THE THING Retrospectre
THING Art © 1998 Michael Broom
By Kim August
Welcome to part of what is probably the largest article I’ve ever undertaken, in devotion to what is probably my favorite all-time movie along with ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, John Carpenter’s harrowing vision known as THE THING.
On this page, you will find The THING retrospectre, for more THINGs including a piece on MacReady, interviews with Anne Billson, the BFI THING author, and THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD Comic Writer Chuck Pfarrer, please click on the link "more things" below Stefan Bommelin's cartoon.
I’d like to raise a bottle of J&B in thanks to the following with their assistance and help in preparing this article:
Michael Broom for his great art. Stefan B. for his wonderful and funny THING computer art and for permission to use it. Mohammad Khan over at Carpenticized Side of the Web for hooking me up with Stefan and so much more. RJ for designing the bulk of the site and this article, the grabs and for her nice take on Mac.Anne Billson, a true fan and gem among film critics. I wish there were more like you. Chuck Pfarrer who managed to take time out of his very busy schedule to meet our deadline and for offering some very interesting theories on THE THING’s survivors.Gray Wolf for tracking down Mac's sombrero and your ear, and to Vincent Guastini for understanding and feeding my obsession. And to Universal Studios for releasing such a great tribute to the film.
Okay...enough already...here's the article
“Anybody there? Hey Sweden!!”
It was, very appropriately, a cold, snowy Saturday afternoon when I first saw THE THING. As a Kurt Russell fan, the film was the latest of his that I went to check out. Having been unable to find the film to rent, I purchased it eager to add this infamous collaboration with John Carpenter to my collection.
Hunkering down on my couch for the long haul, the tape began and I soon discovered the scariest film I have ever seen. In fact as I am writing this, I nearly just fell out of my chair as Palmer’s blood leaped out of the petri dish, I heard it, but my reflexes still act like it’s the first time. I’ve seen this awesome movie oh about 260th+ times. But where was I...
Even before the ‘dog town sequence’ I was so scared I was tempted to stop the film several times. The tension was so heavy my heart was stuck in my throat. Trembling, I jumped when the phone rang, almost relieved to have some outside intervention but I still couldn’t take my eyes off the tube. Quickly, back on the couch, curled in a ball my eyes again locked on the screen.
So why does THE THING continue to scare the bejeebers out of me, ten years later? I've explored my reasons below.
“Everybody watch whoever you’re with, real close-”
Here’s the first reason: I think the main reason is the very realistic breakdown of humanity that unravels as chaotically as Bottin’s imaginative creatures do. “Trust is a tough thing to come by,” in real life and in films like this. Paranoia, especially in today’s society, is at an all time high. The mind plays heavy tricks on the weary, on the naive...
It happens to everyone at some point. What ifs start burning through your brain. And this is the ultimate what if. What if I am a THING? How would I know? Would I Know? Paranoia was getting to me a lot at the time I first saw this. A really perfect moment of this in this film is when Windows is about go to back inside and tell everyone they found Fuchs dead. He stands by as Mac tells Nauls that he and Mac are going to go to Mac’s shack.
Naul’s wants to know why... “Where are we goin’?!”
Mac says. “Up to my shack...”
Naul’s replies “What THE HELL FOR?!?”
MacReady says “Cause when I left yesterday I turned the lights off...”
we the audience, are like Windows and Nauls: Our apprehension on high as we notice: the lights in MacReady’s shack are on !
A second and equally powerful example of the paranoia and lack of trust is the scene right before the blood test when MacReady insists everyone be tied up and have their blood drawn.
This confrontation is one of my favorite moments in the movie.
Childs balks at MacReady’s suggestion: “He ain’t tying me up.”
“Then I’ll have to kill you Childs.” Mac says tersely.
Childs tests the pilot: “Then Kill me!”
MacReady showing everyone just how paranoid he is, strides up to the mechanic with Garry’s 45. magnum pointing it square at Child’s forehead and growls:“I mean it !”
Childs backs down: “I guess you do...”
But Clark-who everything thinks is contaminated-has pilferred a scaple and lunges at Mac. Reflexes or self-presevation kick in, as Mac shoots the dog handler point blank.
“How’s it coming in there? I said how’s it...”
The second reason: Carpenter is a master at the 'What Lurks in the Shadows' and THE THING is full of this, thanks to his staging and Dean Cundey’s brilliant cinematography. Here are six examples:
a) The 'haunted house' walk through the destroyed Norweigan camp.
b) The dog walking into someone’s room early on.
c)Fuchs rapid turnabout in his now barely lit room. We see a form move past the open door and wish Fuchs would just ignore it and be brave and work on his test. No such luck.
d) The light and shadow that spread across the exposed flying saucer, give a chilling hint as to what we beginning to realize this organism is really capable of; how many worlds it has travelled to and absorbed.
e) In a different type of scare I’d have to vouch for the shot of Mac in the supply room. Cundey’s dark blue lighting gives the frozen pilot a ghostly cast; which makes me shiver because I sort of sympathize with him nearly freezing to death. This shot really gives you an idea of the below zero temperatures MacReady was lost in. It makes me think of being frostbiten.
f) The generator room sequence at the end...is full of shadows of things we hope never materialize but do...I am yelling at my television now as MacReady said “How’s it coming in there? I said how’s it...” You can see through Cundey’s beautiful and dramatic lighting, shapes of things that aren’t natural. The lights and shadows play tricks on your mind just as they are MacReady’s, this like many of the other scenes in the film almost’s gives us the character’s point of view as if we’re right there with them!
“What do you got in mind MacReady?”
“A little test...”
The third reason: The echo of deadly disease, the metaphor for the organism itself. Carpenter and Russell brought up the issue that the THING could be a metaphor for A.I.D.S. In their commentary on the new special edition laser and DVD. Like their examples: there was no way to see, sense or feel if you were taken over by THE THING. One cell is enough to take someone over. And a blood test is needed to determined if one is positive or negative. The blood test appears in Campbell’s story: WHO GOES THERE as well.
Pretty scary when you think about it...but THE THING could be about any disease, it’s just really ironic that the film was released at the time when we knew so little about A.I.D.S.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me...”
And of course we have those wild effects of Rob Bottin’s to wrap tentacles around our rationale...
I had seen a lot of really disgusting films at the point of THE THING, but nothing is quite as unsettling as seeing the human body mutate into something that is nothing like the form we know. Rob Bottin who is a master at the surreal and bizarre in his creatures, pulled out all the stops in THE THING.
I can’t look at spiders the same way, since seeing Norris’ head sprouted archnid legs and crawl away on it’s own power.
And the tired cliche of “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”, will never be the same for me. Here’s the proof: Doc Copper tries to kick start Norris’ heart with the refilibrator, then with a gruesome crack, the geologist’s stomach becomes a mouth and he proceeds to feed on the unfortunate G.P.!!!
And those dogs. I’ve always loved huskies, but I avoided those that look like the ones that dog in dogtown. It’s face peels back to reveal the longest, nastiest looking tongue I’ve ever seen.
Who can forget Blair’s taking out the 'laundry' umm, dragging of Moffat’s Garry by the grip he hd inside the station manager’s face...
Great Characters...
THE THING has often been criticized for it’s lack of character. I totally disagree. Carpenter’s excellent casting of actors like Keith David, Richard Masur, the late Charles Hallahan, Richard Dysart, Donald Moffat, Wilfred Brimley and Kurt Russell gave the film it’s most realistic and interesting characters.
Keith David as Childs. The bear-like mechanic is a cynic and quick to anger. But you want to feel like you can trust him. He also seems to voice a lot of the views that most people watching the film would probably mutter. “I just can’t believe any of this voodoo bullshit.” He also knows when to back down and winces noticably when Clark takes what could have been his bullet.
The late Charles Hallahan as Norris. The genial geologist was the last person we wanted to see contaminated. We trusted Norris, he was easy going until his nerves got the best of him. We all know what became of him. Spiders and stomach mouths oh my!
Richard Masur as Clark. The dog handler seems like the perfect red herring to point to when the fear of contamination starts creeping in at the outpost. You really get the feeling that Clark is far more at home with his dogs than with the rest of the men. And his suspicion as well as those of everyone else thinking Clark’s a THING happens very quickly. His paranoia seals his doom.
Richard Dysart as Doc Copper. You know it’s almost Copper’s fault that the men at Station Four, Outpost 31 confront the terror of the THING. They could have just dealt with the dog but no, Copper wanted to help those “crazy Swedes...” excuse me “they’re NOT Swedish Mac, they’re Norweigan.” He brings back that corrupted Norweigan when Mac wanted to bury it (“Help me find a shovel doc...”) Copper was very likable, but a little off-kilter. You don’t see too many fourtysomething Norman Rockwell-looking Doctors with a nose ring!
Donald Moffat as Station Manager, Garry: Nobody liked ex-Army man Garry. As station manager he had to put up with the insanities and eccentricities of eleven other really screwy men. He isn’t all too sure of himself as a leader and is quick to jump to conclusions. Just don’t keep him tied up to that couch.
Wilfred Brimley as Blair: Brimley wasn't, believe it or not, Carpenter’s first choice for the Senior Biologist who becomes the big bad THING. John wanted Donald Pleasance in the role (can you believe that!?! How cool would that have been huh? Thanks Chris for the info). Brimley was funny, scary and not-at-all likable. If anybody was acting as the Station’s leader it was Blair. But MacReady puts an end to this frazzled scientist faster than you can cook a pop tart. The present day Quaker Oats pitchman does a damn good job of being a son-of-a-bitch and a bad ass monster too.
And the best for last...
Kurt Russell as MacReady. I really have to agree with our new designer RJ that MacReady is one of Russell’s most realistic, complex, and human roles. A lot of people just laughed Mac off as a drunken pilot who somehow out smarts one big, nasty alien. Not so. MacReady fights instinctively. He’s a veteran of the Vietnam war and having lived through that hell, prepped him to think fast in the hades he was experiencing in the Antarctic. He also plays chess which is a thinking man’s game. And Mac as the isolationist (holing away from the other men in his OWN shack) has plenty of time to think for himself. I believe that’s the reason why he wants to survive. He’s a proud individualist and lives by his own code. He’s a quick learner, a
sharp opponent and a sore loser. Doing research on the veteran’s from the Vietnam war has lead me to believe that MacReady does indeed suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of his part in that conflict. His mistrust goes as far back as while he was in the jungles of ‘Nam. We want him to protect us and we cheer when he does. Not too many people would sacrifice their lives to prevent Armageddon even if they don’t get along with society at large. A powerful perf from Kurt and one of his best roles. I also like Anne Billson’s reasoning as part of MacReady’s charm: “You have to like MacReady. He’s a good man to have around when something bad happens...You know MacReady with his brilliant sort of instincts on what’s happened.” Hey if you don’t believe me, get a load of RJ’s page on the pilot for more proof.
In closing, if you haven’t seen THE THING, it’s Carpenter’s best film. Full of everything the Director Is famous and loved for. Compelling characters, a messed up story with a downbeat ending, quirky humor, tons of tension, incredible cinematography and a real sense of bleak cynicism.
Now where did I put that flame thrower...
MANY THANX TO MICHAEL BROOM for the art up top, MOHAMMAD KHAN Get Carpenticized Here! AND TO ARTIST and Web Designer STEFAN BOMMELIN Get ASSAULTed ON WEBPAGE 13 for permitting me to run the "MacReady Chronicles" Comic above. Cheers!
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