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Quickie Review - John Carpenter's The Thing

It's been 30 years since I first and last saw this movie. As a young teen, I remember finding this movie incredibly funny. Not the intended dark comedy, but the violence and gore.  it was so fake, I laughed non-stop. My memories told me the movie was good, but far less deserving of the cult status it has achieved.  So tonight, I have it another shot.

Much like other John Carpenter films, character depth is nonexistent.  I must admit, I had forgot how similar it was to Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Both movies build tension through the process of letting us know the affliction, but not the afflicted. The problem with the Thing is, we're never tricked until the end, which is ambiguous if you miss one small wrinkle, even though they actually screw that up slightly.

So here's the deal. Horror needs to be fun. This movie is fun. It needs to build tension. It builds it initially, but falters towards the end.  It needs moments of levity, which this has acted, but one amazing one.  It also needs closure or a possibility for a sequel. This has neither. One could argue for either, but look at the film closely and it's not possible.  So what are my feelings after 30 years? About the same if i had to rate it, but more appreciation for the tension and the intentional humor, but less for the character development.  In the end a good film, but not nearly the classic it gets credit for.

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