John Carpenter's That Thing You Do

[Kryton]

You see the remains starting to ooze when everyone is out of the way. I don't think he sucked on the pencil, offhand. He gets chomped by the chest of a guy he is defibrillating later on.

No that's the other fellah. I'm on about the bloke who runs the computer script AFTER the first autopsy, there's definitely a bit where he pokes the pencil into the guts and a few minutes later taps the pencil against his mouth.

Blair I mean...

However I've just read that this wasn't intentional and/or scripted so Blair probably wasn't infected at that point. Other fans are saying that Palmer and Bennings were the first infected.

[St_Eddie]

I was always under the belief that the Thing's were completely aware of the fact they weren't human anymore and would happily play each other off to keep a majority rule.

I.e - sacrificing one part of itself to keep the majority alive.

Definitely agree with is. That take is supported by the moment when Palmer-Thing spies and announces Norris-Thing's spideresque head ("you've got to be fucking kidding").

Another theory is that the Thing only turned violent when the dogs attacked, as prior to that point it was quite happy to just sit around and  do nothing, which raises the point that the Thing is not fully destructive, just defensive. I like to believe the Dog Thing was more than happy to just survive for a bit. There's no real proof it assimilated anyone in the American camp prior to being discovered (?) -  But i've not watched it for a while, so I may be wrong.

This is a very interesting train of thought.  I've often thought about the possibility of communicating with the thing.  Imagine an integration scenario; how would that go?  Would the thing have its own personality and thoughts?  I'd be fascinated to hear that conversation play out.

Just remembered the first thing(lol) the dog did when arriving was to lick someone's face right?

Yes.  Which character was that?  I'm thinking Clark.  However, he was revealed to be uninfected during the blood test scene.  A good old lick would be the ideal opportunity for a discrete infection.

[St_Eddie]

Also doesn't the doctor/surgeon guy chew on the pencil that he's been using to poke about inside the Thing they found at the Norwegian base?

That's my own head-canon for how Blair became infected.  When he destroyed the radio equipment, he intrinsically knew that something was wrong within himself; a final, last ditch act of defiance against his inner demon.

I wonder whether the noose he built in MacReady's shack was constructed pre or post his full assimilation?  It could have been a final attempt to end things, prior to the inevitable conclusion of his infection and the resulting loss of self-control.  Only the assimilation kicked in and didn't allow him to carry through with his planned suicide.  Then again, equally, it could have been a chess play by Blair-Thing to appeal to the survivors sympathies.

[St_Eddie]

I still can't work out who was first infected. Possibly Norris, as the shadow has curly hair, I think. Perhaps Palmer.

Palmer, mate.  The shadow is of a slimmer man than Norris.  Of course, there's no correct answer but based upon what's on screen, he's by far the most likely candidate.

Palmer's blood!

Palmer's blood runs away. I don't think they burn it. Is forgotten about that.

Kinda irrelevant.  It would have been destroyed when the last survivors torched the camp.

[NoSleep]

Palmer's blood!

Palmer's blood runs away. I don't think they burn it. Is forgotten about that.

They're not really treating the alien as the infection it is; more concerned about the big aliens that bite.

[A Hat Like That]

As other contenders fall away the thing increasing stands as the best horror film of its kind ever made.


I feel almost obliged to remind people on any thread about the thing that Doctor Who did an incredibly worthy childrens TV version of the same story called the Seeds of Dooms which may well of in fact influenced Carpenters version but is great in its own way regardless.

While Seeds of Doom is one of my all time favourite episodes of Dr Who, it really is a repackaged episode of the Avengers.

There was a run of mid80s remakes of 'classic' horrors. You've got this, the Fly, the Blob, Invaders from Mars.

As 80s era runs of similarly themed films, it knocks Underwater Films With Aliens In (Deep Star Six, Leviathan, The Rift and The Abyss) into a cocked hat.

[ToneLa]

Called in sick today, think I'm coming down with The Thing

[magval]

In relation to whether or not The Thing knows it's The Thing/s - the dog definitely knows. That pooch is on the hunt for trouble.

A moment's appreciation for the shot where he walks down the hall, checking the rooms for victims, pausing with perfect timing, ignoring the camera, then walking out of shot into the final room. One of the best sequences I've ever seen.

[St_Eddie]

A moment's appreciation for the shot where he walks down the hall, checking the rooms for victims, pausing with perfect timing, ignoring the camera, then walking out of shot into the final room. One of the best sequences I've ever seen.

Incredible moment.  That dog was robbed of an Oscar that year.  Robbed!

[NoSleep]

In relation to whether or not The Thing knows it's The Thing/s - the dog definitely knows. That pooch is on the hunt for trouble.

A moment's appreciation for the shot where he walks down the hall, checking the rooms for victims, pausing with perfect timing, ignoring the camera, then walking out of shot into the final room. One of the best sequences I've ever seen.

Not to forget we first see it trying to escape from having been discovered by the Norwegians. If it was unaware of its possession they could have slaughtered it easily.

[St_Eddie]

Not to forget we first see it trying to escape from having been discovered by the Norwegians. If it was unaware of its possession they could have slaughtered it easily.

Indeed.  I don't understand why some folk run with the theory that an assimilated person is unaware that they're a thing.  Aside from anything else, it makes the film infinitely less interesting, watching it with this in mind. There's a reason why MacReady is shown to be playing computer chess at the beginning of the film.  The whole film is one giant chess game between the humans and the things.

[NoSleep]

Indeed.  I don't understand why some folk run with the theory that an assimilated person is unaware that they're infected.

I think both are possible. The Thing can let the host behave as it would normally do or it can influence that behaviour. The only problem with that is the host should have a memory of being invaded (dependent on the violence of said takeover). I think the main thing against the "silent infection" theory is that it would simply win if that was the case, having taken over the entire base before anything could be done about it. As I said, Macready theorises that it tears through your clothing to possess you in his final recording.

[NoSleep]

The other thing is that it obviously acquires and retains the knowledge of all its previous conquests. Presumably it didn't arrive in its own spaceship, but it starts building a replacement ship when the opportunity is afforded. It doesn't just have the knowledge of the last-possessed being. If it's so smart then why not use more stealth?

[St_Eddie]

I think both are possible. The Thing can let the host behave as it would normally do or it can influence that behaviour.

My take on it is that if a person is outright assimilated (à la Bennings), then that thing knows that it's a thing and acts accordingly.  On the other hand, if a person is infected by a single cell (via contaminated food, for example), then there would obviously be a period of time where the infected person would be unaware of the changes occurring within them.

One only need look at Palmer-Thing's facial language right before his blood is tested to see that a fully assimilated person is very cognisant of what they are.  That's the look of a thing saying to itself in resignation 'oh well, here we go'.

...it starts building a replacement ship when the opportunity is afforded.

That's my only real bugbear with the film; it's irrelevant if the thing has knowledge of the technicalities of space travel.  You cannot build a flying saucer from helicopter parts.  No way, no how.

My head canon hand-waves it away, as Blair-Thing building a rocket propelled sled of some kind (with the intention of traveling to the nearest inhabited location in the Antarctic but I'm pretty sure that the filmmakers want us to believe that it's a spacecraft.

[NoSleep]

It was to take it to warmer climes, not outer space. Or even just a distance away from the camp so it can safely become dormant.

[Ferris]

I have seen the 2011 prequel but I cannot remember a single thing about it.

Terrifyingly, this is my experience also. I've seen it (twice?) but couldn't tell you the first thing (ha!) about it. I remember the ending shot and that's literally it.

Have we been assimilated in some way?

Re: The Thing - I saw a 70mm version of it when it was on tour, but QDRPHNC pointed out it was a blow-up not an original 70mm film so that's fucked that. Also, people from CaB have the same discussions IRL as on CaB (though I think I raised the film, probably to get my "70mm" story in).

[St_Eddie]

It was to take it to warmer climes, not outer space.

I expanded on that in my previous post via an edit, prior to reading this.  I maintain that the filmmakers want us to believe that it's a space craft.  Any other explanation is an attempt to sidestep a silly moment in an otherwise impeccable film.

[NoSleep]

My head canon hand-waves it away, as Blair-Thing building a rocket propelled sled of some kind (with the intention of traveling to the nearest inhabited location in the Antarctic but I'm pretty sure that the filmmakers want us to believe that it's a spacecraft.

It simply looks like it's based on the ship it was originally found in; signifying acquired knowledge. Macready pretty much says it obviously isn't a spaceship.

[Kryton]

As for the Thing (2011) the most fucking annoying part is when the Thing is aboard the helicopter, just about to make its way to freedom and suddenly it splargs out and kills everyone on the helicopter and crashes.

Seriously what the fuck was that all about? The Thing should have kept quiet, hidden away inside its host and waited until it got back to fucking New York or wherever the fuck it was going. But no, it just kills itself by revealing itself in a stupid way.

The only good bit I remember from the Thing (2011) was the creation/origin of the double-head Thing and the little nods to the Carpenter version like the axe in the wall. The rest of it either made no sense (oh hey we've got an American in our base now) or was ruined in post-production (they producers actually used prosthetics and goo, but were forced to put CGI effects over the monster, making it look crap).

Also I cannot name a single character from the 2011 version.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Terrifyingly, this is my experience also. I've seen it (twice?) but couldn't tell you the first thing (ha!) about it. I remember the ending shot and that's literally it.

Have we been thinged in some way?

Corrected for technical accuracy.

[Ferris]

Anyone got $450 I can borrow?

https://thelastbestwest.com/shop/cowboy-hats/movie-hats-1970-2000/thing-movie-hat/

[greenman]

The other thing is that it obviously acquires and retains the knowledge of all its previous conquests. Presumably it didn't arrive in its own spaceship, but it starts building a replacement ship when the opportunity is afforded. It doesn't just have the knowledge of the last-possessed being. If it's so smart then why not use more stealth?

I'd say that makes sense since it also retains the ability to transform into previous hosts, we see it directly with the Blair thing and the dog in its side but I'd always taken it to be that a lot of the other transformations aren't just random but actually based on building blocks from extra-terrestrial previous hosts.

My head canon hand-waves it away, as Blair-Thing building a rocket propelled sled of some kind (with the intention of traveling to the nearest inhabited location in the Antarctic but I'm pretty sure that the filmmakers want us to believe that it's a spacecraft.

My head canon would be that its some form of more conventional transport that could be built with more conventional parts but using a more advanced UFO like design the Blair thing has knowledge of. I mean full spacecraft doesn't seem to make as much sense either considering the things intension is played as infecting the entire earth.

I did always like to imagine the Thing as some kind of reaper of civilisations and perhaps the spacecraft we see wasn't some alien explorer who picked it up but rather fleeing the destruction of its own planet only to find the thing stowed away.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

It's just struck me that Kurt Russell's character in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is essentially planning to thing the universe. I wonder if that was a little bit of referential casting or, more likely perhaps, it's just a coincidence and I'm a pretentious tit.

On the subject of puppetry Vs. CGI, I will say that the head-spider in the first film is very crap looking and would definitely look better as CGI. People always talk about CGI creations lacking weight but that's the puppet's problem - those spindly little legs don't remotely look like they're holding up the weight of a human head. Then there's the shot of it running away, in which it's clearly on wheels, with the legs wobbling about comically. "You've gotta be fucking kidding" indeed.

[NoSleep]

I'd say that makes sense since it also retains the ability to transform into previous hosts, we see it directly with the Blair thing and the dog in its side but I'd always taken it to be that a lot of the other transformations aren't just random but actually based on building blocks from extra-terrestrial previous hosts.

I think it is made clear it retains the genetic material of all its previous assimilations right from the start. There's a pretty weird display going on before our eyes in the kennel that is definitely not of this earth (or dogs in particular).

By "knowledge" I meant it acquires not only the physical means of replicating its host but acquires their memory too.

[greenman]

On the subject of puppetry Vs. CGI, I will say that the head-spider in the first film is very crap looking and would definitely look better as CGI. People always talk about CGI creations lacking weight but that's the puppet's problem - those spindly little legs don't remotely look like they're holding up the weight of a human head. Then there's the shot of it running away, in which it's clearly on wheels, with the legs wobbling about comically. "You've gotta be fucking kidding" indeed.

The shot of it moving is definitely one of the films weaker FX moments but the rest looked great to me, still amazes me how good the head dragging itself along looks and indeed it growing legs plus the shot of it peeking out from under the desk.

[St_Eddie]

On the subject of puppetry Vs. CGI, I will say that the head-spider in the first film is very crap looking and would definitely look better as CGI. People always talk about CGI creations lacking weight but that's the puppet's problem - those spindly little legs don't remotely look like they're holding up the weight of a human head. Then there's the shot of it running away, in which it's clearly on wheels, with the legs wobbling about comically. "You've gotta be fucking kidding" indeed.

The comical appearance of the spider-head scuttling away adds to the gag I feel.

[St_Eddie]

I think it is made clear it retains the genetic material of all its previous assimilations right from the start. There's a pretty weird display going on before our eyes in the kennel that is definitely not of this earth (or dogs in particular.

I'll grant you the arms and tentacles but the floweresque mutation which the thing tries to attack with, immediately prior to being roasted by Mac's flamethrower, is actually comprised of several dog tongues and teeth.

[NoSleep]

On the subject of puppetry Vs. CGI, I will say that the head-spider in the first film is very crap looking and would definitely look better as CGI. People always talk about CGI creations lacking weight but that's the puppet's problem - those spindly little legs don't remotely look like they're holding up the weight of a human head. Then there's the shot of it running away, in which it's clearly on wheels, with the legs wobbling about comically. "You've gotta be fucking kidding" indeed.

It's still much better than the chest burster wobbling along a rail in Alien, which got a huge (and inappropriate) laugh when I saw it in the cinema in 1979.

They deflect from any naffness by having the "fucking kidding me" comment at that juncture which got the biggest laugh in the cinema in 1982.

[NoSleep]

I'll grant you the arms and tentacles but the floweresque mutation which the thing tries to attack with, immediately prior to being roasted by Mac's flamethrower, is actually comprised of several dog tongues and teeth.

Precisely. Something unearthly is informing the arrangement.

[greenman]

Re: The Thing - I saw a 70mm version of it when it was on tour, but QDRPHNC pointed out it was a blow-up not an original 70mm film so that's fucked that. Also, people from CaB have the same discussions IRL as on CaB (though I think I raised the film, probably to get my "70mm" story in).

I would imagine there must be some benefit to this though, maybe it makes for clearer projection?