Monster A-Go-Go: The Thing

Imagine being stationed at a remote arctic base, hundreds of miles from civilization. No forms of communication with the outside world beyond a crude radio that works so long as the snow isn't causing a whiteout. There's very little entertainment and the only other people there are a handful of researchers and a couple of snow dogs. Now imagine that on top of all these other horrendous living conditions, there's a shape shifting alien being slowly killing off all of your team and no one knows who to trust.

The creature known only as, The Thing, from John Carpenter's movie of the same name is one of those creatures that works well on a psychological level but also a very physical one. John Carpenter's movie is a remake of a classic horror movie, which is based on a short story entitled, "Who Goes There?". When you have the premise of a creature systematically killing off people and assuming their identities and trapping the protagonist amongst friends who may no longer be his allies is a bone numbing experience of clockwork horror. Where John Carpenter went one step further though, is with the creature's gruesome transformations.

Rather than just depict a monster constantly in human or dog shapes, the remake of "The Thing" draws open the curtains to reveal a macabre sideshow of terror that invites the audience to question the very nature of how such effects were done and begs, "Is this thing real?" The visceral quality of The Thing is like looking at an operating table where everything has gone wrong. All the various parts and components that would make up an organic life-form are all there, but in much greater number and thrown about haphazardly into a jury-rigged monstrosity.

The gooey features of flesh, bone, and whatever else a mind can imagine draws upon the fear of body horror; fear of ones own shape and functions. There's something strange about seeing a chest cavity opening into a maw of gnashing teeth, or watching a man's head escape from its body as a living crab entity. What's worse, because it can assume whatever form it wants, it has no limitations. If the being needed extra limbs or mouths or claws to flense it's victims, it could grow them.

This particular monster scores quite high on the gross-out meter and is why it is so celebrated amongst horror fans. When a creature attacks both mind and stomach, you know you're in for one hell of a ride.