I was 15. I begged my mom to take me to see this, the late night show on the last night it was playing in the little one-screen theater in the lake town where we used to summer vacation. There were five other people in the theater with us. After it was over, we all walked out into the empty street (doors wide open, the ticket lady nowhere to be seen), looking nervously at each other as we all headed to our respective cars. My mom, who never was much of a one for horror or science fiction, said as we got in the car, "I think I finally get what you see in these movies of yours. That was perfectly distilled paranoia." One of the best damned movie experiences of my life.

The Norwegian guy in the beginning that was shooting at the dog, when he was screaming at them he said “Get the hell away from that thing. That's not a dog, it's some sort of thing! It's imitating a dog, it isn't real! GET AWAY YOU IDIOTS!!"

40 years later and the special effects and suspense and everything holds up well. One of the greatest horror films ever made.

Alanda at the dog scene. "This is some of the most grotesque imagery I've ever seen." Me: *laughs in spiderhead*

"It's weird and pissed off, whatever it is." Is the best way anyone could describe any kind of monster in a horror flick.

“It’s above ya pay grade...leave.” I’m screamin!😩🤣😭👏🏾

That Norwegian not lookin so crazy now 😬 truer words were never spoken

Fun fact: the drink in the computer scene was meant to show what an impulsive hothead MacReady can be, but the computer did in fact cheat by making an illegal move. It was supposed to show right away that everything isnt the way it should be.

Imagine me, a movie nerd born in the early 80s, and literally nobody told me about this movie until I accidentally found it myself in my mid 30s. Pretty sure my family and friends are imposters

"Why is anyone in a room by themselves at any time by this point?" If this ever actually happened, remind me to have you on the team.

The plot of this movie is genuinely terrifying. To be in that situation. Trapped in the cold, no way to escape, and the people you're trapped with might be a monster. You don't know if this is your friend or an evil alien PRETENDING to be your friend. The book is also pretty scary and goes further in the paranoia and fear. Would you even KNOW if you're an alien yourself? The Thing also takes your memories. How would you know? It's horrifying.

I thought that I had grown tired of reaction videos for The Thing, but that was just perfect. Chef's kiss.

Bennings' scream when he reveals his thing-claw is the single best sound effect in any horror film.

There's a lot to love about 'The Thing." Oh, it's horrifying and grotesque, but the characters aren't stupid. They don't always make the best decisions, but step back and play this as 'real.' From thinking the Norwegian is crazy at first to realizing, "uh ... maybe he wasn't," it's all part of the flow of the story. And yes, the uncertainty at the end is the core of the story. Think about it. You're not sure why they would start shooting at such a seemingly loveable husky. Then the Norwegian seems crazy, although even then you noticed he's not shooting at the people. He IS trying to yell out a warning, but what? And once he's dead, everything slowly goes downhill. Even after the movie is done, there's just the right amount of uncertainty. It's not plot holes, either. Like for instance, exactly when did Blair get taken over? It's pretty clear he was still himself when he was at the computer and saw the prediction that the Earth would be completely consumed in three years if full contact was made. The Thing wouldn't need a computer to tell himself that. However, after that when he sabotaged the vehicles and the radio -- was that really Blair trying to protect the rest of humanity, or was it the Thing sealing off its prey and setting up to be 'rescued.' If the Thing fully infects someone, does it lie dormant and have the thrall run on 'autopilot,' or is it actively communicating with all of its selves? And here's another big one. Was the Thing the crew of the spaceship, or was it something THAT crew picked up? Personally, I suspect the latter. Either way, the questions are many, the answers are few, but ultimately you don't need to know all the answers. The Thing is a threat. Period. After studying its actions, you realize it CAN communicate. It doesn't want to. It's intelligent, but all it wants to do is consume. My personal take on the ending? I think Childs and MacReady are both human. There's tiny bits of the Thing left, but as long as people aren't stupid, humanity can survive. Childs and MacReady are probably going to die, but at least they held off humanity's end, if only for a while. The question isn't if they stopped the Thing for now. The question is will we learn and be ready? After all, we don't know if there's only one Thing. Sure, space can be huge, but ... welll ... what if? One final comment. How ironic that a creature so powerful realizes it, too, is vulnerable if people keep their individuality, yet stand together. Even when there were only four of them, it hid. Something to consider, indeed.

"This is a foul creature" is the single best description of The Thing I've ever heard.

I love seeing the look on people's faces when the dog transforms. Nobody expects it to be as gruesome as it is.

Apparently the practical effects team for this movie was working almost non-stop, without sleep, for weeks on end in order to create and perfect the creatures in this story. But it really shows; almost every grotesque effect still looks great all these decades later. :)

"He's wearing your face like a dish glove." That comment had me laughing pretty good.

The way in which the ending is to be interpreted is one of the most debated in sci-fi horror. Some people think Childs was a Thing because he was off camera too long. Some people think MacReady was a Thing because he gave Childs the bottle. Some people think Childs was a Thing because we didn’t see the fog of his breath in the cold. Also one theory is that MacReady’s whiskey bottle had gasoline or kerosene in it. So when MacReady saw Childs drink it without flinching he knew Childs had been turned.

One of my favorite shots is when the dog is glaring up at Macready. As if it's thinking "This one will be a problem. He will not willingly join us, nor will he let us escape this frozen wasteland."

When you said you “I don’t watch a lot of horror” I was like....Guuurl you’re in for a ride! Haha, Carpenter is a master of the genre! Thanks for another amazing reaction and keep em coming, I love them! You’re the best!

"How long were you alone with that dog?" None of your business, and we're just good friends. Best. Leo.

When I was 15 years old I worked at a grocery store on Saturdays. One Saturday I was sitting at the bus stop after a shift and my Dad's car pulled up with my whole family in it. "We're going to the drive-in" my dad said, and it was to see "The Thing". My favourite movie of all all time

Fun fact, this movie is based on an John Campbell novella called "Who Goes There?". The original story was just as intense and paranoia-inducing, and John Carpenter did a BEYOND excellent job at translating that terror and tenseness into this movie.

Including the "tied to this fucking couch" scene automatically qualifies you as someone who knows what's up. Great reaction, even though this was obviously not in your wheelhouse - and hey, I guess great horror is meant to make us uncomfortable, so in that regard, mission accomplished, The Thing!

This is probably the greatest practical effects movie ever done. Seen this in theater when it premiered, and is to date, one of the most fun movie theater experiences I've ever had. The whole theater was "you" during the movie. None of us had ever seen anything like it! That scene where his chest opens and bit off the drs arms, it's seared into brain. I mean, it fucked me up on some primal level lol Best dog actor in any movie. When we get to "Clark, put that mutt with the others"....I'm like "Ooooo heeere we go" lol It really is one of the very best "reaction" movies! Luv ya Alanda 💛🌻 Thanks :) Edit: Please add Dog Soldiers to your list 🙏 For something outside of horror I recommend Meet Joe Black (Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt)

I love how whenever it's someone's first time watching this it's like : " Aw, a husky! Don't shoot that husky!" 😂 Great reaction! I'm sticking around

"Well... it's over for you, ho." *lifts drink* I got jaded pretty quickly into this movie as well. *lifts my drink*

Everyone gets confused when I claim: "That dog is no dog. That dog is a banana!" But once it peels like one, they get it. ^_^

Love how this story gets going and no-one in the film / movie wonders how a dog knows where the next Antarctic base is... Or how the radios stopped working when the Norwegians found the ship...

This movie was definitely terrifying, but there is no denying that those practical effects are still impressive today 😊

I read the John W. Campbell, Jr. short story this is based on, "Who Goes There?", in late elementary school or middle school (I was a precocious reader). I then saw The Thing when it came out on cable, which is very faithful to the short story. Subsequent re-reads of the short story have reinforced what I remember from the first time around: it's a surprisingly non-dated and fresh read. The best thing I have heard is that down in one of the Antarctic research bases, they get together in a community room and watch The Thing on the first day of winter every year, marking the beginning of the period when they'll be beyond rescue for six months or whatever it is.

"It's above your pay grade. Leave" If I had a dollar, for every horror character that applies to...

Fun fact: The director has gone on record saying that one of those two people at the end was The Thing. He refuses to divulge which.

The safest way to play the game is to travel in threes, and ALWAYS ASSUME EVERYBODY ELSE IS A THING

Best reaction to the Thing in the dog kennel scene I've ever seen. FYI when me and my best friend saw this the first time in 1982 he actually vomited.

I'm glad I have finally seen someone else laugh when they're tied to the couch and dude starts turning. Is there a word that means terrifying and hilarious?

"He's wearing your face like a dishglove." nearly pissed myself when u said that.

Best review of the movie: “This is from one troubled mind.”

"So, that was terrible, and strange, but really good.." I couldn't have put it better myself. XD

Thumbs up for the giggle at "it's weird and pissed off". Most reviewers miss that. Plus the laugh at "not spending the winter tied to this f-ing couch". Thank you for catching BOTH of those!!!

FYI: Something is happening in Antarctica. Plenty of jobs down there if you want one. But The Thing may be viewed as an orientation seminar to watch before you sign up.

Her: "Is that a husky?" "Why are they shooting at it?" " Did it come to close to where they were?" Me: Shhhh no one tell her

I adore the synth score in this movie. 80s, but really still appeals.

I was waiting for the inevitable “what did y’all get me into” when she said she didn’t know what the movie was about.

Antarctica seasons = almost-winter, winter, still-winter, air resupply

There are many theories about whether Childs or Mac is an alien in the end scene, but in a Q&A someone asked John Carpenter if Childs was an alien at the end, and Carpenter answered that he knew Mac was an alien but don't know about Childs. That brought the Q&A grinding to a halt because everybody kept asking him for more details and didn't want to talk about anything else. Carpenter finally said "I was just kidding. I don't know who's an alien at the end. Nobody does. That's the whole point of the movie." However, Carpenter also endorsed the PS2 "The Thing" sequel video game as canon. In that game, you discover Childs' dead body and find that he was human and die of hypothermia, and at the end of the game Mac shows up and saves your life. 23:11 Clark was not an innocent man at all. Clark was a man attempting to stab Mac from behind with a scalpel. That's assault with intent to kill, so shooting him was a clear cut case of self defense.

One of the funniest reactions I've seen to this film. I was cackling so much.

When you ask why characters are doing things you know they shouldn't be doing, the answer is because you know they are in a horror film -- they don't.

When you said " He is wearing your face like a dish glove." I just about died laughing 😂🤣😂🤣 subscribed. You should give Termors a go it is horror with comedy . It stars Kevin Bacon.

Everyone watches The Thing, but john carpenter's They Live is my favorite. It is a much different film and I think you would enjoy it.

This is probably my favorite SciFi horror movie of all time

This movie took me to places I never wanted to go, and for that, I love it.

That was really fun. The practical effects always gets rightfully lauded, but the suspense, paranoia and the ideas behind it all is what makes The Thing a horror classic.

Props to you, Alanda for calling the dog a malamute! The actor dog's name was "Jed", and he was part wolf also. Easily one of the best animal actors of all time. It was reported that Jed hit all his marks in one take, including the "walk down the hallway and listen to the door before continuing" scene. RIP sweet boy.

I always find it funny how people watching scary movies always think they'd handle the situation better, when in all probability they'd be just as freaked out and panicked as the characters. Where I work, we've had multiple active shooter survival seminars, and they always stress that most people shot in mass shootings aren't killed fighting or running, but just frozen to the spot in terror. I think this film captured what it would actually be like quite well. It's also funny that in every reaction for The Thing I've seen, people think that going to the Norwegian base will be what unleashes the threat, when it's already back at the base chilling under a table and suspected by no one.

If you wish to know more, Ms. Parker, read the Wikipedia article, it's pretty cool. This movie is why some films are called iconic. It's a masterpiece. No CGI, all practical effects, flawless acting and it violated a number of genre tropes. It's a remake of a fifties film, ''The Thing From Another World'', in which James Arness, ''Matt Dillon'' in the TV western series, ''Gunsmoke'' played the creature. Although Carpenter's work is more faithful to the source material, the original film adaptation still packs a punch.

This was inspired by a short novel originally called FROZEN HELL later edited and first published as WHO GOES THERE? by John Campbell writing as Don A. Stuart. Howard Hawks made a movie in the 1950s inspired by it called THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD that was released in 1951 (I was 1 year old)---I saw in 1960( and we thought THAT was scary even though it left out the whole shape shifting subplot and just had a regular monster played by James Arness of GUNSMOKE fame,

"This is a Fowl Creature" " This is a Beast of a new Breed", you just coined my two favorite expressions .

You: "I don't watch a lot of horror, I'm too empathetic a viewer." Me: Ohhh, Ms. Parker here is in for an _experience._ Let's just say you're going to have an... interesting time when you get around to Event Horizon.

Special prosthetic and creature effects by Rob Bottin and Stan Winston! You are welcome! 😂

"This is a foul creature." haha XD

"Wearin' his face like a dish-glove." Classic!

If you were disturbed by this film, a more disturbing Carpenter film is, "Prince of Darkness." It's an intellectual horror film. Not overtly grotesque, but it will leave you with an uneasiness. To this day I have not been able to decipher the transmissions.

You are the exact reason why watching a “Reaction Video” is so enjoyable. Having seen this movie for the first time so many years ago I forget how i reacted to it. I can only watch in reverence to this movie’s continued brilliance, and your spot on, emotional, expressive reaction makes me relive what I might have felt when I first saw out. I can only imagine John Carpenter himself watching you react to his movie and thinking :”That’s exactly how I want my audience to react.” Well done, Alanda. Very enjoyable watching this with you.

You are one of, if not the best in the reaction genre. I've seen 20-30 different channels & I'm very impressed by your total content. Intelligent, meaningful, coherent, articulate, funny & real. Great PIP placement, levels, editing, minimal but poignant commentary & a natural sense for when to speak & when to not. Honestly, I think you should be a writer (comedy, talk shows, series). Tough life but opens many a door. Keep it up!

When you said you don't really do horror then stayed after the dog kennel scene I was like, "You're alright. Wish there were more chill people like you.

I can watch this 💎 over and over. Such a classic!!

It was from this movie that I learned Antarctic research teams are mostly made up of non-scientists who have plenty of dynamite, guns, and flamethrowers

I'm so old, I really liked the original 1951 version (Full title: The Thing From Another World) directed by Howard Hawks) Looks quite campy now, but scared the @#%& out of me when I first saw it.

“Them damn Norwegians done played us all.” I cackled at that. 😂

Great reaction! I could tell this was not an easy one for you but you picked up the nuances of this classic. I appreciate it when somebody can get into a classic like this.

They actually made a Prequel (which is also called "THE THING") to this Movie back in 2011 (VERY VERY Long Post below). It also takes place in Antarctica in 1982 and 3 Days before the events of the John Carpenter Movie. It is the story of what happened at the Norwegian Base (the base where the Dog-Thing came from). The Prequel is also rated "R" and it stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton. You should check the Prequel out whenever you have the chance. I think that it is Pretty Good although MOST DEFINITELY not anywhere even close to being as good as the John Carpenter Movie (the 2011 Prequel does have a lot of flaws). The Prequel does have a lot of Really Bad CGI in it. The people who made the Prequel did originally do Practical Effects in it however, after filming was completed and it went into Post-Production, The Studio watched the Movie and for some reason, they did not like the Practical Effects in it and so very very late into Post-Production, The Studio hired the guys who did the CGI for the Movie "DISTRICT 9" to come in and (at the last minute) cover over a majority of the Practical Effects with CGI. The fact that it was done so late into Post-Production is 1 of the Main Reasons why I think the CGI looks Really Bad. The Worst part about that story though is the fact that the guys who did the Practical Effects (Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr.) in the Prequel never found out that a majority of they're work had been covered over with CGI until they actually saw the Prequel at it's Premiere. Still though, I myself still like the Prequel and think it is Pretty Good and if that sort of thing (Really Bad CGI) is not something that bothers you then you should check the Prequel out whenever you have the chance.

Real talk, this is my favorite horror film. The paranoia, the creepy & ominous music, the mysterious motives of the Thing, the isolation, Kurt Russell's awesome beard. The list goes on.

This is hands down my favorite Sci fi horror of all time. The tension, effects and acting some of the best I have ever seen!

"The horror, the horror." Just getting started...

Your smart and insightful commentary is always fun to watch. Love that you called out the initial lack of blood test results as meaningless.

Oh Alanda, you were so innocent here 🥲🤣

the facial expressions alone make this a winner.

I’m laughing the whole time because I saw this movie when I was nine years old. And Every time you freak out I’m like “oh it gets worse”.

You want funny? Robin Williams in The Birdcage. Funny as hell.

One thing that hardly anyone ever mentions, is that this is one of the only movies ever made to NOT have any women in it...

Honestly the reason people are flipping out about things is that these people have known each other for years Clarke trying to stab Mcreedy before getting shot would be an intense betrayal considering in the novel they are friends if I recall The viewer is used to the horror and violence that has happened along with the suspense. It really is anyone can be The Thing, even people we like

1. Huskies are used heavily in the Artic/Antarctic regions because they're working animals. 2. The Norwegian killed himself so he wouldn't become The Thing. 3. You have the best reaction of anybody I've seen so far. 4. The noose is because Blair wants everyone to think he wants to kill himself. 5. Mac was defending himself because Clark was attacking him with a knife. Not murder. 6. For me the weirdest part is when Blair is pulling Gary by his face. 7. Something unsettling is that we didn't see Childs for awhile before the ending. When Mac and Childs were talking Childs didn't have breath in a freezing environment but we did see Mac's breath. 8. Two great first time/shares with Russel are: Escape from New York and Tango and Cash.

This movie is such a masterpiece. I you love it then you should definitely check Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) and Alien (1979). Both inspired The Thing in some moments

Fun fact: in the comics both Childs and Macready were saved but Childs ended up actually being "The thing"

macready is the thing. dr. fuchs told macready that "a small particle of the organism is enough to take someone over, and that everyone should prepare their own meals & eat out of cans." at the end, macready is sharing a bottle of booze with childs. macready-thing infected the wine bottle, which is a passive & subtle victory for the thing.

"Don't be mad, and don't be wastin' a good drink." Lol, to hell with the expensive computer! I've seen this movie many times and just realized that the Norwegian at the beginning should have known better than to shoot at the dog. He needed a flamethrower.

Thanks for putting yourself through that. Hands down one of the best of it's kind.

One of my favorite movies

Carpenter is (possibly) my favorite director. He has given me some of my all-time favorite movies, most of them cerebral sci-fi-horror flicks that most people have never even heard of, such as 'Prince of Darkness', 'They Live', and 'Vampires'. But my two favorites both star Kurt Russell (and, no, neither of them is 'Escape From New York', though that is an excellent flick...Lee Van Cleef was great). My favorite flick, following the Carpenter equation, is...'Big Trouble In Little China'. My next favorite of all Carpenter's brilliant efforts...is THIS horrifying stroll into the Twilight Zone. Scared me shitless when I was younger. MacReady may be no Jack Burton...but he'll do in a pinch.

"Wearing your face like a dish glove" Lol I'm going to use that one next time.

Alanda "I think it's sci-fi though ..." Well it's got sci-fi stuff in it.......

Yeeeaaah... This and The Howling used to scare THEE living shite out of me as a kid.

‘Ive never seen Halloween I don’t watch much horror’ wow you really pulled a 360 this past year I’m so proud , you’re officially a little horror buff 🤗😂

The dog was so well trained it actually frightened the other dogs.. now that is well done. Haha

Wow...remember watching this when I was 8....didn't watch this film again for over three decades.....your reaction was very understandable. Kind of wonder what would win....'The Thing' Vs the protomolecule from the Expanse....that'd be interesting.... Very cool video Alanda..thank you. :)

"Y'all r gonna shoot 'it'?" **Spoiler** You hit *"IT"* on the nose. It's not a dog.

I've seen this amazing movie so many times, it's so well made. Watching it with Alanda, Natalie Gold, and Devin G, it's like taking friends to a theme park for the first time. These reactions are precious. Great to see them be so impacted by the work of the director, actors, PAs, cinematographer, composer, grips, everyone who put in effort. This sparks joy, y'all. To all my people in production: know that Alanda and others like her really truly appreciate your work. THIS is why creatives are passionate about their work. YEARS after the release. Keep it up Alanda Parker, you're the reason these great works get made with so much effort and attention to detail. : D

This is one of my favorite movies. You handled it so well for someone who doesnt even watch horror!