The Thing (1982)

After treating myself to a musical with Sweeney Todd, I decided that I needed something with a little more realism and some horrific splatter scenes and gore. I finally settled on the 1982 John Carpenter classic, The Thing.

Plot/ A research facility in Antarctica comes across an alien force that can become anything it touches with 100% accuracy. The members must now find out who is human and who is not before it is too late.

I remember when this one came out because it was a fascinating watch. Having just seen ET and feeling bored, this one was what I expected in an alien flick. Looking back at it now, I appreciate it even more because of the effects. The practical effects in this movie are some of the best and definitely run laps around the majority of CGI crap that hits the screen today. Even better, everything holds up well even after all these years. The atmosphere is dark, heavy, and toxic, the cast and performances are solid, and the amount of paranoia created within the scripting was amazing. And, did I mention the gore and effects? Honestly, not only are they realistic, but also they fit perfectly with the tension built throughout the film. In the end, this may be one of the best films by John Carpenter and it should be revered in the same manner as Halloween, Prince of Darkness (Okay, one of my favorites) or The Fog. If you have not watched this one yet, you are missing one of the best horror films of the 1980s. Find it and check it out.