The Thing (1982)

Plot of The Thing: A Norwegian helicopter chases a sled dog across the Antarctic ice, finally arriving at an American base where the pilot tries to shoot the dog, accidentally blows up the heicopter and is shot by the Americans who think he is trying to shoot them. The dog is put in the dog cage, and turns into a monster. Absorbing the other dogs into itself. It is destroyed with a flamethrower, and disected by Blair the biologist. Blair thinks the revolting looking creature is capable of imitating any creature it absorbs and thinks that at least some of the crew may actually be aliens. Blair is isolated in shed after being suspected of being a creature. In time MacReady, the helicopter pilot, takes control at one point threatening the others with dynamite, and when one of the guys, Norris, turns out to be a Thing he is burnt, but the head escapes resulting in the view that all components of the Thing are individuals. A blood test will reveal all, but what then?

Content: No sex or nudity, but a lot of drinking and smoking. MacReady consumes a lot of scotch, apparently due to having post traumatic stress, and they all smoke a bit. Before the titles there is a scene of a space craft approaching earth and at one point MacReady and Norris fly to the Norwegian site and find a flying saucer estimated to be 100,000 years old, and also a rectangular hole in the ice, which they see, on a video, is an alien. The dog integrates with the crew, but once in the dog pound transforms into a creature and absorbs other dogs. There is constant tension since the guys do not know who is real and who is a Thing and there are unexpected transformations. It is lucky they have been provided with flame throwers. Lots of squidgy stuff.

A View: This outing was  not well received when it went on general release. It cost a lot for 1982 and was generally panned by the critics. However it has become a cult film and is 150th on the IMDb hall of fame (Kill Bill Vol 1 is no 152). I think there are some weaknesses in the plot, particularly the assumption that without a generator everybody, except the alien, will die. History had already proved otherwise. But a pretty watchable film, so if you enjoy alien creatures give it a view.

Fun Fact: It has become a tradition for the British Antarctic Survey to watch “The Thing” as part of their midwinter feast and celebration.