Night 10 features me facing one of my movie fears- The Thing. I've never seen it, but I heard that it was super gory and scary and I have honestly been avoiding it... But Larry was home tonight and was able to accompany me- so I finally felt brave enough to watch it. #OctoberMovieMarathon
The Thing (1982)
10/10*
Researchers in Antarctica face off with an unknown creature that can imitate anything... or anyone.
*This is a great movie, a 10/10 movie- but there is a small asterisk... because I didn't like it. Don't get me wrong, this was scary. Larry and I were both screaming multiple times while watching. The hype is worth it. The effects are fantastic. It doesn't feel incredibly dated. It's a good movie. It's just... not for me. But even saying that, I can't think of a reason to dock it points. Perhaps if I watched it with a fine tooth comb I could find things to complain about? But nothing sticks out to me from this first watch.
My only warning to those who are iffy on watching it- there is a lot of gore/body horror, and the movie does not ease you into it at all. But I, squeamish gal that I am, was able to watch the whole thing- just with a lot of screaming.
However, I do think it's worth a watch- it's clear why this movie is lauded as such a fantastic horror film. The effects alone are incredible. But unlike, say the original Frankenstein, it still holds up as just a regular movie- not just a historical curiosity.
But skip the popcorn, trust me, you won't want it.
SPOILERS START BELOW THE POSTER!
SPOILERS START HERE!
I mentioned that this movie didn't feel dated- and that's true! But there is one thing that I think gives away it's age: the characters.
The characters are barely characters in this film. None of them go beyond their basic summaries: MacCready is a pilot, Cooper is a doctor, Garry is the captain?, there are... other guys? The communications guy, the 2 black men (one more stoic, one more comedic), the autopsy/old man character? None of them have any backstory as to why they're here or in the positions they're in. Aside from the doctor and pilot none of them even have official jobs. Were this movie made today- I think the characters would each have something- someone waiting for them at home, a reason why they're on this research team, perhaps a mission that brought them here. They'd have something. But this was made in 1982, and I think a lot more movies had characters that were just archetypes back then.
Normally, that would be reason enough to dock a few points- but this movie didn't need any character development. Heck, we barely needed characters beyond them being people in the wrong place at the wrong time. The pacing is so tight, any backstory would have just crowded the already tense atmosphere. And the tension in this movie never ever lets up. You never get a break, just like the researchers.
It is no wonder this movie has such a reputation for practical effects. Even the still figures the camera lingers on are just freaky to look at. Slimy and bloody and... so so strange. It's hard sometimes to wrap your brain around what exactly you're looking at. And it's wonderful. The sequences where the Thing attacks are viscerally gross. And since we're not attached to anyone in particular- you never know who to root for or who to suspect. There was a point were I was convinced MacCready had been infected and we were going to be watching the other characters. That didn't happen, but I was never sure who was infected or not. Even at the end.
Heck I'm not even sure if everything was okay at the end! It leaves you with this sickening sense that the Thing didn't get defeated- or maybe, just like our researchers did, someone will come in spring and reawaken it somehow.
I'm pretty sure I'll have nightmares about this one, and it's gonna stick with me for a long time. And even though I don't have anything bad to say about it- I still feel conflicted. It's a great movie and I think it deserves a 10/10. It has really stood the test of time as a fantastic film. But, I don't think I'll ever watch it again. Is it too scary for me? Is it because the characters left me with nothing to hold onto? Are the effects too creepy for me? I can't put my finger on it. Larry's suggested it might be the themes of the movie: isolation, suspicion, being unable to trust anyone, the sheer bleakness of it- that feels like it's getting closer, but I'm not sure.
It's still a great movie. Even better for the fact that I'm still rating it 10/10 even though I wouldn't watch it again. But you should.
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