Had a "The Thing v Stranger Things" discussion with my GF the other day, trying to figure out if she would find The Thing too gross or scary. She is intrigued by The Thing based on my assertion that its the movie that scares me the most, but is worried it will be too gory or gross for her. She is squeamish abt horror movies bc of gore, but also watches the shit out of stuff like Stranger Things, Game of Thrones, and Handmaids Tale, all of which feature what seem to me like extremely gory violence & gross monsters, disturbing deaths, etc. But there seems to be something abt the way that stuff reads as 'TV' to her that makes it not register in the same way as it does when she's watching something that she understands to be A Horror Movie.
― One Eye Open, Wednesday, 26 June 2019 20:19 (four years ago) link
Weirdly, I've never thought of The Thing as particularly gory, aside from maybe the defibrillator scene. At this point, anyone familiar with the extremes of cable entertainment should be able to handle it on that level. The general body horror might be another story. I could see the kennel scene in particular being a bit too much for the uninitiated.
― Sly Bradbury's The Marion Cobretti-cles (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 26 June 2019 21:52 (four years ago) link
the worst moment in the film is when mac is putting a current thru the blood and the wire scrapes and squeaks on the glass
― mark s, Wednesday, 26 June 2019 21:58 (four years ago) link
to me The Thing is so over the top with the gore that the first time i saw it i was just amazed by creature and its various guises and attacks that i couldn't even be disgusted. i've never found it especially frightening either for whatever reason, though objectively i recognize why it's completely terrifying and grisly.
― omar little, Wednesday, 26 June 2019 23:08 (four years ago) link
It's definitely one of the few movies with multiple characters scooping out innards from a carcass all while gagging and groaning and going yuck and covering their nose.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 26 June 2019 23:14 (four years ago) link
i'm the one who strips the turkey on thanksgiving and i feel like i'm always channeling Blair when i do it.
― omar little, Wednesday, 26 June 2019 23:16 (four years ago) link
"This for instance, that's not dog."
― omar little, Wednesday, 26 June 2019 23:17 (four years ago) link
lol
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Wednesday, 26 June 2019 23:19 (four years ago) link
the shout factory bluray btw is extremely good, worth the extra cost imo.
― omar little, Thursday, 27 June 2019 01:32 (four years ago) link
I just bought the Arrow (UK) blu and the transfer is excellent (as are the extras):https://images.arrowfilms.com/Images/cfdd61b4-051d-41ab-b5d8-42ac0e5664e1.png
― an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Thursday, 27 June 2019 03:06 (four years ago) link
mark s hugely OTM
― One Eye Open, Thursday, 27 June 2019 03:13 (four years ago) link
John Carpenter’s The Thing, as performed by the claymated, Antarctic cast of the hit children’s animation Pingu. pic.twitter.com/NPkvvCKQuY— Ally 👽 (@A_llyssa) July 8, 2019
This is genuinely amazing.
― And according to some websites, there were “sexcapades.” (James Morrison), Sunday, 14 July 2019 01:52 (four years ago) link
Isnt that from several years ago
― Οὖτις, Sunday, 14 July 2019 03:00 (four years ago) link
yes, it says as much in the opening frame
― Number None, Sunday, 14 July 2019 05:23 (four years ago) link
Indeed, i just had never seen it before
― And according to some websites, there were “sexcapades.” (James Morrison), Sunday, 14 July 2019 07:30 (four years ago) link
nor I, and it was great
― quelle sprocket damage (sic), Sunday, 14 July 2019 08:39 (four years ago) link
Amazing
― omar little, Sunday, 14 July 2019 13:52 (four years ago) link
Am afraid to watch.
― Ask Heavy Manners (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 14 July 2019 13:53 (four years ago) link
The Thingu.
― Sassy Boutonnière (ledriver), Monday, 15 July 2019 00:56 (four years ago) link
The Real Thingu.
― Ask Heavy Manners (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 15 July 2019 10:55 (four years ago) link
Cast party on the set of John Carpenter's The Thing pic.twitter.com/gwoy53lDvK— Eyes On Cinema (@RealEOC) August 2, 2019
― mark s, Sunday, 4 August 2019 11:16 (four years ago) link
keith david is such a fuckin’ delight
― Criss Angel Raw: The Mindfreak Unplugged (bizarro gazzara), Sunday, 4 August 2019 11:22 (four years ago) link
Nobody... nobody trusts anybody now, and we're all very tired.— r.j macready (@thething_txt) November 21, 2019
― mark s, Thursday, 21 November 2019 21:16 (four years ago) link
John Carpenter’s The Thing pic.twitter.com/ir1v6aqnTY— 41 Strange (@41Strange) November 19, 2019
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 21 November 2019 21:18 (four years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctq6T57TLtg
― Brad C., Saturday, 1 February 2020 16:07 (four years ago) link
There's a storm hitting us in six hours, and we're gonna find out who's who.— r.j macready (@thething_txt) February 1, 2020
― mark s, Saturday, 1 February 2020 16:09 (four years ago) link
otm
― the main character Cooly and his fart attack (bizarro gazzara), Saturday, 1 February 2020 19:15 (four years ago) link
John Carpenter? Eh. Phil Harris had the original version.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2H6qC23RPY
― A is for (Aimless), Saturday, 1 February 2020 19:31 (four years ago) link
pic.twitter.com/NyVrgAlKBW— Mike (@mcgee_gorgo) March 12, 2020
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Thursday, 12 March 2020 23:44 (four years ago) link
Lol surely he knew he was setting that up
― Psychedics with Rosie Swash (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 12 March 2020 23:50 (four years ago) link
They needed a poster for #JohnCarpenter’s #TheThing in a hurry. So I conceived it, painted it, and my art was delivered to the studio all within 24 hrs. In fact, when they put it under the glass to photograph it, the paint stuck to the glass because the thing was still wet! pic.twitter.com/Nfi73qq8Ad— Drew Struzan (@DrewStruzan) May 27, 2020
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Thursday, 28 May 2020 02:46 (three years ago) link
I ended up buying a small signed print of that!
I'm at the stage of my life/brain where I've heard and forgotten so many things so many times that I can't remember if I'm hearing a certain observation for the first time, but I was listening to a podcast about The Thing and someone pointed out how the first section of the film is in some ways like going in a funhouse with the lights on. The very first thing you see is the ship crashing, so you know there's an alien. Then they take a tour of the Norwegian base, which is basically a frozen-in-ice preview of the bloody, tragic ending on the American base. Then they find the ship, which further confirms an alien. And yet, when it all goes down, you're still absolutely riveted and constantly surprised.
Another good observation made was that all of the characters in this movie are smart, or at least don't do anything horror-movie stupid. At a certain point they all know exactly what is going on and can only try their best to stop it, which even when it's the right thing can only help them so much against this enemy.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 2 December 2020 19:52 (three years ago) link
The very first thing you see is the ship crashing, so you know there's an alien
...I have no memory of this at all. I thought it started with the Norwegian helicopter chasing the dog-thing?!!? Maybe it's my brain that's gone wrong.
― Tsar Bombadil (James Morrison), Wednesday, 2 December 2020 22:56 (three years ago) link
The very first part of the film is like 20,000 years ago and with cheesy animations shows the original crash of the spaceship.
― Andy the Grasshopper, Wednesday, 2 December 2020 23:35 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWidoMhF9Qw
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 2 December 2020 23:38 (three years ago) link
I thought it started with the Norwegian helicopter chasing the dog-thing?!!?
I would have put money on this, even after watching the YouTube embed above.
― pedantly admonishment (aldo), Wednesday, 2 December 2020 23:46 (three years ago) link
At first I thought I was wrong, and that I was thinking of Predator (which starts the same way). I can't remember which of them had the studio insist on the depiction of the crash, iirc. I think Predator?
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 2 December 2020 23:48 (three years ago) link
Haha, I rewatched this last month and despite having seen it 10 times I was shocked all over again that this is how it starts. When I watch it again, I'm sure I will have completely forgotten all over again.
― turn the jawhatthefuckever on (One Eye Open), Thursday, 3 December 2020 00:13 (three years ago) link
Jeez, I thought for sure it started with an extended sequence featuring the Berenstein Bears.
― You will notice a small sink where your sofa once was. (Old Lunch), Thursday, 3 December 2020 00:21 (three years ago) link
Yes! And I specifically remember it being spelled that way too!
― epistantophus, Thursday, 3 December 2020 00:45 (three years ago) link
OK, even having seen that clip I don't remember this at all, and I have watched this film frequently. I'm glad I'm not alone in this.
― Tsar Bombadil (James Morrison), Thursday, 3 December 2020 03:35 (three years ago) link
Josh, I am sorry for doubting you.
― Tsar Bombadil (James Morrison), Thursday, 3 December 2020 03:36 (three years ago) link
that scene is really one of the film's only flaws, albeit it not a glaring one — it's just totally unnecessary. probably why so many people seem to have forgotten it.
― budo jeru, Thursday, 3 December 2020 04:00 (three years ago) link
putting it as a five-second graphic in the title is perfect though - it doesn't spell anything out, just barely-liminally plants the idea in your head for context.
― huge rant (sic), Thursday, 3 December 2020 05:13 (three years ago) link
thingification as the ultimate mandela effect, in this essay for cinema today and yesterday i will
― mark s, Thursday, 3 December 2020 13:25 (three years ago) link
Yeah, sic, that's what I like about it, and it's sort of what the podcast plays out. You see a spaceship, you learn who discovered the spaceship, you see what happened to them, down to the last person, and then the movie more or less repeats the process with *our* protagonists, and yet is never the weaker for it. If anything it kind of is a further downer subversion, in that we might think, ok, the Norwegians failed, but *our* guys, we'll get it right.
The same podcast (I think it was Unspooled) remarked on how at the time, none of the cast was a known quantity, which also kind of subverts hero tropes. We ascribe that quality to Kurt Russell now, but back then to most people he was just another bearded dude.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 3 December 2020 13:43 (three years ago) link
I too was getting confused with the Predator intro.
But I love that this appears to be a global reaction, such a subtle (and as already stated, unnecessary) short scene. Ironically they probably spent a lot of time making it.
― Two Meter Peter (Ste), Thursday, 3 December 2020 13:56 (three years ago) link
xpost Ehh, I can accept that wrt the rest of the cast but Kurt Russell was a legit Disney star in the '60s/'70s!
― You will notice a small sink where your sofa once was. (Old Lunch), Thursday, 3 December 2020 14:13 (three years ago) link
(Granted, his Carpenter-ification was a bit like Annette Funicello reinventing herself as an '80s action/horror actor but still.)
― You will notice a small sink where your sofa once was. (Old Lunch), Thursday, 3 December 2020 14:14 (three years ago) link
Eh, I recognize a whopping two of his pre-grown up films by title, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and the Barefoot Executive, but even if he was a star by any standard, people did not flock to Used Cars or Escape from New York (or The Thing) for Kurt Russell. Hell, looking at his filmography, it's actually kind of hard to pinpoint when he *does* become a bankable, marquee star! Overboard? Backdraft?
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 3 December 2020 14:19 (three years ago) link