Sweet #200. I have said this before in my other posts but I honestly didn't think I was going to get to this post. It took me longer to get to #200 than it did to reach #150. That is counting every 50 posts by the way. From #100 to #150, I burned through it pretty quick. Getting to #200 took me longer but then I did have some issues to get through. I was also wrong about ever post being a movie review. One wasn't but I was close. I'm not sure how many movies I have actually reviewed. I'm pretty sure it is close to 200 movies since in some posts I have reviewed two movies in. Still, movie reviews or not, 200 posts is a lot of writing. Hopefully one can tell that my reviews are nothing that I just throw together when it comes time to write one up. I know sometimes I can jump around but I do that even while talking to someone at times.I picked The Thing (1982) for two reasons. One: Because Jed has been bugging me to do this for roughly 100 posts. Two: Because it truely is one of my favorite movies. If you have been a reader of my blog then you know that every 50 posts I throw out the usual review and select a movie that I haven't done a review for but is a favorite movie of mine. Instead of the usual review I just simply talk about why it is a favorite of mine. For The Thing that is an easy explaination. I came across The Thing durring a time when I was starting to loose faith in horror movies. I know that seems impossible with all the movies I have watched. I have watched hundred's since starting this blog and I'm sure I watched hundred's before I started this blog. I had started to believe that horror movies had lost their charm for me. Part of the reason is because I was running into a lot of bad horror movies. Nothing good was coming out at the time and even the new ones I did like didn't have the same effect on me that horror movies once did. Then I ran across The Thing and decided to rent it. After watching it, my faith was restored in horror movies. Ok, so at the time it was an older movie. It was over ten years old by that time but still, it let me know that there were still horror movies that could get to me.
The Thing has a few things going for it. A great cast, music that can really add to the mood, very cool effects, paranoia and lots of tension. The story is simple but effective. We see a helicopter chasing after a dog. One man inside is shooting at the dog and throwing bombs at it. Soon the dog reaches the American base. One of the men drops a bomb and it goes off before he can recover it. The other man ends up getting shot and dies since he shoots one of the Americans. Why is he doing this though? We discover that the two men are from the Norwegian camp and that they discovered a space ship that was burried in the ice. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that the story is based in the Antarctic. "A 1,000 miles from nowhere" as one of the characters proclaims. The Norwegians also find an alien body. The Americans figure out that this alien can "copy" other life forms. If it gets to a more populated area, the computer figures it would only take 27,000 hours before everyone is taken over by this alien. But how do you destory something when you don't know who has been infected?
The cast and the effects is what sells The Thing for some people. While I enjoyed both. It was the tension found through out the film that sold me. This is a rare movie that manages to draw you in from the start and never lets go. Most of the effects still hold up but here and there they do look a bit dated. Even so, the effects are something that you won't soon forget after watching this movie. As I said before, the cast was great. This was before Kurt Russell had become the big movie star that he is today and he shows why he will become that big movie star. I know he isn't a big name likes some are out there but truthfully, he has always been high on my list of favorite actors. Wilford Brimley, T.K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard A. Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Richard Masur, Donald Moffat, Joel Polis and Thomas G. Waites. A fairly big cast but they all work so well together and help bring the story together that you can't just credit one person with great acting.
The dvd of The Thing was great. When I found out that a collectors edition, I got pretty excited over it. The commentary track features John Carpenter and Kurt Russell. It is a very interesting and entertaining commentary that I wish there was more of like it for other movies. You will also find an 80 minute documentary that is also a lot of fun to watch. All in all the dvd is well worth your money to buy. It is almost hard for me to express how good of a movie this is to me. I watched it before I started writing this up just so it would be fresh in my mind instead of just going off my memories of it. Even now, years after I first watched it and after having watched it many times since, it still makes me tense up while watching it.
Like any movie there are some problems. As I said, some of the effects look a little dated now. That is just a minor draw back though. Some people have a problem with how the alien becomes a copy of another life form. Some say it is impossible but I have always said that what may seem impossible to us may not be for another race of aliens. Humans like to think they are smart and we are, for the most part anyways, but we have far to go yet in figuring things out. Besides that, it is only a movie. Just let your mind go with it and enjoy. One thing that bugged me just a little was how the computer knew it would take 27,000 hours for the alien to take over every life form. We find this out fairly early in the movie when the alien is still pretty much an unknown to the people at this station. Another thing that has bugged me just a little is how they are so dead set on killing this alien. Yes I know the alien is taking them over but is that what it truely wants? That is a question that is never answered but since it went through one camp and now a second camp, it is safe to say it doesn't much care who it kills in order to survive.
These things take very little away from the overall feel of the movie though. All the way through The Thing the tension is high. In case you didn't know, The Thing is a remake. I have never watched the original movie so I can't say if it is better or worse but I have heard many people say this is a rare remake that out does the original film. I'm almost afraid to watch the original since I can't see a remake or even a sequel that could match this movie. When it was first released it didn't make it but fans have been coming around to it for years now. Many, including myself, consider it to be a true classic. A film that manages to mix sci-fi with horror and comes out on top. If you have never watched it, you need to and you need to do it soon.
7 comments:
Well Miss Heather, if I knew that bugging you would really work, shucks maam, I would have mentioned a couple of other things too, hehehe (grinning). Oh wow, you wrasscally wrabbit, you done good maam for sure. Standing ovation time for the pretty lady, and very talented writer (clapping, cheering, stomping my boots in the dirt - shucks maam, this time I will even take my hat off to you and not just tip it).
I have often tried without any real success to come up with my personal list of top 10 favorite horrors. Every time I think I am close to having it, I recall 4 or 5 more and start revising my list. But The Thing is clearly up in my top 3 easily.
Shucks I wish you had written one thing I could differ with you on here sweet lady. But if you could see how wide I am grinning right now to see how much you like one of my favs too, you would understand why I say that too, lol. I have to admit, I never object to seeing a pretty lady in a movie, especially if she is talented to boot.
As the movie began to open and we started meeting the characters at the American base, I kept waiting for some fox to walk on camera. Initially I was a bit like oh shucks, this is not going to be any fun at all. I was wrong by a long shot. It does have an amazingly strong cast to me Miss Heather. Both Russell and Brimley have always been actors I have enjoyed a great deal. But as you noted, this cast just really seemed to click and work very well together. They made something many folks might want to argue as far fetched (the alien life form) very believeable to me. I also thought the idea of their "blood test" was both unique and a real tension builder too.
I do have the original in my collection. I first saw it as a youngen on Shock Theatre. At the time I really did not realize who played the role of the "Thing". Later I realized it was none other than Marshal Dillon (James Arness to Miss Heather as I know she is who does not like westerns - rolls my eyes, poor deprived thing). I guess I would say that for the time period that the original was made, with special effects being as limited as they were then, it was a strong movie to me. That is largely one of the reasons I wanted to add the original to my collection.
But in comparing the two, there is simply no fair comparison to me Miss Heather. If you felt at times that Russell's version might be a bit dated in parts, then trust me, the original would seem incredibly dated to you. But I would suggest you give the original a watch sometime, just so you can appreciate the differences if nothing else. I also think it would simply make you appreciate the 82 version even more.
As crazy as it may sound, I pull out this version about once every month or two, turn off the lights and enjoy it again, lol. As you felt Miss Heather, I have to simply agree - this one is to me a true classic.
I did not go back and check the 100 to 150 posts to be certain, as I always worry somehow I will end up losing what I have typed. But I suspect your efforts to post a movie per day during last October may well have helped you speed through that range of reviews too pretty lady. More recently you have had other issues to deal with as well. So please don't beat yourself up over taking a bit longer to get here.
One loyal fan would simply say the wait was worth it maam (smiling and grinning). But I also have to admit, now I am curious to see if similar results would occur if I bugged you on some other issues now too, hehehe (winking, running, then roflmao). Sorry Miss Heather, but the little fella who perches on my shoulder and whispers to me a lot made me say it (grinning).
Miss Heather, let me simply be the first to congradulate you maam on reaching post 200. Given school, swimming, and having a personal life as well - I think posting 200 reviews is simply a big deal. But please remember too maam, once my applause begin to fade a bit, you will hear me asking - well when are you going to write 201 Miss Heather.
Yes maam, being famous and popular would have its downsides I would think. You will have to tell us how it feels, as I simply have no idea at all, lol. But with all those benefits, comes the responsibility of giving your adoring fans what they crave - more incredible reviews. While I readily admit I am still clapping in my ovation to you sweet lady, I am starting to feel the twinge of my first hunger pain as well, hehehe. So when you can please maam (ginning, tips my hat).
I have to be honest, I was a bit disappointed when milestone 150 rolled around. I was really hoping you were going to reveiw this one then. And yes maam, I was still hoping to see it pop up in the 200th spot too. So I wish you could see how much I am still grinning pretty lady.
Personally I know I can be a bit of a pest at times (the polite response of course is to tell me I could never be a pest, hehehe), but if and when, it is simpily done with the best of intentions too. I also have to admit, I am sitting back waiting patiently for post 500 (grinning). Then I can say ok, now I am looking forward to your 1000th post Miss Heather. Ok, I admit it, you have simply created a monster, hehehehe.
Congradulations again sweet lady. Now if you will excuse me, I need to start making a list of other topics to mention to you a bit more frequently (grinning), and assign their proper rankings. I am also happy to say that my box of dvds just arrived too. So while working on my list, I will be watching a few of these dvds too (tips my hat).
Congratulations on reaching this astounding blogging summit!
Some bloggers can only dream of scaling such heights!
Some can't even do THAT: they try but soon, the challenge is too much for them-- there's an unexpected aneurysm and then a crumpled body and, uh, some awkwardness all around if it happens in the middle of a board game!
But, you fair, fearless, flippered Mermaid Heather, have climbed this incredible height, and um, stand there... enjoying it! Yes!
All lame-asses unable to climb to such a severe altitude can only stand around chagrined and look up your blowing skirt for solace!
(Yes!)
I first saw this at the drive-in and for some reason... I didn't get into it. I thought the effects were really cool, but for some inexplicable reason I was kind of cold towards it (no pun intended).
But, it's one of my favorites now! So, I'm all better!
On the recent(ish)(okay, it was around Halloween... I continue to be Mr. Time Has No Meaning) cable special "100 Scariest Horror Film Moments" or whatever the hell they called that thing, director Guillermo del Toro talks about THE THING as one of his favorite horror films with one of his scariest moments (and mine as well): when MacReady (Russell) is testing the blood of the survivors (and deceased), del Toro is like a great big kid relishing the memory he had of that scene in a theater in Brazil (I believe that was the country). He talks about Carpenter's almost methematical timing in setting up the scare, and when it happens, everybody went nuts.
(I kind of fell in love with del Toro because of this anecdote. hey! As a fellow passionate cinephile! Shut up!)
He goes on to say that he could never understand why this film did so poorly in the States, because it killed in Brazil!
The effects are tremendous and simply fascinating to watch. DAWN OF THE DEAD ushered in unrated splatter, which was something to see for the first time. But this was my first time seeing wild-ass gore that wasn't so much disgusting, although, for some faint-of-heart types perhaps it was, but just WHAT THE HELL AM I SEEING?
And I think this was Carpenter's next film after ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, where he managed to be relatively bloodless in his direction of the action, despite the grotesque art direction. In fact, I felt this disciplined approach to his horror films going into this film. I was going to be way wrong!
So, for me at least, it was like Bob Dylan suddenly going electric!
I also love the original, THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD, but it is SO different in terms of story and tone. Well, of course, it was made in the 50s.
But, for those who cherished the original, and it's pretty damned entertaining ("Are you saying this creature is some kind of super carrot?"), this "remake" was kind of a gross slap in the face.
But I read somewhere that the screenplay actually follows closer to the source material, the sci-fi story "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, Jr.
One of the very cool visual things from the 50s film is the opening title, and Carpenter's film borrows/homages that method of saying "THE THING" as well: it looks like the totally black screen has been slashed and then illuminated from behind with a moving light, and the slashes are actually the letters spelling out THE THING.
I'm glad they kept that, because it just totally kicks ass!
I'm a little kid.
Man, I can't believe I was so indifferent towards it the first time I saw it...
Happy 200!
I don't have anything to add about the flick. Like Mr. Cattle, I loved the original too and was thrilled to find out that the remake was enough of its own flick that both could be enjoyed on their own merits (how rare is that?).
Anyway, just wanted to say that I'm thrilled to read your 200th post and, God willin' and the creek don't rise, I hope to read 200 more.
Long live the Mermaid!
Thanks you three. I don't have a lot of people that leave comments but you three have been doing so for some time now and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. I hope to be able to keep reading all of your blogs as well. Now, as they say, onward!
Miss Heather, I could not have said it any better than your "onward" pretty lady. My stomach is already grumbling again, so it is time for post 201 when you get the chance (grinning, and ducking as objects come my direction, hehehe).
You do a great job Heather. I know I check your site several times each day (except for medically caused periods of absence, sorry again) just hoping there will be a new review I can enjoy.
So please keep them coming when you can work them into your schedule. Your efforts are truly appreciated by your adoring fans (smiling, tips my hat).
CONGRATULATIONS !!!!
200 down and a few thousand more to go. Sorry I haven't been posting much, but I have been really busy. You know I think you are the best, your reviews are better and better. Of course, someone as talented as you , there was no doubt you would succeed. Take care my mermaid angel, and God bless
Congrats on number 200 Heather!!
Stay in touch!!
Trapper
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