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.

Harbinger Down (2015)

Still feeling the remnant of yesterday’s miserable experience with Martian Land, I decided that I needed to go in a different direction for my next flick. After some thought, I went with some low budget horror, with 2015s Harbinger Down. 

Plot/ A group of grad students have booked passage on the crabbing boat Harbinger to study the effects of global warming on a pod of Belugas in the Bering Sea. When the ship's crew dredges up a recently thawed piece of old Soviet space wreckage, things get downright deadly.

After suffering through last night’s low budget misery from The Asylum, this Kickstarter funded entry demonstrated what can be done with a smaller budget. Sure, it is not perfect, but I believe it met the goal in creating a non-CGI horror flick using practical effects. Personally, I loved the classic 1980s low budget feel and was amazed at how much it reminded me of these dark evening that I had growing up with my local video store. In all, this flick had some solid performances, including a solid outing from horror favorite Lance Henriksen, so decent effects, and a solid premise. Unfortunately, this one did feel like the storyline was taken straight from the classic entry The Thing and the scripting was uneven, but those elements were only minor in the grand scheme. In the end, this one may not be for everyone, but if like me, you love 1980s big box horror, then you should definitely check this one out.

The Thing (2011)

I have been on an alien / UFO kick this weekend and for the most part kept it to documentaries. Between Ancient Aliens, UFO Files and some interesting biblical stuff that connects the topic, I have burnt up Direct TV on the subject. That was until earlier tonight when the 2011 prequel of The Thing was on…

Plot/ Deep below the Arctic ice, scientists discover an alien spacecraft and the remains of the occupant. The scientists cut it out of the ice and take it back to their camp. Unfortunately, as the ice melts, the creature reanimates and the terror begins.

I have stayed clear of this flick for some time, as I was a huge fan of the first remake from John Carpenter. But, having been in an alien type mood, I decided to venture into this prequel. Now I understand why. On its own merits there are some interesting facets to this flick that make it entertaining, unfortunately, in comparison to the earlier masterpiece it is overshadowed. The creature design is awesome, I just wish they would have stayed away from so much of the CGI, Yes, they are interesting, but still CGI dampens some of it. The acting is solid, storyline interesting, and atmosphere is ok; as I said entertaining in its own right. The problem is that much of the premise is shared from the Carpenter classic and there is nothing new in this flick to make it very memorable on its own. Yes, this one is entertaining and has some moments of tension, Is it perfect, no, but it is interesting to watch, especially if you know little of the Carpenter flick from 1982.