True or False: The Thing(1982) is better than Alien(1979)

[ThirdAct]

Yup. I feel like The Thing goes for the jugular more. Alien was probably mindblowing in 1979 but feels kinda quaint today. Still a great movie though.

 

[feelosofer]

False

BUT

No slight against The Thing 82 because its a classic in its own right.

 

[BlackMajik]

Just watched The Thing(2011) prequel

It was better than I thought it would be

 

[PoorAndDangerous]

False, the thing is incredible though

 

[Bathing Ape]

Just watched The Thing(2011) prequel

It was better than I thought it would be

I never understood the hate for the movie besides the CGI.


It’s a draw for me as I love both but I’m a Alien head. I love how deep the lore is

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

Alien is slightly better to me but they are both classics.

 

[HipHopStan]

Releasing a horror movie right after ET was a terrible move. Maybe it would've flopped regardless but a very bad move.

Imagine going to see two alien films two weeks apart. One is ET, an adventurous, family-friendly film that leaves the audience with wonder and hope to seeing The Thing, a shockingly visceral display of terror that leaves the audience on a paranoid and dour ending. What a complete 180.

I know there were a lot of films in the 60s and 70s that were gritty and downbeat and they enjoyed ending on a depressing note but I think audiences were getting kind of tired of those films by the time the 80s rolled around. Were there still movies that were that way? Of course. But those films started to take a backseat once Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Back to the Future, and the rest of the blockbusters all started to come around.

I just feel bad for John Carpenter because if The Thing had been a hit, who knows where that success would’ve taken him. It’s always going to be one of those big “What if?” scenarios.

 

[DoubleClutch]

I still go with Alien, however, I think The Thing is better than it gets credit for beyond the legendary practical effects. It's underrated as a film. I still don't think it's quite on par with Alien, but I don't think it's more than a slight notch or two below.

What is “practical effects” and why is it so important

 

[HipHopStan]

What is “practical effects” and why is it so important

A practical effect:

 

[BlackMajik]

And The Thing is FAR more terrifying than a Xenomorph

 

[Poetical Poltergeist]

What is “practical effects” and why is it so important

Non cgi. Cgi didn't exist back then anyway, so all films relied on practical effects. Stop motion was a big thing back in the day but designs like the Queen Alien in Aliens is one of the most revered creations along with the effects in The Thing. Imagine Jaws being all cgi, it wouldn't look at half as good as we saw in the original. Hell even Star Wars looks better than the prequels that came out over 20 years later which was all digital effects.

It's important because it just looks better in so many ways. Look at The Thing prequel, they scrapped the practical effects and used CGI instead which totally takes you out of the movie because nothing looks real.

 

[Poetical Poltergeist]

Imagine going to see two alien films two weeks apart. One is ET, an adventurous, family-friendly film that leaves the audience with wonder and hope to seeing The Thing, a shockingly visceral display of terror that leaves the audience on a paranoid and dour ending. What a complete 180.

I know there were a lot of films in the 60s and 70s that were gritty and downbeat and they enjoyed ending on a depressing note but I think audiences were getting kind of tired of those films by the time the 80s rolled around. Were there still movies that were that way? Of course. But those films started to take a backseat once Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Back to the Future, and the rest of the blockbusters all started to come around.

I just feel bad for John Carpenter because if The Thing had been a hit, who knows where that success would’ve taken him. It’s always going to be one of those big “What if?” scenarios.

The Thing should have done better box office wise but it was probably never going to be a huge hit. Like you said, the 80s was a different animal filled with happy endings and wonder. Tarantino likes to bash the 80s since he came up watching all the dirty gritty movies of the 70s. So I am sure he loved the thing growing up on The Excorcist, TCM, Halloween, Alien, Jaws..

I grew up on 80s films and there are just as many classics as there were in the 70s, if not more but the movies were obviously made to make money. However imo the best action and comedy films came out in The 80s. A lot of great horror too, more than what the 90s offered. Action wise the 90s rival the 80s.

 

[BlackMajik]

The Thing should have done better box office wise but it was probably never going to be a huge hit. Like you said, the 80s was a different animal filled with happy endings and wonder. Tarantino likes to bash the 80s since he came up watching all the dirty gritty movies of the 70s. So I am sure he loved the thing growing up on The Excorcist, TCM, Halloween, Alien, Jaws..

I grew up on 80s films and there are just as many classics as there were in the 70s, if not more but the movies were obviously made to make money. However imo the best action and comedy films came out in The 80s. A lot of great horror too, more than what the 90s offered. Action wise the 90s rival the 80s.

https://www.thecoli.com/threads/better-action-movies-80s-or-90s.893209/

 

[pez]

I THINK I seen The Thing when I was just a kid. Like 30 years ago but I'm not sure. Maybe i'm confusing it with Swamp Thing or The Blob. Anyways, you made me go look it up and I found a fanedit for The Thing 1982 version mashed up with the 2011 version: Things, The - Fanedit.org

I just downloaded it. Maybe i'll watch it one day when my kids are ready for scary movies.

 

[Poetical Poltergeist]

https://www.thecoli.com/threads/better-action-movies-80s-or-90s.893209/

80s is king no doubt.