The Thing remastered dvd: any reviews? (1 Viewer)

[RudolphT]

There are worse RoadRunner alien zombie on space train movies

I have seen the EncoreHD (not properly formated) Thing recently, still looking forward to disk.

Tim

 

[Chris Tedesco]

I agree, let's get back on topic!

Where were we? Oh yeah, The Thing. Is HTF going to do an official review of it?

 

[Michael_Ruepsch]

Does the disc contain English subtitles or CC only?

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

English, Spanish and French subtitles are included as before and are still presented underneath, or near the character speaking, not just in the centre of the screen. They are still white with black border.

The transfer is stunning. The encoding is also much better than before with an avergage of around 6.2mbps with more detailed shots being bumped up to around 7-9mbps. The digital clean-up is most welcome, as the previous transfer had some grotty frames and the end of each reel. Overall, the transfer is smooth, sharp and clean. It just goes to show how DVD mastering standards have changed for the better over the last seven years.

It is annoying that the 84-minute documentary now doesn't have chapter breaks.

I can understand why the isolated score has been dropped. Money will be lost. Fair enough. But, uh... the score isn't on CD. It's been deleted for years now. A deluxe remastered edition is now deserved with all the unused tracks.

 

[Edward Schatz]

I tried my favorite book sellers and I also tried looking for a great buy but no one wants to break street date around here. Bummer :frowning:

 

[Randy A Salas]

It came out Tuesday, so no one should be breaking street date at this point. It should be widely available.

 

[Matt Stone]

Uh...no it didn't. It comes out on October 26th.

 

[Randy A Salas]

Well, heck, you're right. Never mind then.

 

[Chris Tedesco]

Where are all the reviews? I'm a little suprised that this title is almost out and I haven't seen any official reviews from any site. Has anybody seen any?

 

[Colin Jacobson]

We can't review what we don't have! AFAIK, Uni hasn't sent out screeners of this. I'm still pestering them and hope to get a copy one of these years...

 

[Mark_TS]

come Tuesday-we'll be doing our own reviews

 

[Chet_F]

Picked up a copy today. I agree with everyone else. The detail is great. Blacks are solid. I didn't see any blemishes on the print. Well there was a strange grew spot during one of the helicopter scenes. The helicopter comes in from the right and you can see the grey spot in the center moving to the right. That's all though. Damn creepy movie to say the least. First time I've seen the whole movie. I've seen the TV Version but that didn't have all of the gore. I love the case but I seem to be the minority. The hub is a pain to get the disc out though.

 

[JeremySt]

The tv version is an abomination... it does a whole lot more than edit out the gore, they add a stilted narration, and chop entire scenes to save time. I have it recorded, if only to laugh at its sheer incompotence. I pity anyone who sees it for the first time that way.

 

[Jordan_E]

The TV opening for THE THING is laughable, similar to the TV opening for PRINCE OF DARKNESS. Of course, we are SO dumb that we need everything and everyone laid out for us to understand before the movie gets going!:rolleyes

 

[Jimmy Nugent]

I watched my copy this weekend and noticed an anomoly in the transfer. I first took notice of it when McCready is asking Clark about the dog right after all hell breaks loose in the kennel. There is a subtle but perceptible pulsing of green throughout the image. From that point on, this bothered me to the point of distraction, making it hard to get taken in by the film. Has anyone else noticed this?

Jimmy

 

[Mick Wright]

The tv version also has a bullshit prologue that destroys the film's glorious open ending. I was only nine when the film came out and my fascist parents wouldn't let me see it, so the tv version was the first one I saw. My dad made the experience worse by watching along with me and saying things like, "wow, they cut out the best part", and "I can't believe they cut that out, the story makes no sense now". When I finally saw the real version on the 1998 dvd, it was a revelation.

Edit: Ebert has linked to his original (somewhat negative) review on his main page. I loved this part:

"THING depends on its special effects, which are among the most elaborate, nauseating, and horrifying sights yet achieved by Hollywood's new generation of visual magicians. There are times when we seem to be sticking our heads right down into the bloody, stinking maw of the unknown, as the Thing transforms itself into creatures with the body parts of dogs, men, lobsters, and spiders, all wrapped up in gooey intestines.
THE THING is a great barf-bag movie, all right, but is it any good?"

 

[Jordan_E]

Last night, on AMC's 20 horror movie thing (no pun intended), John Carpenter was interviewed about THE THING and said most negative reviews were due to the fact that he put the monster right out there in our faces, unlike movies that try to hide the monster, and that Ebert review seems to back Carpenter. I saw THE THING at a sneak before it's initial wide release and made sure to go back with buddies and watch them jump at certain scenes! Great movie and can't wait to pick up the new DVD tomorrow!

 

[Jeremy Anderson]

Just curious... Got mine today. There's a pocket for an insert in mine, but nothing in it. Was there a booklet or something that was supposed to be in the case or did they just put an empty pocket there for some reason?

 

[Felix Martinez]

Love this film....

While not perfect, it's damn effective in setting up a killer mood. And the FX are fantastic. But really...would you lug a still bleeding, steaming mass of flesh back to the base camp...? And I love Wilford Brimley as Dr. Blair pointing and practically poking at the mass with the eraser-tip of his pencil and then thoughtfully touching his lips with it...yeech!

T.K. Carter's lines of "Bwana" always seemed a bit racist to me - or at least as if Bill Lancaster was writing that character specifically for an African-American actor, and David Clennon's character, Palmer, seemed to be evoking the great Harry Dean Stanton from Alien.

It's great to see this film in anamorphic widescreen on a big home theater screen - it looks fantastic!

 

[Michael Elliott]

There was no insert in my copy. I watched the film the other night and thought the V/A was A LOT better. Especially the audio because the rears speakers get a lot more action on this disc. The transfer also appeared to have been cleaned up and I didn't notice any green tint.

After HALLOWEEN all of Carpenter's films got bad reviews from critics and fans. It seems most of these films got their respect at least 10 years after they were made.