THE THING (1982: Dir. John Carpenter)
Director John Carpenter once made this famous observation about his reputation. "In France I am an auteur, in Germany I am a filmmaker, and in the U.S. I'm a bum." Having been responsible for Halloween (1978), one of the most successful independent films of all-time, followed by the seminal dystopian sci-fi actioner Escape from New York (1981), not to mention the ahead-of-its-time Asian martial arts fantasy spoof Big Trouble In Little China (1986), Carpenter has had his fair share of career ups and downs. Although his cult of fans seem to follow him wherever he chooses to go, the core of his art rests with his self-coined "apocalyptic trilogy" a trio of features that later formed a quartet with the inclusion of the first of his two television episodes made for the envelope-pushing Showtime series MASTERS OF HORROR. These nihilistic nightmares encapsulate Carpenter's espoused cynicism for humanity's weakness in the face of unknown forces. Exploring the fears that result from loss of identity, loss of faith, loss of personal sanity, and loss of a loved one, these four tales make a ideal introduction to the misanthropic mind of this prophet of doom.
One of Carpenter's earliest influences was director Howard Hawks (Only Angels Have Wings, Rio Bravo), therefore it came as no surprise when he chose to remake the Hawks-produced sci-fi classic The Thing From Another World. Re-titled simply The Thing, Carpenter took full advantage of the latest special effects techniques, and together with screenwriter Bill Lancaster (The Bad News Bears), was able to fully envision the protean nemesis from John W. Campbell's original short story "Who Goes There?". Re-locating the action from the North Pole to an isolated Antarctic research station , Carpenter provocatively returned to Campbell's all-male cast of disparate scientists and civilians in order to explore the group dynamics of those under attack from alien invaders with the power to assume the physical image of any human individual. Identities once taken for granted, now become vital certainties to survival, as cinematographer Dean Cundey's prowling widescreen Panaglide compositions ratchet up the jittery paranoia to almost unbearable levels of tension. Often criticized for its grotesque scenes of biological transformation courtesy of 21 year-old make-up prodigy Rob Bottin, the film remains a bone-chilling exercise in Eighties dread, auguring both the AIDS crisis, and the Cold War sabre-rattling of the Reagan era. With this, his first major studio production, Carpenter confidently demonstrated a skillful maturity that belied his origins as a low budget exploitation filmmaker, however, unlike Universal Pictures' other blockbuster 1982 alien film, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, neither audiences nor critics could warm up to the film's explicit imagery and bleak tone. The Thing, finally gathered a significant following on video where its fervent fans turned it from turkey to triumph within the period of its VHS release and the film's arrival on DVD. Befitting its grassroots cult classic status the disc contained lavish extras including a peerless documentary detailing every aspect of production, deleted stop-motion effects footage, and a rousing commentary by Carpenter and star Kurt Russell, whose infectious camaraderie echoes the fertile partnership of Hawks and his frequent leading man John Wayne. A subsequent Blu-Ray version featured improved picture quality that makes the snowbound scenes glisten with icy clarity but fatally omits some of the vital bonus material. I look forward to a definitive HD special edition in the near future. It would be the ironic crowning achievement for such a hard-won success as John Carpenter's The Thing. DVD REGION 1 & 2
