Can I just quickly say - the tagline on the above artwork is simply gorgeous, despite being entirely erroneous in its claim. 'Man is the warmest place to hide'. Spooky and laden with thematic forewarning... But the warmest? How about a fire? An oven? A microwave? A radiator? A hair straightener? Soup? Inside a pile of furs? Any warm-blooded animal? But I pick fights over nought- 'tis immaterial to the bad-assness of this poster design.
Now I have to say that this film wasn't great. I felt as though it sacrificed scares on the altar of effects driven artistry. There is much to respect here, and also some to marvel at, but not much to enjoy. John Carpenter is one of the uber-bosses of terror, but I felt left down by my first sampling of his cuisine. I have great optimism for his other works when I encounter them, and I'd bet that this may be simply a rare misstep in a stellar career. Maybe it's because he simply directed this one considering that he usually also writes, produces and scores his flicks, but there was just something here that didn't add up to the expected total.
But the practical effects are sublime. I'm genuinely confused as to how many of these effects were created, and knowing that this was constructed in era prior to effective computer generated imagery, I'm so astounded by their finished product. The creations are ferociously organic looking and positively glisten with alien effusions, their movement is creepily arachnid-like and marked by ungainly scuttling, the revulsion they evoke is genuinely stomach churning and they're properly sick (as in mildly twisted and gross). I have no doubt that this would have absolutely blown minds back in the day, and I maintain that Rob Bottin and his crew (with a cameo helping hand from Stan Winston) did enough to ensure that The Thing still has the power to do so on a technical level. The others working behind the scenes on this number are also fine - Ennio Morricone's score is throbbing and effective, though not quite up to his usual suspenseful masterpieces that elevated spaghetti westerns to an artwork in their own right. The cinematography was acceptable, though not a particular stand-out until the closing scenes developed a darkly shaded setting that allowed the development of greater uncertainty. That said though, the use of blue to light many of the outdoor scenes was a great choice, as the orange flames roaring over crackling bodies (after all, we all know a good scorching is the only way to effectively nullify any chance of alien rebirth) is a marvellously handsome contrast.
There were three scenes that really stood out for me... The opening vistas watching a helicopter chase and fail to bring down a friendly canine are so confusing and nonsensical to the audience that it evokes strong interest as to the proceedings. If you have a gist of the plot (as I've given you), you may catch on, and it's quite a pleasant puzzle in that sense. Good stuff. HEREAFTER BE SPOILERS - READ AT YOUR OWN RISK OF DISAPPOINTMENT. The blood test scene is a firework of tension. There's nothing too magical in its construction, but the scripting and central idea behind the film can take credit for the feel of foreboding. Not knowing is always better than conviction, and this brilliantly mines that human distaste for being uninformed and cranks it up straight to 11. And finally the ending - probably a highlight that elevates this film. It embraces this overwhelming sense of nihilism, and with Kurt Russell facing off with Keith David (the cast are generally solid by the by), their resolution to acknowledge the futility of doing anything drastic is such a coldly emotive conclusion. It's intelligent given that the themes of this film are a wild uncertainty and interpersonal tensions.
Old mate Bevan from Paul's will now offer a pompous take on the materials (as the Paulines are wont to do). I apologise in advance for his words.
Bevan from Paul's' contribution:
I must confess to having a pretty blinkered attitude towards horror movies: If a character is a liability (You know the kind of person I am talking about) death is what they deserve. For if we as an armchair participant can make better decisions than the protagonists (i.e. don’t go into that cellar, open that door etc.) the film fails as a horror. In this respect Kurt “nerves of steel” Russell and Co. are a satisfactory line-up against a threatening opponent - and Carpenter masterfully mind-diddles us into becoming gormless and tense participants in the game of guess who. Yet the limitations of the movie’s budget mean that at the crescendo we do not experience trouser browning shock but more a sense comic relief, thanks to the Wallace and Gromitesque effects on show. So while the thing may succeed in spinning a tight and tense yarn it lacks the polish that gives a film critical mass to move from clenched sphincter to rip-snorting horror flick.
So to wrap this up, if I had 5 objects of an assorted constituency, I would offer this film 3 of them (though perhaps not the 3 best items). It lacks the level of horror that I required for this blog to truly be converted to Carpentariansim. However, it excels in the individual pieces that make up the finished product. So ultimately, it proves the worst adage ever constructed purely in order to give underdogs some modicum of hope - 'a champion team beats a team of champions'. Amen.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ftmr17M-a4
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