So, I recently revisited the 2011 version of The Thing, and you know something? I am a huge fan of it and You Should Be Too
I am here today to confess my love for The Thing (2011) and tell everyone about it. OK, firstly I will stand by the main complaint that it got and had some questionable CGI. Do we really think that this was a choice by the filmmaker? I find it really hard to believe. I’m sure going with CGI is much cheaper and less time-consuming. But, for a film that’s a classic horror and known for its practical effects, the CGI road was always gonna be a bad choice. The other main complaint this film got is that it cast a female lead – all I can say to that is that they’re full of shit, she was beyond good. She was never meant to even try and step into the shoes of Russell’s iconic McCready.
The Thing (2011) is a prequel to Carpenter’s classic.
If you’re up for a sci-fi double-bill then watch The Thing (2011) and then go straight on to the 1982 classic. With the prequel still fresh in your brain, you will notice how much attention to detail they got right. Apart from the modernised filming techniques and FX these two films are one long sci-fi body horror epic. I would even say that the 2011 version makes Carpenter’s version a much better film.
Another great thing was that the 2011 film explored the aliens a lot more; we get to see their crashed spaceship buried deep beneath the ice. We get a very valuable insight into the scope of the alien threat – and it seems way bigger than the problems they got back at their base. It also makes you think that when McCready and the lads are going through hell in Carpenter’s flick as The Things starts infecting everyone – they have no fuckin’ idea of the size of the alien threat. Right underneath their feet lays a dormant Alien invasion on an apocalyptic scale.
There has been chat about Carpenter returning for a direct sequel to The 1982 Horror. I’m not too sure how he actually feels about it but if it were to happen then I would want a continuation of his story but introduce all the elements unexplored from the 2011 prequel
I will wrap this article up by addressing the 1000’s comments on a recent indie sci-fi post on Moviehooker Facebook.
I posted the info and poster for a new sci-fi called Blood and Snow. Yeah, I mentioned it too that the plot sounded very familiar to The Thing and EVERYONE was very quick to point that out. however, almost no one mentions the similarities between The Thing and HP Lovecraft’s At The Mountains Of Madness. Everything is inspired by something, folks.
As always, thanks for reading.
