I was always more under the impression that Childs was human, but you do raise some interesting points. However in regards to your point at 4:47 I do have an argument against it. While under normal circumstances Childs might not be foolish enough to run out into the snow, he like all the men was sleep-deprived and probably not thinking clearly. He was also told to torch Blair if he saw him without the others, and therefore would have been following orders.
I disagree with the notion that Blair destroyed the communications array post-infection. The Thing would want someone to pick him up so it could expose the world to it. By stopping rescuers, it is essentially confining itself and preventing its "infect humans" agenda.
I believe that Blair understood the implications of the creature and took the moral high road. This seems appropriate because he is probably the most intelligent of them all.
It seems to me that the lack of clothing change is to help us decipher which characters are which. This is common in films where it is easy to confuse characters, and The Thing needs as much distinction between characters as it can get, since character development is minimal.
I just watched the Blu-ray. There's no need to "think" or "assume" that Windows dropped the keys. He definitely did. The subtitles on the Blu-ray clearly read, "Keys dropping" (or "Drops keys" - I forget)
@frozenpinky Although there is indeed no need to assume such a thing, you can't necessarily rely on any subtitles of any version. There are a lot of mistakes in all versions.
@rehzon Exactly. But any intelligent person in that situation would know that running off into the freezing cold w/o any light would be a near suicide situation.
In the end, its intentionally ambigious. There is no clear answer from Carpenter. On the DVD commentary, both Carpenter and Kurt Russell gleefully state that there is no obvious answer. The ending is intentionally confusing and you can make it what you want it to be.
I think Childs' jacket was covered in frost at the end and was also illuminated by yellow flames, that is why it didn't look blue. In one of the clips you show, Childs' jacket is partially frosted on his arms and the blue is obscured.
@MilkyWahey There was originally to be a scene (unfilmed due to special effects limitations) showing the thing (transformed into it''s final appearance) popping out from a crate and grabbing Nauls. I love the ambiguity of not showing what happened to him. Actually, several alternate death scenes were filmed for characters. Alternate scenes had Bennings stabbed to death in the dog kennel by an shadowy figure and Fuchs impailed in the greenhouse where Childs and Palmer grow marijuana.
Rob why put so much effort into this question? Its really irrelevant if Childs is infected. It's a film. The point to leave us on a cliff-hanger. You're trying to find a rational explanation where there is none. Many films are simply made for entertainment...not to unlock the secrets of the universe. 99% of films are made for profit.
may i add my info on lars? who cares ill say it anyway, i belive lars was mabye a shorttened nickname of his middle name larson. refresher: in deleted shots of the 82 version they named the dead norrweegen Jence Bowland (correct that spelling if im wrong), but i think in a bigger plot they gave him a full name, Jence Larson "Lars" Bowland and he is a former norg soldier and is the base doghandaler (issue solved)
At the start of the movie when the dog runs to george bennings you can see it licking his hands contracting the cells to his gloves when lars shoots him. He puts his hands over the wound contracting the cells of the alien! i think :D
Lars doesn't shoot Bennings. Lars has been blown up by that time. I don't care what the stupid prequel wants you to believe. The evidence of the 82 film show the pilot is the one carrying the rifle when they land the chopper. This is the guy who gets shot. It's not Lars. The prequel director can fuck off, he changed a bunch of things to suit his film, which is bullshit since it's not his story.
learnt from it's experiences at the Norwegian camp, it would be too easy for humans to isolate and threaten the creature, just by lack of earrings/fillings, it is even said that the creature consciously spat them out. I would say, if Childs was human when he abandoned his post, he would have immediately turned around to seek shelter in the base the second the lights went out, there is no doubt for me that Mac is human and with the apocalyptic nature of the story, there can't simplybeahappyending
Taking into account the inorganic material theory from the Thing prequel, I would say that in the prequel, it makes sense, because it is new to an encounter with humans, explaining its lack of stealth, but it is intelligent, so it learns and adapts, the inorganic material test is a threat, but is easy to get around, just by the creature fusing the material back in, around its organic imitated cells (it is a shapeshifter after all) so I would say, personally, Childs is infected and it has...
No offense but you are a moron. Look at some of the points you make. "Childs wouldn't have gone out without glasses" ete.... you are completely forgetting about the psychological part of the film. At this point you have seen nearly everyone killed. BRUTALLY. As a Military Combat Vet, I can tell you people change under pressure, or under extreme stress. They dont act logical.
@khadorstrong "No offence but you are a moron" You don't sound like a dick at all do you? Wouldn't "No offence but your theory is wrong" make you sound a little better? Maybe even throw in an "I think".
Either way, note how this video is expressing the uploaders theories, he isn't stating them as facts. Secondly, your theory is possible, yet (for me at least) takes away some of the films intellectual value. Finally, take into account the time difference detail highlighted by the uploader.
I do see where you are coming from. The video provides what he calls 'facts' not theories however. Perhaps I was a bit harsh. I think he is reading into things or grasping at straws to connect dots.
Yo, what do you think about the Thing 2011 theory, it cannot imitate inorganic material, which for me makes sense, and since Childs has a earring all the time, is a clue to me he is human.
Notice that when Blair was in the store room, there was a noose right next to him. This could indicate that Blair may have commited suicide before the thing assimilated him.
Just my personal opinion, but the behaviour of The Thing is well established in this movie as hiding in plain sight without drawing attention. This might explain why Norris turned down leadership, as when you're in charge, people are constantly looking to you.
Blair cutting off his escape and throwing a major fit in the comms room does not make sense to me if he was infected. Also, he was most likely alone with Windows before he started smashing things and all he did was wound him.
Also, in the final scene, the Gary attack, an assimilated Blair isn't wearing his spectacles, as they were probably damaged during assimilation, though he is wearing them when McCreedy, Nauls and Windows visit him to ask about Fuchs..
@robag88 well i think the whole point of expelling metals is that it cant replecate or use them. otherwise the whole concept of identifying by molars wouldnt work. probably a theory that its allergic or something to that sort
And I also think that Childs, if he had actually been a Thing at the end of the movie, would have attacked MacReady and assimilated him, especially being that MacReady was tired and unarmed (despite what good logic the maker of this vid, robag88 has).
8:04 I don't think Palmer got infected at that point because Childs, who appears to be with him at the time in that same room, would have gotten infected too if that had been the case. I think both Norris and Palmer most likely got infected when the lights went out; Norris probably because he didn't eat out of a can like MacReady suggested and Palmer after Fuchs saw a Thing (which could have been the one that got Palmer) go by through one of the halls before he went outside with a dynamite.
@ThePokefan100 Norris was likely the first one infected. The shadow we see in the room when the dog/Thing enters looks to be him. The raised curly hair certainly is consistent with his profile.
@ThePokefan100 good point: let's stick with what we do see: no flame thrower. and this is the version I saw when I was a child and...dilemma solved. no flame thrower, i.e. either mc is the thing, very stupid ending, or both are human. or the thing just suddenly has become so stupid it cannot attack an unarmed man with infection and flame thrower...
I was wondering why Blair, as an infected copy, wouldn't want anyone to go back to civilization. Doesn't The Thing want to go back to civilization in order to infect even more people? It seems like only the real Blair would destroy the computers and the helicopter, in order to save civilization.
@TrevorKingKwong I think Blair wasn't completely taken over all at once, he was slowly taken over. During the post autopsy discussion of the Dog Thing, Blair touches the critter with the end of his pencil and then taps his lips with it in mid sentence. This has to be the point of infection for his character. He goes nuts as a human and smashes everything, contemplates suicide (the noose we see in the shed later), but becomes a 'Thing' before he can kill himself.
@TrevorKingKwong That's what I love about this film...it leaves so much to individual interpretation. There really aren't any 'wrong' answers or perfect explanations for happens. Carpenter is genius for letting the film speak for itself, and I imagine he is quite surprised by all the fan-analysis. I love Blair as a character...he proves (for me at least) that you wouldn't even be aware of getting taken over if the process was slow enough. That is the scariest part of the movie for me.
@harizotoh7 You seeing it that way probably says more about you. I was illustrating the point from personal experience that some directors encode lots of subliminals and hidden messages.
@robag88 Childs is still wearing his earring at the end, which suggests that he is not the Thing, at the same time the preponderance of evidence you have brought to bear suggests that he is. Very likely Carpenter did this as a means of confusing us so that, like Macready we are not sure
One thing about Blair destroying the equipment. He's also shooting at anyone who comes near. When the gun runs out of bullets, he throws it even though it's useless since it wouldn't hurt anyone. The Thing would probably think more logically and just drop it while acting like he was spent. But Blair throws it, no matter how futile it is, showing off how desperate he is. It's a very human emotion.
@drumsticks57 I disagree. Blair shouts stuff the crew already knew and acts crazy,, but wouldn't that be the perfect cover? He wants to take out the radio to prevent a warning being sent to civilized areas, while maintaining the team's belief he is human.
@robag88 Well, that itself is also questionable. The Thing can take advantage of the warning system to get into civilization. It would have been easier that way.
I'd like to point out that any support for ideas that were generated by the video game or the re-quel can just be ignored. If it wasn't in the 1982 film, it's not relevant. My answer has always been that Childs was a Thing...and MacReady was about to become one. Not through attack, but through the sharing of the bottle of J & B. It is virus like, attacks it's victims at cellular level...so swapping man-spit with Childs probably would infect MacReady.
I just go back to the part of the 1982 film when Blair asks Clark about how long was the dog loose in the complex...easily got to Norris & Palmer early. Blair was slowly taken over...leading to the change of his behavior. When he trashed the radio room: still human. Locked in the shed @ the "I'm all better now" line: He's a Thing (check out my previous comment below for that logic).
@KC1976fromDetroit someone pointed out that Blair had locked himself in his room and wouldn't close the door (that was before radio room smash). With the door locked a full assimilation could have taken place.
Great stuff! But it wouldnt make sense that Bennings picked the keys up did it, given he was assimilated in that timeframe. I mean the half assimilated Bennings could have picked them up, but he couldnt sabotage the banked blood in that short time, he basically just went through the window and they spotted him.
@baioken If I remember correctly I said that the keys could have been picked up by Bennings or another team member. They were def dropped and quietly returned to Gary later.
No Childs wasn't infected he was human in the video game of The Thing Childs died by freezing to death the only person who survived this terror is MacReady
id say he was an alien early on. id also say that he killed Fuchs and messed up the power right before he died. And he could have shredded Macreedy s clothes while every1 else was busy. plus the ice tunnel that he had built...would have took a while to dig through..
ok..theres a noose..meaning he wanted to kill himself, he felt that scared and that there was no hope that he wanted to hang himself. After all the agro he had caused about the alien, smashing the radio's ect yet apparently he wanted to come back inside and that he was ok..wont hurt any1 ect ect.. id say he was an alien before that point..and before he got chance to kill himself...he could have wanted to hang himself when he found out he was infected and was slowly turning
I say Blair was one of the first infected. He wanted to build a ship to escape so he destroyed the vehicles for parts and freaked out with the ax to get himself locked up.
@marcusgarvee It may have already been on the run for a long time and the helicopter later caught up with it. In the book several thing dogs run from the camp and are tracked down.
@marcusgarvee As Mac says "Any place but here ... It just wants to go to sleep in the cold until a rescue team finds it". Blair's comment I think was more that no dog was gonna make it to the coast because he'd just killed all the dogs.
Yes, I think Blair was infected when smashing eqpt, the vid goes into that.
Not seen walkabout.
am editing a long new vid at the mo, hopefully will be up early next week :)
According to the prequel, no. Childs had an earring, and, again, according to the prequel, The Thing wouldn't have been able to replicate his earring.
@razormoviez The Thing prequel is written by different writers. And whose to say it needs to replicate the ear ring when it could just use the one that's already there?
@robag88 Yeah but it is in canon with John Carpenters version so I am convinced that Childs is not infected. Then again its still ambiguous if they survived or not.
@robag88 True, but ultimately we have to look at both the prequel and the original film as one coherent film universe. Either one could say that, as razor mentions, Childs can't be a Thing because of his earring. Another could say that, because of Things being detected for their inability to replicate non-organic material in the Norwegian camp, the Things learned to identify and 'hold onto' inorganic stuff to make themselves look 'normal'. Both interpretations are perfectly valid.
@chriscumbag I'm sorry dude but that is bullshit! A plot element that is just made for this new film should not have any bearing on the original film now more than 30 years ago. I have several problems with the earring thing anyways. 1. We saw at the end of the prequel that the last creature had to have been in the control room of the ship when it was firing up. If Kate got to the control room first and the creature was still there then when the hell did it have time to infect Joel?......
@chriscumbag 2. One of the elements from the first film that Mac noticed was that the creature tore through the clothing of the victim. But when we see Joel his cloths are undamaged despite the fact that the film even points out that the Thing can't reproduce inorganic material. The Prequel, while not complete crap, did nothing new & just took scenes straight out of the original, rearranged them, and presented them again. They were more concerned with making it a remake rather than a prequel.
For the blood tampering, I point to Blair. While everyone else is tending to Bennings being taken over, Blair is the only character missing. Fuchs says he is locked in his room, but this could have been a ploy and when the coast was clear, he could have taken the keys, tampered with the blood and put them back.
briliant thank you for this in depth analysis, also does anyone think if an infected person knows they're infected? and the thing partialy controls them or only at the last sec it takes a whole control of its victim, fuck this shits haunting me after the thing 2011 :(
@gfaustpl1 No one knows the answer to that question. What we do know is that when we see a character after they've been assimilated, it's not actually them, just a very detailed imitation.
"Is the Thing's imitation so convincing that part of it actually believes it's the original human?" That question's been asked since the 80s.
I think the Thing always knows what it's doing. The Thing led Kate into a trap in the 2011 film while it was still in Juliette's form. But, then again, who knows?
@mowingthefrontlawn true you know the figure thay see but they don't know who it is it could be Kate, at the end of the 2011 she is see in the car she could have drove to the other camp and go inside to look around then see the thing is in there and run out
@Thejakebak Interesting theory though the thing is, I don't think John Carpenter intended that when he made this in 1982. I don't think he knew that a prequel was going to be made nearly 30 years later. But that would be cool though.
clarkesworldmagazineDOTcom/watts_01_10/ heres a absolutely riveting short story which is The Thing from the aliens perspective. Its bloody entertaining and i recommend it to everyone.
I always thought Blair was still human when he trashed the equipment. Probably his last human act. Keeping the thing from getting back to civilization
good video I've always wondered though at one point in the film fuchs tells mac that just a particle can take over someone yet it seems to absorb everyone but windows who just gets his head sort of mangled lol
Childs is not infected play the video you game "the thing (2002)"! or watch DSQTTANTI's Channel. at the begin of the game Childs is died in a building.
@KC1976fromDetroit wow dude you bring up an excellent point! What if Blair wasn't the only thing working on the craft? Love these discussions people always coming up with new stuff. Interesting question good sir.
I wanted to think of Blair destroying everything as a pretty selfless act. He realized the speed of its transformation and the speed in which it can imitate everybody and decided that it cannot leave. The fact that it didn't make it farther would suggest that it wouldn't make it far from that camp. By taking out all the comm and transport he ensured that they would die, but that it wouldn't make it back as well.
@Angerlevel That's exactly what I was thinking! There's even a close up of his hands in which he's still holding the pencil while typing when the computer simulation is going on that is showing the Thing cells assimilating the Dog cells. I always thought it was odd that he'd have the pencil in hand while typing--maybe it was meant as a subtle message that he was infected.
if you couldn't tell the shadow was norris @ 3:56 youre an idiot besides he has the most memorable thing out moment in the movie (after the dog of course, with palmer in close third)
@tylerclifford65 on the blu ray version of the thing the audio commentary from john carpenter says the shadow was that of someone who wasnt in the film to prevent guessing who it was. Think it was someone behind the scenes shadow
When Childs finds McCready at the end of the movie, he has the advantage in that he's holding a flame thrower. If he was the Thing, why didn't he just fry Mac?
heres one for you sharp eyed Thing fans, oh and a little nod towards 'Jewllery Continuity'. watch the blood scene again, only this time as the group is blaming each other for the theft of the keys, concentrate on Doctor Copper's nose. It appeared to me that he was wearing a nose ring, later this was confirmed by Outpost31 as a 'Frat-house' in joke, and he was indeed wearing one. Check it out, even aliens have to accsesorize : )
I'm hoping I'm not the only one who noticed this, but after watching the film again recently I saw something 'new' that I never noticed before. If we go by the 'rules' of the film that even a single cell of 'The Thing' can infect you, then when Blair taps 'The Thing' carcass with his pencil, and then holds the pencil up to his mouth...touching his lips with it...this is probably the point of infection for his character @ 34 mins into the film. This is before his computer analysis, @ 40 mins in.
Also, this is long before the 'leadership' conflict comes into play in the plot. At 1 hour in, Norris (Charles Hallahan) turns down leading the group...we know in the next scene he's infected because his chest eats Richard Dysart's arms. Which begs the question: If you were a perfect imitation, would you even know you were infected until your own survival was placed at risk? So who really knows with certainty who was infected when or how? It's paranoia perfected for a plot device.
Blair wasn't affected before he left the main building, I don't think. It's because he knew how screwed they were that he started being "crazy" (sane?)
I don't understand why a Blair imitation would destroy the radio equipment, if the aliens primary goal IS to reach civilization. Why would it use the strategy of freezing itself in the hopes of getting found; if it didn't want to reach more people?
@Enkarashaddam Because Blair wasn't fully assimilated yet...he had limited exposure to the "The Thing's" genetic material...see my post above. He touched the 'dog corpse' with the end of his pencil, then touched the end of his pencil to his mouth...34 mins in. Blair is full on bat-sh!t nuts and conflicted when he discovers the computer simulation at 40 mins in, which leads to his attack on WIndows. By the 'I'm okay, now' scene...he's 100% thing.
@KC1976fromDetroit noted; however, this is inconsistent with the length of time it took the thing to assimilate Bennings, after Windows discovers the process taking place. The process is so quick that the consecutive scene is of Bennings post-infection, prior to them torching him. From the point that Blair was first exposed, a HUGE chunk of the film went by before they knew, and he had almost finished building the spaceship. This implies that he went straight to work when they locked him in.
1) Bennings was attacked by a big Thing...more cellular exposure, aggressive assimilation.
2) Blair had limited tissue contact, slower cellular assimilation. Hence, no ripped clothes.
As for the ship question, perhaps Blair wasn't the only one working on it? I know I'm trying to plug holes in the plot here, just offering an opinion.
@KC1976fromDetroit, well, I know its quite difficult to extrapolate on scenes that were never witnessed in the movie; the best I can do is think of a reasonable time frame for the events that were established to have occurred. But anything goes, really. However, what I do know is that its fun carrying discussions like these with fellow Thing-ites!
I too think Blair was infected after his meltdown in the communications room. In the original story it is mentioned briefly that you couldn't lock an imitation in a room, because it could reduce itself into a goo and slide under the door. Creepy to think that it sneaked into Blair's shack this way, I suspect around the time Fuches torched himself.
Excellent as always. However, I object to Blair having been taken over when he was destroying the communications equipment. I think it would be more advantageous for the thing if the base had outside communications. It would also be in its favor if the members of the team were more at ease, and being able to communicate with the outside world would be comforting in this situation.
the thing is my favorite movie of all time. mainly because over 20 years later, we are still discussing in depth at how things happened. I pray the new film is the same way and will hopefully give me the satisfaction of knowing what happened before the dog made it to outpost 31
I don't understand the point about Blair, why would be he destroying equipment for communications while leaving his notes. It seems logical he would destroy them first if he were infected to keep the rest of the team in the dark about the infection. Maybe the cellular tests were from his own blood and he realized he was infected, but still lucid, and put up the entire crazy act so the rest of the team would segregate him and he wouldn't be much of a threat.
@free2game The rest of the team already knew about the infection. They'd seen Bennings half assimilated. Hiding the notes wouldn't change that but it would prevent a radio warning being submitted back to civilization
@robag88 When the Thing assimiliates does it take over the existing body using whatever means possible (attacking it, spilling blood) and then reform itself into that body and heal it up. Or does it remake a new body and discard the remains of the original.
More the former, I believe. Consider the case of Norris, who was assimilated slowly from the inside, likely from one of the "tiny particle" infections that Fuchs warned about.
@robag88 The team knew about the assimilation, most of them likely didn't know about the rate of infection or how dangerous it really was. It seems weird if he was infected he wouldn't destroy his notes to keep the rest of the team in the dark and able to underestimate the risk of infection. It would seem more logical that he was attacked when he was alone, it's seems the easiest way for him to be infected.
@free2game I'd also say that the Thing does not gain personal knowledge of assimilated subjects, therefore it wouldn't have known about the notes in the first place.
Childs was in fact, infected. Kurt Russel was sitting down with another thing at the end of this film. Childs was wearing a blue coat when Russel left to give Blair the test, and then when he shows up again at the end, he's wearing a green coat. These two coats are highlighted on the coat-rack behind Childs when he's standing by the door. Why would he take off his flame thrower and coat only to put another coat on as well as his flame thrower? These two coats are featured in a single frame.
@MrSchultzstaffel In the comic books it does show Childs trying to attack macready. I would think Blair was already infected during autopsy. All it takes is 1 cell structure..
@TheUnkanny What a fantastic film this was.It holds up 30 years after it was made.Do you think that we'll be able to say that about this oppertunistic re-make?When you watch the film, Blair seems to have been infected after he was taken out to the tool shed.He had a make-shift rope-noose next to his table in there ready to hang himself if the creature was coming for him...but never used it and dis-regarded it completely when talking to Kurt Russel. The Thing dosen't understand social situations!
Also, Fuchs mentioned to MacReady in the snowcat that Blair locked himself in his room and wouldn't answer the door. Perhaps that was the time he was being assimilated?
i think plamer was assimilated during Blairs' freakout when he destroys the communications equipment. He is the only character not present during this scene. As you say, every shot was carefully planned. Palmers absence could not be considered a movie mistake.
I think Norris was the first assimilated by the do. he stuffed macs clothes up the furnace right under macs nose (the light is not on before they talk to blair about Fuchs)
7] Your "more plausible" suggestion that a Childs-Thing would run away to avoid the showdown the idea being to freeze? If that was the strategy, then why would he come back? FAIL.
8] You support that nonsense by comparison with the actions original dog? The dog didn't go back. FAIL.
I could go on and on but I got bored of this over-thought and yet simplistic nonsense and plus I couldnt stand the sound you voice one second longer.
@replyandyousuckballs It went back to see if there were any camp survivors moron. the original dog was being chased by humans moron. You could go on and on, but it wouldn't do you any good.
@robag88 Is that it? You couldn't make it any clearer that I'm correct and that you're fucked - FYI, this is how you FAIL.
Shut your hole. You're so fucking boring and dumb you obviously couldn't find your asshole with both hands and a torch, never mind say anything of value about a movie, you'd better stick to cartoons.
$1000 says you can't get laid by someone who isn't a functioning imbecile or somesuch kind of a bitch.
2] Childs wouldnt have gone out on his own and would have run to get the team? It's plenty plausible: he's a hot-head, he's wearing a flamethrower and he'd rather spend 15 minutes finding the team than just run and burn the fucker he just thought he saw? FAIL.
3] You wanna blab about Childs' strategy? Childs' strategy is what's best for him at the time. In the first case that was letting Mac freeze outside. In the second case, that was NOT letting whoever it was have free roam outside. FAIL.
As the video explains if he was the reactionary chase and burn em type then why did he tell everyone to leave Mac outside to freeze when they were convinced he was infected and the "enemy" was right outside the door and he had a crew as back up? You know that's a valid and logical point, but you've already committed yourself to hateful bile and don't want to take it back - a typical troll, and a blocked one.
@robag88 Shut it, you asswipe. I already took that shit apart - get someone with a brain to read it you: Childs' strategy is to do what's most expedient for him; at the time. With that, there is no mystery AT ALL in his actions and there is nothing valid AT ALL in your idiocy - you havent got a clue and calling me a troll wont disguise it. Furthermore, I'd be the "troll" that drove a fucking truck through your brainless fuck-wittery.
Yeah, "block" me! Cause you're SO FUCKING WEAK.....MORE FAIL!
I was always more under the impression that Childs was human, but you do raise some interesting points. However in regards to your point at 4:47 I do have an argument against it. While under normal circumstances Childs might not be foolish enough to run out into the snow, he like all the men was sleep-deprived and probably not thinking clearly. He was also told to torch Blair if he saw him without the others, and therefore would have been following orders.
HitchcockJohn 1 week ago
I disagree with the notion that Blair destroyed the communications array post-infection. The Thing would want someone to pick him up so it could expose the world to it. By stopping rescuers, it is essentially confining itself and preventing its "infect humans" agenda.
I believe that Blair understood the implications of the creature and took the moral high road. This seems appropriate because he is probably the most intelligent of them all.
SmoothHourglass 1 week ago
@SmoothHourglass Also, in regards to the yellow shirt, he probably removed it in the evening as he would be "winding down" so to speak.
SmoothHourglass 1 week ago
It seems to me that the lack of clothing change is to help us decipher which characters are which. This is common in films where it is easy to confuse characters, and The Thing needs as much distinction between characters as it can get, since character development is minimal.
acidjack73 2 weeks ago
I just watched the Blu-ray. There's no need to "think" or "assume" that Windows dropped the keys. He definitely did. The subtitles on the Blu-ray clearly read, "Keys dropping" (or "Drops keys" - I forget)
frozenpinky 4 weeks ago
@frozenpinky Although there is indeed no need to assume such a thing, you can't necessarily rely on any subtitles of any version. There are a lot of mistakes in all versions.
iniche 1 week ago
Hey Rob, will you be reviewing The Thing Prequel? I would be interested to know what you think of it.
MrBlueSky1978 1 month ago 3
@MrBlueSky1978 he made some review about it on his webside.
Kananmunakas 3 weeks ago
I really wish The Thing (2011) had as much intrigue.
leptonsoup337 1 month ago
Comment removed
macdaddylorenzo 1 month ago
I think Childs' is stupid enough to chase off after in a shadow by himself....
mattd687 1 month ago
@mattd687
Well, Childs was told by Mac to burn Blair if he saw him. :)
rehzon 2 weeks ago
@rehzon Exactly. But any intelligent person in that situation would know that running off into the freezing cold w/o any light would be a near suicide situation.
In the end, its intentionally ambigious. There is no clear answer from Carpenter. On the DVD commentary, both Carpenter and Kurt Russell gleefully state that there is no obvious answer. The ending is intentionally confusing and you can make it what you want it to be.
mattd687 2 weeks ago
@rehzon He said to burn Blair if he got back without Mac and crew.
iniche 1 week ago
@iniche
So its possible he did see Blair.
rehzon 1 week ago
@rehzon Yeah, but he meant if Blair got back to the base without them. He didn't say to go after him out in the cold.
iniche 1 week ago
I think Childs' jacket was covered in frost at the end and was also illuminated by yellow flames, that is why it didn't look blue. In one of the clips you show, Childs' jacket is partially frosted on his arms and the blue is obscured.
LinusManning 1 month ago
Childs wears a blue parka throughout most of the film. Nauls wears a white parka, yet Childs wears a white parka at the end!
MilkyWahey 1 month ago
are we deliberately led to believe that it is Nauls approaching McCready at the end, only for it to be a possibly infected Childs?
MilkyWahey 1 month ago
you see Garry getting assimilated by Blair, but not Nauls! what happened to Nauls?
MilkyWahey 1 month ago
@MilkyWahey
Nauls went in the same direction as Blair though. He got Nauls too, unless you believe
Nauls walked around. :)
rehzon 3 weeks ago
@MilkyWahey There was originally to be a scene (unfilmed due to special effects limitations) showing the thing (transformed into it''s final appearance) popping out from a crate and grabbing Nauls. I love the ambiguity of not showing what happened to him. Actually, several alternate death scenes were filmed for characters. Alternate scenes had Bennings stabbed to death in the dog kennel by an shadowy figure and Fuchs impailed in the greenhouse where Childs and Palmer grow marijuana.
acidjack73 2 weeks ago
Rob why put so much effort into this question? Its really irrelevant if Childs is infected. It's a film. The point to leave us on a cliff-hanger. You're trying to find a rational explanation where there is none. Many films are simply made for entertainment...not to unlock the secrets of the universe. 99% of films are made for profit.
orangewarm1 1 month ago
woot a new one
serumclx 1 month ago
if Blair was infected during his barrage on the radio equipment, why was he wearing glasses? he was also wearing them in the shed.
the415giant 2 months ago
@the415giant
I think Blair was infected while tied up in the shed, by Palmer.
rehzon 3 weeks ago
may i add my info on lars? who cares ill say it anyway, i belive lars was mabye a shorttened nickname of his middle name larson. refresher: in deleted shots of the 82 version they named the dead norrweegen Jence Bowland (correct that spelling if im wrong), but i think in a bigger plot they gave him a full name, Jence Larson "Lars" Bowland and he is a former norg soldier and is the base doghandaler (issue solved)
LordToxicis 2 months ago
I think
At the start of the movie when the dog runs to george bennings you can see it licking his hands contracting the cells to his gloves when lars shoots him. He puts his hands over the wound contracting the cells of the alien! i think :D
PaulDevlin01 2 months ago
@PaulDevlin01
Lars doesn't shoot Bennings. Lars has been blown up by that time. I don't care what the stupid prequel wants you to believe. The evidence of the 82 film show the pilot is the one carrying the rifle when they land the chopper. This is the guy who gets shot. It's not Lars. The prequel director can fuck off, he changed a bunch of things to suit his film, which is bullshit since it's not his story.
snake2006 2 months ago
mate you need to go and have a fuck right now!
outtacastatv 2 months ago
did Ringo Starr narrate this?
Tomading 2 months ago
Gas as fuck. Pretentious as fuck.
iRULEYAY 2 months ago
learnt from it's experiences at the Norwegian camp, it would be too easy for humans to isolate and threaten the creature, just by lack of earrings/fillings, it is even said that the creature consciously spat them out. I would say, if Childs was human when he abandoned his post, he would have immediately turned around to seek shelter in the base the second the lights went out, there is no doubt for me that Mac is human and with the apocalyptic nature of the story, there can't simplybeahappyending
Overlord0108 2 months ago
Taking into account the inorganic material theory from the Thing prequel, I would say that in the prequel, it makes sense, because it is new to an encounter with humans, explaining its lack of stealth, but it is intelligent, so it learns and adapts, the inorganic material test is a threat, but is easy to get around, just by the creature fusing the material back in, around its organic imitated cells (it is a shapeshifter after all) so I would say, personally, Childs is infected and it has...
Overlord0108 2 months ago
No offense but you are a moron. Look at some of the points you make. "Childs wouldn't have gone out without glasses" ete.... you are completely forgetting about the psychological part of the film. At this point you have seen nearly everyone killed. BRUTALLY. As a Military Combat Vet, I can tell you people change under pressure, or under extreme stress. They dont act logical.
khadorstrong 2 months ago
@khadorstrong "No offence but you are a moron" You don't sound like a dick at all do you? Wouldn't "No offence but your theory is wrong" make you sound a little better? Maybe even throw in an "I think".
Either way, note how this video is expressing the uploaders theories, he isn't stating them as facts. Secondly, your theory is possible, yet (for me at least) takes away some of the films intellectual value. Finally, take into account the time difference detail highlighted by the uploader.
IFaZI 2 months ago
@IFaZI
I do see where you are coming from. The video provides what he calls 'facts' not theories however. Perhaps I was a bit harsh. I think he is reading into things or grasping at straws to connect dots.
khadorstrong 2 months ago
Yo, what do you think about the Thing 2011 theory, it cannot imitate inorganic material, which for me makes sense, and since Childs has a earring all the time, is a clue to me he is human.
9Y0 3 months ago
This is my favorite film, its awesome you have analysed it. Is there longer version of your analysis of the thing? In dvd perhaps?
Kananmunakas 3 months ago
@Kananmunakas oh, I see its on dvd.
Kananmunakas 3 months ago
Notice that when Blair was in the store room, there was a noose right next to him. This could indicate that Blair may have commited suicide before the thing assimilated him.
Interessante100 3 months ago
Just my personal opinion, but the behaviour of The Thing is well established in this movie as hiding in plain sight without drawing attention. This might explain why Norris turned down leadership, as when you're in charge, people are constantly looking to you.
Blair cutting off his escape and throwing a major fit in the comms room does not make sense to me if he was infected. Also, he was most likely alone with Windows before he started smashing things and all he did was wound him.
sneeson 3 months ago
Also, in the final scene, the Gary attack, an assimilated Blair isn't wearing his spectacles, as they were probably damaged during assimilation, though he is wearing them when McCreedy, Nauls and Windows visit him to ask about Fuchs..
GabeLoser 3 months ago
could the figure childs see be Kate from the prequel after she drives to the camp at the end
Thejakebak 3 months ago
rob, please comment on the latest thing 2011.
MrHitronics 3 months ago
@robag88 well i think the whole point of expelling metals is that it cant replecate or use them. otherwise the whole concept of identifying by molars wouldnt work. probably a theory that its allergic or something to that sort
simluvr3051 3 months ago
It's so sad that you took down you original analysis of The Thing, that was the video I used to get people to start watching your videos.
fleacythesheepgirl 3 months ago
And I also think that Childs, if he had actually been a Thing at the end of the movie, would have attacked MacReady and assimilated him, especially being that MacReady was tired and unarmed (despite what good logic the maker of this vid, robag88 has).
ThePokefan100 3 months ago
8:04 I don't think Palmer got infected at that point because Childs, who appears to be with him at the time in that same room, would have gotten infected too if that had been the case. I think both Norris and Palmer most likely got infected when the lights went out; Norris probably because he didn't eat out of a can like MacReady suggested and Palmer after Fuchs saw a Thing (which could have been the one that got Palmer) go by through one of the halls before he went outside with a dynamite.
ThePokefan100 3 months ago
@ThePokefan100 Norris was likely the first one infected. The shadow we see in the room when the dog/Thing enters looks to be him. The raised curly hair certainly is consistent with his profile.
Thorion1969 3 months ago
@Thorion1969 Yeah I even thought that was Norris when I first watched this when I was 5 years old.
AVerySillySausage 1 month ago
@ThePokefan100 good point: let's stick with what we do see: no flame thrower. and this is the version I saw when I was a child and...dilemma solved. no flame thrower, i.e. either mc is the thing, very stupid ending, or both are human. or the thing just suddenly has become so stupid it cannot attack an unarmed man with infection and flame thrower...
RingOfFire79 3 months ago
@Arguemento I've always thought that, but apparently a random crew member's shadow was used to keep it vague.
robag88 3 months ago
I was wondering why Blair, as an infected copy, wouldn't want anyone to go back to civilization. Doesn't The Thing want to go back to civilization in order to infect even more people? It seems like only the real Blair would destroy the computers and the helicopter, in order to save civilization.
TrevorKingKwong 3 months ago
@TrevorKingKwong I think Blair wasn't completely taken over all at once, he was slowly taken over. During the post autopsy discussion of the Dog Thing, Blair touches the critter with the end of his pencil and then taps his lips with it in mid sentence. This has to be the point of infection for his character. He goes nuts as a human and smashes everything, contemplates suicide (the noose we see in the shed later), but becomes a 'Thing' before he can kill himself.
KC1976fromDetroit 3 months ago
@KC1976fromDetroit
Interesting observations. Yeah, I don't think it was an infected Blair who destroyed all the computers. That was a human side of Blair.
TrevorKingKwong 3 months ago
@KC1976fromDetroit
(That is, an alien mentality* that destroys the computers.)
TrevorKingKwong 3 months ago
@TrevorKingKwong That's what I love about this film...it leaves so much to individual interpretation. There really aren't any 'wrong' answers or perfect explanations for happens. Carpenter is genius for letting the film speak for itself, and I imagine he is quite surprised by all the fan-analysis. I love Blair as a character...he proves (for me at least) that you wouldn't even be aware of getting taken over if the process was slow enough. That is the scariest part of the movie for me.
KC1976fromDetroit 3 months ago
@KC1976fromDetroit
Right. It's enjoyable to watch films that are ambiguous. That's what makes a lot of great films/art meaningful.
TrevorKingKwong 3 months ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
2:40 haha. Wow. Kind of douchey to name dropping your own film and going on about how great it is in a video analysing another movie.
harizotoh7 3 months ago
@harizotoh7 You seeing it that way probably says more about you. I was illustrating the point from personal experience that some directors encode lots of subliminals and hidden messages.
robag88 3 months ago 7
@robag88 Childs is still wearing his earring at the end, which suggests that he is not the Thing, at the same time the preponderance of evidence you have brought to bear suggests that he is. Very likely Carpenter did this as a means of confusing us so that, like Macready we are not sure
Meade556 2 weeks ago
@harizotoh7 it's his channel, he can promote his own work if he wishes
BearWindAppleyard 2 months ago
One thing about Blair destroying the equipment. He's also shooting at anyone who comes near. When the gun runs out of bullets, he throws it even though it's useless since it wouldn't hurt anyone. The Thing would probably think more logically and just drop it while acting like he was spent. But Blair throws it, no matter how futile it is, showing off how desperate he is. It's a very human emotion.
drumsticks57 3 months ago
@drumsticks57 I disagree. Blair shouts stuff the crew already knew and acts crazy,, but wouldn't that be the perfect cover? He wants to take out the radio to prevent a warning being sent to civilized areas, while maintaining the team's belief he is human.
robag88 3 months ago
@robag88 Well, that itself is also questionable. The Thing can take advantage of the warning system to get into civilization. It would have been easier that way.
iniche 1 week ago
I'd like to point out that any support for ideas that were generated by the video game or the re-quel can just be ignored. If it wasn't in the 1982 film, it's not relevant. My answer has always been that Childs was a Thing...and MacReady was about to become one. Not through attack, but through the sharing of the bottle of J & B. It is virus like, attacks it's victims at cellular level...so swapping man-spit with Childs probably would infect MacReady.
KC1976fromDetroit 3 months ago
I just go back to the part of the 1982 film when Blair asks Clark about how long was the dog loose in the complex...easily got to Norris & Palmer early. Blair was slowly taken over...leading to the change of his behavior. When he trashed the radio room: still human. Locked in the shed @ the "I'm all better now" line: He's a Thing (check out my previous comment below for that logic).
KC1976fromDetroit 3 months ago
@KC1976fromDetroit someone pointed out that Blair had locked himself in his room and wouldn't close the door (that was before radio room smash). With the door locked a full assimilation could have taken place.
robag88 3 months ago
Great stuff! But it wouldnt make sense that Bennings picked the keys up did it, given he was assimilated in that timeframe. I mean the half assimilated Bennings could have picked them up, but he couldnt sabotage the banked blood in that short time, he basically just went through the window and they spotted him.
baioken 4 months ago
@baioken If I remember correctly I said that the keys could have been picked up by Bennings or another team member. They were def dropped and quietly returned to Gary later.
robag88 3 months ago
No Childs wasn't infected he was human in the video game of The Thing Childs died by freezing to death the only person who survived this terror is MacReady
AnsarHokage 4 months ago
@AnsarHokage The video game came many years later and was made by different people.
robag88 3 months ago
what evidence was in the original breakdown suggesting mac had a flamethrower?
GetTheHence 4 months ago
@GetTheHence Too much to explain here. That analysis is only DVD now.
robag88 3 months ago
id say he was an alien early on. id also say that he killed Fuchs and messed up the power right before he died. And he could have shredded Macreedy s clothes while every1 else was busy. plus the ice tunnel that he had built...would have took a while to dig through..
hunkydave000 4 months ago in playlist More videos from robag88
ok..theres a noose..meaning he wanted to kill himself, he felt that scared and that there was no hope that he wanted to hang himself. After all the agro he had caused about the alien, smashing the radio's ect yet apparently he wanted to come back inside and that he was ok..wont hurt any1 ect ect.. id say he was an alien before that point..and before he got chance to kill himself...he could have wanted to hang himself when he found out he was infected and was slowly turning
hunkydave000 4 months ago in playlist More videos from robag88
I say Blair was one of the first infected. He wanted to build a ship to escape so he destroyed the vehicles for parts and freaked out with the ax to get himself locked up.
jwagner7000 4 months ago
I like this film but the dog scene intro, timeline & distances dont make sense..
It took over an hour to reach the norwegian base in the helicopter.
How could the dog outrun, avoid the helicopter & evade bullets for hours?.
marcusgarvee 4 months ago
@marcusgarvee It may have already been on the run for a long time and the helicopter later caught up with it. In the book several thing dogs run from the camp and are tracked down.
robag88 3 months ago
@robag88 ..ok but how would it know where to go? Blair also said something like " no dog could make it blah blah miles to the coast"
Maybe Blair was infected & bluffing when he went beserk.
movin on ..
Do you have an analysis of Nicholas roeg's walkabout & how are you getting on with your movies?
the movie is deep
marcusgarvee 3 months ago
@marcusgarvee As Mac says "Any place but here ... It just wants to go to sleep in the cold until a rescue team finds it". Blair's comment I think was more that no dog was gonna make it to the coast because he'd just killed all the dogs.
Yes, I think Blair was infected when smashing eqpt, the vid goes into that.
Not seen walkabout.
am editing a long new vid at the mo, hopefully will be up early next week :)
robag88 3 months ago
According to the prequel, no. Childs had an earring, and, again, according to the prequel, The Thing wouldn't have been able to replicate his earring.
razormoviez 4 months ago
@razormoviez The Thing prequel is written by different writers. And whose to say it needs to replicate the ear ring when it could just use the one that's already there?
robag88 4 months ago 7
@robag88 And of coarse the Thing may simply put the earing in anyway. Afterall it's not as though the imitations wander around naked.
angrydead 4 months ago
@robag88 Yeah but it is in canon with John Carpenters version so I am convinced that Childs is not infected. Then again its still ambiguous if they survived or not.
cjcool91 4 months ago
@robag88 True, but ultimately we have to look at both the prequel and the original film as one coherent film universe. Either one could say that, as razor mentions, Childs can't be a Thing because of his earring. Another could say that, because of Things being detected for their inability to replicate non-organic material in the Norwegian camp, the Things learned to identify and 'hold onto' inorganic stuff to make themselves look 'normal'. Both interpretations are perfectly valid.
chriscumbag 4 months ago
@chriscumbag I'm sorry dude but that is bullshit! A plot element that is just made for this new film should not have any bearing on the original film now more than 30 years ago. I have several problems with the earring thing anyways. 1. We saw at the end of the prequel that the last creature had to have been in the control room of the ship when it was firing up. If Kate got to the control room first and the creature was still there then when the hell did it have time to infect Joel?......
Darthpsychonis 4 months ago
@chriscumbag 2. One of the elements from the first film that Mac noticed was that the creature tore through the clothing of the victim. But when we see Joel his cloths are undamaged despite the fact that the film even points out that the Thing can't reproduce inorganic material. The Prequel, while not complete crap, did nothing new & just took scenes straight out of the original, rearranged them, and presented them again. They were more concerned with making it a remake rather than a prequel.
Darthpsychonis 4 months ago
Comment removed
robohunter2000ad 3 months ago
@robag88 how about Fuchs was getting chased by childs but thought it was blair
robohunter2000ad 3 months ago
@robag88 It does put the ear ring back on, but it puts it on the wrong side which she notices to let her know he is an imposter. Silly mistake :P
alxswan727 1 month ago
@razormoviez the prequel was hack nonsense that bombed. who cares what happened in that movie?
nightowl685 4 months ago
@razormoviez
The Thing takes over the body by overtaking the persons cells, it's a cellular virus. Therefore the earing would still be there.
The Thing prequel is a load of shit.
Kamissick 3 months ago
How did Blair get out of the shack?
reddakotadog 4 months ago
For the blood tampering, I point to Blair. While everyone else is tending to Bennings being taken over, Blair is the only character missing. Fuchs says he is locked in his room, but this could have been a ploy and when the coast was clear, he could have taken the keys, tampered with the blood and put them back.
snake2006 4 months ago
briliant thank you for this in depth analysis, also does anyone think if an infected person knows they're infected? and the thing partialy controls them or only at the last sec it takes a whole control of its victim, fuck this shits haunting me after the thing 2011 :(
gfaustpl1 4 months ago
@gfaustpl1 No one knows the answer to that question. What we do know is that when we see a character after they've been assimilated, it's not actually them, just a very detailed imitation.
"Is the Thing's imitation so convincing that part of it actually believes it's the original human?" That question's been asked since the 80s.
I think the Thing always knows what it's doing. The Thing led Kate into a trap in the 2011 film while it was still in Juliette's form. But, then again, who knows?
mowingthefrontlawn 4 months ago
@mowingthefrontlawn true you know the figure thay see but they don't know who it is it could be Kate, at the end of the 2011 she is see in the car she could have drove to the other camp and go inside to look around then see the thing is in there and run out
Thejakebak 3 months ago
@Thejakebak I think that's entirely possible. Although, it could have been just about anyone since we don't see the characters at all times.
mowingthefrontlawn 3 months ago
@mowingthefrontlawn well i think it kate people say she died
Thejakebak 3 months ago
@Thejakebak Interesting theory though the thing is, I don't think John Carpenter intended that when he made this in 1982. I don't think he knew that a prequel was going to be made nearly 30 years later. But that would be cool though.
AVerySillySausage 1 month ago
@AVerySillySausage very true but maybe he added it just to make it suspicious that was the theme of the movie!
Thejakebak 1 week ago
about childs not goining in after blair it should be noted that he was described not having a level head and he was impulsive
trinda11 4 months ago
clarkesworldmagazineDOTcom/watts_01_10/ heres a absolutely riveting short story which is The Thing from the aliens perspective. Its bloody entertaining and i recommend it to everyone.
TheDopeDanny 4 months ago
..The Thing 1982 still cuts corners and leaves us with questions.. but still a cut classic from the 80's.. i hope the new one is just as good
moviebuff383 4 months ago
I always thought Blair was still human when he trashed the equipment. Probably his last human act. Keeping the thing from getting back to civilization
Ashburnalley5 4 months ago
good video I've always wondered though at one point in the film fuchs tells mac that just a particle can take over someone yet it seems to absorb everyone but windows who just gets his head sort of mangled lol
MrDayday112 4 months ago
Childs is not infected play the video you game "the thing (2002)"! or watch DSQTTANTI's Channel. at the begin of the game Childs is died in a building.
J9CashMusicNet 4 months ago
@KC1976fromDetroit wow dude you bring up an excellent point! What if Blair wasn't the only thing working on the craft? Love these discussions people always coming up with new stuff. Interesting question good sir.
MrGoblue85 4 months ago
I wanted to think of Blair destroying everything as a pretty selfless act. He realized the speed of its transformation and the speed in which it can imitate everybody and decided that it cannot leave. The fact that it didn't make it farther would suggest that it wouldn't make it far from that camp. By taking out all the comm and transport he ensured that they would die, but that it wouldn't make it back as well.
JustinPM 4 months ago
Here's how Blair got assimilated.... Remember when he touched the thing corpse with his pen, and then pressed the pen to his lips?... :D
Angerlevel 4 months ago in playlist More videos from robag88
@Angerlevel That's exactly what I was thinking! There's even a close up of his hands in which he's still holding the pencil while typing when the computer simulation is going on that is showing the Thing cells assimilating the Dog cells. I always thought it was odd that he'd have the pencil in hand while typing--maybe it was meant as a subtle message that he was infected.
AHollowVoiceSaysFool 4 months ago
This is an awesome analysis, some brilliant key points are explained! eg - The keys etc .One of my all time favourite movies!
MuayThaiMmaXboxGeek 4 months ago
if you couldn't tell the shadow was norris @ 3:56 youre an idiot besides he has the most memorable thing out moment in the movie (after the dog of course, with palmer in close third)
tylerclifford65 4 months ago
@tylerclifford65 on the blu ray version of the thing the audio commentary from john carpenter says the shadow was that of someone who wasnt in the film to prevent guessing who it was. Think it was someone behind the scenes shadow
hunkydave000 4 months ago
When Childs finds McCready at the end of the movie, he has the advantage in that he's holding a flame thrower. If he was the Thing, why didn't he just fry Mac?
smulkin1 4 months ago
@smulkin1 it would have been better if he infected Mac so there would have been 2 aliens that survived
qu7aker 4 months ago
an interesting read abt the movie..
theoriginalfan(dot)blogspot(dot)com/
penyuwan 4 months ago
heres one for you sharp eyed Thing fans, oh and a little nod towards 'Jewllery Continuity'. watch the blood scene again, only this time as the group is blaming each other for the theft of the keys, concentrate on Doctor Copper's nose. It appeared to me that he was wearing a nose ring, later this was confirmed by Outpost31 as a 'Frat-house' in joke, and he was indeed wearing one. Check it out, even aliens have to accsesorize : )
sirjaunty1 4 months ago
I'm hoping I'm not the only one who noticed this, but after watching the film again recently I saw something 'new' that I never noticed before. If we go by the 'rules' of the film that even a single cell of 'The Thing' can infect you, then when Blair taps 'The Thing' carcass with his pencil, and then holds the pencil up to his mouth...touching his lips with it...this is probably the point of infection for his character @ 34 mins into the film. This is before his computer analysis, @ 40 mins in.
KC1976fromDetroit 4 months ago
Also, this is long before the 'leadership' conflict comes into play in the plot. At 1 hour in, Norris (Charles Hallahan) turns down leading the group...we know in the next scene he's infected because his chest eats Richard Dysart's arms. Which begs the question: If you were a perfect imitation, would you even know you were infected until your own survival was placed at risk? So who really knows with certainty who was infected when or how? It's paranoia perfected for a plot device.
KC1976fromDetroit 4 months ago
Blair wasn't affected before he left the main building, I don't think. It's because he knew how screwed they were that he started being "crazy" (sane?)
TheMrCorvax 5 months ago
Speaking of John Carpenter(, has anyone told you Rob that you bare a resemblence to Roddy Piper in 'They Live'?
BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff 5 months ago
very cool analysis, fellow fan! Thanks for posting! Look forward to your thoughts after October 14th.
wmrbeach94 5 months ago
I don't understand why a Blair imitation would destroy the radio equipment, if the aliens primary goal IS to reach civilization. Why would it use the strategy of freezing itself in the hopes of getting found; if it didn't want to reach more people?
Enkarashaddam 5 months ago
@Enkarashaddam Because Blair wasn't fully assimilated yet...he had limited exposure to the "The Thing's" genetic material...see my post above. He touched the 'dog corpse' with the end of his pencil, then touched the end of his pencil to his mouth...34 mins in. Blair is full on bat-sh!t nuts and conflicted when he discovers the computer simulation at 40 mins in, which leads to his attack on WIndows. By the 'I'm okay, now' scene...he's 100% thing.
KC1976fromDetroit 4 months ago
@KC1976fromDetroit noted; however, this is inconsistent with the length of time it took the thing to assimilate Bennings, after Windows discovers the process taking place. The process is so quick that the consecutive scene is of Bennings post-infection, prior to them torching him. From the point that Blair was first exposed, a HUGE chunk of the film went by before they knew, and he had almost finished building the spaceship. This implies that he went straight to work when they locked him in.
Enkarashaddam 4 months ago
@Enkarashaddam I have 2 thoughts on this:
1) Bennings was attacked by a big Thing...more cellular exposure, aggressive assimilation.
2) Blair had limited tissue contact, slower cellular assimilation. Hence, no ripped clothes.
As for the ship question, perhaps Blair wasn't the only one working on it? I know I'm trying to plug holes in the plot here, just offering an opinion.
KC1976fromDetroit 4 months ago
@KC1976fromDetroit, well, I know its quite difficult to extrapolate on scenes that were never witnessed in the movie; the best I can do is think of a reasonable time frame for the events that were established to have occurred. But anything goes, really. However, what I do know is that its fun carrying discussions like these with fellow Thing-ites!
Enkarashaddam 4 months ago
I too think Blair was infected after his meltdown in the communications room. In the original story it is mentioned briefly that you couldn't lock an imitation in a room, because it could reduce itself into a goo and slide under the door. Creepy to think that it sneaked into Blair's shack this way, I suspect around the time Fuches torched himself.
standupgun 5 months ago
Excellent as always. However, I object to Blair having been taken over when he was destroying the communications equipment. I think it would be more advantageous for the thing if the base had outside communications. It would also be in its favor if the members of the team were more at ease, and being able to communicate with the outside world would be comforting in this situation.
CooperZ2 5 months ago
the thing is my favorite movie of all time. mainly because over 20 years later, we are still discussing in depth at how things happened. I pray the new film is the same way and will hopefully give me the satisfaction of knowing what happened before the dog made it to outpost 31
csm07cb 5 months ago
I don't understand the point about Blair, why would be he destroying equipment for communications while leaving his notes. It seems logical he would destroy them first if he were infected to keep the rest of the team in the dark about the infection. Maybe the cellular tests were from his own blood and he realized he was infected, but still lucid, and put up the entire crazy act so the rest of the team would segregate him and he wouldn't be much of a threat.
free2game 5 months ago
@free2game The rest of the team already knew about the infection. They'd seen Bennings half assimilated. Hiding the notes wouldn't change that but it would prevent a radio warning being submitted back to civilization
robag88 5 months ago 2
@robag88 When the Thing assimiliates does it take over the existing body using whatever means possible (attacking it, spilling blood) and then reform itself into that body and heal it up. Or does it remake a new body and discard the remains of the original.
walkertexasranger33 5 months ago
@walkertexasranger33
More the former, I believe. Consider the case of Norris, who was assimilated slowly from the inside, likely from one of the "tiny particle" infections that Fuchs warned about.
KaitainCPS 5 months ago
@robag88 The team knew about the assimilation, most of them likely didn't know about the rate of infection or how dangerous it really was. It seems weird if he was infected he wouldn't destroy his notes to keep the rest of the team in the dark and able to underestimate the risk of infection. It would seem more logical that he was attacked when he was alone, it's seems the easiest way for him to be infected.
free2game 5 months ago
@free2game I'd also say that the Thing does not gain personal knowledge of assimilated subjects, therefore it wouldn't have known about the notes in the first place.
asfsdasd 4 months ago
I think Blair was already assimilated when when mcready came back to him, I think the noose combined with the lying shows a shift in his attitudes.
angrydead 5 months ago
by the way the T1000s can kick the things ass anytime....army of those metal monsters and its over for those copying bastards
TheUnkanny 5 months ago
Childs was in fact, infected. Kurt Russel was sitting down with another thing at the end of this film. Childs was wearing a blue coat when Russel left to give Blair the test, and then when he shows up again at the end, he's wearing a green coat. These two coats are highlighted on the coat-rack behind Childs when he's standing by the door. Why would he take off his flame thrower and coat only to put another coat on as well as his flame thrower? These two coats are featured in a single frame.
MrSchultzstaffel 5 months ago
@MrSchultzstaffel In the comic books it does show Childs trying to attack macready. I would think Blair was already infected during autopsy. All it takes is 1 cell structure..
TheUnkanny 5 months ago
@TheUnkanny What a fantastic film this was.It holds up 30 years after it was made.Do you think that we'll be able to say that about this oppertunistic re-make?When you watch the film, Blair seems to have been infected after he was taken out to the tool shed.He had a make-shift rope-noose next to his table in there ready to hang himself if the creature was coming for him...but never used it and dis-regarded it completely when talking to Kurt Russel. The Thing dosen't understand social situations!
MrSchultzstaffel 5 months ago
You should analyze Blade Runner next...
orwellianson 5 months ago
@orwellianson
he already did
sventoby 5 months ago
It's very important for white people to believe the black guy is guilty.
thrillfiction 5 months ago
Also, Fuchs mentioned to MacReady in the snowcat that Blair locked himself in his room and wouldn't answer the door. Perhaps that was the time he was being assimilated?
Gik1618 5 months ago
@Gik1618 An excellent point. That would be a perfect assimilation arrangement.
robag88 5 months ago
day 1 - Norris assimilated by dog (Norris casts shadow)
Night 2 - Palmer assimilated during Blair's freakout.
Blair - impossible to say exactly. probably in the shed.
the men never recovered the norwegian helicoptor pilot's body. Its possible it was his body that lured Fuchs outside before he is killed.
Mooretallica 5 months ago
nice analysis.
a few things i would like to share.
i think plamer was assimilated during Blairs' freakout when he destroys the communications equipment. He is the only character not present during this scene. As you say, every shot was carefully planned. Palmers absence could not be considered a movie mistake.
I think Norris was the first assimilated by the do. he stuffed macs clothes up the furnace right under macs nose (the light is not on before they talk to blair about Fuchs)
Mooretallica 5 months ago
I think the reason his coat turns white is cuz he's in a SNOW STORM. the force is not strong with this one
shaft800and1 5 months ago
@shaft800and1 Yeah that possibility is covered in the video, or weren't you watching?
robag88 5 months ago
Welcome back Ager I was waiting for you to do a new analysis.
TheWCWite 5 months ago
7] Your "more plausible" suggestion that a Childs-Thing would run away to avoid the showdown the idea being to freeze? If that was the strategy, then why would he come back? FAIL.
8] You support that nonsense by comparison with the actions original dog? The dog didn't go back. FAIL.
I could go on and on but I got bored of this over-thought and yet simplistic nonsense and plus I couldnt stand the sound you voice one second longer.
What a crock.
replyandyousuckballs 5 months ago
@replyandyousuckballs Someone's taking this too seriously......ok go
luis939 5 months ago
@luis939 Someone's brainless.....harvest the organs.
replyandyousuckballs 5 months ago
@luis939 He's just trolling, pay him no mind......
Darthpsychonis 5 months ago
@replyandyousuckballs It went back to see if there were any camp survivors moron. the original dog was being chased by humans moron. You could go on and on, but it wouldn't do you any good.
robag88 5 months ago
@robag88 Oh it "went back to see if there were any camp survivors"? Rrrreally? It's choice watching you post-rationalize your clueless bullshit.
Lets see: having *escaped*, what the fuck reason would it go back FOR you stupid bitch?
1] If were are any survivors, then going back when its already in the wind destroys it's lead.
2] If there are none, it's a fucking idiot running backward and forward across the ice - for nothing! LOL!
YOU might do that, because YOU, are a FUCKING MORON! FAIL.
replyandyousuckballz 5 months ago
4] Child's couldn't have seen Blair outside? Maybe not. But so what? He obviously THOUGHT that he had. FAIL.
5] Childs has no goggles? We don't know he ran out without them. We just see that he isn't wearing any at the end. So what? Neither is MacReady. FAIL.
6] The pan doesn't not "strongly suggest" anything. It's totally and deliberately ambiguous. FAIL.
replyandyousuckballs 5 months ago
@replyandyousuckballs You squirm eloquently :)
robag88 5 months ago
@robag88 Is that it? You couldn't make it any clearer that I'm correct and that you're fucked - FYI, this is how you FAIL.
Shut your hole. You're so fucking boring and dumb you obviously couldn't find your asshole with both hands and a torch, never mind say anything of value about a movie, you'd better stick to cartoons.
$1000 says you can't get laid by someone who isn't a functioning imbecile or somesuch kind of a bitch.
replyandyousuckballz 5 months ago
2] Childs wouldnt have gone out on his own and would have run to get the team? It's plenty plausible: he's a hot-head, he's wearing a flamethrower and he'd rather spend 15 minutes finding the team than just run and burn the fucker he just thought he saw? FAIL.
3] You wanna blab about Childs' strategy? Childs' strategy is what's best for him at the time. In the first case that was letting Mac freeze outside. In the second case, that was NOT letting whoever it was have free roam outside. FAIL.
replyandyousuckballs 5 months ago
@replyandyousuckballs That's quite a temper you've got there.
As the video explains if he was the reactionary chase and burn em type then why did he tell everyone to leave Mac outside to freeze when they were convinced he was infected and the "enemy" was right outside the door and he had a crew as back up? You know that's a valid and logical point, but you've already committed yourself to hateful bile and don't want to take it back - a typical troll, and a blocked one.
robag88 5 months ago
@robag88 Shut it, you asswipe. I already took that shit apart - get someone with a brain to read it you: Childs' strategy is to do what's most expedient for him; at the time. With that, there is no mystery AT ALL in his actions and there is nothing valid AT ALL in your idiocy - you havent got a clue and calling me a troll wont disguise it. Furthermore, I'd be the "troll" that drove a fucking truck through your brainless fuck-wittery.
Yeah, "block" me! Cause you're SO FUCKING WEAK.....MORE FAIL!
replyandyousuckballz 5 months ago