The Thing (1982) is DISTURBING. I wasn't prepared | First Time Watching Movie Reaction & Commentary
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- Опубликовано: 9 сен 2024
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My first time watching The Thing! I was not prepared for the disturbing images that came my way. I am probably scarred for life. I hope you enjoy my reaction & Review!
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Hi, I'm Chris! Welcome to my channel. I react to movies & tv shows hoping to represent what it's really like to experience them for the first time. If you enjoy, you can support me by liking the video, subscribing to the channel, and letting me know your thoughts in the comments.
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Original Movie: The Thing (1982)
*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. All rights belong to their respective owners.
"Maybe we're not handling this any better than the Norwegians did."
You are adorable and hilarious.
Fun fact, at the time that "Jaws" was made, it was genuinely believed by the American public that sharks were man-eating killing machines without a single other though in their mind. It wasn't until a few years later that scientists (and by extension the public) realized that this was not actually the case and that most sharks wanted nothing to do with people. In fact the great white shark, whom the titular shark of this movie is based on, doesn't even seem to enjoy the taste of human. Yes there are some attacks but it is merely a case of mistaken identity, and while the wounds are often severe, most people live to tell the tale. If you think about it, if a 20+ ft. shark wanted to make a meal of a 5-6 ft. human, there's nothing the human could really do about it, so why do most victims of a great white shark attack live, because the shark realized what it was biting wasn't food, and let it go. Steven Spielberg, in an interview years later, said that had he known what sharks were really like, he would have never made this movie.
Oh man Jaws would have been SO scary if really believed sharks were out there hunting humans! It's still a thrill ride now simply because of the fear that remains, even though I know the stats aren't that jarring. I'm glad he made it, even if public perception about sharks has changed over time.
very true. from below the surface, a surfer paddling his way towards the waves looks kinda like a seal. its usually surfers that get attacked
@@CasualNerdReactions they're basically sea puppies!
Yeah, on the famous Kon Tiki expedition, the crew was killing every shark they possibly could because they actually thought they were doing the world a favor!! Every shark they killed was one less evil shark the world has to deal with! It's crazy now to think that people actually thought that way!
Plus, as far as I know, the book the movie is based on was about a series of attacks done by a bull shark, which statistically is responsible for more attacks on humans per year than great white sharks, but for cinematic purposes an 8m (26ft) white shark could be way more imposing and terrifying due to it's size and looks.
"Jaws," "Psycho," "The Thing?" Thanks for doing these amazing classics. You're making some great choices! The volume of the film was a little low, though.
Thanks so much for the feedback! I just put the volume on the same setting each time and didn't really pay attention to if you could HEAR IT. Will be sure to adjust it properly in the future.
In case no one has mentioned, the Norwegian at the beginning was saying "That's not a dog, it's a creature, a thing" or something along those lines. Gives away the whole movie (if you speak the language).
Shape shifters can be very productive. While Blair-thing was alone in the shed, he could have had 20 arms and bone hard claws to dig holes and make a ship to get to civilization.
🤣 The scene I didn't know I needed.
It was John Carpenter's clearly stated ambition that we wouldn't know if one of them was a thing or not at the end. So any details about breath or jackets or bottles that people have spun fan theories about ever since, are just fan theories -- there are no "hidden clues" from the filmmakers in the ending scene.
The truth: WE WERE ALL THE THING THE WHOLE TIME! ... And we were also Dio the entire time too!
Classic “show, don’t tell” rule of movies - first few moments of film shows that McReady enjoys having a strategy and he is a poor loser as he is shown playing chess and becoming destructive when he loses. Highlights his personality throughout the film as he matches wits with The Thing.
Absolutely right, honestly it's a brilliant move including that scene.
Great points! It makes perfect sense that you'd believe him when he says he'd blow the whole place to hell
Except the computer cheated 😉
Technically the computer also DID cheat with that move it made. So his 'cheating bitch' comment is actually fair :p
@@kinagrill Yeah. He wasn't in checkmate but the computer said he was.
This, to me, is one of the best Sci-fi Horror films ever made!
I couldn't agree with you more, although there are some great ones to choose from.
Wrong! It's THEE BEST ever made, lol
@@FilthTribeFTP That's what I meant! Lol!
This and Alien.. " different movies thrown into one genre... (Bad planning to release this the same week as E.T, though)
Interesting trivia: considered a sci-fi classic _today_ The Thing got absolutely poisonous reviews when it came out in 1982.
It's amazing how opinion change over time. I'm glad people came to appreciate it.
Primarily because "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" was released on June 11, 1982. "John Carpenter's The Thing" was released on June 25, 1982. It got bad reviews because it wasn't like "E.T."
Definitely not a fair comparison. 🤣
Alien (1979) was met with mixed and negative reviews too. A few years later those critics "accidentally" changed their minds when they read people's reviews. By the way, Blade Runner flopped the same year The Thing did - 2 amazing films!
I love the film! In addition how great the special effects look (even all these years later), I enjoy how the Thing seems to show us bits and pieces of ALL the different alien species it’s absorbed over the years. So like you said, we get a brand-new monster every single time it attacks. :)
Oh so there was a reason slightly more than to shock and scare the crap outta me? haha. That's amazing, honestly the effects really are remarkable, even if they're at times a bit outlandish. Truly a testament to the creativity behind the project.
Eh, the special effects aren't that great. Lots of obvious rubber covered in probably Vaseline. The fake dogs look like badly done taxidermy.
@B.L. Alley Not really. I think people perceive the effects as great because they're obviously physically there in the scene with the actors and the stiff movement doesn't register because creepy alien thing is going to be creepy. Sure, special effects in general stand out to me, but I've also gotten pretty good at recognizing the *quality* of the effects.
@B.L. Alley If you say so.
20:40* ironically this film was released 2 weeks after ET was released in theaters. Critics loved the ET, but they hated THE THING, calling it, "boring, Dull, and extremely gory," as well as being "a retched excess."
🤣 Yea, I realized that a few hours ago. I was for sure thinking ET came out around 87-88. NOPE. So interesting how both were received at the time, but I think today most anyone would call them classics, Albeit very different.
Additionally, "Blade Runner" came out on June 25th as well. And got terrible reviews.
@@milescoburn1845 Just shows that most critiques back then and still to this day have no idea what makes a good product. Same with test-audiences.
No but you WERE actually correct! Spielberg DID base ET on THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD....just the original one from 1951. So you were NOT wrong.
Even The Shining got terrible reviews when it came out, which is so absolutely unfathomable nowadays.
I'm super judgy of lots of these reaction channels but that's because I'm a cold hearted human. BUT I found your channel and a few others recently and you got real good energy and vibes. And you watch a lot of the movies I grew up with, like The Thing! Subscribed 😃👍
Thank you so much David. I'm still working to fine tune certain aspects of my edits to better capture the first time experience. I can be judge for these channels too and twice as much on my own 😂 Glad you're enjoying.
I highly recommend "Tucker And Dale Vs. Evil" if it isn't already on your list.
Fun Fact: According to an apocryphal story first reported on Reddit in February 2013, when asked about the ambiguous ending of the film, John Carpenter responded that he never understood how could there be any confusion about whether Childs or MacReady are human or not, because the last scene shows: "Kurt Russell and Keith David staring each other down, harshly backlit. It's completely, glaringly obvious that Kurt Russell is breathing, and Keith David is NOT."
Go rewatch that part. You'll never unsee it.
YOU'RE RIGHT! I will never unsee that. That's insane. It's so glaringly obvious I feel like I should have noticed, but I definitely didn't! Thanks for pointing that out.
Also adding tucker and dale vs evil. I remember thinking that one looked so good, but never saw it.
CNR ...Tucker And Dale Vs. Evil is seriously underrated "horror" classic. I know you will love it.
I was browsing the free RUclips movies and discovered "Once Bitten" is on there. It's absolutely terrible, but it is also the most 80s vampire movie I have ever seen.
@@BigGator5 🤣what a description. I'm so here for most 80s vampire movie ever. haha
Thank you for being the first reactor to understand that hitting an unevenly moving smaller than man sized target from an unevenly moving vehicle (not to mention while trying to use a scope is....well like I told some other reactor "He might have had better luck throwing the bullets at him."
This movie along with An American Werewolf in London (1981), and THE FLY (1986) are my trifecta of awesome 80s films with world class practical effects.
Sounds awesome! Thanks. Added to the list :)
The Howling
The Blob (1988)
LMFAO this was the closest I've ever seen someone come to actually puking during a reaction
It was impulse 😬 Thankfully it didn't go any further than that initial ugh.
@@CasualNerdReactions My best friend yarked a ham sandwich into the floor when we watched this together in 1983 on HBO
This is the first time that a story so disgusting has been somewhat comforting. So relatable.
The closest I ever came to yacking during a movie was when the guy splattered all over the windshield in Robocop! But that was only because I was in the middle of swallowing a mouthful of popcorn and wasn't expecting it to happen! Hahaha
The intensity of that dog is so unsettling.
This movie is the most underrated masterpiece ever……I first saw this in around 1986 and proceeded to ware out my vhs copy of it …..it’s great to see it being enjoyed by people who havent seen it ….especially because I know what’s coming and you dont
Omg, you are the first person who actually understands it's not like a video game when shooting a moving object the size of a dog that is running eradictly, while in a MOVING object up in the air, with factors like bullet drop and wind direction, etc. Everyone else is always like " bro, how is he such a terrible shot?!!!"
Also, Mac wasn't a sore loser, the Chess Wizard did INDEED cheat. She never had checkmate, let alone even check. That was a real game system in the 80sv and it was NOTORIOUS for "cheating" like that. Lol
Last thing about the dog..... Why does everyone always get mad at them shooting at the dog? They're always like, " omg why are they shooting at the dog?!" I mean, it should be obvious that in a horror movie, there's something probably wrong with the dog 😂
🤣 I definitely started out thinking, “how are you missing.” But as I talked it out, I realized this would actually be so difficult. I also probably assumed he was a professional sharpshooter.
Really?! I didn’t know it could actually “Cheat.” Rude.
There could be a couple of reasons. People like dogs more than people? It’s unusual to see someone shooting a dog, probably even more so today. And yes, it’s a horror movie so we maybe should assume something is wrong with the dog, but it’s the first thing that happens and I had no idea the thing was like a parasite and not a swamp monster so… whoops.
The funny thing is... ET was in theatres when The Thing came out and it’s believed that the HUGE popularity of ET, a friendly alien, caused people to not go see The Thing, a hostile alien. It was a box office flop originally, but now, most agree that it’s a classic of horror and science fiction
The dog never barks, wags his tail, and he is constantly watching everyone and everything. Strange.
There was an original "The Thing" made in 1951 that you may wish to watch, though not necessarily review. It is far less gory and still the story of an interspace visitor who ends up at an arctic scientific research facility. The script is actually quite clever with many memorable lines as the battle is both between the "thing" and the humans, and also between the military and the scientists as how best to confront the challenge. Dr. Carrington, the leader of the scientists, delivers the classic line, "There are no enemies in science, only phenomena to be studied." In trying to justify the "thing" Carrington says, " Let's not forget that this is a stranger in a strange land." To which someone responds, "Except that this stranger is apt to eat you." On another occasion, Carrington, justifying the need for science to continue to explore, says, "We've split the atom." To which someone in the background quips, "And that sure made the world happy." Terrific movie, though dated. Give it a try. The quotes, by the way, are to the best of my recollection.
You're the first and only reactor to get that Blair was trying to make it end right here. I've watched 20 other reactors all say, "Oh gee, he's gone crazy!!!" Kudos!
Fun Fact: This was the first movie to ask the question: Windows or Mac?
🤣 I guess so. Even here I have to go with Mac.
So I thought, confidently, that I had seen The Thing back in the day, likely at a friends house on VHS. I think it’s closer to the truth to say I’ve heard The Thing having likely spent the whole movie with my hand clamped over my eyes. I may just watch it now for the first time.
I saw at least one movie that way when I was younger not you watch it, I hope you enjoy it!
All practical effects, our jaws were on the floor of the cinema at the time, believe me. One of the rare remakes that's better than the original IMO.
Possibly one of the best practical effects movies ever made. I happen to like The Blob a little more though. That movie uses every pre-CGI trick in the book. DEFINATELY worth a watch.
The Thing came out 2 weeks after ET, so it wasn’t taken very well by everyone after seeing a movie about a loving alien and a little boy.
Crazy they came out so close together. So very different movies. And a shame anyone would ever compare them.
@@CasualNerdReactions Additionally, "Blade Runner" came out on June 25th as well. And got terrible reviews.
@@milescoburn1845 Blade runner got terrible reviews?! My mind is blown over that one, Miles.
“Don’t want to smell it” I’m dying 😂
"First goddamn week of winter..."
One of my favorite lines ever in the movies.
This film is a horror/Sci fi legend!! Masterpiece.
For a movie to produce so much suspense, fear, doubt, disbelief, disgust.... That's great art....
Those practical effects are far superior in being terrifying than any computer graphic. This stuff is tangible man, you can touch it.... The sound effects are legitimately gruesome and so clear... This was 1982...crazy good.
"The Thing" is truly one of a kind. Ide say one of the best, if not the best horror movie ever made.
there's a crucial hint at the end that answers your question. When MacReady is with Childs and they share a drink, the bottle MacReady gives to Childs is a moloto*v cocktail, which contains gazoline. Childs drink from it and we can hear omnious music. If he were still human, there's no way he would have been able to drink from it without throwing up. The thing, on the other hand, has no way of knowing what alcohol is even supposed to taste like. That suggests that MacReady is human and freezing to death with the thing who's assumed Childs form.
This one was disturbing! What are your thoughts on this movie? Too gross or do you love it?
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I've watched this movie since my teens for 25 years. Both in late night tv and eventually in my movie collection.
Movie also hits on paranoia (which you must know by now), but during the 80's both AIDS epidemic the Cold War were at their height. "Who could you trust?"
Do watch "Session 9" at midnight, it's great.
@@Weapon01 I definitely picked on paranoia, but didn't take into account the cultural relevance. Definitely adds another layer, thanks for sharing! I promise, if I ever react to session 9 I'll make a late night showing. 😨
A great Horror movie that uses paranoia to heighten the suspense. The practical effects are the bells and whistles that imprint the horror into people's minds. Visual AND mental / emotional horror.
I love watching movies where the characters feel paranoia but The Thing is a little too gory for me to want to watch it often. I usually prefer watching either Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) or Screamers (1995) to get that paranoia hit.
This is my fave horror/sci fi movie of all time. I first saw this back in the 80s as a child and STILL cannot watch the dog kennel scene. However, the gloom, doom, icy, seclusion of the ambiance - gives me all of the creepy feels to this day!
Everyone who reacts to this film at the beginning is like "don't you hurt the dog"!! 30 minutes later, "KILL IT WITH FIRE"!!
Most accurate comment.
They have a flamethrower in the base cuz of the fact things gets insanely cold quick and if a door literall freezes shut, you need a way to quickthaw it. same with various instrumentations getting iced over, you might need to flash-heat it to de-ice it.
I love this movie. So freaking unpredictable. One of the great things to know about it is that all of the special effects are real. There is no CGI (Computer Generated Images), everything is practical and happening in front of the camera. This is actually a remake. The original was made back in the 50's and isn't anywhere close to being so freakish..
That is truly remarkable. One day I will watch the original and the reboot because I tend to be want to watch everything lol
@@CasualNerdReactions And the head effects guy was only 22 at the time. Rob Bottin. He worked so hard he was hospitalised for exhaustion, and his mentor Stan Winston stepped in to complete some shots, mainly the first dog-thing
Chris: "Like, actual bad things, that are bigger than losing a chess game."
Kasparov: First off, how dare you.
🤣 you got me there, Jade.
the norweigen camp was the destroyed american. 2 camps for the price of 1. they also built it on a canadian glacier during the summer, then let it snow in and filmed the next spring.
That’s so smart! I am always amazed at the planning and effort that goes into some films. Definitely smart to use the destroyed camp, especially since we don’t know it’ll be destroyed.
Every damn time: "Don't shoot the dog!"
Thirty minutes later: "BURN IT HOLY CRAP BURN IT ALL"
That is 100% how it goes.
If you look closely at the "Venus Flytrap" that comes out of the dog during the first transformation, you will see its actually dog tongues and rows of teeth.
Here's a lil something you may not have realized: Blair was slowly being taken over after he touches his lip with the pencil tip he'd poked into the body.
While they had him locked up, he felt it happening and was going to try to hang himself... but the Thing took over before he could finish. He felt himself being consumed from the inside, absorbed and destroyed... and was erased before he could kill himself.
How's that for body horror?
That’s an in depth view, but makes perfect sense! And yes, absolutely terrifying.
Fun fact on the movie making; They used the remains of their own burned out camp to film the Norwegian camp. There’s a spoiler at the beginning if you spoke Norwegian, he’s actually shouting “It’s not a dog! Its a thing!”
1. This is why I’m not a film maker, i’d be like we need to extensive sets one pre destroyed and one that we destroy. That really worked well. 2. I cant believe they be spoiling the whole thing. Great detail.
Oh my god, I'm laughing at just the intro! Great intro! Ha! As far as the ending, you got it right! They either both died from the elements.....or one of them was "the thing". I guess you could wish for a third, happy ending, where neither are the creature, and they somehow get saved by some Hollywood miracle, but I think this movie ended exactly right. I corrected some comments below: it wasn't "E.T." that was such the big competitor, but Spielberg's other big movie that summer, which also came out the same exact month, "Poltergeist", a horror movie that got way more press (since it was connected to Spielberg and he had the two movies out), and was better reviewed. Anyways, it delivered on the gross-out element, huh? But also the psychological, like all the best horror movies. I think horror movies from this time period that have great special effects but are more your temperature: "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers" (1978), and two movies that incorporate comedy: "An American Werewolf In London" and "Creepshow". (And of course, "Poltergeist", if you haven't seen it!). Two fantastic horror movies that are low on gross-out, but high on psychological:"Carrie" and "Rosemary's Baby". Looking forward to the next one, Chris!!! Once again, love how you're mixing things up!!!
Thanks for all the info! Ironically, I was going to watch Poltergeist yesterday, but decided on something a bit more light hearted. Added all to the list.
Theirs a game on the ps2 that was a continuation of the story
It's so weird because I am such a scare-dy cat. I watched Gremlins when I was young and had nightmares for years from it. So when I say I love The Thing, I honestly watch half of it covering my eyes.
When Alien (1979) came out - critics hated it. When The Thing & Blade Runner came out in 1982 - critics hated them. That's why I never care what they say
That’s a great point! There’s some recent movies that I’m convinced the critics got wrong. I need to watch blade runner.
They actually made a Prequel (which is also called "THE THING") to this Movie back in 2011. (VERY Long Post below)
The Prequel also takes place in Antarctica back in 1982 and 3 days before the events of the John Carpenter Movie and it is the story of what happened at the Norwegian Base (the base where the Dog-Thing came from). The Prequel stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton.
Now I myself actually like the Prequel although it is not anywhere even close to being as good as the John Carpenter Movie, It has got a lot of flaws in it. It also unfortunately has got a lot of really bad CGI in it as well (the reason why it has really bad CGI in it is because when they originally made the Prequel, they did indeed use Practical Effects in it. However, after filming was completed and the Prequel went into Post-Production, The Studio watched the Prequel and for some reason, they did not like the Practical Effects in it and so very late into Post-Production, The Studio hired the guys who did the CGI for the Movie "DISTRICT 9" to come in and cover over a majority of the Practical Effects in the Movie with the CGI which they then did. The fact that it was done so late into Post-Production (like almost at the last minute) is 1 of the main reasons why I think the CGI looks so bad in the Movie).
Still though as I said before, I actually do still like the Prequel and if that sort of thing (really bad CGI) is not something that bothers you then you should check out the Prequel as well whenever you have to chance. Again, It is not anywhere even close to being as good as the John Carpenter (it really does have a lot of flaws and also the really bad CGI as well) Movie and so if you do watch the Prequel then don't go into it expecting to see something better than or on the exact same level as the John Carpenter Movie. Basically I am recommending that if you do watch the Prequel then just lower your expectations for it when you do.
That's super fair. I think it would be interesting to see the story they came up with that leads up to this one. That is a brilliant idea to add on to the story. I really wish there was a way to see their intended effects vs the CGI. I may check it out. Thanks for the explanation.
When I saw the prequel, I couldn't help but think they took the set pieces from John Carpenter's original and then tried to figure out how to explain them.
I had an amazing experience seeing the prequel in the theater. There were only about seven of us, all strangers, watching it. When it ended we all gathered at the front of the theater and had an impromptu discussion about how it compared to the 1982 film, what we thought of the 1951 film, and how it all related to the original short story by Howard Campbell. That alone was worth the price of the ticket.
@@christopherwaldrop5293 The only similar aspects between 1951"s "The Thing From Another World" and 1982's, "The Thing" are the words, "The Thing" is in the title and the stories take place in cold climes. While they both draw on Campbell's, "Who Goes There?", there isn't anything (characters, location, etc.) the same between them.
@@milescoburn1845 That was one of the things that came up in our discussion. The 1951 film may have been inspired by Campbell's story but lacked any resemblance. We talked about whether that had to do with budget constraints or concerns about censorship (and it may have been both).
Funny you kept bringing up ET, they had the same opening weekend, last I remembered. Basically, The Thing’s box office performance was torpedoed by the cheerier, more positive family friendly take on life from outer space.
You: "I don't really do gross stuff..."
Me: "This may not go well"
😅🤣
As to what becomes of Macready and Childs after the end of the movie, there have been comics and computer games made that claim to continue the story canon in various contradictory ways. Since I saw this first, when I was way too young in the mid 80s, I believed that both were human and froze to death due to the paranoia of not trusting each other. Now, having watched it several more times and considered the evidence, I'm pretty sure Childs is an alien.
🥶 so it’s only a matter of time…
I'm torn between believing Childs is the thing, and beliving he's still himself. That's what makes this ending so great; Even after nearly 40 years, we still talk about it. :D
I’m pretty sure Childs is wearing a different coloured jacket from the last time we see him in the base - which means the thing ripped through his clothes when it took him over, so he had to put a new jacket on….. just my opinion
@@richardpoynton4026 It's hard to see the actual colour by the orange fire light, but the jackets hanging up in the room where Childs was guarding the door are moved around when we see it after he's gone, which could be taken as a clue if not just a continuity error - because they are all moved around, not just one missing.
The alien cannot absorb and replicate non-organic materials in the body (i.e. tooth fillings, pacemakers, stents, any type of metal piercings, etc.). In the last scene, you can see Childs' golden ear stud reflecting the firelight.
The first infection took place when the dog licked the guy in his face!!! He was the first infected member of the American crew.
Of course it did! Right in front of our face at the beginning of the movie before we know to be SUSPICIOUS. Great filmmaking.
There were several 'immediate sequel' script treatments floating around after this. My personal favorite was Mac and Childs are rescued by a Norweigan rescue team and are both blood tested = clean, but back at another Norweigan camp, one of the rescuers had become infected and "things happen" and yet again the last two survivors are Mac and Childs. It ended with them on a rescue ship being taken back to the mainland and it clearly intimated that they had both become things.
Well, I love that so much that I immediately wanna see the treatment for the third installment 😳
"Yeah Blair, use your words." 😂
"Kinda makes me wish they'd shot the dog at the beginning of the movie." I know right haha?!
The Blair Thing wasn’t building a spaceship, he was building some type of hovercraft to get to a populated area.
That would make considerably more sense! Thanks.
Tremors (1990) is sort of a comedy version of this imo. it's not changing into human forms or anything and its underground. Just a fun movie that's not heavy on gore or too tense. You might like it.
In my opinion and many others...the best scifi horror ever made. Truly a masterpiece and remember...no CGI...all practical effects. Everyone...always so worried about the dog...some dogs need to be killed!...this is one of them! Why did they bring it back with them? They're scientists...that's what they do. They want to study something that they find that is unexplainable. Not bury it. The scariest thing about this movie is that you don't know who is a thing and who isn't. It's taken from a novel titled "Who Goes There", focusing on the fact that you can't trust anyone. You want Blair to explain what he's doing but how do you know if you aren't just explaining your plan to a group of alien shape shifters. Ok I'm beginning to question your ability to comprehend movies as a whole. The thing got to Blair and absorbed him and then tunneled under the shack to build it's ship in secret while everyone just thought he was imprisoned in there. He's building the ship to try to get to a populated area to take over the planet. This thing is sneaky and smart. No one was looking at Blair the whole time. And this has nothing to do with ET. No where in the same ballpark as a story or movie. They aren't committed to dying...they're committed to saving the human race. Yes we know that you would just run away at this point...thank god for the human race we don't have to rely on you to save us. So yes this wasn't about a human...it's about an alien shape shifting creature, so yes always different since it can mimic any creature from any planet it's ever come in contact with. That's part of what makes it so scary. So there was a prequel a few years ago that shows the story of the Norwegians and how they originally found the ship and Thing and it literally ends with the helicopter chasing the dog to the other camp. There also rumors that a sequel movie or series is in production to tell what happens after. There is a deleted scene for this movie that you can see on RUclips where the next morning you can see the smoldering camp in the distance and over a snow drift a husky comes running over the ridge, stops and looks back at the camp , and the continues running into the horizon....hinting that the Thing is still on the move. Hope we get a sequel some day.
This movie was a version / reboot of the original that was released in 1951. It is also referred to as The Thing From Another World.
6:43 "i don't know what this thing is
but i think you're feeling it too"
Technically Kurt Russel's character survives in the lore, because he rescues your character at the end of a spinoff video game made in the 00s that John Carpenter personally endorsed. Now that he's retired from films he's formed a band and done a lot of tours. Also he plays Destiny a lot lol.
1. A kick ass John Carpenter/Kurt Russell movie that also features "Kurt Russel you will enjoy is "Escape from New York"😎
2. That was a doobie.
3. The Norwegian killed himself.
4. Not murder. Self defense because Clark was attacking him with the scalpel.
5.They' going to freeze to death. Keep in mind you can't see Child's breath. He was missing for a while.
6. The outside scenes were filmed mostly in Alaska and Canada.
Adding Escape From New York to my list! Great trivia as well, thank you!
@@CasualNerdReactions Big Trouble in Little China is amazing and funny as hell. Weird very good action movie.
Oh I’ve heard of that! Thanks, I’ll check it out.
There's something especially amusing about watching a non-horror fan react to a flick like THIS one.
The blood test scene was on Bravo's 100 Bravo's Movie Moments. And it's quite terrifying as you don't know who's human and who's The Thing.
It really was terrifying! The anticipation and not knowing what would happen if one of them reaction and then it REACTED!
BTW this dog was half wolf which was why it acted the way it did
That severed spider-head is one of the most bizarrely horrifying scenes of all time.
This film had the most unique imagery of any films I’ve seen before or since!
@@CasualNerdReactions That scene had the perfect line of dialogue: "You've got to be fucking KIDDING me!"
Haha pretty much.
8:20 just like at the norwegian's camp. i hope all of chris's friends see this reaction. there comes a point when it's every man for himself.....
At the end of the movie, MacReady and Childs were sitting at a campfire wondering if the other was infected. It never tells us. However, MacReady had the steam of breath come out and Childs did not.
I’ve heard that theory- other people suggest that is only the lighting. I love that it is so ambiguous!
Debunked by Carpenter. You can see his breath before he sits down....
The video they watch, of the Norwegians looking at the saucer, is from the original "The thing from another world." 1951
Really?! That’s so awesome. I was laughing because they said they wouldn’t learn anything from watching it immediately followed by learning so much.
@@CasualNerdReactions 👍
A special effects master got his start here in this film, a young Stan Winston..rip ..asked the director to give him one effect that he could do all by himself, can you guess which part ????
The dog sequence
What an amazing job! I’m so glad the director gave him the freedom to do that and he nailed it! Thanks for sharing.
One of my all-time favorite Sci-Fi movies!
Trivia: The ending was left deliberately ambiguous. Is one of the two surviving men...the Thing? Fans have speculated and debated for decades.
Indeed! It’s a lot of fun.
9:53 And it's made out of dog tongues and dog teeth! 😵
19:18 Wouldn't have done much. It would have morphed. Still, it would have forced the dog-Thing to reveal itself.
21:35 It did that so Garry couldn't scream.
23:37 There's a comic series that expounds upon it. There's also a vidya game.
8:38 - High-pitched? Yes. Entertaining? Yes. Amusing? Yes. Intimidating? Nah.
Arguably, it does not matter whether one of them was the thing or not. The argument ends the moment McCready throws the dynamite on the thing that broke through the wall. he spread parts of it all over the area, not all of it burning, so that small parts of it froze on the ground. Now if the rescue team would ever come in close enough contract with one of the frozen bits is another argument, but, eventually, something would. and if that is the case, eventually all life on the planet would become the thing.
That is why Carpenter calls this film part of his appocolypse trilogy (along with They Live (another amazing film, and one you would tolerate better in my opinion) and Prince of Darkness, (also a great film, but also very gory).
Honestly, the only real way of stopping it in my mind would be to drop Fuel-Air (or thermoberic) bombs on the both the infection sites and the Saucer site, and then quarantine the continent for all time. Just make a UN resolution that that Antarctic is off limits to everyone. If I was the president, I would drop Fuel Air bombs on all three sites quarterly for my entire administration just to be sure...
oh and for the "burning doesn't work people: Basic physics tells us that with enough heat, EVERYTHING burns. So, its just a matter of exposing it to enough heat for enough time to destroy all the cells. The problem with the researchers, is they assumed that exposure to fire would kill it, as most creatures if they are burned bad enough over a large enough portion of their body die from the condition. But even with humans, a dead person can grow hair for weeks after the body is dead because not all your cells die all at once. With the Thing, these cells will eventually solidify enough to live again, where after a relatively short amount of time, human cells eventually cannot survive without the whole.
Greatest horror film ever made and one of the greatest in general. Not just because of the great cast, ambience, plot etc but because of the concept. Can you imagine anything more frightening? You're on a desolate continent, you're battling an extremely intelligent creature, that is almost indestructible besides against fire/acid, can imitate all life forms and you won't know the difference without a specific test, you have no idea if it's malicious or simply trying to survive, you're dead if it touches you and if it gets to transportation, water or civilization the whole planet is doomed, not only humans. Only thing worse I can think of is utter atomic annihilation.
You sold that horror well. That would be absolutely terrifying.
Given the evidence throughout the film and knowing the novella it's based on....I think both Child's and MacReady are human at the end, left to die in paranoia and fear but saving the world and not knowing it.
The not knowing it though... 😔 I hope they were both human. Child's breath argument is pretty compelling.
@@CasualNerdReactions the breath thing doesn't make sense, one because the Bennings imitation has very visible breath earlier in the film and the updated Blu Ray shows Child's with breath, he's just not lit up like MacReady is. I'm a major nerd for this movie so I know many details lol.
@@youtubeistrash953 Could be! someone said the director talked about it so I just believed it. I should look up the updated blurry clip! Thanks.
What the Norwegian says:
Get the hell away! It’s not a dog! It’s some thing! It’s intimidating a dog! It isn’t real! Get away you idiots!
(His name is Lars, he’s the only survivor alongside a woman, he was hiding in the Norwegian base until sunrise, then matias(pilot) and Lars see that same dog running to the American based
Lars: that’s no dog…
And that’s how the movie starts
I WISH I KNEW NORWEGIAN BEFORE WATCHING THIS. If anyone had understood what he was saying it would have been a much different film. Thanks so much for sharing that.
@@CasualNerdReactions there’s a prequel, you should check it out
I may one day! I’d definitely enjoy it- even it’s clear not everyone does.
@@CasualNerdReactions I wonder what real Norwegians thought when they first watched this in theatres, probably got a massive spoiler
1:29 panic ✅ run ✅ hide ✅ and in that order ✅👍🏼
I love that they never did a sequel to this. A perfect movie for an ambiguous ending. Also, I hat to tell you this but, Your reaction to this will guarantee that you see many... MANY more movies like it. Gen X grew up with these groundbreaking special effects. We were hardened at a young age. I notice Alien is coming up. Hoo-boy. I''ll probably get to it tomorrow. Sunday Funday in Kansas, lol.
I’m ok! The movies from this time period are really great. (Spoiler, i loved alien, despite experiencing new levels of fear)
Just discovered your channel and enjoying so far! 🙂
I see you've done some classic 1950s sci-fi as well, so it's worth mentioning that this was a remake of Howard Hawks 1951 film "The Thing From Another World". You'd probably enjoy that. It has less gore and more exposition, though Carpenter's version is far more faithful to the original story ("Who Goes There?", John W Campbell 1938).
Welcome to the channel! One day I hope to watch the thing from another world, we’ll see!
I'm snort laughing watching your reactions😂
Idk about E.T., hahaha, but X-files certainly got inspiration for their episode "Ice" from this.
8:09 like the singing frog in that Looney Toones cartoon!
In The Mouth of Madness is friggin awesome movie from same director, made few years after this one
It wasn't on my list, thank you for suggesting it!
For the gross parts just remember it’s all fake. I usually look away anyway…just not interested.
Worth watching for Kurt Russell and Wilford Brimley!
There is a great short story
by Peter Watts called
"The Things".
It's this same story told from the Things perspective.
It isn't as gruesome as the movie.
From the Things perspective it's just trying to offer unity with its self. And sees its actions as generous and benevolent.
It's baffled by the response of the humans.
It sees us as illogical and cruel.
It's a great read.
(and it's available free on You Tube as an audiobook.)
The story also explains the Things biology and origins.
Fascinating story and well written.
It effectively puts you into the mind of an alien.
By the end of the story, you almost feel sympathy for the Things plight.
Until the last horrifying line of the story.
4:27 🆘 sorry survivors
Same date as Blade Runner in the cinema. 2 classics premiered on the same night is rare these days.
The story was written by John W. Campbell. The book is called Who Goes There? and was published in 1938. In 1951 a movie was loosely based on the book called The Thing From Another World. They went with a humanoid creature. John Carpenter followed the book very closely but because of modern technology some things were updated and would it have been ridiculous to follow the book exactly. I love the ambiguous ending to this movie. We never really see where MacReady gets the bottle from and we never see him drink from it. Is it really scotch or is it a left over molotov cocktail? We see him hand it to Childs to drink and when he does MacReady just laughs to himself. I like to think they were both human, got drunk and froze to death.
I think that’s the most likely scenario. There is strategic evidence that could go in really any direction. Really fascinating.
Well, the reason for the chest mouth was because of the defibrillator. It didn't like being shocked.
If you get the chance, check out the novel/audio book this was based off of. Very different monster (Well, same creature idea, just, not a gore-fest is what I mean :P), very scientific, and there are a LOT more people at the US base (I mean, it's a BASE, gotta have more than 8 people, ne?)
Book is called Who Goes There. Bit dry at first, and goes into the science a bit of why they are out there and how they find the ship (Doesn't have two bases, in that its just 'they find it and deal with it') but it's quite good, and not really a 'horror' book, more like an old sci-fi thriller.
There is quite a cult following for this movie. These people analyze the sequence of events to determine who and when someone was infected. The ending is intentionally ambiguous. There is no actual sequel. The so-called sequel was actually a prequel showing what happened at the Norwegian camp. Kind of a pointless movie because we already know what happened. Plus, they replaced the practical effects with CGI and it shows -- not in a good way either.
One of the more interesting side stories for me is that the ship that you saw at the beginning crashed into Earth after the occupants of that craft were doing their own battle with the Thing. In other words, what they pulled out of the ice was most likely a replicated version of the original creature that would have been piloting the craft. This implies resilience as it appears the creature has a nasty habit of ever being completely eradicated. This also means that even if MacReady or Childs were not absorbed at the end, only a frozen particle warmed up is enough for it to take over a body.
2:31 computer science
There was a prequel movie about what happened to the Norwegian station in the 2011 film also titled the thing
There’s a series of follow up comics that tell you what happens
the thing survived to go into hibernation ! the reason I say this is ,! the part of the dog thing that climbed through the roof is never seen again , 2. nauls and gary as well as blair , are missing . did they die in the explosion ,or did`nt they ? we dont know ! that leaves us with a possibility of at least four surviving creatures , and the possibility that childes is not human! it`s a pretty good set up for a sequel ! but they never filmed one !
9:53 If you look close, it is actually a bunch of dog tongues twisted together with dog teeth growing out of them.
I'll never unsee this. Makes sense!
One of the possible endings for the film was a scene of the base smoldering and destroyed, and a lone dog running away from the base. Showing that the same thing that happened to the Norwegians happened to the Americans, and the Thing lives on. That was canceled early on, and was said to be too dark and depressing for audiences. That's when the idea of a more ambiguous ending started to be thought about and written.
That ending would have honestly made me so happy.
@@CasualNerdReactions Wow! For real? It would have been interesting, a bit dark, but sort of fitting to what took place in the film.
I mean the movie was so bleak, and I felt like there wasn’t any hope of survival anyway. I might like dark and twisty endings. Although the ending here was still certainly dark and not a lot hope.
This movie IS AWESOME !!! I love horror movies !!!
I saw this film when it very first came out (a couple of weeks after ET) and obviously knew that it was going to be about 'something from outer space' BUT never expected anything quire so gory.
Personally I loved this film ... the first genuinely terrifying screen 'monster'.
You got guts man! (No pun intended)
I mean, these kind of films seem a bit out of your league, and I mean that in a respectful way. Don't want you to pass out or puke on camera, you know?
However, great job on making it through! This is a tough cookie to chew for those not into body horror!
If you haven't already, might I suggest "The Thing From Another World" made in 1951? It's nowhere near as nasty or scary as "The Thing", but both are centered on isolation and the need to not spread something super dangerous to the rest of the world. I mean, both movies are based on the book "Who Goes There?" so the similar takes are interesting to compare!
2:52 tell that to Bobby Fisher
My theory is that there was going to be a sequel, where MacReady and Childs get brought back (dead of alive) to civilization, and one of them is the Thing...
Bone chilling. 😨 Yet, I kinda wanna see it.