MC
Marco Castellini
•A Siberian husky fleeing across the Antarctic snow is repeatedly targeted by rifle shots fired from a Norwegian helicopter chasing it. The men at an American scientific base, toward which the animal is heading, watch in shock as the scene unfolds, ending in a shootout and the explosion of the helicopter. Pilot Mac Ready and Dr. Copper travel to the Norwegian camp to find answers about the incident, only to discover that the camp has been ravaged by an inhuman force and all its occupants are dead. The cause of it all is an alien creature that crashed on Earth thousands of years ago and was awakened from its icy slumber by Norwegian scientists. The being assimilates the organisms it comes into contact with, then adopts their appearance, constantly changing form, with the ultimate goal of colonizing the Earth. For the men at the base, the challenge now is to discover which body the alien has taken over...
Often described as a remake of "The Thing from Another World," the 1951 film directed by Nyby and produced by Howard Hawks, Carpenter's "The Thing" is actually a reinterpretation (and a more faithful one) of Campbell's story "Who Goes There?" which also inspired Nyby's film. Without a doubt, it is one of the author's best works, particularly due to Carpenter's masterful direction, which combines technical prowess with gut-punching moments without ever descending into vulgarity or superficiality (a difficult feat for a film marked by excess). "The Thing" is a ferocious, pessimistic, and nihilistic film in which Carpenter shatters all optimism: his "thing" is, in itself, the indescribable, the irrational, something akin to a rising contagious madness that spares no one and nothing. The soundtrack is entrusted to the maestro Ennio Morricone, but the film's standout feature remains the magnificent special effects created by Rob Bottin, who, through latex and prosthetics, brings to life horrifying mutations never before seen on the big screen. Darker and more claustrophobic than "Alien," as terrifying and gruesome as "The Exorcist," the film was supposed to be a global success, but instead became one of the director's most significant flops, nearly bankrupting Universal Production. And all of this because, in the same year, Spielberg's "E.T." dominated screens, and no one wanted to believe in an evil alien; everyone viewed beings from another world as cuddly creatures to pet and nurture, not as terrifying parasitic mutants tearing apart bodies and minds. Even critics were harsh, going so far as to label Carpenter a "pornographer of horror," only to later (as often happens) reevaluate "The Thing" years later, placing it among the best genre films ever made. A must-watch (and re-watch) without reservations.
