1982 gave birth to some of the most beloved and successful science fiction films to ever grace the big screen. Steven Spielberg’sE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Tron,andBlade Runnerall debuted that same summer, but none of them were near as haunting or frightening as directorJohn Carpenter’s must-seeThe Thing. Die-hard fans of the sci-fi horror classic and those who’ve never seen the exceptional flick will have their chance to visit the bitter-cold confines of Antarctica all over again whenThe Thingand its inferior prequel of the same name both begin streaming for free April Fools’ Day onTubi.
Carpenter was a huge fan of producer Howard Hawks' 1951 filmThe Thing from Another World,which inspired his reimagining, and Carpenter even paid homage to the classic by featuring it as one of the movies the children were watching inHalloween(1978). In the original, Hollywood Western icon James Arness (Marshall Dillon,Gunsmoke) portrayed the titular villain, but Carpenter ramped up the horror with plenty of explicit blood and gore in his interpretation. For whatever reason, though,The Thingmade far less money than any of the other sci-fi titles listed above from 1982, but it still managed to bring home $20.8 million worldwide during its original theatrical release.
Why The Thing Is John Carpenter’s Most Important Movie, Not Halloween
While underrated during its time, John Carpenter’s science fiction horror film The Thing should be considered his most important over Halloween.
Calculated in today’s money,The Thingwould have made $68.8 million when accounting for inflation — not exactly a blockbuster, but not a complete flop either. Critics and fans alike lovedThe Thing, which continues to be revered as a bona fide classic to this day. Carpenter’s film registers a “Certified Fresh” 85% on the Tomatometer, and an even more impressive 92% Popcornmeter rating, formerly the Rotten Tomatoes' audience score. Unfortunately, though, the highly anticipated 2011 prequel simply couldn’t live up to its predecessors.
Critics and Fans Despised ‘The Thing’ Prequel
Fans ofThe Thing(1982) shouldrememberThe Thing from Another World(1951)and John Carpenter’s version never would have happened had it not been for the extraordinary storytelling of John W. Campbell, a.k.a. Don Stuart (pen name). The author’s famed sci-fi horror novellaWho Goes There?(1938) is a literary must-read and also the inspiration for both movies. Unfortunately, director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. couldn’t recapture the magic of the book or its big-screen forebears when he madeThe Thing(2011) prequel.
Critics lambasted the Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton-led flick, which resulted in an extremely low 34% rating on the Tomatometer. Fans who rated the film on Rotten Tomatoes weren’t quite as cruel, butThe Thingdidn’t fare much better as it only registers 43% on the Popcornmeter. However, the prequel was positively received in comparison to its RT scores by audiences who critiqued it as they left theaters. However, the resulting “B-” CinemaScore did little to helpThe Thing’sbox office performance.
The Thingcompletely bombed during its theatrical run, and the 2011 prequel performed almost the same in the United States and Canada as it did overseas. In the end, it only made $31.5 million worldwide, and seeing how its production budget alone was $38 million before advertising and marketing costs,The Thingwas, without question, a flop at the box office.
Both John Carpenter’sThe Thingand its 2011 prequel start streaming for free Tuesday, April 1, on Tubi. In the meantime, be sure to check outThe Thing from Another World, which is available for free on Tubi, the Roku Channel, and Xumo Play. The 1951 and 1982 adaptations of the classic novella are both worthwhile contributions to cinema, but there’s no question that Carpenter’sThe Thingonly gets better with age,thanks in no small part to Kurt Russell’s mesmerizing performance.
