It’s funny how some movies are hated upon release but over the years gain popularity and a following…I see that happening a lot over the years…this movies is a classic
That's because everyone was well familiar with the original 50s version it was based on, The Thing From Another World. The 80s version came across as a gory knock-off. I suspect most of the fans of the 82 version either never saw the original or saw the 80s version first.
A true horror classic. Minty's assessment on the film is spot on! Kurt Russell and Keith David are truly in their best with this one!!! They both have an absolute unique presence in this film, indeed!
John Carpenter's The Thing - an amazing, classic film! A masterpiece in my opinion. Rob Bottin's practical effects were groundbreaking and impossible to take your eyes off of.
I first saw this movie on good ole Betamax when I was 12 ish - I loved the plot, the special effects, the characters, everything right from the get go. Being 53 now, I watched this movie again every few years - probably watched it around 25-30 times. Always love it and still in my top 3 ever seen horror movies. Masterful.
An absolute masterpiece of a movie, one of my favourite movies. Oddly enough, most of my favourite films are mostly done by Carpenter. The palpable tension, between the actors in this film, of not knowing for sure who was the thing and who wasn't, made this movie the timeless masterpiece it was, and still is.
This film changed my life. Seeing it as a kid, way too young to have caught it on TV late at night, it gave me nightmares that stuck with me for a decade. It has inspired nearly all of my artwork to this day. A perfect horror film in the purest form.
That's amazing I saw it for the first time in 83 or so my cousin rented the VHS and loved the movie ever since I was about 12 at the time. CArrie (the only movie to give me night mares as a kid) saw it about the same time also; Carrie came on tv though in the early 80's. I bet your art work is amazing if inspired by the THING.
I caught a tv version of The Thing on my dads old vhs tapes. It had a completely different introduction. There was a narrator who introduced everyone in the outpost. It’s not labeled and I’m still trying to find it.
@@jeremiahrose4681 I've never actually watched Carrie. One of those films I've 'seen' by osmosis 😅 Also, I made a Thing inspired animation on my channel. A Gorefield Thing. Pretty chuffed with it.
At the time, it was probably the most underrated movie of all time. I’m so glad it got traction so quickly on home video release, and people recognized it as the amazing classic it is.
@@WhiteScarsEmo Coincidentally, Blade Runner was released the very same day, June 25, 1982. Both films were misunderstood and declared flops, and both now are declared masterpieces. Interesting.
It's very sad that John Carpenter's work rarely ever got realized at the time. He creates awesome movies that critics just tear apart and piss on because he doesn't want to conform to the mainstream. I respect Carpenter as an artist with his own creative vision.
@BruceAlarie I don't know if that is how it works...I myself am no friend to conformity. I have always gone to the beat of my own drum. Despite that, I have always been relatively popular with my peers. As an example I have only spent 6 months of my adult life single and that was by choice. In most cases my relationships have lasted years with my current one we're working on 11 right now. My fiancee is 10 years younger than me and she barely keeps up with my shenanigans. What I'm trying to say is....those of us that go to the beat of our own drum are pretty happy. I know I am!
I got to see the thing on its opening weekend and I was absolutely terrified! It scared me to no end and still raises the feeling of paranoia and horror in my mind when I watch it today. I went to film school in 1995 and they had us list our top 10 favorite movies of all time. The thing is in there at number three. Long live The Thing!
Since you were there when it first released tell me, was it really as hated like people and critics say or was there actually some positive reception to it? Just curious.
@@chasevids14 I don't remember it being hated but it didn't do well. However if you look at that Siskel and Ebert clip, Gene liked it. I avoid most horror films but I liked this one. The gruesome effects are inherent in the concept of the alien. More so than in Alien, though Alien is the better film.
This movie certainly caught my attention! I was riveted and grossed out, but I couldn't look away. The Thing is one of my favorite horror movies of all time 🥰
I saw this when it came out and for years I was convinced the lead was Jeff Bridges. I watched it again on VHS quite a few years later and I was stunned when I realised it was Kurt Russell in the lead. I guess I mustn't have had as much exposure to both those stars at the time. Also, when I was about 9, my mum laet me stay up to watch The original fifties version. Just at the scene were they open the door and the Thing is standing there, we had a power cut. We both screamed in total darkness..!
Loved The Thing. No doubt a classic in the scifi/ horror genre. Truly ahead of its time. The effects were amazing, and the characters were dope. But what really got to me..? The sound of the Thing. That creepy, eerie scream...yo that sent chills lol. Carpenter and his team are legends.
@@trevorjames4619 Really? This is my favourite horror film and with all of the docos and articles I've ever read, I have never heard of that possibility (unless my brain has misfired and lost the info, highly likely lol), but I'd love it to be true! Do you remember where you heard it so I can look into it or refresh my memory if I've already heard it? Even if you don't remember, thanks for the tip, mate!
@@williamsomerset1250 I can’t remember either where. I think, MAYBE, I read it while reading the novelization of the film, or the script of the film, but I do remember reading that somewhere a long time ago, and that little nugget always stood out to me. By the way, did you know that the ship that crashed belonged to a space traveling species that the thing overtook. Also, if you haven’t, read “the things, read it. It talks about the events of this film from the things (no pun intended)perspective. It an amazing read.
It was quite surprising to me that Kurt Russell could do drama as well as funny. My first experience with him was Big Trouble in Little China so I was pretty amazed when I saw this!
Agreed to both actors In fact, I am relieved that the same actor who played Winston from The Ghostbusters did NOT get to be in this movie. But hey, he did end up in a pretty gory scene in the train tunnel in the second installment of the Ghostbusters so I guess it works out, lol.
@@Elle--lc7ep Ernie Hudson is the actor's name. And he would've been great as Child's too. Only one scene where I got chills from the Ghostbusters movie as a kid. That's when Winston and Ray were talking about the end of the world and Judgement Day speach. Even the Duffer Bros mentioned, that scene and speach influenced the scene in Stranger Things S3 E8 or 9 where Lucas says the same line. Max asked: "What do we do if this doesn't work?" Lucas: "It's going to work." Max: "But what if it doesn't." Lucas: "Judgment Day!"
The best critics are those that give you a distinct impression of the movie without necessarily saying whether they like it or not. Even if you can't handle gore you can't say it isn't well made, well paced, has great acting and impressive effects. I was too young to see it in 82 but when VHS arrived I got to see it and loved it - its one that I make any young people who haven't heard of it and think they like horror movies watch, along with An American Werewolf in London.
I watched this movie when I was 10 and it was the coolest most intense movie I had ever seen. The spider head scene really stuck with me. Amazing film that just can't be replicated, imitated or copied into and equal.
I saw it as a 13 year old on PPV. Watched it with a few friends and it spooked the f*ckin hell out of us ! We slept over at one of the guy's house and all night we'd f*cking grab somebody's leg and f*cking make each other jump and yell, keeping waking up the guy's mom all through the night so that the guy's mom yelled at us that we'd be banned from staying over or watching PPV again ! LOL
This was one of the first movies my dad rented on VHS… I was maybe 7 or 8 when I saw it… my parents said we weren’t allowed to watch it because it had an 18-rating… but my older brother and I stealth-watched it when they went to bed…. Scared me shitless. I loved it. And I also remember feeling really sad for the fate of the dogs :-)
I love this movie. 2 more things to add that were missed: 1. the modern day sequel/prequel that came out a few years ago is basically the Norwegians base where they dug the Thing out the ground and comes to life. the back ground story does help explain a little of the first movie's scenes when they are looking at the ruined outpost and block of ice. 2. in the original Halloween movie, while little Lindsay Wallace is watching TV on the couch while Laurie is in the kitchen, she is watching the original movie of The Thing, witch John Carpenter would lake direct only a couple years later.
@@Fanuc_Operator1990 Yeah, but people suck and need everything wrapped up and delivered with a bow nowadays. And there are no new ideas anymore... everything is glommed on to something that is popular because it's way too difficult to come up with any new ideas that haven't been tested before.
I like the idea of the prequel, but the fact they ruined it with bad cg when they had awesome practical effects under it was a major thing that hurt it for me. Loved the different way they knew who wasn't a thing from the original. It's been a while since I've seen it, so m sure it has issues beyond the CG that I don't remember or I'd of revisited it.
The prequel also causes continuity issues. The Carpenter film shows the team using explosives to make the hole the UFO was in. The prequel shows the UFO using its own propulsion to make that hole.
I just watched this recently, and then watched Ken Burns' Jazz documentary without knowing Keith David was the narrator, which was really strange at first. I do love seeing or hearing him pop up in things though, he's always a delight.
I saw it when it came out. I was 14. It is still one of my "go to" movies when I just need some good old fashioned horror.... without CGI. It's AWESOME!!!
I saw this movie when I was 13 in October at a drive in theater with my brother. My brothers car's heater wasn't working so we were freezing in the car watching this movie, which really gave us a more realistic experience watching it. Love this movie
I was always too scared to watch this but recently decided to go on a 80s horror movie marathon. I absolutely loved the Thing as well as the Fly, Alien and the Lost Boys. The special effects of those movies are incredible 🥰
I rented the Blu-ray a few years back, it's so crisp you can literally read the label on barrels around the camp. If you haven't caught it in this format yet do yourself a solid.
One of the best films ever made ! I've owned the Laserdisc, HD-DVD & Blu Ray...This Sunday at one of our movie theaters The 40th anniversary of The Thing will be shown...My 17yr old son and i are going to see it ...No matter how many times we've seen it we love it and can't wait to see it in a theater .
Although I am aware of its trivia, as a fan of this Carpenter classic, its great to watch a retrospective of one of my favorite and of course, influential films! Good work, mate!
I don't get the Razzie nomination. The score works well enough for the film itself to create the atmosphere and mood. It's kinda funny that Tarantino took the unused score for Kurt's final scene.
Hey Minty! Great video. I knew several of these, but the one that threw me was the several unused endings and the fact that Carpenter left production partway through only to come back. This has always been one of my favorite movies, and as usual you did a great job on this one. Still waiting for a 10 things you didn't know about Minty video.
My brother Zach (who's wanting to become a full-blown major movie critic and such) still enjoys and gets frightened with this film. He definitely calls this one an absolute horror masterpiece!
When PALMER sees the spider-head walking out the door - PALMER: "You've got to be f_cking kidding." is Kurt Russell's favorite line and never fails to make him crack up.
Aside from being one of the best movies ever and my #1 personal favourite film, The Thing has the most sublime, atmospheric musical score that it’s both superbly unique and absolutely unforgettable. I realised that when someone posted a TikTok with a snippet of the music and I recognised it immediately. Not bad for a 5 seconds snippet of the background music for an 80’s horror movie.
I love that fact! And it s fun to see how much both movies got in common: a group of people in an isolated place in an ice desert. At some point no one knows if anyone is who he claims to be. And Kurt Russel!
@@tobiasfoppe725 Watching Hateful 8 in theaters I remember thinking "(other than being "the case of who spiked the coffee") this looks and feels a lot like The Thing" then when I learned about the music connections, BOOM
I can’t believe it flopped on release.. it was and still is a masterpiece. I remember watching it as a kid being absolutely terrified but mesmerised by it and its amazing practical effects and not to mention the memorable characters.
That Burt Lancaster picture though! Great movie and countdown. I hope some day you look into Bone Tomahawk, I would love to hear some insides to the making of that awesome movie! Cheers Minty!
@@DeanStrickson I didn't know that. Yeah it was an honest mistake. Me being older, it just odd that most the people commenting probably have no idea who he was.
Glad that I loved this movie from day one. Makes me feel like a visionary, LOL. Seriously, I introduced my daughter to this movie when she was about 12 or 13 and she was blown away. She's 25 now and to this day this is one of her all-time favorite movies. She's even turned some of her friends on to it. Kinda brings a tear to my eye...
I watched this film on cable and all alone years ago and it frightened the hell out of me, but it quickly became one of my favorite sci-fi horror films.
Yeah I saw it as a 13 year old on PPV too. I don't know how I'd have fared watching it alone... I watched it with a few friends and it spooked the f*ckin hell out of us ! We slept over at one of the guy's house and all night we'd f*cking grab somebody's leg and f*cking make each other jump and yell, keeping waking up the guy's mom all through the night so that the guy's mom yelled at us that we'd be banned from staying over or watching PPV again ! LOL
My dad purchased the original Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Thing on Beta cassettes for first viewing on the same day as the Aussie movie releases, well before Video City (Blockbuster in Tasmania) existed. I was 11 at the time. I was scared shitless by The Thing. So much fun for a future geek. $0.02
I also think that this movie fell victim to *one-dimensional-thinking marketers...* The trailer for the 'The Thing' was put before E.T. - because oh, two alien movies (that are absolutely nothing alike) - of course they must put this with E.T. - brilliant. I got to see the opening night in Hollywood, and even though it was super-late, there was a crowd going around the block... I'd never seen that before. I was about 9 when ET came out and I remember the preview for 'The Thing' terrified the bejesus out of me... I leaned over to my Mom and was like - "this isn't the movie right?" - relieved that it wasn't - so whomever decided to show that terrifying preview for 'The Thing' before an audience in the mood for a light-hearted, upbeat, and cute fantasy - was a real idiot and helped to seal the fate of this brilliant classic. I just re-watched for the nth time a couple days ago... what a great flick! Keep up the great vids Minty!
Creepy one, Minty. Also.... # 11, Childs at the end of the film is the Thing. Not the bottle that he drank from which confirms it. But the missing jacket in an earlier scene. When he transformed, like all of them; he burst through his clothing. Couldn't go outside like that. So, he took the other jacket that was hanging on the peg behind him when he was human, and on guard for the Thing. But he was drowsy. So, fell asleep and got taken over by it. Burst through his clothes, including the jacket he was wearing. So, he grabbed the other jacket. Almost everyone doesn't notice the missing jacket in a later scene.
Hey, that's a pretty good catch. I actually would like to consider that rather than the ambiguous and quite frankly very dismal (but more realistic) ending. And then of course it brings to mind the question of what happened to him. I mean, would the thing after having taken over have truly allowed its host to freeze to death, or would it wait until the other character dies and then go off? As usual, some of the best comments here on RUclips are ones that leave you asking more questions and fostering more discussion. Again, good catch on the detail!
@theterminaldave some people claim that bottle MacReady gave Childs was a Molotov cocktail, and the Thing drank it down without knowing what it was. There's actually nothing that backs this up
Good point but if you go by the 2011 prequel, Childs can't be the thing because at the end he still had his earring and according to the prequel, the thing couldn't imitate inanimate objects like earrings. So if you go by this, he was still human. By the way, has John Carpenter ever said if Childs or MacReady were the thing or human?
I wish there were still movie experiences like this today. I am really hoping that the new Cronenberg flick takes me back to those times when I was genuinely shocked by what I saw.
This to this day The Thing is my all time favorite film . Also I'm glad Keith David got the part , the man is great in everything he's in . I have to say this E.T. was great but personally I don't think it standed the test of time like The Thing did . Just as a example two of my kid's ( now 13 and 16 ) didn't care much for E.T. but really like The Thing .
I could have sworn Minty did this one already, but it doesn't say "re-upload". I dunno then. Anyway, one of the greatest remakes ever. The modern "prequel" is okay in its own right, but doesn't compare to the "original".
As a kid, I watched this on cable and vhs so many times. If it was playing, I never walked away from it. Only in the past few years have I started to appreciate the incredible amount of work put into the mystery of the alien overtaking the men. And the trust, belief, understanding, issues of the situation.
I was 14 years old when I saw this. I have watched this more than E.T (I can count on 2 hands how many times I've seen E.T over the years). I even like watching 1st time reaction vids because I love the comments on the practical effects (40 years old and STILL rocks!!!).
Yeah exactly... I've watched The THING like 15 times... E.T. ... twice... Also I saw it as a 13 year old on PPV. Watched it with a few friends and it spooked the f*ckin hell out of us ! We slept over at one of the guy's house and all night we'd f*cking grab somebody's leg and f*cking make each other jump and yell, keeping waking up the guy's mom all through the night so that the guy's mom yelled at us that we'd be banned from staying over or watching PPV again ! LOL
This awesome film turns 40 this year. John Carpenter had definitely knocked it out of the park and Kurt Russell's performance was amazing. This was a bonafide classic.
Minty, my main man from down under you finally covered my favorite horror movie/science fiction thriller of all time a perfect film if there ever was one considering the budget the filming conditions accidents on set Keith David breaking his hand from stealing a car to Kurt Russell smoking on set and Wilford brimley being Wilford brimley cheers
Hey Minty, if you read this, I just received (literally within that last hour) a Kurt Russel "The Thing" action figure (around 10 inches tall). Now, I am not a collector at all, but my daughter knew how much I love this movie and she got it for me for Fathers day early gift. This action figure is outstanding in likeness and it comes with the flame thrower, Kurt Russel's original outfit (brown jacket). This kit comes with head and hand replacements for his blue hood, dynamite stick, and even the blood jumping out of the glass dish with hot wire accessory. It's freaking amazing. I want to send you some photos since you are a big action figure collector. However, I am not a Twitter, Intagram, Facebook or Patreon user. So if you have an email address, please let me know what it is so I can send these photos.
One of my favorites, just recently started watching movies twice. The second time with audio commentary, some good behind the scenes goodies from John Carpenter and Kurt Russell for this one.
I was 13 years old when The Thing, Blade Runner AND E.T. came out. Since my dad and I were huge movie fans, I got to see all 3. Yes, 13 year old me saw The Thing in the theater, I was mature for my age and as much as I could suspend reality for a couple of hours, I was also digging special effects and good storylines. I liked them all for their own merits but The Thing blew me away! I STILL favor that movie over the other two!
8:18 “El Dia-Blow.” 😅 God bless Minty’s pronunciations. Also, this is one of my top favorite sci-fi and horror movies of all time. I never fully watched the movie, just tidbits growing up on tv and spin-offs, some imagery probably scared me to even considered asking my dad to get it at Blockbuster, till I became an adult and during the pandemic and seeing memes of Among Us connecting to the film. Without nothing else to do at the time and more easy to watch movies at home, I finally watched it and I adore it. One of the biggest regrets of not watching it sooner.
I saw it as a 13 year old on PPV. Watched it with a few friends and it spooked the f*ckin hell out of us ! We slept over at one of the guy's house and all night we'd f*cking grab somebody's leg and f*cking make each other jump and yell, keeping waking up the guy's mom all through the night so that the guy's mom yelled at us that we'd be banned from staying over or watching PPV again ! LOL
one of the best horror movies. the effects are just amazing. a standard 80's movies and modern movies should be judged by. example, the thing prequel looks like crap with the CGI but some scenes were done in practical effects before studio interference. those original scenes look pretty good. good practical effects are so important in horror and sci fi. love all john carpenter work. the thing was the first of his movies i remember clearly from childhood. love ya minty. stay groovy
The Thing (1982) is my favorite. I often tell people that if they want to see a horror film then this is it. It should be watched at night, in complete darkness and in home theater surround sound. It is by far one of if not the creepiest movies to watch. Other movies will care you a little and shock you here and there with the music and intense scene changes....but this movie here is, like I said, simply creepy. I am impressed with the prequal The Thing (2011). It might not have been other people's favorite but at least it did a decent job telling the part of the story we may have missed. Also I think it did a good job with the special effects and not going over the top. I'd like to see a new movie done that expands on the story but I'd want to be careful because today's movie magic CGI can make some organic elements feel too artificial.
This John Carpenter masterpiece still holds up 40 years later as a sci-fi classic!
Just like the Event Horizon underated.
This film truly is a timeless masterpiece. It's so unfortunate that it wasn't appreciated when it was originally released.
It’s funny how some movies are hated upon release but over the years gain popularity and a following…I see that happening a lot over the years…this movies is a classic
That's because everyone was well familiar with the original 50s version it was based on, The Thing From Another World. The 80s version came across as a gory knock-off. I suspect most of the fans of the 82 version either never saw the original or saw the 80s version first.
E.T. pretty much killed a lot of movies, including Blade Runner. And people were not expecting such a dark movie.
Carpenter never was. Kurt and John are a great team.
It was praised by the horror fans .
"The Thing" and "Alien" are two of my all time favorite horror/mystery movies. Thank you.
A true horror classic. Minty's assessment on the film is spot on! Kurt Russell and Keith David are truly in their best with this one!!! They both have an absolute unique presence in this film, indeed!
The Thing was decades ahead of it's time. The realistic dark and grim tone of the movie was a real trendsetter. True cult movie.
John Carpenter's The Thing - an amazing, classic film! A masterpiece in my opinion. Rob Bottin's practical effects were groundbreaking and impossible to take your eyes off of.
I first saw this movie on good ole Betamax when I was 12 ish - I loved the plot, the special effects, the characters, everything right from the get go. Being 53 now, I watched this movie again every few years - probably watched it around 25-30 times. Always love it and still in my top 3 ever seen horror movies. Masterful.
Its one of my favourite ever movies. Its brilliant. I also love the after-made prequel, i dont understand why people dont love that one too.
I plan to see the Thing, in celebration of its 40th Anniversary, on the big screen this weekend! They are having some special showings at theaters.
Really I wish I could seen it in the theatre.Man I feel jealous.
An absolute masterpiece of a movie, one of my favourite movies. Oddly enough, most of my favourite films are mostly done by Carpenter. The palpable tension, between the actors in this film, of not knowing for sure who was the thing and who wasn't, made this movie the timeless masterpiece it was, and still is.
This film changed my life. Seeing it as a kid, way too young to have caught it on TV late at night, it gave me nightmares that stuck with me for a decade. It has inspired nearly all of my artwork to this day. A perfect horror film in the purest form.
That's amazing I saw it for the first time in 83 or so my cousin rented the VHS and loved the movie ever since I was about 12 at the time. CArrie (the only movie to give me night mares as a kid) saw it about the same time also; Carrie came on tv though in the early 80's. I bet your art work is amazing if inspired by the THING.
I caught a tv version of The Thing on my dads old vhs tapes. It had a completely different introduction. There was a narrator who introduced everyone in the outpost. It’s not labeled and I’m still trying to find it.
@@jeremiahrose4681 I've never actually watched Carrie. One of those films I've 'seen' by osmosis 😅 Also, I made a Thing inspired animation on my channel. A Gorefield Thing. Pretty chuffed with it.
Same - I think I was 11 years old. I'd seen a good few horror films by then, but this one changed my world.
I saw it on spike tv when the game was coming out. I puked in terror and didn’t sleep for days. Good times
At the time, it was probably the most underrated movie of all time. I’m so glad it got traction so quickly on home video release, and people recognized it as the amazing classic it is.
That, and Blade Runner.
@@WhiteScarsEmo Coincidentally, Blade Runner was released the very same day, June 25, 1982. Both films were misunderstood and declared flops, and both now are declared masterpieces. Interesting.
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Yeah I know it was universally panned. Now it’s considered a classic-funny how time changes things.
40 years later, still one of my favorites!
John Carpenter films never failed to entertain. He was a master story teller for all time.
It's very sad that John Carpenter's work rarely ever got realized at the time. He creates awesome movies that critics just tear apart and piss on because he doesn't want to conform to the mainstream. I respect Carpenter as an artist with his own creative vision.
the man that doesnt conform at least a little is a lonely man
@BruceAlarie
I don't know if that is how it works...I myself am no friend to conformity. I have always gone to the beat of my own drum. Despite that, I have always been relatively popular with my peers.
As an example I have only spent 6 months of my adult life single and that was by choice. In most cases my relationships have lasted years with my current one we're working on 11 right now. My fiancee is 10 years younger than me and she barely keeps up with my shenanigans. What I'm trying to say is....those of us that go to the beat of our own drum are pretty happy. I know I am!
The special effects for this movie in 82 is so epic and still holds up to this day
Better than the crap effects they made for the sequel/prequel.
I got to see the thing on its opening weekend and I was absolutely terrified! It scared me to no end and still raises the feeling of paranoia and horror in my mind when I watch it today. I went to film school in 1995 and they had us list our top 10 favorite movies of all time. The thing is in there at number three. Long live The Thing!
I can't agree more; the Thing is one of my top movies ever and favorite/with Carrie as my favorite horror movie.
Since you were there when it first released tell me, was it really as hated like people and critics say or was there actually some positive reception to it? Just curious.
Tell us ur Top10!
@@chasevids14
I don't remember it being hated but it didn't do well. However if you look at that Siskel and Ebert clip, Gene liked it. I avoid most horror films but I liked this one. The gruesome effects are inherent in the concept of the alien. More so than in Alien, though Alien is the better film.
You hit the nail on the head when you stated Mr. Carpenter didn’t want to sell happy meals, he wanted to sell horror !!! Great job Minty.
Could you imagine happy meal toys from the thing??? Kids woyld never finish their meal.
This movie certainly caught my attention! I was riveted and grossed out, but I couldn't look away. The Thing is one of my favorite horror movies of all time 🥰
The THING is one of my all time favourite films. Great story, cast, direction and effects. Its a true Sci-Fi / Horror masterpiece.
Not one of my top 10, but everything you say is absolutely true. MASTERPIECE !
When we go to interstellar space these movies should be canon as a warning
Kurt Russell was masterful in this horror flick. No one else could have fit the bill.
I agree 100% I feel like if they made a new one they should cast him again as this character.
I saw this when it came out and for years I was convinced the lead was Jeff Bridges. I watched it again on VHS quite a few years later and I was stunned when I realised it was Kurt Russell in the lead. I guess I mustn't have had as much exposure to both those stars at the time. Also, when I was about 9, my mum laet me stay up to watch The original fifties version. Just at the scene were they open the door and the Thing is standing there, we had a power cut. We both screamed in total darkness..!
@@LOrealHardly had the same thing happen during my first viewing of the Exorcist. Thunderstorm cut the power…freaked me out!
@@LOrealHardly perfect timing too lol. I won't take anything away from Jeff Bridges either. He is an exceptional actor.
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes star in a horror movie? The very thought!
Saw it in 82 and it left a huge impression on me. Very excited to be seeing it in a theater again this week for the 40th anniversary re-release
Loved The Thing. No doubt a classic in the scifi/ horror genre. Truly ahead of its time. The effects were amazing, and the characters were dope. But what really got to me..? The sound of the Thing. That creepy, eerie scream...yo that sent chills lol. Carpenter and his team are legends.
Supposedly, the scream is supposed to be the combined screams of all of its victims
@@trevorjames4619 Really? This is my favourite horror film and with all of the docos and articles I've ever read, I have never heard of that possibility (unless my brain has misfired and lost the info, highly likely lol), but I'd love it to be true! Do you remember where you heard it so I can look into it or refresh my memory if I've already heard it? Even if you don't remember, thanks for the tip, mate!
@@williamsomerset1250 I can’t remember either where. I think, MAYBE, I read it while reading the novelization of the film, or the script of the film, but I do remember reading that somewhere a long time ago, and that little nugget always stood out to me. By the way, did you know that the ship that crashed belonged to a space traveling species that the thing overtook. Also, if you haven’t, read “the things, read it. It talks about the events of this film from the things (no pun intended)perspective. It an amazing read.
@@trevorjames4619 Thanks for the reply and the recommendation. So is that the novelization of he film or another book?
Kurt Russell is brilliant as R.J. MacReady, and Keith David is brilliant as Childs. 😀👍
It was quite surprising to me that Kurt Russell could do drama as well as funny. My first experience with him was Big Trouble in Little China so I was pretty amazed when I saw this!
Agreed to both actors
In fact, I am relieved that the same actor who played Winston from The Ghostbusters did NOT get to be in this movie. But hey, he did end up in a pretty gory scene in the train tunnel in the second installment of the Ghostbusters so I guess it works out, lol.
@@Elle--lc7ep that's right. 😀👍
@@Elle--lc7ep Ernie Hudson is the actor's name. And he would've been great as Child's too. Only one scene where I got chills from the Ghostbusters movie as a kid. That's when Winston and Ray were talking about the end of the world and Judgement Day speach.
Even the Duffer Bros mentioned, that scene and speach influenced the scene in Stranger Things S3 E8 or 9 where Lucas says the same line.
Max asked: "What do we do if this doesn't work?"
Lucas: "It's going to work."
Max: "But what if it doesn't."
Lucas: "Judgment Day!"
Saw it in the theater with a friend and we were literally jumping out of seats, yelling and grabbing each other. One of my best movie experiences.
Wish i would've seen this in theatre.
I saw the movie with two of my friends. By the end of the movie we were yelling and cowering in our seats.
The best critics are those that give you a distinct impression of the movie without necessarily saying whether they like it or not. Even if you can't handle gore you can't say it isn't well made, well paced, has great acting and impressive effects. I was too young to see it in 82 but when VHS arrived I got to see it and loved it - its one that I make any young people who haven't heard of it and think they like horror movies watch, along with An American Werewolf in London.
John Carpenter is a serious master! I'm glad I discovered his movies and can appreciate them.
One of the greatest if not the greatest horror movies of all time. Absolute classic ❤️
I love this movie the tension was chilling and the alien creature effects by Rob Botin were gruesome. Also, I highly recommend the original as well.
I'd love to read the book, personally.
Carpenter originally sought Aussie actor, Jack Thompson for the lead.....surprising, I know
The first DVD I ever bought. I was astounded by the special features.
Watched the Thing in the cinema back in 82 and loved it ever since. It was way ahead of it's time!. The reason maybe people now loving it!
This has been one of my favorite horror movies for over 30 years! Thank you Minty for doing this.
I watched this movie when I was 10 and it was the coolest most intense movie I had ever seen. The spider head scene really stuck with me. Amazing film that just can't be replicated, imitated or copied into and equal.
I saw it as a 13 year old on PPV. Watched it with a few friends and it spooked the f*ckin hell out of us ! We slept over at one of the guy's house and all night we'd f*cking grab somebody's leg and f*cking make each other jump and yell, keeping waking up the guy's mom all through the night so that the guy's mom yelled at us that we'd be banned from staying over or watching PPV again ! LOL
30+ years after the first time i saw the film and i still get chills when i hear the sound track.
This was one of the first movies my dad rented on VHS… I was maybe 7 or 8 when I saw it… my parents said we weren’t allowed to watch it because it had an 18-rating… but my older brother and I stealth-watched it when they went to bed…. Scared me shitless. I loved it. And I also remember feeling really sad for the fate of the dogs :-)
I love this movie. 2 more things to add that were missed:
1. the modern day sequel/prequel that came out a few years ago is basically the Norwegians base where they dug the Thing out the ground and comes to life. the back ground story does help explain a little of the first movie's scenes when they are looking at the ruined outpost and block of ice.
2. in the original Halloween movie, while little Lindsay Wallace is watching TV on the couch while Laurie is in the kitchen, she is watching the original movie of The Thing, witch John Carpenter would lake direct only a couple years later.
An explanation of the previous base was not needed. It was more terrible when it was left to the imagination, scarier.
@@Fanuc_Operator1990 Yeah, but people suck and need everything wrapped up and delivered with a bow nowadays. And there are no new ideas anymore... everything is glommed on to something that is popular because it's way too difficult to come up with any new ideas that haven't been tested before.
I like the idea of the prequel, but the fact they ruined it with bad cg when they had awesome practical effects under it was a major thing that hurt it for me. Loved the different way they knew who wasn't a thing from the original.
It's been a while since I've seen it, so m sure it has issues beyond the CG that I don't remember or I'd of revisited it.
@@paulwalsh2344 Well said. Tech, along with 'education' based on compliance, has killed the imagination.
The prequel also causes continuity issues. The Carpenter film shows the team using explosives to make the hole the UFO was in. The prequel shows the UFO using its own propulsion to make that hole.
I just watched this recently, and then watched Ken Burns' Jazz documentary without knowing Keith David was the narrator, which was really strange at first. I do love seeing or hearing him pop up in things though, he's always a delight.
David is amazing, and soooo under-used.
Not really . He's well-known as The Arbitar from the HALO videogame franchise .
@@Axolotl_Mischief he gets plenty of work, but I think he's mainly a voice actor these days.
He used to narrate those old navy commercials
I saw it when it came out. I was 14. It is still one of my "go to" movies when I just need some good old fashioned horror.... without CGI. It's AWESOME!!!
Same here. Plus ‘An American Werewolf in London’.
One of the best science fiction movies 🎥 of all time, with a perfect cast. Russell and David had great chemistry.
I saw this movie when I was 13 in October at a drive in theater with my brother. My brothers car's heater wasn't working so we were freezing in the car watching this movie, which really gave us a more realistic experience watching it. Love this movie
In introduced my 15 year old son to this movie and he was awestruck.
One of the best horror flicks ever made! Just twenty years ahead of its time! Absolutely a classic!
I was always too scared to watch this but recently decided to go on a 80s horror movie marathon. I absolutely loved the Thing as well as the Fly, Alien and the Lost Boys. The special effects of those movies are incredible 🥰
I rented the Blu-ray a few years back, it's so crisp you can literally read the label on barrels around the camp.
If you haven't caught it in this format yet do yourself a solid.
Thanks for the recommendation. Have just ordered the Blu-ray.👍
@@AtheistOrphan when you see your first barrel, you're going to say to yourself, "that guy wasn't kidding".
Enjoy!
One of my ALL TIME Favorite movies of the early 80s with Kurt Russell. Thanks Minty!!!
One of my favorite movies of all time. Watched this with my dad when I was a kid & now I watch it every Halloween with my kids.
One of the best films ever made ! I've owned the Laserdisc, HD-DVD & Blu Ray...This Sunday at one of our movie theaters The 40th anniversary of The Thing will be shown...My 17yr old son and i are going to see it ...No matter how many times we've seen it we love it and can't wait to see it in a theater .
Although I am aware of its trivia, as a fan of this Carpenter classic, its great to watch a retrospective of one of my favorite and of course, influential films! Good work, mate!
I don't get the Razzie nomination. The score works well enough for the film itself to create the atmosphere and mood. It's kinda funny that Tarantino took the unused score for Kurt's final scene.
The Thing may be my favorite horror film ever, and I grew up on the genre in the 80's. The defibrillator scene almost caused my heart to stop.
One of my all time favourite films. There's some genuinely creepy moments in there such as the sequence at the destroyed Norwegian base.
It is still mind boggling to think that the creatures of The Thing are just practical effects, and it still scares me now.
Hey Minty! Great video. I knew several of these, but the one that threw me was the several unused endings and the fact that Carpenter left production partway through only to come back. This has always been one of my favorite movies, and as usual you did a great job on this one. Still waiting for a 10 things you didn't know about Minty video.
John Carpenter is one of my all time favorite film makers. A real master of his trade.
My brother Zach (who's wanting to become a full-blown major movie critic and such) still enjoys and gets frightened with this film.
He definitely calls this one an absolute horror masterpiece!
Great movie, great cast, effects, score. Absolute classic
Such a great film!! The suspicion, dread and madness among the crew was epic!!
When PALMER sees the spider-head walking out the door -
PALMER: "You've got to be f_cking kidding." is Kurt Russell's favorite line and never fails to make him crack up.
Aside from being one of the best movies ever and my #1 personal favourite film, The Thing has the most sublime, atmospheric musical score that it’s both superbly unique and absolutely unforgettable.
I realised that when someone posted a TikTok with a snippet of the music and I recognised it immediately.
Not bad for a 5 seconds snippet of the background music for an 80’s horror movie.
EM's Thing score won a razzy, but his unused parts, which EM later used for The Hateful Eight, won him an Oscar for best OG score. Go figure.
I love that fact! And it s fun to see how much both movies got in common: a group of people in an isolated place in an ice desert. At some point no one knows if anyone is who he claims to be. And Kurt Russel!
@@tobiasfoppe725 Watching Hateful 8 in theaters I remember thinking "(other than being "the case of who spiked the coffee") this looks and feels a lot like The Thing" then when I learned about the music connections, BOOM
QT and carpenter are also huge Howard Hawks fans
John Carpenter's masterpiece the effects the performances the music it's perfect 10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The music was perfect...
This is one of those movies you wish would never end and you can watch it over and over.
I can’t believe it flopped on release.. it was and still is a masterpiece. I remember watching it as a kid being absolutely terrified but mesmerised by it and its amazing practical effects and not to mention the memorable characters.
That Burt Lancaster picture though! Great movie and countdown. I hope some day you look into Bone Tomahawk, I would love to hear some insides to the making of that awesome movie! Cheers Minty!
I was wondering if anyone else noticed 🤣🤣
@@TheUncleRuckus doubt most people don’t even know who he is! Lol
I came here to mention this. TBF, Burt was Bill’s dad.
@@DeanStrickson I didn't know that. Yeah it was an honest mistake. Me being older, it just odd that most the people commenting probably have no idea who he was.
Kurt Russell is a national treasure. My favorite horror movie of all time.
Glad that I loved this movie from day one. Makes me feel like a visionary, LOL. Seriously, I introduced my daughter to this movie when she was about 12 or 13 and she was blown away. She's 25 now and to this day this is one of her all-time favorite movies. She's even turned some of her friends on to it. Kinda brings a tear to my eye...
I'll never forget looking through movies to watch as a kid and my Dad yelling "LET'S WATCH THE THING!" I loved the intensity from beginning to end.
I watched this film on cable and all alone years ago and it frightened the hell out of me, but it quickly became one of my favorite sci-fi horror films.
Yeah I saw it as a 13 year old on PPV too. I don't know how I'd have fared watching it alone... I watched it with a few friends and it spooked the f*ckin hell out of us ! We slept over at one of the guy's house and all night we'd f*cking grab somebody's leg and f*cking make each other jump and yell, keeping waking up the guy's mom all through the night so that the guy's mom yelled at us that we'd be banned from staying over or watching PPV again ! LOL
My dad purchased the original Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Thing on Beta cassettes for first viewing on the same day as the Aussie movie releases, well before Video City (Blockbuster in Tasmania) existed. I was 11 at the time. I was scared shitless by The Thing. So much fun for a future geek. $0.02
I also think that this movie fell victim to *one-dimensional-thinking marketers...* The trailer for the 'The Thing' was put before E.T. - because oh, two alien movies (that are absolutely nothing alike) - of course they must put this with E.T. - brilliant. I got to see the opening night in Hollywood, and even though it was super-late, there was a crowd going around the block... I'd never seen that before. I was about 9 when ET came out and I remember the preview for 'The Thing' terrified the bejesus out of me... I leaned over to my Mom and was like - "this isn't the movie right?" - relieved that it wasn't - so whomever decided to show that terrifying preview for 'The Thing' before an audience in the mood for a light-hearted, upbeat, and cute fantasy - was a real idiot and helped to seal the fate of this brilliant classic. I just re-watched for the nth time a couple days ago... what a great flick! Keep up the great vids Minty!
I think this film is as close to perfect as you can possibly get!!
It's definitely one of my favourites!!
I love this movie no CGI ❤
CGI ruined the prequel🤮
Yes indeed
Stan Winston : what a genius !
Practical effects levels here are absolutely legendary. To this day they are still the best I've ever seen.
Hands down some of the best death scenes ever filmed, and the practical effects is what made it so great!
Creepy one, Minty.
Also.... # 11, Childs at the end of the film is the Thing.
Not the bottle that he drank from which confirms it. But the missing jacket in an earlier scene. When he transformed, like all of them; he burst through his clothing. Couldn't go outside like that. So, he took the other jacket that was hanging on the peg behind him when he was human, and on guard for the Thing. But he was drowsy. So, fell asleep and got taken over by it. Burst through his clothes, including the jacket he was wearing. So, he grabbed the other jacket. Almost everyone doesn't notice the missing jacket in a later scene.
Hey, that's a pretty good catch. I actually would like to consider that rather than the ambiguous and quite frankly very dismal (but more realistic) ending. And then of course it brings to mind the question of what happened to him. I mean, would the thing after having taken over have truly allowed its host to freeze to death, or would it wait until the other character dies and then go off? As usual, some of the best comments here on RUclips are ones that leave you asking more questions and fostering more discussion. Again, good catch on the detail!
Now I gotta go watch it again lol
What about the bottle?
@theterminaldave some people claim that bottle MacReady gave Childs was a Molotov cocktail, and the Thing drank it down without knowing what it was. There's actually nothing that backs this up
Good point but if you go by the 2011 prequel, Childs can't be the thing because at the end he still had his earring and according to the prequel, the thing couldn't imitate inanimate objects like earrings. So if you go by this, he was still human. By the way, has John Carpenter ever said if Childs or MacReady were the thing or human?
The Thing and Alien, Aliens the best ever.
I wish there were still movie experiences like this today. I am really hoping that the new Cronenberg flick takes me back to those times when I was genuinely shocked by what I saw.
A MASTERPIECE 40 YEARS LATERS STILL WATCHING IT WISH MORE HORROR MOVIE ARE MADE THIS GOOD
I love this movie! I think it was done very well! I loved the other one they made as well telling the story of where the dog infected came from.
Im 45 and I say this is the scariest movie I have ever seen. The prequel was scary too. I still force myself to watch it every couple years or so.
Freedy Kruger was scarier but The Thing had got suspense and thrills.
This to this day The Thing is my all time favorite film . Also I'm glad Keith David got the part , the man is great in everything he's in . I have to say this E.T. was great but personally I don't think it standed the test of time like The Thing did . Just as a example two of my kid's ( now 13 and 16 ) didn't care much for E.T. but really like The Thing .
I'm a Carpenter fan, I've loved The Thing since I first saw it in 1982, but I still learned new production info from this video. Excellent stuff!
I could have sworn Minty did this one already, but it doesn't say "re-upload". I dunno then.
Anyway, one of the greatest remakes ever. The modern "prequel" is okay in its own right, but doesn't compare to the "original".
I recall this as well ("Minty" does not always label a "re-upload" video - just as he does not always drop his videos on Tuesdays & Fridays) 🎥🤔
Haha, same...I did a double take to see if it was a re-up
40 years of bad shit crazy of a film, cool video as Minty, keep up the good work, take care
I was in awe of this movie the first time I seen it. It's scary how close this movie came to not being made. A brilliant masterpiece
As a kid, I watched this on cable and vhs so many times. If it was playing, I never walked away from it. Only in the past few years have I started to appreciate the incredible amount of work put into the mystery of the alien overtaking the men. And the trust, belief, understanding, issues of the situation.
YES!!!!!
The best Sci Fi Horror film ever made!
I was 14 years old when I saw this. I have watched this more than E.T (I can count on 2 hands how many times I've seen E.T over the years). I even like watching 1st time reaction vids because I love the comments on the practical effects (40 years old and STILL rocks!!!).
Yeah exactly... I've watched The THING like 15 times... E.T. ... twice...
Also I saw it as a 13 year old on PPV. Watched it with a few friends and it spooked the f*ckin hell out of us ! We slept over at one of the guy's house and all night we'd f*cking grab somebody's leg and f*cking make each other jump and yell, keeping waking up the guy's mom all through the night so that the guy's mom yelled at us that we'd be banned from staying over or watching PPV again ! LOL
I saw it when it first came out, and have the dvd. It never seems to get old. Great cast.
This awesome film turns 40 this year. John Carpenter had definitely knocked it out of the park and Kurt Russell's performance was amazing. This was a bonafide classic.
I also love the X-Files episode that's basically a remake of The Thing
Minty, my main man from down under you finally covered my favorite horror movie/science fiction thriller of all time a perfect film if there ever was one considering the budget the filming conditions accidents on set Keith David breaking his hand from stealing a car to Kurt Russell smoking on set and Wilford brimley being Wilford brimley cheers
Awesome. Time for a rewatch. The Carpenter-Russel combo is always explosive.
Hey Minty, if you read this, I just received (literally within that last hour) a Kurt Russel "The Thing" action figure (around 10 inches tall). Now, I am not a collector at all, but my daughter knew how much I love this movie and she got it for me for Fathers day early gift. This action figure is outstanding in likeness and it comes with the flame thrower, Kurt Russel's original outfit (brown jacket). This kit comes with head and hand replacements for his blue hood, dynamite stick, and even the blood jumping out of the glass dish with hot wire accessory. It's freaking amazing. I want to send you some photos since you are a big action figure collector. However, I am not a Twitter, Intagram, Facebook or Patreon user. So if you have an email address, please let me know what it is so I can send these photos.
Ernie Hudson would have been great in that role, but they got it right with Keith David. He just owns the screen whenever he's on it.
Yaasssss get it!
Bro...you got balls.
I hope this vid dont get demonotized. Hard movie to show clips from.
One of my favorites, just recently started watching movies twice. The second time with audio commentary, some good behind the scenes goodies from John Carpenter and Kurt Russell for this one.
I was 13 years old when The Thing, Blade Runner AND E.T. came out.
Since my dad and I were huge movie fans, I got to see all 3. Yes, 13 year old me saw The Thing in the theater, I was mature for my age and as much as I could suspend reality for a couple of hours, I was also digging special effects and good storylines.
I liked them all for their own merits but The Thing blew me away! I STILL favor that movie over the other two!
Love your channel, this is one of my all time favourite films in any genre!!! Kudos from the UK 🇬🇧
8:18 “El Dia-Blow.” 😅 God bless Minty’s pronunciations.
Also, this is one of my top favorite sci-fi and horror movies of all time. I never fully watched the movie, just tidbits growing up on tv and spin-offs, some imagery probably scared me to even considered asking my dad to get it at Blockbuster, till I became an adult and during the pandemic and seeing memes of Among Us connecting to the film. Without nothing else to do at the time and more easy to watch movies at home, I finally watched it and I adore it. One of the biggest regrets of not watching it sooner.
I saw it as a 13 year old on PPV. Watched it with a few friends and it spooked the f*ckin hell out of us ! We slept over at one of the guy's house and all night we'd f*cking grab somebody's leg and f*cking make each other jump and yell, keeping waking up the guy's mom all through the night so that the guy's mom yelled at us that we'd be banned from staying over or watching PPV again ! LOL
one of the best horror movies. the effects are just amazing. a standard 80's movies and modern movies should be judged by. example, the thing prequel looks like crap with the CGI but some scenes were done in practical effects before studio interference. those original scenes look pretty good. good practical effects are so important in horror and sci fi. love all john carpenter work. the thing was the first of his movies i remember clearly from childhood. love ya minty. stay groovy
The Thing (1982) is my favorite. I often tell people that if they want to see a horror film then this is it. It should be watched at night, in complete darkness and in home theater surround sound. It is by far one of if not the creepiest movies to watch. Other movies will care you a little and shock you here and there with the music and intense scene changes....but this movie here is, like I said, simply creepy.
I am impressed with the prequal The Thing (2011). It might not have been other people's favorite but at least it did a decent job telling the part of the story we may have missed. Also I think it did a good job with the special effects and not going over the top. I'd like to see a new movie done that expands on the story but I'd want to be careful because today's movie magic CGI can make some organic elements feel too artificial.
In the middle of winter too.