Rating: 
Summary: Incredibly awsome masterpeice by John Carpenter.
Review:
John Carpenters masterpeice horror is in almost as a way just as scary and frightning to watch as Ridely Scott's Alien and just
as terrifyingly shocking and visually disturbing.Kurt Rusell,
Wilford Brimly,Keith David,Charels Hallihan,Donald Moffat,Richard
Masur star in this remake based on John Cambells Who Goes There?.
That is much more authentic to the authors story.
In a cold prestine winter 1982, Antartica R.J. Macready(Kurt
Russell) and a team of men in an isolated camp find that a day
that started with rescuing a wolf from a crazed Norwiegen with
a shotgun will be the least of there worries when Macready and
his men find this Norwiegan out post only to find bodies of
cut and burned corpses that leave more questions then answers.
When the bodies are brought back Blair(Wilford Brimley) does
an autopsy and find that while the bodies are deformed they seem
normal, It is not soon after this that we find the wolf they they
have shelterd with awsome special effects by Rob Bottin and Stan
Winston reveal its true nature and turns into a horrifying alien
able to assume anything it comes in contact with for it's own survival in one of the best scenes in horror film history it grows legs and begins to look like some fleshy nightmare that
these poor men have had to unfortunately confront.
Just when things couldn't seem any worse Macready and the men
find out that this thing was buried in the ice for 100,000 years
there hell does not stop when one of the men Bennings is taken by
this alien and imitated to almost perfection wich leads Mcready
to beleive that any one of the men could be one of these things
and that it will hide for it's own survival the men go through
doubt , disbelief , distrust amongst all of them questioning
themselves and each other weither they are the host for this
creature , but it is Norris(Charels Hallihan) who is the unfortunate casualty for this creatures survival in a scene that
is so graphic that it rivals the chestburster scene in Alien
that is again done by master Rob Bottin that is scary as hell.
The creature yet again inteligently shows itself twice when
were least expecting it even capturing blair as a last ditch
effort to save itself from exctintion and showing itself yet
again one last time before Mcready destroys it along with the
outpost in a finally that will leave you breathless.
An incredible score by musical master Ennio Morricone gives
this film even more of an unsetteling feeling that something unsound is around the corner , the cinimatography is just grade
A and the special effects well they don't make effects like this
anymore the alien has substance mass weight and reality to it
that computer graphics just cannot do or even attempt this dvd
has film essays , documents of original script treatment , stop
motion clips , trailer , and an 80 minute documentary of the making of this awsome film the 5.1. dolby brings out this movies
true colors and makes the sounds and the score more lifelike for
any horror fan or anyone who has ever loved scary films this one
is a must have pure and simple one of Carpenters best if not his best.
Rating:
Summary: Cult "Thing"
Review: An alien theme plays as a helicopter flies across the South Pole landscape. Below it is a wolf dog, running through the snow. Apparently, the helicopter is chasing the dog. The pilot emerges with a gun and begins firing at the creature as it runs towards a base of American scientists.Soon, this doesn't sound as strange as it seems. Kurt Russell stars as the American scientist who learns the secret of the creature: it's over 100,000 years old, frozen beneath the ice, and pissed off. We also learn that if it reaches civilization, within 27,000 hours the entire planet would be taken over by this creature - an alien lifeform that can imitate whatever it kills. Dogs, spiders, grandma - this thing can do it. It's up to old 'Russ to save the day and destroy everything in sight in a blind rage. When first released in 1982, "The Thing" met with mixed critical reaction - most of it bad. It was either "not scary" or "relies on special effects", but rarely would you find a positive review. Now, in the new millenium, the film is finally getting the recognition it deserves. "The Thing" has quite deservedly joined the ranks of the most famous horror films of all-time. It is even arguably more popular than it's basis, the 1951 sci-fi classic "The Thing from Another World". First we'll cover the more commonly debated aspects of the film. One is the acting. I felt the acting was excellent, especially Russell as the determined chosen leader of the team. Donald Moffat is the only other actor in the crew that is somewhat popular, but that has no affect whatsoever on the cast. The on-screen title of the film is "John Carpenter's The Thing", and Carpenter is probably the movie's second-most-important aspect. His direction is eerie and suspenseful - this movie helped elevate him to his current position as a thriller genius. If you truly look at this film, you can tell Carpenter wasn't trying to make it scary - he wanted to make it suspenseful, although there are a few jumpy moments in this film. There's also a fitting and chilling score by Ennio Morricone. It definitely doesn't rank amongst the master composer's greatest scores, but it works well on the mood of the film. The most important, and no doubt the greatest, aspect of the film is Rob Bottin's special effects. They are extraodinary. Every scene involving the alien parasite is completely convincing. Whether it's a gruesome alien bursting from a dog's body, or a severed head sprouting spider-like legs and walking around the room, the effects are outstanding. Bottin proves himself to be a make-up genius. It's no wonder "The Thing" is a classic. Its documentary-like feel and creepy atmosphere are perfect. Carpenter has succeeded in making a thrilling wonder that may even surpass it's aforementioned story source. No horror, sci-fi or thriller fan should go without at least taking a look at this chiller masterpiece.
Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful showcase of pre-CGI weirdness
Review: AS A SCIENCE FICTION FILM: "The Thing" is a wonderful adaptation of Joseph Campbell's short story, "Who Goes There?" and it's probably the first time a shape-shifting alien menace has been created realistically on screen.
AS A HORROR FILM: This movie is pretty much one big non-stop horror show, a showcase of extremely weird and occasionally repellent special effects. It has some pretty creepy moments, and one jolt in particular that made me jump out of my seat the first time I saw it. But is it persistently, relentlessly SCARY? Maybe for little kids, but today's sophisticated audience requires more psychological scares that have some basis in reality.
AS SUSPENSE AND DRAMA: One thing I hate is when directors of horror films feel the need to drop in a little "comic relief" from time to me. To me, horror is supposed to be serious stuff. And except for one oddly-appropriate line spoken by David Clennon (later the loathsome Miles Drentel on TV's "Thirty-Something"), the humor is kept to a bare minimum. It's also worth watching this film a second time to puzzle out WHO has become infected with the alien contagion and WHEN it might have happened. The atmosphere of paranoia established in "The Thing" is very effective.
AS A SHOWCASE OF SPECIAL EFFECTS: Yes, folks, there was a time when directors couldn't rely on computer graphic imaging for special effects; when a shape-shifting alien was not digitally mapped, but instead had to be constructed piece-by-piece out of latex, air bladders, and gallons of K-Y Jelly. Few moviegoers were prepared for the parade of grotesquerie that effect wizard Rob Bottin gave us. THIS MOVIE ISN'T PERFECT: There's a remarkably rapid shifting between daytime and nighttime scenes for a story that's supposed to take place in Antarctica. This is one of those lapses in logic that is going to bother some people. As for John Carpenter, a guy who has been reduced to giving us [stuff]like"Ghosts of Mars," this is one of his best films.
Rating:
Summary: A Serious, Suspenseful Thriller. The Special FX still Dazzle
Review: Being a Huge John Carpenter fan and an Even Bigger Kurt Russel fan, I didn't need much prodding to purchase "The Thing - Collectors Edition" on DVD, (even though I had Never seen it) and even though it was a Gamble, it was a Gamble that paid off. Kurt Russel plays part of an American Research team in Antarctica, who seem to be Infested with some kind of Alien Species, as The Thing infiltrates members of the group, (using their bodies like pods) the members left alive begin to fight amongst themselves. It's becomes a "Nobody trust Nobody" scenario that Descends into an Orgy of Violence and Carnage. (if that doesn't excite you, nothing will) Kurt's makes his Character the Strong Silent type, like "Snake Plissken", his character in John Carpenters "Escape from New York". The Entire Cast takes it all Very, Very Seriously, which helps make the film Genuinely Scary. John Carpenter help by getting Maximum Thrills out of the Scenario, the Sets and the Special Effects. Rob Bottin's Alien Effects are some of the most Ingenious Creations in Cinema History. These days, Scary, Serious Monster movies are quite rare. Films like "Deep Rising" and "The Mummy" are played more for laughs, "Anaconda" and "Lake Placid" are about as Scary as "Attack of the Teletubies", "The Thing" is Different. It is a Deadly Serious, Genuinely Scary Thriller that works Just as well Today as it did in the 80's.
Rating:
Summary: Carpenter's finest hour
Review: Critically assaulted upon its initial release and utterly demolished at the box office, John Carpenter's The Thing has slowly but deservedly emerged as one of the greatest horror films ever made - and Carpenter's finest hour. Returning to the source of the original story (John W. Campbell's classic short story "Who Goes There?"), Carpenter, and screenwriter Bill Lancaster, brought the shape-changing attributes of the alien to the fore (jettisoned by Howard Hawks' 1951 version, which had James Arness shuffling about in dark corridors for most of the running time), and gave special effects man Rob Bottin licence to create some of the most truly repulsive creature effects in film history. But much more than a showcase for groundbreaking special effects, The Thing offers a timely reminder of the kind of paranoia introduced by films like Invasion of the Bodysnatchers: loss of personality was a major theme of Fifties horror, and Carpenter here couples it with the idea of the human body in revolt. There is also some subtle playing around with dialogue scenes - Carpenter often cuts away in the middle of a scene when you think there is more dialogue coming - which shows the director's experimental - almost playful - approach to the horror form and the controlling of suspense in particular. Carpenter's film has been severely criticised for its lack of strong characterisation - all of the characters are given absolutely no room to develop - but I think this is intentional on the part of the director and screenwriter; a major theme of The Thing is the eradication of personality due to the introduction of outside "alien" forces. We might not care very much for these characters, but we do care for the humanity they represent. The Thing appears in its original theatrical aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 on this single-sided, double-layered DVD; the image has not been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. While not flawless, the movie looks good on DVD. The disc contains an 82-minute-long documentary covering different aspects of the production of the film, from the start and location scouting to casting to a detailed explanation of the film's special effects. The documentary also features some never-before seen stop-motion animation footage that was considered for the film's finale as well as a number of behind-the-scenes clips. The disc also contains extensive still galleries, featuring Rob Bottin's effect designs, storyboard sketches, concept art, behind-the-scenes photographs and a number of deleted scenes. Rounded up with pictures from the film's premiere in Los Angeles with a special appearance by hostess Cassandra "Elvira" Peterson in 1982, extensive production notes, trailers, biographies and much, much more, this is as thick a special edition as you could possibly ask for.
Rating:
Summary: YOU GOTTA BE #@$%&ING KIDDING!!!!
Review: hollywood has done it again.reissuing a movie and placing the ol reliable''anniversary''tag to it.i for one feel sorry for those who think they need the extra disc.i have several dozen dvds with multiple discs.99% of the time,the bonus discs are turned into coasters or simply never watched.how unheard of would it be to actually make the FIRST PRODUCT THE BEST PRODUCT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?and why wouldnt directors release the best product in theaters as opposed to saving the best version for dvd?yes dvds cost twice as much as tickets,however,there are these things called cable tv and video stores.i have saved quite a bit waiting the few months for these reissues to be for rent,on tv.but as for the movie itself,its fantastic.this is what all remakes should be(or label theirselve REDOS).the whole idea of a remaking of an older film should be just that.taking the same idea/plot but reinventing it.what whats-his-name did to hitchcocks's''psycho''was a sham!!!!!!!!!!!wow,he added color....ooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!this possibly could have been j carp's last good movie but IMHO not worth buying again.
Rating:
Summary: A great movie
Review: I recently saw this movie on cable and was *surprised* at how good of a movie it was. Excellent pacing, still very scary, and the acting was all excellent and quite believable. After watching a good portion of the movie, I remember thinking to myself "I really wish they could make movies like this today".
Rating: 
Summary: Not for the faint-hearted
Review: I was feeling seriously, physically sick watching this movie, and that's not a good thing! I'm sure my groans could be heard for miles, and I'm pretty sure I missed a couple of scenes, due to hiding my face in the chair. I could have done without seeing a dog's head splitting open. There's blood and body parts flying all over - arms are bitten off, heads detach and one man is devoured face first by the Thing. The stuff of nightmares if I'd been a few years younger.
I'd previously never heard of this film, nor did I know that Kurt Russell played a character called MacReady. I thought that was pretty cool. Not so keen on the beard though. Ugh!
The only quibble I have with this movie, is there appears to be a strictly no females policy on board somewhere! There are no female characters in the film. The only female presence in the movie is in the voice of MacReady's chess computer and the contestants seen on the game show that Palmer watches. A scene containing a blow-up doll was filmed and then left on the cutting room floor. Additionally, one of the crew was a woman but she fell ill during the outdoor shoot and was replaced with a man. Why no women? It totally reminded me of Ghosts of Mars - just better. And there were women in that.
For a scene where a character's arms are severed, a real-life double amputee stand-in was used wearing a mask in the likeness of the character. The audience focuses on the bloody stumps while the mask goes unnoticed. In the scene where Norris' (Charles Hallahan) head separates from his body, special-FX designer Rob Bottin used highly inflammable materials for the construction of interior of the head and neck models. During the shoot John Carpenter decided that, for continuity reasons, they needed some flames around the scene. Without thinking they lit a fire bar and the whole room, which by now was filled with inflammable gasses, caught fire. Nobody got hurt, but the entire special effects model, on which Bottin had worked several months, was destroyed.
You can literally FEEL how cold it is watching this movie, and I swear, I was feeling the cold!
Hollywood are getting bad for doing this - releasing a DVD, and then releasing a bigger, better & badder version a few months later. It's not so bad if it's years after the original release, but this is getting unbelievable. Sometimes if you compare the DVDs, there's hardly any difference, and sometimes, you'll have to keep both DVDs, cos they both have different extras. The extras on this include: commentary by director John Carpenter and Kurt Russell; documentary "John Carpenter's The Thing: Terror Takes Shape" featuring interviews with John Carpenter, Kurt Russell, make-up designer Rob Bottin, matte artist Albert Whitlock, and other cast and crew members, plus outtakes, work-in-progress special effects footage and behind-the-scenes footage; behind-the-scenes photographs; storyboards and conceptual art; and annotated production archive.
If you're a huge fan of gore, that isn't really showing its age, then go ahead and get this. Once seen, it won't be forgotton.
Rating:
Summary: It's a John Carpenter Thing
Review: In the silent cold of an Antarctic wasteland, the United States National Science Institute's Station 4 team is about to encounter a horror from beyond our galaxy. Frozen for hundreds of thousands of years, dug up and released by a nearby Norwegian research team, and now, set loose in the confines of Station 4's isolated outpost, the life-form absorbing, perfectly imitating alien creature could be disguised as anyone, man or animal. Kurt Russell is R. J. MacReady, the helicopter pilot forced into the role of leader by circumstances out of his control. As the mysterious, faceless creature assimilates member after member, it's up to MacReady and the other survivors to discover who is really who they say they are. Paranoia is the order of the day, fear and tempers boil, and each friend and coworker begins to trust each other less and less. Finger pointing and blame throwing are added into the mix, as the ever growing death toll begins to include victims of suspicion as well. It's anyone's guess how the confrontation will end, but this much is certain: It's a hell of a thing!
In 1982, one heck of a year for Sci-Fi, John Carpenter graced us with yet another of his sci-fi/horror masterpieces, this one a remake of 1951's "The Thing From Another World," and simply titled: "The Thing." I use the term "remake" loosely, because in fact this new film was more strongly based on the original John Campbell short story, "Who Goes There?," than the first film had ever been. In "The Thing," John Carpenter achieves his objective of creating an alien creature that is never just a "guy in a suit." When not in disguise, this completely unknown creature is a hodgepodge of every life-form it's ever imitated, and the visuals are more than a little disturbing. Naturally, "The Thing" is chock full of special effects, mainly from FX master Rob Bottin, though Stan Winston kicked in some help too. For its time, the film pushed the boundaries of gore and horror. This movie isn't all about slimy alien invasions though. More than anything, it's about isolation, desperation, and paranoia. It's a fantastic, character driven story with an all male ensemble cast, featuring Carpenter favorites like Kurt Russell and Keith David, and other notables, such as Wilford Brimley and Richard Masur. John Carpenter's presence is evident throughout, but the haunting music is the dead giveaway. The collector's edition DVD is well laden with informative extras, despite being a single disc. The effectively eerie slip cover is also a nice touch. Featured on the disc is an 80 minute behind the scenes documentary loaded with interviews and great footage. There are plenty of other treats too, including outtakes, deleted footage, galleries and slide-shows, and the expected theatrical trailer. There's also a great commentary with director John Carpenter and star Kurt Russell! Without a doubt, "The Thing" is a sci-fi classic and should be considered a necessary and welcome addition to any sci-fi/horror fan's library.
Rating:
Summary: Effects Better Than the Aurora Borealis
Review: John Carpenter's remake of the original 1951 classic is truer to its source material, John W. Campbell, Jr.'s pulp sci-fi story, "Who Goes There?" The film's chief selling point is some of the most eye-popping - and stomach-churning - special effects imaginable. Kurt Russell heads up a scientific team at the North Pole, which rescues a dog from a team of mad Norwegians trying to kill it. The Norwegians end up killing themselves, and Russell and Company want to know why. They fly to the Norwegians' base camp, and where they discover an apocalyptic charnel house, with one corpse in particular beyond any sane description. Going over the Norwegians' tapes, and performing an autopsy on the peculiar remains at their camp, Russell's team soon discover that the Norwegians unearthed a flying saucer - with an occupant whose cellular structure enables it to perfectly consume and imitate any life form. The dog they rescued wasn't a dog, at all. And now, many of the people at the Arctic base may not be people, either... Carpenter makes this movie work more by the technique that made the 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers succeed, than by The Thing's original 1951 methods. His characters are very up-to-date and believable, their dialogue hip but (generally) still mature. Paranoia is more the focus, as opposed to the earlier film's survival story. The script is taut, the suspense nail-biting. Its only flaw is a slight excess of juvenilization thrown into the dialogue, occasionally (but not often) going beyond what adults would really use in their speech. Special effects and use of color and music are excellent. The highly effective, eerie score was composed by Ennio Morricone.
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