John Carpenter’s The Thing

With the remake prequel looming, you know I had to devote some time to a re-watch of John Carpenter’s The Thing.

Amazingly, despite the hair farm that Kurt Russel is cultivating (plus having to get over the fact that Wilfred Brimley looks downright spry and Keith David is young and virile), this 1982 film totally holds up.

The Thing itself is executed in grotesque, goop-covered F/X glory, lending a surreal touch to the already isolated Artic setting. And in addition to providing lots of splattery moments, this movie is also packed full of sneak-up-on-you jumpy scares, and thrilling reveals.

The Thing, you see, can be anybody, at any time. And there’s no way to know who it is. Alien had facehuggers that snuck in and impregnated people with babies. The Thing can slink around with one remaining tentacle and attack someone in secret, disguising themselves as a perfect replica.

Absolutely worth a watch — there’s not a boring moment on screen. And before you get all up in arms about the 2011 version, remember that this one was actually a remake too — of 1952’s The Thing From Another World.