The Thing
HD DVD Title: John Carpenter’s The Thing Rated: R Screen format: 1080P 2.35:1 (Box incorrectly notes 1.85:1) Studio: Universal First theatrical release: June 25, 1982 Previously released on DVD/BluRay: Multiple, including anamorphic (Oct. 2004) and non anamorphic (1998) widescreen special editions Director: John Carpenter Starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, Richard Masur Sound Formats: English Dolby Digital Plus 5.1; French DD 2.0 Length: 1 hour 49 minutes Subtitles: English, Spanish, French |
Plot: 5/5
In John Carpenter’s The Thing, Kurt Russell stars as R.J ‘Mac’ MacReady, a helicopter pilot for an Antarctic team whose solitary and cold existence is turned haywire when a neighboring Norwegian expedition goes crazy, crashing their helicopter while in hot pursuit of a sled dog, apparently trying to kill it before it reaches the American camp. In trying to piece what the Norwegians were up to, they discover that a huge flying saucer has crashed nearby and has been trapped under the ice for thousands of years. Now that the craft’s been excavated, its pilot has made his escape. The Thing is like no creature seen on Earth, it operates by killing a living creature and then taking its form. The dog the Norwegians were desperate to kill was The Thing, and it is now in the American camp, and it has begun to pick the crew off one by one. Mac and his team come to realize that any one of them could now be the creature, and if they aren’t already then they are in line to be its next target. Once they are all gone, perhaps it has plans to make it out to the rest of the world, or perhaps it will lay in waiting again, dormant until a rescue mission comes in the spring, after all it has already waited millennia to spring this trap... They must kill The Thing before it kills them, mankind depends on it!
It should be noted that The Thing is a re-imagining of 1952’s The Thing from Another World, which was in turn based on ‘Who Goes There?’ a short story by John W. Campbell. While the paranoia and solitude of the original remains, the political overtones are mostly missing, and what remains has become a cult favorite in the gore and science fiction genres. The Thing is perhaps one of the slickest examples of prosthetic, animatronics and miniature effects ever created, and it is likely that if this movie were remade today such low tech but effective solutions would be replaced by digital wizardry.
Sound Quality: 4/5
The DD Plus soundtrack here features a great surround mix that puts environmental sounds to all corners, and mixes in Ennio Morricone’s subtle but chilling theme to good effect. Particularly good are the panning effects used when the helicopter is buzzing the camp, the sounds the creature makes when taking over new hosts, and the chaos created when the team is running from encounters with the Thing. The bass end of things isn’t all that notable, but remember this is a circa 1982 film, and in the sequences when the bass kicks in, it is used effectively but not mind blowing. I have not compared this versions audio to my DVD copy, but it would not surprise me if the mixes are nearly identical, with the added bandwith of DD Plus giving this one a minor advantage.
Visual Quality: 4/5
I bought the original The Thing on DVD and was somewhat disappointed in that it was non-anamorphic, and it somehow escaped me that it was re-released with a new anamorphic transfer in ’04, but I probably wouldn’t have upgraded just for that. Getting this movie in HD is a huge treat for me as a fan of the film, and I am happy to say that this version is truly great looking. The blueish-white snowscapes are pixel perfect here (seriously you can pick out individual flakes!), the sharpness is dead on, grain (where apparent) is a byproduct of the film-stock used and is not excessive, and most impressive is that the effects hold up admirably with the increase in resolution. Speaking of this film’s age, the one area where you immediately recognize its timeframe is the use of a classic computer playing chess (voiced by Adrienne Barbeau). If it wasn’t for that little link, the image looks almost good enough that you wouldn’t guess that it’s going on 25 years old! Unlike some recent Universal transfers, there are no pops or crackles in the transfer, it has been cleaned up admirably and is without a doubt the best this film has looked at home, and probably looks better than what most people experienced in the theaters when they first saw it.
Extra Features: 3/5
The extras are a direct dump of the extras found on the prior two DVD releases, and are in standard definition. Among them, the 80 minute long ‘Terror Takes Shape’ is the most noteworthy, as features great behind the scenes information about the development and premiere of the film, including extensive cast and crew interviews. The interviews with creature effects creator Rob Bottin and special effects whiz Albert Whitlock are definitely worth the time for fans of the film or effects in general. Other extras include a feature commentary with Russell and Carpenter (which I listened to in full on prior releases, and I recall it being very funny), outtakes which were mostly forgettable with the exception of one from the final sequence with Keith David, Storyboards, a photo collection and several smaller behind the scenes text boxes. Overall it’s a nice little collection and since this version doesn’t come tagged as a special edition you can’t really ding it too hard, but it makes me wonder if a much bigger edition awaits us in 2007 for the film’s 25th anniversary.
Overall: 4/5 (not an average)
This is just the kind of release we have come to expect as HD DVD grows: classic film with a heavy fan base, great looking transfer, identical sound or better than previous DVD releases, and a shovel full of previous special edition content slapped on for good measure. We can continue to hope for new HD extras, but for the most part this edition lives up to the ‘Look and Sound of Perfect’ Moniker that graces the box. If you haven’t seen The Thing before, you will be as pleased with the audio and video presentation as you will be with the gripping story and the splattery effects. If you have seen The Thing before, you will be impressed with the new transfer and probably feel a little gypped on the extras. Recommended.
