thething.ca The World's Largest THE THING Collection

John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) remains to this day, my all-time favorite movie. I was 12 years old when this "R" rated sci-fi/horror masterpiece came to theaters. Too young and impressionable to watch it then, I had to wait until my Dad rented it on Beta tape shortly after it's video release. Back then, I knew of the star of the movie, Kurt Russell, from his Disney films like "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes", "The Strongest Man in the World", and "Now You See Him, Now You Don't", so I was excited to see what Dexter Riley (Kurt's name in the Disney films) was doing in the Antarctic.

     After the movie, I couldn't sleep that night, thinking my Dad had made a horrible mistake in letting me watch this movie. It terrified me, but I also couldn't stop thinking about what I saw. The effects in the movie were breathtaking. All I did for days after my first viewing was think about what I saw. Even then, I wanted to know, how John Carpenter made these "Things" come to life. The atmosphere of the movie, aided by Ennio Morricone's score, grips you, and doesn't let go. The desolate Antarctic scientific facility, Outpost #31 is where The Thing is unleashed on the unsuspecting crew when a transformed Husky sled-dog is chased there by a pursuing Norwegian helicopter, trying to kill it. The mayhem that follows through the rest of the film is fantastic. Who can forget the dog kennel scene? How about the great Norris heart attack/chest implosion/spiderhead scene? Oh! I would be careless if I failed to recall the Palmer BloodThing jumping out from the petri dish ? CLASSIC!!!

     I collect virtually everything involving the movie. Next to actual props or items used in the production of the movie, my favorite items are promotional in nature. Posters, lobby cards, photos, newspaper ads etc... I also collect items from the original movie The Thing From Another World (1951) and the books with John W. Campbell's story to which both movies are based, called "Who Goes There?" released in 1948.

     I'm always interested in acquiring new The Thing treasures. If you have any "Things" you would care to sell, donate, or tell me about, please do not hesitate to e-mail me.

     To read up on the movie in detail, please visit my friend Todd's site outpost31.com. Todd is also the co-host (and originator) of the annual Thing-Fests. A fantastic big screen viewing of the movie.