Das Ding aus einer anderen Welt

Vielleicht bin ich überempfindlich, wenn es in Filmen um genetische Verwandlungen von Menschen geht. Als ich Das Ding aus einer anderen Welt zum ersten Mal gesehen habe, in der 8. Klasse, konnte ich die ganze Nacht nicht schlafen. Ich habe so geschwitzt, als hätte ich Fieber. Es war ein fürchterliches Erlebnis. Ich habe geschworen, dass ich mir nie wieder einen Horrorfilm anschauen werde. Auch dieses intensive Erlebnis hat dazu geführt, dass Horrorfilme später zu meinem Lieblingsgenre wurden. Das Ding aus einer anderen Welt hat eine einzigartige Atmosphäre der Isolation und Hoffnungslosigkeit, die perfekt von Morricones düsterer Musik, den zeitlosen Spezialeffekten und dem herrlich düsteren und pessimistischen Finale unterstützt wird. Es ist ein Horrorfilm mit einer präzisen Steigerung, der Ihnen allmählich die Schlinge am Hals zuzieht. Von der ersten bis zur letzten Sekunde ist es eine existenzielle Depression, ergänzt durch unglaublich grauenhafte Horror-Szenen. (04.06.2002)

A horrifying parade of disgusting special effects with bodies disintegrating and mutating into hideous slimy creatures, the human head with spider legs is very cool. The chilling atmosphere of hopelessness and isolation perfectly underscores everything. We can only thank Carpenter for his bold directorial concept and the distribution company for having the courage to put this into wide distribution in its time. (07.07.2002)

The story is about a group of American scientists at a research station in Antarctica fighting against an extraterrestrial creature that can take human form. The film’s biggest strength is its superb atmosphere, which relies on the ubiquitous tension and mistrust among the main characters, and it’s amplified by the endless ice plains. But the “beautiful” creature effects are not very far behind and even the orthodox fans of bloody horror will get their fill. The Thing is hands down one of John Carpenter’s best films. (30.08.2007)

I'll admit this one got me. As always, great atmosphere (I managed to nibble on the Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film while watching it), decent Morricone music, a pretty good Kurt Russell, really good visual effects for its time and above all a brilliant ending. I love this movie! (14.10.2002)

Ich mag Horror als Genre nicht, aber Survival-Horrorfilme sind eine ehrenwerte Ausnahme. Und The Thing ist ein nahezu perfekter Vertreter davon, denn abgesehen von den abstoßenden "Gore"-Szenen enthält er etwas viel Wirkungsvolleres - ein Spiel mit der Psychologie des Zuschauers. Das Prinzip, eine Gruppe von Figuren an einem isolierten Ort (in diesem Fall die weißen Ebenen der Antarktis) zu platzieren, ihnen die Flucht unmöglich zu machen (in diesem Fall durch einen gewaltigen Sturm) und sie einem Feind auszusetzen, der sich in jedem von ihnen verstecken könnte, ist ein altbewährtes Prinzip, aber nirgendwo funktioniert es so perfekt wie in The Thing. Das minimalistische Drehbuch lenkt die Aufmerksamkeit auf die raue Atmosphäre, der Text der Figuren ist eher zielgerichtet, alles Wichtige wird gesehen und vor allem GEFÜHLT. The Thing hat etwas fast physisch Greifbares, die Angst wird nicht durch die Künstlichkeit von Requisiten, sondern durch reale Erfahrung spürbar. Als the Thing auftaucht, ist man fast ein wenig erleichtert... Wirkliche Angst ist Unwissenheit, Unsicherheit. Kurzum: so stelle ich mir einen perfekten Horrorfilm über das Überleben unter extremen Bedingungen vor. Und die Atmosphäre in der Polarstation ist so einzigartig, dass The Thing wahrscheinlich nicht zu übertreffen ist. (27.01.2004)

They’re not who they are... Thanks to the tense atmosphere and awesome psychological aspect, this is on its way to being perfect. But unfortunately Carpenter pulls the “monsters" out of his sleeve too early. I would have preferred just a sense of unseen evil, especially when the monsters turn out to be unfrightening stuffed toys. The scenes that get by without them and rely purely on atmosphere and actors (or dogs) get full marks. If it had lasted out longer without those DNA blood clots, then... But enough ifs (but if somebody were interested how awesome it could have been, take a look at an episode from season one of The X-Files titled Ice which pays tribute to The Thing). But I still, I’d really like to see a prequel of this, showing the events at the Norwegian base. So, just watch this movie, it’s the right Thing to do… (09.04.2005)

In my opinion, this is the best film by John Carpenter, who managed to extract the maximum out of the B-movie concept and, thanks to his excellent and imaginative direction, created a lasting cult film in the horror genre. The film is based on John W. Campbell's short story "Who Goes There?" from the classic golden era of American science fiction, and although it is often rumored that the film is usually weaker than the book, Carpenter knocked out Campbell. By the way, it is a remake, as the first film version was already made in 1951. While in the story, the creature takes on the form of a classic alien from space, Carpenter works with hints and combines solutions to scientific problems while creating a paranoid atmosphere of distrust and horror, where nobody knows if the person in front of them is really who they claim to be. Excellent camera work and music, very decent special effects shots for its time, but above all, a screenplay that maintains tension until the last second. The whole film builds up to a chilling, depressing, and completely hopeless ending. It was a very helpful role for Kurt Russell. It is also noteworthy that at the time, the film was coldly received not only by critics but also by the audience, and then it slowly gained recognition among film fans before becoming a classic. Carpenter managed to create a more emotional work with minimal resources than Scott did with a huge budget and the support of an influential film studio in Alien. Overall impression: 95%. (29.11.2007)

I had chills running down my spine throughout this outstanding horror sci-fi. Carpenter’s style is put to ample use here and the B-movie make-up suddenly looks darn convincing. The subject is excellent and has great potential in itself, maybe slightly B-movie, but high quality. The atmosphere of anticipation, distrust and secrecy grows by the minute. Kurt Russell gave perhaps his best ever performance in The Thing, and when I think about it, Carpenter did too. The carefully build up in atmosphere in combination with Morricone’s music creates an amazing experience making for a rather sleepless night ;). (31.12.2006)

Carpenter's The Thing is, without question, the scariest sci-fi horror film of all time. An orgiastic atmospheric experience that cuts deep into your nervous system from the very opening moments, in an oppressive and bleak setting, with a cold and unbearably depressing directorial rhythm and accompanied by a chilling soundtrack or physically disgusting (or cinematically beautiful) gore effects, only to place a devastating charge at the end and scatter even the last vestige of hope and light. A brilliant, incredibly compact film that never wavers, even with a single shot or spoken line, from its predetermined, most beautiful and purest imaginable genre path... One of those very few films I really never get tired of. 100% (30.04.2011)

This is my idea of a quality horror film. Carpenter created an extremely intense atmosphere. The script works like Swiss clockwork from the first moment until the end credits. I first saw The Thing as a school kid on a second-hand VHS tape. The quality of the sound and image corresponded to a copy of an eleventh copy of the tape, but it lost none of its power. I have seen it many times since, and it’s a powerful experience for me every single time. One of my favorite scenes is definitely the testing of blood with a hot wire. My review in three words: cult, classic, awesome. (16.07.2016)

A flop in its day, it was savaged by critics for its overabundance of disgusting effects. Now one of the most acclaimed modern horror films. The Thing is far more sophisticated than it might at first appear. The plot, involving a parasitic alien shapeshifter that can spread like a virus, could have been taken as a metaphor for AIDS, for example, a disease that was emerging at the time of the film’s release, as only a blood test can identify those infected with the alien virus. The film explicitly shows the horrific molecular transformations, depicting the fragility of the human body when attacked by another organism. The amazing visual effects for the time made sure that what you saw could be more terrifying than what was in your wildest imagination. The film also reflects the dehumanization and growing paranoia in modern society. Carpenter brilliantly builds tension through subtle, unsettling hints. In his typical widescreen compositions, he cleverly works with empty space to evoke a constant sense that something is lurking outside the frame. In doing so, he sometimes deliberately obscures whose perspective we are looking at something from. The escalating paranoia between the characters, who don't know which of them is infected, is further heightened by the sense of claustrophobia and isolation in the cramped spaces of the research station, which contrasts with the open Antarctic wasteland in a literally chilling way. The film is full of small but crucial hints, many of which you will notice and put into context only after a few viewings. As a result, The Thing (and especially its paranoidly ambivalent ending) can be interpreted in a variety of ways, as is the case with a series of video essays on YouTube that will keep you entertained for hours after the film is over. (27.05.2013)

The uniqueness and appeal in this case is mainly due to the placement of the story in an original setting, and also to Ennio Morricone's excellent soundtrack. It's very bloody and brutal for its time (early 80s), which will be appreciated especially by hardcore fans of the horror genre or die-hard John Carpenter fans. I'm neither, yet I can appreciate the relative creepiness of the story as well as it’s notable dose of idiosyncratic filmmaking (given the relatively long running time for a story that could have been told in 70 minutes, including the eventual after credits scene). The main strength of The Thing is undoubtedly the gradual build-up of tension, which, combined with Morricone's aforementioned music, creates a rather unpleasant atmosphere. (24.10.2017)