The thing (1982)

’The thing’ is a remarkable film of moods, atmosphere and creepy effects. It perfects the now familiar setup of individuals at a remote, icy location who are faced with a terrifying creature from the unknown. The appearance of this creature, first in the form of a dog and later in its real form, sparks great paranoia and turns these people (Arctic scientists) against each other, with only Kurt Russell (sporting a cool beard) able to keep his head above the chaos. As the film progresses, the effects gets more gruesome and bloody, till it turns into a freakshow when a severed head falls off a mans head, forms its own legs and starts to walk off! A little scary at first, but the creepiness gives way to larger themes of isolation and loneliness, perfectly captured in the very last frame. Owes some of its visual shocks to the original Ridley Scott ’Alien’ (especially in one gruesome scene where the creature bursts out of a man’s chest) but in its own way probably also inspired the mood of the Cameron sequel, ’Aliens’. Loosely remade with twice the thrills in half the time as an X-files episode from the first season (aptly entitled ’Ice’.

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