The Thing

[Grok]

Last night I just happened to catch <i>The Thing</i> on the Encore channel. This movie, created in 1982, still holds up very well. Pretty freakin' freaky, and the special effects are not bad for circa '82. Scary movie. Reminds me of the other great sci fi of the early 80's/late 70's, <i>Alien</i>. These guys knew how to make scary movies. I haven't seen a true sci fi thriller come out that wasn't highly predictable for a long time.

 

[beartooth]

I was thinkng the original Thing debuted in 53' maybe? Haven't sen the 2nd one. Wasn't "Look father Indians!" Kurt Russel in the 2nd?

 

[flynn]

I thought the original was better, I just didn't find anything that great about John Carpenters version. A couple of friends of mine love it and think its far better than the original but I just don't see it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[Grok]

Yes, Kurt Russell was in it. He did a decent job. Wilfred Brimley was in it and he was good.

 

[Grok]

I never saw the original, but generally I need color in my movies, and not technicolor. There's a few oldies I'll watch, but I admit that I'm a spoiled movie viewer. Plus I find the acting in the old movies to be really really bad.

 

[flynn]

I tend to find old movies are driven by plot whereas modern movies can be driven purely by special effects. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[grooble]

Also the 1980s were the golden age of horror. Jason, Freddy, Halloween, Piranha, Re-Animator.<br /><br />The 1980s had the best films ever. They just ain't as good anymore.

 

[hracctsold]

I agree with Flynn, even to be honest, I haven't had a desire to see the newer version. <br />Did you know the "thing" himself was James Arness from Gunsmoke? Yes, it was a 50's sci-fi, but I enjoyed the end where the journalist put the warning out about those scary aliens, and "be afraid, be very afraid." I think is how it ends. That is one of the things I like about those movies, how they possibly influenced the thinking of the time. Could be very wrong though.

 

[Grok]

I too find the late 70s to mid 80s to be a good era for horror and suspense movie making. The Exorcist, Jaws, Terminator, Amityville Horror, Poltergeist, Alien. I know I'm missing many. <br /><br />The had plot and acting.

 

[davp99]

Just a side note about the 82 version, one ends with Kurt and the Black guy watching the Camp burn, and another has the Alien in Dog form again running away ...i guess one has been Edited to fit a Tv schedule.. oh well.. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="4">Dave..</font> </div>

 

[Grok]

The one I saw was with Kurt and the black guy watching the camp burn. When I first saw the dog at the beginning of the movie, I was like "oh sure this is credible. A dog in Antartica being attacked by a helicoptor." Little did I realize it was an alien dog who assimulated one of the dogs the Norweigan's brought along. Do they really use dogs in Antartica? I guess they might for a sled ride. That's the only reason I can think of.

 

[flynn]

Scott made it to the pole with dogs <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[wmdragon]

great sci-fi horror movie, one of my favorites. the comparison with Alien is apt, although Alien is a better thriller. there is something about that formula, isolated humans running into some nasty unknown, thats just doesnt get old (when done well at least).<br /><br />I like Carpenter's version much more than the 50s one, in which the alien is simply a humanoid vampire of sorts. but I can see the old movie being quite effective when it came out back then.<br /><br />has anyone made an association between this story and HP Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness"? was there any relation between that short story and "Who Goes There?" mentioned by crazyeddie? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[wmdragon]

"At The Mountains of Madness"<br />a team of scientists discovers the ruins of an advanced alien civilization under the polar ice, leading to an even more terrifying discovery: the civilization was destroyed by a slave race of amorphous horrors which still dwell in the ruins.<br /><br />the scientific team, the alien discovery under the ice, the shape-changing monsters ... coincidence? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[luciusverus]

<b>What the journalist said was "Watch the skies!". Don't ask me how I remember stuff like this! </b><br /><br />Must admit I'm surprised you do....... Usually at your age the memory begins to deteriorate quite significantly.....!!

 

[claywoman]

This is to no one in particular, but I believe in the original 'The Thing' the thing was played by James Arness who played Marshall Dillon on Gunsmoke. I believe it was his first role....<br /><br />I never saw the second one just the original....

 

[Grok]

Flynn,<br /><br />Yes, but I thought they were showing a lone dog being hunted in Antartica, and I don't believe there are any mammals just wondering around Antartica, are there? That's the point I was trying to make. I didn't know, at the time, that the dog was an alien from the Norweigan camp.

 

[flynn]

No mammels? havn't you seen Land that time forgot? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[qzzq]

Hmmm, maybe they had a dog for when supplies ran out; they could always eat the darn thing! Dog tastes good with a side of ice and snow, so I heard. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>***</p> </div>

 

[yevaud]

(In a Vietnamese accent): "Oh, you di di like some nice roast dog on rice, with mung beans?" <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[flynn]

Well thats hows nearly all the original polar explorers went to the pole, dogs carried them as far as posible then eat the dogs weakest first, In the early days of polar exploration their was quite a debate whether to use ponies or dogs, the draw back with dogs is that they are carnivores so you have to take plenty of penguin meat along or feed them on each other (Dog eat Dog!)<br /><br /><br />Dogs do have the advantage of exerting less pressure on the ice and of cause with ponies you have to take along plenty of hay (and you can't grow it).<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[qzzq]

Hey, didn't know that, they really ate their dogs? Obviously not cavalry! <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>***</p> </div>

 

[flynn]

Scott took both dogs and Ponies (Captain Oates was only taken because of his experience with horses)<br /><br />Amundsen took dogs.<br /><br />Shackleton took ponies. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[wmdragon]

"Shackleton took ponies."<br /><br />which expedition? he had dogs for his disastrous voyage on the Endurance <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[flynn]

I've still got to read Endurance, but he had ponies on his first Expedition 1907 (not counting the Navy expedition both he and Scott managed half the Ross Ice shelf just before the first world war) That expedition they knocked off the Magnetic South pole and made it to within 100 miles of the true south pole.<br /><br />Heres something on it.<br /><br />http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/Ernest%20Shackleton_Nimrod_expedition.htm<br /><br />There is also something on there about modified motorcars taken, Scott took some that had been refined much further that actually was the genesis for the Tank used in World War 1. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>