The Thing will be remade...again.

[DarkJedi]

I knew this shit was coming and color me disgusted at it. I could go off on a rant about leaving Carpenter's version of the original "The Thing from Outer Space" story mythology ALONE but why bother. Hollywood demands to regurgitate classics.

The Thing is being remade (http://www.mania.com/52820.html)



Here's my opinion on Carpenter's The Thing, one of my favorite movies of all time.

Originally posted a long time ago on a different forum software:

Kurt Russell .... R.J. MacReady
Wilford Brimley .... Dr. Blair (as A. Wilford Brimley)
T.K. Carter .... Nauls
David Clennon .... Palmer
Keith David (I) .... Childs
Richard A. Dysart .. Dr. Copper (as Richard Dysart)
Charles Hallahan .. Vance Norris
Peter Maloney (I) .. Bennings
Richard Masur .... Clark
Donald Moffat .... Garry
Joel Polis .... Fuchs
Thomas G. Waites ..Windows (as Thomas Waites)

One of things I love about this movie is that it looks overtly simplistic in storyline but it's plotpoints have intricate details in the human spirit as well. Whether that was a point trying to be made or not by the director, it's still there.

It starts off when a cool ass shot of an alien ship weaving through space and crashing into the atmosphere right before "The Thing" tears into the screen. From there it takes you immediately to some great basic theme music that reverberates with bass in any man's home stereo unit...The director introduces the Alien first and foremost before he introduces any of the actors and that's how it should be in an alien movie. After all the alien is the reason the story is taking place. It's not some alien ship blowing up a city, or an alien killing some human. No, it's an dog running through the snow being chased by a helicopter with a rather bad shot...

There, the director takes us to National Research Institute Station 4. A scientific station set up to hold the hardships of winter in the middle of nowhere and in this site, you have 12 men, all from varying degrees of science. Well, almost all of them are from science field, you have to remember you have Macready(Russell) and Childs(Keith David) who may or may not be skilled in other levels as well. Most of the human qualities are covered with the characters. From any standpoint those two characters look like the muscle. Doc and Blair look to be the brains. Nauls and Palmer look to be the wild side, the fun side and playful side. Clarke is the loving side, the caring and nurturing side. Garry is the leadership side, or tries to maintain leadership.

From that, you take away a tightknit community and not only does each person have a job, they embody a human aspect about them in The Thing. And you can take individual examples on how they die and who dies first to have meaning as well. Or you may choose not, it doesn't really matter.

What matters is the story is intricate, yet it doesn't feel the need to explain itself to you blantantly through long dialogue and explanations. When you see Blair looking at the cells merging, you get the general idea of what your worry should be pretty %$#@ quick. Its obvious but the possible disaster hammers down. World domination. When Blair finally does the right thing and start shutting everything down and closing off the community from the outside world, the writers don't try and shove Blair is doing a right thing down our throats, instead they show the other's perspective...."Blair has gone crazy.."

It's things like the above which make The Thing a top notch Horror, thrill ride. The movie doesn't take itself too serious, it doesn't try and make facts explained and dialogue bogged down in facts, and it certainly doesn't drone on for too long. It has a fast pace about itself and gets right down to the basic concept, all the while not leaving too many plot holes in the air...

Overall out of five stars, the Thing deserves 5 of 5 stars and more.

[awakenangel]

I loved the Thing, in fact I love all things named thing.:eek: But seriously I will watch it just for the curiousity factor alone. But hey if this turns out to be another superman returns (and yes I'll call it a remake because if i don't, I will wind up hating the film even more.) shame on me.

[Bill_the_Pony]

The Thing was remade in a time when remakes weren't being churned out. It expanded on the original ideas and was a superior movie. It didn't really succeed at the box office, it came out during a time that the world was all warm and fuzzy with ET.

The shocks and effects were pretty extreme for the time, and still work...moreso when you realise that this is not CGI.

Carpenter in top form.

A movie that works similarly to a lesser extent is the 1988 remake of The Blob. Though that one still stays firmly planted in its B movie roots, it delivered the goods, broke a few horror taboos (who lives and who dies...)....and no CGI ( a few obvious composites, but hey....)

The Thing was ahead of its time. It still may be... why it needs to be remade this time is....well, why? :confused:

[awakenangel]

I loved the remake of the blob as well. the only thing I hated about the original thing was he looked to much like frankenstein's monster.

[mckracken]

I liked The Blob remake and was really upset that they never finished the crazy prophet/priest storyline in a remake Blob sequel.

does ANYONE have ANY information on the Thing from Another World remake mini-series that Sci/Fi originally had planned for 2005? they were hyping it with the line up that included The Triangle mini-series but nothing is listed about it on IMDB.

[DarkJedi]

I think I remember hearing they cancelled production on it but I'll look for an article of reference on these sites...It may be in the archives over at scifi.com.

[Bill_the_Pony]

I liked The Blob remake and was really upset that they never finished the crazy prophet/priest storyline in a remake Blob sequel.

does ANYONE have ANY information on the Thing from Another World remake mini-series that Sci/Fi originally had planned for 2005? they were hyping it with the line up that included The Triangle mini-series but nothing is listed about it on IMDB.

That was a great ending, and it was a great setup for a sequel! I could see that crazy priest standing on the streets of New York City, preaching to annoyed commuters, and when he'd had enough it, unleashing all hell on N.Y.C. Subways, ferrys, bridges....:eek:


Called off, Jedi? Uber. :D

Here is a link to bigdeadplace.com, more specifically a section on opinions on Carpenter's The Thing by men who have spent time stationed in the Antarctic!!!!!! :cool: GREAT Reading. (http://www.bigdeadplace.com/the_thing.html)