john carpenters the thing question....spoilers

[jbat31]

I have a question about the end of the movie. Is Kurt Russels character basically screwed. It has been years since I have seen it but I remember something about him basically dying?

[Dilmo]

Yes, he and Keith David are left out in the snow will the fire burns itself out. They will freeze to death (if one was the thing, it would freeze until thawed out again). I would consider that screwed.

[Shawn Watson]

John Carpenter said that his extended ending was Keith David and Russell being rescued, taken to a hospital and it turns out they are both ok.

Shawn

[ceeece]

Yeah, in the documentary John mentioned the extended ending but said he left it the way he did (open ended) so that the audience can make their own conclusions about the fate of the heros. I am glad he did.

[Monterey Jack]

I love Russell's final line in the movie:

"I guess we'll just wait here...and see what happens."

Of course, when I watched the film with my older brother and his wife, she complained "Is that it?" when the credits started to roll. Then again, I can forgive her just because she watched it in the first place.

heh, I just watched it with my little brothers-in-law and they said the same thing. they were all scared and stuff going through the movie, but then the ending, and they weren't happy that it wasn't nicely wrapped up at the end. God forbid you have to think about the ending of the movie! The Matrix: Reloaded did about the same thing...too much thinking. Do kids even DO that on their own these days?

[disclover]

Originally Posted by bune duggy

heh, I just watched it with my little brothers-in-law and they said the same thing. they were all scared and stuff going through the movie, but then the ending, and they weren't happy that it wasn't nicely wrapped up at the end. God forbid you have to think about the ending of the movie!

I'm not a huge fan of The Thing, but I think Carpenter's ending, as it stands, is appropriate. A rescue would have felt forced and too "Hollywood."

My wife, by the way, fits bune duggy's description of his brothers-in-law to a T. She cannot stand open-ended movies or movies where everything isn't explained. If she watched The Thing (which she probably would not since she doesn't like most science fiction), she'd probably want to throw things at the screen at the end.

Oh well...I love her anyway. I have actually got her to tolerate widescreen (she will even rent wide over full where both are available...she never would have done that before she met me), so there is yet time for me to work on her tastes...

[sub780lime]

im looking forward to getting the thing in Carpenter box set

i like the ending, its an ending that leads into a sequel, i think these types of endings are the best when there never is a sequel that follows

[WAID]

When I thought about the ending, the bit of logic that nagged at me was thinking if I were, say, Kurt Russell's character and I knew that I wasn't the thing, but I wasn't sure if Keith David is okay or not, and I was concerned that the thing just wants to freeze and be discovered again, I'd pretty much conclude that I'd have to kill Keith. We're both going to die anyway and I could possibly be saving the world from a major disaster. So, he's gotta die and burn. Nothing personal.

Anyone think I'm off base here?

[lopper]

In the videogame, you see both characters still at the outpost. I believe that the developers worked somewhat with Carpenter on the story, so, well, I don't know what my point is.

Maybe Carpenter chose to have the game wrap up their stories since he's said there'll probably be no "The Thing 2" - I believe that the game was supposed to act as a sequel.


EDIT:

Spoiler (Highlight or Triple Click to Read):

I think they were both dead. It's been so long that I can't remember if they survived or if either one had turned into the Thing. I didn't even finish the game, but I believe that you see them both in the beginning.

[jbat31]

Didn't They Live have a similar....wtf ending?

I remeber really liking that one. especially the wrestling moves

[retroboy]

I've always liked The Thing's bleak ending--so many Hollywood films rely on schmaltzy, happy endings, so why not go all antithetical?
Maybe its downbeat ending was one of the many reasons this fine film didn't find an audience theatrically.

I remember watching The Thing with my dad when I was 13--I can still picture his sour face when he realized there wasn't a happy ending: "What a STUPID F***ING ending!" Ahhh, memories.

[Musashi74]

SPOILERS (for those who haven't played the game).
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
If you play all the way through, MacCready saves your butt in a helicopter at the end. They don't call him MacCready by name, but it's fairly obvious who it is.

And yes, the game is most definitely intended as a sequel to the film.

Personally, I saw the film when it was originally released (I was 12 at the time) and I have always loved the unresolved ending. I think it's pretty well understood that they're both fux0red at the end.

[dave70]

Originally Posted by WAID

When I thought about the ending, the bit of logic that nagged at me was thinking if I were, say, Kurt Russell's character and I knew that I wasn't the thing, but I wasn't sure if Keith David is okay or not, and I was concerned that the thing just wants to freeze and be discovered again, I'd pretty much conclude that I'd have to kill Keith. We're both going to die anyway and I could possibly be saving the world from a major disaster. So, he's gotta die and burn. Nothing personal.

Anyone think I'm off base here?

I believe at the end Russell says something like even if we were one of the things there wasn't much the other could do about it, meaning they were both too exhausted and frozen to even move.

[redshifter]

"the thing"'s ending i think sums up the theme of the entire movie well. here we have two friends, face to face, distrustful that the other might be "the thing".

- kurt russel's character says, "if we have any surpises for eachother, i don't think we're in any shape do do anything about it." in the possibility that keith's character is "the thing", russell is saying "go ahead and attack me, i won't fight because i'm too tired." if in fact keith's character WAS the thing and attacked, i'm sure russel's character would have a final stick of dynamite to take them both out before he gets absorbed.

- in a more disturbing scenario, keith's character IS the thing (we stay with russel's character to the end so we know he is not), but plays it cool. remember "it wants to freeze", and doesn't rise to russel's trap. in this scenario "the thing" wins because we assume they both freeze, and the keith/thing will be discovered by rescuers and of course carelessly thawed out while nobody's looking...

- the final scenario, they are both human, and just sacrificed themselves to save the world (literally). but they're tough, and probably fucked their lives up anyway (which is why they ended up in an antarctic outpost drinking hard and smoking pot--neither are scientists), so why not go out drinking and waiting for the end.

[Reese]

Redshifter,

Very nice. What a great movie that was. Reading this thread gave me goosebumps, I mentally played out each persons "how it might have ended" scenario.

Spooky.

[gachamann]

I remember seeing an alternate ending when I was a kid when it was shown on TV. Next day..you see the camp and smoke as it zooms in to show the dog from the beginning of the film run out toward you, in perfect shape no less and playing that ominous theme music. Obviously the thing survived. I always loved that ending.

[dougotte]

I remember seeing an alternate ending...

g-man, no offense meant, but I don't remember hearing about an alternate ending, not even when I went through all the extras on the DVD, but that was about two years ago, & I'm getting a little senile. Are you sure you remember that correctly? If so, it's a fascinating tidbit, & I wonder why they didn't include it on the DVD.

Ciao,
Doug

[Linval]

I remember seeing an alternate ending when I was a kid when it was shown on TV.

No alternate ending was ever shot for this movie!!!!

I remember an article in Dark side magazine where Carpenter said a lot of folk always ask if Keith David was the thing - because at the end of the movie where Kurt Russel and Keith David are talking - You can see the icy breath coming from Kurts mouth when he is talking , but when Keith David is speaking, No breath is visible?

Linval

[folgersnyourcup]

Gman sounds like he's getting this and The Fallen mixed up (replaced cat with dog though).... I don't think there was ever an alternate ending like that shot.

I'm remembering on the commentary track for the DVD them saying something along the lines of (they may have been joking, I don't remember) Kurt Rusell's character possibly being The Thing at that point because of something. I can't remember though.

I love the film though. I wish they had done a nice, new anamorphic transfer for it instead of just recycling the laserdisc but it still has a nice picture though in the darker scenes a lot of detail is lost at times. Still very watchable though.

[redshifter]

Originally Posted by folgersnyourcup

Gman sounds like he's getting this and The Fallen mixed up (replaced cat with dog though).... I don't think there was ever an alternate ending like that shot.

I'm remembering on the commentary track for the DVD them saying something along the lines of (they may have been joking, I don't remember) Kurt Rusell's character possibly being The Thing at that point because of something. I can't remember though.

I love the film though. I wish they had done a nice, new anamorphic transfer for it instead of just recycling the laserdisc but it still has a nice picture though in the darker scenes a lot of detail is lost at times. Still very watchable though.

i have the laserdisc, and unless they did a LOT of color tweaking, the dvd is not the ld transfer. the ld is much colder and bluer in hue than the dvd.

[Maximum Jonah]

Originally Posted by Linval

I remember an article in Dark side magazine where Carpenter said a lot of folk always ask if Keith David was the thing - because at the end of the movie where Kurt Russel and Keith David are talking - You can see the icy breath coming from Kurts mouth when he is talking , but when Keith David is speaking, No breath is visible?

Linval

I read the same article and watch the end scene again. If you look closely you can see Keith David's breath, therefore ruling out this possible scenario.

I personally think that they are both still human.

[Monterey Jack]

Originally Posted by gachamann

I remember seeing an alternate ending when I was a kid when it was shown on TV. Next day..you see the camp and smoke as it zooms in to show the dog from the beginning of the film run out toward you, in perfect shape no less and playing that ominous theme music. Obviously the thing survived. I always loved that ending.

Uh, this scene is included on the DVD's deleted scene menu. Go check! It was also included in a syndicated TV edit of the film (which also contained some added narration), which Carpenter disowned.

Also, who else was pissed off that all of the deleted scenes on the disc were presented in full-screen?

[gachamann]

Chill out, Linval. Carpenter may have said they never made it, but that doesn't change the fact that I saw it (musta been that syndicated tv edit) and remember it clear as day.

I don't have the disc anymore, but glad to hear it's on the deleted scenes, Monterey.

[mikenyc]

I couldn't get into this film, at all.

I like the original, because of the fast moving story, and the community of characters, that's built by the story. You genuinely care about them, and want to know what's going to happen to them, instead of waiting for the next "thrill" in the Carpenter version.

For me there's no interest in what happens to the characters, other than Kurt Russell. Like other Carpenter stories, it's top heavy, and the story is, off balance.

[Maximum Jonah]

Originally Posted by mikenyc

I couldn't get into this film, at all.

I like the original, because of the fast moving story, and the community of characters, that's built by the story. You genuinely care about them, and want to know what's going to happen to them, instead of waiting for the next "thrill" in the Carpenter version.

For me there's no interest in what happens to the characters, other than Kurt Russell. Like other Carpenter stories, it's top heavy, and the story is, off balance.

Now, I LOVE both versions, but...

John Carpenter's version is much truer to the original story, "Who Goes There?" written by John W. Campbell Jr. I suggest that you check on the internet for a copy, (That's how I got mine) and you'll see the similiarities.

But I recognize the genius of coming up with two different scripts for the same story.

Both are classics in my opinion, and I'm glad to own DVD's of both!

[dougotte]

Originally Posted by gachamann

Chill out, Linval. Carpenter may have said they never made it, but that doesn't change the fact that I saw it (musta been that syndicated tv edit) and remember it clear as day.

I don't have the disc anymore, but glad to hear it's on the deleted scenes, Monterey.

I watched the deleted scenes again the other night, & saw the clip you're referring to. It's a brief (3 seconds?) shot of the dog running w/ 3 fires in the far background. I'm sure you're right about them making that an alternate ending. My feeling is, Carpenter probably filmed it as an opening shot - it looks more like the dog running from the Norwegian camp.

Anyway, I guess I am getting senile, because I don't remember seeing that clip when I first watched the DVD, & I apologize to you, gachamann, because I doubted it existed.

[gachamann]

awwww... *big family hug* :p