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1* AdaptationDisplacement: Not many are likely to have read John W. Campbell's original story and thanks to the EvenBetterSequel reactions the film gets ([[VindicatedByHistory at least nowadays]]), ''Film/TheThingFromAnotherWorld'', while not totally displaced, is not as prominent as Carpenter's film.
2* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
3** The movie is ripe with this after watching, as 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? His research into the nature of the Thing would seem to indicate the former, but perhaps the Thing was taking the opportunity to learn for the first time about its own nature.]] Also, [[spoiler:Norris turning down taking a leadership role. Was it because of his heart condition as initially implied, or was he already a Thing at this point and knew being leader would inevitably focus a lot of unwanted attention/suspicion on himself? The actor stated he played it as if character thought he ''might'' be the Thing, but didn't know for sure, so turned it down because he wasn't sure he was trustworthy.]]
4** The reason Windows went gunning for the shotgun right after [[OhCrap realizing]] [[spoiler: who it was who let the Thing get the keys to the blood]]. Was he trying to defend himself from the others with it or would he have used it to kill himself just to get an easy way out from the whole mess?
5** When the [[spoiler:Norris]]-Thing is revealed in the surgery room, Palmer has the classic line "You've got to be fuckin' kidding" when he sees the disembodied head skitter off to hide in a room. [[spoiler: However, when Copper gets his arms ripped off, there's a [[FreezeFrameBonus brief shot]] where Palmer is shown watching with a [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight barely surprised expression]], which suggest that he's already been infected. Was he trying to preserve his cover by ratting out a smaller portion of himself that probably wouldn't have made it anyway? Or, more humorously, was he just so embarrassed at a part of himself pulling such a lame escape attempt that he couldn't hide his exasperation?]]
6** Did [[spoiler:Fuchs try to burn the Thing after discovering [=MacReady=]’s shredded clothes but fail in the process? Did he burn himself before the Thing could assimilate him? Did he burn himself because he thought [=MacReady=] was compromised? Or did the Thing burn him before he could tell anybody the truth?]]
7* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic
8** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsMH-sdznh8 original score]] by Music/EnnioMorricone. It may be shocking to learn that it actually got nominated for a ''[[UsefulNotes/GoldenRaspberryAward RAZZIE]]'', though like the rest of the film, it was originally slated by critics (who accused Morricone of being lazy and just copying Creator/JohnCarpenter's score for ''Film/{{Halloween|1978}}''), and has been VindicatedByHistory. Equal credit goes to Carpenter as well, for he himself performed the electronic part of the score uncredited, including the famous "heartbeat" cue.
9** At the start, Nauls is funkin' out to Music/StevieWonder's "Superstition", until Bennings yells at him to shut it off.
10* CommonKnowledge: The idea that a single cell of the Thing can infect people is thought by many to be canon, but this is merely one character's hypothesis. Evidence from the film itself makes it fairly clear that the Thing doesn't infect you at all, it ''consumes and replaces'' you. It cannot replace you until it has completely consumed you.
11** Those who support the [[spoiler:Childs was turned into a Thing]] ending theory claim that it's because [[spoiler:Childs doesn't have visible breath despite [=MacReady=]'s breath being plenty visible]]. In truth, [[spoiler:Childs' breath is actually visible, just the lack of lighting on him makes it harder to see. The scene where Bennings-Thing is cornered outside is also has visible breath, so whether or not one has visible breath is no proof of one's status as a Thing]].
12* CreepyAwesome: With emphasis on the creepy, the Thing is a remarkable creature with nightmarish transformations and surprising intelligence that makes it quite memorable.
13* EsotericHappyEnding: Creator/JohnCarpenter believes the film has a happy, inspiring ending, with the two remaining survivors willing to sacrifice their own lives if it means that the Thing dies with them. Viewer reception is more inclined towards the negative for being a very bleak conclusion to an already bleak film.
14* FirstInstallmentWins: Out of Carpenter’s ''Apocalypse Trilogy'' of this film, ''Film/PrinceOfDarkness'', and ''Film/InTheMouthOfMadness'', this movie is universally regarded as the best of the three, whereas the other entries, [[VindicatedByHistory while retroactively vindicated as some of his better work]], still don’t hold a flame to what Carpenter accomplished in 1982.
15* FriendlyFandoms: Some fans of John Carpenter's ''(The Thing 1982)'' happen to enjoy ''VideoGame/AmongUs'', as it's played with a similar sense of paranoia of who is an impostor and who is normal, much like the film does.
16* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff:
17** This movie has become part of the culture in Antarctica. It is a long standing tradition in all British Antarctic research stations to watch it as part of their Midwinter feast and celebration held every June 21. The Amundsen-Scott Research Station also holds a back-to-back screening of ''Film/TheThingFromAnotherWorld'', this film, and [[Film/TheThing2011 the 2011 prequel]] after the last flight leaves for the winter.
18** The movie initially didn't do so well in the US, but according to Creator/GuillermoDelToro, it was very successful in UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}.
19* HarsherInHindsight: Norris suffering a heart attack [[spoiler: before turning out to be the Thing]] is this considering Charles Hallahan would end up dying of a heart attack.
20* HesJustHiding:
21** There are some who wonder if [[spoiler:Fuchs]] might have been FakingTheDead with one of the previously killed bodies in order to hide from the Thing, given how nothing was recognizable of his corpse but his (oddly unmelted) glasses.
22** Not everyone is ''completely'' sure that [[spoiler:Nauls]] got killed after wandering off on his own.
23* HilariousInHindsight:
24** [[Myth/SiberianMythology The Sun Maiden and Crescent Moon]] similarly features a shapeshifting horror who kills and replaces her victims in a polar setting. How old the story is is hard to say, but the Ket people have been around for thousands of years so most certainly its OlderThanDirt.
25** Creator/KeithDavid's character starts calling [=MacReady=] out on his [[WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog "Voodoo bullshit!"]]
26** When Childs questions Palmer about "voodoo bullshit", Palmer replies "''Chariots of the Gods'', man.", referencing a 1968 book by Erich von Däniken which purports that the [[ETGaveUsWiFi technologies and religions]] of many ancient civilizations were given to them by [[AncientAstronauts ancient astronauts]] who were welcomed as gods. ''Chariots of the Gods'' would later directly inspire the 1994 film, ''Film/{{Stargate}}'', which starred... Creator/KurtRussell ([=MacReady=]).
27** This wouldn't be the last time that [[Film/TheHatefulEight Kurt Russell was trapped in a snowy wasteland with a bunch of untrustworthy people.]] Ennio Morricone even reused some of his tracks for ''Hateful'' -- and would win an Oscar for it, to boot.
28** Music/EnnioMorricone's score was notably nominated for a [[UsefulNotes/GoldenRaspberryAward Razzie]] at release but has been VindicatedByHistory. Cue 2016 and his score for ''Film/TheHatefulEight'', which reuses a few tracks, wins an Oscar. To say the Razzies were wrong in hindsight seems to be an understatement.
29** Creator/KurtRussell would later be in [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 a film]] [[spoiler: with an alien desiring to assimilate others. The kicker? ''He is'' said alien in question.]]
30** Brian Dennehy was nearly cast as Dr. Copper before Richard Dysart was cast in Carpenter's film. Later in 2005, Dennehy appeared in a [[Film/AssaultOnPrecinct132005 remake]] of a Creator/JohnCarpenter [[Film/AssaultOnPrecinct131976 movie]].
31** Two of the main characters are [[Platform/AppleMacintosh Mac]] and [[Platform/MicrosoftWindows Windows]], with the former even being introduced destroying a computer (the computer being a redressed Apple II computer that was used for the prop). The way that the latter [[spoiler:dies (being frozen in fear before having his head devoured by the Palmer-Thing)]] is often compared to him experiencing a literal HeroicBSOD.
32* JerkassWoobie: Most of the characters, as while they may be arguing and trying to kill each other, considering they are trapped with [[EldritchAbomination the Thing]] taking them over, one can't blame them. Clarke in particular warrants mention, as while he comes across as rather creepy, one can't help but sympathize with his grief over his dogs being killed by the Thing and Blair.
33* MagnificentBastard: [[BadassNormal R.J. MacReady]], the team's gruff, alcoholic helicopter pilot, proves to be the one person on the research capable of matching wits with the monstrous Thing. When the Thing begins assimilating the team one after another, [=MacReady=] [[AwesomenessByAnalysis deduces]] not only the alien's nature but that it poses a threat to all life, leading to him taking command of a paranoid, mutinous crew to stop the alien no matter what. So ruthlessly pragmatic he'd sooner [[TakingYouWithMe burn the entire board and all of its players than risk a loss of his own]], [=MacReady=] ends the film doing exactly that: surviving a one-on-one encounter with the Thing and annihilating the research camp so it can't go dormant. Accepting his impending demise from Antarctic cold with a bottle of Scotch and cool stoicism, [=MacReady=] is the most levelheaded character in the movie and one of the most badass [[ActionSurvivor action survivors]] put to film.
34* MemeticMutation:
35** With the ''massively'' memetic popularity of ''VideoGame/AmongUs'' with its similar premise of a murderous alien "Impostor" mimicking "Crewmates", comparisons to The Thing are widespread and practically inevitable, with memes surrounding the Thing's attempts at misdirection as "acting sus" or joking that Among Us became so popular they made it into a movie.
36** Anyone talking about the Norwegians on a forum will purposefully misidentify them as Swedish.
37** [[spoiler:Windows's]] death [[HilariousInHindsight has prompted many jokes regarding]] [[{{Pun}} Mac]] Vs. PC.
38* {{Narm}}: The scene where the Thing bites off [[spoiler: Copper's]] arms held up the worst over time, looking and even sounding extremely cartoony by modern standards.
39* NarmCharm: The cartoon-standard sound effects utilized a few times (such as the *goop* sound when [[spoiler: Copper gets his arms torn off]]) really don't detract from the horror at all, and often work exactly as intended, especially as contemporary films could arguably never hope to get away with ''half'' of them.
40* NauseaFuel: The horrific transformations the titular antagonist goes through are stomach-turning. Most of them involve the creature bleeding or spewing slime as it reshapes itself into a grotesque mass of bones and flesh.
41* NightmareRetardant: While ''all'' incarnations of the Thing are frightening, the infected [[spoiler: Norris]] has such a disproportional face that it looks downright comical in certain shots.
42* ParanoiaFuel: The antagonist is an alien who can flawlessly mimic any living being and seeks to assimilate other victims. It could be anywhere, taking the form of even your most trusted friend, just waiting for the right moment to infect you...
43* RemadeAndImproved: [[VindicatedByHistory It took a while, ]] but this film is often pointed to as one of the few horror remakes that managed to not only live up to but exceed the original in quality, and given that the original already enjoyed a good reputation, that's tall praise.
44* RetroactiveRecognition: This film was among the first major acting roles for Creator/WilfordBrimley and Creator/KeithDavid.
45* SignatureLine:
46** Garry's outburst is the most quoted line of the movie.
47--->'''Garry:''' I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time, I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter '''''TIED TO THIS FUCKING COUCH!!!'''''
48** Closely preceded by Palmer's reaction to the spider-head Thing:
49--->'''Palmer:''' You gotta be fucking kidding...
50* SpecialEffectsFailure:
51** While the majority of the effects have held up magnificently, it's quite obvious during the blood-testing scene that when [[spoiler:Windows]] is being ragdolled by the [[spoiler:Palmer]]-Thing he is, well, a ragdoll.
52** In that same scene, the hand holding the blood samples is made of wood which is more noticeable on repeat viewings, especially in high definition. They include a shot of a negative test with the fake hand as a clever way of sidestepping the issue of the hand looking different when the sample does test positive.
53** In the defibrillator scene, when the Thing bites [[spoiler:Copper]]'s arms off, his arms break off ''above'' where the Thing's teeth are sunk into them, rather than being cut through by the teeth. Also, just before this happens, you can see that [[spoiler:Copper]] is about to apply the defibrillator to [[spoiler:Norris]]'s chest in a long shot, but in the shot where the attack actually happens, he's shoving the paddles into [[spoiler:Norris]]'s belly, well below where a defibrillator would be used. And one last thing to notice is that his sleeves somehow managed to roll themselves up from the time his hands fall into [[spoiler:Norris's]] chest cavity to the time his arms are bitten off,
54** When [[spoiler:Palmer]]-thing leaps onto the ceiling, you can see a part of the tile fly off the ceiling, and then stick back up onto it. This was because that part was filmed with him on the ground, and the film was simply transposed to make it look like he was attaching himself to the ceiling.
55** Anytime tentacles sprout up, it's easy to see that they were being pulled through their props and just played back in reverse.
56** Although very beautiful, the wide shots of the crashed spaceship are easy to spot as matte paintings.
57** In the scene where the [[spoiler:Palmer]]-Thing gets set on fire and goes crashing through the wall out into the snow, the outer walls of this ''Antarctic'' research station appear to just be some wood panels with no insulation.
58** When [=MacReady=] subdues Blair, he lands two punches, the sound effects of which are obviously dubbed-in.
59* TooBleakStoppedCaring: Between the {{Gorn}}, the heavy-handed gloomy atmosphere, and the fact that the story follows a bunch of starving, freezing Antarctic researchers being stalked by a murderous EldritchAbomination, it's a pretty depressing experience. The fact that it ends with [[spoiler:all the protagonists dead and the base destroyed]] could thus be considered almost merciful. John Carpenter himself even felt the film was just too bleak for the audiences, considering another [[Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial movie with an alien]] was still in cinemas and had a considerably nicer "first contact" scenario.
60* ToughActToFollow: This film is considered one of the best sci-fi horror films in history. To say its [[Film/TheThing2011 prequel]] had some high expectations to fulfill is an understatement.
61* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The film features very '80s hair (most notably on Kurt Russell), loads of UsefulNotes/ColdWar paranoia, a remote research station that ''isn't'' automated out the wazoo, and a plot that mirrors the AIDS crisis. Also, dogs were banned from Antarctica in 1994 to prevent the possible spread of zoonotic diseases to the endemic fauna (rather HilariousInHindsight considering what happens in the film when the researchers bring a stray dog into the base...).
62* UnpopularPopularCharacter: Not surprisingly, the titular alien is beloved for being a creepy and effective villain by the audience with visually impressive designs and abilities, reasons the characters aren't fond of.
63* VindicatedByHistory: A box office disappointment when it was released, it was savaged by critics, and nearly sank John Carpenter's career. So negative were the reviews in fact that a film magazine even had an article that asked the question, "Is This the Most Hated Film of All Time?". 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. Kurt Russell is notably proud of the film, and doesn't mind at all that it took ten to fifteen years to "find its audience."
64* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The film is packed with terrific animatronic and makeup effects which have held up magnificently. In fact, the effects are so spectacular, it's sometimes been criticized by both fans and critics for overshadowing the rest of the film.
65* TheWoobie:
66** Norris. Fat unassuming guy who is among the least argumentative team members and has a heart condition. [[spoiler:He ends up getting assimilated and depending on how you interpret it, may have been infected first and was thus really an alien imitation for ''most'' of the movie.]]
67** Doctor Copper, who is polite to the rest and gives adamant health care. He gets tied down with Garry when the Thing plants evidence that implicates them both as potentially being assimilated. [[spoiler:Not only is he human, he suffers a cruel death when trying to revive Norris, who reveals himself as an imitation and bites his arms off, killing him. And to top it off, it turns out in the blood test scene he was human all along.]]
68** Garry, who is a ReasonableAuthorityFigure shaken by the deaths that happen around him during the film. He suffers the above situation with Copper, [[spoiler:and while he turns out to be human, [[YankTheDogsChain he ends up killed by Blair-Thing in a painful death when he shoves his hand into his mouth and absorbs him.]]]]
69** Windows can't catch a break through the whole movie: [[spoiler:harangued by the others for his handling of radio transmissions, witnesses Bennings' absorption by the Thing, physically attacked by Blair and then Palmer-Thing before finally being mercy-killed by [=MacReady=]'s flame-thrower.]]
70** The sled dogs, who suffer a horrifying attack as the Thing's first on-screen victims. The two that survive end up getting killed by Blair for their trouble.
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