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POLL: Which is the greater film - Alien or Carpenter's The Thing? - Page 2

Poll Results: Which is greater - Alien or Carpenter's The Thing?

 
  • 57% (51)
    Alien
  • 42% (37)
    The Thing
88 Total Votes  
post #51 of 64
2/7/05 at 7:32pm
The Thing.

It has a better opening; with that helicopter chasing a dog (better than it sounds...), has more scares, and laughs, better performances, just overall gives me more than the entire Alien series put together, and it has the best ending line to a movie ever. You know it.
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post #52 of 64
2/7/05 at 7:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cognizant
It has a better opening; with that helicopter chasing a dog (better than it sounds...), has more scares, and laughs, better performances, just overall gives me more than the entire Alien series put together, and it has the best ending line to a movie ever. You know it.
But it falls apart after the blood test scene. Face it, THE THING is great, but it's just a bunch of gruff dudes running around and whining like a bunch of girls, while a disgusting creature roams about in their midst.

I'll give THE THING credit; it has a better premise, but as a film, ALIEN is better because it stays with you and haunts you. THE THING just makes you want to crack and beer and burp.
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post #53 of 64
2/7/05 at 7:40pm
Palmer in THE THING. He's obviously the first infected, yet he continues to act, sound, and basically be Palmer. At one point, after his infection, he shares a joint with another of the characters (sure as hell looked like Chiles). Does his particle enter that other character, making him a potential Thing? That's what I never could figure out. Hell, at one point, Palmer says the famous line "You've got to be fucking kidding," and at that point, he is most definitely a Thing.

Anyway, that's something I've always wondered - was Palmer the first one?
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post #54 of 64
2/7/05 at 7:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colt45
a bunch of gruff dudes running around and whining like a bunch of girls, while a disgusting creature roams about in their midst.
Its great!!!

Ok, I'll admit its not perfect, there are some lagging moments, like when they investigate the site of the ship, and when they're preparing to blow the place up, but these are just small niggles, overall its a great tense thriller, that heads in a great direction, because you know that ending was great and so un-Hollywood, I loved it.

Quote:
I'll give THE THING credit; it has a better premise, but as a film, ALIEN is better because it stays with you and haunts you. THE THING just makes you want to crack and beer and burp.
Actually, I'd say Alien has more of the beer burp vibe, especially the sequel, heh, maybe its just anything with Paxton that makes me want to bring out the beer though...

As for the monsters themselves, well the Alien is obviously more iconic than the Thing, and although I usually tend to want to not see a monster so much in a movie, it being more effective at creeping me out; the effects in the The Thing however were so disgusting and unbelievable, and so in your face, that it was really more jarring than the Alien.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me..."
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post #55 of 64
2/7/05 at 7:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colt45
Not to shoot down your opinion, but the film never went into that territory. It was a big monster taking over a bunch of guys while they screamed and ran around in their trousers. The movie never explored the idea of the person becoming something they're not, etc and all the philisophical stuff you're implying... it dealt more with trust issues and paranoia. Which is fine, but ALIEN's terror was much more potent because it used sight and sound as its weapons. It's far more terrifying knowing you're one of a few on board a big ship with a frightening creature running around. It's like being at home with a loose dangerous animal and the power goes out and the doors are locked (and the windows are blocked). It's a FAR MORE PRIMAL EXPERIENCE. And primal is much more powerful than comic book shock horror, which is what THE THING ultimately is. When THE THING takes you over, that's it... you are dead and have no idea you are being taken over. When the ALIEN gets you, it's not over. It wont necessarily kill you... if it wants, it takes you and concoons you and you become like a retarted vegetable, very conscious and aware of what's happening... or implated with a face hugger and housing a living devil inside your chest, which you can feel squirming around and growing and eventually crashing against your rib cage to burst out.
I understand completely what you're saying, and admit that I like The Thing better because of what I put into it rather than what it actually gives me. When I saw Alien for the first time as a kid, I thought it was pretty scary, but that was about it. When I saw The Thing for the first time, I couldn't help but be really freaked out by the idea of being infected. I was huddled in my bed wondering If I would still be me to some extent. Would there be this little part of me in the monster begging the invading power not to do what it was doing, etc?
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post #56 of 64
2/7/05 at 8:06pm
Yeah, I agree with you. But THE THING never explored that and so ALIEN becomes the better movie by default because it DOES explore something that's not on the surface, which is:

What truly scares you?

THE THING had that chance, but it never took the bait. I have to credit Carpenter though on doing a fantastic job of pulling a rabbit out of a hat and delivering a stellar film, but at the end of the day it's all surface.
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post #57 of 64
2/7/05 at 8:07pm
Personally I'd have to go with The Thing because the idea of something coming to Earth and taking over every life form at the cellular level is more terrifying than a group of folks isolated in space with a parisitic insectoid xenomorph. Plus The Thing has some of the best traditional FX ever.

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post #58 of 64
2/7/05 at 8:19pm
>< EEEK!!!!

I agree with the cellullar level horror, that was very scary shit, and also a bit of genius, as we dont really have a monster to identify and direct our fear and hatred at.
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post #59 of 64
2/7/05 at 8:53pm
I would have to go with The Thing on every one of Mecha's four questions except the score. The Thing is just downright scary! The thought that you would not know who the alien is amongst the group is far more terrifying than being able to see the big bastard coming at you. Also the ending is far more bleak than anything in Alien.
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post #60 of 64
2/8/05 at 4:00pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nordling
Palmer in THE THING. He's obviously the first infected, yet he continues to act, sound, and basically be Palmer. At one point, after his infection, he shares a joint with another of the characters (sure as hell looked like Chiles). Does his particle enter that other character, making him a potential Thing? That's what I never could figure out. Hell, at one point, Palmer says the famous line "You've got to be fucking kidding," and at that point, he is most definitely a Thing.

Anyway, that's something I've always wondered - was Palmer the first one?

I don't think he was the first one. It seems obvious that Norris and him were infected by the dog during the same day it was wandering around - but I think Norris was first, and that it was his shadow in the room when the dog enters. The previous scene had Palmer and Childs smoking a joint, so if Palmer was the THING first (and not human at that moment), Chiles would have been infected. But he obviously wasn't. So I'd say either Norris-Thing infects Palmer, or Palmer is just infected by the dog after Norris.

And I think the fact that the dog never infected Clark just proves just how intelligent the THING was. As the animal handler, Clark would be suspect number one, and the THING knows that.
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post #61 of 64
2/8/05 at 4:54pm
This is an excellent question because it's pretty hard to actualy choose. They both manage to create atmosphere and tension. They both feel extremely bleak, though the ending of the Thing is brilliant and it's like "Oh shit, the world is fucked". The editing is not so good in Alien, but some of the directing is superb by Ridley. But maybe Alien does have better Cinematography, but the Thing is still terrific. The score? Oh shit, i love them both. The alien is also a better villain, well but the thing manages to be able to hide. But there's something though that seperates them both, repeat viewings. I seem to be able to watch the Thing much more then Alien.

Thanks Mecha, i'm confused now!
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post #62 of 64
2/10/05 at 7:18pm
It's like asking: which is better - a lifetime of being blown by supermodels or winning the lottery?
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post #63 of 64
2/10/05 at 7:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by AgentOrange
It's like asking: which is better - a lifetime of being blown by supermodels or winning the lottery?
Well winning the lottery is obviously the better choice. Supermodels don't pay the rent. But you can buy a blowjob.
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post #64 of 64
2/10/05 at 7:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colt45
Well winning the lottery is obviously the better choice. Supermodels don't pay the rent. But you can buy a blowjob.
A couple of million won't last a lifetime in a high-class whorehouse, Colt.

But then, I'm a man of simple pleasures. <grin>
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