I’ve only ever known John Carpenter’s The Thing to be one of the greatest horror/sci-fi films of all time. I was too young in 1982 to realize that it was a flop at first, but it makes sense given the context that it was released right after the juggernaut that was E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. This, and many more nuggets, are uncovered in filmmaker Ian Nathan’s The Thing Expanded, a comprehensive five-hour documentary on the Kurt Russell-led cult classic.
The documentary has a murder’s row of star-studded talking heads with legendary director John Carpenter front and foremost as it should be. It mixes in the cast members who are still alive, such as Russell, Keith David, Thomas G. Waites, and David Clennon, along with pop culture stalwarts such as Stephen Colbert, Greg Nicotero, Issa Lopez, Eli Roth, Frank Darabont, and others who worked on the film or in the industry. Nathan combines those amazing interview subjects with an almost scene-by-scene analysis, along with looking deeper into the themes (paranoia is a big one), music, revolutionary practical effects and makeup by Rob Bottin and team, and the sound design to create the most comprehensive examination of The Thing that one could imagine.
Fans of the Carpenter film will absolutely eat this up as I did. To hear things like Kurt’s story of having to take control of a wayward bus in ice and snow in order to save the lives of the cast and crew in real life is fascinating stuff. Also, for Kurt Russell to say that the answer to The Thing’s famously ambiguous ending is there for all to see, but hasn’t been picked up on, is an invitation to a Holy Grail film treasure hunt for aficionados.
John Carpenter discusses his sci-fi horror classic in The Thing Expanded.
“…comprehensive five hour documentary on the…cult classic…”
I love to see true artists like Bottin get his flowers, but it’s also disappointing to know that he’s not working in the industry anymore due to it relying so heavily on CGI. Same goes for the ending that is now lauded by fans, but a studio would never let it end that way today. This is a bygone era that happened within my lifetime, so it’s easy for audiences to be nostalgic for it.
You would think that a five-hour doc would get boring, but that’s not the case here. It’s tightly paced, broken down into chapters, with in-depth stories galore. Where else would you hear actor Richard Masur (Clark in the movie) talk about pulling John Carpenter aside about a shot Masur felt that Carpenter needed in the final cut and almost didn’t even shoot (which Masur was absolutely right about by the way)?
It’s also fun to learn about other films inspired by The Thing that you wouldn’t necessarily think of, such as Tarantino’s Hateful Eight or Roth’s Cabin Fever. The documentary even dives into the underwhelming 2011 prequel and a scrapped Syfy channel series by Darabont. These are all reminders that, as much as other filmmakers try, it’s so difficult to recreate that magic of a masterpiece. Of course, Carpenter actually took his inspiration from Howard Hawks’ The Thing From Another World and, more so, the short story Who Goes There, which is also examined here.
If you’re a sucker for DVD extras or of documentary deep dives (such as Robodoc or Alien Expanded), or just a fan of The Thing, then The Thing Expanded is the perfect companion for five hours of film freak sci-fi/horror bliss.
"…the perfect companion for five hours of film freak sci-fi/horror bliss. "
