Is John Carpenter’s THE THING A Christmas Movie? Have Your Say
Help make #Thingmas a reality.
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 a literal gift that keeps on giving. Having it classified as a bona fide Christmas movie just feels right!”
