Monday, November 1, 2010

THE THING

To date, this is the scariest monster ever. Freddy Krueger can invade your dreams, the Thing can invade your thoughts and memories. How can you protect yourself from this? I especially liked the concept that you never know who the alien is. It could be your best friend and you wouldn’t know until it had you. I saw the original years ago and it scared me for many decades afterward.
The bleakness of the setting adds to the mystery and tone of solitude. It makes you feel like they are abandoned with only their potential friends and this alien with a hidden agenda. It is never really clear exactly what it plans to do once it conquers all. Add to it the fact that they’re trapped in this cold lifeless place and you have a remarkable setting for fear.
I love the way it portrayed humanity as anything but. Once man develops fears of his own kind, paranoia turns him into an animal. He will kill and not care in the name of self defense. Paranoia is an infectious disease where everyone and everything is feared. It also can initiate an open season on murder without guilt.
The ending is as bleak as the setting when McCready and Childs drink whiskey and wait to freeze to death, thinking one is the Thing, but not knowing which one. I think one of the most appealing things about this one is that you’re not sure if black is black or white and vice versa. There is no stability in your belief system.

2 comments:

  1. This was my first time watching this movie, and I didn't really find myself scared at all...but I think it's because I'm getting immune to this stuff, haha. However, the entire idea behind The Thing is terrifying. The fact that it imitates everyone so well, that you never actually know who is the creature is horrifying...especially because it leaves you open to having to kill your best friend. I did love how they did the blood test at the end though!!

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  2. This was also my first time of watching it but i have to admit, even with my immunity, that damned thing scared me. I think this is not what is looks like or doesn't but the psychology of what the monster is capable of doing. Especially that blood test, if only one drop can recreate a creature then this 'thing' is major trouble. It's this combination of the psychology and the if's that put it at the top of the list for me. I really wondered when it did that replication if it also inherited the thoughts and emotions of the people and animals. Ugh!

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