The Thing (1982)

Very nice sci-fi flick from John Carpenter, and one that really scared the piss out of me when I was little. An American scientific expedition in the Arctic runs afoul of an alien beastie who can change it's shape to mimic a human, dog, or whatever else it damn well pleases. Before long the whole crew is paranoid of the guy next to him, each being fearful that the other is the creature. Simply incredible f/x work by Rob Bottin and crew, gotta love the scene where the creature absorbs the crew's dog team at the beginning. Incredibly graphic and scary at the same time. Carpenter presents a very pessimistic vibe to the film, with all of the characters being quite selfish and one-sided. Though to be fair, if you were stuck in no-man's land with an alien running amok, would you be the happiest guy around? I sorta doubt it. Has a definite claustrophobic atmosphere to it, though I feel Carpenter could have done a little more with this theme. The acting is done quite well, however the special effects are the main focus of the film, which sadly was the reason many were turned off from it. All in all, one of Carpenter's best since "Halloween" and recommended viewing for the serious and casual horror fan alike.