Today, I am going to break another promise. I wanted to feature one English movie and one alternative language movie every week, but this time, I could not resist the temptation of featuring two Hollywood movies whose central character is an alien – one loveable, the other terrifying.
The two movies in question are Steven Spielberg’s E.T. The Extra Terrestrial and John Carpenter’s The Thing. Both directors were at the top of their game when the two movies came out within weeks of each other in the summer of 1982. That was incidentally a golden year for movies, with Poltergeist, Road Warrior, Conan the Barbarian, Tron, Rocky III, Star Trek: Wrath of Khan and Fast Times at Ridgemont High also playing at cinemas around the world.
Everyone loved the cuddly alien in ET, left behind on Earth by his parents and cared for by Eliot (Henry Thomas) and his friends. The public reception to ET was so warm that the shape-shifting, utterly evil alien in The Thing had no chance. The movie was a box office bomb and a disaster with the critics. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times even asked filmgoers to watch Howard Hawk’s 1951 B & W movie The Thing from Another World instead. But over the years, the magic of home video and fading memories of the adorable alien from ET transformed the perception of The Thing in the eyes of cinemagoers. First on VHS, then Laserdisc, DVD and finally Blu Ray, The Thing gained a wider following, critical acclaim and ultimately, cult status. Today, it is generally regarded as one of the best science fiction and horror movies ever made. Carpenter, director of the acclaimed Halloween, was just unlucky to see his film released just three weeks after ET. Time can indeed be kind even to shape shifting, absolutely revolting aliens.
The Thing (1982)
The Thing is a re-imagining of Howard Hawke’s The Thing From Another World, which in turn is based on John W Campbell’s award-winning novella Who Goes There? (1938). Whereas the 1951 movie depicted The Thing in humanoid form, Carpenter’s version stayed true to the source material and portrayed the alien as a shape-shifting organism that can literally take the form of any animal or human.
The story is fairly simple – a team of 12 researchers led by R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russell) in Antarctica finds an ancient alien spaceship buried deep in ice, from which a terrifying alien wakes up. That alien infects their dogs (it initially takes the form of a dog) and one or more of the humans. At this stage, it becomes a terrifying guessing game – are you human or not ?. It becomes a matter of trust and friendship, but even the best of relationship can falter in the face of unspeakable evil. Yes, The Thing seems to be a creature movie, but deep inside, it is a study of human bonds and the limits of trust in a claustrophobic setting. The men are engulfed by paranoia, distrust, and outright fear of one another and everything around them. You simply cannot this kind of terror in Antarctica.
This is one movie whose special effects (done mainly by a very young Rob Bottin) still stand up very well after 35 years. They are not easy to watch even now. A head that walks on legs like a spider does ? You got it. A stomach that opens to reveal jaws-like teeth ? The Thing has it. And those are just two examples. And helping the movie along is a great score by Ennio Morricone and excellent camerawork by Dean Cundey. One little fact – this is an all-male movie, with no female characters. A bit Politically Incorrect today, but back in 1982 it was not much of a problem.
This is one movie which gained a very wide following on home video. If you have the 1998 Pioneer/Universal Signature Collection Widescreen THX certified Laserdisc with Dolby Surround Sound, keep it at all costs. The next best thing is the Collector’s Edition DVD from 2000, which I have. But if you do not have the movie on disc, there are two new options available. Arrow Video will release a brand new The Thing Blu Ray from a 4K restoration in October this year in the UK, but this is already sold out. The next best option is a 2K restoration released last year by Shout Factory in the USA , which is reported to be the best home video version of the movie so far and is widely available. This disc has three audio commentaries including the one from the laserdisc by John Carpenter and Kurt Russell, John Carpenter's The Thing: Terror Takes Shape documentary, The Making of The Thing, Requiem for a Shapeshifter featuring John Carpenter being interviewed by Mick Garris and The Men of Outpost 31 featuring interviews with several of the supporting players. If you like the musical score, just try the soundtrack on CD or Vinyl. If you like The Thing, also check out the Alien and Prometheus movies, John Carpenter’s They Live, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Slither. One final fun fact – what’s the German title for The Thing ? Das Ding, of course.
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
Who has not seen ET ? I confess I did not see it in 1982, but I saw it VHS a few years later. Captivating audiences of all ages, this timeless story follows the unforgettable journey of a lost alien and the 10-year-old boy he befriends. Join Elliot (Henry Thomas), Gertie (Drew Barrymore) and Michael (Robert MacNaughton) as they come together to help E.T. find his way home.
The story is timeless – a little alien is left behind on Planet Earth and a group of human friends help to “phone home” so that he can get back to his home planet. But it is not so easy – Federal agents want the creature dead or alive and ET and his friends have to find ingenious ways to evade capture. You are not human (or alien?) if you do not shed a tear while watching this masterpiece. In the words of one critic “E.T. remains as funny, thrilling, touching and powerful today as it was in 1982, and it would be tough for anyone -- young or old, boy or girl, newcomer or longtime fan -- to come away without having laughed, gasped, cried or cheered, for the first time or the hundredth”. Yes, it is that powerful and emotional.
But before we get carried away, suffice to say that ET is a rousing adventure for all times. Note that Spielberg did make a few changes to home video editions, such as replacing the Feds’ guns with walkie talkies, but unlike his friend George Lucas who has meddled so much with Star Wars that he himself cannot remember the changes, Spielberg provides both versions on home video.
Talking of home video, hold on to your Signature Collection and THX certified Dolby Surround Laserdisc or the Universal Collector’s Edition DVD if you have them. I do, and it has both the digitally manipulated and original versions. But if you are new to the movie, it is better to opt for the 4K Ultra HD Blu Ray, which will be out on September 12 this year. This special gift set features premium packaging, includes a re-mastered CD soundtrack of the original Grammy Award-winning album, is packed with over three hours of bonus features and includes a collector's booklet with behind-the-scenes stories and rare images from the archives.
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial 35th Anniversary Limited Edition retains all the excitement, drama and warm-hearted humor that made it an instant worldwide classic. Among the special features are: The E.T. Journals - Retrace the day-to-day experience of creating E.T from never-before-seen, behind-the-scenes footage shot by Academy Award®-winning cinematographer John Toll; Steven Spielberg & E.T. - Watch an interview with Steven Spielberg, as he reflects back on the film and discusses his experience working with the actors, as well as his overall and current perspective on E.T.; The Music of E.T.: A Discussion with John Williams - Interviews and footage focused on the long-standing relationship between John Williams and Steven Spielberg; The E.T. Reunion - The cast and filmmaker reunite to discuss their thoughts on the impact of the film. If you like E.T., do checkout Starman, coincidentally directed by John Carpenter.
Add new comment