THE THING (1982) Special Widescreen Collector's Edition
Universal
Director: John Carpenter

I eagerly awaited this DVD coming out and was blown away by all its features. Along the same lines as New Horizon's PIRANHA, THE THING is jam packed with behind the scene footage, commentary, and even a documentary on the making of the film. It is well worth the investment (a little pricier than most DVDs, but it still is a must have for your collection).

Based on John W. Campbell's 1938 novella "Who Goes There?" Carpenter's film is moody, claustrophobic, and definitely scary. Although 1951's THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD with James Arness was the first film adaptation, Carpenter's film differed in that it concentrated on the thing's ability to change shapes.

The film begins in the Antarctic at a U.S. scientific research station where a twelve-man research team encounters a dog being chased by a helicopter. The dog reaches the research station and the pilot of the helicopter, who is shooting at the dog, winds up hitting one of the men. Unfortunately, the pilot only speaks Norwegian and cannot explain why he is shooting at a dog, much less apologize for shooting one of the men. He in turn is shot dead after entering the camp in search for the dog.

A couple of the men decide to check out the Norwegian's camp to try and make sense of what has happened while the newly adopted dog begins to explore its surroundings. The men find the Norwegian camp smoldering from a fire and in ruins. The only person they find is a now frozen, radio broadcaster who had slit his throat. A discovery is made in another room of the camp as MacReady (Kurt Russell, who also starred in Carpenter's ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, its lackluster sequel, and BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA) finds a large block of ice that had something removed from within. Before leaving they also find the burnt remains of some type of mutant which they bring back with them to their research station.

The men begin to get edgy, as they are not sure what they have uncovered. The dog is soon placed in the pen with the rest of the dogs where it then transforms into a spider-like monster that begins to attack them. The men see for the first time that the dog was hiding something far more sinister inside its body. Blair (Wilford Brimley--Mr. Quaker Oatmeal himself) performs an autopsy on the thing in which he is able to conclude that it was actually trying to absorb the dogs in order to mask its identity. Once the men realize that the dog/thing was loose in the research station for a number of hours, suspicion starts to build and the film takes off.

The cast work extremely well together, as everyone is a suspect, leading to a paranoia that perseveres throughout film. Members of the research team begin choosing their "friends," not sure of who is really themselves and who is the "thing." The Arctic background serves as a way to isolate the men from the world, adding to the paranoia. This aspect was also very effective in A COLD NIGHT'S DEATH with Robert Culp. Another great aspect is Rob Bottin's special effects which are gruesome (especially Blair's autopsies). The scene where the thing attacks the dogs in the pen has always stuck out in my mind.

The film's music is by legendary composer Ennio Morricone, who did the soundtracks to many spaghetti westerns and giallos. This man's work is incredible and he continues his prolific career to this day. Morricone creates a sense of uneasiness throughout the film with the use of his synthesizers.

The bonus materials on the disc are unbelievable in number. First up is the theatrical trailer ("Man is the warmest place to hide"). Also included is the Universal web site link. Cast production photographs feature photos of all the actors in the film. The production background archive gives the history of the film. Interestingly enough, Tobe Hooper (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE) was considered at one point to direct the film. Pictures of the screenplay draft of THE THING are provided with the original idea of what each character should be like.

There are post production stills (example: Carpenter with the film's composer Ennio Morricone), early concepts for the film's logo, info on the film's premier (hosted by Elvira), production art and storyboards (which feature early creature designs by Dale Kuipers, Rob Bottin, and Mike Ploog), shots of the saucer and Blairmonster, outtakes, biographies/filmographies of Russell and Carpenter, plus much more.

A documentary on the making of the film, JOHN CARPENTER'S THE THING: TERROR TAKES SHAPE, is an excellent addition to the film. Members of the cast, crew, and directors help relay the story of the history and making of the film. Make sure you watch this after the film (especially if you have not seen it before) so you don't ruin any surprises.

Finally, you can access the feature commentary with director John Carpenter and Kurt Russell. Carpenter is extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of the production and Russell provides a good backup. Sit back and enjoy all the behind-the-scene stories of the film. The film is presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio and is crisp and clear. I highly recommend this disc as a must have for your collection. (Chris Gullo)

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