Halloween Special sort of..... Part 2 - The Thing

[00:00:04] It's time to feel the rage. Welcome to a bite-sized episode of Film Rage. On these special episodes, we will focus on one film with special guests. This time around, we're talking about the 1982 John Carpenter flick, The Thing, with the nerdy photographer himself, Casey. How's it going, Casey?

[00:00:28] Hey, thanks for having me on, guys. Pleasure to have you. This is one of my favorite horror films of all time. Nice. Sweet. Not surprised. Sweet. How's everybody doing? Is that it? Oh, perfect.

[00:00:45] Well, you know what? We're getting new at these things. So you know what? We're not used to doing these patron ones. So yeah, this is a special Film Rage episode for only our patron members. As part of your membership, you get special episodes, weekly updates, and what Film Rage is seeing for the week, plus much more. Thanks to all our subscribers. You are helping this independent podcast bring content. We hope you will love or rage over we don't care which.

[00:01:11] Now, why don't we get to Rage? Or maybe not with this film. So, Casey, this is our number two, and I don't say number two as in poo. I mean our number two in the John Carpenter, Kurt Russell trilogy. Tell us a little bit about what this trilogy is all about.

[00:01:35] This is the collaboration between John Carpenter and Kurt Russell, I think, because I think on many levels informs a lot of other films of the era.

[00:01:46] Their collaboration together, both with the... In all three of these films, like sets the stage for a lot of things that happen later in each of the genres that they work in.

[00:01:59] I think all three of these, whether you like them or not, whether you like these films or not, I think each of these lays the groundwork for other films in these genres.

[00:02:11] Yeah, no, I would definitely agree.

[00:02:15] So, this is the second one. We did one prior, which our patrons would have been able to listen to when we talked about Escape from New York.

[00:02:24] So, go back and listen to that if you haven't heard it, you fabulous patrons, you.

[00:02:29] So, The Thing is a science fiction horror movie.

[00:02:35] And I would probably debate it's equally split between science fiction and horror.

[00:02:42] Not sure if everybody would agree with me.

[00:02:45] But, yeah, ultimately, The Thing lands on Earth and does some thing shit that fucks a whole bunch of shit up.

[00:02:53] Is basically the premise of this story.

[00:02:56] In my opinion, this is a perfect film.

[00:02:59] Everything about this is done so well.

[00:03:02] The music and sound, the pacing, the actors and suspense levels.

[00:03:06] Especially the suspense of who is the thing and who isn't the thing.

[00:03:12] Personally, I also think this is Kurt Russell's best performance of his entire career.

[00:03:17] It's one of those movies that, after seeing it as many times as I have, it's hard to see anyone playing any of the other roles but the existing cast that's cast in this.

[00:03:31] I don't think this ever would need to have a remake of it.

[00:03:37] So, I'm sad to know that that is something.

[00:03:40] You did.

[00:03:40] And I think that...

[00:03:42] It wasn't.

[00:03:43] It wasn't.

[00:03:44] It wasn't a remake?

[00:03:45] Well, they had the prequel.

[00:03:46] But didn't they not also remake it?

[00:03:48] No.

[00:03:49] Wasn't that a prequel?

[00:03:50] This movie itself is a remake.

[00:03:52] Yeah, it is.

[00:03:53] Right.

[00:03:53] Yes.

[00:03:54] And they remade.

[00:03:54] They did another thing in...

[00:03:56] Then they remade the remake.

[00:03:58] Yeah.

[00:03:59] Then they remade the remake.

[00:04:00] 2016 or something.

[00:04:01] Yeah.

[00:04:01] No.

[00:04:02] No, it's not a remake.

[00:04:04] It's a prequel.

[00:04:05] Well, there is the prequel with the Norway, but did they not also do...

[00:04:08] No.

[00:04:09] They didn't remake this.

[00:04:10] Oh.

[00:04:10] Well, that's good.

[00:04:11] I'm glad they didn't.

[00:04:12] It's called The Thing, and people thought it was a remake, and then they found out it was the prequel.

[00:04:19] Well, we don't get enough Norway anyway, so...

[00:04:22] That's right.

[00:04:23] If I was...

[00:04:23] Norge.

[00:04:24] Norge.

[00:04:24] Yeah, Norge.

[00:04:25] Norge.

[00:04:26] Yeah, so I think this film is one that I think everybody who likes or has thought that they like horror, if they haven't seen this film, it's one that I would highly suggest people see.

[00:04:42] Mostly because exceptional casting, this was so well done, plus the practical effects in this, and the dog that plays in this is also a great actor.

[00:04:54] So, it's...

[00:04:56] Yeah, I have nothing but positive things.

[00:04:59] This was one of the films when I saw in cinema that I was completely blown away, especially by the special effects.

[00:05:09] I mean, you rewatch it now, and you can say, okay, you can see some little bit of gaps in some of it, but you can still go back and watch it and go, wow.

[00:05:18] Like, the head scene with the arms is still one of the most iconic scenes in any horror movie that's ever been made.

[00:05:25] Yeah, exactly.

[00:05:27] And, you know, obviously there's some that's a little bit dated, but...

[00:05:30] And I think everybody had range in that.

[00:05:32] Oh, what?

[00:05:33] Why would you disagree?

[00:05:34] I don't think it's dated at all.

[00:05:35] Well, I think some of the effects...

[00:05:38] Like, the scene with his gut where he's opening up and he chomps the guy's hands.

[00:05:43] The hand scene is pretty awesome, but the stomach's...

[00:05:46] It doesn't look as real as it could have been.

[00:05:48] I think they could have...

[00:05:49] There's some of the effects that are...

[00:05:51] You should already film that today that it doesn't look any better, and I'll eat your frickin' shoes.

[00:05:56] I don't know.

[00:05:57] We just...

[00:05:57] I'm not gonna compare it to...

[00:05:58] The only thing that maybe looks...

[00:05:59] The only thing I think that maybe looks dated is the shot of the shigun.

[00:06:04] Yeah.

[00:06:04] Yeah.

[00:06:04] When they get to the shigun.

[00:06:05] Yeah.

[00:06:05] Because it's matte painted.

[00:06:07] Yeah.

[00:06:07] And it's like that...

[00:06:08] It's a little...

[00:06:10] Here and there.

[00:06:11] Yeah.

[00:06:11] At that point.

[00:06:12] I think that's just because it can tell it's a matte painting.

[00:06:15] I fully...

[00:06:16] Don't get me wrong.

[00:06:18] I was screaming, if you remember.

[00:06:19] We watched this together, the three of us.

[00:06:21] We did.

[00:06:21] I was like, I just love that scene when he loses his hands.

[00:06:24] It was so good, but...

[00:06:26] It still gets me.

[00:06:27] Yeah.

[00:06:27] Get every scene in it that kind of gets you.

[00:06:30] Even the scene where they're all lined up and he's testing their blood.

[00:06:35] And the one guy's like, I hate to interrupt you guys.

[00:06:41] Can you get me off this fucking couch?

[00:06:44] Every time it comes up.

[00:06:46] Every line of dialogue, every scene to me is so, so, so perfect.

[00:06:51] I'm sure you guys will have something different to say, but...

[00:06:55] Casey, what do you think about this?

[00:06:58] I agree.

[00:06:59] I think this is the perfect movie.

[00:07:01] I...

[00:07:01] There...

[00:07:02] There...

[00:07:02] And again, I watch this probably every year.

[00:07:06] I've tried to.

[00:07:08] Around Halloween.

[00:07:09] There's certain movies that I watch like every October.

[00:07:11] And like The Exorcist.

[00:07:13] This and The Exorcist, I think, are like my two pinnacle of horror films.

[00:07:18] It's just like you can't...

[00:07:21] You can't do this.

[00:07:23] Like the practical effects, like I said just now, like...

[00:07:25] It's...

[00:07:26] They still get me.

[00:07:27] I have seen this movie so many times and it still scares the shit out of me.

[00:07:33] The dogs.

[00:07:34] The dogs, like...

[00:07:36] Just like everything.

[00:07:37] How slimy.

[00:07:39] The body.

[00:07:40] Like there were things that I think I have blocked out.

[00:07:43] Because I don't think I've watched this.

[00:07:44] I may not have watched this since the pandemic started.

[00:07:49] It's like certain things.

[00:07:50] I was like, oh man.

[00:07:52] Just how slimy.

[00:07:54] When Wilford Brimley is like sticking his hands.

[00:07:56] Into the thing that was the dog.

[00:07:59] It's just like how visceral all of the effects are.

[00:08:06] It's just a...

[00:08:08] It's an...

[00:08:08] It's something that he doesn't...

[00:08:10] With CGI.

[00:08:14] It's not the same.

[00:08:15] No, it's not at all.

[00:08:16] I think a lot of modern horror films don't have the feel of this.

[00:08:20] Like you said, I wouldn't cast anybody.

[00:08:22] This cast is perfect.

[00:08:25] I think that this is what we talked about in Escape from New York.

[00:08:30] In an ensemble.

[00:08:31] Which maybe doesn't feel as strong as the one we have here.

[00:08:35] I think that is what Carpenter was going for in that film.

[00:08:39] And now has sort of culminated here.

[00:08:41] And this is just brilliant.

[00:08:43] Like the writing is perfect.

[00:08:45] And Kurt Russell's character.

[00:08:49] While you can see some similarities to Snake Plissken.

[00:08:52] In that he's a strong character.

[00:08:54] He's very intelligent.

[00:08:56] This is not just some tough guy who is just a tough guy.

[00:09:00] He's not like...

[00:09:01] He's also very smart.

[00:09:03] The first scene we see of him.

[00:09:04] He's playing chess against the computer.

[00:09:08] But he loses.

[00:09:09] So he's not that smart.

[00:09:10] And he dumps his drink into the...

[00:09:13] Because it cheated.

[00:09:14] Cheated.

[00:09:14] Of course.

[00:09:15] Robots cheated.

[00:09:16] Yeah.

[00:09:19] But his character is kind of a reluctant leader.

[00:09:24] In this film.

[00:09:25] Like the...

[00:09:26] There's just so much going on.

[00:09:28] This film...

[00:09:29] You can keep watching this movie over and over again.

[00:09:31] Trying to pick apart who is the thing.

[00:09:33] And when they're the thing.

[00:09:35] Yeah.

[00:09:36] I think...

[00:09:37] I'm going to leave this open.

[00:09:38] I think when we end this.

[00:09:39] We should have some discussions about who we think things is at the end.

[00:09:43] But I just want to say there are a couple of things that stuck out to me.

[00:09:46] That I hadn't thought of from previous films.

[00:09:52] From previous watchings of this movie.

[00:09:53] Hey.

[00:09:54] Why does no one think that there's something wrong with the dog?

[00:09:58] Yeah.

[00:10:01] You're scientists.

[00:10:02] Like nobody even gets to think like...

[00:10:03] Oh, maybe there's some sort of contagion on this dog.

[00:10:05] Like maybe that's why the Nords are...

[00:10:08] Are trying to kill it.

[00:10:09] And we're just going to let this dog lick our face.

[00:10:11] Yeah.

[00:10:11] You know?

[00:10:13] He's like...

[00:10:13] That was like the one that jumped out to me really quickly.

[00:10:18] Another one.

[00:10:18] Blair.

[00:10:19] Wilford Brimley's character.

[00:10:21] Who I believe at the...

[00:10:22] You know, in the beginning.

[00:10:23] He's just going crazy and destroying everything.

[00:10:25] Because he genuinely doesn't want this to get out.

[00:10:29] Yep.

[00:10:30] And I think, you know, when they leave him out there and he's like, you know...

[00:10:34] He's still kind of crazy.

[00:10:36] And then they come back.

[00:10:37] And like the switch.

[00:10:39] You can tell he's become the thing.

[00:10:40] Yeah.

[00:10:40] Like the thing's gotten to him.

[00:10:42] And the noose is there.

[00:10:44] Hanging next to him.

[00:10:45] He's like...

[00:10:46] I think I should come back inside now.

[00:10:48] I think I should come back in.

[00:10:49] And...

[00:10:49] I think Blair killed himself.

[00:10:52] I think Blair actually died.

[00:10:53] And then the thing came out and assimilated him after he killed himself.

[00:10:58] Because he didn't burn himself up like you.

[00:11:00] Yeah, maybe.

[00:11:01] Because I'm like, why would...

[00:11:03] The thing is always, you know...

[00:11:05] Wants to like...

[00:11:07] This is...

[00:11:08] Yeah, get rid of the other body.

[00:11:09] Yeah.

[00:11:11] Yeah.

[00:11:11] Like there's...

[00:11:12] You know...

[00:11:15] Yeah.

[00:11:17] The other thing that I would want to say is...

[00:11:20] Since it's also a John Carpenter film...

[00:11:23] Starman with Jeff Bridges...

[00:11:25] I kind of wonder if the creature that Starman is...

[00:11:29] Is related to the thing.

[00:11:31] Because it's been hundreds and hundreds of thousands of years.

[00:11:34] But it comes to Earth.

[00:11:35] And it takes the shape of another...

[00:11:37] Like the physical shape of a human.

[00:11:40] Like just by touching one of his things.

[00:11:42] And like getting his DNA.

[00:11:43] And like creates a whole human being.

[00:11:47] Whoa.

[00:11:47] This is like...

[00:11:48] Starman was the thing too?

[00:11:51] I think it was.

[00:11:52] Maybe he was the good one who sent down...

[00:11:54] Dotted down.

[00:11:55] Yeah, maybe.

[00:11:56] Well, but it's been hundreds of thousands of years.

[00:11:59] Yeah.

[00:11:59] Since the thing crashed...

[00:12:01] Like that ship crashed...

[00:12:03] In the Antarctic.

[00:12:05] So maybe they're...

[00:12:07] They've evolved...

[00:12:08] In those hundreds of thousands of years to be more peaceful.

[00:12:11] I'm digging this theory.

[00:12:12] Yeah.

[00:12:12] I'm thinking of it more like...

[00:12:15] Predator...

[00:12:15] To the alien.

[00:12:17] And alien versus predator.

[00:12:19] Predator.

[00:12:19] Because wasn't that...

[00:12:20] I think it's interesting that you brought up Predator because...

[00:12:23] The opening shot!

[00:12:24] Predator steals the fucking opening shot of this movie.

[00:12:29] Yeah, exactly.

[00:12:31] It's the ship.

[00:12:32] The ship coming in and like...

[00:12:33] Yeah.

[00:12:33] That's it.

[00:12:34] It's just...

[00:12:35] I was like, wow.

[00:12:36] This is the exact same shot as the opening of Predator.

[00:12:41] Well, you know what?

[00:12:43] Like you say, he influences everybody.

[00:12:46] Yeah.

[00:12:47] I think it's a major influence on this film, particularly body horror and like other things.

[00:12:53] Like it completely influences the...

[00:12:56] Especially the science fiction horror genre.

[00:12:59] This is definitely like the lineage of, you know, Event Horizon and films like that.

[00:13:06] Because you can trace directly back to this.

[00:13:09] Yeah.

[00:13:09] This is a...

[00:13:10] And this is a mondo for me.

[00:13:11] I love this movie.

[00:13:12] So it's funny you say that.

[00:13:14] And when we talked about the last film together and we talked to Escape New York and you had pointed out to us and our listeners that he named Cronenberg and Romero in the other film.

[00:13:27] So do you think this is his way of saying to Cronenberg, do you think you know body horror?

[00:13:33] Yeah.

[00:13:33] Maybe.

[00:13:34] Like Cronenberg's known for body horror, but he's like...

[00:13:37] Yeah.

[00:13:37] Do you think he kind of said...

[00:13:38] He's like, okay, Dave.

[00:13:41] Yeah.

[00:13:42] You want to see fucking body horror?

[00:13:43] This is what a movie with body horror in it looks like.

[00:13:47] Yeah.

[00:13:48] And I think that like this entire film and watching everything can all be summed up in Palmer's line.

[00:13:54] Like, are you fucking kidding me?

[00:13:55] Hmm.

[00:13:56] Like, just that moment, I think is...

[00:13:58] Everybody in the audience is like, identifies with that.

[00:14:01] Like, this...

[00:14:02] This is insane.

[00:14:04] This is just like...

[00:14:06] And the pacing, I think, is perfect.

[00:14:08] Yeah.

[00:14:08] As we mentioned before in Escape from New York, there's some pacing issues.

[00:14:13] Doesn't like...

[00:14:14] This movie, as soon as shit starts to happen, it just keeps going.

[00:14:19] The pedal is on the metal.

[00:14:20] And it just keeps ripping up.

[00:14:21] Yeah.

[00:14:21] Yeah.

[00:14:22] All right, Bryce.

[00:14:24] But I want to get...

[00:14:26] All right.

[00:14:27] Yeah.

[00:14:27] So the thing, I mean, tons of tension throughout the whole thing.

[00:14:31] I don't know that there is a movie out there where there's this much tension that is just...

[00:14:37] It's almost level tension.

[00:14:38] It doesn't ramp up or anything.

[00:14:39] It's just there, like constant through the whole thing.

[00:14:43] Which is kind of a nice little difference between a lot of movies that like to build it.

[00:14:50] He didn't really try to build it, necessarily.

[00:14:52] He just had that steady tension that...

[00:14:56] And it didn't wear you out.

[00:14:57] You know?

[00:14:58] It wasn't built into this, ah!

[00:15:00] It was just throughout the whole thing.

[00:15:02] And it never wavered.

[00:15:06] Also, you got to mention this absolute superior special effects.

[00:15:11] They could stand up today.

[00:15:12] In fact, they're more visceral than anything you'll see today.

[00:15:17] So, yeah.

[00:15:19] There's no matching this movie.

[00:15:21] Especially in 1982.

[00:15:23] Well, yeah.

[00:15:23] Okay.

[00:15:24] I'll give you that.

[00:15:25] But when you see When Evil Lurks, there's some scenes in there that are pretty visceral.

[00:15:30] But this is 1982.

[00:15:33] That's true.

[00:15:34] And this was really amazing.

[00:15:35] Plus, Kurt Russell actually acts.

[00:15:38] Unlike any other Carpenter collaboration.

[00:15:42] Where he's hamming it up and constantly winking at the camera.

[00:15:46] He actually acts in this one.

[00:15:49] And this is the most fully fleshed character that he probably has done in his entire career.

[00:15:56] This is definitely my favorite Carpenter movie.

[00:16:00] No other Carpenter movie comes even close to this one.

[00:16:04] I like a few of them.

[00:16:06] As you guys know, I hate a few of them.

[00:16:09] But this one was pretty darn close to perfect.

[00:16:14] I love The Thing.

[00:16:15] The Thing is Mondo.

[00:16:17] Nice.

[00:16:19] All right.

[00:16:19] So, Murray has never seen, I think, The Thing as many times as we have.

[00:16:24] I saw it once.

[00:16:25] But it's been a while.

[00:16:26] Yeah.

[00:16:27] I remember not really...

[00:16:28] I mean, I wasn't that impressed with it the first time I watched it.

[00:16:33] Maybe I wasn't in the mood or something.

[00:16:35] But yeah, watching it again.

[00:16:37] Yeah, I was blown away by the special effects.

[00:16:41] It was 1982.

[00:16:42] 1982.

[00:16:43] Like, this is like Rick Baker level special effects.

[00:16:47] Like, this is...

[00:16:48] I don't remember the name of the guy who did this.

[00:16:50] But yeah, like, they went all out to make it look really freaking awesome.

[00:16:56] It was very suspenseful, as you said.

[00:16:58] I cast of memorable characters.

[00:17:00] Pretty much every one of them, you know, had its own story arc.

[00:17:05] I liked the guy from One Day at a Time who, you know, was this lovable sap in the TV show.

[00:17:09] And then he's like some creepy guy who loves dogs in this one.

[00:17:14] Yeah.

[00:17:15] And they were all dropping special effects.

[00:17:17] The blood and the gore was just off the charts.

[00:17:21] Yeah.

[00:17:22] I definitely like this one.

[00:17:23] I wouldn't say it's my favorite of all.

[00:17:26] John Carpenter is definitely top.

[00:17:28] Well, he didn't make that many.

[00:17:29] So...

[00:17:30] Top four.

[00:17:33] Obviously, my favorite for personal reasons is They Live.

[00:17:37] Alice is like vampires.

[00:17:39] But yeah, this one was right up there.

[00:17:42] Of the trilogy we're discussing, definitely my favorite of the three.

[00:17:46] And just a few tidbits, because you know I like to do that.

[00:17:49] He loves his tidbits.

[00:17:50] This is actually John Carpenter's personal favorite of all of his films that he's made.

[00:17:56] I can see why.

[00:17:57] Yeah.

[00:17:58] And this opened the same day as Blade Runner.

[00:18:03] Really?

[00:18:04] Both of which were panned by critics.

[00:18:06] Yeah.

[00:18:06] You know what else opened that weekend?

[00:18:09] E.T.

[00:18:10] Which, of course, stole the whole box office.

[00:18:14] This was actually shot in Stewart, British Columbia, Canada.

[00:18:20] And about 20 years ago, a couple of superfans made the trek there and actually found the original, like, the actual site.

[00:18:29] What?

[00:18:29] With the crashed helicopter.

[00:18:31] And the fan actually now owns, like, parts of the helicopter in his own personal collection.

[00:18:35] Because he just stole it.

[00:18:36] He stole it, I guess.

[00:18:37] Because he stole it.

[00:18:38] Owns.

[00:18:39] And they, of course, shot a lot of this on the L.A. soundstage, which they kept at a brisk 40 degrees Fahrenheit, which is just about freezing here.

[00:18:50] But outside of L.A. was 100 degrees Fahrenheit when they were shooting.

[00:18:57] So they went from freezing inside the soundstage to sweltering outside.

[00:19:02] That would have been a shock.

[00:19:03] I gotta say, like, that...

[00:19:06] That...

[00:19:06] It's interesting you bring that up, Marie, because, like,

[00:19:08] that scene when Mac comes back in, you feel the cold.

[00:19:15] Oh, yeah.

[00:19:15] Yeah.

[00:19:17] Like, he's got the dynamite and the flare, and all of his hair is frozen.

[00:19:23] Yeah.

[00:19:24] And it's just, like, you can...

[00:19:26] Like, you feel that.

[00:19:27] You're like, this doesn't feel like a movie.

[00:19:29] Yeah.

[00:19:29] That doesn't...

[00:19:30] Like, it doesn't feel like, oh, you know, they...

[00:19:33] I mean, you're acting time.

[00:19:34] Is he this good of an actor?

[00:19:36] Right.

[00:19:36] He's really cold.

[00:19:38] He's really method.

[00:19:39] Yeah.

[00:19:40] And, of course...

[00:19:41] I have a lot of things.

[00:19:43] Go ahead.

[00:19:43] Sorry.

[00:19:44] Go ahead, Marie.

[00:19:44] As you may have guessed, the voice of the computer was, of course, Adrian Barbo.

[00:19:51] This movie I found was very alien-like.

[00:19:55] Okay.

[00:19:55] It had a lot of...

[00:19:56] I think it had a lot of nods to the original alien movie.

[00:19:58] It just, you know, the way, you know, it built suspense and just a creature and stuff like that.

[00:20:05] And, as Casey alluded to, the 2011 film was actually a prequel.

[00:20:11] But, basically, they couldn't think of a better title for it, so they just called it The Thing.

[00:20:14] They didn't call it The Thing, prequel to The Thing before or something.

[00:20:18] They just...

[00:20:18] They should have called it The Thinquel.

[00:20:19] They just called it the same title, which is very confusing.

[00:20:22] The Thinquel.

[00:20:22] Yeah.

[00:20:23] Anyway, yeah, I would actually have to say this is a mondo.

[00:20:27] Nice.

[00:20:29] So, a unanimous...

[00:20:31] Unanimous Mondo.

[00:20:34] Well-chosen Casey.

[00:20:37] I think that there's...

[00:20:38] I want to...

[00:20:39] If we have a few minutes, I want to talk about, like, maybe, like, have an open discussion here.

[00:20:44] But, first of all, I think there are multiple things.

[00:20:49] Like, it would be the discussion of, like, who's The Thing at the end.

[00:20:52] Oh, yeah, for sure.

[00:20:53] I would agree.

[00:20:54] How this goes through.

[00:20:56] Like, well, when the dog comes...

[00:20:59] Like, Bryce mentioned the tension level just, like, staying high throughout.

[00:21:04] And it's just, like...

[00:21:05] I would say yes.

[00:21:08] I think that that moment when everybody's tied to the couch is the moment where, like, things actually ramp up.

[00:21:15] That might be...

[00:21:17] Yeah, I can buy it.

[00:21:17] Somehow...

[00:21:18] Somehow it goes from already being, like, holy shit.

[00:21:22] Who's The Thing?

[00:21:23] What's going on?

[00:21:24] We already had the moment where, like, the fucking stomach opened up and, like, Pac-Manned this dude's arms off.

[00:21:31] Gom, gom, gom, gom.

[00:21:33] Gom, gom, gom.

[00:21:34] And the fucking head turned into a spider, like, is walking away.

[00:21:41] What the fuck?

[00:21:44] It's...

[00:21:44] It's...

[00:21:45] Even though we've had that already, which is, like, terrifying.

[00:21:49] All that...

[00:21:49] Then, like, when the...

[00:21:50] Like, okay, now they're all tied together.

[00:21:54] On a couch.

[00:21:56] And we're gonna...

[00:21:57] We're gonna test everybody's blood.

[00:21:58] It's, like, this whole...

[00:21:59] It's, like...

[00:22:01] Somehow the tension level has risen.

[00:22:04] Because it's, like...

[00:22:05] It's the thing that you don't think of.

[00:22:09] Yeah, sure, we're gonna test the blood.

[00:22:10] But what happens if one of you is The Thing?

[00:22:13] Yeah, I know!

[00:22:13] Like, what do we fucking do?

[00:22:16] Like, we didn't think about what we're gonna fucking do.

[00:22:18] Yeah, exactly.

[00:22:21] Like, Mac's pretty good at planning.

[00:22:23] But I think that, like, the cold has gotten to him at that point.

[00:22:26] And he's just, like, not quite thought through.

[00:22:28] Like, uh, oh, shit.

[00:22:30] Well, you know, his flamethrower kind of, like...

[00:22:33] Like, pisses out on him at that point.

[00:22:35] But, like, you know, what's his name?

[00:22:38] Uh...

[00:22:38] Oh, God.

[00:22:39] The radar guy.

[00:22:40] The radio guy.

[00:22:40] Yeah.

[00:22:41] Yeah, he's just, like...

[00:22:42] The guy from The Warriors?

[00:22:44] Yes!

[00:22:45] But this is the thing...

[00:22:46] Oh, the other thing I wanted to say about the practical effects.

[00:22:48] All of these creatures that they created with these...

[00:22:51] Like, show up later on.

[00:22:52] Like, there's a lot of, like, Stranger Things.

[00:22:54] Yeah.

[00:22:55] Like, when Palmer, like, his head opens up...

[00:22:59] It's, like, the Demogorgon from Stranger Things.

[00:23:01] And, like, the dogs.

[00:23:03] All this stuff is, like...

[00:23:04] It's all, like, stuff that, like, has been used...

[00:23:06] Yeah.

[00:23:07] ...over and over again, like, in the 40 years since this movie came out.

[00:23:11] It's just, like, yeah.

[00:23:12] But Stranger Things would say that, right?

[00:23:14] Like, the guys that created Stranger Things...

[00:23:16] Yes.

[00:23:16] ...would talk about this movie and probably in particular is, like, a precipice for them, right?

[00:23:23] Yeah.

[00:23:24] But I think, like, there's discussion.

[00:23:26] I think we get to the end of the movie.

[00:23:29] There's a lot of discussion and people always bring up, like, you know...

[00:23:32] Childs comes back.

[00:23:35] They're with Mac.

[00:23:37] You know, people like to say, like, oh, the theory is, like, oh, you can't see Childs' breath.

[00:23:41] You can't see Keith David's breath.

[00:23:44] Mm.

[00:23:45] And that means he's the thing.

[00:23:47] First of all, no.

[00:23:49] Because, like, just because the thing emulated him or whatever doesn't mean he doesn't breathe.

[00:23:55] But John Carpenter has also said, like, it's just because of the lighting.

[00:23:58] Yep.

[00:23:58] And you can see Keith David's breath a couple of times.

[00:24:01] Yep.

[00:24:01] It's just not as highlighted as Kurt Russell's because of the way the light is.

[00:24:06] Kurt Russell's, you can see it.

[00:24:07] But I...

[00:24:09] I don't know.

[00:24:09] Everybody else can weigh in here.

[00:24:11] I personally think that the Childs' Keith David character is a thing at that point.

[00:24:17] And for a few different reasons.

[00:24:20] One being, he's been gone for a very long time.

[00:24:22] Spent plenty of time for a thing to, like, take over him.

[00:24:26] And, like, recreate him.

[00:24:29] But also...

[00:24:31] Mac...

[00:24:32] You see Mac after the big explosion.

[00:24:34] After he's blown up the compound.

[00:24:37] Mac has blown up the compound.

[00:24:39] The thing, if Mac was a thing, he wouldn't try to blow the place up.

[00:24:46] He's walking through this, you know, like, the flaming wreckage with a bottle in his hand.

[00:24:53] Mm-hmm.

[00:24:54] He never drinks from the bottle.

[00:24:56] In the scene before with Gary and, uh, what's his name?

[00:25:00] The cook.

[00:25:02] Yep.

[00:25:02] They were setting the bombs.

[00:25:04] Everybody's got...

[00:25:05] And they were throwing them, too.

[00:25:07] They were setting the place on fire.

[00:25:08] They've all got Molotov cocktails.

[00:25:10] That's kerosene in that bottle.

[00:25:12] That's not booze.

[00:25:15] So when he sits down with Childs

[00:25:18] and hands him the bottle

[00:25:20] and Childs drinks out of it,

[00:25:22] Mac just starts laughing.

[00:25:26] Man, I didn't catch that at all.

[00:25:28] I want to go watch that again because...

[00:25:30] You got me convinced.

[00:25:31] He's totally the thing.

[00:25:33] No, see, I...

[00:25:34] He's totally the thing.

[00:25:35] Here's my thought.

[00:25:35] I think that Mac was going to burn himself.

[00:25:38] Yeah.

[00:25:38] I think that Mac was going to burn himself like fukes.

[00:25:40] See, I'm convinced that neither one of them are.

[00:25:43] And this is why I think neither one of them are.

[00:25:48] Because I think...

[00:25:50] If you're at the end

[00:25:52] and you know everybody else is dead,

[00:25:54] if you're the thing,

[00:25:55] he doesn't have to hide behind anything.

[00:25:57] He's more powerful than the human.

[00:26:00] So he would have just...

[00:26:01] They wouldn't even have had a conversation.

[00:26:04] Childs would have just fucking killed him.

[00:26:05] Yeah, it's kind of his nature though.

[00:26:08] No, but it's...

[00:26:09] Nature, he had nothing to hide from that point.

[00:26:11] He has more to hide from the fact

[00:26:13] that if Kurt Russell isn't,

[00:26:16] because obviously they...

[00:26:17] If they're both the thing,

[00:26:18] they both know they're the thing.

[00:26:20] So they're...

[00:26:21] You know, they don't care.

[00:26:22] Maybe he likes to play.

[00:26:23] Yeah, but they're all connected

[00:26:25] because that's the whole thing with the blood thing

[00:26:27] is that they're somehow connected.

[00:26:28] So they know each other's a hive mind kind of thing.

[00:26:31] So I'm convinced that neither one of them are.

[00:26:35] For that simple reason,

[00:26:36] there was no reason to hide anymore.

[00:26:38] And it would have just been...

[00:26:40] And he's gotten...

[00:26:41] If Kurt Russell just ends up dying,

[00:26:44] he's, you know, he's dying.

[00:26:46] But yeah, I think there'd be no reason to hide anymore.

[00:26:48] He'd want to protect his species from it.

[00:26:52] Right?

[00:26:54] There's that.

[00:26:55] Yeah.

[00:26:56] It's the whole thing of like, you know,

[00:26:57] Homer, the guy who's like the thing

[00:27:00] when they're tied to the...

[00:27:01] They try to hide for as long as possible.

[00:27:04] Like, when did Palmer get turned?

[00:27:06] When did the guy who's like stomach opened up get turned?

[00:27:08] Like, who was the person that got to, you know,

[00:27:13] like when the dog originally came in,

[00:27:15] did the dog turn anybody at that point?

[00:27:18] Yeah, he scratched.

[00:27:19] He bit the guy under the table.

[00:27:20] So that was a turn.

[00:27:22] Yeah.

[00:27:22] And there's a...

[00:27:23] Well, there's also the...

[00:27:25] Like the thing,

[00:27:26] like when the dog is like changing

[00:27:28] and they go in there

[00:27:29] and Max shoots it

[00:27:30] before they get the flamethrower,

[00:27:31] something goes through...

[00:27:32] One of them goes through the roof.

[00:27:33] Yeah.

[00:27:33] It splits apart and goes through the roof

[00:27:35] and like disappears.

[00:27:35] And they're all like,

[00:27:37] oh shit.

[00:27:39] Like that one's out there somewhere.

[00:27:41] That could have been the one

[00:27:42] that turned into Wilford Brimley though.

[00:27:44] Wilford Brimley.

[00:27:45] Because somebody was digging a hole

[00:27:46] for a long time out to Wilford Brimley.

[00:27:49] For a long ass time.

[00:27:50] So it was probably that dog.

[00:27:52] I loved Wilford Brimley.

[00:27:54] You know what?

[00:27:55] Like we talk about performances

[00:27:57] of a lifetime.

[00:27:58] This was his best performance

[00:27:59] I've ever seen him in too.

[00:28:01] Like he just...

[00:28:02] Wilford Brimley?

[00:28:02] Yeah.

[00:28:03] He just fucking nailed it.

[00:28:04] It was just genius casting

[00:28:06] of all the people that he cast.

[00:28:08] I think that might have been

[00:28:08] the most genius stroke

[00:28:10] is casting Wilford Brimley

[00:28:12] in this role.

[00:28:13] Because where did that come from?

[00:28:15] Only John Carpenter

[00:28:16] could look at Wilford Brimley

[00:28:17] and go, okay, this is...

[00:28:18] This is a guy who can play crazy.

[00:28:20] This is exactly what I need

[00:28:21] in this movie.

[00:28:23] But he's also like beforehand.

[00:28:25] Like he's great.

[00:28:25] Like before...

[00:28:26] When he's just the doc

[00:28:27] and he's like taking...

[00:28:27] Oh, I know.

[00:28:27] He's doing the autopsy

[00:28:29] and then when he goes nuts.

[00:28:31] Yeah.

[00:28:32] And then he's just like the cold.

[00:28:33] Just range.

[00:28:34] There were so many layers

[00:28:35] to this character.

[00:28:36] It was so good.

[00:28:37] I was just waiting for him.

[00:28:38] And he gets Gary under the skin.

[00:28:39] He grabs Gary under his face.

[00:28:41] Yeah.

[00:28:41] Just like...

[00:28:42] And he's shaking the hand.

[00:28:44] I was just...

[00:28:44] I was just...

[00:28:45] He did every layer

[00:28:48] of Wilford Brimley

[00:28:49] except for talk about diabetes.

[00:28:51] Mm-hmm.

[00:28:52] Like that's what I was waiting for most.

[00:28:54] And Quaker Oats.

[00:28:55] That sounds...

[00:28:55] And Quaker Oats.

[00:28:56] Like I'm surprised

[00:28:57] they didn't have me

[00:28:58] eating Quaker Oats

[00:28:58] and talking about diabetes

[00:29:00] at the end.

[00:29:01] Part of the Betis testing

[00:29:02] is like, you know,

[00:29:03] making sure you're not the thing.

[00:29:05] Yeah, exactly.

[00:29:06] Stick the...

[00:29:06] Stick the blood in your...

[00:29:08] One touch.

[00:29:09] One touch.

[00:29:10] That's the one.

[00:29:11] It's the one touch.

[00:29:13] Yeah.

[00:29:13] Wilford Brimley says,

[00:29:15] use the one touch.

[00:29:20] Who hasn't seen this movie before?

[00:29:23] But if you...

[00:29:24] If you say you like horror movies

[00:29:26] and you have never seen the thing,

[00:29:28] then you haven't seen horror movies.

[00:29:30] That's...

[00:29:30] That would be my opinion.

[00:29:33] Ditto.

[00:29:35] Agreed.

[00:29:36] Murray?

[00:29:37] Yeah.

[00:29:38] It was pretty good.

[00:29:39] Because Murray's...

[00:29:40] Murray's not even a horror fan.

[00:29:41] I'm not really a horror fan.

[00:29:42] Yeah.

[00:29:42] This was...

[00:29:43] Again, this was not so much a horror

[00:29:45] as, you know,

[00:29:46] similar to Alien

[00:29:47] or Predator,

[00:29:49] things like that.

[00:29:51] It was more just

[00:29:52] suspenseful drama

[00:29:54] with some, you know,

[00:29:55] blood and gore.

[00:29:56] Thriller.

[00:29:57] Thriller.

[00:29:57] It's a thriller, yeah.

[00:29:58] Speaking of thriller,

[00:30:00] why wasn't Michael Jackson

[00:30:02] cast in this movie?

[00:30:03] As a thing?

[00:30:05] I don't know.

[00:30:07] Probably because

[00:30:07] it was a perfect casting.

[00:30:08] That's why.

[00:30:09] There you go.

[00:30:10] All right.

[00:30:11] Any final comments

[00:30:12] from anybody?

[00:30:15] I...

[00:30:16] Like...

[00:30:16] As everyone said,

[00:30:17] I think this is just like...

[00:30:18] This is as close

[00:30:19] as you get to

[00:30:19] a perfect movie

[00:30:20] in a lot of ways

[00:30:21] for the genre.

[00:30:23] Yeah.

[00:30:23] I think it's unanimous.

[00:30:25] Well, Casey,

[00:30:26] tell our listeners

[00:30:27] where they can find you

[00:30:29] everywhere.

[00:30:32] They can find

[00:30:33] the Nerdy Photographer Podcast

[00:30:35] on any podcast platform

[00:30:37] that they listen to.

[00:30:37] So just search for

[00:30:38] Nerdy Photographer Podcast.

[00:30:40] You can also find me

[00:30:41] on the social medias,

[00:30:45] the Instagram,

[00:30:47] the threads,

[00:30:47] the ex formerly known

[00:30:49] as Twitter,

[00:30:50] and TikTok

[00:30:51] at

[00:30:52] the

[00:30:52] nerdy

[00:30:53] photo.

[00:30:54] That's at

[00:30:55] the

[00:30:56] nerdy photo.

[00:30:57] Yeah.

[00:30:58] And you can

[00:30:58] find me there

[00:30:59] and keep up

[00:30:59] with what's going on.

[00:31:00] I regularly discuss

[00:31:01] science fiction-y things

[00:31:02] on my podcast

[00:31:03] while we're also talking

[00:31:04] about photography stuff.

[00:31:05] It's a lot of fun.

[00:31:06] Yeah.

[00:31:07] And he's not

[00:31:08] Doctor Who,

[00:31:09] but

[00:31:09] that is potentially

[00:31:11] somebody he'll get

[00:31:12] to interview one day

[00:31:14] is my hope.

[00:31:16] All right.

[00:31:18] Well,

[00:31:19] thanks Casey

[00:31:20] for joining us

[00:31:21] on our special

[00:31:22] patron episode.

[00:31:23] Please find

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[00:31:27] because

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