The Thing • The Next Reel

In 1982, John Carpenter's "The Thing" was released but had a tough time competing against other big sci-fi films released at the same time—E.T. the Extra Terrestrial and Blade Runner. It also was viewed by critics as being overly gory and wretched. With time, however, the film has gained a big cult following, big enough to warrant a prequel, a comic book series, a video game and a potential sequel. Now, it's considered by many to be one of the great horror films of all time. Join us—Pete Wright and Andy Nelson—on this week's episode of Rash Pixel's "Movies We Like" (our 50th!) as we start our October horror series with this fantastic film. We talk about why it's one of our favorites and the memories of seeing it for the first time. We chat about the amazing cast and the stellar "thing" designed by FX master Rob Bottin. We talk about Ennio Morricone's music and why this film has gained popularity over time, becoming such a staple in horror, and how that's lead to all of the subsequent spin-offs. It's a marvelous horror film and a great one to start our horror series. Listen in! Oh, and did you know that The Thing is regularly viewed by members of the winter crew down at the Asmundsen-Scott South Pole Station after the last flight out? How fittingly morbid of them... The Next Reel Family of Film Shows:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and Movements | The Film Board | Movies We Like | The Next Reel | Sitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Web | Letterboxd | Flickchart | Instagram | Bluesky | YouTube | DiscordYour Hosts: Andy | PeteMerch Store | Audible