Why these 30 seconds should be cut from John Carpenter’s The Thing

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John Carpenter’s film, “The Thing,” is almost flawless, but the initial scene feels superfluous and diminishes the intensity of the terrors that unfold afterward.

Fans of specific film genres often express disappointment over the high number of remakes in horror movies, and they might have a valid point when it comes to reinterpretations of classics like Psycho, Jacob’s Ladder, Child’s Play, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. However, this method also led to the creation of Nicolas Cage yelling about bees in his version of The Wicker Man, which isn’t entirely negative.

Various outstanding remakes of genres have been produced too, such as Philip Kaufman’s version of Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, David Cronenberg’s adaptation of The Fly, Gore Verbinski’s take on The Ring, and James Watkins’ rendition of Speak No Evil.

However, what stands out most might be John Carpenter’s reinterpretation of “The Thing From Another World,” titled simply “The Thing” in 1982. Although I admire the end product, I find myself disliking the initial two minutes, as they strip the film of its early mystery by revealing too much.

How The Thing currently begins

The story begins with 90 seconds of credits, followed by the sound of a spaceship in motion across the cosmos. This vessel then hurtles towards Earth, only to ignite as it nears, and just before impact, the emblematic title “The Thing” explodes onto the screen, announcing its presence.

The minimalist electronic soundtrack of the carpenter plays, accompanied by the title “Antarctica, Winter 1982,” which sets the stage. Then, as night transitions into day, we’re welcomed into a chilly, snow-covered terrain.

A helicopter emerges, carrying a man dangling from its side, scouring the vast, snowy landscape below. Then, Carpenter swiftly switches to a sled dog racing across the snowfield. As the man brandishes a rifle, it becomes evident that the dog is being pursued as prey.

I unleash several shots, yet the canine manages to dodge each one, slipping away towards the United States Science Institute Station 4. Unfortunately for him, I’m not so lucky – I fall before I can reveal the peculiar sequence of events that led us here.

Why that spacecraft reveal is unforgivable

It appears that the opening scene hints at a connection with the spaceship. This event prompts the Americans to scrutinize a nearby Norwegian base, where they discover a burnt remains resembling a distorted human form. Again, it’s reasonable to assume that this mystery is linked to whatever made an emergency landing on Earth.

When a dog appears to dominate other dogs in its kennel, it’s hard not to suspect some alien activity, especially since those brief moments hinted at this possibility.

American researchers quickly come to suspect that whatever was found within the dog has the ability to mimic other living organisms. Their suspicions are confirmed as alien origin becomes clear when they uncover a hidden spacecraft beneath the ground.

From a devoted viewer’s perspective, the first act of this film has us always staying one step ahead of the characters. However, eliminate that initial two minutes – particularly the scene where the spacecraft is introduced – and you’ve got a completely transformed version of The Thing.

The situation of a man pursuing a dog becomes increasingly puzzling, just like the disarray found with that distorted corpse, and most perplexingly, the grotesque canine scene.

Could it be that nature has become hostile towards us, or is there a disease spreading among humans that’s causing destruction? Or perhaps our once loyal companions have evolved to pose threats instead?

Until the reveal of that ship, these questions should be swirling in the minds of the viewers. However, the plot unfolds at a pace where the characters are catching up, leaving the movie lacking the intrigue and anticipation it could have had.

If you’re as fond of “The Thing” as I am, when introducing it to a novice, consider moving the playhead to the two-minute mark – or manually navigate to those crucial moments – so they can savor the finest rendition of Carpenter’s timeless masterpiece.

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2025-06-25 10:18