681. The Thing

The Thing
1982
Directed by John Carpenter

I recall my playwriting professor naming this as an example of a great ending.  I guess to reveal its brilliance would constitute a spoiler alert citation.  But this is truly a must see film and I am not just saying that because I'm a kiss ass.

Basically, a group of Americans working in a research station in Antarctica are being terrorized by an alien who is capable of taking the form of any living creature.   The paranoia between the scientists becomes as destructive as the Thing itself.

We have been hit with quite a few sci fi films recently and this is easily my favorite.  First of all, I adore Kurt Russell and thought he was perfect in this: rugged but not unreasonably so for a scientist.  The tension is this movie is skillfully done.  Just like in Das Boot, we feel just as trapped as the characters.  The story and tone reminds me of H.P. Lovecraft's story At the Mountains of Madness, which I realize is a rather obscure reference.  Still, the similarities are striking.

Definitely something that alien, especially Alien, lovers will enjoy.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Personal favorite film of John Carpenter.

All male cast.  How empowering.  Good for them.

641. Halloween

Halloween
1978
Directed by John Carpenter

How grossly out of context this is.  I am sure most movie blogs are doing sappy Christmas movies right now and we are talking about a gruesome slasher film.  Maybe this is like the anti Christmas blog?  I do hate Christmas movies (excepting Die Hard of course).  Or maybe I should stop trying to form a theme as it is obvious I am going chronologically.

Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital after murdering his sister.  He then stalks a group of teenagers and begins picking them off one by one.  It is up to super virgin Jamie Lee Curtis to end his murderous rampage.  But can you ever really stop evil?  For the purpose of the nine hundred sequels, no you cannot.

People often reference Hitchcock when they talk about this movie.  Or at least, the movie nerds I talk to do.  There are several homages in this film, from the characters' names to the casting of Janet Leigh's daughter.  Even if you didn't pick up on these references, Hitchcock is sure to come to mind when you watch this movie.  Carpenter does an excellent job of building suspense.  Unlike the previous slasher movies we have seen, like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, there is more of an emphasis on tension and less on gore.

Even if horror movies aren't really your thing, you have to hand it to this movie for inventing nearly every trope that has been copied thousands of times since.  Great villain, great score, great film.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

The famous mask is actually a William Shatner mask spray painted white.

John Carpenter and producer Debra Hill claim that they didn't intend for the film to seem moralistic.  They claim that the teens that have sex die because there are so preoccupied with sex that they are unaware a killer is on the loose.