December 1999

The Thing: Collector's Edition
Reviewed by Ian White
DVD Format

Overall Enjoyment:
Picture Quality:
Sound Quality:
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Starring Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Richard Dysart, T.K. Carter, Keith David

Directed by John Carpenter

Theatrical Release: 1982
DVD Release: 1998
Dolby Digital 5.1
Widescreen/Full Screen

Very few films truly scared me as kid, but when John Carpenter’s The Thing came out in 1982 it had me begging my parents for a few extra "Toshiro Mifune" night-lights. Not only was it far more frightening and graphic than the original The Thing (1951), but it also benefited from Carpenter’s adaptation of the 1938 short story "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell Jr. Campbell’s story is an unnerving tale of man’s inability to cope with isolation and paranoia. Although John Carpenter is best known for Halloween (I still can’t figure out how Michael Meyers knew how to drive having been locked up as a kid), I would beg to differ with those who feel that it represents his best work. With the exception of the weak dialogue (written by Bill Lancaster, the man who wrote The Bad News Bears), The Thing is probably one of the most intelligent horror films of the past twenty years. The music, visual effects, make-up, and intentionally bleak looking cinematography are all hard to fault and Carpenter deserves some credit for assembling such a fine cast and crew.

Kurt Russell (Soldier, Escape From New York) is at his absolute best as "MacReady," the helicopter pilot who manages to keep things from completely falling apart at the remote Antarctic research station. As difficult as it may be to take Kurt Russell as a serious actor, the truth is that he is excellent in the film. Many critics have likened MacReady to Russell’s most famous on-screen character, "Snake Pliskin" (a role that has stuck with Russell his entire career and made most people forget about his days with Disney), but I would have to disagree. Even if you threw an eye-patch on MacReady, gave him a limp, and handed him a silenced MAC-10, he would still not be Snake Pliskin. Russell’s character is very believable and even likable. He’s not graceful under fire, but he manages to keep himself going under some intense pressure and it’s hard not to root for the guy. Hell, he’s fighting to save all of us (or so the story goes)!

Wilford Brimley also deserves some recognition for his performance. When his character discovers that the alien must not be allowed to escape from their base, otherwise it’s curtains closed for all of mankind, he goes on a rampage and ends up becoming isolated from the rest of the group. Brimley does a superb job of pretending to be crazy and paranoid and his performance (a far cry from his Quaker Oats commercials) adds a great deal of tension to the story. His behavior also pushes MacReady into the spotlight, who is then forced to become a "leader."

As the alien begins to take over the research station and as each member of the twelve man team comes under suspicion (or his chest opens up and rips off the hands of his fellow scientist), the outstanding visual effect work of Albert Whitlock and make-up work of Rob Bottin takes the film to the next level. The quality of the effects only adds to the rising tension, and while some of the effects are very grizzly, they do have you reaching for a pillow or your significant other.

Bottin was only twenty-two years old when Carpenter hired him for the movie and his work on The Thing is certainly comparable to some of Rick Baker’s work from An American Werewolf in London (which represents without question some of the finest make-up in motion picture history). The picture quality of the DVD version is stunning. The expansive shots of the barren tundra (filmed on location in Nova Scotia) look so impressive on the DVD that I went out and bought a new copy of the tape just to see if I was heaping too much undeserved praise on the DVD. The difference (on my Hitachi) was enormous in every department. The dark look of the film adds to the feeling of isolation and the crisp picture quality of the DVD makes every little detail stand out even more. The film still retains its bleakness, but I was really impressed by the quality of the transfer. The widescreen picture makes a lot of difference with this film; you really do lose a lot when you watch the tape copy.

Ennio Morricone has always been one of my favorite film composers (The Mission, The Untouchables), and his score for The Thing is definitely spooky. John Carpenter uses music very effectively in his films (anyone here vaguely remember the Halloween theme?). In The Thing, he uses Morricone’s music in combination with the outdoor shots to build tension and to convey a sense of total isolation.

The sound quality of the DVD is also very impressive. The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack earns three stars for the Norwegian helicopter scene and for the howling wind alone. The film sounds good in stereo, but the surround information actually makes you look over your shoulder every now and then. The dialogue is very clear and explosions and gunfire are quite crisp. Late at night, with the lights off and the volume at a respectable level (no need to go deaf), I really did feel that I was stranded with the twelve men and their most unwelcome guest.

The added features are numerous and almost as impressive as the material that was included with the Alien series of DVDs. The running commentary with Kurt Russell and John Carpenter points out a number of little things that might otherwise go unnoticed. The eighty-minute original documentary (The Thing: Terror Takes Shape) that is included is an amazing ride through the production of the film and how they created all of the sets and special effects. I spent more than two hours going through all of the added features and it was time well spent. Everything and anything that you wanted to know about the film is included on the DVD.

Although the gore might turn off some viewers, there is no question that The Thing is a terrific horror film with some mighty impressive effects. The acting is very good for the genre and I would be hard pressed to suggest another recent horror film that is as good. Before you go out and waste money on Blair Witch Project, buy a real horror film and add this classic to your film library.

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