Released the same summer as Spielberg’s warm and cuddly sci-fi drama ET: The Extra-Testicle, it opened to blistering reviews and poor box office. Carpenter’s career has never really been the same since, and he has often stated in interviews that the film’s failure soured his outlook on the filmmaking process. Critics of the film have often complained that the film is overwhelmed by Rob Bottin’s (brilliant) special effects, that the characters are too foul-mouthed and unsympathetic, and that the open-ended and nihilistic finale fails to provide a satisfactory resolve. 

While it is true that, on initial viewing, Bottin’s effects do tend to overwhelm the other aspects of the movie, repeat viewings are essential in really appreciating the sense of gloom and claustrophobia that Carpenter is able to sustain throughout. The work of cinematographer Dean Cundey and composer Ennio Morricone also deserves special praise in the way it perfectly complements Carpenter’s icy vision. The characters are a foul-mouthed lot, but this in itself hardly makes them unsympathetic. Rather, they seem to be reacting very credibly to the irritation of being lumped in with each other for a long period of time, coupled with the added stress of a monster on the loose. 

Although the actors don’t aim to pull for the heartstrings in order to make their characters lovable, it is easy to identify and sympathize with them. Carpenter is well served by a terrific ensemble, headed by his favorite leading man, Kurt Russell. Russell brings a sense of humor and practicality to the role of the group’s pilot, MacReady. The excellent supporting cast includes Wilford Brimley, Richard Dysart, T.K. Carter, Richard Masur and Keith David, who later reteamed with Carpenter on They Live.

The ending, while it is grim and refuses to offer a “big resolve”, it is its downbeat and abstract nature that adds to the movie’s fascination. Without wanting to give too much away, it also leaves itself open to a potential sequel, which never materialized. But hey we got that prequel, right?

The movie is a real gore fest, as the Thing constantly mutilates itself and others every time it tries to transform. As a result, you’re going to see plenty of guts. The scene people seem to have the hardest time watching is the sequence where the Thing assimilates the sled dogs, as watching dogs getting killed is something many people have a hard time with(myself included).

In my opinion The Thing is the finest film John Carpenter has ever made. As a study in paranoia, it’s absolutely riveting. As a special effects freak show, it is literally without peer. And as a good old-fashioned ‘chair lifter’, it contains scenes that can make one jump even on the 100th viewing. Yet, its failure derailed a promising career that in some respects hasn’t come entirely into fruition. Often content to churn out B-movie fodder in a slickly professional manner, Carpenter also occasionally invests himself in more intellectually stimulating projects (They Live, In the Mouth of Madness) but always on a relatively small scale. One can only imagine where his career may have gone if The Thing hadn’t tanked, but ultimately what’s most important is that the film stands tall as a testimony to his gifts as a filmmaker and storyteller.

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