# The Thread about The Thing (1982) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [September 27, 2021, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421 "2021-09-27T04:59:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2021, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/21 "2021-09-27T20:04:01Z")
I love _The Thing_ and _The Things_ and I also think the prequel isn’t bad. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2021, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/22 "2021-09-27T20:13:22Z")
> [@tripthicket](#): > > I always take the opportunity to point out just how creepy the scene is where the new dog is put in with the other dogs. One of the best animal scenes I’ve ever seen in any horror or science-fiction movie, simply for the way they were able to use a few simple moves by the dog to convey such alien-ness. My kid and her friend were like “That is the best dog actor EVER!” > [@CalMeacham](#): > > One of the reasons I don’t care for the 2011 follow-up “prequel” (also named **The Thing** ) is precisely because it subverts that analogy and the setup, to no really good purpose. There are a lot of problems with the 2011 movie, to say the least, and many are really odd because parts of the movie suggest they wanted to pay tribute to the 1982 film, and yet many of the problems suggest they didn’t UNDERSTAND the 1982 film. In the 1982 film, as alien and weird as the Thing is, you clearly understand one thing about it: _It wants to hide. Until it has the upper hand, it doesn’t like being noticed._ This is advantageous to the movie, because, of course, it’s much scarier when the Thing hides a lot. It contributes to the sense of paranoia. But the Thing in 2011 exposes itself over and over for no discernible reason. It’s way LESS scary when it’s a juggernaut monster crashing through the base. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2021, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/23 "2021-09-27T23:26:20Z")
I was wonderin when El Capitan was gonna get a chance to use his popgun. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2021, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/24 "2021-09-27T23:51:44Z")
Blair’s been busy out here all by himself. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/25 "2021-09-28T00:46:51Z")
My favorite detail in the film is Blair’s noose that absolutely nobody comments upon. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/26 "2021-09-28T04:03:34Z")
The noose? They’re not even slightly bothered by the fact he’s building a space ship to escape in! ---
**Author:** ![omenran](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omenran/32/3318_2.png) [@omenran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omenran)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/27 "2021-09-28T06:19:02Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > There are a lot of problems with the 2011 movie, to say the least, and many are really odd because parts of the movie suggest they wanted to pay tribute to the 1982 film, and yet many of the problems suggest they didn’t UNDERSTAND the 1982 film. I agree, I’d say the problem they had stems from them creating scenes to explain every weird thing that’s seen in the 1982 film. Once they got themselves all twisted into knots to do that, I doubt they had much room for anything else. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/28 "2021-09-28T16:10:54Z")
“I know I’m human” - the subtle paranoia that drifts into the plot is well done. In addition to the dog horror scene and the head-legs scene; the chest compression/jaws scene is also memorable. Also, an early Mac vs Windows thing (not sure if that was intentional). ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/29 "2021-09-28T16:48:02Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > Also, an early Mac vs Windows thing (not sure if that was intentional). Neither existed in 1982. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/30 "2021-09-28T17:23:05Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > “I know I’m human” - the subtle paranoia that drifts into the plot is well done. It remains an open question as to whether a person still thinks they’re a person when they’re a Thing, or whether the Thing just does a great job imitating personality, or what. The movie does suggest a Thing might psychologically sit in the background until it feels the need to take over. Which is, of course, even scarier. There are a lot of things online trying to sort out who’s a Thing at various points in the movie and who isn’t. Almost all, however, go on the assumption McReady isn’t a Thing. In truth, you cannot know that for sure. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/31 "2021-09-28T17:55:33Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > “I know I’m human” - the subtle paranoia that drifts into the plot is well done. It’s not paranoia – it’s logic. Macready is stating, like Descartes, that he knows he exists, and for him the problem is everyone else. His next line is the next step in logic “And some of you are human, or you’d all just attack me.” After that, everything is predicated on figuring out who is human and who is “thing”, and Doc starts working on a test. Is it paranoia if you know that a shape shifting being really is out to get you? It’s at least justified paranoia. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/32 "2021-09-28T18:33:15Z")
And that is the quandary - who is still human? Mac thinks some of them are still human - but who? Otherwise he could just mow them all down and be done with it. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/33 "2021-09-28T18:39:39Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > It remains an open question as to whether a person still thinks they’re a person when they’re a Thing, or whether the Thing just does a great job imitating personality, or what. The movie does suggest a Thing might psychologically sit in the background until it feels the need to take over. Which is, of course, even scarier. > > There are a lot of things online trying to sort out who’s a Thing at various points in the movie and who isn’t. Almost all, however, go on the assumption McReady isn’t a Thing. In truth, you cannot know that for sure. One of the many things (ha!) I like about the film. The short story I referred to in an earlier post addresses this question from the alien’s point of view. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/34 "2021-09-28T21:28:27Z")
Every once in a while you’re lucky enough to see a great film without having seen a trailer, or having a single thing spoiled, even the plot. That film was one of those for me, and man did I love it. Carpenter’s pacing is terrific, he’ll let the bad vibe really take hold of you before exploding into action (just the scene of Kurt Russell and the blood samples).\* - okay, I did realize later he was using the same unsterilized knife to take blood samples from each person. probably not good. ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/35 "2021-09-28T22:06:57Z")
In 2018 an unpublished manuscript was discovered titled _Frozen Hell_, an earlier version of _Who Goes There?_ that has 45 more pages. Check it out: [https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/43610618-frozen-hell](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/43610618-frozen-hell) ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/36 "2021-09-28T22:26:46Z")
I liked the 2011 prequel film too. I know it wasn’t as popular but it held its own as a film. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/37 "2021-09-28T22:37:13Z")
Begs the question: Do thing/humans recognize each other somehow? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2021, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/38 "2021-09-29T00:21:39Z")
> [@Horseflesh](#): > > In 2018 an unpublished manuscript was discovered titled _Frozen Hell_ , an earlier version of _Who Goes There?_ that has 45 more pages. Check it out: [https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/43610618-frozen-hell](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/43610618-frozen-hell) Very interesting. I’ll have to read it. I tracked down another “lost” Campbell story, _All_, but was very disappointed in it. It’s the story that Campbell told Heinlein the plot to, and Heinlein turned it into _Sixth Column/ The Day After Tomorrow_. The Heinlein story is readable (if a bit racist), but Campbell’s original is almost impenetrable. On the other hand _Who Goes There?_ is eminently readable, and probably my favorite story by Campbell, so this should be worth getting hold of. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2021, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/39 "2021-09-29T02:18:24Z")
My biggest nitpick of the 2011 film nobody else seems to bring up is their attempt at “bridging” the two films, despite the fact as shown at the start of 1982s The Thing both Norwegians are super gung-ho about killing The Thing even willing to cause injury or death to the naive Americans, yet the prequel established one of the two Norwegians had literally just showed up and had absolutely no idea what was going on. He sure went from “What the fuck is even happening?” to “EAT HAND GRENADE ASSHOLE” pretty damn quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Galactus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galactus/32/3581_2.png) [@Galactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galactus)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2021, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421/40 "2021-09-29T02:23:37Z")
What if when a Thing takes over it leaves you in control and only exerts control when it’s found out? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thread-about-the-thing-1982/951421.md?page=3)