I was born in the 1980s, a period which saw its own fair share of remakes, but a couple of which I not only can say stood out from the pack, but also rank amongst my all-time favorite films: David Cronenberg's The Fly and John Carpenter's THE THING. They are both based upon movies made in the 1950s and were either lauded or scolded for their advances in special make-up effects upon release, but they went in directions which greatly differed from the older versions and thus felt truer to the term "re-imagining." Not only that, they both had particularly engrossing stories concerning the breakdown of human relationships and the respective directors refused to wink condescendingly at their ancestors.

Wish I could say that those who are planning to revive Near Dark and Hellraiser can do the same, but I have some hope left. Trouble is that I don't know whether to feel sarcastic or secure about such a statement.

John W. Campbell, Jr. wrote the science fiction/mystery novella "Who Goes There?" in the late 1930s. The story was first made into a film by Howard Hawks and Christian Nyby in 1951 as The Thing from Another World, a beloved if loose adaptation which was immortalized in its own right ("Keep watching the skies!"). John Carpenter was thrilled by that film as a kid and even placed a clip of it in his breakthrough feature Halloween. The success of that film helped him get assigned to remake that film by Universal Studios. Carpenter opted to go for a direct adaptation of Campbell's story which was scripted by Bill Lancaster after several drafts, including one by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel, were rejected.

The movie opens up in what seems like the loneliest place on Earth, a patch of snow-capped, desolate land in Antarctica where a wolf dog is being chased and shot at by rifle-toting Norwegians in a helicopter. This isn't just an act of sport, but a serious mission to kill that dog. The dog runs off to an American research outpost and is rescued after the panicked Norwegian man takes a shot at the dog and accidentally wounds one of the men, Bennings (Peter Maloney), thus inviting a fatal retaliation by one of the men, Garry (Donald Moffat).

Not much is known about those stationed at Outpost 31 except that they are essentially alone and often just wasting their time with idle recreation. There is a storm brewing outside and radio operator Windows (Thomas Waites) cannot reach anybody to report the incident, thus establishing the disconnect and banality of their situation even further. Aside from these three men, the team also includes animal handler Clark (Richard Masur), the muscular Childs (Keith David), biologist Blair (Wilford Brimley), and pilot MacReady (Kurt Russell), who is introduced as even more isolated from the rest of the team by means of alcohol and computerized Chess. Mac does wind up becoming unlikely leader after an expedition to discover what was going on with the Norwegians.

Carpenter builds the mystery in these early scenes on shots of uncomfortably empty spaces. The harsh white plains outside may be barren, but back at the camp, there are shots of the rec room and the hallways, set to the tune of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition," that suggest an apocalyptic undercurrent along the lines of George Romero (he had yet to release Day of the Dead, a more deliberately pulpy variation on a similarly grim theme). Carpenter and veteran DP Dean Cundey, an expert at filming consistently steely and creepy night shots, work within the confines of a closed setting to establish the threat that will be, but which remains out of our understanding until the grueling moment of discovery.

Assisted by Doc Cooper (Richard Dysart), MacReady investigates the Norwegian base to find it has been burned up and littered with foreboding, bloodied signs of madness and death. Outside, the duo discover the charred, grotesque being which may have been thawed out from an icy containment discovered within the base. As The Thing is taken back to the camp and analyzed, the stray Husky is placed in the kennel with the other dogs and immediately shifts shape into a monstrous, alien being. Blair deduces that whatever this Thing is, it wants to shape its cellular structure to imitate any life form which it comes into contact with, including the dogs, only a couple of which make it out of the pen. One of the poor Huskies even tries to bite his way out of the kennel.

The men have seen nothing like this in their lives, but the realization that they themselves can be infiltrated and copied so authentically by an inhuman organism causes panic and paranoia. Blair is initially suspicious of Clark, who was alone with the alien dog for over an hour. Once computer data certifies that the Thing probably infiltrated one or more of the team and can also bring about the fall of man at an alarming rate, his cabin fever escalates into full-blown, axe-swinging madness that results in irreparably damaged communications and transportation devices, further deepening the distrust and dread amongst the men. Who is really flesh and blood and who's an imitation?

THE THING was released merely two weeks after Universal's summer blockbuster E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. If Spielberg's fantasy was about childlike wonder and bonding at the hands of a peaceful, friendly space being, Carpenter's Thing brings about finger-waving, fear and a brutally chilly sense that there is no escape. We only know enough about each of the men to understand that anyone can not be who they seem to appear as, but clearly there must be at least one or two uninfected. It's the ultimate breakdown in reason at the expense of survival on both sides, which makes for a tense viewing experience that implicates the viewer in the narrative. The blood test sequence alone is legendary and duly given an honorary place in pop culture history thanks to a recent allusion in an episode of South Park.

It's a film about existentialism via biological impulses, driven home by some of the most visceral, gory special effects ever preserved on celluloid. THE THING is a tour de force showcase for the feverish mind of make-up FX icon Rob Bottin, who prior to this created the pioneering werewolf transformation effects for Joe Dante's The Howling. The Thing is an amorphous being which knows no one shape, often bears the distorted visages of two or more men like a bizarre Picasso-esque sculpture and can sprout new anatomical appendages whenever incapacitated. Truly imaginative and undoubtedly exhaustive (Bottin worked tirelessly for over a year and had to be hospitalized at the end of shooting), Bottin's old-school FX work contributes immensely to the visceral pull of the movie without coming off as sloppy in the least, except in regards to the consistency afforded by gallons of K-Y Jelly and stage blood.

The pedigree behind the movie's disturbing, claustrophobic visuals is impressive and not just limited to Bottin. Helping out in the creature effects design is Stan Winston, who was just starting out doing high-profile work in the realm Bottin was mastering in his early twenties. Hitchcock regular Albert Whitlock contributes matte designs in his visual effects work that establish the alien's presence seamlessly. The stop-motion animation and model work also combine with the more practical on-set effects to ensure a sumptuous yet bleak otherwordly scenario.

The movie is a showcase for an ensemble cast directed with great assurance by Carpenter. Although the back stories of each of the men is not made explicit, each of the actors do their part to give solid characterizations. Wilford Brimley is unforgettable as Blair, who may or may not be infected but who takes the statistical information of the Thing's apocalyptic abilities really hard and distances himself from the group as a result. Richard Masur makes for a particularly fascinating red herring based on his propensity for befriending dogs more than humans. Keith David provides the requisite badass cynicism, eventually returning to work with Carpenter on the 1988 film They Live. Also in the cast are David Clennon (Palmer), Charles Hallahan (Norris), T.K. Carter (Nauls), and Joel Polis (Fuchs), all contributing respectable and collaborative performances, too. You're not sure whether they all are human or not. And although Kurt Russell carries the movie with intensity and ready appeal, it's not as boastful or broad as playing Snake Plissken or Jack Burton. The key is all of these characters seem like rational, scared men in an increasingly fractured proximity, and I feel that no performer truly outshines another.

THE THING unspools like an Agatha Christie novel, but with the inevitability that all of the men may as well be expendable. I feel like I'm explaining more than I should about this movie, however. Carpenter's film is a must-see for the reason that seeing it is infinitely more captivating than merely explaining every nook and cranny behind the narrative, the style or the special effects. It's unsettling but it is also a well-made, laborious effort by all involved. THE THING failed at the box office, eventually forcing Carpenter to turn to a more teen-friendly Stephen King adaptation to restore his clout. And yet, this movie has had an honorable place in my mind and my home video library, something which I cannot say about too many remakes as opposed to sequels.

I am reviewing THE THING through a copy of the 2005 Universal re-release, which offered a remastered and anamorphically-enhanced transfer that differs from the prior Collector's Edition package. Color contrast is the most significant difference in this version, with more naturalistic lighting and much less overt saturation. The sharpness levels remain consistent throughout all of the movie and thankfully so, since this is another Carpenter film that works best when viewed uncut and in all its 2.35:1 Cinemascope glory. Edge enhancment was minimal as was print defects andfilm grain, which occurred only in some night sequences. Flesh tones looked more realistic when not touched by the elements of lighting, and colors on a whole excel in their reproduction. The movie has been released subsequently on HD DVD and Blu-Ray, but even in standard definition, this is a fine transfer.

The English Dolby Digital 5.1 mix does well with stereo imaging throughout the front speakers, with elements such as chopper blades, flamethrower noise and scurrying alien blood providing sensual delights. The rears incorporated alien hiss and background noise to further expand the soundstage. Although some of the effects sounded particularly good, like the cracking whip noise of an alien tongue lashing out to catch a table leg, the occasional punch or gunshot sounded somewhat muffled. I neglected to mention the moody synthesizer score by Ennio Morricone, but there is a great presence to the music on the mix that also affords some bass response, an aspect which also feels muted. Dialogue was rooted in the center and remained understandable if somewhat tinny. A French Dolby 2.0 mix and subtitles in either of the two language options are also featured.

Except for production notes and biographies on Carpenter and Russell, all of the significant extras on this DVD have been taken from the older DVD and laserdisc editions. The John Carpenter and Kurt Russell commentary track is the most obviously recycled extra because of lip service paid to the latter format. Still, these men have had a solid history together and discuss the movie in a casual, charming manner. The two of them discuss the troubles with the shooting in Alaska and certain other moments when the actors and director had cold feet. According to Carpenter, "The only problem with this location is that they couldn't get any beer." The two of them discuss certain elements they feel may have alienated their audience back when the film was released and relate the political and social subtexts of the story. I'm still not convinced this film was the opening salvo of any real "trilogy," but I liked the discussion of the movie overall and felt that there were no lagging moments in the track.

There are nine annotated production archive features which touch upon certain elements of the film via a display of text and production photos. The best part about these is that although you can use your remote to skip a page, it's not necessary because the frames are timed to allow you to read them without preconditions. The galleries are broken up into the following segments:

- "Production Background Archive" focuses on the development of the remake, including the decision by the producers to finally allow Carpenter the chance to direct. There's also some sections from Lancaster's draft script which outlines each of the characters (in the original draft, Windows was originally named Sanchez).

- "Cast Production Photographs" includes a still for each of the 12 actors.

- "Production Art and Storyboards" includes original design sketches by Dale Kuipers which hewed a little too closely to the face-hugging alien from Alien. Rob Bottin's revised concept sketches look much more imaginatively weird and wonderful, and there are also storyboards for the Norwegian base sequence with Mac and Doc.

- "Location Design" features slides of location scouting and set construction photographs taken during the winter of 1981 in British Columbia.

- "Production Archives" includes more on-set photographs of the cast and crew plus storyboard sketches of elaborate FX sequences.

- "The Saucer" includes frame by frame color storyboards of the scenw where the Americans find the alien spaceship in a huge crater. We also see full motion outtakes of the saucer flying through space and the blue screen process used to create the crater scene.

- "The Blairmonster." An extensive behind-the-scenes look at a monster effect in the finale (developed using miniatures and stop-motion animation) which was eventually scrapped by John Carpenter because it looked rather phony. Provided are both still photographs and video footage.

- "Outtakes" includes a small reel of cut footage which may have been integrated into the cable TV version of the film plus text-based outlines of a few others not included in full motion.

- "Post Production" concludes with still photos of Carpenter and Morricone as well as the cover art for the novelization and shots from the Hollywood Pacific Theatre premiere hosted by Elvira.

The original theatrical trailer is also on hand. All that's left to mention is "Terror Takes Shape," the 84-minute documentary on the making of THE THING. Missing from the previous edition is a chapter menu for the eight-part feature (if you skip forward, you skip the entire program) as well as the hidden menu option to allow Ennio Morricone's soundtrack to play over the documentary. The feature presentation often times only slightly elaborates on topics discussed in the galleries and commentary, but midsection analysis of certain effects sequences as told through multiple perspectives is a highlight. A couple of the cast members aren't as participatory in the end (Russell talks about getting cast and then is forgotten for well over 30 minutes), but many of the principal FX artists and technicians do weigh in on the creation of THE THING and their thoughts on its eventual cult adoration. Only time will tell whether people warm up to The Amityville Horror just as much.

Movie: 4.5/5.
Video: 4.5/5.
Audio: 4/5.
Extras: 4.5/5.
Final: 4.5/5, but an essential genre flick and solid DVD presentation worth estimating up to a full-on five stars.

THE THING is a Universal Pictures release, rated R for gory scenes of terror and violence, language and drug use. The movie lasts 109 minutes and was released theatrically on June 25, 1982.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age