A group of men stationed in Antarctica find themselves facing a terrifying threat when an alien capable of perfectly mimicking its victims arrives—that’s the premise of “The Thing,” directed by John Carter and released in 1982, with Kurt Russell playing the helicopter pilot. Serving as a follow-up to the 1956 film, it incorporates material from that earlier work. The alien's unique nature contributes to an unsettling atmosphere within the isolated Antarctic research base. The absence of female characters avoids romantic subplots. Because the characters aren’t particularly well-developed, the narrative centers on the creature and the crew’s efforts to locate and destroy it—if possible. The film raises numerous questions about this disturbing being: how it operates, what its weaknesses might be, and so forth. The final scene sticks with you. While perhaps not as exceptional as some enthusiastic fans claim, “The Thing” is a well-made science fiction horror movie containing some truly shocking moments; one particular sequence involving blood genuinely disturbed me, while another elicited laughter (the shot of the torso with jaws). The film’s running time is 1 hour and 48 minutes. Filming took place in Alaska and British Columbia. Bill Lancaster wrote the screenplay. The cast also includes Keith David (as Childs), Wilford Brimley (as Blair), T.K. Carter (as Nauls), Richard Masur (as Clark), Thomas G. Waites (as Windows), Donald Moffat (as Garry), among others. Grade: B

Source on TMDB