# Which was better, Alien (1979) or The Thing (1982)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 24, 2014, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521 "2014-06-24T10:35:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/21 "2014-06-24T18:45:26Z")
Alien. The chest buster scene. Plus Sigourney Weaver. Though it was a bit offputting that there was gravity in the ship. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/22 "2014-06-24T18:54:02Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > Second, the space-jockey’s ship. That sequence, to me, was the true heart of the film rather than the chest burster scene - the space jockey and the ship were something truly alien and utterly defied any human notion of how the universe worked. The notion that this was a one-time only fleeting encounter between humanity and some strange alien race whom humanity would never, could never know anything about stands up there with anything Lovecraft ever wrote about the vastness of the universe; that the universe held mysteries that humans would never be able to know, or even comprehend. “The Thing” has scenes to rival the chest burster sequence, but nothing to rival that incredible image. I dig your description, but for me, the scene that evokes that notion most perfectly is [this one](http://www.jonathanrosenbaum.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/the-thing-spaceship-1982.jpg), from _The Thing_. But I’m a sucker for “Buried in the Ice” tropes. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/23 "2014-06-24T19:49:58Z")
I didn’t see either film until ~15 years after their release, so something like **RivkahChaya** ’s point about the kill order was not in effect for me. Though in both cases, I was largely in the dark about the content of both films. I found Alien to be dull, really. It wasn’t scary and the pace just felt slow. The special effects around the android looked fake and detracted from its believability. The costume design and hairstyles looked distinctly 70s/80s and, again, took me out of it. I don’t remember the end. The Thing has a little bit of hammy acting, but the special effects hold up and there’s more scare-factor (for me) because the monster could be anyone or anything. You never know what’s going to happen when. And then it ends with a sleek, haunting last scene where you’re both left with no answer AND two men who are left to die, staring at each other. I give it to The Thing. And I’d be curious how many of the votes in its favor are from people who saw it when it was released. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/24 "2014-06-24T19:50:58Z")
I think _Alien_ is the far more influential film and **RivkahChaya** makes a good point about the importance those initial impressions back in 79 made. And having space populated by working class stiffs had a very lived-in feeling to it that made the future seem very present and not all slick & shiny. I also take **Don Draper** ’s point about the space jockey and the sense of alien mystery that that sequence represented (plus, the chest-burster scene is beyond iconic). But I far prefer **The Thing**. Partly because the sense of menace, suspicion, and paranoia are very real and palpable. Also, the Nostromo crew do what every idiot group in a haunted house movie do when the plot requires it, while for the most part, the guys in the research camp take common sense precautions and are all professionals, but still find themselves over their head. And the effects may be from the analog era, but they’re still incredibly creepy in a way that the original (as finely crafted as it is) simply lacks. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/25 "2014-06-24T19:55:21Z")
They were both excellent, but I voted for \*\*\*The Thing. \*\*\* Partly because it stayed much more faithful to John W. Campbell’s story than the more acclaimed, highly overreated Howard Hawks movie, and partly because I liked the cast interaction. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/26 "2014-06-24T20:23:30Z")
I think highly of both movies; both have been quite influential. I’m happy to sit down and watch either. For me there aren’t any slow or dull parts in either. I voted for “Alien” because for me it has a bit more depth, in terms of commentary on human nature. (‘The Monster’ is the major problem in both films. But it’s only in _Alien_ that we have the secondary villain that puts The Monster on the ship. This secondary villain is, of course, the one created and placed on the ship because of that very human trait: our willingness to exploit fellow-humans to advantage ourselves.) ---
**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:** [June 24, 2014, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/27 "2014-06-24T21:05:08Z")
**The Thing** , hands down. Bill Lancaster’s script was faithful to John Campbell’s original story without being slavish. And the characters actually considered possible didges the Thing might use, and tried to avoid them. The method of determining who was a “thing” was, as in Campbell’s story, a piece of logical deduction. **Alien** , on the other hand, has people acting in irrational ways, going off on their own into dark places when they know there’s a creepicrawlie around. They come up with a Monster Detector that, even though the explanation is gobbledegook (“micro-changes in air pressure” my butt. The damned thing ought to be going off all the time) that they immediately proceed to misuse, then promptly ignore, even though you’d think it’d be a good idea to use. Watch Jerome Bixby’s **It! The Terror from Beyond Space** instead. Despite being dated, the plot is a helluva lot more rational. And it’s where Alien plundered its plot from in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/28 "2014-06-24T21:31:07Z")
I chose The Thing just because, well, I like it more. There is a case to be made for either film. Both are, IMHO, great but have a number of flaws. But if I and the future Mrs. RickJay had to watch one or the other we’d both choose The Thing, hands down. It’s fun. ---
**Author:** ![Gerald\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Gerald\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gerald_II)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/29 "2014-06-24T23:12:52Z")
Alien because of the following reasons: 1. The Thing had great acting and believable dialogue, I think Alien was still better because it recreated a realistic work environment. Serious and yet casual. You really did believe these people were in outer space and they had believable actions and interactions. Ripley following procedure by the books, making tough decisions that made her unpopular, but she wasn’t made to look overbearing or a jerk. Professional and yet relatable. MacReady was awesome but he was in some ways the stereotypical male hero. Ripley seems like someone you would know in real life. 2)As good as The Thing effects were, Giger’s design and the effects were better. Plus the derelict ship looked so much more alien than the ship in The Thing. 3)Alien got your mind running more. In The Thing the paranoid suspicion of who was who was excellent and I liked the initial mystery of what happened to the Swedish group, briefly seeing part of the gigantic alien ship in the ice. In Alien though we got to see and wonder about the derelict ship, the pilot, why he was transporting or carrying all those eggs. The mystery of the alien itself, was it weapon, a species? The revelation of the company’s motives, Ash’s true mission. It just seemed more complex. That said The Thing is a classic and one of my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/30 "2014-06-25T00:08:25Z")
I had heard a lot of things about **Alien** before I saw it as an adult and I was vaguely disappointed; I thought it was slow and the special effects were more puppet-y than I expected. I knew almost nothing about **The Thing** when I saw it as a kid, and I thought it was awesome. I agree with **stpauler** ; growing up in a place with cold winters definitely gave the movie a sense of claustrophobia. Setting aside the mismatched circumstances of how I watched those two movies, I still maintain that the ending of **The Thing** is a hundred times more satisfying than the end of **Alien**. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/31 "2014-06-25T00:37:12Z")
I liked them both, but the slow pacing of **Alien** puts me off. I prefer **John Carpenter’s "The Thing"** I would also rate **Predator** and **Aliens** as slightly more enjoyable than the two in the poll. The original **The Thing From Another Planet** still holds up well for my tastes. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/32 "2014-06-25T00:41:55Z")
I don’t vote in public polls, but I remember preferring _The Thing_. Not seen either in decades though. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/33 "2014-06-25T00:44:13Z")
I dunno-- I was only 12 when I saw _Alien_ in the theater, and I didn’t perceive it as slow as in plodding, or badly edited. I perceived it as tense. But I saw it on a big screen with no distractions. I don’t know what it would be like seeing it at home for the first time. There isn’t much dialogue in the first half hour or so, so you really have to _watch_ it. If you are trying to fold laundry, or check your email, or you have pets, and the phone ringing to distract you, you probably lose track of what’s happening. ---
**Author:** ![Gerald\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Gerald\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gerald_II)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/34 "2014-06-25T01:00:34Z")
The ending for Carpenter’s film was better than Alien though. ---
**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:** [June 25, 2014, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/35 "2014-06-25T01:14:57Z")
> [@MovieMogul](#): > > But I far prefer **The Thing**. Partly because the sense of menace, suspicion, and paranoia are very real and palpable. Also, the Nostromo crew do what every idiot group in a haunted house movie do when the plot requires it, while for the most part, the guys in the research camp take common sense precautions and are all professionals, but still find themselves over their head. And the effects may be from the analog era, but they’re still incredibly creepy in a way that the original (as finely crafted as it is) simply lacks. I saw both of these in the theater on release, and you really hit the nail on the head for me in terms of how people behave, and how sensibly the men at the research camp try to act under an increasing pall of paranoia (which definitely has a Cold War feel). Alien on the other hand really is just a slick horror movie, whose best virtue is that the hero is, for once, a kick-ass woman. Plus, The Thing has _that dog_. ---
**Author:** ![Dumbguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dumbguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dumbguy)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/36 "2014-06-25T01:17:04Z")
I love _The Thing_, but _Alien_ is one of my all time favorite movies in any genre. One of the things I find compelling about the creature in alien is that it’s essentially just an animal. Most movies with aliens necessarily portray them as unimaginably smart. They have to be technologically advanced enough to have built some version of faster than light travel, otherwise we wouldn’t be in contact with them. And I think it’s just inherently hard to imagine what a creature that much smarter than you would be like. But the alien is just some mean-ass stowaway the Nostromo was unlucky enough to run across. Or if you buy the Prometheus retcon, the aliens were designed as revenge on mankind because we were mean to Jesus. ---
**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:** [June 25, 2014, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/37 "2014-06-25T01:24:27Z")
While poking around on the internets I learned that Dan O’Bannon, who wrote Alien, attended USC with John Carpenter, where they made a short film together. > **[Dan O'Bannon](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_O'Bannon)** > > Daniel Thomas O'Bannon (September 30, 1946 – December 17, 2009) was an American film screenwriter, director and visual effects supervisor, usually in the science fiction and horror genres. > O'Bannon wrote the screenplay for Alien, adapted from a story he wrote with Ronald Shusett. He also wrote and directed the cult horror comedy The Return of the Living Dead. He contributed computer animation to Star Wars and worked on cult classics such as Dark Star, Heavy Metal, and Total Recall. > O'Bannon ... > **[Dark Star (film)](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Star_(film))** > > Dark Star is a 1974 American science fiction comedy film directed and produced by John Carpenter and co-written with Dan O'Bannon. It follows the crew of the deteriorating starship Dark Star, twenty years into their mission to destroy unstable planets that might threaten future colonization of other planets. > Beginning as a University of Southern California student film produced from 1970 to 1972, it was gradually expanded to feature-length until it appeared at Filmex in 1974, and subsequently ... ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/38 "2014-06-25T01:34:34Z")
I re-watch The Thing on at least an annual basis. I haven’t watched Alien in over 10 years and have no interest in doing so any time soon. Aliens, now…that movie I can watch almost any time. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/39 "2014-06-25T02:41:22Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Setting aside the mismatched circumstances of how I watched those two movies, I still maintain that the ending of **The Thing** is a hundred times more satisfying than the end of **Alien**. That’s it for me. Neither movie would make it into my top 10 SF movies, but **The Thing’s** ending makes it into my top movie endings, no question: it’s perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521/40 "2014-06-25T02:47:40Z")
As a kid watching the Alien movie the monster was always out there somewhere. Watching The Thing the monster could be the dude right next to you. That freaked me out…and then that damned head-spider alien. Fuck that shit! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-was-better-alien-1979-or-the-thing-1982/691521.md?page=3)