TSL Quick Look: John Carpenter’s ‘The Thing’

Title: The Thing

Genre: Sci-Fi; Horror; Mystery

Director: John Carpenter

Screenplay: Bill Lancaster

Story: John W. Campbell Jr.

Trailer

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ouZkkIsLiNg

Our Thoughts: Once Carpenter was attached to this project it definitely took a turn for the better. The reason is cinematography. Carpenter’s true talent is generating high tension via angles both INT. and EXT. His exterior placements are so well done because he, unlike the majority of other Horror directors, enjoys using space. Example: All of the Michael Myers street/neighborhood shots use space to their advantage. The most memorable and nerveracking being where Laurie sees Michael standing beside the bushes as she’s walking towards him, and then he vanishes. That outweighs aggressive blood and gore any day. Carpenter, though, switches to his INT. talents in The Thing by creating a sense of serious claustrophobia that is unnverving. All we can think about is “we. want. out.”

Extra: Cool, vintage / fan created poster