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 The Thing (DVD) Movie DVD
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The Thing (DVD)

 

Description: Genre: Horror / Theatrical Release: 1982 / Director: John Carpenter / Actors: Kurt Russell, T.K. Carter ... / DVD ... more
The Thing (DVD) ... released 08 September, 2003 at Universal Pictures UK / Features of the DVD: Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen / John Carpenter's apocalyptic The Thing was released in cinemas just two weeks after E.T. in 1982. The two movies could hardly have presented more contrasting ideas about extra-terrestrial life, and it was Carpenter's uncompromisingly bleak vision that lost out at the box-office. But his audacious remake of the Howard Hawks 1951 B-movie The Thing from Another World has since been acknowledged as a classic in its own right, not only for its pioneering makeup and special effects techniques, but also for its bold treatment of an alien "infection" that eerily foreshadow s AIDS-inspired blood contamination scares. Whizzkid Rob Bottin was responsible for the surreal and stomach-churning make-up effects that are so crucial a part of the film's success--without his utterly convincing creations Carpenter would never have been able to make a monster movie without a "man in a suit"--and filming on a glacier in British Columbia ensured the complete authenticity of the Antarctic setting. Kurt Russell leads a strong all-male cast who powerfully convey their isolation and distrust of one another--in more ways than one this is a film about alienation. The uneasy atmosphere is enhanced by an icily monochrome score from Ennio Morricone, as a series of unforgettable horror set-pieces lead to a wonderfully downbeat finale. On the DVD:: The bonus features are exemplary, notably the excellent 80-minute documentary, "Terror Takes Shape", which covers all aspects of the production; and the relaxed, friendly, informative commentary by director John Carpenter and star Kurt Russell--a model for how all commentaries should be. There's also an outtakes reel with some tantalising stills of unused footage. Text and stills-based montages illustrate the location design, conceptual artwork and various other aspects of the production. The sound mix is Dolby 5.1, although the non-anamorphic widescreen picture is not all it could be. --Mark Walker

Newest Review: ... complicated because it doesn't need to be. It's about the horror and paranoia experienced by these scientists when they ... more

 ... discover something they could never have imagined. By focusing inside the facility and on the small rooms with few wide shots, it gives the film the claustrophobic, tight look the film requires. There's also a great sense of isolation, particularly with some of the outside shots when all you hear in the background is the whistling of the wind. The music is very minimalistic, never overwhelming the scenes, but just giving us a creepy glimpse as to what's to come. The acting is first rate, and Kurt Russell is especially s...more

Nomad
Crowned Review The Thing (DVD): It's What's On The Inside That Counts (700 words)
by Nomad - written on 22/09/00 (Very useful, 87 readings)
Rating:

*** The following review was written in September 2000. I have left the review untouched but have placed an update at the end to cover any changes since it was written. *** In 1938, John W. Campbell Jr. wrote the science-fiction thriller "Who Goes There?". In 1950 it was brought to the big screen as "The Thing From Another World" and was one of the first films to feature a monster from space but, due to the difficulties of portraying the shapeshifting alien of the book, the filmmakers instead chose to give the creature the ability to reproduce itself. In 1981, John Carpenter - best known for directing the ...

clownfoot
Crowned Review Imitation - the sincerest form of flattery? (1325 words)
by clownfoot - written on 25/06/07 (Very useful, 272 readings)
Rating:

John Carpenter once commented that “you’ll never see anything like The Thing again”. Unless old Johnny boy allows for a remake (the treatment many of his earlier films are now receiving) or a much discussed sequel, this statement is likely to hold true for quite some time. Since its release in 1982, the whole bastion of the horror genre has tried, and failed, to deliver anything as eye-opening, visually perplexing, beguiling, claustrophobic, tense, shocking, horrifying or superbly scripted and acted as Carpenter’s re-imaging of Howard Hawks’ 1951 flick ‘The Thing From another World’. Not bad for a remake, huh? An alien ship crash lands in Antarctica over a ...

hogsflesh
Premium Review The Thing (DVD): Things can only get better (1260 words)
by hogsflesh - written on 08/05/03 (Very useful, 101 readings)
Rating:

I recently saw this film for the first time in years. I'd forgotten just how great it is. This is how horror films should be made. It uses an old horror standby (group of people stuck in isolated location with supernatural threat - see also Alien, Friday 13th, Blair Witch and most of the best Dr Who stories) but makes such inventive use of it that you forget how well-worn the central premise is. It's a remake of an atmospheric 1950s horror movie, The Thing From Another World. In that film an Antarctic base full of enthusiastic, upstanding Americans is menaced by an almost indestructible alien menace. Through a mixture of teamwork and good, old fashioned ...

 
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The Thing (DVD)