The Thing (1982): Celebrating 40 Years of The Ultimate in Alien Terror
Considered director John Carpenter’s masterpiece 40 years after its release, The Thing succeeds as a readaptation done right. The 1982 remake of the ’50s classic The Thing From Another World follows a research team in Antarctica as they find an alien in the ice they realize can perfectly duplicate them. This discovery draws suspicion and paranoia from each crew member as they speculate on who’s human and who’s not.
The Film’s Background
The intent to remake The Thing From Another World was the idea of two film producers named Lawrence Turman and David Foster in the ‘70s. After considering many directors like Poltergeist director Tobe Hooper, they decided on having Carpenter be the film’s director.
Before directing the film, Carpenter was already a massive fan of the original film and it’s producer Howard Hawks’ work. The original film was even featured in a brief scene in Carpenter’s Halloween. Carpenter was motivated to direct the remake after reading the source material for both adaptations, John W. Campbell’s novella Who Goes There. Realizing he could do something different by being closer…
