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The Thing (1982) celebrates its 40th anniversary - what about that ending?
- Thread starter Wrexis
- Start date
No, he's never explained it. Knowing the ending would basically undermine why the ending is so good. It leaves plenty of room for suspicion around Childs in particular but, like MacReady, we really can't know for sure.
To be fair, I don't think there was any escape for them, teamwork be damned, at that point.
a) no
b) you can see it
Next somebody is gonna bring up the gasoline theory.
EDIT: goddamnit, spoke too soon
I prefer this interpretation, too. That, or one will kill the other out of suspicion either and still freeze to death.
Such a masterclass of horror. Absolutely agree with you OP, it's the GOAT
Personally I think they're both human because if Child's was the Thing I 'm not sure why he would have refrained from murdering/absorbing Macready right there.
As someone who just watched this on the big screen on Wednesday, you can definitely see Child's breath.
Personally I think they're both human because if Child's was the Thing I 'm not sure why he would have refrained from murdering/absorbing Macready right there.
I remember loving that as a kid. I wonder if there's even a slim possibility we could get a remaster some day because I don't remember the plot at all.
"Let's just sit here and see what happens.."
youtu.be
Ennio Morricone - The Thing (theme)
John Carpenter's first big studio film came with a big studio composer in the legendary form of Ennio Morricone.
youtu.be
It doesn't matter.
If I was forced to pick though, I think both are still human. But it doesn't matter.
If I was forced to pick though, I think both are still human. But it doesn't matter.
"Let's just sit here and see what happens.."
Ennio Morricone - The Thing (theme)
John Carpenter's first big studio film came with a big studio composer in the legendary form of Ennio Morricone.
One of my favorite themes.
the ending works because of its ambiguity but i personally like to believe that both are human. the idea that their trust of each other has been eroded to the point where they'll freeze, trapped in doubt, is chilling and fits perfectly with the movie's themes. but it should never be provable!!
John Carpenter has stated that the PS2 game's ending is canon where Childs is found frozen to death and MacReady is rescued by a search team.
Isn't there also something about the "light in their eyes" going out when they're The Thing?
In the context of the cold war and M.A.D. neither are the thing and they both die in distrust of the other. I personally think any other media made post the films production and the release can kind of fuck off into the sun, as they don't contain the bleak nihilism that was coursing through NATO and the USSR at the time, and as such may not be souless, they certainly don't have the same soul.
I feel like if someone REALLY wanted to re-release it they could. The rights shouldn't be that hard to work out
- Universal has already worked with people like Nightdive on IPs they own
- Konamo (Publisher) is open to whatever really as long as there's a check for them
- Black Label Games was a sub of Vivendi Universal who got rolled into Activision which should go into MS after the acquistion
So in theory. if someone got Universal, Konami, and MS in a room. Someone could re-release it.
Also Indiana Jones
Today is the 40th anniversary of John Carpenter's "The Thing" — which means it's a great opportunity to litigate the ending. So what do you think? Was "The Thing" real or was it all just a dream?
Carpenter told Cundey not to use it for the ending.
That's just... mean.
Also Indiana Jones
I knew about those two but they used the same trick in The Thing. From Cinemablend:
But apparently they didn't so at the end because Carpenter didn't want to give the game away.
Good choice on his part too. The ambiguity makes it way more interesting.
I went on a date with a girl who had never seen this to one of the anniversary showings this week and she was terrified, lol.
I figured both were human, I like that the videogame sequel also followed that belief.
I figured both were human, I like that the videogame sequel also followed that belief.
Both are probably fine as far as being infected by The Thing, but neither of them are making it out alive irregardless, so it still isn't a happy ending. Also Carpenter's The Thing is about as perfect as a movie can be.
OP
OP
I'd buy it. I watched a 4K playthrough a while back and graphically it's fine.
I'd overhaul the UI though.
There was a Darkhorse comic series for the Thing From Another World that continued directly after the movie ended and answered this question in full and went on to tell another larger story as well.
I've seen a few theories that try to imply Childs is the creature, but I love the idea that both are human and have lost all sense of faith in their fellow human because what they've faced has made them question everything.
Both being humans and eventually end up killing each other because they are incapable of trusting the other is just about the perfect resolution for the themes of the movie, more so than one of them being the monster.
Yeah but that's stupid so everyone just decided it doesn't count.
I like the idea that one of them is in fact the Thing but a) has absorbed enough humans to basically have some understanding of their thoughts and emotions etc, and b) knows that he's just gonna freeze to death anyway and can't assimilate further, so he's just like fuck it and sits down for a nice fireside chat and shares a drink.
It really does matter, and that's the point. It is supposed to make you think.
You mean that one that
MacReady went completely paranoid?
He was right.
The point is the paranoia, the point is to entice the question. The answer doesn't matter.
Ambiguous fiction is made so that you may have 'forking paths' for a story. There is not one absolute truth. Its pointless to argue about what's the most correct answer.
That's a nice callback to the original novella.He was right.
The answer does matter or people wouldn't be trying to figure it out at all.
I think the point Grenouille is making is there is no actual answer. You can speculate of course and argue which you think is best, but it's purposefully ambiguous. It's like the ending to Inception. There's nothing to really figure out.