History YMMV / TheThing1982

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Many Norwegian viewers see the movie as a group of brave Norwegians being killed by ignorant Americans, who then get their just desserts. Hell, anyone who realizes what the Norwegians were shouting at the start of the movie will probably see it in this light.

** In the CPR scene, when the Thing bites Copper's arms off, his arms just sort of break off ''above'' where the Thing's teeth are sunk into them, rather than being cut through by the teeth.

*** Made even more funnier when he also ends up voicing a [[{{Coraline}} cat helping a girl fight a witch.]]

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: The movie initially didn't do so well in the U.S., but, according to {{Guillermo del Toro}}, it was very successful in {{Mexico}}.

* VindicatedByHistory: A ''huge'' flop when it was released, and initially received mixed to negative reviews. Then TheNineties rolled along, and people started picking it up on VHS and DVD. It's now considered to be one of the greatest horror films in history and maybe even JohnCarpenter's best film.

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The film is packed with terrific animatronic and makeup effects which has held up magnificently.

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: For its time, the film packed some terrific animatronic and makeup effects.

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: For its time, the film packed some terrific animatronic and makeup effects. The 2011 prequel features some not too shabby digital effects.

* MagnificentBastard: For an alien parasite, The Thing is dangerously intelligent and is very capable at outwitting our heroes. [[spoiler: Hell, it kills off most of the cast and we still don't know if it got to [=MacReady=] or Childs or what.]]

** The movies are actually full of this trope. After watching, you know who has been assimilated, but not always when they were. For example, [[spoiler:did Blair destroy all that equipment in a desperate attempt to keep the Thing contained, or had he already been assimilated and was out to prevent the others calling for help]]? Also, [[spoiler:Norris turning down taking a leadership role]]. [[spoiler:Was it because of his heart condition as initially implied, or was he a already Thing at this point and knew being leader would inevitably focus a lot of unwanted attention/suspicion on himself]]?

* NauseaFuel: and plenty of it.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: [[spoiler: Palmer before he was exposed as the thing]] insisted that there was no point in tying up Dr. Copper and Clark are dead. Was it [[spoiler: Palmer]] telling McCready, he's crazy [[spoiler: or the Thing being honest about not infecting them, because walking corpses would be too suspicious?]]

* {{Tearjerker}}:
** [[spoiler: the deaths of the dogs toward the beginning, and later, Clark's reaction to the deaths of the remaining dogs.]]
** [[spoiler: When they first see the thing in the dog kennel and start shooting at it, Clark only seems concerned that they're hitting the dogs and even tries to run into the cage to save them despite the fact that doing so would obviously get him killed.]]

** In defense of the Americans, the Norwegians legitimately look like they're crazy--firing their gun willy-nilly and dropping explosives all over the place, all to kill a dog, ending with one of them shooting Bennings in the leg accidentally. Also, giving a warning is all well and good, but it doesn't really help if you're giving it in a language the people you're yelling at can't understand. Even if they could, it ''probably would have done no good,'' because of the reasoning above. After the incident, the team would still go to investigate the wrecked research station, the Dog-Thing would still make its Gorn-soaked appearance, etc.

** In defense of the Americans, the Norwegians legitimately look like they're crazy--firing their gun willy-nilly and dropping explosives all over the place, all to kill a dog, ending with one of them shooting Bennings in the leg accidentally. Also, giving a warning is all well and good, but it doesn't really help if you're giving it in a language the people you're yelling at can't understand. Even if they could, it ''probably would have done no good,'' because of the reasoning above. Occam's Razor would suggest they'd gone insane, and no more would be thought of it...until the Dog-Thing makes its first appearance.

** In defense of the Americans, the Norwegians legitimately look like they're crazy--firing their gun willy-nilly and dropping explosives all over the place, all to kill a dog, ending with one of them shooting Bennings in the leg accidentally. Also, giving a warning is all well and good, but it doesn't really help if you're giving it in a language the people you're yelling at can't understand. Even if they could, it ''probably would have done no good,'' because of the reasoning above. Occam's Razor would suggests they'd gone insane...until the Dog-Thing makes its first appearance.

** In defense of the Americans, the Norwegians legitimately look like they're crazy--firing their gun willy-nilly and dropping explosives all over the place, all to kill a dog, ending with one of them shooting Bennings in the leg accidentally. Also, giving a warning is all well and good, but it doesn't really help if you're giving it in a language the people you're yelling at can't understand

* HellIsThatNoise: The Thing is an undisputed ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgyiBrY_cNM master]]'' of this.

* HellIsThatNoise: The [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=w0Z44BIDPPc#t=86s scream]] that Thing!Bennings lets out is one of the most horrifying things you will ever hear.

* MagnumOpus: Generally in contention with ''{{Film/Halloween}}'' for being this for John Carpenter. Carpenter himself considers this film to be his favorite of his movies.