Is John Carpenter’s THE THING A Christmas Movie? Have Your Say
John Carpenter's seminal sci-fi horror masterpiece The Thing has plagued audiences with many enduring questions since its release in 1982. When exactly was Blair infected by the titular being? Has MacReady or Childs (or both, or neither!) fallen prey to alien assimilation at the movie's chilly finale? And perhaps most importantly of all; does The Thing count as a Christmas film?
That's the question being asked (and answered) by the writers and producers of The Thing Expanded, an upcoming documentary dissecting the film with interviews from Guillermo del Toro, Eli Roth, Frank Darabont, Dean Cundey, Issa López, Stephen Colbert, Fango's own EIC Phil Nobile Jr. and, of course, Carpenter himself. The “ultimate fan-driven companion” to The Thing comes from writer/director Ian Nathan and producers Robin Block (CREATORVC), David Weiner (CREATORVC) and Josh Weiss (author of SYFY WIRE’s extensive oral history of The Thing).
With the festive season right around the corner, The Thing Expanded team are looking to haveThe Thing officially recognized as a Christmas movie on IMDb and Letterboxd. The campaign, entitled #Thingmas, argues that the film’s Antarctic snow setting, winter themes, and annual December rewatch tradition qualify it as a holiday movie. Nathan further makes his case:
“Think about it: the weather outside is frightful and the fire is so delightful (via flamethrowers) […] No one has a place to go (the chopper is a wreck). And it stars Santa Claus (kinda). Oh, and the hero dies to save mankind. My only question is why has it taken so long for The Thing to be recognized as a Christmas movie? More seriously, my take on the perfect Christmas movie is that, above all, it brings people together — and The Thing is something we all share.”
Weiss adds:
“Given The Thing’s frigid backdrop, one has to wonder if the film might have fared better with a December release […] While we can’t change the past, we can celebrate the fact that John Carpenter’s sci-fi/horror masterpiece has become a holiday season staple among fans over the last 43 years. Moreover, it’s packed with enough detail to surprise even the most die-hard fans on repeat viewings, effectively making The Thing a literal gift that keeps on giving. Having it classified as a bona fide Christmas movie just feels right!”
The crew even lay out a detailed list of reasons why The Thing should be considered a holiday horror movie alongside festive classics like Black Christmas or Krampus:
• Antarctic snowbound setting = peak festive vibes
• A story about people forced together (family Christmas energy)
• Sharing… even if it’s alien DNA
• Themes of trust, sacrifice, faith, and warmth in the cold
• The creature rips up when it transforms—just like a present being enthusiastically unwrapped on Christmas morning!
• MacReady and Childs sharing a whisky in the snow — iconic Christmas-card vibes
• The Thing’s “gift” of contagion is like the ultimate game of Secret Santa
• Retroactively speaking, Kurt Russell went on to play Santa in The Christmas Chronicles
Exceedingly compelling arguments all round, we're sure you'll agree. If you want to be part of the #Thingmas campaign, organizers plan to submit the petition to IMDb’s Data Editors and Letterboxd’s Content Team once it reaches 10,000 signatures, and the deadline to sign the petition is Wednesday, December 24. Sign it here if you want to be part of making #Thingmas history!
