History Film / TheThing1982

* TheEndOrIsIt: Even after 40 years, fans still debate if [[spoiler:the last survivors were infected, allowing the Thing to possibly live to assimilate once more.]]

* TheEndOrIsIt: Even after 30 years, fans still debate if [[spoiler:the last survivors were infected, allowing the Thing to possibly live to assimilate once more.]]

* HorrifyingTheHorror: The short story ''[[http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/watts_01_10/ The Things]]'' by Creator/PeterWatts, which is told from the creature's POV, and has it become just as terrified of hummanity as we are of it.

* MadeOfPlasticine: Dr. Copper tries to resurrect Norris via defibrillation. As he attempts to strike the patient's chest with the defibrillator, the patient's stomach opens up and grabs hold of the doctor's arms with a massive set of teeth, tearing his arms off. Now sure, this would probably be legitimate, alien strength and all...if the arms hadn't torn off a few inches above the teeth grip.

* MindScrew: Despite having a narrative that's more or less easy to follow, it really leaves out a lot of crucial details that the audience is left to fill in. To this day fans of the movie still debate on [[spoiler:who got to the blood, whether Blair was infected before or after he was locked up (which, depending on how you look at it, can provide wholly different interpretations of his actions over the course of the film), how Fuchs ended up being burned to death outside, and most of all whether the Thing really was defeated, or if perhaps one, both, or neither of the survivors have been assimilated]].

** All the assimilations happen offscreen with the exception of the interrupted Bennings, nor we do we learn exactly ''how'' it happens - we never to learn that someone is a Thing until after it's already too late, which leaves the audience in the same position as the characters - constantly guessing who's still human and who's been infected.

* OverlyLongTongue: During the defribilation scene, [[spoiler:Norris Thing's head detaches from the rest of his body and grows a long prehensile tongue, which it uses in a failed attempt to escape.]]

* PlungerDetonator: The remaining crew members set up dynamite charges to blow up the base, with a detonator to set them off. Unfortunately the [[spoiler:Blair-Thing]] grabs and destroys it before [=MacReady=] can use it, but TheHero improvises, [[spoiler:tossing a lit stick down into the basement area with the rest of the charges and running for the hills.]]

* RaceAgainstTime: For much of the film once the Thing gets going and the crew tries to hunt it down while it picks them off one by one. But it really kicks into high gear going into the climax when [[spoiler: Blair-Thing sabotages the generator. Without power or heat, Mac and the surviving crew will freeze to death within 6 hours. So, they have to destroy the entire camp and ensure the Thing can't go back into hibernation (and if they're lucky it, kill it) before they succumb to the elements (and before the Thing inevitiably comes after the last survivors).]]

* ReCut: Of the TV variety. When the movie was due to premiere on TBS, a good deal of gore was cut out -- to the point where they were falling under the expected runtime. To make up for the cut footage, previously cut material (such as character exposition) was edited in. A new twist to the ending was also featured in this version, but not in broadcasts on other networks (such as AMC or Sci-Fi). [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0euB529UHA There were also character introductions]], which included some interesting tidbits about their backgrounds. [=MacReady=] used to be a [[AcePilot test pilot]] before getting into a confrontation with top management, [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere then resigned]] and took the pilot job in Antarctica. Childs is an [[TheEngineer expert mechanic]] who used to work in the airline industry. Garry has a 30-year career in the army and became an officer. Clark is doing a study on the effects of extreme cold on animal behaviour. Palmer intends to open his own business as a mechanic after his work there is done. Norris is a geophysicist and was [[TheProfessor a professor]] at Cal Tech. Copper graduated from Harvard, trained at Massachusetts General Hospital, [[DarkAndTroubledPast but an unknown personal tragedy]] caused him to leave and move his work to Antarctica. Bennings has been in the meteorology field long enough to be published many times. Blair is a microbiologist who specialized in cellular growth and laid the groundwork for genetic engineering, and Fuchs worked with him at the Rockefeller Foundation.

** The setup for the Blood Test is sound in theory. Unfortunately, it goes off the rails because [[spoiler:Mac's flamethrower unexpecetedly malfunctions just when they've exposed the Thing. Mac also didn't forsee that the other guy in the room literally packing heat (i.e. Windows) would freeze up at the worst possible moment (which gets him assimilated).]]

* StandardHollywoodStrafingProcedure: For some unknown reason the rifle armed Norwegians use their helicopter to do strafing runs on the Thing Dog, instead of just hovering in the air and sniping at it (which would have made for more accurate shooting). Of course, the real reason they did so was for dramatic purposes.

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Most of the tension, paranoia, and chaos of Acts Two and Three's ultimately caused by, of all things, [[spoiler:Windows dropping the keys upon seeing Bennings being assimilated. In the chaos, he forgets to pick them up, one of the Things grabs them, and it's able to cause merry hell with the blood samples and the crew's paranoia and mental states. Even then, some of the damage probably could've been mitigated if Windows had just 'fessed-up then and there (or if anyone had caught his "Oh shit" realization). But instead he keeps shtum and the paranoia and tension leads where it does over the second half of the film. In his defense, though, given how the crew was already becoming a lynch mob even then, you can't really fault Windows for not wanting to put a target on himself.]]
** Clark letting the Dog Thing wander around the base for hours instead of putting it in the kennel right away arguably falls into this as well, given that it almost certainly infected [[spoiler: Norris and Palmer]] while it was roaming. Had he not allowed it to do so, it would have been found out much earlier, the body count could have been lower and the [[TakingYouWithMe drastic measures]] employed by Macready at the end of the film could very well have been avoided. As it stood, not only did Clark's oversight cause multiple infections as well as fuel much of the plot, it indirectly led to the deaths of [[spoiler: Dr. Copper and Windows.]]

* {{Wormsign}}: Near the end of the movie the giant [[spoiler:Blair-]]Thing races underground towards [=MacReady=], splitting floorboards as it goes, to get to the detonator before [=MacReady=] can use it.
* YouAreWhoYouEat: This is how the Thing works. Specifically it's a shapeshifting alien that eats animals (dogs and humans in the movie) and then mimics their appearance and memories to become an exact replica.

* FromBadToWorse: The entire film in a nutshell. But it kicks into high gear going into the climax once [[spoiler: Blair-Thing sabotages the generator. There are now only three survivors left (as Childs went AWOL just before the generator went offline and is likely assimilated). Without power or heat, the survivors will all freeze to death in a matter of hours. They have to destroy the camp, ensuring that even if they kill the Thing (or at least prevent it from hibernating again), none of them are getting out of this alive.]]

* HopeSpot: The aftermath of the Blood Test. [[spoiler: Despite their losses, the surviving crew ''finally'' have a means of exposing the Thing and they've all tested negative. That just leaves Blair, whom Mac intends to test ''immediately''. Best case scenario, he's negative and that hopefully means Palmer and Windows were the last Things. Worst case scenario, he's infected -- but he's contained, so they can kill him (and hopefully he's the last one). But as soon as Mac, Garry, and Nauls make the trek out to the tool shed, however, everything starts going to hell. Not only is Blair missing, but they find irrefutable proof (i.e. the half-assembled UFO) he's been assimilated. When Blair was assimilated (either from the start or after being locked up) is irrelevant; what matters is that the tunneling and scavenged technical parts prove the Blair-Thing was ''never'' contained. It's been been running loose in the camp without anyone the wiser. And as soon as they discover this, Childs goes AWOL (and very possibly has been assimilated himself) and the Blair-Thing takes out the camp's generator.]]

->[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8faq5amdK30 Those poor bastards in the snow\\

* DidntSeeThatComing: During the Blood Test, Mac's so convinced [[spoiler:Garry's the Thing that he gets completely blitzed when instead it's Palmer who gets outed.]]
* DidntThinkThisThrough: Mac tying up everyone during the Blood Test. On paper, the theory's sound; it ensures they can't fight back or flee if they're exposed. In practice, however, it backfires. [[spoiler: The Thing gets exposed, but it's ''not'' the person Mac suspected. Worse, the other potential suspects are now tied to the same couch as the beastie and can't escape, thereby making them easy pickings (a situation made worse by Mac's flamethrower unexpecetedly malfunctioning and Windows freezing up at the worst possible moment).]]

** [[spoiler: The Norris-Thing incident -- specifically the head's attempted escape after the main body was incinerated -- is what gives Mac the inspiration for the Blood Test. Its behavior allows Mac to deduce that each part of Thing is an individual life-form with its own survival instinct, ergo separating a piece of it (i.e. a blood sample) and inflicting a painful test (a heated wire) would force the Thing to reveal itself.]]

'Cause they thought I was a dog but I~'m\\

** [[spoiler: The Norris-Thing incident -- specifically the head's attempted escape after the main body was incinerated -- is what gives Mac the inspiration for the Blood Test. Its behavior allows Mac to deduce that each part of Thing is an individual life-form with its own survival instinct, ergo seperating a piece of it (i.e. a blood sample) and inflicting a painful test (a heated wire) would force the Thing to reveal itslf.]]

* EurekaMoment: [[spoiler: When Mac, Nauls, and Garry go to perform the Blood Test on Blair, they find the tool shed empty and Blair MIA. They're all flummoxed as to how Blair could've gotten out; the door was bolted from the outside and there's no signs of forced entry or exit. Then Mac steps on a loosened floorboard. The three men look at one another and instantly realize what happened: Blair-Thing tunneled out.]]

* DidntThinkThisThrough: Mac tying up everyone during the Blood Test. On paper, the theory's sound; it ensures they can't fight back or flee if they're exposed. In practice, however, it backfires. [[spoiler: The Thing gets exposed, but it's ''not'' the person Mac suspected. Worse, the other potential suspects are now tied to the same couch as the beastie and can't escape, thereby making them easy pickings (and Mac's flamethrower's also malfunctioning at the worst possible moment).]]

** [[spoiler: When the Thing assimilates Norris, it also copies and inherits its host's bad heart. This ends up biting the Norris-Thing in the ass when it has an unexpected, actual heart attack that prematurely exposes it.]]
** The setup for the Blood Test is sound in theory. Unfortunately, it goess off the rails because [[spoiler:Mac's flamethrower malfunctions just when they've exposed the Thing. Mac also didn't forsee that the other guy in the room literally packing heat (i.e. Windows) would freeze up at the worst possible moment (which gets him assimilated).]]

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Most of the tension, paranoia, and chaos of Acts Two and Three's ultimately caused by, of all things, [[spoiler:Windows dropping the keys upon seeing Bennings being assimilated. In the chaos, he forgets to pick them up, one of the Things grabs them, and it's able to cause merry hell with the blood samples and the crew's paranoia and mental states. Even then, some of the damage could've been mitigated if Windows had 'fessed-up. But instead he keeps shtum and the paranoia and tension leads where it does over the second half of the film. In his defense, though, given how the crew was already becoming a lynch mob even then, you can't really fault Windows for not wanting to put a target on himself.]]

* DidntSeeThatComing: During the Blood Test, Mac's so convinced [[spoiler:Garry's the Thing that he gets completley blitzed when instead it's Palmer who gets outed.]]
* DidntThinkThisThrough: Mac tying up everyone during the Blood Test. On paper, the theory's sound. In practice, however, it backfires. [[spoiler: The Thing gets exposed, but it's ''not'' the person Mac suspected. Worse, the other potential suspects are now tied to the same couch as the beastie and can't escape (and Mac's flamethrower's malfunctioning at the worst possible moment).]]

* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler: When the Thing assimilates Norris, it also copies and inherits its host's bad heart. This ends up biting the Norris-Thing in the ass when it has an unexpected, actual heart attack that prematurely exposes it.]]

*** This also plays into the Thing's strategy during the climax when [[spoiler: Mac leads Garry and Nauls down into the generator room to plant explosives. Recognizing how dangerous Mac is, Blair-Thing first takes out his support structure. He intentionally goes after Garry first, as he's farthest away from the team in the old storage room. It also muzzle's Garry's mouth as part of the assimilation, silencing him before he can alert the others (and paying close attention to its surroundings just in case). Nauls is next to go down, as the Thing gets his attention (presumably by dragging Garry's body). It lures Nauls away from the nearby Mac and into the shadowy depths of the lower level (wherein he's killed and/or assimilated off-screen). Mac is now completely isolated -- but even then, Blair-Thing waits to attack until Mac forces its hand (by lighting the dynamite stick). It blitzes Mac, giving him no time to use the TNT detonator and grabbing it and destroying it (though Mac quickly improvises a way to trigger the explosives regardless).]]
* ItsQuietTooQuiet: A nonverbal variation in the climax when [[spoiler: Mac realizes Garry and Nauls are dead. Mac asks them for updates on the explosives they're laying. There's no response. Mac reflexively begins to ask them again...then quickly stops, terrified realization of the silence's significance ''instantly'' hitting him: They're both gone, he's now the only human left, and the Thing's down here in the basement and hiding somewhere in the shadows.]]

** The climax when [[spoiler: Mac realizes Garry and Nauls are both dead and he's the last man standing...and the Thing is down there with him and it's somewhere in the shadows ahead. A visibly terrified Mac keeps his eyes on said shadows as he slowly primes the detonator, gets up, and prepares to light the dynamite. There's absolutely ''no'' sign or sound of Blair-Thing in the shadows and Carpenter lets the tension build over the course of a full minute before it lets rip with {{Wormsign}}]].

* HopeSpot: The aftermath of the Blood Test. [[spoiler: Despite their losses, the surviving crew ''finally'' have a means of exposing the Thing and they've all tested negative. That just leaves Blair, whom Mac intends to test ''immediately''. Best case scenario, he's negative and that means Palmer and Windows were the last Things. Worst case scenario, he's infected -- but he's contained, so they can kill him (and hopefully he's the last one). But as soon as Mac, Garry, and Nauls make the trek out to the tool shed, however, everything starts going to hell. Not only is Blair missing, but they find irrefutable proof (i.e. the half-assembled UFO) he's been assimilated. When Blair was assimilated (either from the start or after being locked up) is irrelevant; what matters is that the tunneling and scavenged technical parts prove the Blair-Thing was ''never'' contained. It's been been running loose in the camp without anyone the wiser. And as soon as they discover this, Childs goes AWOL (and very possibly has been assimilated himself) and the Blair-Thing takes out the camp's generator.]]

* EurekaMoment: [[spoiler: When Mac, Nauls, and Garry go to perform the Blood Test on Blair, they find the tool shed empty and Blair MIA. They're all flummoxed as to how Blair could've gotten out; the door was bolted from the outside and there's no sign of forced entry or exit. Then Mac steps on a loosened floorboard. The three men instantly realize what happened: Blair-Thing tunneled out.]]

* HopeSpot: The aftermath of the Blood Test. [[spoiler: Despite the losses they sustained to prove it, the surviving crew ''finally'' have a means of exposing the Thing and they've all tested negative. That just leaves Blair, whom Mac intends to test ''immediately''. If he's negative, they can bring him back inside (and hopefully that means Palmer and Windows were the last Things). If Blair's positive, he's contained in the tool shed, they can easily kill him, and hopefully he's the last one. As soon as Mac, Garry, and Nauls make the trek out to the shed, however, everything starts going to hell. Not only is Blair missing and the door open, but they find irrefutable proof (i.e. the half-assembled UFO) he's been assimilated (either from the very beginning, or at some point after they'd locked him in the shed). Regardless of when Blair was assimilated, the tunneling and scavenged technical parts prove the Blair-Thing has has come and gone from the shed at will and been running loose in the camp without anyone the wiser. And as soon as they discover this, Childs goes AWOL (and very possibly has been assimilated himself) and the Blair-Thing takes out the camp's generator.]]

* HopeSpot: The aftermath of the Blood Test. [[spoiler: Despite the losses sustained to prove it, the surviving crew ''finally'' has a means of exposing the Thing and they've all tested negative. That just leaves Blair, whom Mac intends to test ''immediately''. If he tests negative, they can bring him back inside (and hopefully that means Palmer and Windows were the last Things). If he tests positive, they'll kill Blair-Thing and hopefully he's the last one. As soon as Mac, Garry, and Nauls make the trek out to the tool shed, however, everything starts going to hell. Not only is Blair missing, but they find irrefutable proof (i.e. the half-assembled UFO) he's been assimilated (either from the very beginning, or at some point after they'd locked him the shed). Regardless of when Blair was assimilated, the tunneling and scavenged technical parts prove Blair-Thing's been able to come and go at will and has been running loose in the camp without anyone realizing it. And as soon as they discover this, Childs goes AWOL (and very possibly having bene assimilated himself) and the Blair-Thing takes out the camp's generator.]]

* HopeSpot: The aftermath of the Blood Test. [[spoiler: Despite the losses sustained to prove it, the surviving crew ''finally'' has a means of exposing the Thing and they've all tested negative. That just leaves Blair, whom Mac intends to test ''immediately''. If he tests negative, they can bring him back inside (and hopefully that means Palmer and Windows were the last Things). If he tests positive, they'll kill Blair-Thing and hopefully he's the last one. As soon as Mac, Garry, and Nauls make the trek out to the tool shed, however, everything starts going to hell. Not only is Blair missing, but they find irrefutable proof (i.e. the half-assembled UFO) he's been assimilated (either at some point after they'd locked in him, or perhaps even from the very beginning). Regardless of when Blair was assimilated, the tunneling and scavenged technical parts prove Blair-Thing's been able to get out of the tool shed and has been running loose in the camp without anyone realizing it. As soon as they discover this, Childs goes AWOL and the Blair-Thing takes out the camp's generator.]]

*** This also plays into the Thing's strategy during the climax when [[spoiler: Mac leads Garry and Nauls down into the generator room to plant explosives. Recognizing how dangerous Mac is, Blair-Thing first takes out his support structure. He intentionally goes after Garry first, as he's farthest away from the team in the old storage room. It also muzzle's Garry's mouth as part of the assimilation, silencing him before he can alert the others (and paying close attention to its surroundings just in case). Nauls is next to go down, as the Thing gets his attention (presumably by dragging Garry's body). It lures Nauls away from the nearby Mac and into the shadowy depths of the lower level (wherein he's killed and/or assimilated off-screen). Mac is now completley isolated -- but even then, Blair-Thing waits to attack until Mac forces its hand (by lighting the dynamite stick). It blitzes Mac, giving him no time to use the TNT detonator and grabbing it and destroying it (though Mac quickly improvises a way to trigger the explosives regardless).

* ItsQuietTooQuiet: A nonverbal variation in the climax when [[spoiler: Mac realizes Garry and Nauls are dead. Mac asks them for updates on the explosives they're laying. There's no response. Mac reflexively begins to ask again...then quickly stops, terrified realization of the silence's signgifcance ''instantly'' hitting him: They're both gone, he's now the only human left, and the Thing's down here hiding in the shadows.]]

*** This also plays into the Thing's strategy during the climax when [[spoiler: Mac leads Garry and Nauls down into the generator room to plant explosives. Recognizing how dangerous Mac is, Blair-Thing first takes out his support structure. He intentionally goes after Garry first, as he's farthest away from the team in the old storage room. It also muzzle's Garry's mouth as part of the assimilation, silencing him before he can alert the others (and paying close attention to its surroundings just in case). Nauls is next to go down, as the Thing gets his attention (presumably by dragging Garry's body). It lures Nauls away from the nearby Mac and into the shadowy depths of the lower level (wherein he's killed and/or assimilated off-screen). Mac is now completley isolated -- but even then, Blair-Thing waits to attack until Mac forces its hand (by lighting the dynamite stick). It blitzes Mac, giving him no time to use the TNT detonator and grabbing it and destroying it (though Mac quickly improvises a way to trigger the explosives regardless).]]

* HopeSpot: The aftermath of the Blood Test. [[spoiler: Despite the losses sustained to prove it, the surviving crew ''finally'' has a means of exposing the Thing and they've all tested negative. That just leaves Blair, whom Mac intends to test ''immediately''. If he tests negative, they can bring him back inside (and hopefully that means Palmer and Windows were the last Things). If he tests positive, they'll kill Blair-Thing and hopefully he's the last one. As soon as Mac, Garry, and Nauls make the trek out the tool shed, however, everything starts going to hell. Not only is Blair missing, but they find irrefutable proof (i.e. the half-assembled UFO) he's been assimilated (either at some point after they'd locked in him, or perhaps even from the very beginning). Regardless of when Blair was assimilated, the tunneling and scavenged technical parts prove Blair-Thing's been able to get out of the tool shed and has been running loose in the camp without anyone realizing it. As soon as they discover this, Childs goes AWOL and the Blair-Thing takes out the camp's generator.]]

* HopeSpot: The aftermath of the Blood Test. [[spoiler: Despite the losses sustained to prove it, the surviving crew ''finally'' has a means of exposing the Thing and they've all tested negative. That just leaves Blair, whom Mac intends to test ''immediately''. If he tests negative, they can bring him back inside (and hopefully that means Palmer and Windows were the last Things). If he tests positive, they'll kill Blair-Thing and hopefully he's the last one. As soon as Mac, Garry, and Nauls make the trek out the tool shed, however, everything starts going to hell. Not only is Blair missing, but they find irrerefutable proof (i.e. the half-assembled UFO) he's been assimilated. Worse, the tunneling and scavanged technical parts prove Blair-Thing's been able to get out of the tool shed this entire time and has been running loose on the camp without anyone realizing it. As soon as they discover this, Childs goes AWOL and the Blair-Thing takes out the camp's generator.]]