I mentioned in my post about Wolfman that I think I've overdosed on horror films/stories in the month of October. As a result, I have the same attitude about The Thing as I do about my Salted Caramel Hot Chocolates at Starbucks: the flavor is a little muted. When you overdo something, whether it's by ordering the same caffeinated beverage every day or watching too much of one genre, things start to blend together and lose their oomph. And I saw that a bit with The Thing. Fanboys and fangirls, please don't maul me! It's not that I didn't like the movie, but I didn't quite see it through the star-studded eyes many of my classmates did. (Post-Halloween, I plan on "cleansing" my palate with a juicy romance or non-paranormal YA novel so that I can reset my love for horror and quit harping on good books. I want to enjoy Snow as much as I can.)
I'll start by looking at the things I did like about the movie/monster. The isolation in this movie was a great approach, IMO. It created the idea that no matter what evil these characters came up against, they had to face it. There is no running away and saving yourself. And that makes the monster more menacing because you know it's there and it's going to do something bad. However, the big bad doesn't happen right away. The movie moves slowly, allowing the viewer's anticipation to build. Allowing the viewer to use their imagination to build upon the facts they know about the monster. In short, it ups the fear, I think. I also loved the sneakiness of this monster. Because it can replicate humans, you never know who is man and who is beast. The Thing can invade a group of people at will and use its sneaky take-over methods to decimate an otherwise strong band of fighters. It's not like the men in this movie weren't tough. They were living in a frozen wasteland, after all! So, having this beasty come in and take over with seemingly little effort really showed the viewer just how evil this thing could be. And I enjoyed how gore-filled that first scene showing the beast was. I mean it went from cute German Shepherd to blood-thirsty and dangerous monster. Great transformation, even if the special effects were a bit outdated. (Not to mention that anything that threatens dogs instantly scares me. I love animals. When they get hurt, I want to hurt the Thing that did it.)
Obviously, it's easy to see the parallels to Alien. Alien threatens humans in a somewhat isolated area, and can replicate inside them without anyone knowing (until a baby bursts out of their chest!). And technically, isn't it "The Thing From Another World?" aka an alien? Sad to say this is what killed the movie for me. Yes, The Thing has different elements. Yes, The Thing took different plot twists. But I think watching this right on the heels of Alien made me see the movies as too much the same. As writers, we are taught that there is no original plot line anymore. Vampires have been done. So have werewolves, mummies, harpies, devil beasts, etc. Somewhere out there, you're going to find a story with similar elements to the one you're writing right now. I get that. It's just that you don't often read two stories with similar plots or see two films with similar backgrounds one on top of the other. I think, had I watched Alien back in September and The Thing now, I wouldn't have seen them as one and the same. But this way, I really did.
It's funny, Kari -- I've overdosed on horror lately, too. I think writing ABOUT horror all the time has contributed. Still, I enjoyed THE THING. It's an old favorite. Between course requirements and PATIENT ZERO, I'm reading other stuff... crime now, who-knows-what-but-not-horror next. Good news, though: SNOW is great. It was my favorite read of the semester.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thanks for the post. As always, you made me think. I wish you'd enjoyed THE THING more, but I appreciate your honesty and can understand your reaction.
Oh... and here's a twelve-second clip that will strike terror in the heart of even the most jaded horror fan. It even has a dog -- and no, the dog is not harmed, though his walk is the scariest thing I've ever seen!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8SLTvA39xI
I agree. The isolation does work. Not only because they have to face the monster, but becuase they are essentially the only barrier bewteen the monster and the rest of the world. If they don't stop it, it'll get to the rest of the population.
ReplyDeleteThis was an original scary movie, which was ahead of its times back when it was released. It scared me to half to death the first time that I saw it. A monster that can get inside your head and wreck havoc is always intimidating to me.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, I never thought I would say this, but I think I need to take a break from horror as well (eh gad, stabs self in heart). I have overdosed on an abnormal level this semester, and I think I'm going to pair up with you and read a good YA to get me back on track.
ReplyDeleteI also wasn't as crazy about The Thing has everyone else was...simply because I'm just not an alien person. I try, I really do, but they just don't do it for me. Don't get me wrong, I liked the movie, but like you, I saw too many similarities with Alien and was getting a little frustrated.
The isolation in The Thing was necessary, especially to have that driving force at the end for the characters wanting to make sure the Thing doesn't reach civilization. Not to mention, trapped with people that you know could very well NOT be human anymore, that certainly sparks the paranoia and emotional reactions.
ReplyDeleteI actually don't think it's a bad that The Thing and Alien are similar. I was shocked that the only two movies for class we had to watch were so similar in certain areas, but it didn't disappoint me. I figured it was also a reflection of the era both of these movies were made in.
-Lori
The isolation adds to that pressure cooker feeling that the characters were obviously already feeling. I mean, why else did Macready spend all that time alone in his shack? Alien and thise movie are similar in tone, but they're the best of a bunch of films that attempted to use the same formula and failed dramatically. But there are a few good ones as well: Deep Star Six, and Leviathan are the two I can think of right now.
ReplyDeleteYou should check out the original "thing" from the 50's as well. It's done a little differently than John Carpenters version.