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Devil's Advocates #7
The Thing
Consigned to the deep freeze of critical and commercial reception upon its release in 1982, The Thing has bounced back spectacularly to become one of the most highly regarded productions from the 1980s 'Body Horror' cycle of films, experiencing a wholesale and detailed reappraisal that has secured its place in the pantheon of modern cinematic horror. Thirty years on, and with a recent prequel reigniting interest, Jez Conolly looks back to the film's antecedents and to the changing nature of its reception and the work that it has influenced. The themes discussed include the significance of The Thing's subversive antipodal environment, the role that the film has played in the corruption of the onscreen monstrous form, the qualities that make it an exemplar of the director's work and the relevance of its legendary visual effects despite the advent of CGI. Topped and tailed by a full plot breakdown and an appreciation of its notoriously downbeat ending, this exploration of the events
at US Outpost 31 in the winter of 1982 captures The Thing's sub-zero terror in all its gory glory.
at US Outpost 31 in the winter of 1982 captures The Thing's sub-zero terror in all its gory glory.
110 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 12, 2022
I really like the idea of academic looks at movies, but where the Halloween book focused a lot on history and psychology, this one focused a lot on film theory. A lot of it was... questionable.
For instance, the author tried to draw a line for horror movies pre and post 9/11, saying post 9/11 movies were filled with torture, gratuitous violence, and depressing stuff and always at the hands of the outsider, the alien, the thing foreign to our own communities.
But he said this in a critical examination of the movie The Thing, which had all of the above and was made in the 80s!
Is there something to be said about examining movies pre and post 9/11? I think so, but I don’t think that horror specifically is the genre that should be focused on. Instead, there might be something to the idea that, seemingly overnight, we went from having Russian bad guys to having “middle eastern,” bad guys. Personally, I’m not a fan of the generality of the new bad guys because it leads to a lot of bad feelings and, when coupled with misinformation and a general distrust of people that don’t think/act/look like us that is all too rampant today, it leads to bad stuff in the real world.
The horror world, by contrast, is doing a lot of what it’s been doing for decades and the only real change that could even be considered is the shift back to actual horror after the meta, PG-13 deluge of “horror,” films that Scream inspired.
For instance, the author tried to draw a line for horror movies pre and post 9/11, saying post 9/11 movies were filled with torture, gratuitous violence, and depressing stuff and always at the hands of the outsider, the alien, the thing foreign to our own communities.
But he said this in a critical examination of the movie The Thing, which had all of the above and was made in the 80s!
Is there something to be said about examining movies pre and post 9/11? I think so, but I don’t think that horror specifically is the genre that should be focused on. Instead, there might be something to the idea that, seemingly overnight, we went from having Russian bad guys to having “middle eastern,” bad guys. Personally, I’m not a fan of the generality of the new bad guys because it leads to a lot of bad feelings and, when coupled with misinformation and a general distrust of people that don’t think/act/look like us that is all too rampant today, it leads to bad stuff in the real world.
The horror world, by contrast, is doing a lot of what it’s been doing for decades and the only real change that could even be considered is the shift back to actual horror after the meta, PG-13 deluge of “horror,” films that Scream inspired.
September 13, 2017
This book is one installment of a series of books on various classic and challenging horror films. I went to this one in particular on recommendation from Rue Morgue magazine. And I was quite glad for the purchase.
Unfortunately, I think the presentation of the book itself, if you actually buy it, might put you off a little at first. For the price, you get a pretty slim volume with middling formatting. If other installments in the series are anywhere near as good as this one, I hope the price factor as well as the publication quality don't drag it down too much.
Because in this particular volume, Jez Connolly there's a really interesting job with the Jon Carpenter film in many ways. There's a chapter of some close critical reading, as well as some examination of the special effects, movie history, to provide a full view of this movie. Some of the critical application gets a little weak and how much it has to stretch its logic, but there is a lot to get out of this book that will really give you a full appreciation if you already liked the movie. And if you don't, you'll get some pretty interesting to bits about it anyway.
Unfortunately, I think the presentation of the book itself, if you actually buy it, might put you off a little at first. For the price, you get a pretty slim volume with middling formatting. If other installments in the series are anywhere near as good as this one, I hope the price factor as well as the publication quality don't drag it down too much.
Because in this particular volume, Jez Connolly there's a really interesting job with the Jon Carpenter film in many ways. There's a chapter of some close critical reading, as well as some examination of the special effects, movie history, to provide a full view of this movie. Some of the critical application gets a little weak and how much it has to stretch its logic, but there is a lot to get out of this book that will really give you a full appreciation if you already liked the movie. And if you don't, you'll get some pretty interesting to bits about it anyway.
August 14, 2023
If you're looking for a behind-the-scenes book about The Thing this isn't the book for you. This thing reads more like a parody of pretentious film criticism only the author seems to be completely serious. Here's a line from the book as an example: "The detachment of the Norris-Thing's head when the body is set alight by MacReady could also be thought of as a perverse reenactment of Medusa's decapitation by Perseus." You COULD also say the same thing about Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey when Good Robot Bill and Ted decapitate Evil Robot Bill and Ted but it would be just as silly. The author thinks way more deeply about the imagery than even the filmmakers did and has come up with a bunch of psychological, historical and mythological mumbo jumbo in an attempt to over-analyze a horror movie.
July 24, 2021
A superb summation and analysis of one of my favourite movies. Well thought out and written. A must for any Thing or Carpenter fans.
September 28, 2024
A really good book of an excellent film. And it did what these books should do which is tell me something.
May 10, 2016
Another nicely done monograph on my favorite film of all time. Hollywood doesn't have the balls to make a film like this in todays market. A true sic-fi horror film with an ending that has kept audiences talking for more than 30 years. While the author may propose some possible ideas or explanations that I don't necessarily see, they are all intriguing and worthy of discussion. If you are a fan of The Thing, or just a sci-fi/horror fan - this is another must-read.
December 20, 2016
Jez Conolly's analysis of The Thing is a must read for all horror fans. He includes bits of the making of the movie, analysis of themes and scenes, the reception of the movie, and its cultural significance in 1980s America (with particular attention paid to Body Horror). A great compliment to Anne Billson's BFI Modern Classics The Thing study.
May 10, 2015
Short and a bit too academic in certain chapters.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews