Buckle up! There's a THING on the loose! If you love relentless visual torture, then you'll love this full movie reaction to John Carpenter's The Thing. Thanks for this suggestion y'all ☠️🤣. Never in my life...
The Norwegian guy in the beginning that was shooting at the dog, when he was screaming at them he said “Get the hell away from that thing. That's not a dog, it's some sort of thing! It's imitating a dog, it isn't real! GET AWAY YOU IDIOTS!!"
@@thetimeisninefifteen at least the prequel was changed to a prequel because they said they cant top the first, then they spent months on practical modern effects only to be copied over by some studio exec to say it looked bad ruining what they actually had which really did look good.
@@thetimeisninefifteen How does that spoil it? Anyone who doesn't understand Norwegian would need to have brain damage to not immediately understand that they are trying to warn the Americans that something's fucky with the dog.
I was 15. I begged my mom to take me to see this, the late night show on the last night it was playing in the little one-screen theater in the lake town where we used to summer vacation. There were five other people in the theater with us. After it was over, we all walked out into the empty street (doors wide open, the ticket lady nowhere to be seen), looking nervously at each other as we all headed to our respective cars. My mom, who never was much of a one for horror or science fiction, said as we got in the car, "I think I finally get what you see in these movies of yours. That was perfectly distilled paranoia." One of the best damned movie experiences of my life.
Yep, it is the perfect expression of paranoia and the gore just punctuates the stakes. One thing I love is good vulnerable the creature really is. The stakes are high for it too. So this subterfuge is so important to it's survival. The sequel makes is too lethal to the point that hiding is worthless as it can overtake multiple people efficiently in seconds.
@@AlandaParker And the amount of out right horror in the scenes. No other movie compares to it. Saw it in the theatre when it came out and it still looks great
@@AlandaParker shooting the dog wouldn’t have killed it. The thing would have survived. The thing that size could get shot up like Cleo in set it off and still keep going. Even small pieces of the thing can survive as their own creatures and infect folks
When you watch this again (and you really should) you'll see that Palmer (the weedhead) was a Thing all along. He even outs the "spiderhead" Thing as misdirection. It's also worth noting that the Thing can build a freaking spaceship but never tried to communicate with the humans...
@@chakatBombshell to be fair, at that point there was only 4 people left, so any 3 person group would leave an odd man out. Plus it would really suck to be in a three person group if two of them were Things.
Unfortunately the thing counts on being alone with another person or two so it’s not a matter of just staying together it’s a matter of who or what is with you
@@jt808ful True, and if you're in a group of 3 as the only human, you're pretty screwed. But don't forget, we're talking about right after the blood test, when they HAD enough for 2 two-people teams and they know (or are at least reasonably certain) that no one left standing is infected....except for the guy they haven't tested yet. So knowing the thing likes to get people alone, they opt to...leave one guy alone.
Fun fact: the drink in the computer scene was meant to show what an impulsive hothead MacReady can be, but the computer did in fact cheat by making an illegal move. It was supposed to show right away that everything isnt the way it should be.
He's an impulsive hothead, but he's willing to burn literally everything to the ground rather than take the L. Normally not a nice trait in a person, but in this one narrow instance....
The plot of this movie is genuinely terrifying. To be in that situation. Trapped in the cold, no way to escape, and the people you're trapped with might be a monster. You don't know if this is your friend or an evil alien PRETENDING to be your friend. The book is also pretty scary and goes further in the paranoia and fear. Would you even KNOW if you're an alien yourself? The Thing also takes your memories. How would you know? It's horrifying.
Imagine me, a movie nerd born in the early 80s, and literally nobody told me about this movie until I accidentally found it myself in my mid 30s. Pretty sure my family and friends are imposters
There's a lot to love about 'The Thing." Oh, it's horrifying and grotesque, but the characters aren't stupid. They don't always make the best decisions, but step back and play this as 'real.' From thinking the Norwegian is crazy at first to realizing, "uh ... maybe he wasn't," it's all part of the flow of the story. And yes, the uncertainty at the end is the core of the story. Think about it. You're not sure why they would start shooting at such a seemingly loveable husky. Then the Norwegian seems crazy, although even then you noticed he's not shooting at the people. He IS trying to yell out a warning, but what? And once he's dead, everything slowly goes downhill. Even after the movie is done, there's just the right amount of uncertainty. It's not plot holes, either. Like for instance, exactly when did Blair get taken over? It's pretty clear he was still himself when he was at the computer and saw the prediction that the Earth would be completely consumed in three years if full contact was made. The Thing wouldn't need a computer to tell himself that. However, after that when he sabotaged the vehicles and the radio -- was that really Blair trying to protect the rest of humanity, or was it the Thing sealing off its prey and setting up to be 'rescued.' If the Thing fully infects someone, does it lie dormant and have the thrall run on 'autopilot,' or is it actively communicating with all of its selves? And here's another big one. Was the Thing the crew of the spaceship, or was it something THAT crew picked up? Personally, I suspect the latter. Either way, the questions are many, the answers are few, but ultimately you don't need to know all the answers. The Thing is a threat. Period. After studying its actions, you realize it CAN communicate. It doesn't want to. It's intelligent, but all it wants to do is consume. My personal take on the ending? I think Childs and MacReady are both human. There's tiny bits of the Thing left, but as long as people aren't stupid, humanity can survive. Childs and MacReady are probably going to die, but at least they held off humanity's end, if only for a while. The question isn't if they stopped the Thing for now. The question is will we learn and be ready? After all, we don't know if there's only one Thing. Sure, space can be huge, but ... welll ... what if? One final comment. How ironic that a creature so powerful realizes it, too, is vulnerable if people keep their individuality, yet stand together. Even when there were only four of them, it hid. Something to consider, indeed.
Macready is the only one who is human. Watch the last scene again. Child's does not have any air moisture when he is breathing outside in below freezing temperatures. Macready is the only one whose breath is showing when they are talking.
@@curiousq14 Oh, I have watched the last scene again. I'll even point out a few things for you. "Childs' coat was blue and now it's white!" True. However, he's been outside in an unforgiving Antarctic snowstorm for over an hour. Other people coats also turned white due to the weather. "MacReady's coat changed!" Also true. However, he had survived that massive explosion and had his coat (and many other things) burned. "Childs' drank from the bottle! It was a Molotov cocktail!" He drank from the bottle all right, and even to date, that's a theory. John Carpenter rather smugly refuses to answer that one because other people have pointed out how much MacReady drank. He had stashes all over the place. You're going to try to tell me a guy like MacReady who knows he's about to die like that wouldn't get blitz-drunk first? I wouldn't, but I'm me, not MacReady. "Childs' breathe wasn't there!" Admittedly, I think the ambiguity is there on purpose, but other have pointed out it wasn't special effects. Such special effects were nearly impossible back then. Notice how close he is to a fire right behind him. It was shot in -30 degree weather, but also next to intense chemical fires. What you see is natural. From what I've gathered, John Carpenter was shown that in the editing room. He blinked at first, but then gave a devious smile. He told them to keep it and also told them never to ask why. Summary: am I saying you are wrong? No. However, you have to understand until there is concrete proof, that this specific explanation and all other explanations are theories, not fact. We don't know. We are uncertain. We'll probably never get all the answers. And that's the core element of "The Thing." Childs is a Thing has been a popular theory, and one even the actor himself endorsed. I've thought the same myself. There's also a theory that MacReady is a Thing, or that BOTH are Things. I flatly disagree with the last one. However, that's the fascinating thing about John Carpenter's "The Thing." Unlike a lot of movies that claim they are open for interpretation, while the story of "The Thing" is rather clear-cut, there is STILL room for a lot of interpretation. I'll end this instead of a potentially fun question. Who was the first to be assimilated? What proof do you have? I have my theory, but again, they're my theories. Enjoy.
@@gryffen9608 Carpenter himself already dismissed that whole "Childs drinking from the bottle" theory. For the life of me I can't remember where I saw it exactly but years ago I saw an interview where he was asked about it and he just snorted and rolled his eyes.
@@kurtrivero368 Yes, exactly. I mean, it IS possible Childs or MacReady could be a Thing, but we don't know. We'll never be certain. While there are many stories that claim to spark debates, this one certainly does. Nearly 40 years later, and we're still debating if Childs is really Childs or not. Good journeys to you, Kurt.
@@curiousq14 If you watch the Blu Ray, Childs's breath can clearly be seen at a couple of moments - it's the unfortunately backlighting that was the issue there.
@@AlandaParker Thank you! My neighbors were wondering, what the fuck I was laughing at at four in the morning? Just finished watching The Arrival video too. You're too much! The smartest reaction videos I've seen yet.
I really liked the on-point reactions. Why would you be alone? Survive? Uh, ya don't (paraphrasing). Y'all are done. She got it. One of the reasons this movie is so terrifying and holds up is the tension and suspense...paranoia and seeing them realize the futility of 'winning'. Your comments were spot on throughout even this abbreviated take.
Apparently the practical effects team for this movie was working almost non-stop, without sleep, for weeks on end in order to create and perfect the creatures in this story. But it really shows; almost every grotesque effect still looks great all these decades later. :)
The way in which the ending is to be interpreted is one of the most debated in sci-fi horror. Some people think Childs was a Thing because he was off camera too long. Some people think MacReady was a Thing because he gave Childs the bottle. Some people think Childs was a Thing because we didn’t see the fog of his breath in the cold. Also one theory is that MacReady’s whiskey bottle had gasoline or kerosene in it. So when MacReady saw Childs drink it without flinching he knew Childs had been turned.
@@Heegaherger Agreed. I read the novelization of the book and it wasn't as vague. No spoilers. But I've often thought that once the Thing absorbs a person, their personality is also consumed and runs like a simulation. So you may not even realize you are a Thing until the alien intelligence underneath wants to attack or take over
@@technopirate304 I have seen the theory vids as why each one of them, for various reasons, are the Thing. I love the vagueness of the situation and I don't want there to be a resolution.
Fun fact, this movie is based on an John Campbell novella called "Who Goes There?". The original story was just as intense and paranoia-inducing, and John Carpenter did a BEYOND excellent job at translating that terror and tenseness into this movie.
When I was 15 years old I worked at a grocery store on Saturdays. One Saturday I was sitting at the bus stop after a shift and my Dad's car pulled up with my whole family in it. "We're going to the drive-in" my dad said, and it was to see "The Thing". My favourite movie of all all time
I read the John W. Campbell, Jr. short story this is based on, "Who Goes There?", in late elementary school or middle school (I was a precocious reader). I then saw The Thing when it came out on cable, which is very faithful to the short story. Subsequent re-reads of the short story have reinforced what I remember from the first time around: it's a surprisingly non-dated and fresh read. The best thing I have heard is that down in one of the Antarctic research bases, they get together in a community room and watch The Thing on the first day of winter every year, marking the beginning of the period when they'll be beyond rescue for six months or whatever it is.
When you said you “I don’t watch a lot of horror” I was like....Guuurl you’re in for a ride! Haha, Carpenter is a master of the genre! Thanks for another amazing reaction and keep em coming, I love them! You’re the best!
This is probably the greatest practical effects movie ever done. Seen this in theater when it premiered, and is to date, one of the most fun movie theater experiences I've ever had. The whole theater was "you" during the movie. None of us had ever seen anything like it! That scene where his chest opens and bit off the drs arms, it's seared into brain. I mean, it fucked me up on some primal level lol Best dog actor in any movie. When we get to "Clark, put that mutt with the others"....I'm like "Ooooo heeere we go" lol It really is one of the very best "reaction" movies! Luv ya Alanda 💛🌻 Thanks :) Edit: Please add Dog Soldiers to your list 🙏 For something outside of horror I recommend Meet Joe Black (Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt)
It was such a ride! I mean I NEVER 🤣 👏🏾 ☠️. You are so right about that dog! And Thank you!! 🥰 I'll check out Dog Soldiers! and Meet Joe Black (an outside of horror suggestion sounds great right about now lol)
@@AlandaParker please react to An American Werewolf In London (1981) It's the ultimate werewolf movie. RoboCop (1987) one of the most violent sci fi action you'll ever see but it's a great movie & one of the best satires of all time. The Untouchables (1987) my favorite 80s crime movie. It takes place in 1930s Chicago with Al Capone, prohibition, & plenty of violence. The Blues Brothers (1980) my favorite 80s comedy. It's directed by the same guy who would go on to direct American Werewolf In London.
Including the "tied to this fucking couch" scene automatically qualifies you as someone who knows what's up. Great reaction, even though this was obviously not in your wheelhouse - and hey, I guess great horror is meant to make us uncomfortable, so in that regard, mission accomplished, The Thing!
One of my favorite shots is when the dog is glaring up at Macready. As if it's thinking "This one will be a problem. He will not willingly join us, nor will he let us escape this frozen wasteland."
Love how this story gets going and no-one in the film / movie wonders how a dog knows where the next Antarctic base is... Or how the radios stopped working when the Norwegians found the ship...
I'm glad I have finally seen someone else laugh when they're tied to the couch and dude starts turning. Is there a word that means terrifying and hilarious?
honestly so horrific I had to laugh. Also exactly why I'd probably just accept death in that situation. I'd be so busy panic laughing I'd be Thing-ed immediately 🤣
Thumbs up for the giggle at "it's weird and pissed off". Most reviewers miss that. Plus the laugh at "not spending the winter tied to this f-ing couch". Thank you for catching BOTH of those!!!
@@tekay44 shoot it might not have done anything except get it to change to defend itself and start just attacking anything near it which coulda meant all of them getting assimilated sooner
Good thing she didn't understand Norwegian or the guy at the beginning would've given away the twist! No joke, the Norwegian guy says "Get the hell away from that thing. That's not a dog, it's some sort of thing! It's imitating a dog, it isn't real! GET AWAY YOU IDIOTS!!"😆😆😆
@@TheDUDERulez1 On another channel that reacted to this movie, several people said that's a myth; and that it's John Carpenter (who played the Norwegian) speaking gibberish. It's supposedly in the discussion on the DVD/Blueray
FYI: Something is happening in Antarctica. Plenty of jobs down there if you want one. But The Thing may be viewed as an orientation seminar to watch before you sign up.
That was really fun. The practical effects always gets rightfully lauded, but the suspense, paranoia and the ideas behind it all is what makes The Thing a horror classic.
I always find it funny how people watching scary movies always think they'd handle the situation better, when in all probability they'd be just as freaked out and panicked as the characters. Where I work, we've had multiple active shooter survival seminars, and they always stress that most people shot in mass shootings aren't killed fighting or running, but just frozen to the spot in terror. I think this film captured what it would actually be like quite well. It's also funny that in every reaction for The Thing I've seen, people think that going to the Norwegian base will be what unleashes the threat, when it's already back at the base chilling under a table and suspected by no one.
When you said " He is wearing your face like a dish glove." I just about died laughing 😂🤣😂🤣 subscribed. You should give Termors a go it is horror with comedy . It stars Kevin Bacon.
This was inspired by a short novel originally called FROZEN HELL later edited and first published as WHO GOES THERE? by John Campbell writing as Don A. Stuart. Howard Hawks made a movie in the 1950s inspired by it called THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD that was released in 1951 (I was 1 year old)---I saw in 1960( and we thought THAT was scary even though it left out the whole shape shifting subplot and just had a regular monster played by James Arness of GUNSMOKE fame,
If you wish to know more, Ms. Parker, read the Wikipedia article, it's pretty cool. This movie is why some films are called iconic. It's a masterpiece. No CGI, all practical effects, flawless acting and it violated a number of genre tropes. It's a remake of a fifties film, ''The Thing From Another World'', in which James Arness, ''Matt Dillon'' in the TV western series, ''Gunsmoke'' played the creature. Although Carpenter's work is more faithful to the source material, the original film adaptation still packs a punch.
There are many theories about whether Childs or Mac is an alien in the end scene, but in a Q&A someone asked John Carpenter if Childs was an alien at the end, and Carpenter answered that he knew Mac was an alien but don't know about Childs. That brought the Q&A grinding to a halt because everybody kept asking him for more details and didn't want to talk about anything else. Carpenter finally said "I was just kidding. I don't know who's an alien at the end. Nobody does. That's the whole point of the movie." However, Carpenter also endorsed the PS2 "The Thing" sequel video game as canon. In that game, you discover Childs' dead body and find that he was human and die of hypothermia, and at the end of the game Mac shows up and saves your life. 23:11 Clark was not an innocent man at all. Clark was a man attempting to stab Mac from behind with a scalpel. That's assault with intent to kill, so shooting him was a clear cut case of self defense.
aw damn! 😂 I mean it's true neither of them was innocent but Mac was tying people up and taking charge like he was the only non-thing when he was actually one of the most likely thing-suspects 😂 Everybody shoulda just killed themselves.
You: "I don't watch a lot of horror, I'm too empathetic a viewer." Me: Ohhh, Ms. Parker here is in for an _experience._ Let's just say you're going to have an... interesting time when you get around to Event Horizon.
Props to you, Alanda for calling the dog a malamute! The actor dog's name was "Jed", and he was part wolf also. Easily one of the best animal actors of all time. It was reported that Jed hit all his marks in one take, including the "walk down the hallway and listen to the door before continuing" scene. RIP sweet boy.
You are the exact reason why watching a “Reaction Video” is so enjoyable. Having seen this movie for the first time so many years ago I forget how i reacted to it. I can only watch in reverence to this movie’s continued brilliance, and your spot on, emotional, expressive reaction makes me relive what I might have felt when I first saw out. I can only imagine John Carpenter himself watching you react to his movie and thinking :”That’s exactly how I want my audience to react.” Well done, Alanda. Very enjoyable watching this with you.
If you were disturbed by this film, a more disturbing Carpenter film is, "Prince of Darkness." It's an intellectual horror film. Not overtly grotesque, but it will leave you with an uneasiness. To this day I have not been able to decipher the transmissions.
Sorry,i disagree. Is " The mouth of the madness ", than "Prince of darkness" for me. But Carpenter said this movies and The Thing make a set, he call this set: the apocalypse trilogy.
You are one of, if not the best in the reaction genre. I've seen 20-30 different channels & I'm very impressed by your total content. Intelligent, meaningful, coherent, articulate, funny & real. Great PIP placement, levels, editing, minimal but poignant commentary & a natural sense for when to speak & when to not. Honestly, I think you should be a writer (comedy, talk shows, series). Tough life but opens many a door. Keep it up!
Real talk, this is my favorite horror film. The paranoia, the creepy & ominous music, the mysterious motives of the Thing, the isolation, Kurt Russell's awesome beard. The list goes on.
Great reaction! I could tell this was not an easy one for you but you picked up the nuances of this classic. I appreciate it when somebody can get into a classic like this.
I'm so old, I really liked the original 1951 version (Full title: The Thing From Another World) directed by Howard Hawks) Looks quite campy now, but scared the @#%& out of me when I first saw it.
@@AlandaParker Both films are based on Who Goes There, a 1938 novella by John W. Campbell, and the 1982 version hewes closer to the text. But John Carpenter made his version because he was a fan of the 1951 film.
They actually made a Prequel (which is also called "THE THING") to this Movie back in 2011 (VERY VERY Long Post below). It also takes place in Antarctica in 1982 and 3 Days before the events of the John Carpenter Movie. It is the story of what happened at the Norwegian Base (the base where the Dog-Thing came from). The Prequel is also rated "R" and it stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton. You should check the Prequel out whenever you have the chance. I think that it is Pretty Good although MOST DEFINITELY not anywhere even close to being as good as the John Carpenter Movie (the 2011 Prequel does have a lot of flaws). The Prequel does have a lot of Really Bad CGI in it. The people who made the Prequel did originally do Practical Effects in it however, after filming was completed and it went into Post-Production, The Studio watched the Movie and for some reason, they did not like the Practical Effects in it and so very very late into Post-Production, The Studio hired the guys who did the CGI for the Movie "DISTRICT 9" to come in and (at the last minute) cover over a majority of the Practical Effects with CGI. The fact that it was done so late into Post-Production is 1 of the Main Reasons why I think the CGI looks Really Bad. The Worst part about that story though is the fact that the guys who did the Practical Effects (Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr.) in the Prequel never found out that a majority of they're work had been covered over with CGI until they actually saw the Prequel at it's Premiere. Still though, I myself still like the Prequel and think it is Pretty Good and if that sort of thing (Really Bad CGI) is not something that bothers you then you should check the Prequel out whenever you have the chance.
@@AlandaParker I agree that the prequel was pretty good. You get to see what happened at the other base and why they were chasing the dog. They had a completely different method for how to determine who was infected
@@AlandaParker if you read comics at all or are interested, there are comics that continue the story of the John carpenter film and also a comic that’s a prequel to the prequel film involving Vikings taking on the thing
When you said you don't really do horror then stayed after the dog kennel scene I was like, "You're alright. Wish there were more chill people like you.
This movie is such a masterpiece. I you love it then you should definitely check Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) and Alien (1979). Both inspired The Thing in some moments
It was from this movie that I learned Antarctic research teams are mostly made up of non-scientists who have plenty of dynamite, guns, and flamethrowers
1. Huskies are used heavily in the Artic/Antarctic regions because they're working animals. 2. The Norwegian killed himself so he wouldn't become The Thing. 3. You have the best reaction of anybody I've seen so far. 4. The noose is because Blair wants everyone to think he wants to kill himself. 5. Mac was defending himself because Clark was attacking him with a knife. Not murder. 6. For me the weirdest part is when Blair is pulling Gary by his face. 7. Something unsettling is that we didn't see Childs for awhile before the ending. When Mac and Childs were talking Childs didn't have breath in a freezing environment but we did see Mac's breath. 8. Two great first time/shares with Russel are: Escape from New York and Tango and Cash.
I've seen this amazing movie so many times, it's so well made. Watching it with Alanda, Natalie Gold, and Devin G, it's like taking friends to a theme park for the first time. These reactions are precious. Great to see them be so impacted by the work of the director, actors, PAs, cinematographer, composer, grips, everyone who put in effort. This sparks joy, y'all. To all my people in production: know that Alanda and others like her really truly appreciate your work. THIS is why creatives are passionate about their work. YEARS after the release. Keep it up Alanda Parker, you're the reason these great works get made with so much effort and attention to detail. : D
‘Ive never seen Halloween I don’t watch much horror’ wow you really pulled a 360 this past year I’m so proud , you’re officially a little horror buff 🤗😂
"That Norwegian ain't lookin so crazy now..." You stepped in it good watching this one. I love watching reactions or in-person where someone is a noob with a great movie, & you can shepherd them or laugh or both. They Live, Idiocracy, American Werewolf in London, Buckaroo Banzai, Videodrome. I got a million more.
Wow...remember watching this when I was 8....didn't watch this film again for over three decades.....your reaction was very understandable. Kind of wonder what would win....'The Thing' Vs the protomolecule from the Expanse....that'd be interesting.... Very cool video Alanda..thank you. :)
