THE THING (1982) - 13 theories explored, you decide

Made this vid early last year. Posting now while I'm busy working on my book and game. You may also notice a lot of my vids are no longer searchable on YT. I'm taking anything that the YT algo no longer recommends to new viewers and making those vids still free to watch, but accessible only by their links on my website. Along with other free material on my site that's never been on YT at all, you'll find dozens of hrs of extra vids and articles, alongside a couple of hundred hrs worth of items that can be ordered as dl's. Site link in video description. Cheers folks. Hope you enjoy. Rob :)

My late mother took me to see the thing in 1982, the cashier literally spent 3 minutes trying to talk my mother out of letting me in...even offering to give the money back. I was 13 & LOVED it. I was amazed at adults getting up and walking out first dog thing. Never ONCE, in my dozens of times watching this film since, did i think that the film was racialized in any way!!

The Norwegian yelled in the beginning is not easy to understand because it's very dialect "Det ekkje ei vanli bikkje!!!" "That's not a normal dog"

Religion, politics, race, sex, gender, economics... this film transcends them all. Why? If the organism reached civilization, none of it would matter. There would be nothing left. Just a planet with imitation life.

Criminaly under rated channel

A lot of these ‘interpretations’ sound like frustration that earlier films had the unmitigated gall to avoid being embroiled in the sacrosanct rhetoric of modern times.

I always thought that Mac shoots the dog in the grasp of the thing as a mercy killing because it is clearly in pain and has no hope of survival.

The way the Thing outwits the scientists isn’t surprising to me. I don’t think there’s any correlation between scientific intelligence and cunning.

I’m surprised in the Dangers of Science section you didn’t mention the conversation between Windows and Bennings. They are in a room with the Thing as it’s defrosting and Windows says (I’m paraphrasing) Why don’t we burn that thing? Bennings replies “Are you kidding? That’s going to win someone the Nobel prize.” So, the motivation is to benefit science and scientists, rather than do, what seems to be, the common sense thing, and destroy something that is dangerous and unknown. The result is that Bennings is instantly killed, with the Thing trying to absorb him and imitate him.

I think too many modern views are applied to a 40 year old cosmic body horror movie. The outpost lack of women and manly men might be more a reflection of how isolated military posts were always run before in earlier generations just like the original movie.

I have a different theory on the VD poster being part of the movie set. “They aren’t labeled, chum.” is a poster warning men that you don’t know who carries this disease. This is the same warning given to the members of the team. They don’t know who is carrying the disease (the Thing). It’s almost an ironic poster, warning of a different hidden monster you can’t see (although a much less dangerous monster.) But it ironically parallels the same threat each man on the team faces with the Thing in their midst.

I love that this is an international take. Adds major context from other cultures.

These old school serious film analysis videos that lack any fancy schmancy editing/background music are always such a comfort to watch. Ironically, they have this unsettling vibe about them and this documentary vibe, which feels like the topic at hand is an actual real life thing and not just a movie or show. Idk, these vids are always so intriguing and comforting to watch for me while idk, drawing, building legos, etc... Also bro, your voice is impeccable

i actually appreciate how the film makes practically nothing of race between the main characters, race rarely seems to be an issue in Carpenters movies as far as i have seen and I laud him for that as he has quite a diverse range of movies

Would be interesting if the Thing so perfectly cloned everyone that upon cloning the entire team, the outpost just continued operating as usual.

The 2011 prequel should have been called Tingen (The Thing in Norwegian).

Rip Shelley Duvall, just read she died from diabetes complications. Unforgettable in the Shining of course.

1:09:04 No, the time setting isn't vague. After the opening credits and right before the opening shot of the cliff, the movie clearly states that this takes place in Antarctica, Winter 1982. After the encounter with the Norwegians, MacReady remarks that it's the first week of winter.

A thought that just occurred to me. The thing as shown in the movie is completely psychopathic. It shows no hesitation in assimilating prey when it has the opportunity, in fact it does so at every opportunity, and the assimilation process is shown to be brutal. A purely amoral predator. But when it assimilates a person it's able to assimilate knowledge and behaviour, such as being able to speak English, and retain or at least maintain the mannerisms, accent etc of the assimilated individual. Does this also include their sense of empathy? Could it accidentally "fake it till ya make it" and find itself doubting whether it should assimilate? Could it be "contaminated" with a conscience? We don't see any evidence of it in the film but then again it assimilates a small number of people none of whom are particularly warm towards one another to begin with.

I for one, cannot wait for the all-female remake.