🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
Directed by Ian Nathan.
There are certain things in life worth obsessing over. In fact, there may be a direct correlation between the importance of the obsession and the meaninglessness of the object of fascination.
Your favorite soccer club. The hunt for the perfect slice of pizza. The original pressing of the 1971 German prog LP that no one — except for you — has ever heard of. All these things and many more deserve your undivided and undying attention.
Turns out, The Thing is also one of those artifacts that’s deserving of massive amount of slavish devotion. In his new documentary, The Thing Expanded, director Ian Nathan, brings an addictive approach to a film that’s now 45 years old.
As a part of his full fledged editing process, Nathan brings us a film that is 5 hour and 12 minutes long. Yes, you read that right, 5 hours long. Naturally, you’re probably asking yourself “…does any film really need a five hour dissection?”
Answer? Weirdly, yes.
What Nathan brings to the table is a slow and languid approach to every single character in the film, their predilections, motives, and mysteries surrounding their place in The Thing universe. Nathan also attempts to pick apart many of the enigmas that have plagued fixated horror junkies for nearly a half a century.
For the uninitiated — and if you’re reading this review you don’t fit into this category — there are 12 characters (technically 13 if you count Jed the wolf dog) in the film:
- Kurt Russell as R. J. MacReady
- A. Wilford Brimley as Blair
- T. K. Carter as Nauls
- David Clennon as Palmer
- Keith David as Childs
- Richard Dysart as Dr. Copper
- Charles Hallahan as Norris
- Peter Maloney as George Bennings
- Richard Masur as Clark
- Donald Moffat as Garry
- Joel Polis as Fuchs
- Thomas Waites as Windows
Nathan picks at the bone chilling shadow on the wall that appears as the Jed the wolf-dog enters the room. Was it a production error? Was it Norris (Charles Hallahan)? Was it Palmer (David Clennon)? Was it intentionally left there to keep audiences purposefully placed in a hazy and disorienting space?
The Thing Expanded also (read: tries) to autopsy the final scene in the film. Likely the most problematic for audiences, John Carpenter opted for total nihilism that many in the film speculate may have been the point at which Hollywood politely showed him the door.
As MacReady (Kurt Russell) and Childs (Keith David) come face to face with each other audiences are forced to contend with the fact that one of them might very well be infected as…THE THING. All involved with the production claim that Carpenter, and Carpenter alone, know the answer to this question. But, it’s the unanswered nature of the question that keeps audiences so fully intrigued decade after chilling decade.
Keith David excitedly opines that while only Carpenter knows the real mystery behind the ending, but what he does know that it wasn’t him! On the other hand Russell offers up a possible hint to answer this mystery, by indicating that there may be more information contained in the final line of the film “”Why don’t we just… wait here for a little while… see what happens?” Russell also notes that after several weeks of perseverating about the finale, it was he who actually suggested this simple, yet wildly impactful, line.
Most importantly, the film offers fixated throngs of horror hounds some fun, irreverent, and somewhat disturbing factoids, including:
- Thomas Waites, who plays Windows, had an entirely different name in the script. As he began to better understand the script he purchased a pair of green tinted sunglasses to get into character. As soon as he took on this new personality he went to John Carpenter and insisted that he be called “Windows”. After taking a long drag off his cigarette Carpenter demanded “…everyone start calling him Windows.”
- Richard Masur, as Clark the dog handler, decided to wear a barely noticeable University of Oregon shirt under his flannel to better embrace the iconoclastic and rebellious nature of his loner archetype.
- Carpenter never discussed with Russell the fact his character would be wearing a sombrero throughout the film. When Russell strenuously objected, Carpenter patiently showed him footage and explained that when everyone is bundled up in the arctic it would be the only way that they could tell hime apart as the lead.
- Famed cinematographer, Dean Cundey offers up the fact that he intentionally lit the eyes of the characters differently in the iconic blood test scene. Cundey explained that he specifically obscured Palmer’s eyes in a way that would give the audiences a glimpse into the fact that he was infected. Carpenter proclaims this to be complete “bullshit”, but goes on to note that if Dean Cundey says it’s true then it must be true.
While many of the stories, anecdotes, and memories may very well have faded in the intervening years, what rings true is the emotional connection and positive feelings that the entire crew has for The Thing.
Should you watch The Thing Expanded?
If you haven’t picked up on it already, The Thing Expanded is a love letter — or rather a love encyclopedia— to horror fans. By carefully, and sometimes too slowly, exploring all facets of the film, horror fans are treated to a package of stories and history that they might not have ever encountered.
That said, the film is really more like an oral history. Nathan uses a series of devices to break up the content across a fairly linear and chronological narrative, but that methodical approach feels less like a punchy documentary and more like a Ken Burns treatment of American nostalgia.
The Thing Expanded is not for everyone. Certainly not for those that have never seen The Thing. Not for people that barfed in the theaters. And definitely not for Goldie Hawn’s mom who was not at all a fan.
The other truly disappoint element to the film is the noticeable absence of the special effects master Rob Bottin. Throughout the entire film the one thing that rings painfully true is Bottin’s incredibly gory impact on the film. Many surmised that it was this over-the-top gore that got Carpenter in trouble with mainstream Hollywood. It was also Bottin’s obsessive nature that allowed him to create a masterpiece that he never be able to quite replicate.
The Thing Expanded is for the obsessed. It’s for the completists. It’s for horror fans.
Look for a blu-ray release in June 2026.