I want to clear the air here: I am a coward. I could provide any number of examples to prove this point, but I figure you'll take me at my word, since I'm not complimenting myself. So, when it comes to movies with even an element of horror, I usually don't do to well. The first R-rated movie I ever saw was Terminator 2, and I spent a fair portion of the movie watching through the slightest slit in my nearly-closed eyes. So, last night, when I turned on The Thing, I fully expected to spend two hours in a state of utter terror. The film's reputation as a horror classic is unchallengeable, and the setting (arctic research station) and premise (shapeshifting alien) promised everything necessary to reduce me to a quivering 13-year old kid. Two hours later, against all odds, I felt just fine.
So, let's begin with what the movie is about: 100,000 years ago, a UFO lands on earth, buries itself in the snow, and remains undiscovered until a Norwegian research team uncovers it. The UFO's inhabitant has been hibernating, and once awakened, it hunts and destroys the Norwegians. This is where the audience comes in. The alien takes the form of a wolfhound and infiltrates an American research station, taking the form of the station's inhabitants and picking them off one by one. The researchers, led by Kurt Russell's MacReady, quickly realize that, if the alien reaches population, humanity will be exterminated. So, they begin a desperate attempt to kill the alien, and should that fail, kill themselves.
There's nothing particularly impressive about the premise, but it's set apart by the execution. Horror films with shapeshifting or otherwise incognito villians are incredibly effective because the protagonists can't trust each other. Most films take that point and run with it, but refuse to take it further. Director John Carpenter chose to place the audience on the same footing as the characters, never certain of which characters are infected and which are still fighting to stay alive. Placing the audience in a position of uncertainty creates a much more effective atmosphere of suspense and uncertainty, because you never feel as though you're with nothing but "good guys".
Still, as I indicated above, the movie isn't particularly scary. I wish I could point out why that is, but all the ingredients are there. The effects are astonishing, the scares come out of the blue at unexpected moments, and Ennio Morricone's score is perfect. Regardless, I felt like I was watching a suspensful thriller or a claustrophobic sci-fi action film, rather than something truly horrifying. Of course, given my cowardice, this was a pleasant surprise.
The Thing is deserving of its reputation for quality, if not for scares. It's a highly effective and enjoyable film with tons of suspense that doesn't let up from the word "go". If you're looking to mark another entry off of the canon of must-see films, you could do much, much worse than The Thing.
Deleted scene from Overboard!, in which Kurt Russell turns a flamethrower on Goldie Hawn.
