Night 31 of 31 Nights of Horror

Every Halloween, I do the same thing. Once I’m certain no more trick-or-treaters are coming, I take down the decorations, make a three layer nacho dip, turn off the lights and watch John Carpenter’s The Thing.

There is nothing I don’t love about this movie. From the opening scene it has the viewer asking questions, and every answer leads to new questions. This movie combines terrifying monster horror and psychological thriller in the best way. Even when the killer is revealed, it may not be the only one, and you are kept guessing even after the credits roll.

The special effects are gorgeous, in the most disturbing way, and look fantastic on my new 4K HDR copy. The panoramic helicopter shots of Alaska and British Columbia (doubling for Antarctica) are stunningly beautiful, but also isolating. They establish early on how far from civilization these men are and that, when people start dying, there is no escape, nowhere to flee to.

It’s unfortunate that the last article of the series is going to be so short, my whole thing is usually nitpicking films, but I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve watched this film and I have no notes. None. The acting is great, the editing, pacing, music, foley work, everything about the production enhances the story. It’s why I never get tired of watching it.

If you’ve never watched The Thing, I highly encourage you to. Turn off the lights and grab yourself some tortilla chips. I’ve got a dip recipe I can share with you.

Oh and if you’re not ready for bed when the movie finishes, put on The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Happy Halloween!