[Trailer] The Thing remake

[Dannyalcatraz]

Eh...I found a list, you found a vid. Sometimes, showin' is better than tellin'.

Besides, that scene is EPIC! That is a looooong fire-suit scene by any standards and done in a small space. In the context of the story, they damn near killed themselves attacking the Thing. Those are some scared men fighting for their lives.

 

[Bullgrit]

This is Horror (with a capital H):

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TevQS4qgE_Q]‪John Carpenter's The Thing - Runaway Alien Head‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]

Bullgrit

 

[Bullgrit]

I never said The Thing from Another World was not a horror movie. It is. And by the standards/comparisons of its day, yes it was scary. But aren't we discussing this concept through the lens of all time? I mean, we're talking about 3 versions of the tale over a 60 year period.

Comparing the versions, it is my opinion that TTFAW horror/scare is "mild". JCTT horror/scare is "awesome".

And I must clarify something: When I said, "slasher movies and bloodfests do nothing for me," I meant that I don't like slasher/bloodfests, not that they don't move/affect me. I don't enjoy blood and violence for the sake of blood and violence -- it turns me off.

Bullgrit

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I never said The Thing from Another World was not a horror movie. It is. And by the standards/comparisons of its day, yes it was scary. But aren't we discussing this concept through the lens of all time? I mean, we're talking about 3 versions of the tale over a 60 year period.

Bullgrit

I certainly wasn't up until you raised this point about "it is mild as a "horror movie.""

The main differences between the 1951 original and the Carpenter/Russell movie are not ones of quality but of 1) faithfulness to the original story and 2) visual realism & gore. And even so, the original's special effects were about as powerful as they got for the day- just like Carpenter's remake.

The nature of the horror is the same. It is no less "Horror with a capital "H" than the 1951 original. Only our expectations have changed.

Still, looking through the lens of time, I didn't see anything in that trailer that makes me think the newest movie's visuals will be any more stunning than those of Carpenter's movie, now 29 years old...a mere 2 years less of a gap between the original and Carpenter's remake.

So, we have a prequel using something resembling the 1951's plot and the 1982 remake's effects. What are they giving us, really?

When I said, "slasher movies and bloodfests do nothing for me," I meant that I don't like slasher/bloodfests, not that they don't move/affect me. I don't enjoy blood and violence for the sake of blood and violence -- it turns me off.

Interesting, in the context of the nature of the substantive differences between TTFAW and JCTT.

 

[Bullgrit]

For the record, I am in no way disparaging the TTFAW. It is a good film.

Comparing TTFAW and JCTT is kind of unfair, probably. Not only is there 30 years of special effects technology difference, but isn't TTFAW more comparable to something like Aliens versus JCTT more comparable to Alien?

For instance, that fire scene reminds me very much of the scene in Aliens when they are all in the sealed room watching the motion detector as the aliens approach. Where the defib scene is more like the scene in Alien where they are having breakfast.

Aren't both Alien and Aliens considered in the horror genre? But they approach the horror in very different ways.

Edit: It's been a while since I saw TTFAW, but it wasn't a shapechanger was it? It's just a [plant] humanoid, right? The doppleganger effect of JCTT changes the whole story.

Bullgrit

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

For the record, I am in no way disparaging the TTFAW. It is a good film.

OK...cool that we agree. Sometimes its hard to get nuanced communication on teh Interwebz.

Comparing TTFAW and JCTT is kind of unfair, probably. Not only is there 30 years of special effects technology difference, but isn't TTFAW more comparable to something like Aliens versus JCTT more comparable to Alien?

Hmmm...I'm not sure I see that comparison & distinction. I see both "franchises" as being thematically close. The outlier in the group would be TTFAW since its alien cannot conceal itself as easily as the others. The Thing in JCTT is a shapechanger, and the Aliens have a larval stage that conceals itself within an un-knowing and ambulatory host. The Thing in TTFAW has no such advantage, though its incredible toughness of this sentient VEGETABLE is fearsome in and of itself.

(Side note: The Bodysnatchers are kind of in the same family- sentient vegetable aliens who conceal themselves as us...and, additionally, another franchise with multiple remakes.)

Aren't both Alien and Aliens considered in the horror genre? But they approach the horror in very different ways.

I can't say I agree there. To me, the differences between Alien and Aliens is simply one of degree, the upping of the ante from 1 creature to multiples (and eventually, to the Queen & colony).

 

[Deset Gled]

Comparing TTFAW and JCTT is kind of unfair, probably. Not only is there 30 years of special effects technology difference, but isn't TTFAW more comparable to something like Aliens versus JCTT more comparable to Alien?

...

Aren't both Alien and Aliens considered in the horror genre? But they approach the horror in very different ways.

Edit: It's been a while since I saw TTFAW, but it wasn't a shapechanger was it? It's just a [plant] humanoid, right? The dopplerganger effect of JCTT changes the whole story.

Bullgrit

Very much so. The more we discuss it, the more I think we're on the same page. Both are great films. JCTT is Awesome with a capital A. And, compared to it, TTFAW was a bit milder. But I will maintain that the cinematography of TTFAW was just as good as JCTT, and that TTFAW is scarier than a huge percentage of more modern horror films.

You are correct, there was no shape shifitng in TTFAW. It was much more of a "monster movie" that had a conflict of philosophy; the scientist wanted to keep the Thing alive and study it, while the military wanted to kill it.

Edit: Ninja'd again. This is what I get for paying attention to work instead of ENWorld.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

*...is the "ninja" in "Ninja, please!"*

 

[Kzach]

Aren't both Alien and Aliens considered in the horror genre? But they approach the horror in very different ways.

Alien was pretty smack dab in the middle of the horror genre but Aliens was more action with elements of horror to me.

On the matter of JC's "The Thing", Bullgrit's comment about seeing these movies 'through the lens of time' made me wonder if that impacts people's perceptions of the movie. I, for instance, only saw The Thing about a year ago after someone insisted that it was the best horror movie they'd ever seen. Maybe seeing it 20-30 years ago would've had a different affect on me.

 

[Bullgrit]

Sometimes its hard to get nuanced communication on teh Interwebz.

And I think too many people confuse: "I like this is better than that," with "I dislike that," and/or "That is bad." For instance, I like Aliens much more than Alien, but by no means do I dislike Alien, nor do I think it is bad or weak.


The comparison with the Alien franchise wasn't meant to be perfect. I was just thinking:

TTFAW and Aliens is horror in the context of military fighting the Thing.

JCTT and Alien is horror in the context of a bunch of civilians trying to survive the Thing.

Bullgrit