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The Thing - Collector's Edition

The Thing - Collector's Edition

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The gore the merrier!!!
Review: What is indeed one of the goriest films of recent memory, John Carpenter's 1982 incarnation of the The Thing shocked, appalled, and disgusted audiences nationwide while gathering much acclaim from Carpenter's fans and horror lovers alike. Carpenter's favorite actor, Kurt Russell stars as one of a group of scientists that discover the body of an alien being frozen in the arctic for thousands of years. What unfolds is that the alien can take any form it chooses, and what results is some very gory images and disturbing scenes (courtesy of Rob Bottin with some of the best makeup ever used in a movie, especially considering this was made 20 years ago), and there is a lot of suspense and tension, giving the movie a very eerie atmosphere as well. While some consider the ending a bit of a letdown, there really was no other way to end it (except the alternate ending talked about in the making of special feature), and this remains one of Carpenter's better films. The special features of the DVD are a nice touch as well.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: "Thing"s that go bump in the night
Review: Kurt Russell teams up once again with "horror master" John Carpenter for this cult favorite. A remake of the 1950s Howard Hawkes classic that was made some 20 years ago. A 12 man research team, stationed in the frozen wasteland of Antartic, stumbles upon an alien that has been buried in the the snow for some 100,000 years. Once thawed, it is discovered that the creature can change its form, and no member of the team is safe from it or one another. It's a shame that it took so long for this film to gain the recognition that it so much deserves. The movie's greatest asset is the tension and uncertainty that is created from not knowing which team member has turned into the alien. As everyone's trust begins to unravel, the audience isn't sure who to trust either. The monster is a proper mix of stop motion and live action stuff. Considering that the film is more than 2 decades old and was made prior to the wide spread use of CGI, the special effects are still, quite impressive. The movie has a lot of great moments in it and has plenty of things that every good horror flick should have and a lot more.

The DVD has a great 80 minute making of documentary called "...terror takes shape". There are cast and crew interviews, a photo gallery, stop motion tests, outtakes, and production archives. The commentary track from Carpenter is pretty good and never lags. The people at Universal have put together a fine DVD for a fan favorite that is not to be missed

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: wow!!!!!!
Review: i saw this movie a couple years ago and the first thing that impressed me was the immediate sense of suspense from the first scene! the shaky camerawork and slow methodical music at the beginning is pure genious. this is by far john carpenter's best film. kurt russel pulls off a very difficult feat here as well, he plays the "hero" (perhaps more accurate would be a sort of "antihero"), without becoming a cliched hero. he's good at acting brave driven by fear, very good use of eyes and delivery of lines. the other actors are great in here too, which really surprised me (its easy to like russel's acting)! this film probably has some of the most gory scenes ever in a motion picture! it also has some of the most memorable scenes ive ever seen (lol) in a horror flick: #1: the infamous blood-test scene, and #2: the cardiac electro-shock scene (with the doctor pounding on norris' chest). this movie is probably one of the greatest horror movies of all-time (halloween, carrie, night of the living dead, shining, and exorcist being the among the all-time greats). this film is a must-buy trust me!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Prosthetically Bewitching
Review: If someone's never tasted the wonders of John Carpenter at work in his golden years, they should. Here, he joins with a Kurt Russell at his prime to fight off the wonders of "The Thing from Another World." To call this a great movie is kind of shortchanging it because the effects, combined with a truth to the original short story, relives a horror that could be called, by a person who witnessed this at the age of five, delightfully scarring. Show it to you kids and show them what could be hiiding in their snowmen! Seven stars, yummy!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Disgusting or Great? Or Both?
Review: I remember an exchange between critics Roger Ebert and the late Gene Siskel after both had viewed 'The Thing.' Siskel called the film the most disgusting movie he'd ever seen. Ebert responded, "Come on, Gene, you can't tell me you don't slow down to look when there's a car accident on road." Siskel replied, "I might slow down, but I don't get out and look inside the body cavity."

Siskel had a good case. The film offended many audiences 20 years ago, but has recently found a following on cable, video, and now DVD.

A group of American scientists are working at a research station in Antartica. Winter has just begun and strange things are beginning to happen. The trouble starts when an apparently mad Norwegian scientist from a nearby research facility seeks to kill a dog from the American camp. Why? Maybe the dog is not really a dog... The premise of 'The Thing' is an intriguing one: What if an alien being could perfectly imitate and overtake any lifeform? How would you know if your friend was _really_ your friend?

'The Thing' is based on the classic science fiction story "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell (writing as Don A. Stuart). The film has little in common with the original film from 1951, which barely acknowledged Campbell's story at all. The 1982 film is more true to the story and much more interesting.

Characterization has never been a strong element in most of director John Carpenter's films, especially in the last several years. 'The Thing,' however, has wonderful characterization and very good acting. You feel like you know the characters and can sympathize with them as their world is turned upside down by a force they not only can't control, but can't even identify.

I'd like to say the graphic nature of the film pales by today's standards, but it doesn't! In fact, this film is probably responsibile for some of the graphic effects that have been used in horror films in the past 20 years. It still has impact.

Only a couple of disappointments accompany this disc. The movie itself is very good, but the ending is weak, in my opinion. (You'll hear about the other ending that was never used in the "making of" portion.) Also I wish we could have heard more from other members of the cast in the "making of" portion of the DVD. What's there is good, especially how they pulled off the effects, but I wish we could have had more of the actors and their stories. Still, for science fiction/horror fans, this is a must-have.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: carpenter is god!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: this is in my mind one of the greatest horror films of the past twenty, hell, thirty years of american cinema. I was only 3 years when I saw my first film "Halloween", and my love for Carpenter hasn't come close to subsiding. Do not attempt to call yourself a horror aficianado if you have not seen this film, and when you finally do see it; you better love it or else!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Get this movie!
Review: Great movie.Lots of suspense.I liked the idea of being isolated in Anarctica with an alien that could be anybody.I would recommend this over Ghost of Mars.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Thing 1981
Review: I was a fan of the "Thing from another world",I first saw it on TV in the 50's! But the "Thing" blew me away. It kept on the edge of my seat, just like the first one.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: this made my all time top ten list
Review: Not adventure, horror! The genre usually only sees young unknown actors (who later may or may not make it big), but every so often our genre is blessed to have some really good actors. This really does make a difference, especially when a good director joins the team. Ahhhh, yes. This movie has it all. Smooth build up, a bit of uncertainty (is something wrong here?), a definite problem, then all ...breaks loose. And you know what? When all...breaks loose, there ain't no corkin' it back up. WOW!!!! Fast paced action, horror upon horror, great musical score, and a large capable cast that doesn't stand a chance. AS IT SHOULD BE!(given the characteristics of the THING).
The bad news is that no one care to make a sequel.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Classicly creepy
Review: This was a stunning film when it was new..not it's a standard you measure others by.
Bunch of guys with guns and a generous helping of unhealthy paranoia now dump them in the middle of a big white nothing.
Shake well, sit back and enjoy.
Carpenter's last great film.


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