All_About_The_Thing

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NOTE This book takes the point-of-view of someone watching the movie. For that person, it doesn't matter if something appears in the film by accident or on purpose, if the writer put it there or an actor happened to improvise it. All that matters is what we see and how we respond to it. The script, comments by the creative talent, behind the scenes anecdotes, etc, are all interesting and fun but have no bearing on what we feel when we watch the film. 5
All About THE THING The credits appear steadily as white text on a black background. The music is simple and quiet, a few low menacing cords which we can hardly even hear at the beginning. When the spaceship becomes visible and flies overhead we cut to a reverse angle to see it heading towards the Earth and the editing compliments the rhythm of the credits. Nothing more is revealed than need be, it is pared down to the bare minimum. The ship begins to burn as it enters Earth’s atmosphere and then disappears from sight. After a beat, the director’s name appears and the title burns in. The entire sequence has been covered in just two stationary shots. It is the very deliberateness of this, the self-contained nature that makes us concentrate. It stands like an announcement. We are not being asked to consider something complex but a story detail has been imparted and it is the simplicity that creates the effect. We have the feeling that nothing will be wasted. Compare this to the appearance of the spaceship in Independence Day, which is not to deride that film but simply to point out the difference in our reaction. The opening of The Thing is not busy and it is the quietness that allows us to relax into the atmosphere. Already, rather than sit back and observe we are being pulled in. There is a confidence to the film making. The spaceship is clearly in trouble. Perhaps as a result of a malfunction the pilot is trying to land on the nearest available planet and the Thing we will come to know was being transported. What feels more likely is that the pilot, an alien being we never get to meet, was in trouble because of the Thing (presumably there was also a crew). 6
Page 1 and 2: Bennings Blair Childs Clark Copper
Page 3 and 4: Dedicated to Pam Morris & Marcia Ki
Page 5 and 6: Introduction The Thing is a terrifi
Page 7: What it does describe is the person
Page 11 and 12: these blanks are arranged that make
Page 13 and 14: MacReady is by himself, alone in hi
Page 15 and 16: someone. It would, of course, have
Page 17 and 18: and was still idealistic, he was re
Page 19 and 20: Windows by contrast is excitable. H
Page 21 and 22: With the exception of Fuchs none of
Page 23 and 24: hardly even notice them. They carry
Page 25 and 26: And then comes one of the great sho
Page 27 and 28: a fascinating image, a snapshot of
Page 29 and 30: times when he isn’t thinking that
Page 31 and 32: We don’t get a clear view of the
Page 33 and 34: To have had Blair talk about what h
Page 35 and 36: trying not to go to pieces. Althoug
Page 37 and 38: not attack immediately. On this occ
Page 39 and 40: decision later. In this situation M
Page 41 and 42: normally it would call attention to
Page 43 and 44: and biological. When the Thing assi
Page 45 and 46: at the same pace. We cut to a shot
Page 47 and 48: It is the first time we have seen M
Page 49 and 50: Blair quietly looks at Childs and w
Page 51 and 52: characters’s heads. The irony is
Page 53 and 54: If we do remember at some point tha
Page 55 and 56: formed these as we saw nothing of t
Page 57 and 58: Windows seems to think that Benning
Page 59 and 60:
Mac strides in going straight for t
Page 61 and 62:
movie-audience luxury of a comforta
Page 63 and 64:
confirm our suspicions it adds to o
Page 65 and 66:
have been a discussion of potential
Page 67 and 68:
feeling of control even during thes
Page 69 and 70:
Blair emphasises that Clark should
Page 71 and 72:
accompanied. It’s risky but at th
Page 73 and 74:
is enough to tell us he is perfectl
Page 75 and 76:
time. His own natural suspect is Co
Page 77 and 78:
When the argument dies down Garry h
Page 79 and 80:
character’s exact location. It al
Page 81 and 82:
In the next shot it is night again,
Page 83 and 84:
to take the syringe himself, Childs
Page 85 and 86:
progress is in keeping with his cha
Page 87 and 88:
scenes feel even more observational
Page 89 and 90:
the white snow at night and the bla
Page 91 and 92:
the biggest immediate threat to the
Page 93 and 94:
The shots of them nailing the doors
Page 95 and 96:
expression and position reflect how
Page 97 and 98:
There is something moving about the
Page 99 and 100:
a type rarely seen. It understands
Page 101 and 102:
longer to sway the mind. In some wa
Page 103 and 104:
appearance. It is rather like a puf
Page 105 and 106:
102 We move in on MacReady. The cam
Page 107 and 108:
mind. The possibility that in his q
Page 109 and 110:
106 As Mac describes what he intend
Page 111 and 112:
108 Whereas Windows was afraid of t
Page 113 and 114:
to land in front of him, looking se
Page 115 and 116:
performs the test and it proves Gar
Page 117 and 118:
movement but Childs doesn’t sudde
Page 119 and 120:
the beginning of the film and is us
Page 121 and 122:
unaccompanied by music). We leave t
Page 123 and 124:
the Thing out into the open so they
Page 125 and 126:
122 When Garry goes to inspect the
Page 127 and 128:
same direction it removes the repet
Page 129 and 130:
126 Even the explosions seem to mat
Page 131 and 132:
128 At the same time, because of th
Page 133 and 134:
except we can’t because he has si
Page 135:
memory works. Rooms were a differen
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All_About_The_Thing

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